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My son is 5 years old and was diagnosed with autism when he was two. He has responded well to early intervention services in terms of his communication and daily living activities. But it is still challenging for him to play games with his neurotypical peers. When all the kids at a birthday party are…
Compiled by Peggy Halliday, MEd, BCBA, Julia Weiss (Extern), and David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D Association for Science in Autism Treatment The following websites include milestones, checklists, booklets, and a wealth of information to help parents become savvy consumers of autism treatment. The contributors are parent groups as well as professional, medical, scientific, and legal…
My child is doing well with many of his ABA programs, even the ones that focus on the development of play skills. Unfortunately, he doesn’t play with most of the toys that we give him, and he has worked for the same five things since our program began a year ago (marshmallow peeps, Thomas trains,…
By Diane Adreon, EdD Associate Director University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism & Related Disabilities Contact: dadreon@miami.edu We are older parents and often lay awake at night worrying about our daughter’s ability to function independently when we are no longer able to care for her ourselves. She is 17 years old and is…
Lisa Tereshko, PhD, BCBA-D, Endicott College Description: Everyday all individuals complete a variety of sequences of behaviors that were taught to them at some point in their lives. Some of these sequences include getting dressed, packing a lunch for school or work, and cooking dinner. Independently completing these sequences are essential for one to have…
My child with autism is doing well in his academic programming, but I’d like to help him develop social skills with peers. He participates in playdates, but I often worry that we are not making the most of these opportunities. How can I help him learn to play with a friend? Considering the recent pandemic,…
Maximizing motivation is an essential component of effective teaching and behavior reduction; therefore, preference assessments can help identify those items and activities that will be most motivating for individuals with autism. In this issue of Clinical Corner, Niall Toner shares why preference assessments are so important and provides an excellent overview of the various types…
I am a parent who has a home-based ABA program. We are fortunate to hold monthly meetings with all of the providers that work with my child. I am looking for some ideas on how to make the most of these meetings. Any suggestions? Answered by Preeti Chojar ASAT Parent Board Member It is terrific…
Can the principles of applied behavior analysis be used to toilet train a child with an autism spectrum disorder? Answered by Frank Cicero, PhD Director of Psychological Services at Eden II Programs Here is the good news…children with autism can be toilet trained through the exact same methods that are used with typically-developing children. And…
I am a home program coordinator who works with a six-year old child diagnosed with autism. The parents are concerned because their child struggles at bedtime and will often wake up in the middle of the night to come into their room. The parents want their child to stay asleep and have tried everything to…
I am a behavior analyst working with a 6-year-old child with a very limited food repertoire. Do you have any assessment and treatment recommendations that can guide my efforts to address this area? Answered by Jill K. Belchic-Schwartz, PhD Pediatric/Child Psychologist, Childhood Solutions, PC, Fort Washington, PA Food selectivity is a fairly common issue with…