Category Archives: Autism Awareness

How Can We Prepare Our Child with Autism for Holiday Celebrations?

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This week’s article comes to us from Ashley Inoa, M.A., BCBA, LBA-NJ, Graham Behavior Services. To learn more about ASAT, please visit their website at www.asatonline.org. You can also sign up for ASAT’s free newsletter, Science in Autism Treatment, and like them on Facebook!

Photograph by August de Richelieu (www.pexels.com)

As the parent of a child with autism, the holiday season can often feel daunting: breaks or changes in schedules, large gatherings of people, even special foods and clothing. Are there strategies you might be able to share to best prepare my child, and myself, for this season?

This is a great question and a very common one, regardless of whether the holiday is religious or secular, and it cuts across all faith traditions. Although the holidays are a joyful time for families to come together, we understand how uniquely challenging they can be for families with a member on the autism spectrum. Crowded gatherings, changes in routine, and unpredictable events may be difficult for individuals with autism to navigate. With a bit of preparation and thoughtful planning, though, the holidays can be a positive and enjoyable experience for everyone.

What does the planning and preparation look like? This can look different for every family. And since we know it can be overwhelming to scour the internet for reliable answers and assistance, we’ve gathered practical strategies in one place to help you and your family navigate the holiday season with greater ease and confidence.

Reflect on Past Holidays/Experiences to Plan Ahead

A simple first step is reflection. Take a moment and revisit previous holiday seasons and family gatherings. What worked well for your child? What did not work so well? What caused stress for you? For your child? By identifying patterns, triggers, and “rough patches”—like which environments were too loud, which activities and traditions were enjoyed, or which transitions were tricky—you will be better positioned to anticipate challenges, build on successes, and create a more inclusive and joyful experience for your child.

Build Skills

Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Eid, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Diwali, Kwanzaa, or New Year’s Eve, there may be different parts to your holiday gathering, such as giving gifts, mealtimes, specific family members, or religious traditions. Practice behaviors that may be expected during the holidays, including things like waiting, saying thank you, and holiday specific greetings (e.g., “Merry Christmas, “Eid Mubarak,” “Happy Diwali,” and “Chag Pesach Sameach”). Set up scenarios so your child can rehearse these interactions. For example, have everyone in your family pretend to open a gift and make a comment, and have your child practice waiting for different lengths of time. Practicing for these scenarios may help your child know what to expect and set them up for success! Preparing children with autism for holiday traditions can make celebrations more inclusive and joyful. Some additional skills and activities—both religious and cultural that you may consider targeting in advance include, passing foods to a family member at the table, learning a song, handling religious items respectfully, lighting a candle (e.g., Advent, Hanukkah, Diwali), wearing a certain clothing item or religious garb, conducting a short reading, reciting or repeating a short blessing or phrase, listening quietly when someone else does a reading, joining in call-and-response ritual, and becoming familiar with religious images and iconography.

Preparation and ample practice can help ensure that all family members participate as fully as possible in the festivities. Consider the ways your child could participate meaningfully and then teach them skills, if necessary, to support their participation. This could include teaching your child the words to songs that will be sung or the responses needed for a call-and-response ritual. It may be important to ensure that your child understands how to handle religious items respectfully or be comfortable wearing specific items of clothing. Perhaps your child could give a short reading or recite a short blessing. Practice might be needed to light candles or to listen quietly during parts of a meal, family tradition, or a religious service. The prep work takes time, but could result in a family celebration that includes everyone. Some other skills to consider could be greeting guests and taking coats, bringing guests something to eat or drink, setting the table, clearing the table, washing dishes, and even announcing when it’s time for a group activity like, “Time for dessert,” “Let’s open the presents,” or “We’re going to break the wishbone!”

Prepare for Your Gathering

Before a gathering, try to prepare and orient your child to the experience. The holidays are already so different from your day-to-day routines, and not knowing what to expect can be overwhelming and/or difficult for an individual with autism. This can potentially lead to sensory overload, dysregulation, increased anxiety, tantrums, or other behaviors. Let’s review how you can get ahead of these situations.

Holidays usually mean seeing family or friends that you don’t typically see often. Having pictures of people who will be there, or of locations you will be going to, can help an individual with autism know what to expect and may ease anxiety. If discussing future events causes them anxiety, consider sharing these images on the day of the gathering.

Pictures can also be used to create a visual schedule of the events for the day. This can help individuals understand what to anticipate and make changes in their routine easier. Many families like yours already use some type of visual schedule, so this may not be unfamiliar to you. You can use a whiteboard, printed pictures, typed or handwritten words, or even a visual schedule that works for what you need. Visual schedules are particularly helpful as they can “provide clarity and structure that verbal instructions often lack” (Parker, 2025), but you can use whatever will make your family member feel the most at ease when talking about and moving through their day. Bringing the schedule with you will also be helpful if there are several parts to your day!

When making your schedule of events for your holiday gathering, provide as much detail as possible. Share the names of the people you will visit instead of just saying you are visiting relatives. Rather than saying, “We will sing songs,” try “We will sing songs with Grandma and Grandpa in the den” to specify the location and people involved. The more specific the information, the better. Embedding details into your preparation will help your child have a better idea of what to expect and hopefully make them feel more at ease throughout the day.

Communicate with the Host

Another key part of traveling for holiday gatherings is communicating with your host. If you are spending the holiday at someone else’s home, have a quick conversation with the host beforehand. Let them know that your family member might need flexibility with mealtime or a quiet spot to decompress if things become overstimulating. A little communication goes a long way, and most hosts are understanding and eager to help everyone feel comfortable. This is also a great way to have a game plan for overstimulation. Large gatherings and lively conversations can sometimes overwhelm individuals with autism. Plan for how to handle things if your family member starts to feel overstimulated. Set up a designated quiet area where they can retreat if they need a break. Whether it’s a guest bedroom, a cozy corner, sitting outside on the deck (weather permitting), or even the car if you are visiting family. Having a safe, quiet space to unwind can help keep everyone calm.

