At present, 1 in 4 Americans live in a multigenerational household. Some households rely on a grandparent as a caretaker who may have high involvement with the client. Grandparents can certainly contribute positively but in some cases the grandparent may be one of the reasons a client displays behaviors or lacks progress with specific life skills.
Read MoreHabits of physical activity created in childhood and adolescence are likely to continue into the longer period of adulthood so establishing these practices early is of critical importance. Behavioral interventions to improve activity levels are worthy of consideration by both parents and educators.
Read MoreCan Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) teach honesty and reduce the breaking of rules? Transgressions or the breaking of rules and lying can affect the quality of a child’s relationship with both caregivers and peers so it’s worth addressing early and effectively. The challenge is that transgressions, which may be followed by a punishment or unfavorable response from a caregiver or peer, can lead to dishonesty to avoid that harsh consequence.
Read MoreIf friendships are built on shared interests, then what happens if an individual struggles to identify the interests of others in relation to their own? Identifying a shared interest, volleying back and forth in conversation about that interest and detecting cues as to when to stop conversing on a topic are social skills a neurotypical person may take for granted.
Read MoreYelling. Raising your voice. Being stern. Call it what you may, but we’ve all done it at some point throughout the parenting journey. We yell at our children when we are frustrated, or when they do something shocking or unsafe. When we yell at our children as a form of discipline, we often overlook the consequences. Is this form of discipline effective? Does my child learn from my yelling?
Read MoreIt is common for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to lack eye contact and gaze which can hamper their ability to pick up on social cues. These cues are critical for effective communication, academic success and help facilitate social interactions. Existing research indicates that with systematic training, individuals with ASD can learn eye contact and gaze.
Read MorePublic speaking can intimidate even the most confident of speakers! A person’s ability to speak publicly can impact one’s success in professional and academic settings. On the flip side of that, nervous habits can negatively impact communication.
Read MoreSkin picking can be defined as the repetitive scratching, pulling or digging of the body with the absence of an underlying cause such as a dermatological condition. The intensity of skin picking can range from relatively mild with little to no injury, to much more severe tissue damage which presents a risk to the individual’s health.
Read MoreAlthough your child’s school is responsible for teaching your child a host of academic skills, some children still need family members to strengthen those academic skills in the evening or on the weekends.
Read MoreToe walking is relatively common in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It has been estimated that about 20% of young children with ASD have this ambulation disorder. Aside from the possible social impact of an abnormal gait, toe walking can negatively impact the physical health of the individual. For these reasons, an effective intervention is necessary.
Read MoreThere are many potential issues that could arise due to the changes that naturally come with the holiday season. This can be true for typically developing individuals but even more common for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Read MoreAt one time or another, you may have inquired as to why someone has done what they have done. What motivated them to act like that? What would drive someone to do such a thing? Understanding why people engage in specific behaviors has been an area of interest for decades. The physical form of the behavior can be easy to identify but the reason people engage in a particular behavior is often much more difficult to understand.
Read MoreThe United States is increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse. This context is important for clinicians working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) who teach functional communication to develop the language skills of children with disabilities.
Read MoreWhen compared to their neurotypical peers, individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are more likely to have difficulty in maintaining conversations. Researchers are motivated to discover and, in turn, clinicians are motivated to implement effective interventions and training procedures for building conversational skills.
Read MoreDo you ever want to keep your child’s positive momentum going? When we apply the laws of physics to human behavior, a child’s behavior itself may “stay in motion” even when conditions in their environment change due to what we call Behavioral Momentum Theory.
Read MoreAside from the more obvious benefits to one’s health, researchers recently published a study on the connection between physical activity and its effects on stereotypy, with a focus on the population of individuals with ASD.
Read MoreWhile uncommon, child abduction is a valid fear for parents and caregivers. In order to prevent or reduce the occurrence of child abduction, children should be trained as to how to respond when faced with an abduction attempt.
Read MoreOne of the principal deficits which is central to the diagnostic criteria of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an impairment in social interaction. To this end, clinicians have an interest in assessing social interaction in order to improve social and play skills when working with individuals with ASD.
Read MoreThe fear of children playing with guns and unintentionally causing injury to themselves or others is a real and grave concern. Studies have found that, even immediately after being told never to touch a gun, kids do pick up and play with guns and cannot consistently discriminate between a real or fake gun.
Read MoreWhen we blend psychology with the science of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), it often yields some pretty remarkable outcomes. One such outcome is the study and impact of mindfulness. Being mindful is the ability to focus less on judging your own thoughts while focusing more on being in the moment (Ahemaitijiang et al., 2020).
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