Let’s face it. Most children with Autism have very limited communication. For some kids, this results in a lot of wanted behaviors — tantrums, crying, hitting, sometimes even self injury. Whether or this sounds like it applies to you, if your child has an Autism diagnosis, at some point they will likely have a behavior plan to help reduce a…
Last week, a parent asked me if ABA was only for children who are aggressive. I promptly answered her with a Facebook Live. Later that day, in a meeting I was asked if ABA was only for younger kids who can’t talk. After being in the field of Autism and using ABA as my main modality of practice, I often…
Christmas morning is the most wonderful day of the year– right? It can be… or it can send you running for that champagne chilling in your fridge for New Year’s Eve a little early! Let’s be honest — the success of this holiday will be defined by one thing and one thing alone — Will your child tantrum on Christmas…
Summer is in full swing! — At least here in the United States! Summer is a time for barbecues with friends and vacations with families. But, traveling with children with Autism is often more daunting than rewarding. Some of my favorite childhood memories are from my family vacations. I am sure you can think of some fond memories yourself. Every…
In simple terms, ABA therapists change a behavior by changing what happens before and after the behavior occurs to make it either more or less likely to occur again. The idea is to make sure when desirable behavior occur, they result in a favorable outcome and when undesirable behaviors occur, they do not result in a favorable outcome. The technical…
You sit on the park bench and wave as your child plays in the sand box. Your child smiles back…. Just then a little girl, who looks to be about the same age as your child, comes to the woman sitting next to you and says, “Mommy, I want juice.” You smile politely but secretly, inside it feels as tho…
One of the mostly common questions parents with a child with Autism asks is what it means that Autism is a Spectrum Disorder. Essentially, it means that every child diagnosed with Autism is different. No two children have the exact same interests, strengths or weaknesses. Some children will develop into talented artists and musicians. Some will excel in math while…
When dealing with tantrums, it always helps to be proactive rather than reactive. Tantrums are unpleasant for everyone, including your child. It is always better to just to avoid them. Us behavior analysts have a fancy term for proactive strategies– antecedent modifications. Antecedent modifications are things that you do before a behavior occurs to make it either more likely or…
It is natural for a parent to want to give their child a consequence for having a tantrum. This is never a bad idea. It will help make sure that it does not occur again. However, it only works if consequence matches the function of the behavior or the reason the behavior occurred. Parents often consider what a child does when deciding on a consequence. In contrast, a behavior analyst looks at why a child engaged in a behavior or the function of the behavior. There are five main functions of behavior: Social positive reinforcement in…
Imagine the following scenario. It is is a hot summer day and you have a million errands to do. You have been running back and forth from store to store trying to get home in time to get your child off the bus. You are parched but there is no way you have time for to stop and get an…
If your child is like many of the dozens I have potty trained, you can probably relate to my friend Renée. Her son is just about to turn four and while most of her friends are carrying around posh new handbags, she is still stuck lugging around a diaper bag! Her son Benjamin has Autism. If you are reading this…