Include Your Child with Autism in Planning Efforts

Empower your child by fully involving them in the decision-making process if possible. Whenever there are choices to be made—big or small—invite their input. For example, ask what snacks they would like to have, what items they would like to bring, or even what music to listen to on the way to an event. These small decisions can give your child a sense of control in a day that might feel out of the ordinary. If your child enjoys novelty, consider offering new items that you have saved for them to choose from as well.

Maintain Consistency Where Possible

Needing to have consistency in their day-to-day routines is sometimes an important aspect of an individual with autism’s life. Consistency can simplify things and provide stability (Murray, 2022). During the holidays, there may be many parts of your day that will be out of the ordinary, unusual, or even unexpected, which can cause an individual with autism to feel stressed or have heightened anxiety (Staff, 2024). Keeping parts of your day unchanged by the holiday gathering can help set everyone up for success!

One way to maintain some level of consistency is to follow your usual routines. Holidays can be hectic, so try to keep some routines consistent. Many individuals with autism thrive on routine, so choose what to change carefully and stick with familiar patterns where possible. This can mean not rushing through your morning routine, trying to plan naps or rest time for their usual times, or even bringing pajamas to a later gathering to get children prepared for the night. Build these into any schedules you make. For example, highlighting that even though you’ll be away from home during dinner time, lunch will still be at home with their chosen food in their preferred seat.

Another way to maintain some consistency is to pack essentials for comfort if you are traveling. Everyone has things that make them feel more comfortable when they are away from home! Make sure to bring any comfort items your family member may need, such as a favorite toy or blanket, or a sensory item like noise-canceling headphones.

You can also have preferred foods available. If your family member is a particular eater, bring familiar foods they enjoy. This can encourage them to sit at the table with the family during mealtime, even if the location is different. You may also consider serving your child a regular, comforting meal earlier in the day. That way, they have had a chance to eat something filling, and you don’t have to worry if they are not interested in new or unfamiliar foods. A well-fed child will likely be in a better mood for the festivities! Holiday gatherings can also involve long periods between meals, so bringing snacks that your family member enjoys can be a lifesaver! Pack a few balanced snacks, like trail mix, apples with peanut butter, or a favorite granola bar, to keep them satisfied and happy throughout the day. You know your child best, so pack snacks that you are sure they will eat. This is also a great opportunity to involve them in the decision-making!

Around the Table

At many holiday gatherings or celebrations, mealtime is not only about eating, it is also the main event! Along with bringing preferred foods, consider what other aspects of mealtimes you may need to plan for or be mindful of.

One thing to consider is the length of a meal. Some holiday meals can last longer than a typical meal on an average day. Consider building in movement breaks, like going to a nearby park or for a walk in the yard, or even reassuring them that it is okay to be done with the meal before everyone else is. Practicing beforehand at home can also be a great way to expose your child to those new expectations. For example, you can help your child practice sitting for varying lengths of time, using utensils if they prefer to use their hands while eating, or even let them try a bit of the food that will be served, all in a stress-free environment (ABA Centers NJ, 2024).

Another thing to consider is avoiding food-related pressure. Many holiday gatherings are just one day, so if your family member does not want to eat anything from the holiday table, that is okay! As mentioned earlier, you can always bring comfort foods, so everyone is able to enjoy time together at the table. If you are hosting an event, you can ask ahead of time if there are any foods they would like to have included and try to involve them in food prep if they are interested – washing potatoes or mixing salad can be fun and give them a role in the meal. Keeping a relaxed attitude about food helps make the day more enjoyable for everyone.

Making New Memories

A final thing to consider is to focus on traditions beyond food. Holiday meals often involve dishes that are not part of a child’s usual diet, which can be overwhelming for individuals sensitive to new foods. Instead of making food the central focus, create other traditions that your family can look forward to. Watching the Thanksgiving Parade on TV, playing a holiday-specific game, making a snowman, or creating homemade decorations are all ways to celebrate the holidays without putting pressure on eating.

By preparing ahead, you can create an autism-friendly holiday gathering that everyone will enjoy. If your family member is receiving ABA therapy, your BCBA and team can also be a great resource in helping prepare for these joyous but out of routine occasions. Remember, your holiday gatherings do not need to be “perfect” to be meaningful. This year, let go of any expectations for a traditional holiday and embrace the moments of connection, the small traditions, the joyful memories to be made, and the joy that comes from spending time together. A little preparation goes a long way in helping create a holiday that’s enjoyable for every family member. Happy Holidays!

References

ABA Centers NJ (2024, November 26). 4 Ways to prepare your child with ASD for holiday meals. ABA Centers NJ. https://www.abacentersnj.com/blog/child-with-asd-and-holiday-meals/

Murray, F. (2022, April 27). Understanding how routines can help autistic people.Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism. https://thinkingautismguide.com/2022/04/understanding-how-routines-can-help-autistic-people.html

Parker, E. (2025, February 20). The benefits of visual schedules for children’s executive functioning. Bierman Autism Centers. https://www.biermanautism.com/resources/blog/visualschedules/

Staff. (2024, July 15). Importance of consistency in autism. Golden Care Therapy. https://goldencaretherapy.com/blogs-importance-of-consistency-in-autism/

Reference for this article:

Inoa, A. (2025). Clinical Corner: How can we prepare our child with autism and family for holidays? Science in Autism Treatment, 22(11).

