Children on the autism spectrum struggle with unique behavioral issues and knowing how to discipline them isn’t always easy. It may take a lot of time and patience, but with consistency and the right techniques, you’ll be able to successfully correct your child’s undesired behaviors. 

Here are our best tips on how to discipline children with autism and guide them toward appropriate behavior. 

Behavioral Issues Found in Autistic Children

Autistic children tend to display disruptive behaviors that can be difficult to manage. Understanding the reason behind these behaviors and responding in a positive manner will help you better deal with the challenges of disciplining your child.

Here are some of the most common behavioral issues among children on the autism spectrum:

Obsessive behaviors

Obsessive behaviors and intense interests are a frequent occurrence in children with autism. They can be focused on the object of their obsession, whether it’s a TV show, a game, or a certain type of animal, for hours on end and become upset when you attempt to interrupt them. 

If you have difficulties convincing your child to move on to a different activity, you may try giving plenty of warning and reminders before it’s time to switch in order to ease the transition. You can also use your child’s obsession as a reward and motivation for good behavior. They could earn points toward getting a new toy or watching their favorite show, for example. 

Physical tantrums

Autistic children may throw tantrums simply because they don’t know how to respond to a sensory overload. Tell your child that throwing a tantrum is not acceptable and take him/her away from the situation. A stress-relief tool such as a fidget or another sensory item can help your child calm down.

Aggressive behavior

Studies show that around 25% of children with autism display aggressive behaviors like throwing or intentionally breaking objects, and that close to two-thirds of autistic children are aggressive toward their caregivers. If your child becomes aggressive, he/she should be removed from the situation immediately. Talk to your child about the appropriate behavior once he/she has calmed down. 

Self-injury

Besides harming others, autistic children may also direct aggressive behavior toward themselves. The most common forms of self-harming include head banging, hand biting, and excessive scratching. For children with autism, this may be a way to self-soothe and deal with stress and anxiety. If your child shows any tendencies toward self-injury, consult your pediatrician or applied behavior analysis specialist to receive adequate support. 

Social issues

Children with autism spectrum disorder have difficulties reading others’ emotions and understanding the nuances of social interactions. Miscommunication can make them seem rude or misbehaving. To teach your child about the rules of social interactions, you may consider using visual aids such as social stories, visual schedules, or electronic devices that will clearly show them what behavior is expected in different situations. 

Not sitting still

Most autistic children have sensory processing issues that make it difficult to sit still and focus on a particular task or activity. To help your children pay attention and sit still, be positive and specific in your demands. Give simple, short instructions and don’t forget to praise your child for their efforts.

Not following instructions

Autistic children often need more time than other children to process what you ask them to do. They may also feel overwhelmed, angry, and frustrated if asked to do several things at once. Your child may refuse to do something, like entering a noisy room or eating foods with particular textures, for example, due to their sensory issues.

Or perhaps the instructions are too complicated, and your child simply doesn’t have the right skills to accomplish the task. Make sure to start by providing simple instructions and when your child is ready, gradually ask him/her to follow more complex directions. These skills may take lots of time and practice to develop. Whenever your child completes the instruction correctly, reinforce their behavior.

Techniques to Help Discipline Your Autistic Child

All children need consistent rules, clear structure, and discipline in order to thrive, and children with autism are no exception. Although traditional discipline techniques may not work for autistic children, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t discipline them. Disciplining an autistic child has many benefits like:

• Helping them understand what behaviors are appropriate in certain situations.
• Developing the ability to get along with others.
• Helping them understand, express, and deal with their feelings.

Positive reinforcement strategies

With positive reinforcement, a behavior is strengthened by providing a reinforcer such as a toy, activity, or simply your attention. Children with autism respond much better to the discipline techniques that focus on positive reinforcement than punishment. Telling your child what you like about their behavior will motivate them to keep behaving well. Positive reinforcement can be done by praising and/or rewarding appropriate behavior. 

It is important that your praise for your child’s positive behavior is concrete and immediate. Describe exactly what aspect of behavior you are praising, for example, “you did well to stay calm even if you didn’t win the game.” If your child has limited verbal skills, you may need to adapt your communication style to their needs. Keep your words simple—say “be gentle,” instead of “you know that you should be gentle when playing with your brother.”

However, some autistic children don’t respond well to praise. Children who withdraw from others might not be motivated to behave in a certain way to please someone else. In this case, it is more efficient to use visual schedules, token boards, or sticker charts as a form of positive reinforcement. These tools will both help convey your expectations more clearly, encourage your child to associate a desirable behavior with a positive outcome, and serve as a visual record of their progress. 

Negative reinforcement strategies

Negative reinforcement is an effective method for disciplining autistic children, including those with significant behavioral issues. Through negative reinforcement, you can use an undesirable task to shape your child’s behavior. This technique is not to be mistaken for punishment that produces a negative outcome in an attempt to change behavior. 

For example, your child may not like doing puzzles. You can encourage your child’s compliant behavior and following instructions by reducing the duration of the activity if the child follows directions without throwing a tantrum. Your child is allowed to do something else as soon as he/she starts behaving well.

ABA therapy

ABA (applied behavior analysis) is a form of behavioral therapy that focuses on changing unwanted behaviors in an autistic child and reinforcing desirable ones. ABA therapy provides targeted treatment based on each child’s strengths and weaknesses. It seeks to understand the reason behind the unwanted behaviors and give your child the tools needed to start choosing the appropriate ones.

Sometimes autistic children might seem like they’re misbehaving when in reality they don’t have the skills to handle unfamiliar or difficult situations. If your child doesn’t greet someone, for instance, he/she is not necessarily being rude, but simply might not know what behavior is expected in the given situation. 

ABA therapy relies on positive reinforcement to encourage behavioral changes. When a desirable behavior is followed by a reward, like a special toy or preferred activity, children are more likely to repeat the action. This form of therapy uses strategies like role plays, social stories, and video modeling to help autistic children develop social skills. 

Autism Discipline: What Not to Do 

Punishing an autistic child is not an effective discipline strategy. Your child may simply not be able to understand the connection between the consequence and negative behavior. What’s more, punishment as a discipline method can potentially have negative effects on your autistic child and inadvertently reinforce the very same behavior you are trying to decrease. 

Yelling, threatening, and criticizing

Yelling, threatening, and criticizing your child with autism can often backfire and do more harm than good. Your child may even become more disruptive over time. Remember that the goal of disciplining your autistic child is to provide an opportunity to learn from their mistakes and not to lower their self-esteem.

Physical discipline

You should avoid physically disciplining your autistic child. Physical punishment may make the undesirable behavior stop immediately, but it doesn’t direct your child toward the correct behavior. On the contrary, it shows that hitting is an appropriate response to a challenging situation. 

Time out

Time out is a reactive punishment method that should be avoided with autistic children. In fact, a child with autism who appreciates being alone might consider a traditional time out rewarding. Instead, after your child does something wrong, you can suggest a substitute behavior. If your child is hitting you to get your attention, work on replacing that behavior with a more appropriate one like asking for help or tapping your shoulder.

