We all want our children or clients to be successful with vocal language, but it doesn't always happen right away. For kids that are not yet talking, things like sign language, picture exchange or AAC devices can be implemented and often serve as a springboard not only to better communication but also to vocal language.…
Today is all about how to get vocal imitation, or echoic control, to enable kids to talk - or talk more if they are already talking some. I see a constant struggle with people who report - both parents and professionals - that their kids have pop out words or have words here and there,…
Deciding on an Autism School No matter what you call it, whether you call it ABA, verbal behavior, non ABA, floortime, or a typical school, how do you tell if a school or a center is a good program? I mostly look at the big three concerns. 1. Is the child safe? When Lucas was...
This is part five of our five-part series on getting kids unstuck. This blog is going to focus on when you are stuck having a child with problem behaviors that you don't know how to reduce, prevent, or eliminate. In Part 1 I talked about assessing language when a child or client is nonverbal. Part…
The fourth area where people get stuck is self care. In this five-part stuck series, I want to talk about the five areas that I see parents and professionals get the most stuck. In Part 1 I talked about assessing language when a child is nonvocal. Part 2 was about teaching receptive language skills, and...
The third area where parents and professionals often feel stuck when working with a child or client with autism is with getting kids who are talking to get conversation skills and be conversational.. And that is a big jump. My son Lucas is still not conversational, and I don’t see him being fully conversational unless...
<span style="font-weight: 400;">The second area where parents and professionals often feel stuck when working with a child or client with autism is in the area of teaching receptive language skills. Receptive skills involve a person learning to follow directions. At the beginning for children with little to no language those instructions could be simple such as “stand up,” “get your shoes,” or “touch your belly.” </span>
<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }</style><div class='embed-container'><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PL0_NcGwhzOkgj4W-fv7E8J1M8CoPevJic' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe></div><div class="more-link-container"><a class="more-link" href="https://marybarbera.com/receptive-language-skills/#more-11021">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Receptive Language Skills: Teaching Following Directions to Kids with Autism | Stuck Series Part 2</span></a></div>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Parents and professionals working with either kids and young adults diagnosed with autism or who have signs of autism will often come to a point where they feel stuck. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">This could be because of a regression that child has or maybe a chronic lack of progress in any area of development. As an autism mom, BCBA, RN, and best selling author, I understand the frustrations over feeling stuck. My son Lucas, who is now 23, was diagnosed with autism at a young age. And that's why in this week's blog we're talking about autism language assessment and how to get a child to start talking.</span>
<center><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PL0_NcGwhzOkiGzD7WtQmKTpN6UPTjFZhN" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></center><div class="more-link-container"><a class="more-link" href="https://marybarbera.com/autism-language-assessment-nonverebal/#more-10977">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Autism Language Assessment: Getting a Child Talking from Nonverbal | Stuck Series Part 1</span></a></div>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">As parents and professionals, most of us have been involved in the autism diagnosis process at least once. But do we really know how autism is actually diagnosed and what the testing process really looks like? Today I’m going to answer the question <em>how is autism diagnosed</em>? with the help of developmental pediatrician Dr. James Coplan.</span>
<center><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PL0_NcGwhzOkg7CP0mP5RkhwozJUNfIjdi" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></center><div class="more-link-container"><a class="more-link" href="https://marybarbera.com/how-is-autism-diagnosed/#more-10952">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">How is Autism Diagnosed? Testing & Treatment Recommendations with Dr. James Coplan</span></a></div>
Most people in the ABA community know that there are 4 functions of behavior. However, we usually only hear and talk about 3 of the functions of behavior. The fourth function that usually isn't discussed is behaviors related to pain or stress, which in technical terms is called automatic negative reinforcement. Today, I'm breaking down the 4 functions of behavior in an easy to understand format and discuss in detail the all-important forgotten function.
<center><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PL0_NcGwhzOkjuhWTEaei1XYn4mWk6Ag6D" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></center><div class="more-link-container"><a class="more-link" href="https://marybarbera.com/4-functions-of-behavior/#more-10905">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">The 4 Functions of Behavior in Applied Behavior Analysis</span></a></div>