About the Author

Ashley Inoa, M.A., BCBA, LBA-NJ received a Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Northern Colorado in 2019. After receiving her Master’s in Forensic Psychology, she began as a behavior therapist in 2017, and quickly fell in love with ABA. She has since worked in home, school, and clinic settings, working with a wide range of individuals from each.  She obtained her BCBA certification in 2022, and is currently working in school districts as a consulting BCBA, as well as continues to work in the home as a supervising BCBA with Graham Behavior Services.

Back to School: Disseminating the Science for Teachers and BCBAs

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By Alicia Marshall, MAT, BCBA LBS

The transition back to school and back to a new routine is always an exciting, yet bittersweet time for students and educators. Carefree summer days are in the past, and getting back into a structured daily routine can be an overwhelming process. However, new teachers, new friends, and new settings provide the opportunity to make progress with academic, behavior, and social goals. Even while students and their families should enjoy every precious moment of summer fun, it is also important to set aside some time to prepare for the transition in the new school year.

Getting Proactive

Most school-based BCBAs can attest that the most important aspect of school consultation is assisting educators and other stakeholders to be proactive about behavior instead of reactive. This advice is especially valuable while preparing for a new school year. Teachers and families can begin to discuss and implement proactive strategies in the days prior to the first day of school.

For teachers and school based BCBAs, summer preparation days can be used to discuss simple environmental manipulations that can be made within the classroom. For instance, before students even step foot in the classroom, the teacher and other support staff can arrange seating that is limited from distraction and enhances engagement. A common suggestion from BCBAs is usually to seat students with a history of elopement behavior far away from the exit doors. Some consultants may even suggest preparing some visual supports and schedules ahead of time in order to prepare staff and students. Students thrive with structure and organization, so if the classroom has established expectations the students will find it easier to decide which behaviors lead to rewards and desired activities.

Building Rapport

Antecedent interventions do not only apply to teacher prep days. Chances are, not all students will engage in challenging behaviors on the first day of school. Hence, those first days of school are crucial because they are the opportune times for pairing. Classroom staff should prioritize gaining trust and rapport with students. This process can begin the moment the students arrive at school on the first day. Teachers and staff can begin pairing with students simply by greeting students with a smile and limiting demands. Students should be given the chance to feel happy and relaxed while adjusting to a new environment.

The more the students feel comfortable in the environment, the more likely they are to view the adults in the environment as a reinforcer, or a signal for access to preferred items and activities. When trust and rapport is established, it will also be easier for teachers and staff to engage in activities that may not be highly preferred. Of course the primary focus of the teachers should not be to place increasingly difficult demands on the students. However, establishing themselves as a person that will provide rewards and other motivators, allows the adults in the classroom to assist the students in developing pivotal behaviors that will provide access to a whole world full of reinforcing items and activities.

While students are adapting to the new enrichment, teachers and staff can use the opportunity to informally assess the students’ preferences. Enriching the enrichment with items high on the students’ preference list will not only assist in the pairing process, but can also be used as potential motivators for instances of positive reinforcement scenarios.

Embracing Collaboration

Lastly, the most important aspect of the transition back to school and adjustment to a new environment and routine is collaboration with all key stakeholders. Parents and caretakers, as well as teachers, should be involved and have input on any strategies and goals put in place. The more the students’ parents and caretakers feel involved in the decisions being made for their children, the more likely they are to carry out plans with fidelity. Also, establishing effective collaboration and communication assists with overhaul generalization of behaviors and makes the students’ support system stronger and more successful.

About the Author

Alicia Marshall, MAT, BCBA LBS, started out as a Special Education teacher and made the switch over to full-time BCBA 5 years ago. Alicia received her BCBA coursework at Rutgers and currently works as a Director of Behavioral Health in the Greater Philadelphia area. Alicia is passionate about making learning fun for all stakeholders and to encourage educators to focus on socially significant goals and compassionate care. 

When Alicia is not disseminating the science of ABA, she can be found on the beaches of the Jersey Shore (and occasionally Hawaii) with her husband and two dogs.

Misconceptions About Reinforcement

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ABA often gets a bad rap due to misunderstandings about reinforcement. In my career alone, I’ve had people tell me that people are not like rats and pigeons, that reinforcement harms intrinsic motivation, and that when I do produce behavior change, it has nothing to do with ABA but with my abilities as a teacher. Today, I’d like to clear up some misconceptions about reinforcement.

Reinforcement is not equivalent to rewards.

Reinforcement is anything that occurs immediately following a behavior that increases the future likelihood of that behavior. For instance, I am more likely to say hello to my neighbor down the street because in the past he has responded by saying “hello” back to me. However, I do not say hello to my next-door neighbor because she has never responded to my greeting. My history of reinforcement with the neighbor down the street increases the likelihood that I will greet him upon seeing him.

Reinforcement occurs in the natural environment all the time, whether we are conscious of it or not.

We are reinforced by paychecks for going to work, by our favorite dessert for visiting a restaurant 30 minutes out of our way, by compliments when we get a new haircut and more. ABA utilizes reinforcement when an individual is not acquiring skills in order to help them learn. And when ABA is implemented correctly, reinforcement should be as close to naturally occurring reinforcers as possible and should be reduced systematically over time to levels that would naturally occur in their environment.

Reinforcement works for dogs and for humans.

The previous two points illustrate that humans do respond to reinforcement, and decades of scientific research back that up. Comparing the work behavior analysts do with humans to the work behavior analysts do with other animals is not far off base. What is off base is using such a comparison to imply that behavior analysts treat people with disabilities like dogs. As with other professionals who work with individuals with disabilities, (such as speech therapists, physical therapists, nurses, etc.) most behavior analysts are professionals who put a lot of time, care, and love into their work.

Reinforcement is individualized.