Tips for Disciplining Your Autistic Child

• Work on one behavior at a time. Don’t try to fix all of your child’s behavioral issues at once. Instead, concentrate on one problematic behavior, preferably starting with the most disruptive one.
• Set clear rules and expectations. Let your child know how you expect them to behave and what your family rules and limits are. Also, your child should know that the consequences reflect their inappropriate behavior and that they are not permanent.
• Be consistent. Always make sure to follow through with your strategy. Autistic children often respond positively to structured discipline, and they do much better when the outcome of a situation is predictable. 
• Develop an individual plan. Every autistic child experiences unique behavioral challenges. Your child’s treatment team will help you develop a behavior intervention plan that consists of combinations of suitable strategies for your child.
• Choose natural and logical consequences. For example, if your child refuses to pick up the toys, take them away for a certain period of time. This will make it easier for your child to understand the situation and will help them replace poor behaviors with more appropriate ones. 
• Establish whether your child is misbehaving. Before starting to discipline your autistic child, it’s important to determine if the behavior is a result of their autism or if your child is misbehaving. If your child frequently throws tantrums when you give instructions, it may be a behavioral issue that requires a different set of strategies. 
• Manage non-negotiable behaviors. Disciplining a child with autism often involves dealing with non-negotiable behaviors like self-injury, harming others, and damaging things. Your child’s treatment team can help you develop a safety intervention plan depending on the severity of your child’s behavior. 
• Anticipate your child’s behaviors and determine consequences in advance so that you are well prepared when the situation occurs.
• Don’t take away your child’s soothing objects. Calming objects and sensory tools like fidget spinners may help relieve tension and prevent tantrums and should never be taken away as a form of punishment. 
• Put the safety of your child first. Remove your child from any situation that is emotionally or physically unsafe either for them or others.

A child’s aggressive behavior creates immediate reactions from those around them. Children with autism who find it difficult to communicate their feelings and needs will often act out aggressively whether their behavior is motivated by frustration, hypersensitivity to environmental stimuli, or a specific need. 

Because these types of behaviors are met with immediate reactions, they are unintentionally reinforced.

In this article we will learn more about the aggressive behaviors of autistic children and give you tips on how to deal with them. 

Why do autistic children behave aggressively

Children diagnosed with ASD struggle with understanding certain types of language and often do not have the ability to communicate their needs and feelings adequately. These aspects of their disorder may make them more likely to exhibit aggressive behaviors that children who aren’t on the spectrum.

 

When your child acts out aggressively, it may be because:

•       They feel overwhelmed by negative feelings. Children struggling with autism often experience anxiety and stress that they are unable to communicate to those around them. If a situation makes your autistic child anxious, they may act out to get you to remove them from the situation.
•       They are feeling bombarded by negative sensations from their environment. Many children diagnosed with ASD are hypersensitive to things like noise and touch. They may experience loud noises as painful or a burst of air hurt their skin. Responding with aggressive behaviors may be an automatic reaction to being physically uncomfortable for some children on the autism spectrum.
•       They may not understand what is going on around them. Since children on the autism spectrum have difficulty understanding idioms, figurative language, and nonverbal communication, they may struggle in situations where there are a lot of people or when things aren’t explained to them in a fashion they can understand. In this instance your child may act out aggressively out of frustration.
•       They may use aggressive behaviors to communicate their needs if they can’t make those around them understand what they need in a given situation. A child who is struggling and can’t make those around them understand their needs may act out aggressively. Although the reaction they receive may not solve the problem, the immediate reaction that a child receives when acting out in an aggressive manner does allow the child to feel that they have some control in the situation.
•       They may use aggressive behavior to get them out of a situation they don’t like. Children learn very quickly that one way to escape an uncomfortable situation is to act out in a way that will get them taken out of the situation. Even when a child is removed from an uncomfortable situation as a punishment, being removed from the situation is rewarding.

How can this aggressive behavior manifest

When your autistic child exhibits aggressive behavior it can come in a variety of forms. Your child may bite, scratch, kick, and/or yell at you or others. They may also scratch themselves, hit their head against an object, or punch themselves. Research indicates that children diagnosed with ASD will most often direct their aggression toward their caregivers.

Understanding aggressive behavior in autistic children

Children on the autism spectrum may have anger triggers that are associated with their disorder. Understanding the triggers that lead to your child’s aggressive behaviors will help you develop ways to deal with these unwanted behaviors. Triggers that your child may experience include:

•       Disturbing breaks in their typical routine. Children on the autism spectrum often become distressed when their routines are altered. Unexpected events may increase your child’s anxiety levels and create heightened feelings of confusion and being out of control.
•       Distressing sensory stimuli. If your autistic child experiences hypersensitivity to external stimuli, you may find that loud noises, jarring lights, or overpowering smells tend to set your child off.
•       Lack of sleep. Children diagnosed with ASD often struggle with sleep. Unfortunately that doesn’t mean that your child doesn’t need as much sleep as other children do. You will frequently find that your child will be more likely to act aggressively when they are experiencing poor sleep.

Dealing with aggressive outbursts from autistic children

Thankfully, there are many things you can try to help reduce your autistic child’s aggressive behaviors. Some of these include:

•       Identifying aspects of the environment that may be triggering your ASD child and developing strategies for dealing with external stimuli.

○       If your child is hypersensitive to  noises, you may find that having your child wear noise cancelling headphones in certain environments is enough to help them control their reactions to what is going on around them. Parents are apt to understand that a child may be distrubed by loud noises like fireworks or alarms.

 

However, it is helpful to understand that it isn’t always loud noises that can create issues for your autistic child. Often when children with autism are trying to concentrate in the classroom, they can be distracted by conversations or noises that you may not even notice. The frustration created by this constant distraction is enough to make many children act out aggressively. Often professional help may be necessary to help you identify why your child is acting out aggressively.

○       If your child is hypersensitive to smells, you may find that allowing them to use lotions or hand sanitizers that have a soothing smell on their hands will help them to focus on the pleasant smell that they have control of rather than the offensive smell. Likewise, if you know that your child is triggered by a pervasive external smell like the smell of cooking fish, you may find that improving ventilation and the use of air fresheners will help to lower your child’s reaction to olfactory stimulation.

○       If your child is hypersensitive to glaring lights, you may find that something as simple as allowing your child to wear sunglasses in certain environments is sufficient to help reduce the likelihood that your child will experience enough discomfort that they act out aggressively.

•       Prepare your child in advance when there will be a break in their routine when you can.
•       If you take your child into a new environment where they are likely to find things confusing, take the time to explain what is happening and help them to avoid undue anxiety.

For example, the first time you fly with a child who struggles with autism, you may find that they are overwhelmed and confused. Taking the time to explain the process of travel step by step as you approach a new phase of the trip will help your child remain confident that they are safe. You will want to avoid giving too much information all at once to avoid overwhelming the child.

•       Help your child develop good sleep hygiene to support them in getting a good night’s sleep. Children on the autism spectrum will generally need more support to get a good night’s sleep than other children do. Developing a supportive night time ritual and helping your child deal with the things that interrupt their sleep can help them cope better with the stresses they encounter in everyday life.

