Reposted with permission from Ashleigh Evans, MS, BCBA, www.evansbehavioralservices.com/.

My article on red flags in ABA providers generated a great deal of interest from caregivers and clinicians in the ABA field. Those red flags include potentially harmful practices that parents, caregivers, and providers should be aware of.

Through my 13 years in the field, I have seen firsthand the tremendous things that ABA can do for the clients we serve. Even more in the last few years, as clinicians have listened to the voices of those we serve and subsequently made changes in their practices. ABA has incredible potential for positive change. As such, I want to highlight the amazing work many practitioners in the field are doing.

As you pursue an ABA provider for your child or for employment, consider these GREEN flags! These signs indicate ethical and effective practices.

1. Individualization

Each individual we work with is unique in their strengths, needs, and interests. Programming straight from an assessment or based on a cookie-cutter curriculum does not benefit the learner. To teach socially significant skills, we should be creating each goal unique to exactly what the learner needs. If a provider values individualization, that’s a green flag in my book!

2. Honoring Assent Withdrawl

Since our learners typically are not able to provide consent, we gain consent from parents and caregivers. However, we should still be ensuring that our learners are providing assent for therapy. I encourage everyone to seek employment or therapy with providers who understand assent and honor assent withdrawal. Does the provider force follow through or allow modifications when assent is withdrawn? Furthermore, does the agency train its employees on assent and assent withdrawal? If so, green flag!

3. Balanced BCBA Caseloads

The size of a BCBAs caseload is likely to depend on many factors including the number of direct hours they’re supervising for each case, the complexity of each case, and other responsibilities. BCBAs who have caseloads that are well balanced may be more likely to provide effective case oversight. BCBAs who are overworked with high caseloads are more likely to become burnt out and unable to provide adequate supervision, thus resulting in poor outcomes for both clients and RBTs whom they supervise.

I can’t necessarily provide an exact “acceptable” caseload size for everyone, as it will greatly depend on the BCBAs experience, other non-billable responsibilities, the complexity of cases, hours, and more. My recommendation, however, is to ask a potential provider what the BCBA caseload is like and consider the overall expectations of the position to determine if the BCBA is likely to provide adequate supervision and oversight with the caseload size.

Consider that funding sources often require 10-20% BCBA oversight, so if a child is receiving 30 hours/week, a BCBA needs to provide 3-6 hours of supervision. This does not include parent training or re-assessment. Providers who ensure appropriately sized caseloads are a definite green flag!

4. Parent Training and Support

ABA is most effective when skills and behaviors generalize to the people that matter most for the individual-Family! Teaching caregivers to implement strategies that have proven effective during therapy sessions is vital in a child’s ongoing improvement. Providers who value parent training and support their staff in the development of training caregivers are another green flag!

5. Naturalistic Teaching

There is nothing innately wrong with sessions that are DTT-based, especially when provided with children who thrive in that setup. However, naturalistic teaching provides so many opportunities for generalization and facilitates an enriched and enjoyable therapeutic setting. For that reason, providers who prioritize naturalistic teaching strategies are a green flag! This goes back to point #1 though-Individualization! There should never be a one-size-fits-all approach. If a child learns better through discrete-trial training, that is a-okay!

6. BCBA-Owned

I consider BCBA-owned agencies a green flag! BCBAs are ethically obligated to abide by the Code of Ethics set forth by the BACB. Therefore, the policies they create and enforce should (in a perfect world) align with ethical and effective practices. I don’t intend to claim that ABA companies not owned by BCBAs are unethical or less likely to provide effective care. However, I do believe that an agency owned by a BCBA is more likely to advocate for and train their employees on best practices, with a stronger focus on quality of care, as opposed to increasing revenue.

This is not an all-exhaustive list. There are so many amazing clinicians out there doing great work in the ABA world. Keep advocating for effective and ethical care!

About the Author

Ashleigh Evans, MS, is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has been practicing in the behavior analysis field for over 13 years and opened her own independent practice in early 2022. Her experience has been vast across different age groups, diagnoses, and needs. She is passionate about improving the field through education, reformative action, and better supervisory practices, leading her to create content and resources for families and ABA professionals which can be found on her website, www.evansbehavioralservices.com/.