Everything we do in ABA is individualized because human beings are wonderfully complex creatures that cannot be characterized by statistics, averages, or norms. One of my students may find stickers reinforcing; another may show no interest. One student may find listening to music reinforcing; another may cover his ears and ask me to turn it off. In ABA, we seek to find the items and activities that are motivating for individuals; then use those as tools not only for reinforcement but for increasing skills and broadening interests and opportunities. In an ideal ABA session, my students spend a lot of time engaging with items and activities that they enjoy while also learning and growing.

It’s easy to fall prey to misconceptions about reinforcement, but such misconceptions can make it impossible for us to understand how to alter the environment in order to provide the best possible outcomes for our students. As Skinner put it, “The ideal of behaviorism is to eliminate coercion: to apply controls by changing the environment in such a way as to reinforce the kind of behavior that benefits everyone.”

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WRITTEN BY SAM BLANCO, PhD, LBA, BCBA

Sam is an ABA provider for students ages 3-15 in NYC. Working in education for twelve years with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental delays, Sam utilizes strategies for achieving a multitude of academic, behavior, and social goals. She is also an assistant professor in the ABA program at The Sage Colleges. You can read more of Sam’s posts for DRTL here!

Build Desirable Behaviors

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By Sam Blanco, PhD, LBA, BCBA

One of my favorite textbooks about ABA is Focus on Behavior Analysis in Education: Achievements, Challenges, and Opportunities. And one of my favorite chapters in that book is called “Building Behaviors versus Suppressing Behaviors,” which focuses on school-wide positive behavior change. This is an often-overlooked key concept in behavior analysis that can have a huge impact on the school environment. Furthermore, when we think of ABA, we often think about individual interventions, but the principles of ABA can be highly effective when applied to large environments, such as an entire school.

The chapter references several studies about school-wide behavior change and offers evidence-based practices for achieving such change. It also outlines social behaviors that should be taught, such as how to apologize or how to make a request, then discusses strategies for rewarding the desirable behaviors. I appreciate that it focuses on getting students involved in making such changes.

Teaching these desirable behaviors can often feel challenging with the additional stresses of a special education classroom. One curriculum I have found effective in addressing this problem is Skillstreaming. I often use Skillstreaming in Early Childhood with young learners, and love that it clearly defines desirable behaviors, such as how to listen or how to offer help (see image below), but provides those definitions in simple terms with visual prompts that help our young learners. It also incorporates positive reinforcement for learners who are engaging in those desirable behaviors.

Listening Skill

In summary, there is lots of evidence out there that focusing on what kids should be rather than what they should not be doing is beneficial for the learner and the general culture of the classroom. Providing clearly defined desirable behavior and building instruction in those behaviors throughout the day is essential. And that instruction may need to be more frequent and more detailed for our learners with developmental disabilities.

REFERENCES

Heron, T. E., Neef, N. A., Peterson, S. M., Sainato, D. M., Cartledge, G., Gardner, R., … & Dardig, J. C. (2005). Focus on behavior analysis in education: Achievements, challenges, and opportunities. Pearson/Merrill/Prentice Hall.

About the Author

Sam is an ABA provider for school-aged students in Brooklyn, New York. Working in education for over 15 years with students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental delays, Sam utilizes strategies for achieving a multitude of academic, behavior, and social goals. She is also an assistant professor in the ABA program at The Sage Colleges and the Senior Clinical Strategist at Encore Support Services.

Self Care for Moms

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By Leanne Page; originally posted on Parenting with ABA

When you hear the words “self-care”, what is your reaction? A sigh of relief? Rolling your eyes as it feels like just ONE. MORE. THING.?

As a busy mom, we’ve all heard the expression to put your own oxygen mask on first. But when are we supposed to do that?

Self-care doesn’t have to mean bubble baths and beverages. It doesn’t have to mean shopping or pedicures. So what the heck does it mean then?

The World Health Organization defines self-care as “the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider”.

And the American Psychological Association says “Self-care has been defined as providing adequate attention to one’s own physical and psychological wellness. Beyond being an aspirational goal, engaging in self-care has been described as an “ethical imperative”.”

Self care means paying attention to your own wellness- emotional, physical, and psychological. How are YOU doing right now? And the question you’ve heard me encourage you to use before- 6 little magic word: What do you need right now?

Quick and easy ways to improve your physical self-care:

  • Drink more water. Make this easier by using habit stacking. This means take an existing habit and add the step of drinking a glass of water on top of it. In ABA speak, the existing habit becomes the SD for drinking water. When I turn on my coffee maker in the morning, I drink a big glass of water while the coffee machine heats up.
  • Sleep hygiene. Turn off screens earlier in the evening. Go to bed earlier. Remove distractions. Journal before bed. Whatever works for you to promote good sleep!
  • Eat healthy. Instead of focusing on removing certain foods from your diet, just add in one healthy thing a day- like a fruit or vegetable. Habit stack by adding a piece of fruit to your afternoon cup of coffee, tea, or water.

Quick and easy ways to work on your emotional & psychological self-care:

  • Gratitude practice. There is SO much research on the benefits of gratitude practice for your mental health. This doesn’t have to be time consuming or involved. Habit stack by thinking about one thing you are grateful for every time you brush your teeth. Or ask every member of your family what they are grateful for each day (or call it a happy thing or a good thing) every time you all sit down at the kitchen table together.
  • Insert a pause. Just a simple pause throughout your day can help! When you are starting to feel emotionally heightened, pause and take some deep breaths. Insert this pause before you react to your kids or something else. Just giving yourself that moment to breathe and collect your thoughts can be wonderful for your self-care!
  • Schedule alone time. Work with your partner or support system to have a standing date with yourself on the calendar. It may be 20 minutes to sit on the back porch or an hour on the weekend to go to a yoga class. Whatever works for you! Put it on your calendar and treat it like an important appointment. It is important!

