Having Priorities Helps Children With Autism

Having Priorities Helps Children With Autism

One of the challenges of modern life is the lure of having it all. We believe that if we can just manage our time, our child with autism can have the best experiences at school, at ABA therapy, with friends, and at home with family. When we’re spread too thin, though, we don’t benefit fully from anything. But when we learn to prioritize according to our values, we may not feel regret about making difficult choices and doing less.

Letting our values guide our choices is an unfamiliar concept for most of us — and it requires a little self-exploration to determine our priorities. But the rewards can be huge.

How COVID-19 Affected Priorities

Despite COVID’s continued impact, families are beginning to have more options for kids with autism. In-person school might be slotted in next to ABA therapy, and the combination can radically alter evening routines as everyone in the family also needs to take time to prepare to do it all again the following day. Here, families may struggle to decide which treatments to pursue for their child.

A family may see major benefits with ABA therapy but also recognize that COVID-related disruptions were very hard. Many parents think their child will benefit from going back to school, yet they don’t want to lose ABA therapy and they also want to have family time.

In a situation like this would a family benefit from having some of everything? Or would fewer activities that allow for richer experiences be better? In a lot of cases, efforts are not necessarily concentrated enough to have positive outcomes in any of the choices.

A tough decision is easier when a family can figure out what they really value. Evaluating what parts of in-school therapy, clinical therapy, and at-home therapy can help families decide what is most important for their child.

Developing Priorities for Children with ASD

As with everything else in life, values are not necessarily constant. This means we can adjust behaviors and choices to align with shifting values.

Determining our values can help steer us toward more fulfilling outcomes, even on a day-to-day basis. If your child is working toward learning to tie their shoes independently, for instance, repetition will help them achieve this more quickly. The downside to a lot of repetition is that you aren’t able to get other values-related tasks done. Putting the things you value most at the front of your list can help tackle important issues first.

The beauty of a values-based approach to lifestyle choices is that each parent’s values are personal and specific to them. There’s no comparison or measurement of personal values, so no guilt should be involved.

For example; if a parent can better approach each day when there’s no lingering laundry to fold, they’re not prioritizing laundry over children. But they are placing value on having an uncluttered mind so they can be more present in the moments that really matter.

ABA Therapy from IABA Consultants

If you have questions regarding autism treatment, education, or plans using ABA therapy, we are here for you! Our goal is to make sure no family is turned away due to financial constraints. Our therapy team would love to talk to you. Find the location closest to you and give us a call. We’re here for you.

Originally Posted as Values Can Help Clarify Choices With a Child With Autism, Chicago Parent, September 17, 2021

A Decade of Work, A Decade as a BCBA

A Decade of Work, A Decade as a BCBA

Over the course of the past year, I’ve been writing to you about standing in your own worth, your truth. I’ve taken you down many paths in the forest of life and shared both challenging and joyful paths that I have walked down. Through writing to you about personal experiences I have healed and still seek to heal further. Life is full of encounters and experiences that can deliver this; for us to hold each moment of being human in our hearts to live a life of freedom. 

What I haven’t written to you about in detail is my career and the work that started my journey. This past week I was recertified by Board Certification as a Behavior Analyst for a fourth time marking a decade as a BCBA. This summer I will celebrate a decade as a BCBA entrepreneur as the owner of Instructional ABA Consultants. It was emotions and injustice that brought me to my career and success. This week I’d like to share my professional journey.

Starting a Career Helping with ASD

My work in the field of autism began fifteen years ago when I was obtaining my bachelor’s degree at the Ohio State University (OSU) in human development focusing on early childhood. I was curious about how environments shaped the developmental outcomes of children. During my time at OSU, I worked in their preschool program and was a home-based therapist for two children with autism using applied behavior analysis (ABA).

