Managing Feeding and Toileting Challenges in Children with Autism

• By: Bianca Coleman, PhD, NCSP, BCBA-D Behavior Therapy Associates
• October 2nd, 2023
• accidents, bathroom, caregivers, co-occurring conditions, data collection, diet, eating, Fall 2023 Issue, feeding, gastrointestinal concerns, health, intervention, nutrition, toilet training, toileting
• 558    0

Challenges with toilet training (e.g., frequent accidents, withholding urine or feces) and eating (e.g., food selectivity, getting sufficient nutritional intake) may have a significant impact on the child’s functioning in the home, school, community, and social events. These issues often impact...

Autism Without Fear: An Autism School Seeks Behavioral Health…Through Humanism

• By: Michael John Carley New York University Connections ASD Program
• October 2nd, 2023
• ABA-induced trauma, actually autistic, applied behavior analysis, autism school, behavior correction, culture change, discrete trials, Fall 2023 Issue, humane intervention, humanism, mental health, SCERTS, self-regulating behavior, transition from ABA to SCERTS, trauma-informed care
• 881    0

Disclaimer: This past year I consulted for the League School of Greater Boston, the school that is the subject of this piece. I worked with their students on a self-advocacy curriculum, and I’ve also presented for the school on separate occasions. Seeing what they are attempting up close demanded...

Helping Families with Disabilities Transition from Child to Adult Systems of Care

• By: Amy Kelly, MBA, MNM Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health
• October 2nd, 2023
• ABLE account, community programming, day programs, Fall 2023 Issue, families, financial planning, guardianship, special needs trust, supplemental security income, systems of care, transition to adulthood, waiver funding
• 627    0

Having a child diagnosed with a lifelong disability is like planning a trip to one country, but unexpectedly arriving in a different country (read Emily Perl Kingsley’s essay Welcome to Holland). Just imagine, you have nothing packed that would make the trip easier or more comfortable, and you do...

Parent Involvement as a Metric of Quality Care

• By: Erica Ballard, MA, BCBA Caitlin Summers, MA, LPC, ACS Ellen D’Amato, PhD Joe Hess Howard Savin, PhD Kristen Daneker, MS, BCBA, LBS-PA First Children Services
• October 2nd, 2023
• behavior interventions, collaboration, comprehensive integrated approach, Fall 2023 Issue, family-centered care, multidisciplinary team, parent involvement, team planning, transitions, trust
• 382    0

A family-centered approach has been considered best practice for many years in early intervention and pediatric rehabilitation (Bailey, Buysse, Edmondson, 1992; Baird & Peterson, 1997). For students with complex medical, physical, developmental, and behavioral challenges, a family-centered...

Supporting Families in ABA Programs with Compassion and Sensitivity

• By: Bobbi Rogers Proud Moments ABA
• October 2nd, 2023
• ABA, applied behavior analysis, compassion, Fall 2023 Issue, family tips, parents and caregivers, sensitive language, therapist tips
• 868    0

Imagine the feeling of expecting a child. You dream for your child, wonder what they will be like, wonder if they will be funny or smart, outgoing, or quiet. You wonder about a lot of things, but you don’t wonder whether they will ever learn to talk. You don’t wonder if they will ever have a...

The Role of Compassion in Professional ABA Services Relationships

• By: Howard Savin, PhD Michael Reid, PhD, PsyD, QABA Global Autism Initiative
• October 2nd, 2023
• ABA, active listening skills, applied behavior analysis, culturally sensitive support, developing therapeutic relationships, education, empathic relationships, Fall 2023 Issue, family empowerment, hope, nonverbal communication, online parent education, unequal access to services
• 136    0

“Phenomenology or phenomenological psychology, a sub-discipline of psychology, is the scientific study of subjective experiences. It is an approach to psychological subject matter that attempts to explain experiences from the point of view of the subject via the analysis of their written or...

Services for the UnderServed’s Positive Psychology Approach to Serving People in Crisis and Their Families

• By: Lori Lerner, LMSW, RYT-200 hr. Services for the UnderServed (S:US)
• October 2nd, 2023
• caregivers, coping techniques, crisis prevention, crisis response, crisis stabilization, Fall 2023 Issue, family support, gratitude, positive psychology, resilience, respite, self-esteem, strengths-based support, support services, treatment plan, wellbeing
• 261    0

Since 2016, Service for the UnderServed’s START/CSIDD (Crisis Services for Individuals with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities) Program offers crisis prevention and response services to people who have both developmental disabilities and complex behavioral needs and their families and...

The Promise of Quality ABA: What Value-Based Care Means for Families

• By: Dana D’Ambrosio, MS, BCBA, LBA RethinkFutures
• July 5th, 2023
• ABA, coordination of care, early intervention, fee-for-service model, healthcare, improved outcomes, parent training, reduced care costs, service providers, Summer 2023 Issue, treatment, value-based care
• 564    0

As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to rise, parents of children with autism face significant challenges in obtaining high-quality and appropriate care and services. Delays in diagnosis, waitlists for treatment, shortage of available providers, high staff turnover, and a...

Reaching Ukraine: Occupational Therapy-Centered Training to Support Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Kyiv

• By: Ashley Slemp Held, OTD, OTR/L Milligan University Alysha Skuthan, PhD, OTR/L, ASDCS Shenandoah University
• May 17th, 2023
• children, education, fine motor skills, interprofessionals, occupational therapy, oral motor skills, sensory motor skills, telehealth, training, Ukraine, underserved community
• 1063    0

In the Eastern European country of Ukraine where there are more than 44 million residents (Archer, Harper, & Cameron, 2020), there are just 3 ergotherapists (Ukrainian translation for occupational therapists) in practice (Imas & Lazarieva, 2017). Though Ukrainian health officials recognize...

The Future of Autism and ABA: Predicting Outcomes

• By: Jamie C. Pagliaro, MBA RethinkFirst
• April 21st, 2023
• ABA, applied behavior analysis, fee-for-service model, insurance coverage, legislation, overprescription, patient-centered care, private equity, provider consolidation, treatment, underprescription, value-based care
• 1633    2

For children with autism, there are several competing forces at play that could potentially impact their futures. Legislation mandating coverage1 of applied behavior analysis (ABA) is making this valuable treatment accessible to all. But the rapid explosion in demand for ABA and infusion of private...