By: Morgan van Diepen, M.Ed., BCBA, Author of ABA Visualized

Many providers feel intimidated by or uncomfortable with the parent training component of ABA services. When I first started in this field, I personally felt extremely out of place giving parents advice on supporting their children, not yet being a parent myself. Over time, I have realized that parent training is not about teaching how to be a better parent but how to incorporate ABA strategies into their daily lives to help them reach their family’s goals. Yet, even with our field’s understanding of how essential parent involvement is in creating positive outcomes and long-lasting change, I often hear providers feel under-prepared to lead effective and engaging parent training. That’s why at ABA Visualized, our books aim to give you the tools you need to lead approachable, engaging parent trainings!

Initial Consult

First impressions are everything! For many families, even having access to a BCBA is a luxury. Some have to navigate through waitlists, limited providers, and insurance barriers, so their first meeting with you is often a sign of hope! To help make that first meeting meaningful, here are our top questions to ask to learn about the family’s values and priorities:

• What do you hope to achieve by receiving behavioral supports?
• Describe what a typical day looks like for you and your child.
• What is the hardest part of your day?
• What strategies are you currently using that are working/helping?
• What specific activities would you like more support with?
• What activities would you like your child to be more independent in? When you imagine them being independent in this, what does it look like?

Choosing Parent Training Goals

Did you know that the average time a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) is implemented correctly is only 7-10 days?! When we ask parents and caregivers to utilize behavior strategies daily, we should be informed of common barriers to prevent them proactively. Research shows that behavior jargon, lack of collaboration with other service providers, limited time, and a lack of agreement between the recommendations and the family’s goals and values are the most significant barriers to effective parent training. How can we improve? By choosing parent training goals that focus on their priority concerns and can easily be embedded into their daily lives! When recommending goals, return to your initial consult notes to ensure that the skills you chose to teach directly align with their reported priorities. Here are some of our favorite parent training goals, as they have the most versatility and impact:

• Parent will engage in 10 minutes of child-led play per day (ABA jargon: “Pairing”)
• Parent will recognize and reward every occurrence of (replacement behavior) (ABA jargon: “DRA”)
• Prior to (common trigger), parent will set their child up for success by (proactive strategy)
• Parent will create opportunities to model functional communication of (specific skill) at least x times per day (SLP jargon: “Aided-language input”)

Leading a Parent Training Session

Now that you have chosen meaningful goals to make an impact, it’s time to teach the skills! Follow these steps to leading an approachable, engaging parent training session:

1. Start with celebrating success! Ask the family to share a recent situation in which their child had a behavioral success & ask them to share something they did recently to support their child’s growth that they feel proud of.
2. Ask about current challenges/concerns. Yes, ask this every session! Priorities change!
3. Choose a parent training skill that relates to their current needs. Be flexible! You may need to change your plan on what you intended to go over in that session.
4. Explain the rationale behind the strategy in the context of how it will help with their current concerns.
5. Teach the skill using various methods until you learn which teaching style works best for that family.
   • Visuals: Many people learn best from visuals! By utilizing step-by-step visuals of how to do the skill, you eliminate language barriers and provide them with a resource they can refer back to between your sessions. In our ABA Visualized Guidebook, we have visualized all of the essential evidence-based ABA strategies!
   • Modeling: Demonstrate how to do the skill in a situation/context that is related to their current concern (e.g., instead of just modeling a standard example of how to use Providing Choices, show how they can offer choices during bedtime routine if that is the trickiest part of their day).
   • Video modeling: Cultural differences impact families’ comfort level in asking clarifying questions. Try recording a video of you demonstrating the skill so they can review and practice it outside of session.

Whichever teaching method you choose, be sure to use approachable, jargon-free language. For example, in our ABA Visualized Guidebook, we’ve renamed Behavior Momentum as “Easy, Easy, Hard” and 3 Step Prompting as “Tell, Show, Help,” making these strategies easier for families to remember, ultimately leading to more success for your clients! Check out our Guidebook for more tips on leading engaging, approachable parent trainings!

About the Author

Our mission at ABA Visualized is to make behavioral expertise approachable, accessible, and relatable. This has been our mission since our first publication in 2018 and continues to guide decisions in everything we do.

As a BCBA working abroad and then with the vibrant international community in Los Angeles, Morgan quickly developed a passion for supporting under-serviced families. She realized the recurring barriers affecting these communities and limiting their access to effective behavioral expertise: long waitlists to learn from expert service providers and an abundance of technical jargon-filled texts. Morgan began to refine her approach to better disseminate behavior strategies to those who truly need it: families and educators.