This was back in the early 2000s and in both cases, the children were accessing services but their ASD symptoms were not being treated. The ABA program I was working under was state-funded and both children I worked with had high levels of physical aggression. Neither child had a treatment plan that actually alleviated the aggression. I was passionate about the kids and knew from my undergraduate work that environments mattered. In the fall of 2009, I began my master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

My choice to begin a master’s degree stemmed from a desire to understand why aggression, as well as other aberrant behaviors, occurred in children. I also wanted to understand how applied behavior analysis treated autism symptoms in early childhood. During my master’s degree, I worked as an early childhood line therapist and joined the Illinois Crisis Prevention Network (ICPN) as my internship. I had to work during my degrees to pay my bills and at the time was focused on nothing outside of my career. I was thirsty to learn so I could create change for children.

Working at the ICPN

As I began working on the ICPN I was introduced to adults with mental illness and developmental disabilities. I quickly fell in love with the population and saw how lack of access to quality treatment affected their lives. In spending the first five years of my career focused on children I had never really thought about where they would go when they grew up. I had never thought about the adults with disabilities who had never gained access to care as children themselves. Most of the adults I served at the time had been raised in state-run institutions. Through my work with the adults, my eyes were opened to not only what happens immediately with small children with autism who do not have access to care, but also what can happen in adulthood.

During my time at the ICPN, I worked to gain my associate certification first and followed it up with BCBA board certification. I was given the opportunity of a caseload of clients (from children to geriatrics) who needed immediate crisis support; first under supervision, then as my own caseload. During this time I was wildly in love with my job but fiercely angry at the lack of care my clients received.

As a young woman, I cannot tell you the number of parents’ hands I held as we talked about their child’s (young or adult) experience that led to a crisis. The stories they told me both broke my heart and filled me with a fire to change their experience. Time after time the constant theme that led to a crisis was lack of intervention due to either a lack of funding or an unethical & uncaring therapy team. I worked with each client and family to stabilize their loved ones from crisis to community-functioning. Without access to outside care of the crisis team, success was usually not sustainable.

Changing the Game

In 2012 I decided to change that. I had met my own personal mission to understand aberrant behaviors and the impact of the environment on childhood development. Now, I know through science that the environment is the key predictor of outcome. I also knew that applied behavior analysis provided a scientific approach to at-risk symptoms of autism as well as behaviors.

With my own hands, through applied behavior analysis, I was able to change the outcome of lives for the better. I wanted to open a private practice that used these skills to close the gap in services based on funding sources. I also wanted to challenge my field ethically to create a place where all of our clients received quality care. A decade ago this was not the case. Even today ABA has mountains to climb regarding regulating quality care for all families.

It’s been a decade since I sat for my boards and I still have a fire burning in me fueled by what our science can do to help serve clients who otherwise would not have access to therapy. I went from just me to five locations, across three states, with a team of professionals who have the same passion. Each day I wake up knowing that we (not just me) are creating lasting change. Learning to run a company is for a different blog but as a BCBA I know I have a decade to be proud of.

To the next decade of service. Wherever we may go.

Xoxo,

Jessie

Having Priorities Helps Children With Autism

In-Home ABA Therapy Benefits

Many parents of a child with ASD wonder what the best therapy method for their child is. In-home therapy (in tandem with other recommended programs) is a critical part of the development of any child with ASD. 

In-home ABA therapy can be conducted by a licensed therapist or the parents on a daily basis. Let’s take a look at how in-home ABA therapy works and how it can benefit your child’s development.

In-Home ABA Therapy: How it Works

A huge benefit of in-home therapy is the comfort for both parents and children. If you sign up for professional in-home therapy, an ABA therapist will come to your home to work with your child. This minimizes driving time by seamlessly fitting therapy without travel into your everyday routine. In-home ABA therapy is very useful for families who have issues with transportation.

Buying therapy materials for professional in-home ABA therapy is not necessary. The therapist will use in-home materials & toys the child already has access to. ABA therapy tools for reinforcement can be almost anything: toys, snacks, social praise, etc. 