If you like bubble baths and wine- feel free to use it for your self-care. But that’s not all that matters! What matters is that you find a way to give yourself a little breather from the mental load of motherhood.

Prioritize yourself- even just in small increments. Learn something new, try a new hobby, read a book, exercise. Find what works for YOU and schedule time for it. Guard that time as an important appointment because you are worth it.

What small ways can you incorporate more self care into your days this week?? Try something and let me know how it goes!

Leanne Page, MEd, BCBA, is the author of Parenting with Science: Behavior Analysis Saves Mom’s Sanity. As a Behavior Analyst and a mom of two little girls, she wanted to share behavior analysis with a population who could really use it- parents!

Leanne has worked with children with disabilities for over 10 years. She earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Texas A&M University. She also completed ABA coursework through the University of North Texas before earning her BCBA certification in 2011. Leanne has worked as a special educator of both elementary and high school self-contained, inclusion, general education, and resource settings.

Leanne also has managed a center providing ABA services to children in 1:1 and small group settings. She has extensive experience in school and teacher training, therapist training, parent training, and providing direct services to children and families in a center-based or in-home therapy setting.

Leanne is now located in Dallas, Texas and is available for: distance BCBA and BCaBA supervision, parent training, speaking opportunities, and consultation. She can be reached via Facebook or at Lpagebcba@gmail.com.

Special Needs Registries to Inform First Responders

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By: Cassie Hauschildt

When a child is diagnosed with autism, there are a number of resources, therapies, and programs recommended  to parents. They are told all about ABA, ST, OT, PT, and FT, among others, receiving an alphabet soup of therapies. We explain the importance of early intervention. For parents of older children or teens, they learn how to navigate the school system with BIPs, IEPs, ARDs, and more. They begin to understand the behaviors of their children in a new light, and may even gain a few new fears from behaviors of other children. They learn the proper term for eloping and steps to take to help prevent sensory overload. And while many behaviors are explained, it also becomes obvious that there is not an immediate fix for many of them.

One service that professionals may not tell parents  about at the time of diagnosis is their local police department’s registry program for individuals on the Autism Spectrum (along with other disorders or special needs). However, if this is a service is available to them, it could help alleviate many of the concerns that come along with an autism diagnosis. This free and essential service is often not openly advertised to the public, but rather, lives on a corner of their local webpage. Some don’t even have an obvious link on the homepage, requiring citizens to use the search function in order to get their child included on the list. This service can have a variety of names, including but not limited to: “Safe Return Program,” “[Autism and] Special Needs Registry,” “C.A.R.E.S,” and “Voluntary Registry Program for Vulnerable Populations.”

Registering your ASD Child for this program will create a note associated with your home address in the local police’s internal system. This can help participants in multiple ways. First, if there is ever an officer dispatched to your home, they will be alerted that an ASD individual lives in the home and be prepared to accommodate that person’s needs. Additionally, if a child was to elope, many programs have the option to upload a recent photo. This will make it easier for law enforcement to distribute the child’s picture quickly. For some cities, , this information could also be shared with the any firefighters or paramedics sent to the home by the dispatch team.

The method for finding if your local police department offers this program will differ depending on your city. The best start is to try searching “[CITY NAME] Special Needs Registry” on a search engine such as Google. If this doesn’t work, you may have to do some detective work on the local police website. When trying to find this program locally, I had to find the “Community Programs” tab on the menu bar of the police website.

Each program will require different information to register. At a base, caregivers should expect to provide name, address, diagnosis, and physical description of the registrant as well as the contact information for all caregivers. If the registrant is able to drive, information about their primary vehicle will also be required. Any additional required information will vary depending on the local program. Some require a doctor’s letter proving diagnosis, others ask for a recent picture, and other ask for communication methods and support items.

If you find that your local police department doesn’t have a program, consider approaching them about implementing one. With the updated CDC estimate of 1 in 44 children getting diagnosed with autism, it is almost guaranteed that this program will be useful to more than just you. Additionally, these programs can be utilized for individuals with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Down Syndrome, and many other special needs. BCBAs and Educators are the perfect individuals to partner with  police on  program parameters. Additionally, it’s a great opportunity to broach your local police department  about training for interacting with ASD individuals.

Cassie Hauschildt received her autism diagnosis at 32 years of age and is the mother of an ASD son, who was diagnosed at 20 months old. Since his diagnosis, she has become an advocate for ASD children. She dedicates her time to mentoring parents of ASD kids through the tough first few months post-diagnosis. She also is trying to get rid of the negativity surrounding ABA therapy. She does this through humor, while using real talk, on her TikTok @AnotherAutismMom. She also runs the “Dino and Nuggets Corner” Facebook Group.

Working on the Front Lines of Autism Care

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By: Stephanie Tafone, M.A., Behavioral Specialist 

Working on the front lines of Autism care in a residential facility is both rewarding and, at times, challenging. Although our residents depend on us in many ways to teach them how to complete day-to-day tasks, it is important for all staff to recognize and respect that our residents each have their own preferences and interests. Therefore, we always strive to let our residents make as many choices as possible (provided they are healthy choices that do not cause harm to anyone). Just because we as staff might complete a particular task a certain way does not mean it is the “right” or only way to do so. Recognizing and respecting residents’ choices can help avoid negative behaviors or frustration for our residents. Our goal is always to teach and foster independence and self-direction. 