As an infographic designer, Morgan’s husband, Boudewijn (Bou), naturally understands how visual storytelling can make the unclear, clear and the unknown, known. In a true collaboration between Morgan and Bou’s skillset, their flagship product, the ABA Visualized Guidebook, was created utilizing step-by-step visuals and approachable language to accomplish that sought-after accessible behavior expertise.

Since this publication, ABA Visualized as a company has grown to offer a collection of books and trainings available worldwide. We aim to continue empowering others through approachable education on strategies that can make truly meaningful impacts on individuals’ lives.

Reposted with permission from How To ABA

HRE is a more recent term in ABA that says a learner should be happy, relaxed, and engaged during ABA therapy. But what exactly does happy, relaxed, engaged mean? 

What is Happy, Relaxed, Engaged?

Dr. Gregory Hanley states in his paper, A Perspective on Today’s ABA, that individuals with autism learn better through joy. He says that we should have conversations with our learners about what they love and hate, and use that information to create a context in which they feel happy, relaxed, and engaged during their sessions. 

This helps them to feel safe and in control. So, our functional assessments need to incorporate practical control periods where students are happy, relaxed, and engaged. 

I recently Googled this term in order to give more information to some therapists I work with. And there’s really not a lot of content out there that expands on this terminology. We just assume that everybody knows what happy is, what relaxed is, and what engaged is. But that’s not always the case. So let’s break down those terms. 

Happy

So first of all, let’s look at “happy.” As ABA professionals, we need to get to a place where our student is really comfortable and prepared to learn. What does this look like? They’re content – they may be smiling or laughing – they are definitely not crying or trying to leave the situation. They desire to be in the moment. Period. That’s happy. But sometimes, people can be happy but they’re not always relaxed. 

Relaxed

What does “relaxed” look like? The individual is calm and not at all anxious. If you know the Zones of Regulation, they’re in the green zone. 

Now, let’s say you have a student that your therapist says is relaxed, but when he’s playing with something he gets really revved up. That’s not actually relaxed. We want the student to be calm, cool, and collected. No anxiety, no precursors to challenging behavior. That’s what relaxed means. 

Engaged

Finally, what does “engaged” look like? Actual engagement means participation in activities. If there are toys around and the student is looking at them but not interacting with them (they may or may not be engaging in some stereotypy or self-stimulatory behavior), that is not engagement. True engagement means that your learner is actually interacting with the toys around them. This is also true for activities other than toys.  People can be engaged in any part of the environment around them.  Maybe they’re engaged with you or with the therapist. 

If a student is supposed to be on a movement break, but they’re just standing there doing nothing or engaging in stereotypy, that’s not engaged either. Watch and understand what true engagement looks like for your student and then have a conversation about it with your team so everyone can learn and adjust as needed.

Why is Happy, Relaxed, Engaged Important?

According to Dr. Hanley, when a learner is “happy, relaxed, and engaged,” you can show them that you hear them, see them, and are there for them. He says that a happy, relaxed, and engaged learner is less likely to engage in severe problem behavior, which will allow you to empower them and teach them more challenging skills.

We hope this gives you more insight into HRE.

Check out the How To ABA website for additional resources and free downloads.

About the Authors

Shayna Gaunt, MA, BCBA | With over 20 years in the field of ABA, Shayna is a master program developer. She has a unique knack for finding the practical application of ABA to real-life so that the interventions are doable and successful!

Shayna has been practicing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) since 1997. In 2005, after graduating with a Masters Degree in ABA from the University of Nevada Reno (UNR), she was one of the first in Ontario, Canada to obtain her BCBA. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Kid Mechanix, Inc. in Toronto, Canada, where she met Shira Karpel.

Shayna also has international experience, providing clinical expertise and training workshops to clients in Canada, United States, Costa Rica, England, Egypt and Qatar.

Because of her extensive training in a wide variety of interventions over the years, Shayna has a knack for developing unique, practical programs that teach across operants. She seriously thinks in data sheets!!!!

Shayna’s super-power is her ability to explain complex ABA principles in practical, relatable terms. She is a master program-developer and most of what you see in The Bx Resource is her ABA-mind put down on paper.  As a member of The Bx Resource, you get the privilege of learning from her and leveraging all that ABA knowledge for your own practice!

