Tag Archives: autism

May 2, 2013 · 10:09 am

Autism and the Benefits of ABA Therapy: A Guest Post by Spectacular Kids!

Autism is one of those words that was once rarely heard of, and now it seems to be all we hear. 1 in 88 children are now diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder; an alarming number, which has made drastic changes from the 1 in 150 reported in the year 2000. What is Autism? How did my child get Autism? What can we do to help? The questions are endless, and while scientific advances are on the rise, we are still limited in our knowledge of how Autism manifests, and why we continue to see this increase in prevalence.

Autism is a developmental disorder, characterized by developmental delays, most apparent in language and social interactions. Since Autism is considered a “spectrum” disorder, characteristics differ from individual to individual. While some diagnosed with Autism may engage in tantrums and aggressive behaviors, exhibit little to no language, and show little interest in social engagement, others may have average language skills, show no aggression, and enjoy social interactions. As the saying goes, “Once you’ve met one individual with Autism, you’ve met ONE individual with Autism.” With an increase in awareness, parents are asking more questions, screenings are being done at 18 months, and professionals are creating Autism Assessment Teams to get thorough and comprehensive evaluations complete as early as possible.

The types of therapies available for an individual diagnosed with Autism are endless, however, those most often recommended include Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). ABA, the only scientifically validated method of therapy for working with individuals with Autism, is a comprehensive therapeutic method, which encompasses: language, social skills, cognitive skills, self-help skills, fine & gross motor skills, and the management of problem behaviors. Throughout treatment, data is collected on all aspects of the treatment plan to ensure changes are made as needed to maximize success. Due to the extensive nature of the skills addressed in ABA therapy, it is most often recommended as an intensive approach; some individuals receive between 15 and 30 hours of therapy per week (intensity of services is determined after the initial evaluation). While ABA is generally done in a one to one setting, some groups that focus on building social skills may also be ABA based.

Spectacular Kids ABA Therapy & Consulting, LLC, is owned by Dana Harris, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), who has been providing ABA services for 12 years. Spectacular Kids currently provides ABA, Speech, and Occupational Therapy to individuals with and without a diagnosis of Autism or related disorders. ABA therapy is provided on a full-time or part-time basis servicing both in-home and clinic-based clients between 12 months and 10 years. Our Speech and Occupational Therapy services are provided in clinic only by our partner, Brite Success; these therapies service individuals from childhood through adulthood. Our clinic is located at: 3059 Woodland Hills Drive Kingwood, Texas 77339. Contact Spectacular Kids for more information: 1-800-460-7459 ext 207 or visit our website at www.spectacularkidsaba.org.

Friday Wrap Up 9-21-12: Must Reads and Best Online Finds From the Week!

MY FAVORITE ARTICLES, QUOTES, AND OTHER FINDS FROM THE WEEK!

It’s Finally The Weekend!!

Every week I come across so many informative articles, funny and inspiring quotes, and cool websites. It’s impossible to post them all on my facebook page, so here’s what I came across this week.

Have a great weekend!

1. Art Therapy Idea: Emotions Rock Garden

Paint or color your emotions rocks different colors that represent each emotion they choose. Support this activity with a feelings book!

2. Therapeutic Ways to Use Jenga: Pam Hunter gives us some great ideas on using Jenga in therapy!

3. Trying to decide whether to put your child in preschool? SSBE has a good post on this topic- Preschool: yes or no. She lists the many issues to consider, such as the financial costs, readiness of the child, and benefits of preschool, as well as some additional resources to check out on the subject. Being a mother of young children, I will be bookmarking this one!

4. About.Com has a good article on preparing yourself and your toddler for surgery- Toddler Surgery. I have not had to go through this yet, but I even cried when my first born got his first vaccination shot!

5. 10 Tips To A Mindful Home

I loved this article on Huff Post. Here are a few of the tips, but check out the full article for the full effect!

Wake with the sun – There is no purer light than what we see when we open our eyes first thing in the morning. Resisting the morning’s first waking moment instantly adds stress to your day. Avoiding the sun, you commence a chase that lasts all day long: running short of time, balance, peace and productivity.

Sit – Mindfulness without meditation is just a word. The search for mindful living is always grounded in a meditation practice. Seated meditation is the easiest and fastest way to clear your mind of anxious, fearful and stressful thoughts. Meditation puts your overactive brain on a diet, so you have more attention to bring to the real life that appears before you. You will be far more productive in the ensuing hours if you begin the day by spending five minutes actively engaged in doing nothing at all.

Make your bed – The state of your bed is the state of your head. Enfold your day in dignity. The five minutes you spend making your bed slows you down from your frantic, morning scrambling and creates a calm retreat to welcome you home at night. Plus, making your bed means you’ve already achieved an even more challenging feat: getting out of it.

Empty the hampers – Do the laundry without resentment or commentary and have an intimate encounter with the very fabric of life. Doing laundry is a supreme act of personal responsibility. It requires maturity, attention and discipline, and it engenders happiness. Don’t believe me? See how you feel every time you reach the bottom of an empty hamper.

Wash your bowl – Rinse away self-importance and clean up your own kitchen mess. If you leave it undone, it will get sticky. An empty sink can be the single most gratifying sight of a long and tiring day.

Rake the leaves – Take yourself outside to rake, weed or sweep. You’ll never finish for good, but you’ll learn the point of pointlessness. The repetitive motion is meditative; the fresh air is enlivening. Lose yourself in doing what needs to be done, without a thought of permanent outcome or gain. You’ll immediately alter your worldview.

Eat when hungry – Align your inexhaustible desires with the one true appetite. Coming clean about our food addictions and aversions is powerful and lasting medicine. Eating is so central to family life and culture that we can pass on our habits for generations to come. Mindless overeating feeds our sickness; mindful eating feeds the body’s intuitive, intelligent wisdom and nourishes life well past tonight’s empty plates.

Let the darkness come – Set a curfew on the Internet and TV and discover the natural balance between daylight and darkness, work and rest. Your taste for the quiet will naturally increase. When you end your day in accord with the earth’s perfect rhythm, you grant the whole world a moment of pure peace.

PAST FRIDAY WRAP UPS:

Friday Wrap Up 9/14/12

Friday Wrap Up 9/07/12

Friday Wrap Up 8/24/12

Friday Wrap Up 8/17/12

Friday Wrap Up 8/10/12

Friday Wrap UP 8/03/12

Friday Wrap Up 7/27/12

3 Comments

Filed under Child Therapy, Friday Wrap UP, Parenting

Tagged as art therapy, autism, Jenga, mindfulness, play therapy, quotes, therapeutic activities, therapy

September 7, 2012 · 10:19 am

Friday Wrap Up 9-07-12: Must Reads and Best Online Finds From the Week!

MY FAVORITE ARTICLES, QUOTES, AND OTHER FINDS FROM THE WEEK!

It’s Finally The Weekend!!

Have a great weekend!

1. Video about Autism and Play Therapy

For all you play therapy enthusiasts, or parents curious about what play therapy is about, this is good video on play therapy and autism. What I like is that it shows how important it is to ACCEPT the child and their interests.

2. Coolest Graduation Gift Ever! “Oh The Places You’ll Go…”

“Following my high school graduation ceremony my dad handed me a bag with a copy of Oh the Places You’ll Go, by Doctor Seuss inside. I open it up and on the first page I see a short paragraph written by none other than my kindergarten teacher. My dad tells me “Every year, for the past 13 years, since the day you started kindergarten I’ve gotten every teacher, coach, and principal to write a little something about you inside this book.”

3. 100 Excellent Art Therapy Exercises for Your Mind, Body, and Soul

There really are 100 techniques featured on this site for nurses! The exercises are categorized by activities for Emotions, Relaxation, Portraits, Trauma and Unhappiness, Collaging, Self, Gratitute, Inside the Mind, and Miscellaneous. I’m not sure how long ago this was put togeher, but some of the links for the ideas don’t work. Still, I think we get the general idea and it’s a great resource. I haven’t gone through every technique, but here are a few of my favorites so far:

Draw or Paint Your Emotions. In this exercise, you’ll focus entirely on painting what you’re feeling.

Make a stress painting. Choose colors that represent your stress and jab, scribble and paint your problems away.

Draw something HUGE. Then something very small. Getting your body involved and moving around can help release stress as you’re drawing.

Draw your vision of a perfect day. Think about what constitutes a perfect day to you and draw or paint it. What about this drawing can you make happen today?

Build a “home.” What does home mean to you? This activity will have you create a safe, warm place– it doesn’t have to be practical– that feels like home to you.

Create a future self-portrait. This drawing or painting should reflect where you see yourself in the future.

Draw yourself as a superhero. If you could have a superpower what would it be? This project asks you to depict your own image as a superhero with these powers.

Create a motivational collage. You can hang this collage somewhere you’ll see it everyday. Filled with images you find motivating, it’ll help you keep pushing on.

4. What Does a Home Mean to You? by Real Simple

In this article, readers shared what means home to them. For me, home is a place where I can be with my family and a place where I can be relaxed and content. Here’s what a few other readers said in this article:

A warm bed that you can’t get out of in the morning, a tiny pink toothbrush in the bathroom, and the sound of my husband’s key in the door at the end of the day. Dena Nilsen, Charlotte, North Carolina

Anywhere my kids are. Millie Ayala, Northport, New York

The sensation of peace on a cozy, rainy Sunday; the feeling of relief when you pull into the driveway after a long trip; a quiet kiss on the head of a baby asleep in my lap; and the warmth of my husband’s arms. Home has been many places for me over the years, but its comforts are defined by simple, blissful moments like these. Sarah Bernard, Somersworth, New Hampshire

Home is a place you can feel comfortable cooking breakfast in your pajamas. Danielle Halloran, Folsom, California

5. Nerd Quirks. An entire website devoted to fun “nerd” quirks is fun to read when you have free time.

Thanks to youbelongamongwildflowers for this submission!

PAST FRIDAY WRAP UPS:

Friday Wrap Up 8/24/12

Friday Wrap Up 8/17/12

Friday Wrap Up 8/10/12

Friday Wrap UP 8/03/12

Friday Wrap Up 7/27/12

2 Comments

Filed under Friday Wrap UP

Tagged as art therapy, autism, home, nerd quirks, play therapy, quotes

September 5, 2012 · 6:10 am

5 Common Problems at School That Lead to Counseling

Throughout the school year, I get quite a few calls from concerned parents about their child or teen. Sometimes, the issues are stemming from something at home, and other times, it may be stemming from issues at school. Either way, it makes sense that a lot of the behaviors and struggles are observed on school grounds first.

What school problems are most commonly reported when parents seek therapy?

1. Not paying attention in class.

When a child or teen is reported as not paying attention in class, parents often worry right away their child has ADHD. While this is certainly a possibility, inattention can also be a symptom of boredom, lack of sleep or adequate nutrition, or preoccupation with other problems. When inattention is such a problem that the child’s grades are suffering, or it is causing them emotional distress, it’s best to seek professional intervention.

2. Difficulty making friends.

In my experience, this is most common with kids in elementary school who are just getting started in the school social scene. The possibility of a disorder on the Autism spectrum is always looming when parents report social difficulties. While we want to look at all possibilities, this can also be a symptom of a child who is shy, inexperienced in social settings, or even suffering from a mild form of social phobia. If the teachers are reporting this is a problem, or the child is telling you they are worried, and the problem persists despite your greatest efforts, seek professional advisement.

3. Disruptive in class.

When a child or teen is disruptive in class, it is usually treated as strictly a behavior problem without considering all the potential reasons for their behavior. Many times, like most of these issues, there is an underlying reason. First, kids and teens are extremely vulnerable to the need for social acceptance. This need can drive them to behave in ways that will get them into trouble, or even put their safety at risk. They may also be disruptive because they are bored, cannot understand the teacher, cannot see the teacher, or not challenged. This child may also be struggling with the material and find they are so far behind that it “saves face” to look as if they are failing because they don’t care, rather than being unable to understand the material. Many, many possibilities!

4. Reports of aggressiveness or anger.

When children act aggressivetly towards others, or express such a high level of anger, it can be worrisome. It breaks my heart to see a young person feeling so negative. In my experience, these kids don’t want to feel this way. They are often angry about something going on a home, such as a divorce, or an issue at school, such as a bully. When a child is this angry, seek help from a professional so they can work through some of that anger, as well as learn some more positive coping skills.

5. Failing grades.

When kids fail their classes, it’s best to determine the reason as soon as possible. The longer the issue goes on, the more and more behind they will fall. Not only may they repeat a grade, but they can feel defeated and believe they are not smart. This is rarely the case. Talk to the teachers and the student to find out more about what subjects they are failing. Is it test grades or homework? These details can help you discover the possible root of the problem. Finally, talk with a professional about your next step. They may be a candidate for psychological testing or therapy.

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3 Comments

Filed under Problems and Concerns

Tagged as ADD, ADHD, aggression, anger, autism, behavior, counseling, difficulty making friends, difficulty paying attention, failing grades, inattention, play therapy, school, social problems, teens, therapy

May 3, 2012 · 6:18 pm

Books by Topic for Children, Parents, and Mental Health Professionals

With this being a fairly new website, I have plenty of plans to upgrade and make it even more informative and fun! I recently updated the Books Section, under the Links, Books, and Other Tools tab of this site. Using my Goodreads account, you can brouse my selections by topic or by the reader (adult, child, or professional). You can then read summaries and reviews of the books. As always, please forward any suggestions my way and check back regularly as new books are added each week!

BY TOPIC:

Abuse and Neglect