Tag Archives: ASD

CBO Baby

15 Apr

Sometimes the best way to address a behavior is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Antecedent strategies work by adjusting the circumstances or environment in such a way to reduce the likelihood of a problem behavior occurring. For example: to prevent your child from breaking your favorite vase you move it up to a higher shelf out of reach.

I recently came across an antecedent intervention that helps with:

  • Reducing diaper smearing behaviors
  • Minimizing inappropriate touching
  • Preventing undressing behaviors

CBO Baby is a company that creates large size onesies and bodysuits that cater to the autistic community. These are particularly helpful for older kids since typically onesies are not made in their size. CBO Baby sells a variety of different styles and colors ranging from size 2T up to 7.

I have personally used a onesie strategy with a client to help reduce inappropriate touching behaviors and have seen how effective it can be. While antecedent strategies work best as part of a comprehensive approach, this particular intervention can make life a whole lot easier for stressed out parents.

If you visit CBO Baby use my promo code “ONION” to get free shipping or $6.99 off your purchase.

CBO

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Dreams with plans

2 Apr

I’ve taken a huge break from blogging as I’ve been adjusting to life as a new mom. My sweet girl is 8 months old now and today, World Autism Awareness Day, seemed like a perfect reason to jump back into The Autism Onion.

 

This year I am more aware than ever of the need for on-going intervention. Autism is life-long so behavior based strategies must be, also.

By nature, we do what works. Rarely do people spontaneously decide to make huge changes in their behavior if what they’re doing gets the results they want. Short of some spiritual awakening, most people don’t just up-and-change the way they have always lived. Similarly, our kiddos with autism are not just suddenly one day going to start taking care of themselves and having conversations with people and making meaningful relationships. These things must be taught. These things must be purposefully targeted and cultivated.

It kills me when families have grandiose daydreams for their special needs loved ones with absolutely no plan of how to get him or her there. “Oh I want him to get married someday!” “I want her to have a job someday!” “He will live independently as an adult!”  My question is simple: How? How are you going to get your child from A to Z? Parents can sometimes get caught up in the utopia without dealing with reality. The devil is in the details, my friend. You cannot project an idealistic lifestyle for your child without taking all the steps to get there. No one magically goes from A to Z. You have to go from A to B, then to C, then to D. And eventually if you work hard enough maybe your child will reach that Z you’ve always dreamed of.

Yes, this year I’m aware of the hollow fantasies families hold for their special needs children without any real plan of how to get them there. On-going intervention is KEY! Pushing them out of their comfort zones is key! Moving them beyond their own universes into the world of others; the world of rules and order and of social norms. (And before people start bashing me for being a “neurotypical” who “hates autistic people” let me just say: for ANYONE to succeed they have to move beyond their comfort zone, work hard to promote growth and change, and do things they don’t necessarily want to do.)

This year I’m aware that we need to offer life-long support to our children and families affected by autism. Autism will not go away or magically “get better”. We must implement appropriate strategies every…single…day to help our kids get where we want them to go. It’s hard work, that’s for sure. But it’s worth it… Is it not?

preparation quote

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Autism Tattoos – Part 3

13 Apr

In January 2014 I posted my first “Autism Tattoos” blog to celebrate the artwork people had added to their bodies in support of autism awareness and acceptance. I was originally inspired to share autism themed tattoos because my sister got one for our little brother, Dylan. Later I did a follow up post and got even more submissions of people wanting to share their tattoos and what each meant to them.

It has been over a year since then so I decided it was time for the third installment of this Autism Tattoos series. The response was overwhelming- literally! I almost couldn’t keep up with the number of e-mails and comments I received from people wanting to share their tattoos and their stories. I loved reading through each description and seeing the creativity people had when designing their emblems. This time around the “different, not less” theme seemed to be a popular choice. Whatever the design, one thing is clear… people are passionate about showing their love, acceptance, and hope through their autism tattoos.

(Click to enlarge)

Tat1

Tat2

Tat3

Tat4

Tat5

Tat6

Tat7

Tat8

 

Tat9

 

 

Tat10 Tat11
 Tat12 Tat13 Tat14

Tat15 Tat16
 Tat17
 Tat18 Tat19

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Uncle Dylan…

9 Jan

This Christmas I announced to my family that I’m pregnant. One of the people I was most excited to tell was my brother, Dylan. I never know what to expect from him, but I love watching his reactions and seeing how he processes things. Watching him understand something new is one of the coolest things.

 

He saw the family shedding tears of joy and pointed to each of us commanding, “Happy! Happy!” We told him we were happy, but the combination of crying and feeling happy doesn’t quite equate in his mind yet.  After the initial shock wore off, my mom yelled to Dylan from across the room “Dylan! There’s a peanut in her tummy! You’re going to be Uncle Dylan!!”

Dylan2

He raised his eyebrows in excitement and gave a sweet smile. I couldn’t help but grab his little face and smile. Then he clapped his hands and muttered something under his breath. Later I told him, “Dylan, there’s a baby in my tummy.” He proceeded to poke my belly and told me, “It’s a peanut.” I laughed and told him it looks like a peanut but it’s actually a baby, and that he was going to be Uncle Dylan. For whatever reason he then protested, “No Uncle Dylan”. I really have no idea why… but that’s just Dyl. I think he’ll warm up to the idea 😉

 

I can’t wait to see how he reacts to my growing baby-bump. And, ultimately, I can’t wait to see how he reacts to my baby. I am so excited for him to be Uncle Dylan.

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Learning through play…

12 Oct

Children learn through play. This fact is well researched and supported across multiple disciplines (psychology, education, behavior analysis, etc). With that in mind, it stands to reason that a child’s development can be largely affected by their environment and what items or toys they have available to them. Disclaimer- this isn’t always the case. There are definitely children with access to every toy ever made and they still have significant delays in several areas. And there are also those kids who have next-to-nothing but develop perfectly fine.

But, what I find in my work as a developmental evaluator is that the children I assess often lack skills due to lack of opportunity. They don’t know how to use toys according to their function, they don’t know how to manipulate items, they don’t know how to pretend, they don’t sing along or copy dance motions… because they’ve never been given the chance to. Given exposure to various toys and interactions, many of these kids would easily acquire the skills. Enriching a child’s environment, through toys and through meaningful interactions, gives them the opportunity to learn. The skills they develop early on will have a significant impact on their functioning in other areas as they grow and mature. For example, a child’s ability to match colors helps them later to sort which leads to being able to organize things in their environment (groceries, laundry, dishes, work files, etc). A child being able to imitate simple motor movements leads to being able to imitate sounds and words, and later being able to monitor their social behavior depending on their environment (professional at work, relaxed at home, friendly at church, etc). Point being, there are a million ways that little toddler tasks are actually linked to higher-level thinking and daily living skills.

Here are some toys and activities I recommend to cultivate learning opportunities for little ones, pre-school age or younger.

Toys

  • Shape sorters
  • Ring stackers
  • Large piece board puzzles with shapes, animals, etc.
  • Cause and effects toys that light up, make music, or have ball ramps
  • Train sets or car ramps
  • Pretend kitchen, tool bench, vanity, etc.
  • Baby doll sets
  • Colorful picture books with pictures of everyday items
  • Blocks
  • Markers and crayons

Once you have the tools to promote learning, it’s also important to have a relationship that creates learning opportunities. Sadly, many kids rely on technology for entertainment and companionship, spending hours on end without any real social interaction. Television, iPads, and cell phones are one-sided and don’t allow children to truly interact with their environment or those around them. While cartoons or apps might be an easy distractor, they are generally empty and rob children of true learning opportunities. Parents have an important role in making sure their children engage with their environment. Here are some ways I recommend parents can stimulate their children through meaningful interactions.

  • Read books together– ask your child to point to various pictures, label items you see in the book, have him or her turn the pages
  • Play with toys together– demonstrate how to use toys, take turns, build things, act out daily life routines using pretend items
  • Sing songs together– do hand motions or facial expressions, let your child fill in some of the words (Wheels on the bus, Itsy-bitsy-spider, Head-Shoulders-Knees and Toes)

Combining the right materials with the right interactions sets children up for success. Access to age-appropriate toys and a parent’s ability to engage with their child are the key factors in maximizing a child’s learning opportunities and fostering healthy development. So take these tools and help your child learn though play.