ABA therapists assess what each child likes during every session. Reinforcement tools are an essential part of ABA therapy. These tools are used to help reinforce good behavior and teach a variety of different skills like communication, play, and peer interactions.

Certain behaviors may often occur in the home, making it important to change them in a familiar setting. Resisting instruction for daily tasks or problem behaviors with siblings during playtime are things that may not happen in a clinical setting. 

BCBAs make assessments to pinpoint why problem behaviors happen and develop intervention strategies to treat problems as they occur. This gives many opportunities to target problematic behaviors and help change them.

During in-home sessions, an ABA therapist observes everyday interactions between the child and family members in real-time. This allows the therapist to provide quick feedback to parents on different approaches to creating parent-conducted treatment outside sessions.

In-home therapy can be used for toddlers, teens, and adults with Autism. Younger children from ages 2-5 who spend most of their time at home may benefit the most from in-home ABA therapy. A BCBA creates a treatment plan that best suits a child’s needs at home, allowing therapy to start in a familiar environment.

ABA Therapy & Family Support

Another advantage of in-home therapy is that parents and siblings can get involved in a child’s development. All family members are recommended to be active participants during in-home ABA therapy. This includes visiting relatives, grandparents, caregivers, and other regular visitors. 

ABA therapists can provide support to families who want to learn more about their child’s therapy program, treatment, and development. Family engagement has been actively demonstrated to increase progress when everyone implements ABA therapy strategies outside professional sessions.

ABA therapists can guide families on how to use ABA therapy to increase appropriate behaviors while reducing problematic ones. At-home ABA therapy also helps develop sibling relationships by working on age-appropriate skills. Social activities with siblings like playing, sharing, and interacting can be strengthened by ABA therapy. Peer interactions are also encouraged among friends and close relatives.

ABA Therapy & Independent Living at Home

Independent living skills are best taught and reinforced at home. Personal hygiene skill reinforcement at home provides a natural environment for children to develop skills. Important tasks like brushing teeth, washing hands, washing face, are best reinforced where they regularly occur. 

Independent living tasks are typically broken down into smaller steps with reinforcement being provided after each step is accomplished. Repeating the individual steps of a process followed by completing the process as a whole every day will help a child learn to be self-sufficient.

For early learners, in-home ABA therapy can also include daily routines. Things like toilet training, dressing, learning to tie shoes, can be taught and reinforced on a daily basis. Parents can select times that work best. Talking to your child’s BCBA can help you develop an effective schedule that will benefit your child.

Older children and teens will have different needs than younger kids. Tasks for older kids may include organizing or cleaning their room, preparing meals, and learning how to communicate (both verbally and through phones or other electronic devices). 

Peer interaction for teens, things like board games, video games, or social outings with friends, can be very beneficial as well–just make sure to talk to all involved parties about any specific needs beforehand. Knowing what situations or places your teen is comfortable with can help set up a successful social outing.

Designing a template for how to develop social outings for your teen with their BCBA beforehand may help you avoid any undesirable situations. An ABA therapist can also help develop skills for situations where a teen must interact with others.

ABA Therapy from IABA Consultants

If you have questions regarding autism treatment, education, or plans using ABA therapy, we are here for you! Our goal is to make sure no family is turned away due to financial constraints. Our therapy team would love to talk to you. Find the location closest to you and give us a call. We’re here for you.

Sources

Achieve Beyond Pediatric Therapy

Having Priorities Helps Children With Autism

ABA Therapy Benefits

Many people with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) need support when learning specific skills or new behaviors that are positive and functional. ABA therapy can be very effective with teaching skills in these common areas:

  • General social skills
  • Communication
  • Self-help
  • Motor skills
  • Play skills
  • Leisure activities
  • Independent daily living

How is ABA Therapy Beneficial?

The basis of ABA therapy is to identify why a person engages in a particular behavior followed by creating environments that support effective, lasting change for the better. When new, helpful behaviors bring about good results, old, unhelpful behaviors begin to decrease.