How can you modify aggressive behavior of autistic children?

There are a variety of strategies and therapies that can help you modify the aggressive behavior of your autistic child. These options include:

•     Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is a very well researched intervention that has helped many children diagnosed with ASD reduce aggressive behaviors. ABA therapy is based on learning theories and has been shown to be highly effective in helping children on the autism spectrum reduce negative behaviors. Specific aspects of ABA therapy have been found to be highly effective in helping reduce aggressive behavior in autistic children.

○       For example, Functional Communication Training (FCT) has been seen to help children on the autism spectrum to reduce aggressive behaviors when their behaviors are intended to get attention or are the result of the frustration of not being able to communicate their needs. A child may be taught to use gestures or pictures to communicate needs and obtain attention.

○       Functional Behavioral Assessment. This aspect of ABA therapy is very helpful in allowing parents and professionals to understand why a child diagnosed with ASD may be acting out in an aggressive manner. Once parents understand why their child is behaving in a certain way, they can develop a plan to deal with it. Although your child doesn’t have to be in ABA therapy for you to obtain a functional behavioral assessment, this assessment is a fundamental aspect of ABA therapy.

○       Reinforcement Strategies. There are several reinforcement strategies used in ABA therapy that have been found to help in the reduction of aggressive behaviors in children diagnosed with ASD.

 

•       Medications are a helpful alternative that many parents turn to to help their autistic child control aggressive behaviors. Research has found that a variety of medications have been found to help children on the autism spectrum deal with symptoms associated with their disorder. Some psychiatrists have prescribed antipsychotic medications or mood stabilizers to help control an autistic child’s aggressive behaviors.

 

Although there are many studies on using these medications to help children on the autism spectrum control aspects of their disorder, this option is often used as a last resort or when a child’s behaviors are very severe. Many medications are not appropriate for children under a certain age, and all of these medications have potential side effects that give many parents pause.

ABA therapy is an effective treatment method used to improve the independent living and social skills of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 

With the care and guidance of trained ABA therapists, your child will be able to see significant improvements. But what exactly does an ABA therapy session consist of? And how do you best prepare for training at home? 

Below, we tell you what to expect from ABA therapy and how to set up your home to ensure optimal learning conditions for your child with autism. 

What Is In-Home ABA Therapy?

Applied Behavior Analysis or ABA is a form of behavioral therapy that focuses on changing unwanted behaviors and reinforcing desirable ones. ABA therapy provides targeted treatment based on the child’s individual strengths and weaknesses. 

Developed by Norwegian-American psychologist Ivar Lovaas, ABA therapy has been successfully used to help children with autism and related developmental disorders since the 1970s. It has been proven highly effective in helping children with autism develop and progress. In fact, research shows that ABA therapy is the most effective form of autism treatment with more than 90% improvement rate. 

What is ABA therapy used for? 

ABA therapy is used to build and improve social and communication skills in addition to daily living skills in children with autism. These skills include:

• Activities of daily living (feeding, dressing, bathing)
• Potty training
• Following directions
• Understanding social cues (facial expressions, body language)
• Social skills (initiating conversations, responding to questions)
• Reducing problematic behaviors like tantrums
• Basic academic and pre-academic skills.

What methods are used in ABA therapy? 

In general, ABA therapy breaks down each of the essential skills into small, concrete steps. It then builds toward more significant changes in functioning and independence levels. Each ABA therapy session consists of a combination of play, direct instructions, various activities, adaptive skills training, and parent guidance.

ABA therapy typically uses positive reinforcement in the form of rewards and other incentives. When a desirable behavior is followed by a motivator, like a special toy or activity, children are more likely to repeat the action. Over time, this method can encourage positive behavioral changes in children with autism.

What are the benefits of in-home ABA therapy?

In-home ABA therapy can either supplement or completely replace facility-based care. Having ABA therapy sessions at home has numerous advantages: 

• It allows for more flexible scheduling.
• It enables your child to practice and learn new skills in a non-threatening, familiar environment.

• It facilitates parent/caregiver training, which is an essential component of ABA therapy. 

What Is In-Home ABA Therapy Like? 

The in-home ABA therapy has three stages: intake, assessment, and treatment.

Intake

The Hidden Talents ABA coordination team conducts an initial interview to verify your child’s eligibility for ABA therapy. You can expect them to ask questions about your child’s developmental history, problem behaviors such as aggression and tantrums, any prescribed medications, speech and occupational therapy, and previous ABA treatments.

Assessment

Our Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) will assess your child’s communication along with academic and social skills to develop a detailed individualized treatment plan. Based on this assessment, they will also make a recommendation on how many hours of ABA therapy your child should receive. 

Treatment

Once the treatment plan is developed, your child will be assigned a team consisting of one or more ABA therapists and a BCBA. The composition of the ABA treatment team will depend on the number of therapy hours. Your child can have anywhere from one to four ABA therapists who are regularly supervised by a BCBA. The team will work together to deliver a comprehensive treatment and adapt the plan as needed to ensure continued progress. 

The therapists will monitor your child’s progress towards set goals by collecting data during each therapy session. Our BCBA experts regularly meet with both therapists and family members to review this information, which allows them to plan ahead and adjust teaching plans, the intensity of therapy, and learning goals as needed. 

How Long Is an ABA Session?

An ABA therapy session can last anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. If your child receives several therapy sessions per day, therapists will be rotated every 2-3 hours to keep things fresh and interesting and hold your child’s attention longer. 

Preparing for In-Home ABA Therapy

In-home ABA therapy requires careful preparation. Our professional therapists are trained to provide in-home services and will assist you every step of the way. 

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Choose a dedicated therapy space. It can be an office, a playroom, or any other location where your child will be able to focus on learning new skills. 
• Let the therapist know about your child’s special interests, favorite toys or activities. These can be used as motivation and reinforcement during sessions.
• Show your child any changes you made in the room before starting the therapy to make them feel comfortable and safe.
• Create a consistent schedule and let your child know what to do when the therapist arrives. Make sure to review this routine before each session.
• Prepare your child for the session. He/she should be awake, fed, and have a dry diaper or pull up. Also, make sure that your child is not actively engaged in a favorite activity as it may be used as reinforcement during therapy. 
• Make a list of questions to ask your therapist before the start of the first session. The effectiveness of ABA therapy for children with autism is shown to largely depend on parents’ involvement, particularly when it comes to speech and social interactions. Clear communication between parent and therapist is a must.
• At least one adult is required to be at home during ABA therapy. It is important that you or another responsible person don’t leave the house while sessions are taking place and that you are available at all times.
• You should avoid interrupting or joining the session without discussing it with your ABA therapist first. You are free to observe the therapy, however, if a problem behavior occurs, you should let the therapist handle the situation.
• There is no need to offer your therapist food or drinks while they are at your home. It’s also worth keeping in mind that therapists are not allowed to accept gifts.

How Should You Set up Your Home So That It Works Best for the Therapist and the Child?