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Speak for yourself…

8 Jun

“Autism isn’t a tragedy, ignorance is.”

“I don’t suffer from autism, I enjoy every moment of it.”

“I don’t suffer from autism… I suffer from ignorant people.”

There are countless websites, online groups, and Facebook pages dedicated to these taglines. These sites, run mainly by people who identify as being on the spectrum (and others run by parent advocates) argue that autism is not bad, sad, or unfortunate. It does not cause people to hurt. Autism is a beautiful diversity and should be celebrated. And those who would say otherwise….They are “hate-mongers”. Wishing your child didn’t have autism, or hoping for a “cure” makes you unloving, and unaccepting, according to these sites.

Here’s the fundamental issue I have with these arguments….

Your experience does not give you the right to deny another person’s experience.

Your experience does not negate the experience of another person. Matter of fact, your experience doesn’t actually have anything to do with another’s.

Your experience does not give you the ability to make blanket statements for all people in similar circumstances.

I just can’t fathom that someone could look at a child with autism screaming, crying, bashing his head into a wall until it bleeds and say “That’s not tragic” or “They’re not suffering because of autism.” I can’t wrap my head around someone seeing the news stories of another dead autistic child because he wandered away from home, and say that child, or their family, didn’t suffer at the hands of autism… Instead they would argue that they suffered at the hands of the “ignorant” public. I can’t comprehend that someone could watch a child with autism be unable to get their needs met because they can’t communicate, and say that his inability to communicate is not the tragedy… those around him not being able to read his mind is the tragedy.

Honestly, I’m of the opinion that (while I know there are many great qualities about it) autism causes an enormous amount of pain, struggle, and difficulty for A LOT of people. Those diagnosed, and their families. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it.

And, with that said, I will also make clear that I know not all people affected by autism are of the same opinion… and that’s okay!

Having an opposing view on the “tragedy” or “suffering” related (or not related) to autism does not threaten me, nor does it even bother me… when you are talking about your own experiences. But representing your opinion as fact on behalf of the entire autism community is wrong, unfair, and offensive.

Just how so many of these same spokespeople say “Autism Speaks doesn’t speak for me”…. You “advocates” don’t speak for ME, my brother, or other people, either. NO ONE speaks on behalf of everybody, and the sooner people recognize that, the sooner we can stop waging wars on who is “right”. You speak about your experiences, I’ll speak about mine. You hold opinions based on your experiences, I’ll hold opinions based on mine. And even when our whole-hearted beliefs don’t align, that’s okay. They don’t need to. Let’s respect that our own life experiences don’t override the experiences of another person.

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WAAD

2 Apr
WAAD
As most of my readers know…today is “World Autism Awareness Day”. I didn’t even realize it until yesterday when my sister reminded me. And, while it may seem obvious to write about my brother today, given the topic at hand, I’m actually going to write about some other love bugs that have changed my life.
My love for these 2 kids can’t be described through a blog. But they’ve had a remarkable impact on my life, and my story with them is worthy of being shared. For parents that ever wondered if ABA therapists have favorite clients… they do. And these boys were mine.
I had the pleasure, and honor, of going to school with these 2 kids for many years, in addition to working with them both at home. I worked so many hours with them both that I got to know them pretty intimately, and our bonds were unlike any other I’ve ever had with my clients. They became family to me. We had our own inside jokes. We had our own little habits and routines. We had our own special relationships.
Together these boys and I grew. They grew from cute little kids to handsome big boys. I grew from a shy, somewhat green therapist to a confident, experienced BCBA applicant. They pulled me out of my shell. They stretched me to become better, clinically and personally. They gave me an endless supply of funny stories, priceless moments, and hilarious memories. They knew what I expected from them. They knew how I said things, and even how I wrote. They knew my family. They knew my fears, and what made me happy. They knew me. And I knew them… I knew their favorite everything. I knew their hot buttons, and what made them tick. I knew what excited them. I knew how each of them learned material best. I knew how to modify almost anything to be presented in a way they could understand. I knew how to influence their behavior from across the room, with only a glance. But they knew how to melt my heart with only a smile. My hold over them was nothing compared to their hold over me.
In the process of falling in love with these kids, I also grew to love their family. And because we spent so much time together, their family really got to know and love me, too. I was able to share in the life experieces of this family, and they shared in mine. From engagement, to marriage, graduations, first communions, birthdays, surgery, and even family deaths… We lived a lot of life together. I consider it a unique privilege to have been so included in a family that wasn’t my own.
So… on this autism awareness day, I’m reminded of how deeply I love these 2 angels, and always will. No matter how many years go by, or how many new kids I work with, there will never be a repeat of the relationships I created with them. While forming a bond with any child is special, forming a bond with the population I work with is exponentially more precious. So I am “aware” on this day (and everyday) , that to truly connect with those who have autism… that is a blessing beyond compare. And I am “aware” of just how special these 2 boys are, and how lucky I am to have been part of their lives.

