Autism Behavioral Solutions

Have you heard about the gut-brain connection in autism? Researchers have discovered that there may be a link between gut bacteria (the microbiome) and the brain, which could contribute to certain challenging behaviors, such as aggression, emotional meltdowns, and self-injury, in autism. For many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), coping with irritability is an

As a parent with a child newly diagnosed with autism, it can be easy to ask yourself, “What do I do for my child diagnosed with autism?” This is a reaction that is to be expected and can be followed with overwhelming feelings and a lot of questions. The good news is that parents don’t

Have you really considered the possible causes behind maladaptive behaviors among autistic children? Many children on the autism spectrum have difficulty regulating their emotions. Outbursts, acting in defiance, or fleeing a situation are examples of behaviors of children experiencing stressful situations that result in feelings of anger, frustration, or anxiety. Behavioral science suggests that all

Helping our children manage emotions requires understanding. The teacher’s voice broke as she relayed the events of the day that culminated in her having to evacuate the class away from my son. In addition to yelling at people, he had also been throwing chairs. “It breaks my heart because this behavior has consequences that prevent

My son was sitting criss-cross wedged into a small space between the wall and the bookshelf, hands over his ears, screaming at the top of his lungs,”You are a horrible mother!” This had been a 45-minute meltdown that included throwing things across the room, punching and kicking me, and even a swipe at our poor

The weather channel was blaring, as it always was when a hurricane was coming. This one was forecast as a category one. We weren’t super worried. Here in South Florida we prepare for hurricanes every year. The preparation increases closer to time, and the list of supplies and steps taken gets longer as the category

Antecedent based interventions are used to figure out what the autistic person is trying to communicate through their behaviors.

There are many different views and opinions about reinforcement strategies, negative punishment, and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and how they work together in applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy to improve behavior. Many parents, caregivers, and educators are unsure of what reinforcement strategies and negative punishment are and how they might benefit the person with autism.

There are several opinions on self-stimulatory behavior, also known as “stimming”. This article considers the first-hand view of an autistic person. I have heard varying definitions and reasons why self-stimulatory behaviors occur in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The explanations are frequently from those in a position of treating or serving the ASD community,

Evidence based practices for autism spectrum disorder are a procedure or group of procedures that use a combination of instruction and intervention approaches. Evidence based practices for autism are a procedure or group of procedures that use a combination of instruction and intervention approaches. For a practice to qualify as evidence based, researchers provide information

For any parents who have had people ask them “are autistic children violent?”, this article offers a mom and life coach’s perspective on what so-called violence truly is and how to manage it in the context of autism. I knew this day was going to be rough, but nothing could have prepared me for what

A look at how you, as a parent, can identify your child’s red flags and develop coping strategies. I am sure we have all been a bit dramatic in our lives about something. A scratch on a new car. A rip in our favorite pair of pants. The dog once again tracked mud onto the

A psychologist’s advice for dealing with temper tantrums. “Children behave well when they can,” writes Professor Ross W. Greene. For children with autism spectrum disorders, this statement is also absolutely true. How do adults like parents, relatives, or even a babysitter act in a situation where a child has a tantrum? Many adults do not

Children with autism are often associated with aggressive behavior such as physical aggression and verbal aggression including yelling, screaming, tantrums, and outbursts. These challenging behaviors can be stressful for families to deal with every day at home or at school. They can create a wide range of emotions from feelings of anger, isolation, and helplessness

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

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