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
• 286    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
• 602    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
• 1014    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
• 1391    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
• 2630    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...

Teaching Play to Children with Autism

• By: Laura Wilhelm, MS, BCBA, LABA Melmark New England
• April 11th, 2023
• children, cognitive development, development, discrete trial training, in-vivo modeling, pivotal response training, play, play skills, social connection, Spring 2023 Issue, video modeling
• 1072    0

Play has been focused on as a pivotal skill for young children, as it is an important context for both cognitive development and social connection. For these reasons, play is a primary focus of instruction for children with developmental delays and disabilities. Pretend play is a social skill that...

Person-Centered Early Intervention Program: A Whole Family Approach

• By: Danielle Nabinger, MSW Amerigroup Georgia Rebecca Lyons, MPH Shelley R. Schoenfeld GoMo Health
• April 11th, 2023
• anxiety, assessment, caregiver burnout, depression, early intervention, Early Intervention Concierge Program, emotional health, family, increase in diagnoses, parenting, self-care, Spring 2023 Issue, stress, supporting caregivers, treatment
• 1061    0

The prevalence of autism is at an all-time high. Today, we all seem to know a parent of a child who has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). According to estimates from the CDC, the rate of autism has more than tripled over the span of two decades: from one in 150 in 2000, to one in...

Educational Entitlement for ABA Services: A Right for All

• By: By Brad Stevenson, PhD, BCBA-D, CDE® Melmark Carolinas Rita M. Gardner, MPH, LABA, BCBA, CDE® Melmark Keri Bethune, PhD, BCBA-D Melmark Carolinas
• January 2nd, 2023
• ABA, applied behavior analysis, evidence-based intervention, FAPE, free appropriate public education, insurance, insurance-funded services, special education services, Winter 2023 Issue
• 1451    1

The old saying goes that if you meet one person with autism, you have met one person with autism. This alludes to the fact that people with autism have such a varying set of preferences, interests, strengths, and needs that no two are alike. As a result, the supports people need varies greatly with...

A Meeting of Worlds: Multidisciplinary Teams in Autism Treatment

• By: Elise Settanni, MEd, BCBA, LBS Jennifer Croner Lauriello, MSEd, BCBA, LBS-PA Lehigh University Autism Services
• July 19th, 2022
• BCBA, children, collaboration, decision making, multidisciplinary teams, OT, PT, school, SLP, Summer 2022 Issue, treatment
• 2913    0

As Dr. Stephen Shore said, “if you’ve met one individual with autism, you’ve met one individual with autism.” Autism is a spectrum disorder with great variability in support needs from one person to the next. Given the spectrum of the disability, services and care for children with...

A Person-Centered Collaborative Approach to Achieving Best Outcomes for Autistic Individuals with Co-Occurring Conditions

• By: Haley M. K. Steinhauser, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA Sheila A. Klick, MEd, BCBA Jill Harper, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA, CDE Kylee A. Formento, MA, BCBA Melmark
• July 19th, 2022
• behavioral assessment, behaviors, co-occurring conditions, collaboration, interdisciplinary interventions, interventions, monitoring, social skills, Summer 2022 Issue, toilet training
• 3123    0

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by the presence of persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts as well as restrictive, repetitive behavior, interests, or activities (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Many individuals with ASD...