It is always important to build good rapport with our residents so we are in tune with their wants and needs, while also enabling them to better trust us, work with us, and learn from us. Unfortunately, with current staffing crises and funding cuts in residential care settings, one challenge we face is securing long-term, seasoned staff. This type of setting often suffers from a high turnover rate, which this is a matter that needs more global attention, as hardworking, dedicated, and experienced/trained staff are crucial for our population. 

One of the biggest considerations we have on a daily basis, particularly during the global COVID-19 pandemic, is finding creative and entertaining recreational and leisure activities to keep our residents happy and actively engaged. Anyone can become restless and bored with nothing to do, and those with Autism are no different, which is why active engagement is one of our top priorities in a group home setting. When selecting activities, we strive to ensure that each resident’s preferences are considered and incorporated. This includes a combination of both community outings and in-house events/activities. Going into the community on outings can be challenging at times when unpredictable factors (e.g. noise, crowds, etc.) may trigger negative behaviors. However, we do our best to avoid triggering situations by researching and/or visiting the activity or location before our residents experience it in order to help determine if there are any barriers that will prevent it from being an enjoyable and successful outing for all. We also do our best to go prepared on each community outing with preferred items that can be used as a source of redirection and comfort if needed. For example, headphones to drown out noise if it gets too noisy, as well as preferred snacks or drinks if our residents get hungry or thirsty. In the residence, we also strive to think of creative leisure activities, such as dance or karaoke parties, Bingo nights, movie nights, baking, and arts and crafts. Having an enthusiastic and supportive approach, as well as using preferred reinforcers, helps to engage our residents in these activities and increase their interest level. 

In addition to recreational and leisure activities for entertainment and socialization, day-to-day life in the residence is also a learning experience for our residents, as they work on a variety of individualized goals with their assigned staff. Examples of goals may include activities such as participating in a consistent exercise regimen, learning how to independently cook rice or make tea, learning how to independently count money and make purchases, and learning how to independently vacuum or clean one’s room. The selection of a participant’s goals is a collaborative process that involves input from parents/caregivers, input from the participant(s) if possible, and input from the management team at the residence. We strive to ensure that selected goals not only address a skill deficit, but are also aligned with the participant’s interests and will help the participant become more independent in daily living skills. Similarly, participants learn increased independence by participating in various chores around the house, such as setting the table for lunch and dinner, loading and emptying the dishwasher, and doing one’s laundry. Teaching many of these goals and chores can be accomplished through the use of a visual task analysis that breaks the task down into smaller components (i.e. individual steps), which are each depicted in visual images. Visuals are a very helpful teaching technique for those with Autism, who often struggle significantly with understanding verbal language and oral directions. It is also helpful for learning, especially in the initial stages, to use a preferred reinforcer to reward correct completion of steps. In the beginning of learning a new goal or chore, one step may need to be taught for a number of consecutive days until it is mastered and the next step can be taught. 

Overall, working in a residential setting has been a great learning experience and we know that our work has had, and continues to have, a significant influence on our residents’ lives, which is very rewarding for all staff. 

About the Author: 

Stephanie Tafone, M.A., has over a decade of experience working with individuals with disabilities. She currently works as a behavioral specialist supporting both children and adults who have a range of diagnoses, including Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Whose behavior needed to be fixed? The kids’ or the parents’??

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At a recent family meeting, I had put an item on the agenda- listening to mom and dad so we don’t have to repeat ourselves. In the past week, I had noticed that I was having to say things many more items than usual and my husband and I had both raised our voice more often. So I brought this up in a problem solving format with all 4 of us- two kids, my husband, and myself. Everyone was given a chance to propose solutions- no matter how off the wall.

I expected the conversation about listening better to go one of two ways when the kids are allowed to make the call: either all about earning rewards, or about getting trouble. One extreme or the other. But I sat quietly and let my little ones (ages 7 and 4) have the floor and share what they thought would fix this issue we were having. Things started to go down the punishment lane- maybe we should lose allowance when we don’t listen- and I shut that down. I told them that allowance is not tied to their behavior and we wouldn’t be making changes to our allowance system. Then things got interesting. My FOUR year old shared that her pre-kindergarten teacher would say “1, 2, 3, eyes on me” and then the kids would listen to her. So my littlest suggested a change to MY behavior to fix the problem. So the 7 year jumps in and says “Remember how you used to do silly poses to get our attention? Maybe you can do that again.” Again – they wanted to change the PARENTS’ behavior, not their own. I was all in on this train of thought. I suggested I use things I used to do consistently when we were in full-on virtual school mode- clapping patterns, hand gestures, silly voices- to get their attention before asking them to do something. That way they are actually listening the first time and we won’t have to repeat ourselves. As a family, we agreed the solution to the problem of the kids not listening was to make a change to Mom & Dad’s behavior- we would do something to make sure we had their attention FIRST and then tell them whatever we needed them to hear.

This is not a new and noteworthy idea. But it is a good idea! I’ve even written about it before here: https://www.parentingwithaba.org/get-my-kids-to-listen-part-1/. Here’s an excerpt from that to help you (and me) remember: Get their attention first. We have to interrupt whatever is currently going on- and somehow win that battle for attention from something they prefer more than listening to mom giving instructions. I mean, what could be more fun than listening to mom giving instructions? Oh- everything? I see.

  1. Be silly. Interrupt with silliness. Make silly faces, silly poses, or use different voices. Get their attention AND a smile on their face before you even start to give instructions.
  2. Start with a joke, then give the instructions.
  3. Say something absurd. Instead of “Go wash your hands” try “Go wash your earlobes”. Let your kids correct you- now they have said the instructions themselves! “Oh silly me. Wash your hands, not your earlobes!”

