My grandson has mild autism and is doing well after going to therapy. But I wanted to know, do we have to shout at the child and scold him when doesn’t follow our instructions? His doctor said if he is not scolded he will not be corrected. Is it true? Sometimes I feel so sad

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in Autism Solutions by Kelly Beins, BHSc, OTR/L

Available research and parental reports suggest there are a number of reasons to suspect that people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may have difficulty judging the passage of time and recalling the order of events. While there is limited research on the topic at this time, a small study found that individuals with autism demonstrated

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in Autism Solutions by Monica Hudnall, MA, CCC-SLP

A trip to Disney World is supposed to be fun for the whole family, including your child or teen with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Identifying the potential trouble areas and activities and preparing in advance will make a significant difference for your whole group and allow you to navigate the parks with ease. Since the

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in Autism Solutions by Samantha McNesby

What are the best toys for autistic children? Children are so different from one another and so are their needs. Does your child like physical activity? An indoor ball pit or trampoline might help your child with autism expend some energy. What about sensory issues? Many kids benefit from soothing toys such as stress balls

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Question: My non-verbal four-year-old son started hitting people and himself and laughing. We thought he was just testing us, but the behavior has gotten worse over the past few months. We don’t know how to make him understand that he can’t do this. I think he’s frustrated because he can’t speak.—Christian Answer: This story is

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in Autism Solutions by Rob Bernstein, MAEd

Some children with autism and their families are known to benefit from the presence of an assistance dog. Little research has been done on ethical issues that can arise around the dogs’ welfare or methods to limit the stress on both the dog and the family. The goal of this piece is to identify and

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in Autism Solutions by Rebecca Richardson, MS

Birthdays can be hard for my family. My son has autism and with it comes difficulty connecting with others. He’s always wanted to play with other kids, but he lacked the social skills to navigate friendship and play. He doesn’t process things quickly enough due to a processing disorder, so when kids are asking him

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in Autism Solutions by Calleen Petersen

I am a mother of a five-year-old autistic boy. Even though he is attending occupational therapy sessions, he is showing masturbatory behavior at times. Do you have any suggestions or tips for controlling these behaviors? — Jan Hi Jan, There’s something we need to get out of the way before going any further…these behaviors are

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in Autism Solutions by Angelina M., MS, BCBA, LMFT

Returning to school can be stressful for all children, but especially for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. While summer activities such as visiting new places, staying with extended family, and attending school holiday care can be enjoyable, they can also be extremely disruptive for children with autism. We need to take

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in Autism Solutions by Debbie Hopper

Disappointment is all around us, unfortunately.  It is not something that we can avoid.  How it is manifested in our lives is unique to each person.  We cannot always have what we want, when we want it.  As a parent, we often do things to help our children avoid experiencing disappointment, but there will be

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in Autism Solutions by Sarah Kupferschmidt, MA, BCBA

Self-love is something all human beings struggle with regardless of age or ability. But when children perceive they are flawed—either from an autism label they have been given, or a negative comment from a bystander, or an expectation they cannot realistically meet—the ability to love self can be very difficult. The book, The Reason I

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in Autism Solutions by Connie Hammer, MSW

Every day my oldest son, Andrew, and my daughter with autism, Lizzie, rode their scooters down the block.  They would go just out of my sight to the same crack in the sidewalk where Lizzie would turn around; then they would race back to me. For months, I walked with them fearing they would go

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in Autism Solutions by Julie Hornok

Are you sick of telling your kids over and over again to do their chores? Are you sick of the fighting and sibling rivalry?  What if you could use this rivalry to get chores done? I call it subcontracting and have been using this tool for more than 20 years. It’s great for ADHD, ASD,

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in Autism Solutions by Jim West, MA, LMHC

For several years I’ve worked with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). When my son was diagnosed as being on the spectrum, I became a mother in denial. I knew that there was something else or something more to him and his challenges. I began researching and eventually I came across an article written by

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in Autism Solutions by Shernette Julal

“Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.” – Plato  Each child has the ability to learn, regardless of any label. If we can

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in Autism Solutions by Lindsay Wieand

I didn’t ever see myself creating the best solution for children learning to tie their shoes. During my final year in college I began working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis.  I didn’t have much knowledge in the field nor did I completely understand all of the different areas of special needs but I

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in Autism Solutions by Matthew Aguirre

I’m often asked if it’s hard for people with autism to find love.  The answer…Yes! Finding love is challenging for ALL of us; so, naturally, having hard wired social difficulties exponentially raises the bar for dating dilemmas.  Some of the core Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnostic deficits contribute to this challenge: rigid thinking and behaviors,

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in Autism Solutions by Debra Sloane, PSYD, BCBA, CGP, MSCP

Dr. Debra Moore, a psychologist who has worked extensively with children, teens and adults on the autism spectrum, talks with Dr. Temple Grandin about how to provide ‘loving pushes’ so kids with autism can become successful adults. Dr. Moore (D ): As a psychologist, I ran into lots of spectrum teens and young adults who

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in Autism Solutions by Dr. Debra Moore

For many people, the New Year brings with it a renewed sense of opportunity.  It is a time when many people are setting new goals for personal growth.  Setting goals is also a significant part of any good treatment program that is based on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). We set goals when we are deciding

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in Autism Solutions by Sarah Kupferschmidt, MA, BCBA

Teaching social skills can be a tricky endeavor because it is a good idea to practice the skills with other kids and in a variety of environments. Unfortunately, many of the families that I have worked with, and that I have read about, do not have many opportunities that are safe and comfortable for them

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in Autism Solutions by Sarah Kupferschmidt, MA, BCBA