Since in-home ABA treatment requires that your child has therapy sessions at home, it’s essential to provide a comfortable, distraction-free space that stimulates learning. Here’s how to create an environment where your child can concentrate and where therapists can best do their job: 

• If you have the possibility, designate a specific room or space in your house that will be used exclusively for therapy sessions. Your child should think of this space as the “therapy room.” 
• Keep the therapy room simple, calm, and completely free from distractions. The therapy room should ideally not have a TV, computer, or other electronic devices.
• Prepare a child-sized table and chairs to make the environment as pleasant and secure as possible for your child.
• Have a dedicated therapy box or basket for storing ABA therapy tools such as puzzles, flashcards, stacking toys, reinforcement items, sensory toys, or any other items your therapist may need to use. Your child shouldn’t have free access to these items outside of the sessions so that they remain associated with therapy.
• Be clear about your expectations from the start to make sessions seamless and more efficient. Inform the therapist about any home rules like the “shoes off” policy and let them know if there are certain rooms or parts of your home that are off-limits for your child. Also make sure to take into consideration your therapist’s special needs like pet allergies, for example.

How Do You Get ABA In-Home Therapy Services?

If you are interested in ABA in-home therapy for your child with autism, start by speaking with your pediatrician or another medical provider about the ABA treatment. They will help you decide whether this type of therapy is right for your child. If necessary, they will also write a prescription for ABA treatment for your insurance.

The second step is checking whether your insurance company covers the cost of ABA therapy and what your benefits are. Most states, including Georgia, require insurance coverage for autism services. Be sure to compare different providers when choosing a plan for your child to get the best coverage possible.

Feel free to contact us for more information about in-home ABA therapy or to request an intake evaluation. You can call us at 404-487-6005, send us an email at info@wordpress-765752-2798792.cloudwaysapps.com, or fill out our contact form, and we’ll be in touch with you as soon as possible. 

What are autism support groups?

A support group provides a safe environment for people with common issues to share stories and information as well as ideas about how to deal with the problems they face. 

Autism is a disorder that can create a lot of turmoil in social relationships, so having a support group can help parents and relatives as well as children connect with other people who are patient and understanding. 

Autism support groups often include activities for both adults and children. Though every group is different, all autistic support groups engage in a variety of activities that are designed to enhance coping strategies, connect people with similar experiences to each other, and create opportunities for participants to learn new techniques for dealing with autism.

The Importance of Having an Autism Support Group

One of the easiest ways to get to know other parents with autistic children is to attend an autism support group and become an active member. Other parents are often the best source of support and information and through a support group, children with autism and Asperger’s can develop important lifelong friendships.

 

Having an autism support group can be beneficial in a variety of ways. The support group functions a lot like a community, providing a sense of connection, information, and resources that may be difficult to find outside of the group. 

Without the group, parents, grandparents, or siblings may feel isolated or alienated by the problems they face. In contrast, if you have a support group to provide you with tools, information, and guidance, you’ll be much better equipped to deal with mental health professionals, teachers and school officials, and other individuals who will have an effect on your child’s life.

 

Autism Support Groups in Atlanta provide services for:

 

•       Parents
•       Grandparents
•       Siblings
•       Autistic children and children on the autistic spectrum
•       Asperger’s syndrome children

 

If you live in the Atlanta area check out the top 5 autism support group options listed below: 

The 5 Best Autism Support Groups in the Atlanta Area

(If you are looking for ABA therapists in the Atlanta area click on the link.)  

 

1.   Spectrum Autism Support Group

The Spectrum Support group was established in 1998 and they currently serve over 1,500 families in Gwinnett County and the Atlanta metropolitan area. It is a well-known resource in the autistic community. They administer a wide array of different programs for the autism community including:

 

•       Respite Programs
•       Monthly Support Groups
•       Family camps
•       Overnight Camps
•       Summer Day Camps
•       Social Skills Groups

 

The social opportunities are geared toward providing support for the entire family through education and online resources to improve the lives of families and individuals who have been impacted by autism.

 

Mailing Address for Spectrum Autism Support Group, Inc.:

 

P.O. Box 3132

Suwanee, GA 30024

 

Claire Dees – Executive Director

770-617-8775

claire@atl-spectrum.com

 

Mary O’Connell – Social Skills Today and Camp Program Director

mary@socialskillstoday.com

 

General Information and Questions:

info@atl-spectrum.com

2.    Autism Speaks Georgia Support Group(s)

Autism Speaks provides both in-person and online support groups for families with special needs children throughout the state of Georgia. As a service to the community, they provide general information about autism. They are dedicated to finding solutions and management strategies for all members of the family across the autism spectrum and for people of all ages.

Through the Autism Speaks organization, parents can access the following services;

 

•       Fundraising opportunities for research to find better treatments for this disease and other related diseases.
•       Advocacy
•       Support

 

Mailing Address for Autism Speaks Georgia:

PO Box 199

Rocky Hill, NJ 08553

 

Email:

georgia@autismspeaks.org 

 

General Telephone: 770-451-0570

 

Kimberly Dick – Executive Director

kimberly.dick@autismspeaks.org 

470-377-7963

 

Kaitlyn Morris – Senior Manager

kaitlyn.morris@autismspeaks.org 

470-377-7964

 

Janet Williams – Director

janet.williams@autismspeaks.org

470-377-7966

 

Georgia Parents Support Network (GPSN)

The Georgia Parent Support Network is a group that’s dedicated to providing services to children and families with a variety of different mental health and development issues. They offer the following resources to parents with autistic children:

 

•       Support
•       Education
•       Advocacy

 

Mailing Address for the Georgia Parents Support Network:

 

1381 Metropolitan Parkway

Atlanta, GA 30310

 

Email: info@gpsn.org

 

Telephone: 1-844-278-6945; 404-758-4500

Fax: 404-758-6833

 

Georgia Crisis and Access Line: 1-800-715-4225

Marcus Autism Center Support Group(s)

Marcus Autism Center provides essential resources to families with autistic children, funds groundbreaking research into autism, and offers supportive programs for autistic children and young adults. The center has multiple support groups (such as their bilingual caregiver support group) available to families in need that cater to different populations in the community.

 

Marcus Autism Center offers the following services to families with autistic children:

 

•       ABA Therapy Program
•       Severe Behavior Program
•       Assessment and Diagnosis
•       Online Tips and Resources
•       Educational, Training, and Outreach programs

Marcus Autism Center is open from 8am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday. Their address and contact information for Marcus Autism Center is listed below:

 

Marcus Autism Center

1920 Briarcliff Road

Atlanta, GA 30329

(404) 785-9400

North Fulton Autism Support Group at Emory Autism Center

The Emory Autism Center is an important community resource center for autistic individuals and their families. The North Fulton Autism Support Group is a notable group in Atlanta that consists of over 450 members that include parents, grandparents, and advocates of autistic children. This group is considered to be one of the most informative and interactive groups in Atlanta. The North Fulton Autism Support Group arranges regular meetings that are based on specific subjects so as to maximize the time used by the group.

 

During meetings, a speaker from the community discusses a preset topic at the beginning of the night, and then parents are free to discuss it with each other afterwards. There is also an online message board available to families.