By letting the kids help come up with this solution, they’ve been all in. If we do anything to get their attention first, they freeze and make big eyes and stare at us. It’s a little overboard with the dramatics, which I find hilarious and awesome. And when I forget, they will say “1, 2, 3, eyes on me” to me as a reminder. So far things are better in my house with no major reward system, no punishments or loss of allowance, no big drama. We just needed to talk through a problem and whose behavior needed a change? Not the kids. It was the parents’ behavior that was changed this time (and most of the time if we’re honest with ourselves here). What things to do you use to get your kids’ attention? What works for you?

Leanne Page, MEd, BCBA, is the author of Parenting with Science: Behavior Analysis Saves Mom’s Sanity. As a Behavior Analyst and a mom of two little girls, she wanted to share behavior analysis with a population who could really use it- parents!

Leanne’s writing can be found in Parenting with Science and Parenting with ABA as well as a few other sites. She is a monthly contributor to bSci21.com, guest host for the Dr. Kim Live show, and has contributed to other websites as well.

Leanne has worked with children with disabilities for over 10 years. She earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Texas A&M University. She also completed ABA coursework through the University of North Texas before earning her BCBA certification in 2011. Leanne has worked as a special educator of both elementary and high school self-contained, inclusion, general education, and resource settings.

Leanne also has managed a center providing ABA services to children in 1:1 and small group settings. She has extensive experience in school and teacher training, therapist training, parent training, and providing direct services to children and families in a center-based or in-home therapy setting.

Leanne is now located in Dallas, Texas and is available for: distance BCBA and BCaBA supervision, parent training, speaking opportunities, and consultation. She can be reached via Facebook or at Lpagebcba@gmail.com.

Raising Expectations for the Treatment of Children With ASD

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On November 6th 2021 in NYC, Dr. Ronald Leaf will describe the Autism Partnership Method (APM) in a free seminar at St Monica’s Church from 2-4pm. Free CEUs will be available! 

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have amazing potential that can and should result in a high quality of life. However, this is highly dependent on the treatment received. Unfortunately, the current standard of care—Conventional Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)—is quite rigid and formulaic in its approach, yielding treatment that is not tailored to the unique needs of the children and their families. Typically, treatment only addresses limited areas such as behavior and communication deficits. Although children may receive some benefits from Conventional, protocol-based ABA, the results usually do not endure over time, nor do they translate to more natural settings that are essential for self-sufficient adulthood.

Autism Partnership Method is an extremely individualized approach to ASD that yields lifelong benefits.  Rather than follow a “one size fits all” treatment recipe. Progressive ABA training is not time based, but performance based — no less rigorous or precise than the training regimens of surgeons or civil engineers. Quality treatment focuses on the entire child, thereby addressing the child’s foundational behaviors, including communication, socialization, play, and independent living skills — as opposed to addressing a more limited set of behavioral or communication needs. Progressive ABA treatment is designed so that children can succeed in mainstream settings, such as regular education classes, and can thrive in extracurricular activities. Children who receive progressive treatment, have been shown to make the progress their parents dream of, such as playing with their sibling and developing meaningful friendships.

In 2011, the journal Education and Treatment of Children published A Program Description of a Community-Based Intensive Behavioral Intervention for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This study evaluated the progress of 64 children at Autism Partnership agencies in Seal Beach, California; Hong Kong; Leeds, United Kingdom; and Melbourne, Australia. The results found that 70.3% of children achieved best outcomes when individualized ABA services were provided early (i.e., before the age of 9), and intensively (i.e., 10–40 hours a week), by quality therapists.

At Autism Partnership we are deeply concerned about the expectations regarding the outcomes for children diagnosed with ASD!  Simply put, we feel that the expectations are too low. Children with ASD have a far more favorable prognosis than believed achievable decades ago, yet there still seems to be a lack of understanding regarding children’s’ actual potential. Children with ASD have amazing potential! The majority of children can become conversational, achieve success in school, develop meaningful friendships and most importantly, experience a high quality of life!  However, achieving this requires high quality intervention with highly trained staff. 

Register for the Autism Partnership seminar here! 

About The Author

Ronald Leaf, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist who began his career working with Ivar Lovaas in 1973 while receiving his undergraduate degree at UCLA.  Subsequently he received his doctorate under the direction of Dr. Lovaas.  During his years at UCLA he served as Clinic Supervisor, Research Psychologist, Interim Director of the Autism Project and Lecturer.  He was extensively involved in several research investigations, contributed to the Me Book and is a co-author of the Me Book Videotapes, a series of instructional tapes for teaching autistic children.  Dr. Leaf has consulted to families, schools, day programs and residential facilities on a national and international basis.  Ron is a Director of Autism Partnership.  Dr. Leaf has published extensively in research journals.  Dr. Leaf is the co-author of: A Work in Progress, Time for School, It Has to Be Said!, Crafting Connections, A Work in Progress Companion Series and Clinical Judgement.

In The Event Of Crisis

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When it comes to the treatment or reduction of challenging, disruptive, dangerous problem behaviors, regardless of the setting or populations served, this will often be referred to as “Crisis Intervention”.

This concept is far broader than ABA, as many institutions and facilities will create, monitor, and implement crisis interventions whether anyone on site has received ABA training, credentialing, or licensure, or not (examples: police, schools, daycares, residential settings, prisons, etc.).

Being such a broad topic, that can look about 10,000 different ways depending on the setting and availability of highly trained specialists, it should come as no surprise that crisis behavior scenarios frequently result in injury or even death. If you do some online searches for news stories related to seclusion and restraint, regardless of the setting, you will see what I mean.

This issue is also larger than disability.

Yes, most of the horror stories we see on the news where someone was seriously injured during a restraint DO involve people with disabilities (whether it was known at the time, or not). But in the absence of disability or mental health issues, crisis management can still lead to serious injury or death. That could be for the person(s) responding to the crisis, or to the person(s) having the crisis.

