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Autism and Safety: It’s Unpredictable
While safety is important to everyone, it is a major concern among many people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as the complex communication, social, sensory and behavioral challenges associated with ASD may place people with this disorder at increased risk of injury or death. Indeed, research...
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Assessment and Treatment of Problem Behavior for Adults with ASDs
As individuals with autism age out of the educational system, families are faced with a number of challenges. Maladaptive behavior, in particular, can be a significant stressor for families of adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). While estimates of the prevalence of problem behavior vary...
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Addressing Skill Deficits in Students with High Functioning Autism as a Proactive Approach to Prevent Behavioral Challenges
Students with high functioning autism (HFA) typically display cognitive abilities in the average to above average range, and some superior range; therefore often participate in general education classes. While these students have many strengths, specific educational approaches are often needed to...
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Addressing Setting Events to Make Behavior Plans More Effective for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Challenging, disruptive, and potentially dangerous behaviors frequently are a concern for caregivers and family members of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In recent years, the methodology of Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) has come to be recognized as one of the most...
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From Crisis to Competence – ABA Used to Improve Communication Skills in Developmental Center
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a science wherein procedures, based on basic principles, are applied to important matters of everyday life in order to help individuals increase functional skills, while decreasing problematic ones (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007.) Most notably, ABA has been...
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Growth Hormone Treatment Improves Social Impairments in Patients with Genetic Disorder Known to Cause Autism
A growth hormone can significantly improve the social impairment associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in patients with a related genetic syndrome, according to a pilot study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published today on Pub Med, a public database of...
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Why I Wasn’t Afraid to Label My Son
Dear Jack, When you were about year old, we saw a bunch of doctors and specialists to try and figure out why you didn’t talk or point or look at us. And at that time, many people told us not to rush to give you a label. “Be careful with a label, because it will be on all of his forms and...
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Why Emotional Literacy Is So Important
Social and emotional literacy develop over time and need to be nurtured just like any other skill such as math or riding a bike. Unlike math or bike-riding, however, the teaching of emotional literacy is often overlooked. It has been referred to as the “missing piece” of education despite its...
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What to Expect When Expecting a Functional Behavior Assessment
In 1994, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandated the use of Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) under certain conditions for special education students. Today, FBA is used to set the foundation for treatment of challenging behaviors in schools, homes, group homes for adults...
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Understanding the Father Factor While Raising Children with ASD
Fathers of children with autism tend to be either very involved or withdrawn and virtually absent from interactions with professionals—with the majority seemingly uninvolved. From this observation, many professionals assume that fathers do not wish to be involved. Is this really the case, or do...