Look Ma! I’m Riding! Bike riding is an important physical and social milestone for all kids to master. Our kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can learn too. My son has severe autism and is nonverbal. When he was eight years old, he mastered riding a bicycle in two weeks.  We taught the “preliminary” skills

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in Autism Solutions by Martha Gabler

Storytelling is at the core of the human experience.  Personal stories are what ground us; they give us a sense of purpose and identity. Storytelling helps children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) master language skills, improve listening skills, increase attention span, develop curiosity and creativity, and better understand nonverbal communication.[1] Storytelling is both an inbred

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in Autism Solutions by Susan Taylor, JD, BS

It was not going to be an easy journey seated next to a tired, overstimulated child who needed constant reassurance and who repetitively pushed buttons, opened and closed tray tables, was anxious about flying, and didn’t like crowds. The problems began when we boarded the plane and realized we had been seated in a different

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in Autism Solutions by Anna Harford

Most of us are familiar with reward or incentive charts. Maybe we first came across them as a child, hoping to receive a star for our chart on the kitchen fridge. Or perhaps we learned about them when studying to be a teacher. Whether you call them sticker charts, star charts, or behavior modification or

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in Autism Solutions by Sheila Rogers DeMare, MS

Finding the best method for treating autism is often a challenge for the loved ones of children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  Because no two people with ASD are exactly the same, it’s vital to choose a method of treatment and therapy and an intervention plan that is tailored to address specific needs.

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Autism knows no boundaries.  It pays no attention to skin color, language, or nationality.  In Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico, a puppet maker discovered that some children who had never talked before could talk to his puppets.  For 30 years, José Octavio Azcona y Juárez has been creating monos de calenda for festive occasions, which are

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in Autism Solutions by Geri Anderson

Parents of children with special needs often fear being judged by others.  It is hoped that the church will be an accepting environment; however, the reality is that the majority of church members with children who have special needs do not attend church regularly.  Church holds great importance to many families, yet the thought of

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in Autism Solutions by Cara Koscinski, MOT

“But it’s not time for lunch!” I could see Calib beginning to go into hysterics. He began to pace and flap his arms as he continued to tell me it was, in fact, not time for lunch.  First grade always went to lunch at 11:30am. “Calib,” I gently took his shoulders so he would stand

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in Autism Solutions by Brittany Fichter

I am not fond of intelligence testing for my son with autism, but it is required by the school district since he receives services. These tests rely on strong verbal communication and auditory processing skills, which are a challenge for Jack and many others with autism. Jack had not been tested for years, so our

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in Autism Solutions by Andrea Libutti, MD

Many families with a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may not look forward to mealtimes.  A child might only eat a specific brand of each food in their diet or might just chew crunchy solids.  Or, the child may only eat if he/she can move around the mealtime table.  Because parents have a

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in Autism Solutions by Maureen Flanagan, CCC-SLP

Growing up with autism can be a challenge for everyone: for the child whose view of the world differs from those around them, for the parents who go the extra mile to look after and keep their child with autism happy, and even for the brothers and sisters who struggle to connect with their sibling.

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in Autism Solutions by Liz Burton

A child with autism is sometimes hard to please. There is only so much a child can do in the backyard, and even planned activities, such as an afternoon at the movies, can end in disaster. Organized sports can offer a little excitement if your kid is able to follow along and process the concept

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in Autism Solutions by Grant Fieldgrove

Play is crucial for young children. It helps them learn how to work their brains and move their bodies, expands their social skills, promotes problem solving and the ability to focus, and, best of all, helps them feel happy with themselves. We’re seeing now what happens when children don’t have time to play. In the

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in Autism Solutions by Barbara Sher

The first thing I learned as a preschool teacher to children aged three to six who are on the spectrum is how to be “fun.” This seems like it would be common sense to any teacher or parent, but it is incredibly difficult to do especially when wheels, numbers, and letters on the circle time

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in Autism Solutions by Kelly Pilkie

I have loved animals all my life and in the past I practiced Horse Whispering and have always had pets around me.  So, for me, my first thoughts were about equine therapy and a service dog.  For us neither of those two were right for Iris but after looking after my brother’s cat over Christmas

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in Autism Solutions by Arabella Carter Johnson

Children with autism are often frustrated with changes in their daily schedule, or the unexpected actions of another person.  Parents and teachers often find themselves responding to the behavioral outcome of the stress and anxiety involved with this “inflexible thinking,” rather than teaching flexible thinking in a systematic way. Here are five tips that may

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in Autism Solutions by Kari Dunn Buron

 Organized recreational programs are a wonderful outlet to help children gain several different skills all while having fun.  A child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can gain the kind of skills that are beneficial to his or her everyday life from a specialized program.  Since most children with autism attend a variety of therapy sessions,

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in Autism Solutions by Chelsea Bogino

Consider the child when purchasing a gift. Just as you wouldn’t buy a truck for a Barbie loving little girl – nor should you purchase a 8+ science kit for a child with a cognitive ability of a three year old. I’ve often had people come right out and ask me, “What do I buy

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in Autism Solutions by Leslie Burby

Anna from the Philippines asks: My son always puts any objects he is holding into his mouth. He also walks on his tip-toes. When he is angry he bites himself or his family. Recently he also started playing with his saliva. As a mother I just want my son to live a normal life. What

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in Autism Solutions by Angelina M., MS, BCBA, LMFT

Question: How can I make hair washing less of a struggle? Answer: Ask your child (if possible) using pictures, videos on You Tube, text etc. what they don’t like about hair washing. Based on my research and speaking with several people on the spectrum this is what I have found: 1. For some, it is

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in Autism Solutions by Leslie Burby