Shira Karpel, M.ED, BCBA | As a former teacher, Shira is passionate about spreading the benefits of ABA to more children.  She envisions a world where ABA is the go-to, accepted intervention in classrooms and homes everywhere!  She is the co-founder of How to ABA which was started to create a community where all BCBAs and ABA professionals can get support and resources so that clients can get the best treatment possible.

Shira has a Masters in Special Education and then went on to pursue her BCBA.  With extensive supervision and training (ahem, thanks Shayna!!), she has been working in the field of ABA since 2011.  Together with Shayna, they trained, and taught many therapists, clients, and parents and collected a massive bank of ABA programs and resources.  One day, the light bulb went off and Shira said, “We should be sharing all of this!” Hence, How to ABA was born!

Her passion is in creating positive, comprehensive learning environments for all students.  She loves that with her knowledge in ABA, she can now support teachers in their classrooms.  She is the Director of Behavioural Services at a private school in Toronto and is loving getting to make a difference in the lives of children and families daily. She is passionate about making the principles of ABA practical and doable and relevant to every child in any situation.

By Heather Hoeft, B.S., M.Ed., LBS1 | Reposted with permission from The Autism Helper

Many of us know the advantages to ABA (applied behavior analysis) and what it can do for not only people with Autism, but in changing any human behavior. ABA was not started because of Autistic individuals. ABA is the science of human behavior that uses techniques and strategies to change behavior. Using techniques that are aligned with ABA can be used within any classroom; special education, general education, with resource teachers, in outplacement schoolings, with related services, and so much more. ABA can be used for students and staff alike, and in this post, I will give some strategies on how!

What are the ABA Techniques?

The techniques that I am referring to are reinforcement, differential reinforcement, functional communication, prompting, modeling, discrete trial training, natural environment teaching, shaping, and chaining. All of these can be implemented within a classroom setting in some capacity. But how? I have lived how hard it can be to have many learners on individualized education programs as well as different reinforcement systems, related service schedules, mainstream minutes, etc. It is possible, but it isn’t easy, that I wouldn’t lie about. I have provided some examples below:

• Reinforcement: There are many different types of reinforcement schedules within ABA. Although implementing them within the classroom per learner may be difficult, reinforcement schedules are possible. Using a token economy or task strips per learner will increase the likelihood of the targeted behavior within the classroom. It is also possible to use learner specific reinforcement within the classroom. This means that we can use M&Ms for Johnny and fidget spinners for Sally. Each learner still has their own set of reinforcers, and each learner should be on their own reinforcement system throughout the school day.
• Functional communication: this should be a focus in all classrooms, whether a learner is using an AAC device, Picture exchange communication system, or using vocal language. Functional communication should be practiced with all learners throughout the day and is a skill that ;learners need to practice. Having communication skills within a repertoire specific to a learner will help decrease maladaptive behaviors and will make difficult behaviors more manageable to shape.
• DTT: running DTT sessions can happen throughout center rotations and during other blocks of time throughout the school day appropriate for each learner. The educational team can meet and decide how many DTT table sessions per hour is appropriate per learner, as well as where they should be run and during what times of day they will be implemented. I take advantage of my related service team members and work together to create rotation scheduled throughout the whole week in order to maximize 1:1 time with each student in the class.
• NET: In naturalistic teaching, the child sets the pace for learning in their daily routines. Naturalistic teaching capitalizes on a child’s natural interests, needs, and abilities. These strategies are incorporated in the moment throughout the school day instead of using a dedicated time period for treatment. Teachers using this strategy offer feedback and coaching for target behaviors as they happen so that they can minimize interference with learning. A type of naturalistic teaching specifically used to improve communication skills is incidental teaching. In incidental teaching, the environment is set up to encourage students to use communication skills to ask for what they want. Similarly, the natural language paradigm method involves arranging an environment to increase the chances for the student to use language.
• Chaining: when teaching functional routines, choose what type of chaining procedure would be the best per routine and per learner (backwards chaining, forward chaining, whole chain). Mapping a plan out in the beginning per learner and per routine will make training staff much quicker and the learner will progress and gain the skills when the appropriate chaining procedure is in place.

What may be impossible in a classroom?

