FAQautism: Episodes
Most people just explore and learn naturally, but our friends with autism may need a boost to help them notice what is happening around them. The inability to read or write or talk should not stand in the way of learning. We can certainly do individuals diagnosed with autism a great service by assuming ...
The excitement of the holidays, large family gatherings, new foods and activities, and interruptions in familiar routines can cause stress levels to rise even as autumn leaves start falling. Several parents have already asked about strategies for helping smooth out family visits. This podcast features ...
Toilet Training. Getting dressed. Staying in chair. Saying hello. Writing name. Paying attention. Stop biting. Riding in school bus. Playing with others. Stopping echolalia. Staying calm. Getting a job. Keeping a job. These are just some of the issues that teachers, therapists, and family members deal ...
Last week several parents of youngsters with autism were talking about all of the issues that arise in their daily lives – a flood of challenges that can seem overwhelming. They specifically mentioned two issues encountered by many families of individuals with autism: toilet training and letting a ...
My friend, Joseph, is a middle-aged adult with autism. When he was a youngster, the breadth and depth of autism was not known. When Joseph was in school in the 1950’s and 60’s, autism was viewed as a very narrow range of behaviors that were widely assumed to be a result of unloving, physically distant ...
Teenagers tend to push the limits on clothing, hair, shoes, sleep, music, leisure time activities, language, and friends. Adolescents sometimes resist chores, homework, and family activities. Hormonal changes can cause moodiness, defiance, or oversensitivity. When teens with autism reach this stage, ...
Every teenager needs some help learning the skills necessary for getting a job and keeping it. Teens and adults with autism may need more intense training in various aspects of job-readiness. Even the most capable person with autism may need help with some job component. A job coach is a good option ...
Sometimes individuals with autism who have not previously conversed with people begin using phrases and sentences to communicate with others. What are some things we can do to encourage conversation?
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Presence. In order to carry on a conversation, your friend with autism ...
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Presence. In order to carry on a conversation, your friend with autism ...
Many youngsters with autism encounter difficulty in school because of their literal interpretation of language. A kindergarten student was in trouble last week because he crashed out the classroom door and ran pell-mell down the hall when the teacher said, “Let’s run to recess.” A high school student ...
It is certainly easy to assign blame when looking at a situation from afar. Parents of youngsters with autism sometimes hear comments about their inability to control behavior or about their poor parenting skills. A celebrity recently made headlines for accusing parents of paying psychiatrists for a ...
Halloween is a tradition that can be great fun for youngsters with autism, or it can be a disaster waiting to happen. Some people with autism love costumes and masks, but others do not. Many kids with autism do not like hearing unusual noises or scary sounds. Most do not like walking through the neighborhood [...]
By definition, individuals with autism have impairments in communication, but the degree to which individuals have communication deficits is broad. Each person diagnosed with autism has a unique mix of strengths and weaknesses, and each has a different set of language barriers that stand in the way of ...
Sometimes we can feel as if we are going in circles when it comes dealing with challenging behaviors that often accompany autism. Just when we are getting one problem ironed out, another problem comes barreling around the corner. The seemingly never-ending hopeless spiral of behavior management can certainly ...
Life certainly changes after a person graduates from high school. That transition may actually be more difficult for family members than for the individual with autism. Unless a person is able to get a job and live independently, families must make significant adjustments as the daily support and activities ...
Most youngsters, including those with autism, balk when they hear that dreaded question, “Have you finished your homework yet?” If we look at ourselves from the child’s perspective, we usually stand like an impatient guard or hang like a big boulder that will fall on their heads if they don’t ...
YIKES! Report cards and progress reports are coming home this week, causing stress at home for many families of school-aged kids with autism. This may be the first time that parents get an official report that their youngster is struggling with some behavior issues at school. Some parents react by fussing ...
Do we get too caught up in the diagnosis of autism? Can we run the risk of failing to see a real kid standing in front of us because we are so focused on developing strategies to address his autism?
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CONNECT. Take time every day to connect with the real kid. Sit [...]
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CONNECT. Take time every day to connect with the real kid. Sit [...]
We can spend a great deal of time and energy correcting and reprimanding youngsters. Most of the time our scolding goes right over the top of a child’s head. They are often oblivious to the fact that we are frustrated and puzzled when we get angry. Rather than falling into the trap of endless nagging, [...]
Whether you are a seasoned traveler in the world of autism or new to the scene, you will encounter a vast range of ideas and opinions about the definition, cause, and treatment of autism. These marked differences of opinion are to be expected when dealing with the vast spectrum of autism, but sometimes ...
Some adults with autism hover right on the edge of being able to live independently, but they need monitoring and reminders to stay on track, to take care of daily tasks, and to remain safe. For example, some individuals who do not need continual care may forget to eat or to bathe without reminders. Others [...]