Blog Archive

Preparing your child for novel or new situations can be both exciting and daunting. This is especially true with a child who has Autism Spectrum Disorder or who struggles with sensory issues. Often, new routines or activities can be overwhelming and can potentially lead to a variety of problem behaviors, so it is important to be prepared and have a plan. Here are some tips and strategies for making the haircut process easier for them and for you. Read more…

During this time of uncertainty, it is more important than ever to maintain consistency at home. As parents, creating structure is one of the most important things we can do for our children. For example, dance class or baseball practice is always on the same day at the same time and bedtime is typically around the same time every night, etc. These are routines that we have created to ensure success for our children. Read more…

The Standardized Diagnostic tool for testing for autism in children is referred to as the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), which allows a clinician to accurately assess and diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorders across age, developmental level, and language skills. You will see an ADOS used at pediatric hospitals, with independent clinicians, school systems, etc. Read more…

Behavior Frontiers team members from across the country took the time last week to show off our furry friends, in our first ever “National Dress Up Your Pet Day” Contest! We received a great number of submissions, with people submitting photos of their dogs, cats, turtles, and even fish, dressed up in their best clothing and costumes. After voting, we wound up with three big winners, one from each category (large dogs, small dogs, cats and other small animals), as well as two runners up. A huge congratulations to all of our winners, and thanks for showing off your adorable pet pals!

The Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is a written contract between the family and the educational entity that outlines the child’s educational goals. Children with autism or other developmental disabilities over the age of 3 receive an IEP in a public educational setting. Each IEP must be tailored to meet the needs of that individual child, so it is important to review the contract to ensure these needs are being met. In order to develop an IEP, it is required by law that specific people attend the IEP meeting including the parents, the child’s teacher, other collaborating professionals, and the child (if appropriate). Other persons are welcome if they are a part of the team such as an advocate or a representative or a non public agency, etc. The parent is a big part of the IEP team, so it is important that they are a part of the process in developing the IEP for their child. As a parent, it is important to also share information regarding your child’s needs, expectations, and current skill set.

If you are looking for an exciting, fun, and rewarding career helping children and their families, look no further than the field of ABA therapy! Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) now affects 1 in 54 children, and the people on the front lines of helping these children are the Behavior Technicians who work with them one on one. If you have ever investigated a career in this field, you might feel understandably lost when trying to determine how to get started. Here is a helpful guide that will lay out the steps to your future career! Firstly, there is the education component . Although education requirements vary by employer, it is safe to say that a high school diploma is the minimum required to become an ABA technician/therapist. However, most applicants have some sort of college education in psychology, special education or a related field of study. The good news is the position is very flexible with school schedules and companies will often hire college students completing their bachelor’s degrees.

A toolkit for managing tantrums? Yes, please! When tantrums occur, they can be intense and stressful for the child and those around them. Although it is common for tantrums to occur during early childhood, some tantrums are more intense or more frequent and require intervention. We want to help our children acquire skills to replace tantrum behaviors and reduce stress. When a child engages in a tantrum, they are communicating something. Sometimes they are communicating that they are tired, hungry, thirsty, uncomfortable or overwhelmed and we can address those needs when we know what they are. When we understand the communication behind the behavior, it is much easier to resolve and move on with our day. Sometimes tantrums happen to communicate something else. It may be hard to tell at times so creating a tantrum log can be a valuable tool. Keep a notepad handy or use a recording app on your phone to create a record over time. Note what happened right before the tantrum occurred, characteristics of the tantrum and how long and/or intense it was as well as what happened immediately following tantrum behavior. Why is the tantrum happening? What is your child saying when they tantrum? Is it one of the following? I want something I want to get away from something I want your attention I like the way this feels Under what circumstances are tantrums likely to occur? Notice what happens right before a tantrum. Where are you? Who is present? Was the child asked to do something? Was something taken away? Is the child receiving attention or is your attention on something or someone else? What happens immediately following a tantrum? Does your child gain access to something? Are they able to get out of doing something they have been asked to do? Do they get attention? Does the behavior feel good? Noting these things will help you address the function or purpose the tantrum serves in helping your child get what they want. You may want to collect information for a few days or a few weeks. Track your information keeping 3 stages in mind. What happened before the tantrum? The tantrum itself – what was involved (i.e., crying, falling to the ground, aggression), intensity and how long it lasted? What happened immediately after? Write down what you notice. Do you see a pattern? Do tantrums occur under similar circumstances? How would your child get what they want in a more appropriate way? Make a list of the skills that would be helpful for your child to have that would be good replacement behaviors. The new skills or behaviors need to serve the same function or purpose as the tantrum. What would be more efficient and effective for your child to do instead? Is there a word or phrase that would replace the tantrum behavior? Would it help if your child learned to ask for your attention or If they learned to wait for a little while before getting your attention? What happens immediately after the tantrum? You may be reinforcing tantrum behavior without realizing it. When the behavior is followed by something the child wants, they are more likely to tantrum again in the future because it was effective. Now that you have your tantrum tracking log and your list of potential replacement behaviors, you can begin to teach skills that will be more efficient and effective. Practice replacement skills and be sure to practice and reinforce the new skills as much as possible so that your child is more likely to use the new skills when they are faced with scenarios that have led to tantrum behavior in the past. Some helpful tools to use prior to activities or times when tantrum behavior is likely to occur include: Visual schedules so the child knows what to expect next. Priming – or preparing your child for what is going to happen next and offering examples of what they can do or say instead of engaging in tantrum behavior. Choice – offering choices between two items or activities so the child is given some control over what is happening. A token economy – a system for teaching a child to engage in a behavior to earn a secondary reward. If you are not able to avoid tantrum behavior with the strategies listed above, some helpful tools to manage tantrum behavior when it is happening include: Stay calm, keep your voice neutral and keep talking to a minimum Take a deep breath and consider the information you have been collecting. What is your child trying to say in this situation? Keep yourself and your child safe by blocking aggression and or self-injury as needed. When the tantrum is waning, offer a simple prompt or reminder of what you would like your child to do instead. What happens after the tantrum? It depends on the reason or function of the tantrum. Depending on the reason, you may need to prompt a word or phrase. If the function is attention, you may want to wait for your child to request your attention appropriately before giving attention. Be mindful of reinforcement for the behavior and make sure the appropriate behavior is being reinforced and not the tantrum behavior. Your clinical team can help you determine the best way to address the individual needs of your child and offer support as you are learning to manage tantrum behavior and teach appropriate replacement behaviors. Your team will choose a combination of strategies specific to your needs. Kelley Serena, Behavior Supervisor, Ventura Tuesday, December 29, 2020