 

In addition to the North Fulton Autism Support Group, the Emory Autism Center offers the following resources:

 

•       Behavior Support and Skill-Building Programs
•       Autism Screening and Assessment (for all ages)
•       The EAC Educational and Transition Services Program
•       Childhood Education and Training for Autistic Children

The North Fulton Autism Support Group meets at the following address and may be contacted using the information below:

 

TherapyLand

6505 Shiloh Road, Suite 100

Alpharetta, GA 30005

debbiedobbs@comcast.com

(678) 315-2498

Children with autism are often extremely attached to their long-established routines. A transition from being in a diaper to using a toilet is a major change that, combined with communication challenges, can be very difficult for an autistic child. 

That’s why toilet training your child with autism may take a long time and require a lot of patience. This guide will provide you with some tools and tips to make the potty training of your autistic child easier.

Can a Child With Autism Be Potty Trained?

Teaching children who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) independent toilet skills is essential for improving their quality of life. Extended use of diapers not only increases physical discomfort, but can also have a negative impact on their bladder control and self-confidence, and may limit their participation in social activities. 

Before starting to potty train a child with autism, it is recommended to consult a pediatrician to rule out any medical conditions that may prevent your child from effective toilet training. If there are no medical issues, most children on the autistic spectrum can successfully learn how to use the toilet. However, be prepared that the process will take lots of time and effort.

At What Age Should You Potty Train Your Autistic Child?

There is no perfect age to begin toilet training for children with autism. Every child has different skills and needs. You should keep in mind that autistic children are often delayed with toilet training, also compared to children with other developmental disabilities. The average age of successful toilet training for children with autism is 3.3 years in comparison to 2.5 years for children with other developmental disabilities and 2.3 years for children without disabilities. 

What Are the Signs That a Child With Autism Is Ready to Be Potty Trained? 

Several conditions need to be met before you can successfully start potty training your autistic child: 

• Your child has the gross and fine motor skills to carry out a toileting routine.
• Your child is able to imitate actions such as sitting on the toilet.
• Your child can sit on a potty, toilet, or toilet training seat without resistance.
• Your child is capable of pulling down his/her pants and underwear and pulling them back up on his/her own or with minimal assistance.
• Your child knows where the bathroom is located in your house.
• Your child stays dry for at least 2 hours during the day and after naps, which is an indicator of sufficient bladder/bowel control. 

In addition, children with autism who are ready for toilet training will:

• Express that they don’t like the feeling of a wet diaper either by trying to take it off or signing or gesturing that they’ve wet or soiled their diaper. 
• Show interest in the toilet by sitting on it or flushing it without being prompted to do so. 
• Let you know when they need changing by taking you to the bathroom to get a clean diaper, for example. 

How to Potty Train an Autistic Child?

Potty training of an autistic child consists of three phases: planning phase, setting up, and implementation phase. 

Planning phase

Teaching your autistic child to use the toilet requires careful planning. During this phase, you’ll need to prepare the following items: 

• Toilet training seat for children or a transitional potty
• A footstool if your child needs support while sitting on the toilet
• Two weeks’ worth of underwear
• Timer
• Wipes
• A basket filled with fun activities such as books and toys to keep the child entertained 
• A reinforcement bin with rewards like the child’s favorite candy, treats, toys, and stickers 
• A data chart to track the success of toilet training
• Visual supports
• Toilet training books 

Because children with autism are often visual learners, they can benefit from visual cues and prompts while potty training.

Picture cards

Picture cards indicate the sequence of actions the child is expected to accomplish: trousers down, pants down, sit on the toilet, pee/poop in the toilet, wipe, pants up, trousers up, flush the toilet. 

You can also create a step-by-step visual sequence of the toilet routine with the help of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) icons. Alternatively, you may want to use actual photos you have taken of your child if he/she finds it more motivating. 

Social Stories

Personalized social stories can help children on the autism spectrum develop appropriate behaviors and cope with new and potentially confusing situations such as toilet training. 

These simple stories, written from the child’s perspective, explain in detail what will happen when they use the toilet. Make sure to read the story with your child multiple times each day until he/she starts understanding the process.

Your child’s speech and occupational therapists as well as early intervention or school teachers can help you create a toilet training social story.

Setting up phase

Once you have everything ready, you can start the setting up phase. Choose the bathroom in your home that your child feels most comfortable using and designate it as the training bathroom. You can then make it ready for potty training:

• Position a toilet training seat on the toilet or a transitional potty in the bathroom.
• Place underwear, wipes, and timer in the bathroom.
• Place the activity basket within reach. Your child should be able to easily access it while sitting on the toilet.
• Hide the reinforcement bin so that your child doesn’t have access to the rewards.
• Place the picture cards where your child can easily see them, for example, at the back of the toilet door or by the toilet.
• Tape the data chart on the wall outside of the bathroom.

Implementation phase

The implementation phase will take time, consistency, and patience. Because children on the autism spectrum appreciate routine, it’s important to keep the sequence of behaviors the same every time. 

Make sure to use specific language to help your child understand what to do. Choose one word to refer to going to the toilet and have all the family members use it. Using several different words to describe the toilet, like potty or bathroom, can be confusing for children with autism.

Positive reinforcement and rewards can be useful in the toilet training of children on the autism spectrum. Use the reward that your child responds to best. Some children prefer praise and nonverbal encouragement like hugs or thumbs up, while others respond better to an object or a favorite activity. Whatever you choose, make sure the rewards are immediate and consistent and that your child clearly understands what behavior is being rewarded. 

When starting the toilet training, you should take your child to the bathroom every 20 minutes and have the child sit on the toilet for only 5 minutes. Sitting on the toilet for too long can feel like a punishment. Keep the child entertained by reading to him/her or have him/her play with the toys from the activity basket. Repeat the process consistently until bedtime and use the diaper for the night.

After a couple of days, you will start noticing a pattern: your child will either pee or poop more in the morning or afternoon. You can then increase the frequency of bathroom visits from every 20 to every 30 minutes, and eventually an hour. 

Useful tips for potty training

• Many parents find it easier not to use a potty as part of toilet training to avoid any additional transitions. You can go straight to putting your child on the toilet or use a toilet training seat to limit the number of changes during the toilet training process.
• If your child is sensitive to or upset by the sensory aspects of going to the toilet, let them get used to sitting on the toilet seat by practicing for a few minutes every day. 
• Ensure that everyone working with your child follows the exact same method and routine to ensure consistent and efficient training.
• Have your child use underwear as soon as possible. This will help the child associate accidents with wetness and discomfort.
• Keep in mind that peeing and pooping are two separate parts of toilet training. After you teach your child to successfully pee in the toilet, you can start on poop training.
• At the beginning of the potty training, it is a good idea to encourage autistic children to eat salty foods. This will make them thirsty and they will be likely to drink more fluids throughout the day. 
• Don’t worry about accidents. When they happen, don’t focus on them and just briefly remind the child to use the toilet next time he/she needs to go.
• Try to stay calm and positive. Toilet training your autistic child may take a long time. As long as your child is making progress and is having a positive experience, you should continue with the training. The more they practice, the more familiar the process will become and the easier it will be to use the toilet.

