Self-Reinforcing My Own Behavior Plan

• By: Travis E. Breeding
• October 1st, 2011
• ABA, adult services leadership, adults, applied behavior analysis, Asperger's Syndrome, behavior modification, positive reinforcement, self-reinforcement, social skills
• 4051    0

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is scientific approach that involves using modern behavioral learning theories to modify overt behaviors. As an adult with Asperger’s Syndrome, this is a theory that I find useful to practice in my own life. It is extremely challenging to self-reinforce my own...

Welcome to My World – A Mother’s Annual Letter to New School Teachers

• By: Hayley Kamis, MA
• October 1st, 2011
• adhd, adolescents, Asperger's Syndrome, communication, diagnosis, education, parenting, school, social skills, teachers
• 4854    0

After seven years of parenting a child enrolled in the local public school system, I’ve come to understand that, at least in our neck of the woods, each new grade begins with an automatic and inherent “do-over” mechanism in place. Regardless of how many copies of reports, summaries of...

Harnessing the Power of Autism to Provide Vocational Opportunities to Adults with ASD in Software Testing: The Aspiritech Story

• By: Brenda Weitzberg, BA Moshe Weitzberg, PhD Aspiritech
• July 1st, 2011
• adults with autism, employment, independence, job skills, social skills, vocational support, workplace accommodations
• 2633    0

Our son’s graduation in 2003 from a four-year university was a day of great joy and pride for the entire family, but it also left us with the sinking feeling of: “What’s next?” Our son had many areas of strength - he had taught himself to read at age three and had an extensive vocabulary...

Social Coping and Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Power Combination of Psychology and Speech Language Interventions

• By: Stacey Kanin, MS, CCC-SLP Samara P. Tetenbaum, PhD Shana Nichols, PhD
• July 1st, 2011
• cognitive behavioral therapy, coping skills, emotional regulation, mental health, social communication, social skills, speech-language therapy
• 2714    0

Throughout our years working with the ASD population, parents often inquire about whether their child should be receiving speech-language or psychological services. The answer is frequently “both.” Research demonstrates that individuals with ASDs are at great risk for developing significant...

Using Typical Peers as Role Models to Help Improve Social Skills for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

• By: Jill Krata, PhD YAI
• July 1st, 2011
• early intervention, evidence-based interventions, inclusive classrooms, peer models, peer relationships, social interaction, social skills
• 7570    2

Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) typically display great difficulties in social communication and social interaction skills. These skills are core deficits which quite often impede their interactions with peers and adults. Children on the spectrum often fail to interpret...

A Look Inside the Hidden Curriculum

• By: Brenda Smith Myles, PhD The Ziggurat Group
• July 1st, 2011
• hidden curriculum, life skills, safety skills, self-regulation, social communication, social expectations, social skills
• 6593    0

The hidden curriculum is assumed knowledge - the expectations, rules or guidelines that are not directly taught because they are universally known (Garnet, 1984; Hemmings, 2000; Jackson, 1968; Kanpol, 1989; Myles, Trautman, & Schelvan, 2004). It also addresses the incongruities of how skills...