How long is ABA therapy going to last? Chances are that thought is running through your mind if you are a parent that has a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and you are considering Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services . The short answer is, “it depends”. It is important to note that the treatment plan for your child is individualized to best fit the needs of your family. ASD expresses itself differently in everyone and influences the course of treatment for each individual. Factors that play a role in how long therapy can last include current functioning across language, social skills, and intellectual abilities. Additionally, environment plays a huge role in progression. Ultimately it is important to remember that every single person whether they are neurotypical or not, learn in different ways and at different rates. While ABA therapy can seem daunting there are a number of things each family can do to support best outcomes: Get tested early Today, a diagnosis for autism can be obtained before a child is even a year old. Research supports that early intervention coupled with intensive treatment predict better long-term outcomes. Some benefits in early intervention include supporting school readiness, joint attention, and social skills. Get involved Parent involvement is a key component to success of therapy. Once of the goals in ABA therapy is to equip each family with the tools necessary to manage behaviors and to achieve success with learning new skills. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and learn concepts. Be consistent Prioritizing ABA is crucial in ensuring that the full treatment or dosage is being provided based on the recommendation of a trained professional. This recommendation is determined by standardized assessment measures. Prioritizing ABA ensure that deficits are worked on. Ask for help Your ABA team is here to work with YOU. Asking for help ensures that your clinical team is targeting items that are important to your family. Anusha Preston, M.A., BCBA Associate Clinical Director, Ventura Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Social distancing and school closures during the Coronavirus pandemic have made it difficult for our kids to stay connected. As we all know, social interaction, especially in the earlier years of development, is extremely important. In this blog post, you will find a few helpful tips and tricks to keep your kiddos engaged in social interaction through virtual playdates. There are many different apps and services such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, and WhatsApp that make it possible to virtually connect. While on these apps, the kids can connect by playing games together, completing school assignments as a team or just talking. There are also many different apps that allow kids to play virtual games together other than video games. For example, the app Pogo has games such as Monopoly and Yahtzee. For our younger kiddos, there are simpler games such as Uno. Another option for a virtual play date could be a virtual movie night. If you have a Netflix subscription, Netflix Party allows kids to watch movies together through the app. Within this app, only those that are invited can join the movie link. Pop some popcorn and grab all of the yummy movie snacks for a fun virtual movie night. Host a virtual story time! This one will involve one parent to assist. One adult can read a story to all of the children, and then talk to the kids about it. If you have any early readers, challenge them to read a story to their friends. Do some art together! Have each participant/family print off the same coloring page and then each child can color it however they would like with the materials they have on hand. After they color the picture, they can share their wonderful creations with each other! Download a packet of coloring packages from us! Have a shared playtime. It’s likely that each child will have play dough on hand. Give the children a prompt of what you would like them to sculpt, or just let them each pick what they make. Again, the biggest fun comes when they get to show off their sculptures! All in all, virtual playdates are better than no playdates! Let’s show our kids that we can still connect with others and have fun doing so during this pandemic. We are all in this together! Taylor Bernardez, M.A., BCBA, Behavior Supervisor, Ventura Tuesday, December 15, 2020

The holidays can be a very special time. They can also be very overwhelming to children with sensory issues or ASD. With that in mind, we have prepared a guide that you can share with your children to help them understand why things may look so different around the house right now. This fun picture book covers what a holiday is, what changes children might see around the house, and how they can participate. Download this free resource