When to take a break from potty training

If your child is resistant to going to the bathroom and there are no signs of progress, consider taking a break from potty training. You should wait for at least three months before starting the training again. 

Don’t think of it as a failure, but rather an indicator that the child is not yet ready to be potty trained. Once they are ready, toilet training will become a positive experience. You may want to consult your child’s occupational therapist or early intervention service if you feel you need more intensive support.

However, if you don’t see any improvement at all after several weeks, you should see a pediatrician. There might be a medical reason like constipation or urinary tract infection behind your child’s lack of response to toilet training. 

Issues That Autistic Parents Face When Potty Training Their Child

There are many challenges you are likely to face when potty training your autistic child. Here are some of the most common ones:

What if my child is afraid of the toilet and doesn’t want to sit on or go near it?

If your child is afraid of the toilet, start the training by using a transitional potty. Have the child sit on the potty outside the bathroom and slowly transition it into the bathroom. Alternatively, your child may accept to sit on the toilet with the seat down or with clothes on. Gradually, have the child sit on the toilet with the seat up on a training seat. 

What if my child has an excessive interest in flushing the toilet?

Explain to your child that flushing is done when there is pee or poop in the toilet and is only done once. You can put a visual stop sign on the toilet or deny access to the toilet by closing the bathroom door.

What if my child has a fear of flushing the toilet?

Children with autism are often afraid of flushing the toilet because the loud sound is overwhelming to their sensory system. Always tell your child in advance that you are going to flush the toilet. At first, wait until the child has left the bathroom to flush. Gradually, when he/she is more comfortable, let him/her stand in the bathroom (while wearing earplugs at first) when you flush the toilet. Once they get used to the sound, they can try flushing on their own. 

What if my child wants to play with toilet paper?

Explain to your child that toilet paper is only for wiping after going to the toilet. Keep the toilet paper out of their reach or use tissues, wipes, or folded toilet paper instead. 

What if my child likes to play with the toilet water?

Encourage your child to play with water in other places in your home such as the sink or bathtub. Deny access to the bathroom or put a visual stop sign on the toilet. Or you may want to place safety catches on the toilet until your child can understand that it is not a place to play. 

What if my child is afraid to have a bowel movement

Children with autism can find bowel movements frightening. In fact, it’s very common for autistic children to hold in bowel movements while they are being potty trained. If this is the case, you may want to let your child poop in the diaper while in the bathroom. Slowly transition to having him/her poop into the diaper when sitting on the toilet until eventually he/she feels comfortable sitting on the toilet with the diaper off.

Teaching a Child to Ask to Use the Bathroom

Encourage your child to let you know when he/she needs to go to the toilet. It is especially important to help children with limited verbal abilities to express themselves when they need to use the toilet. They can communicate through nonverbal signing or PECS cards, for example. If your child uses an assisted communication device, add a picture of a toilet that he/she can press to give you an audible cue. 

Hand Washing 

Once you have successfully potty trained your autistic child, you can teach them how to finish the potty routine and wash their hands after they use the bathroom. It is essential to concentrate on only one task at a time. Teaching potty training and hand washing at the same time can be overwhelming for an autistic child.

Make sure to follow the same sequence each time: turn on the water, wet the hands, rub the soap into hands, rinse hands, turn off the water, and dry hands. Just like you did with the toilet training, you can create a step-by-step visual sequence of the hand washing routine using the PECS icons or photos that you have placed at the child’s eye level by the bathroom sink. 

Resources

• Books about potty training will help autistic children visualize the process, especially when they can relate to a character’s experience. Here are some books suitable for children on the autism spectrum: 
  • Ready, Set, Potty!: Toilet Training for Children with Autism and Other Developmental Disorders (Amazon)
• Time to Pee (Amazon)
• On Top of the Potty (Amazon)

• Bear in the Big Blue House – Potty Time With Bear (Amazon)

• Picture cards can help children with autism understand the exact sequence of actions required for toilet training. Several websites offer free printable picture cards: 
  • Potty Training Visual Schedule for children with autism. 
  • Toileting Picture Cards from View2Do. 
• Toilet training apps can be useful for children on the autism spectrum, particularly less verbal ones. These apps can both help them communicate the need to go to the toilet and provide a visual schedule. 
  • AvaKid See Me Go Potty is a communication app that helps children with developmental delays and communication disabilities say when they need to go to the bathroom. 
  • Potty Training Social Story from TouchAutism is customizable for boys or girls and designed not to overwhelm sensitive children. 

What is Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks is an organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of autistic children and their parents. 

The organization promotes educational materials designed for families with autistic members and facilitates scientific research into autism so as to improve the resources and information available to individuals and families working with autistic children and adults.

 

Autism Speaks makes connections and partnerships with individuals, companies, organizations, and other entities in an effort to increase understanding and acceptance of autistic individuals, encourage groundbreaking research, and develop more effective, valuable educational materials for both autistic individuals and their families. 

They also have made it their mission to help autistic children transition into adulthood more comfortably, meanwhile funding and encouraging efforts toward early childhood autism screening and treatment.

 

The Next 10 Vision is currently one of the main driving factors in the Autism Speaks mission. This is a set of goals that the organization hopes to achieve within the next 10 years. The goals are to:

 

•       Obtain a clearer perspective on the causes and typology of Autism Spectrum Disorder
•       Be able to diagnose autistic children before the age of 2
•       Give autistic children and their families ample access to interventions, services, and resources after diagnosis
•       Provide more effective treatment of ASD pathology as well as of the common conditions that go along with the diagnosis
•       Develop practical, easily implemented strategies to help autistic children transition into adulthood and become as independent as possible
•       Ensure that individuals along the autism spectrum have access to supportive resources, information, and services throughout their lifetime

 

The Autism Speaks organization offers grants for research and autism-related service programs. They also may provide limited grant funding to families or individuals who have been severely affected by a negative life event or natural disaster. These grants fund various autism programs across the United States and other countries to make life-changing discoveries possible and accessible to the general public. 

 

In addition, Autism Speaks members contribute to numerous research programs. These research programs include the MSSNG program, the Global Autism Public Health program, and the Autism Treatment Network (ATN), among others. Research fellowships are also available through Autism Speaks for individuals who wish to contribute in a more hands-on way to the organization.

