How Music Can Help Those With ASD Cope With Anxiety
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD ) is a wide spectrum and one that can come in a whole range of severities. However, one thing that many people with ASD have is some form of anxiety, and that can be tough to deal with. Research has shown that music is able to help mental health quite substantially, […]
Continue readingHelp: My Child With Autism Is Afraid to Go to the Dentist
Many children struggle with the idea of going to the dentist, but for children with autism, a trip to the dentist office can create anxiety and even panic. Here are some simple suggestions that may ease stress levels and make your dental visit a success. 1. Visual Schedules A visual schedule is a great way […]
Continue readingFrom Chaos to Peace – Using Mindfulness in Special Education
Close your eyes and imagine walking into a classroom and seeing what can only be explained as pure chaos. You can see students arguing with paraprofessionals, a student laying on the floor and kicking his feet while he yells, a student sitting in the corner with his hood on (no doubt trying to cancel out […]
Continue readingFour Things Constantly in the Back of My Mind…and I Wish You’d Ask About Them
1. Give Credit Where Credit is Due I have a seven-year-old boy who can recite the alphabet backward faster than some can forwards. He can name the planets and dwarf planets in order of their distance from the sun. He will tell you how many sides are on a pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon, nonagon, decagon, […]
Continue readingThe Best Ways to Help People with Autism Manage Anxiety
Many children with autism have higher rates of anxiety than their peers. Specifically, nearly 40 percent of children and adolescents with autism are estimated to have clinically significant anxiety or at least one anxiety disorder (Van Steensel et al. 2011). Anxiety is experienced when errors in thinking that include exaggerating threat or danger as well […]
Continue readingThree Amazing Ways Mindfulness Can Impact Special Needs Parenting
Before you shrug off mindfulness as a trendy buzzword found on supermarket tabloids or at a local yoga studio, hear me out. Mindful parenting is not complicated, nor is it something that you have to make time for; it is simply about being present. It’s an evidence-based practice that works. It’s about stopping and noticing […]
Continue readingFinding Balance As a Special Needs Parent
The phone rings, I pick up, and a dear friend asks if I am coming to the potluck tonight. I say thank you, and I wish I could, but I am terribly swamped tonight and perhaps another time. What I don’t say is, my son is having a bad day, he is on his tenth […]
Continue readingAmazing Tips for A Successful Flight With Your Child With Autism
There are many reasons why a family may use air travel. Maybe your child with autism wants to visit his/her grandparents. It could be a holiday visit with family members who live out of state. A simple summer vacation trip out of state could involve your child with special needs preparing to board a plane […]
Continue readingAutism and Comorbidities: How to Treat One While Treating the Other
Q&A with Matthew Fisher, MD, Medical Leader, Springbrook Autism Behavioral Health Psychiatric Residential Treatment Program and Outpatient Psychiatry Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly experience other medical conditions or comorbidities that can sometimes mask or even exacerbate symptoms of autism. At the top of the list are psychiatric conditions, neurological issues, and even gastrointestinal […]
Continue readingWhy Not Pledge to Cut Yourself Some Slack In The New Year?
I never cared much for New Year’s resolutions. While the premise behind them is positive, the timing never seemed to make sense. If I’m planning on making productive changes to my life, why wait until a certain date to begin? Even if you do, why assign a strict year-long time period to achieve them? It […]
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