Stay Informed

January 27, 2020 | Iris Chiang, M.Ed., BCBA

Social skills are important to everyone to get along and be happy. But socializing can be particularly challenging for kids with autism and other developmental disabilities. Fortunately, help is available. The benefits of social skills training are immediate and long-lasting, especially when group training complements individualized behavioral therapy.

January 13, 2020 | Kate Sheldon-Princi, M.Ed., BCBA

People with developmental disabilities including autism can connect face-to-face with their healthcare providers using phones, tablets and computers. This approach is called “telehealth” and it offers benefits including increased supervision and communication between healthcare providers and clients, expanded access to care, and better outcomes.

December 16, 2019 | Jessica Robles, M.A., BCBA

Everyone engages in some form of repetitive behavior, such as shaking your leg when sitting or twirling your hair on your finger. Kids with autism are more likely to demonstrate repetitive behaviors that are problematic. There are a number of signs to know when the behavior requires attention. There also is treatment available to help.

November 11, 2019 | Blanca Garcia, M.A.

Help is available for parents who take care of kids with autism. The service is called “respite care” and it provides caregivers with time to deal with personal or family needs, study or work. In some cases, respite care providers can help teach skills to kids. Getting respite services is easy.

October 28, 2019 | April MacPherson, MA, BCBA

It’s hard to know how a child with autism will react to a new sister or brother. There could be immense joy or serious stress, or a reaction somewhere in between. Preparing the child for a new sibling starts with recognizing what his or her challenges are, so you can plan to address them head on.

October 14, 2019 | Maria Sanchez, MA, BCBA and Crystal Herrera, MA

A child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) growing up in a bilingual home faces challenges. There are opportunities, too, but culture, care coordination and access to resources can be difficult, especially if the primary caregiver doesn’t speak English well.

September 23, 2019 | Alfredo Arciniega, M.A., M.S., LMFT, BCBA

There can be challenges when one child in a family has autism and the other kid or kids do not. Parents struggle with how to support all their children, and children struggle with how to relate to their siblings. There are several ways to help the kids “bond” with each other despite their differences.

September 9, 2019 | Vincent van Antwerp, MA, BCBA

When children and adults with autism demonstrate self-injurious behavior (SIB), the consequences can be very serious. Some advisors suggest giving the person whatever they want to stop the behavior at the time. But that can make the situation worse. For the best long-term results, consulting a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with a background in self-injury can be a more effective approach.

August 26, 2019 | Olivia Dominguez, MS, AMFT

Every parent reacts differently to news that their child has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Sometimes there is denial, sometimes there is anger. A variety of reactions are normal and natural. Fortunately, there are resources available for parents, including counseling, support groups and parent training.

Aug 12, 2019 | Shana Williams

Parents can usually toilet train their child. Toilet training can be more difficult for a child with autism or other developmental disability, and sometimes professional help is needed. Learn more about how you can help toilet train your child with special needs.