I don’t like to say that anything is impossible. It may be difficult to implement with fidelity which can be discouraging and of course a disadvantage. Of  course, the school setting has its own standards and skills assessments in which teachers much target to teach their students. Student goals may also last longer. From my experience in both an ABA clinical setting, a therapeutic day school setting, and a public-school setting, educational staff write goals that are broken down into benchmarks that typically last for one year. In an ABA setting, those benchmarks may be written as their own goal with specific targets listed underneath and they are meant to be taught quickly and move on to the next skill or subset of skills. Shaping behavior and running DTT centers may also be difficult. An increase in support staff and adult to student ratios would be key to be able to run these techniques within a classroom. All settings have their disadvantages, so I would recommend talking with administration and the educational team of each learner on what is a priority and what can be implemented per learner with fidelity and integrity.

The Autism Helper is here to help

Not only does The Autism Helper have resources available for many skills and units that can be implemented within a classroom, there is also a VB-MAPP assessment kit and an ABLLS-R assessment kit. Many of our wonderful bloggers have shared information on how to use these, and both of these assessments are my typical “go tos” when reviewing progress of my learners and looking to see where to go next with them.

About the Author

Heather Hoeft is special education teacher in the preschool setting. Heather shares strategies and ideas from her self-contained classroom. Her classroom utilizes Applied Behavior Analysis instructional methods of discrete trial training, pivotal response training, and teaching functional routines. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood from Northern Illinois University and Masters in Special Education from Concordia University.

Originally posted on The Autism Helper on January 18, 2023.

By Dr. Anton Shcherbakov, BCBA

There are many reasons that kids can experience a delay in speech development. Sometimes it’s because of a neurodevelopment disorder, such as autism or intellectual disability. Other kids may have an oral-motor coordination or hearing problem. Regardless of the cause, there are some simple strategies that can help kids communicate more. Please note, this information is not intended as a replacement for intervention by a trained professional. If you have concerns about your child’s speech or language development, your first step should be talking with your doctor about diagnosis and treatment.

Receptive vs. Expressive Language

Language skills can broadly be divided into receptive and expressive abilities.

Put simply, receptive language is the ability to recognize and understand words spoken by others. Receptive language abilities can be tested by giving a child a simple instruction such as “stand up,” “clap your hands,” or “come here.” The child does not have to respond verbally to demonstrate receptive language ability.

Expressive language is the ability to use words, gestures, and writing to communicate with others. It can also include the use of an augmentative communication device. Expressive language may be tested by asking a child, “What do you want?” or “What’s this?”.  There is frequently a discrepancy between what a child can understand receptively and what they can express. For children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, the expressive language repertoire can often grow more slowly than receptive language.

Top Three Tips for Increasing Language Skills

• Start with Simple 1-Step Directions

We almost always start with teaching receptive language before expressive language. Why is that? It is usually easier for children, especially those with speech delays, to start by understanding the vocalizations of others. Producing vocalizations (or gestures) requires significantly more motor coordination. Fortunately, it is pretty easy to start teaching receptive language. In fact, your child may already understand some basic directions already! Some of the first words that most children understand are things like their name and simple directions like “look” and “come here.” You can add to this growing language base by teaching simple directions such as, ”give me,” “clap,” or “wave.”

• Teach Words for What They Like

Once a child can follow a few simple 1-step directions, you can begin teaching them to understand the names of objects.  Start with objects they like because those are the easiest to learn. Gather 3 of their favorite objects and put them on a table. Then say, “Give me the ball.”  If they pick the right object, give a lot of praise (high fives, tickles, etc.). If they make a mistake, give them a gentle prompt by pointing to the object or picking it up and saying “this is the ball!”, and try again. Keep practicing, but keep each practice session short for early learners, just 5-10 minutes at a time. As the child’s vocabulary expands, you can start using pictures in place of physical objects. Why is that? Objects take up a lot of space and it can be hard to gather all the things you want them to learn about (e.g., lions and trees). Having pictures is also less distracting than having the real toy or food item in front of them.

• Teach Requesting Skills

Once a child is able to reliably understand at least 5-10 words receptively, you can begin teaching some expressive language skills. The best way to start is by teaching them to ask for what they want! This is a built-in motivator for speaking. Hold some desired objects like toys and food just slightly out of reach. Prompt the child to name the object with an approximation of the word. For example, “ba” for ball or “ma” for mango. Keep practicing and refining the word so it gets more and more clear over time. Once the child is able to reliably ask for what they want, you can start having them label objects or pictures by holding it up to them and saying “What’s this?”. Provide prompts as needed and don’t forget to praise lavishly. Learning should be fun!