This is a very weighty and complex topic, and I can’t possibly cover everything anyone should know about crisis intervention. However, due to the seriousness of crisis scenarios and the increased risk of harm (again, for the person intervening, the person or having a crisis, or even both of those people), I very much want to share some resources and information about managing behavioral crises.

First, some terms. Here is my favorite definition of a crisis:

A time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger; a time when a difficult or important decision must be made.

During a behavioral crisis, the individual is having intense difficulty or trouble. They are having a hard time (not giving you a hard time). Decisions must be made, not just regarding what to do RIGHT NOW, but in the future, in case this happens again. Which, without the proper supports in place, the crisis event is highly likely to happen again.

Viewing a crisis through this lens takes the responsibility off of the individual having the crisis, and onto the supports in place (or lack thereof). When a crisis event occurs, ask yourself these questions:

     1. Does this individual know how to safely de-escalate during a crisis event?

     2. If yes, then why are they not using that tool?

Truly individualized and effective de-escalation tools are best understood as the means by which an individual in a crisis state can identify they are approaching a crisis state, select a de-escalation method, implement the method, and lastly evaluate how well the method worked once they are calm again.

Depending on the setting, availability of support help, and the understanding of de-escalation (or lack thereof), this “returning to neutral” process can take minutes, hours, days, or may not occur at all. It may involve a team of people, a caregiver or support person, or happen independently. When it doesn’t occur at all, that typically results in emergency room visits or admittance into an inpatient facility.

I do not know your work setting, the populations you serve, or your job title, but if you are reading this post I have to assume you have either experienced a crisis event with a client/student/etc. or want to be equipped if it should happen.

Right here I have to point out a very common myth, that can be quite dangerous when people believe it: In the field of ABA, clients who exhibit (or have a history of exhibiting) highly violent or dangerous problem behaviors may be classified as exhibiting “severe behavior”. It is a myth that only severe behavior clients can have crisis events. That is not true at all. Clients with non-violent or less disruptive problem behaviors, under the right set of combined circumstances, could have a behavioral crisis. For example, what if their home routine is significantly disrupted, they are ill, dealing with a change of medication, and also recently started puberty? These setting events when combined, could trigger a crisis event. For this reason, it is important for professionals and practitioners to be properly trained and equipped for crisis conditions, far before they are needed.

Now I want to speak specifically to ABA implementers (RBT’s, paraprofessionals, etc.) who work directly with clients: If you are working with clients where you are regularly responding to crisis events or working with clients with a known history of crisis events, you should be following the policies of the physical management training you received. If you have not received any physical management training, then you should not be working with those clients. It is dangerous for you, and dangerous for them.

Again, crisis events could potentially happen at any time, with any client/student/etc. It would be unwise to think “Oh I don’t work with severe behavior individuals, so this doesn’t apply to me”. For ANY of us (disabled or not, mental health issues or not) the right set of circumstances could trigger a crisis event.

If you were in the midst of a crisis event, who would you want helping you? Someone reacting on impulse or instinct, or someone who has been thoroughly and properly trained on safe de-escalation?

So what can be done? Glad you asked.

There are many, many crisis intervention and de-escalation resources readily available. If you are not in the position to set policy or choose employee trainings, you can still request additional training from your employer and send them recommendations of evidence-based methodologies. You can also always communicate when you feel ill-equipped or prepared to work with a specific student/client/etc. or feel unsafe.

Research shows that in the absence of individualized, evidence- based crisis interventions, individuals will contact injury to self and others (Burke, Hagan-Burke, & Sugai, 2003), receipt of medications with serious side-effects that rarely correct the causes of the behaviors (Frazier et al, 2011), receipt of intrusive, ineffective interventions that are punishment-led (Brown et al, 2008), and increased negative interactions (Lawson & O’Brien, 1994).

In ‘Effects of Function-Based Crisis Intervention on theSevere Challenging Behavior of Students with Autism ‘, the following procedures are recommended for crisis intervention planning-

Be cognizant of crisis needs and function when designing a behavior plan for students with crisis behaviors, and operationally describe steps to be taken for each phase of escalation. When describing these steps, be aware of the behavioral function. Change the quality of reinforcement delivered between appropriate and inappropriate behavior, and prompt appropriate behavior before providing access to calming activities. Train staff to competence on the intervention strategies (which most often includes role play scenarios during training, not just discussion/lecture). 

*Recommended Resources (please share!):

~Find the number for the mental health crisis/emergency support services in your state, and save it in your cell phone

~For caregivers, if your child is on medication the Physician/Psychiatrist will likely have an after-hours or emergency help desk. Save that number in your cell phone

https://www.pcmasolutions.com/

https://www.marcus.org/autism-training/crisis-prevention-program

Crisis Intervention Strategies

Prevention of Crisis Behavior

Crisis Help in Georgia

ASD & Crisis Behaviors

Handbook of Crisis Intervention and Developmental Disabilities

ASD & De-Escalation 

Crisis Prevention Institute 

ASD & Stages of Behavioral Escalation

Nationally Certified Crisis Training Providers

About The Author: Tameika Meadows, BCBA

“I’ve been providing ABA therapy services to young children with Autism since early 2003. My career in ABA began when I stumbled upon a flyer on my college campus for what I assumed was a babysitting job. The job turned out to be an entry level ABA therapy position working with an adorable little boy with Autism. This would prove to be the unplanned beginning of a passionate career for me.

From those early days in the field, I am now an author, blogger, Consultant/Supervisor, and I regularly lead intensive training sessions for ABA staff and parents. If you are interested in my consultation services, or just have questions about the blog: contact me here.”

This piece originally appeared at www.iloveaba.com.