ABA therapy provides beneficial information on:

  • Why behaviors occur
  • How certain environments can affect behavior
  • The best way to create a beneficial, long-lasting therapy plan
  • The most effective therapy models for changing individual behavior

ABA Therapy Expectations

ABA therapy can be conducted in clinics, schools, outside settings, and inside the home. ABA programs are managed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), who are Masters-level professionals and direct care providers. In most cases BCBAs are Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), which is a national certification.

The role and responsibilities of the BCBA include:

  • Developing a treatment plan
  • Helping parents and other caregivers manage treatment plans
  • Developing and conducting progress assessments
  • Monitoring work conducted by other direct care providers

Depending on the intensity of the treatment, BCBAs may work with the child and direct care anywhere from multiple days per week to a few days per month. 

Direct care providers are closely monitored by BCBAs to make sure the correct therapy program is being followed. It is imperative that any comprehensive ABA therapy programs are followed by all caregivers, from teachers to parents. Talking to your BCBA will help you understand their therapy program.

Typical therapy sessions include play, practicing daily activities like toileting or dressing, and structured teaching activities. ABA Sessions are customized for each child’s strengths and needs and designed to improve the quality of life for both the child and their family.

Helping parents with continuing therapeutic practices at home is a critical part of ABA therapy. Without continued reinforcement, certain behaviors may take longer to learn or even regress.

ABA Therapy from IABA Consultants

If you have questions regarding autism treatment, education, or plans using ABA therapy, we are here for you! Our goal is to make sure no family is turned away due to financial constraints. Our therapy team would love to talk to you. Find the location closest to you and give us a call. We’re here for you.

Sources

Arizona Autism United

ASD & Gender Comorbidities

ASD & Gender Comorbidities

The likelihood that a person with autism has another condition correlates strongly with the age at which they received their autism diagnosis, according to a new study. The study also noted that girls with autism are more likely than neurotypical girls to have other conditions, to a degree not seen in boys.

Study factors included whether a person with autism’s age at ASD diagnosis or birth sex changed their chance of having any of 11 common comorbid conditions (including epilepsy, anxiety, and ADHD). The study drew on data from around 16,000 people with autism and more than 650,000 neurotypical people up to 16 years old.

Among people included in the study who received late ASD diagnoses (11 to 15 years old) 26% of girls and 13% of boys were also diagnosed with a comorbid condition. The trend for intellectual disability in the study was the opposite with 40% of people with an early autism diagnosis having an intellectual disability, compared to just 10% percent of people with a late autism diagnosis.

Looking at Gender and ASD Comorbidities

For 11 co-occurring conditions considered by study researchers, the age of autism diagnosis was the single biggest predictor of whether a participant had that condition. Gender was another major factor.

Among individuals with autism, girls were 2.2X more likely to have anxiety than boys. By contrast, anxiety is about 1.4X higher in neurotypical girls than neurotypical boys. And while neurotypical boys are 2.6X more likely to have ADHD than neurotypical girls, the ratio dropped within the ASD population. Boys with Autism are just 1.6X more likely than girls with autism to have ADHD.

Looking at the ASD Spectrum Index

86 percent. That is the proportion of people with autism who show “a fair to very good level of objective psychosocial functioning,” according to a study that tracked the jobs. The happiness and close friendships of 917 adults — 425 men and 492 women — were tracked over a six-year period. These study results appeared in the journal Autism in June 2021.

The results of recent studies have started taking closer looks at both the age of ASD diagnoses and the gender of people with ASD. The early data shows promising results in the differences between boys and girls with ASD.

ABA Therapy from IABA Consultants

If you have questions regarding autism treatment, education, or plans using ABA therapy, we are here for you! Our goal is to make sure no family is turned away due to financial constraints. Our therapy team would love to talk to you. Find the location closest to you and give us a call. We’re here for you.

Sources

Spectrumnews.org, Community Letter

Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, July 2021

Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, July 2021

Health Services Research, July 2021