Last but not least, try to be patient! All children learn at a different pace and may need some help and practice to start talking more. Make sure to involve your child’s doctor in the conversation and seek professional help as needed.

About the Author

Dr. Anton Shcherbakov is a licensed psychologist and board certified behavior analyst. He has co-authored peer-reviewed research on topics that include depression and suicide prevention. He is also a nationally recognized expert and frequent presenter at national conferences on the treatment of anxiety, ADHD, autism spectrum, OCD, and related conditions. He previously taught at the Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology.

Dr. Shcherbakov is the co-founder of ThinkPsych, a company committed to making fun and evidence-based toys for social emotional learning. In addition to his work at ThinkPsych, he provides psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and adults at The Center for Emotional Health of Greater Philadelphia. In his free time, he enjoys traveling with his family, cooking meals with too many ingredients, and watching the latest Netflix documentary series.

This month’s ASAT feature comes to us from Marcia Questel, BCBA, Content Editor, and Executive Director David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D, Association for Science in Autism Treatment. 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!

The autism community has many fine advocates for individuals with autism and their families and Gary Mayerson is one of the finest. Prior to sharing a review of the contents of the book, we wanted to provide a bit of background for our readers. Just weeks before Autism’s Declaration of Independence: Navigating Autism in the Age of Uncertainty was published; the world was devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than delay the distribution of the book, Mr. Mayerson expanded its contents to address systems turned upside down and new challenges facing our community. So, beyond the high quality of the original content, these efforts shine through pages of COVID-19 dedicated content, aimed at assisting families with pandemic-related questions and concerns. At the same time, Mr. Mayerson was working behind the scenes to ensure that basic legal safeguards were not compromised. Along with helping the families he served to navigate service provisions through the pandemic, he was able to publish this informative book containing crucial information about individual and family rights with rich application before and during the pandemic, and thereafter.

Part 1 – Knowing Your Child’s Rights and How to Apply Them

Mr. Mayerson released a field guide for parents in 2004 titled How to Compromise with Your School District Without Compromising Your Child. He introduces this new 2020 book with how an “age of uncertainty” has developed since then, and he explains the issues being faced by individuals with autism and their families today. Part 1 is comprised of chapters that address a vast array of topics, many of which have become more salient given the current pandemic. Prior to highlighting several of these chapters, we wanted to provide readers with a list of topics to help them assess if this resource addresses their needs as well as which chapter may bear relevance to their current circumstances:

• Chapter 1: The autism diagnosis and its impact on the family
• Chapter 2: What does the right to a “free and appropriate” education mean for my child?
• Chapter 3: Generalization
• Chapter 4: Managing your child’s right to be educated in the “least restrictive environment”
• Chapter 5: How can parents obtain independent evaluations at school district expense
• Chapter 6: How parents can manage and shape the IEP process
• Chapter 7: Considering claims against school districts – What relief is available?
• Chapter 8: When all else fails – Filing for an impartial hearing (due process)
• Chapter 9: Managing safety considerations
• Chapter 10: Dealing with suspensions and other disciplinary proceedings
• Chapter 11: The threat of criminal charges
• Chapter 12: When a residential placement may be warranted
• Chapter 13: Preparing for the transition to adulthood – The main event
• Chapter 14: Confronting bullying and discrimination in the workspace
• Chapter 15: Guardianship, special needs trusts, and powers of attorney
• Chapter 16: The advent of telehealth instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Chapter 17: The road ahead – Institutionalizing high expectations and discontent

Although it is beyond the scope of this brief review to discuss each of the chapters, here is a sample of highlights. Note that there is so much more to find within this book, but these were selected to simply introduce readers to what they can expect.

Chapter 2: What does the right to a “free appropriate” public education mean for my child? 

In this chapter, Mr. Mayerson (2020) explains the history of the development of a student’s right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Beyond how the laws developed, he defines what FAPE truly means and how schools must adhere to it. Importantly, this chapter provides and explains the educational laws by name, providing families with clarity and arming them with knowledge.

