Autism Behavioral Solutions

Stimming refers to (repeated) self-stimulating behaviors; some feel the definition should also include a reference to “self-soothing” to be more appropriate. Whatever the definition, stims like finger flicking are not odd habits—rather, they may be one of the most powerful coping mechanisms for individuals on the spectrum. Have you ever felt a rising sense of

Antecedent stimulus is used frequently with children who have autism. It can help caregivers and teachers understand why a problem behavior may be happening and allows them to shape the behavior to have an either positive or negative outcome. Antecedent is also something that comes before a behavior and is sometimes referred to as a

Aggression is a common issue for both children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It may be verbal (shouting, screaming, cursing) and/or physical (hitting, kicking, biting, destroying property, self-injury).  Some research suggests that children with autism are more likely to show aggressive behaviors than typically developing children and children with other developmental disabilities. People

All children lie at some point, usually to avoid getting in trouble. That doesn’t mean they do it well—after all, who else but your toddler would scribble all over the walls? Most children with autism struggle with abstract concepts, social communication, and interpreting things literally, so as a parent, you might wonder: Can my child

To create a safe space for all, it’s important to reframe how we define people as either hyperactive or energetic.  The term hyperactive has a negative connotation. In some cases, our education system has associated being “overly active”  with a lack of focus and impulsivity, deeming it something that needs to be addressed by a

Have you ever felt so exhausted you wished you could just reboot like a computer? We all get tired, but we can usually wait for a free moment to recharge. Sometimes, though, an overheated computer will turn off without warning. This is similar to what some people with autism experience when they get overwhelmed—a shutdown.

A positive behavior support plan does much more than just addressing negative or difficult behaviors; it is a plan formulated through a collaborative effort from caregivers, teachers, therapists, and doctors in a child’s life. It is often used for children with learning difficulties, developmental disabilities, and autism. But before looking at exactly how to implement

Sometimes it’s easier to choose a path of comfort that doesn’t trigger anxiety, particularly for those with high sensitivity to stimuli. I’m not sure anyone likes to be called inflexible. I’m thinking that those on the autism spectrum just want us to understand how they feel in this world and need us to be patient

An autism behavior technician can play a major role in the progress and support your child receives when implementing new behavioral changes in children with autism. A behavior technician can work in a different variety of settings that range from in-home services, in-clinic services, in-school services, and within the community, to better assist and support

There’s a quote by Anthelme Brillat-Savarin that says: “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are”. In other words, you are what you eat. This article overviews how our children’s nutrition can affect their overall functioning.  Do you ever feel that your child’s tantrums are tipping over the edge? If

A behavior intervention specialist, also known as BIS, helps teachers and students in a classroom by  implementing behavior intervention plans, also known as BIP, in the field of special education.   The titles of a professional behavior support specialist may change slightly due to level of education, the type of college they went to, what certification

Firstly, you might be asking “what is a behavior management plan?” Well, a behavior management plan or BMP is designed to help a student or child overcome or change negative behaviors into positive and more appropriate behaviors.  Also known as a behavior intervention plan (BIP), it is important for both parents of children with autism

Functional behavior analysis can be used in special education or in Applied Behavior Analysis, also known as ABA, to allow the observer to learn what triggers and leads to challenging behaviors. This type of intervention helps us learn the function of difficult behaviors as well as environmental factors that may impact or interfere with Behavior

You may be chatting as a family and, suddenly, your autistic child reacts out of character and you simply can’t understand what triggered him/her. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is complex, with some individuals on the spectrum showing impulsive aggression as they struggle to express their needs. Some children with autism experience impulsive aggression where they

All parents want to find the best way to help their children behave, learn, and grow. This can be a bit more of a challenge for parents of children with autism. When it comes to teaching new behaviors, many behavior analysts encourage the use of something called “natural reinforcement” for kids on and off the

Behavior management strategies are essentially behavior intervention plans that can be used in a variety of environments to help parents, families, schoolteachers, and friends deal with behavioral challenges. Behavioral management strategies can help children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) become more self aware of their actions so they gain a better understanding of the wider

Counting to 20 was my go-to strategy over my 30-year career working with children with disabilities. I used the 20-count to help children with many situations including waiting, transitioning, desensitization, and reinforcement.  Counting out loud has been a strategy used and taught in child-rearing and education for centuries. Many different counting approaches are regularly used