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Baseball Season

8 Mar

Dylan started baseball this weekend and had his first game yesterday. He’s playing on a special-needs league and his team is made up of children with various disabilities.

His team doesn’t play against another. Rather, they are divided in half and take turns being at-bat and in the outfield. Each child has a buddy. These buddies are typical children from other teams whose games are immediately following the special-needs game. They also have teenage volunteers and parent volunteers. His team has no practices; only games. There are no strikes, and no outs. Each child gets to bat until they hit the ball, and then they run all the bases.

This weekend Dylan played for the first time ever, and he did amazing. The cheering was so exciting for Dylan, even when the crowd wasn’t cheering for him. He loved dancing around in the outfield, watching his shadow, and pretending to run alongside the other players as they rounded the bases. He imitated a perfect ground-ball stance when it was modeled for him. And he grabbed and threw the ball when prompted.

For his second at-bat (ever, in his whole life), he stepped up to the plate… And whacked the ball. We all screamed! He smiled ear to ear, and in typical Dylan fashion, he let out a high pitch squeal and began running the bases (although never quite touching them).

Watch Dylan’s home-run here.

It was incredible. His first time playing baseball, and he hit the ball! Not from a tee…an actual coach-pitched ball! We were so proud of him. Not only for his incredible hit, or for running the bases. But, for engaging in a new social activity, following directions from strangers, taking turns, and attending to a task that isn’t in his usual repertoire of preferred activties. Playing on this team is good for him in so many ways, and I’m so grateful this league exists.

AngDylBaseball

Proud big sis with her little “Angel”.

BaseballDyl1

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IQs and ID

15 Feb

I recently ran into an issue when considering “Intellectual Disability” diagnoses among those with autism. Intellectual Disability (ID) was formerly known as “mental retardation”. Diagnostic criteria looks at adaptive skills in addition to IQ scores. Both adaptive skills and IQ are measured using standardized tests.

And therein lie the problem.

“Standardized” tests, by definition, are given in the exact same way for all it’s test takers. The problem this poses to those with autism is obvious (or at least it is in my mind, anyways). Children with autism are not like every other test taker… they all have unique strengths and challenges.

Many children with autism have attention issues. While they may notice the tiny piece of frayed rug, or the patterns in the painting on the wall, they may not be attending to the instructions given to them. Or, while they may be able to sit for a couple questions at a time, they may get restless or require sensory breaks in order to sit for longer periods of time.

Another aspect of standardized testing is that it relies on a child’s ability to follow directions. Many times children with autism do not comply with instructions, not because they don’t understand them, but because they don’t want to. How is the administrator going to know whether it’s a compliance (behavioral) issue, or an intelligence issue? They’re not… so it will just be marked as an incorrect response.

Let’s also consider the response time aspect of testing. Perhaps a child does know the answer, but takes longer to process the question and produce a response.

Now, I’m not saying that testing considerations are the only problem and otherwise all autistic kids would show high IQs.  What I’m saying is that there is no way to know for sure whether a child doesn’t know the answer or just isn’t providing the answer. And, clearly issues with attention, compliance, and response time make it problematic for people to function in the world we live in. So deficits in those areas should be, and need to be, considered when looking at the overall functioning of the individual. But, what I am suggesting is that these tests do not look at the overall WHOLE person, and they have no way of truly measuring the intelligence of a child with autism. They simply measure an ability to respond to questions. And, responding to questions is not synonymous with “intelligence” in my book.