Chapter 4: Managing your child’s right to be educated in the “least restrictive environment” 

This vital chapter highlights the need for students to be truly included in the educational opportunities offered in their school districts. Yet, there is an important balance that districts must strike between placing students in least restrictive environments and still providing all of the educational supports that they need for success. It begins with a mother’s personal story about inclusion and ends with important questions for parents to consider about inclusive placements. Between these, Mr. Mayerson (2020) describes laws pertaining to inclusion in depth, and his experiences advocating for least restrictive environments for students with autism.

Chapter 8: When all else fails – Filing for an impartial hearing (due process) 

This chapter describes many issues related to filing for an impartial hearing for your child’s educational needs. Sections include “Litigating a Case Against the District’s ‘Teacher of the Year,’” “Do Parents Always Need to Hire Counsel to File for Due Process?”, “Preserving and Invoking your Child’s ‘Pendency’ Entitlements,” “Settlement Considerations,” and several others. This chapter thoroughly explains varying situations which may lead a caregiver to filing for an impartial hearing. It provides guidance for parents going through these challenging situations. Readers should take note of the many footnotes found within this chapter that provide even further clarity.

Chapter 9: Managing Safety Considerations 

When parents of children with special needs share their priorities, they most often describe safety concerns. This vital chapter delves deep into issues related to elopement, fire and lockdown drills, COVID-19 related risks, unexplained injuries, police encounters, medications, allergies, bullying, and sexual abuse. Mr. Mayerson (2020) provides accounts of his experiences, and that of others, and shares practical advice that parents can take to help keep their children safe – as well as how to respond when they discover that their children have been in an unsafe situation.

Chapter 16: The advent of telehealth instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic 

While this chapter was written towards the beginning of the pandemic, there is useful advice within it for parents today, especially considering that the pandemic is not over.While many school districts have opened their doors to in-person instruction, there are still others using hybrid and remote options. Furthermore, many districts are compelled to quickly return to online or hybrid instruction with spikes in community transmission, school-based outbreaks, or as circumstances require. Mr. Mayerson (2020) dedicated this chapter to helping families navigate their rights and ensuring that their experiences are well-documented throughout the pandemic, to help secure service provisions for their children.

As you can appreciate from the table of contents shared above as well as the select chapter summaries, the scope of the content presented is vast. Anecdotes of Mr. Mayerson’s personal experiences, as well as those of families, brought many of the points to life and the author made many deep dives into specificity when warranted. There are many well placed sample letters that parents can use as models of both tone and substance offered throughout Part 1.

Part 2 – Advice From the Experts

In Part 2 of Autism’s Declaration of Independence: Navigating Autism in the Age of Uncertainty, Mayerson (2020) showcases “Advice from the Experts” and a brief summary of each of these sections is included below.

Appendix A: Teaching generalization for a more independent and enriched life. 

In this section, authored by Dr. Amy Davis-Lackey, the important topic of generalization is addressed, and a helpful overview of key concepts is provided as carryover and flexible application of skills is paramount. Perhaps one of the most important points relates to the suggestion of a road map related to each target so that generalization efforts can be planned systematically and strategically. We would like to highlight for our readers that generalization is a priority for many providers who use discrete trial instruction. For these providers, the road map suggested by Dr. Davis-Lackey is often built right into the item list and mastery is not celebrated until key generalization indicators are met.

Appendix B: Observing and assessing mainstream, inclusion, and special education classrooms – What I look for 

Dr. David Salsberg describes many placement options available for students with autism that are provided by their school districts. He notes that while these placements look different from school to school, it is vital for practitioners to be aware of what they offer. He advises about what he “looks for” in these placements, noting that neuropsychologists must be well-equipped to advise their clients. Besides knowing about potential placements that are appropriate for their clients, they are also responsible for understanding “the applicable rights and laws (p. 175).” Dr. Salsberg explains with fervor how crucial it is that neuropsychologists guide families, saying that “Conducting an evaluation but then making generic recommendations such as ‘contact your local district to initiate an IEP meeting’ would be like going for a checkup and your doctor saying ‘it looks like you have an infection and you need some medicine, but go to your pharmacy and ask what they think and how to get it (p. 175).’” He goes on through this section to discuss various placements (general education classes, inclusion classes, self-contained classes, specialized schools, and private special education schools) and what they offer, as well as what to consider when weighing these options.

