-
Finding Independence and Advocacy: A Journey Through Autism and Self-Direction (2021-2025)
As a young, happy baby about to become a toddler, my family noticed I was not progressing as a normal toddler would, so they took me for a psychological evaluation at 20 months. At that evaluation, I was officially diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Ever since then, life has been an...
-
The Silent Roadblock: Understanding the Ripple Effects of Feeding Difficulties on the Spectrum
While it’s widely documented that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects social interaction, communication, and behavior, there is a less spotlighted, yet pivotal, piece to these neurodivergent children: feeding difficulties. It’s estimated that up to 80% of autistic children have some form of...
-
Autism Spectrum News Interviews Jessica Sassi, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA, President and CEO of The New England Center for Children
Autism Spectrum News recently had the pleasure of speaking with Jessica Sassi, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA, who was appointed President and CEO of The New England Center for Children (NECC) in 2021. In this exclusive interview, David Minot, Publisher of Autism Spectrum News, speaks with Dr. Sassi about her...
-
Autism Without Fear: An Autism School Seeks Behavioral Health…Through Humanism
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...
-
Supporting Families in ABA Programs with Compassion and Sensitivity
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
“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...
-
The Future of Autism and ABA: Predicting Outcomes
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...
-
Educational Entitlement for ABA Services: A Right for All
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...
-
The Importance of Thinking Developmentally in Educational Approaches
Educational approaches for autistic students are often categorized as either developmental or behavioral. (Prizant & Wetherby, 2005). Behavioral approaches utilize practices based on applied behavior analysis (ABA), and are used to change behavior: that is, to increase desirable behavior and...
-
Parent Training Using Technology: Access to ABA Services for Families Across the Globe
Technology has played a tremendous role in the growth of teletherapy as a method for delivering high-quality, medically-necessary services to individuals and their families when accessibility presents as a barrier. There are a variety of behavioral health services that can be delivered via...