To me, it would be like giving an english test to a spanish speaking child. They will score pretty low on many of the questions, not necessarily because they don’t know the answers, but because the questions aren’t being asked in a way the child can understand.

Giving a test made for typically developing children to ATYPICAL children does not provide a valid measurement of intelligence. That is my whole-hearted belief. And using the scores of such a test to determine a secondary diagnosis of “Intellectual Disability” is misleading, and an incomplete representation of the child. Einstein said it best….

genius

(PS- why is IQ so important anyways? If the child already has an autism diagnosis, we already know they have deficits in socialization and communication. What value does an IQ score add?)

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Cruisin’ with autism

19 Jan

Almost exactly 3 years ago I embarked (literally) on an adventure with one of the families I worked with at the time. The family paid for me to go on vacation with them, so that I could work with their son. He has autism and I was one of his in-home ABA therapists, so the family thought it would be helpful to have me around for their international vacation. They paid for all of my travel expenses, and they also paid me for my time. It was a really unique experience, and I’m glad I did it.

We took an 8 day Disney cruise to various parts of Mexico, and during my time on the ship I worked almost 12 hours a day with their little guy. We had some 1:1 time in the cabin to do our regular ABA tasks, and then most of the day I would facilitate his participation in the various kids club activities, and I would also join the family at all of their meals. We worked on lots of things like:

  • Behaviors- managing his self-stimulation, aggression, and non-compliance
  • Meal time- sitting appropriately, waiting, trying new foods
  • Socialization- following what the group was doing, interacting with other kids, responding to family members
  • Language- requesting, labeling, lengthening sentences, varying his phrases
  • Academics- Counting, reading, and completing worksheets

Another important purpose for me joining the family was to work with the parents. We worked on things like:

  • How to elicit more language (withholding items until he asked for them)
  • How to reinforce appropriate behaviors (token systems, praise, access to the iPad, etc)
  • How to decrease maladaptive behaviors (extinction, follow through, etc)

While it was an exhausting experience, and it didn’t go exactly as I had expected, it was a really neat way to do my job…..on a cruise-ship! A few weeks after the trip, we had a team meeting and the boy’s mom told everyone how my presence helped decrease her anxiety and helped her enjoy her family vacation a little more. Plus she was still beaming about the progress he had made on our trip (learning to swim with me, and eating several bites of new foods for me). That right there was my validation. I got to make a difference for this family on their vacation. Plus, I not only got to travel to Mexico for free…but I got paid to do it!! It was really neat, and I’ll always treasure the experience. I think the idea of being a traveling ABA therapist is so cool and I count myself very lucky to have gone on the trip with them.

CruisePics

So… I’m sharing this story because I recently learned of an organization that does this sort of thing. Autism Adventure Travel matches up families with special needs children with specialists who would be willing to join them on vacation. The specialists (Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, ABA therapists,  Psychologists and more) volunteer their time, in exchange for a free vacation. Autism Adventure Travel (AAT) arranges 3-8 days cruises, including group vacations, and charges families a nominal fee to find the right specialist. AAT not only makes arrangements for the specialist, but they also put together on-board activities, book group excursions on behalf of the families, and plan the entire vacation itinerary!  They provide full service travel planning, with the added bonus of finding “degreed, background checked, and […] experienced” therapists who are willing to volunteer their time for the families. In addition, AAT fundraises in order to help the therapists get to the ship ports so that the families are only responsible for paying the actual cruise expenses. And, this organization is awesome for therapists who would like to travel the world at no cost. Sure, they have to work on the cruise (just like I did), but it’s an opportunity to utilize their skills in a unique setting.

Autism Adventure Travel provides a wonderful service to families who might otherwise not be able to vacation with their special needs child. And they provide a rare opportunity for specialists to travel for free. For more information you can check out their website here.

 

***I was not asked or otherwise encouraged to endorse AAT. The views expressed are my own.

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