How to support children on the spectrum who may have difficulty understanding why others do not share the same opinions and beliefs. How wonderful it is for a child, teen, or adult to have strong opinions and not be afraid to express them. A commitment to accomplishing something can be admirable, but how do we

Jason, age six, was admonished by his father for picking his nose in a public bathroom when they were at Target. However, Jason was very confused because his father had told him that if he needed to pick his nose, he should do it in private, like in the bathroom. So here he was in

Life is hard at the moment, most of us will do just about anything to make it a little bit easier. Kids doing what they’re supposed to be doing, when they’re supposed to be doing it? I think most parents are willing to chuck a jackpot type amount at a reward system for that to

Being a parent to a child with autism can be challenging in many ways. Not only can autism lead to delays and problems with communication and social interaction, but it can also cause many behavioral challenges. Many children with autism can exhibit aggression. This aggression often manifests as unexpected outbursts of biting, scratching, kicking, hitting,

Discrete trial training often is referred to as DTT training and sometimes DTI (discrete trial instruction) training in the field of ABA, or applied behavior analysis. The purpose of discrete trial training is to break down the steps of a task instead of trying to conquer it all at once. Some children with autism struggle

One way children can learn what types of behavior are appropriate is through discipline—it is part of educating your child to learn right from wrong and to understand socially acceptable and respectful behavior. Disciplining your autistic child is no easy task though, and requires a lot of patience. Implementing discipline strategies can be challenging and

If you’re parenting a child with autism, you may have come across the term “discriminative stimulus” in relation to behavior therapy or techniques to use at home – but what does it really mean and how can this method be applied? This article offers an overview of discriminative stimulus and outlines some examples of how

The role of caregivers is just as important as therapists when providing supportive structure for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). With this in mind, a key thing parents and professionals can collaborate on is managing challenging behaviors, and one way of doing so is through incidental teaching. Incidental teaching offers caregivers or parents a

The developing stage of every child is marked by a series of milestones—from their first words, to the first time they crawl and, ultimately, their first steps. Autism toe walking is sometimes spotted during this key period of growth by parents as well as physicians.  When infants enter the developmental phase of walking, some develop

When children with autism act out and misbehave at home or in school, it can be due to a number of things going on in their lives, but it can also be due to the fact they have ASD and therefore struggle to express themselves. Sometimes a child with autism is unable to explain what

Parents of children with autism collectively share concerns over outbursts, aggressive behaviors, social and developmental delays, and the need for better training and understanding of autism in our communities. Having an understanding of what autism is and what it can look like can help you learn what triggers your child specifically, to help reduce tantrums

What is EIBI? Well, according to research, it’s an intervention that can help children with autism decrease negative behaviors and increase positive behaviors. EIBI is considered one of the best intensive behavioral interventions for toddlers aged five and below. Read on to understand what this early intervention program is and why it might be a

I have a question regarding my son who is nine-years-old and has high functioning autism. Whenever he gets frustrated, he uses inappropriate words. For example, he doesn’t like to take a bath. If I say, “You should go to the bathtub before the timer goes off,” he says, “I’ll break the timer.” If the bus

Stimming, which is a nickname for “self-stimulatory behavior” is a repetitive behavior such as head banging, hand flapping, rocking, or making noises or sounds that helps a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to self-soothe. In the case of vocal stimming (or verbal stimming), the child might make noises such as groaning, grunting, high- pitched

If you’re an autism parent, it’s likely you have come across the term “vicarious reinforcement”. But what does it mean? Well, reinforcement in psychology involves recognizing and rewarding good behavior to motivate such behavior to be repeated. So, vicarious reinforcement is about a person’s tendency to copy the behaviors they have witnessed others being rewarded

Repetitive and restrictive behavior are among the main symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). However, the mechanisms behind repetitive behaviors in autism have proven quite challenging to understand. Although some experts suggest that these behaviors in children with ASD result from an attention deficit, others are convinced children with autism have abnormalities in the motor

Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) is a type of behavioral therapy based on methods used in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Founded on the Denver Model, which is used to assist older children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ESDM is an early intervention program for children ranging from 12 months to 4 years.  Toddlers learn and