The Georgia Chapter of Autism Speaks

The Georgia chapter of Autism Speaks is located in Atlanta and serves the entire autism community in Georgia. The staff members at Autism Speaks Georgia are responsible for managing events, resources, research, and grantmaking in the state of Georgia. You can contact Autism Speaks Georgia at georgia@autismspeaks.org or you can communicate with any of the staff members for this branch. Contact information for the Autism Speaks Georgia staff members is listed below:

 

Kimberly Dick – Executive Director

•       Kimberly Dick has been a part of the Autism Speaks Georgia team since January 2016. She is also the executive director of the Tennessee branch of Autism Speaks, and she has been a participating member of Autism Speaks for over 10 years. She initially started working as a volunteer for the organization after her son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2 and then eventually progressed in the organization until she reached the higher level of executive director.
•       Email: kimberly.dick@autismspeaks.org
•       Phone: (470) 377-7963

 

Kaitlyn Morris – Senior Manager, Field Development

•       Kaitlyn Morris has been working at Autism Speaks Georgia for almost 8 years. She started as a senior coordinator and progressed upward to become the senior manager and field development manager of the Autism Speaks Georgia branch. Prior to her work with Autism Speaks, Morris was an event coordinator in the Greater Atlanta Area.
•       Email: kaitlyn.morris@autismspeaks.org
•       Phone: (470) 377-7964

 

Janet Williams – Director, Community Outreach

•       Janet William started working as an Autism Speaks volunteer in 2015 after her 11-year-old son was diagnosed with autism. Shortly after starting to volunteer, Williams was promoted to be the Walk Chair for the Atlanta Walk. In 2017, she was hired to be the community outreach manager and director of the Autism Speaks Georgia branch.
•       Email: janet.williams@autismspeaks.org
•       Phone: (470) 377-7966

 

The Autism Speaks Georgia headquarters is located at the following address:

 

Autism Speaks Inc.

900 Circle 75 Parkway

Suite #445

Atlanta, Georgia 30339

(770) 451-0570

Work that Autism Speaks Has Done in the Atlanta Area

Autism Speaks is very active in the Atlanta area and in Georgia. Some of the efforts that the organization has made in Atlanta are listed below:

 

•       “Blue Blessings” Initiative – A program designed to encourage faith-based communities to come together to provide support and acceptance of autistic individuals in Atlanta. This initiative encompasses all faiths present in Atlanta and Georgia.
•       Support of the Black and Hispanic communities – Autism Speaks Georgia places an emphasis on diagnosing, treating, supporting, and including minority autistic children and their families in the community.
•       Individualized Educational Programs (IEP) – This Autism Speaks initiative is intended to help educators and parents provide high quality education to autistic children of all ages. Autistic children learn differently, so the IEP program is designed to support the healthy education of these children.
•       Support of local autism-related programs – Autism Speaks provides financial and educational support to various autism-related programs in Atlanta. For example, the organization supports the ACEing Autism Tennis Program.
•       Educational webinars and online events for Georgia residents
•       In-person seminars and meet-ups for individuals with autism and families who have an autistic member (for example, the CSULB Community Conversations event)
•       Atlanta Walk autism fundraising and awareness event (more information below)
•       The Autism Speaks Autism Response Team (ART) – This online or in-person medium is designed to help autistic individuals and their families quickly find resources, tools, information, and community events.

Autism Speaks Atlanta Walk

The Autism Speaks Atlanta Walk is a well-known, popular fundraising event that brings awareness to autism while also promoting community involvement in the support of autistic individuals and their families. People who sign up to walk are growing funds that go toward autism research, support, and educational facilities. The distance that walkers will go in the Atlanta Walk is 1.54 miles, which is representative of the 1:54 ratio of children who are on the autism spectrum to those who are not.

 

Participants are encouraged to post pictures of themselves on social media and to tag Autism Speaks with the tag @AutismSpeaks, @AutismSpeaksGA, or #AutismSpeaksWalk. People who are doing the walk may go individually or they may get together a group to go with. The more people who walk, the more awareness is raised to support the Autism Speaks mission and autistic children and adults everywhere!

 

Each year, a donation goal is set. In 2020, the goal was $652,000. This is one of the primary fundraising projects that Autism Speaks puts on each year, and it is also one of the most lucrative for the organization. Almost half a billion dollars have been raised in the past and put into research initiatives and programs to increase understanding and acceptance of autism worldwide.

 

If you can’t walk, you can make donations to support the Atlanta Walk instead. You can download the Atlanta Walk app to your smartphone to upload checks, or you can mail your donation to the following address:

 

Autism Speaks

P.O. Box 199

Rocky Hill, NJ 08553-0199

What is ABA therapy?

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Therapy is considered the gold standard treatment for children struggling with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and many other cognitive issues. 

Based on learning theory, ABA therapy is the systematic application of the scientific understanding of learning and behavior. 

Used by trained professionals, ABA therapy can support improved behavior, learning, communication, and social engagement. Unfortunately, implemented by poorly trained individuals, this highly effective intervention can prove not only unhelpful but problematic.

 

ABA therapy was formed in the 1980s for use with children on the autism spectrum by Dr. O. Ivaar Lovaas and is based on the work of behaviorists like B.F. Skinner.  

The intention of this form of therapy is to identify behaviors that create a problem and provide retraining to help your child develop behaviors that are more beneficial to them. Training takes place with the use of rewards or reinforcers. ABA therapy should not be punitive in nature.

 

ABA therapy isn’t a rapid therapeutic intervention. It isn’t unusual for ABA therapy to take several hours a week. The ABA therapist, or an ABA team, will work one on one with a child to break down behaviors into small steps. Each of these steps is taught to the child and reinforced with a reward.

 

Intensive learning of a specific behavior is called a drill. Your child will practice drills many times to support learning. Repetition of the individual skills they are learning will not only help your child learn a skill, it will also strengthen your childs’ long-term memory, making them more likely to remember the learned skill after not using it for some length of time. Each repetition of the skill your child is being trained to use will be reinforced.

Who Conducts ABA Therapy?

ABA Therapy is practiced by an assortment of professionals and paraprofessionals with varying levels of education. Though there is no licensing body within the United States, many states require certification of their ABA practitioners. Generally, you will find a variety of certifications in the individuals that work with your child. Most ABA providers work in a team with individuals with higher levels of certification supervising other team members.

 

ABA providers who engage in ABA therapy use a team approach to support your child in developing improved behavior, social skills, communication, and learning. Providers often prefer the team approaches because ABA therapy is an intense process and it isn’t always necessary to have a highly trained individual working one on one with your child to train small incremental behavior changes.

 

However, it is important that the professional designing the interventions that will be used with your child, have a full understanding of ABA therapy and the principles it is based upon. ABA therapy is performed one-on-one and can be done in your home or at a provider’s place of business. 

BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst)

A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) is a professional with a minimum of a masters level degree and training in Applied Behavior Analysis. Individuals seeking a BCBA must have their masters degree in an appropriate field. These individuals may hold master’s degrees in areas like counseling, psychology, or social work. They will take any additional training needed before scheduling to take their certification exam.

 

Professionals with this level of certification have the training necessary to work independently as ABA professionals. They are also required to pass a certification exam and to maintain their skills by acquiring Continuing Education Units (CEU). BCBA therapist will recertify every two years. To do this they must take 32 CEUs (4 CEUS must be in ethics) and apply through the certifying board.

BCaBA (Board Certified Assistant Behavioral Analyst)

A Board Certified Assistant Behavioral Analyst (BCaBA) is a professionally trained ABA therapist with a bachelor’s degree level of education. To acquire certification, these individuals must take training coursework in ABA Therapy and pass an examination. They are also required to maintain their learning through CEU’s to keep their certification active. BCaBA therapists must work under the direction of BCBA level professionals.

