March 29, 2022

Behavior Frontiers Celebrates the Achievements of People with Autism!

So frequently, when discussing people who live on the autism spectrum, the focus is on the challenges and the fears about the future. But in amongst those fears are some incredible stories! Individuals with autism who overcome the challenges they face, or, just as frequently, who use their unique perspectives to change the world around them. So, this Autism Acceptance Month, we will be telling their stories. Here are just a couple to kick things off.

Gerald Franklin, Game and Interface Designer

Like many people, Gerald Franklin found his community online. An avid gamer, he used technology as a source of comfort and a way to connect with other people. However, he noticed that the games that he enjoyed were frequently not made for people with disabilities. Gerald set out to change that, centering his career around utilizing accessible design.

“I wanted to make games, apps, and websites that didn’t leave out those with disabilities and special needs. As someone with Asperger’s, I had a vested interest in following this passion,” Gerald explained. Now, as a game and interface designer for WebTeam, he consistently works to make the internet more open to everyone. He has also worked as one of the leading designers of The Spectrum Careers, a program that links people with autism directly to employers.

Alexis Wineman, Miss America Competitor

Because autism can present so differently in girls than in boys, Alexis Wineman didn’t receive her diagnosis of PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified) until she was in middle school. As she got older, she struggled with some common challenges of ASD, such as speech difficulties, issues with communication, and sensory-related problems, like sensitivity to loud sounds. However, she refused to let these things stop her.

With the help of her family, she began to take part in activities that pushed her outside of her comfort zone. She participated in cross-country running, cheerleading, speech and drama. Finally, she decided to participate in the Miss America competition, even though that would mean speaking in front of large groups of people, loud and unpredictable noises, and events that she wouldn’t be able to prepare in advance for. She persevered, and entered the Miss America competition in 2013, after winning Miss Montana. Though she didn’t take home the crown, she did win the “America’s Choice” award, breaking barriers as the first autistic contestant in the pageant’s history.

April is Autism Acceptance Month! At Behavior Frontiers, this is our favorite time of year. We have a full month of activities, information, and fun planned, so make sure to keep an eye on our website and social media for all of the details!

View Our Previous Blog Posts

September 8, 2026

7 Famous People with Autism Who've Shared Their Diagnosis

An autism diagnosis never determines your success. For many of the most creative, driven, and groundbreaking minds in history, it may have been the very thing that fueled it. An intense focus, pattern recognition, and a willingness to see the world differently are not limitations. They're superpowers. And when a person with autism is given the right support and space to grow, truly incredible things can happen.

September 8, 2026

What Is DRA in ABA Therapy? (Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior)

Every time your child wants to play with a toy, they have big emotions until they get it. At school, when presented with difficult work, they might run away. These are all examples of behaviors your child might exhibit to serve a communicative purpose. They might need something or want your attention. Or maybe they just want access to an opportunity. Whatever the behavior might be—it works, so it continues. Sometimes, we as adults may reinforce these behaviors without realizing it.

September 8, 2026

The 7 Dimensions of ABA Therapy (Baer, Wolf & Risley, 1968)

What guides every intervention in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy?The 7 dimensions of ABA.Think of ABA therapy like a multi-dimensional figure. It has many angles, perspectives, and ways to evaluate it. That is exactly what the dimensions do. They give clinicians and families a complete way to see how well an intervention is working, from every angle.

September 8, 2026

Errorless Learning in ABA: How and Why Behavior Therapists Use It

In Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, errorless learning is a way to teach new skills by giving the right amount of support from the very beginning.When your child with autism is learning something new, mistakes are part of the process. But for some kiddos, too many mistakes too quickly can feel uncomfortable, frustrating, or discouraging. The last thing we want is for your child to shut down, guess, avoid the task, or lose confidence before the skill has a chance to grow. That's where errorless learning can help.

September 8, 2026

Stimming and Autism: What It Is, Why It Happens, and When to Support It

Have you noticed your child rocking, flapping their hands, or making the same sounds on repeat?What you’re observing is called stimming. Stimming (short for self-stimulating behavior) refers to repetitive motions, sounds, or interactions with objects, and it’s far more common than you may think. In fact, close to 44% of people with autism engage in some form of stimming.

September 3, 2026

What Are the Benefits of Center-Based ABA Therapy? What Parents Should Know

If your child recently received an autism diagnosis, the next steps can feel exciting in some ways. Now, your child has access to all the support they need. But after that diagnosis comes a fresh set of questions, one of them being: what's the right next step? To help you understand if your kiddo is a good fit for center-based ABA therapy, we'll cover: the definition of center-based ABA, the benefits of center-based ABA, and the key differences between center-based and in-home ABA.