Many kids with autism exhibit pica behavior, which means they mouth, chew on, or ingest things that aren't edible. This can be extremely dangerous as kids often eat or mouth things that are either unsanitary or unhealthy in some way, or even objects that are sharp that could potentially lead to internal injuries. Today I'm…
It can be very challenging figuring out the next steps in programming for a child who has completed or is at the top of the VB MAPP. I recently got a question from a member of my online community about teaching inferences. Today I'm sharing a small excerpt from a recent Live Q and A…
How to Keep Kids Busy Keeping kids with autism engaged is one of the hardest things to do. Whether you’re enduring a crisis, or even life changes, it’s important to learn how to keep kids busy. Today I'm going to talk about how to make a schedule, how to give choices, and how to keep…
Today, I am going to be talking about the Coronavirus and how it is affecting the autism world as we speak. I'm also going to be giving some really practical tips on teaching hand washing to kids with autism. Each week I provide you with some of my ideas about turning autism around. So if…
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,…
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...
When a child does not respond to their name when called can be one of the first hallmark signs of autism. This is considered a “red flag” on the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers or the M-CHAT and a diagnostic indicator on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule –known as the ADOS. Since many children...
Today I’d like to talk about Overusing a Child’s Name and this is a piece of advice I have given to hundreds of professionals and parents over the past almost 2 decades: Don’t overuse a child͛’s name, especially when placing a demand or saying no.
As a BCBA, I often see a heavy focus on teaching reading, math or other academic skills with both younger and older children with autism. In this week’s video, I talk about the important lessons I’ve learned in situations like this:
