Being that today is World Autism Day, I not only wanted to participate in the “Light it Blue” campaign by wearing blue today, but I also wanted to do some active awareness! Recently the Center for Disease Control (CDC) released information on the prevalence of autism and many other organizations are helping to bring awareness …Read More
Autism Early Intervention
Mar 17, 2011
A recent study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry found additional evidence that early intervention is key to addressing the social difficulties associated with Autism. Though some parents are told to “wait and see” if their child develops more severe symptoms of Autism, catching warning signs and intervening early appears to lead …Read More
Visual Versus Verbal Learning
Feb 15, 2011
I recently read an article in which Temple Grandin, the famous woman with Asperger Syndrome who was recently played by Claire Danes in an HBO movie, discussed how she thinks in pictures. She states that words are like a second language to her and that her natural mode of thinking is visual. Temple describes her …Read More
Autism and Sensory Integration
Nov 12, 2010
A prominent feature of Autism is the tendency to focus intensely on one activity or feature of the environment. So far, this tendency has not been understood; however, recent research may provide clues as to why Autistic individuals tend to behave this way. In an article published in Autism Research this August, researchers measured electrical …Read More
Autism Traits Inherited
Oct 22, 2010
Autism is a complex disorder that can have any number of presentations. That is, any two people with Autism may display a wide range of characteristics. To add to the mystery, researchers and professionals working in the field have little idea as to what causes or predicts the disorder. What we do know is …Read More
Life Skills Training
Oct 6, 2010
Many children don’t readily develop certain adaptive skills such as toileting, dressing, and brushing teeth that other children seem to develop naturally. When this is the case, parents can help by developing realistic goals and adapting them as skills are obtained. The following steps can be applied to each target skill. a. To begin, identify …Read More
“The Explosive Child” – Book Recommendation
Oct 2, 2010
Some children are easier to parent than others. Some children have very challenging behaviors and require much more of our parenting skills. Some people call this “parenting plus” or “expert parenting”. Parents with a child like this often feel like they have tried everything, rewards, time-outs, taking away privileges, and nothing is working. This can …Read More
Social Communication Skills
Sep 3, 2010
Many children and teenagers (especially those on the Autism Spectrum) struggle to understand the implied rules necessary for navigating social interactions. Whereas most children learn these rules naturally by observing others, some may only be able to acquire these rules through direct instruction. If there are certain tasks that the child does not always complete …Read More
The Advantages of Early Intervention of Autism
Dec 2, 2009
Given the significant increase in the number of children diagnosed with an Autistic spectrum disorder in the past decade, it is not surprising that a number of early childhood autism treatments have been developed. Such early interventions of autism have often been viewed with caution by psychologists as research demonstrating their effectiveness was scant. A …Read More