FAQautism: Episodes
An informal conversation with parents, teachers, and business people yielded a list of basic job skills that lead to successful employment. Even individuals who require a job coach in order to be successful benefit from learning skills that allow as much independence as possible on the job. The focus ...
A mom of a fifth grader with autism is concerned. Her daughter is either unable or unwilling to follow directions at school and at home. Mom isn’t certain if her daughter is purposefully ignoring the directions or if she is distracted. Is she being stubborn or lazy, or is she inattentive or unmotivated? ...
When our friends with autism are angry or upset, our responses can actually escalate emotions and cause misbehaviors. All of us tend to respond abruptly, loudly, with too many words when a person needs correction or guidance. Sometimes it is better to respond quietly and calmly, even when we feel like ...
Sometimes individuals with autism are inattentive to people around them. For a school-aged child, the inattention translates to a failure to notice the unwritten “social cues” that help kids know how to participate successfully in routines at school. So, for example, most 5-year-old children notice ...
The debate about home-schooling youngsters with autism has vocal advocates on both sides of the fence. Just as with the public school debate, I humbly submit that, because of the vast spectrum of autism and broad differences in family situations, it is inappropriate to make blanket statements such as ...
The debate about the pros and cons of public school education for individuals with autism has been raging for three decades. I humbly submit that, because of the vast spectrum of autism and the disparate needs of each individual, blanket statements such as, “The public schools have failed children ...
School starts this week for many youngsters with autism, so the stress level at home is escalating. Families are dealing with transition issues and new schedules and reports from school and all the other challenges that arise at the beginning of school. By suppertime, patience is scarce and the to-do ...
Many of my friends with autism are a bit lost during the first few weeks in a new school. Sometimes we assume that all students are soaking in the flood of information – school traditions, procedures, rules, and routines - presented to youngsters in an assembly on the first day of school.
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When classes start this fall, many teachers will encounter students with autism for the first time. What are the ABC’s of autism?
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1. Assumptions. Autism is a VAST spectrum with uneven manifestations of abilities and disabilities. For example, we would naturally assume ...
At the tender young age of three, youngsters with autism often embark on an exciting and challenging adventure: pre-school. By its very nature, pre-school requires youngsters to function in three different spheres – group time, free time, and transition from one to another. Each sphere requires different ...
A youngster with autism randomly shouts out when in church, libraries, or other quiet places. Another gets very agitated when standing in line at an amusement park, and begins pulling hair of anyone within arms reach. A young adult suddenly runs into the parking lot when she spots an exit door in a mall. [...]
Some folks just don’t like change. Some folks with autism HATE change! As summer comes to an end, and the first day of school approaches, some students with autism respond with temper outbursts, poor sleeping habits, and stubborn refusal to follow directions. Even youngsters who seem to like school ...
Sometimes we may have questions about a diagnosis or our intuition tells us that the experts did not hit a diagnosis on target. For example, a dad and grandmother both agree that it seems as if their daughter diagnosed with autism should also have been diagnosed with apraxia. What are their options in ...
Even if youngsters with autism get along pretty well in school, the transition to a new school can be challenging. For example, when moving from elementary to middle school, students are expected to listen to and remember about various procedures and rules given to an assembly of the whole student body ...
In some cases, the peculiar food preferences can compromise health or well-being. What are some strategies for helping picky eaters with autism change harmful habits?
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1. MONITOR DIET. If a youngster with autism has significant allergies to wheat products or dairy products, ...
Picky eaters abound in the world of autism. Some people will only eat peanut butter on bread, no jelly. Others eat one brand of macaroni and cheese for breakfast, lunch, supper, and snack. One of my young friends with autism doesn’t like the taste of ice cream, but he will eat dog poop. Picky eaters [...]
Earlier this week, a mom called in tears because her daughter had loudly used very graphic, anatomically correct words to describe a pain while at a crowded festival in the park. Her daughter looks like a typical pre-teen, so her words were rather shocking to other people. This challenging situation, ...
More and more pre-school teachers are encountering youngsters diagnosed with autism in their classrooms. From the perspective of a child with autism, the group pre-school experience can seem chaotic, even under the leadership of the most extraordinary teacher. The youngster is having to process all the ...
How can teachers, parents, and therapists maintain the daily intensity required to truly maximize the potential of individuals with autism? Our daily supply of energy and time never seems to be enough to take care of all the little details that need our attention, ranging from intensive therapy and behavior ...
It would certainly be easier if someone could develop a fool-proof strategy for helping maximize the potential of all individuals with autism. A pre-packaged, step-by-step, fool-proof plan that worked in every situation would certainly decrease stress levels of family members, teachers, job coaches, ...