Appendix C: Using assessments and evaluations to develop a reasonable calculated and appropriately ambitious IEP 

Dr. Jennifer Oratio, Ph.D. describes the differences between evaluations conducted by school professionals and a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation in this section. She dives deep into the various types of tests that are administered in these evaluations, explaining what they measure in quantitative terms and what they mean for the child in qualitative terms. Parents and professionals must have a deep understanding of these measurements so that they can work to create the most “appropriately ambitious IEP” that they can. Dr. Oratio describes intelligence measurements, such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition ® (WISC-V®), the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence, Fourth Edition™ (TONI-4 ™), as well as important measurements of language ability, visual-spatial and visual-motor skills, memory, executive functioning, academic achievement tests, and assessments of social/emotional/behavioral skills. She provides detail regarding the assessments used in each of these domains. She goes on to discuss adaptive skills assessments and autism-specific assessments. Beyond describing these crucial measures of skills and deficits and describing how they impact the success of the child, Dr. Oratio explains how to share these evaluations with school professionals, and most importantly how to ensure that they are considered through the development of the IEP with the school district.

Appendix D: Evaluating speech and language needs with the right assessment tools. 

In this section, authored by Dr. Steven Blaustein, CCC-SLP, a description of the essential components of a speech report is offered. As reflected throughout this book, the content is comprehensive yet accessible and the blueprint provided can raise the bar for both providers and parents alike. In fact, the content can be applied to other disciplines such as occupational therapy to maximize the utility, relevance, and benefit of written reports.

Appendix E: Bullying tips for parents: Q & A with Michael Dreiblatt of Non-Profit STAND up to Bullying 

In this final section of the book, Michael Dreiblatt shares a wealth of advice for parents who are concerned about bullying in their child’s school. He shares tips for bystanders who are witnesses to bullying, advises parents about clear warning signs that their child may be being bullied at school, provides instructions for school staff who wish to have a policy that protects against bullying, and more. This section is for anyone who is related to, or is working with, students (who need proactive support to prevent bullying), a victim of bullying, or even a person who is behaving like a bully.

This entire book sheds tremendous light on issues related to autism, and the laws that are in place to protect the rights of individuals. While it is overflowing with practical and immediately useful advice, it is not overwhelming or verbose. Mr. Mayerson (2020) makes great use of every page, which has led to the creation of a condensed book filled with issues of great importance to individuals and families, along with steps that they can take to protect their rights amid a wide variety of situations and conditions. We highly recommend this book for parents and providers alike.

References

Mayerson, G. (2020). Autism’s declaration of independence: Navigating autism in the age of uncertainty. Different Roads to Learning.

Mayerson, G (2004). How to compromise with your school district without compromising your child: A field guide for getting effective services for children with special needs. DRL Books.

Citation for this article

Questel, M., & Celiberti, D. (2021). Review of Autism’s declaration of independence: Navigating autism in the age of uncertainty. Science in Autism Treatment, 18(10).

About the Authors

Marcia Questel is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with a master’s degree in special education (concentration – autism) and graduate certificate in applied behavior analysis. She has been working with invidivuals with autism for over 20 years. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in developmental psychology with a focus on developmental disorders, where her passion for researching executive functioning (EF) and Theory of Mind (ToM) began. Marcia works in private practice, providing consultation to families and faculty. She is the Content Editor for Science in Autism Treatment and the Externship Co-Coordinator for the Association for Science in Autism Treatment. She is researching access and effectiveness of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also creates supportive content for parents and professionals, including free workshops available on the ABAskills YouTube page. In Yale’s Affect Regulation and Cognition lab, she is researching emotions and relationships among teenagers and their parents. Marcia also enjoys research that explores the relationship between EF and emotion regulation.

David Celiberti, PhD, BCBA-D, is the Executive Director of ASAT and Past-President, a role he served from 2006 to 2012. He is the Editor of ASAT’s monthly publication, Science in Autism Treatment. He received his PhD in clinical psychology from Rutgers University in 1993 and his certification in behavior analysis in 2000. Dr. Celiberti has served on a number of advisory boards and special interest groups in the field of autism, applied behavior analysis (ABA), and early childhood education. He works in private practice and provides consultation to public and private schools and agencies in underserved areas. He has authored several articles in professional journals and presents frequently at regional, national, and international conferences. In prior positions, Dr. Celiberti taught courses related to ABA at both undergraduate and graduate levels, supervised individuals pursuing BCBA certifications, and conducted research in the areas of ABA, family intervention, and autism.