 

A BCaBA therapist is required to complete 20 CEUs every two years to maintain their certification. A minimum of 4 CEUs must be in the area of ethics. 

CAS (Certified Autism Specialist)

A Certified Autism Specialist (CAS) is an individual who has obtained a master’s degree level of education and worked in a field with individuals with autism spectrum disorder for a minimum of two years. You may find teachers, counselors, doctors, and other professionals with this certification. Just like the other certified specialists we had discussed, individuals with this certification must meet CEU standards to maintain their certification.

AC (Autism Certificate)

An Autism Certificate (AC) requires a minimum of 14 hours of continuing education related to autism. This certification requires that the individual also take and pass an exam. Individuals with this level of certification are required to maintain CEU’s and reapply for certification every two years. 

RBT (Registered Behavior Technician)

A Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) certification provides identification that the individual has:

 

•       Obtained a high school diploma
•       Completed 40 hours of specialized training
•       Passed a background check
•       Completed a competency assessment
•       Taken and passed the RBT Exam

 

These paraprofessionals must work under the supervision of another professional, renew their certification annually, and adhere to RBT ethical standards. Individuals with this level of certification may not work as independent ABA therapists. 

This certification is appropriate for individuals working in special education. Individuals with this credential can be found working as teachers, bus drivers, and paraprofessionals both within and outside of the education system.

 

What to look for when choosing an ABA therapy provider

A qualified ABA therapist is a licensed clinical therapist with additional ABA training and the appropriate certification level. A BCBA certification identifies an ABA therapist with a master’s level education and a BCBA-D identifies an ABA therapist with a doctoral degree. 

You should look for highly trained ABA therapists who use data and the most up to date techniques. An ABA therapist without a BCBA or BCBA-D certification must work under the supervision of an independent ABA therapist.

 

Although individuals who make up your child’s ABA therapy team do not all require BCBA level certification, it is essential that the individual leading your child’s team have the certification to be an independent ABA therapist.

 

Can ABA therapy be harmful?

Just like any other form of therapy, ABA therapy can be harmful if practiced incorrectly. A professional ABA therapist must have the appropriate training to be able to identify the functions of the problematic behaviors your child is displaying, to create an appropriate training plan, and to provide consistent and appropriate learning opportunities for your child.

 

Although you will find horror stories when searching for information on ABA therapy online, it is important for you to remember that some of these issues occurred before certification of ABA therapist was widely required. It is also important for you as a parent to have a good understanding of your child and the goals you have for your child.

 

Disrespectful and abusive practices have unfortunately happened under the guise of ABA therapy. So, it is important that parents understand what to look for in an ABA therapist, understand the behaviors that the therapist is seeking to change, and feel comfortable with the way the therapist approaches teaching their child. Just because your child exhibits unusual behavior doesn’t mean that that behavior must be altered.

 

Being an active participant in your child’s care will help you to find the appropriate ABA therapist for your child. You will want to pay particular attention to how your child’s ABA therapist identifies and deals with “problem” behaviors. 

If your child’s therapist identifies behaviors as problematic that you disagree with, you should be concerned and feel free to discuss your concerns with your ABA therapy team. If you feel uncomfortable asking questions, or your questions aren’t well-received, this is concerning.

When they reflect back on their experiences in ABA therapy, some adults with autism believe that some of the behaviors that are distinctive to children on the autism spectrum aren’t either problematic or in need of being discontinued.

 

Many adults with ASD feel that this particular approach is disrespectful to individuals diagnosed with autism. There are some ABA therapists that have attempted to retrain children on the spectrum to discontinue non-harmful behaviors, referred to as stimming, like flapping and rocking. 

Many adults with ASD would suggest a more balanced approach to dealing with these symptoms. This is an important issue for you to consider and discuss with your child’s ABA therapist.

ABA Horror Stories

 Many of the stories you will see in the media are shared by adults who struggled with autism spectrum disorders themselves. Some individuals indicate that their ABA therapists focused not only on re-training them out of problem behaviors but sought to do away with behaviors that were not actually problematic.  

No doubt, if you have a child on the spectrum or work with children on the spectrum, you have noticed behaviors that though they may look odd are not disruptive in a classroom environment or harmful for your child. Historically, there have been some therapists and educators intent on making children struggling with ASD discontinue these behaviors.

 

One of the reasons that certified ABA therapists are required to take CEUs in ethics is to help end the practice of retraining children on the autism spectrum to stop behaviors that aren’t harmful or problematic. Clearly, there can be an economic temptation for professionals to support perfection among children on the autism spectrum. However, ethical professionals will not seek to over train your child.

 

It is important that you are clear about what you want for your child in regards to stimming types of behavior. Some people feel that these behaviors increase a child’s vulnerability to bullying, so there are times when people will disagree about ending these particular behaviors. 

As the world moves toward more inclusion of diverse behaviors and away from an idea of classroom conformity, you should see more tolerance for stimming behaviors. Having a conversation regarding these types of behaviors with the professionals supporting your child should help you to develop a plan for how to deal with such behaviors that make you and your family comfortable and confident.

 

Historically, some individuals have participated in practices that feel abusive to children. For example, some autistic adults endured punishments like “Sticky hands” where their hands were stuck down with tacky glue as a form of punishment. This type of punishment is especially traumatic for autistic children who experience hypersensitivity to physical sensations and should not be tolerated.  Again, most of the horror stories you will hear in the media predate the current certification standards.

 

One early source of criticism placed against those practicing ABA therapy comes from the fact that the early forms of ABA therapy weren’t based completely on the principles of positive reinforcement. 

As the Child Mind Institute indicates, the early ABA therapists sometimes used aversive reinforcement, or punishments, to obtain positive outcomes. Although these practices were generally used only in extreme cases, their use is no longer considered acceptable. 

The best ABA therapy provider in the Atlanta area

Hidden Talents ABA offers a team of experienced BABA’s who lead caring professionals in providing loving and ethical care for your child. Hidden Talents provides both in-home and community-based therapy to help your child improve their social and communication skills and to ultimately enjoy a richer life with a more rounded sense of community engagement.

 

If your child is demonstrating problematic behaviors or struggling with communication or social skill development consider reaching out for the support of Hidden Talents ABA professionals. Our therapists take pride in developing individualized plans for your child’s particular needs. We work with children from birth to 12, supporting the development of your child’s hidden talents. 

Communication is an essential part of our everyday lives. Though we generally mean verbal speech when we think about daily communication, we all use more than our words to communicate with one another. 

If you work with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), you are no doubt aware of how much difficulty children on the autism spectrum may struggle with verbal communication.

 

It is often estimated that over 90% of communication is non-verbal. The aspects of communication other than verbal speech include tone, facial expressions, gestures, and body language. Unfortunately, for those on the autism spectrum, their challenges in communication aren’t limited to their difficulties using verbal speech.

 

Many children struggling with autism fail to make visual contact with the person speaking to them. This means that they are likely to miss many non-verbal cues that most of us use to understand when someone is speaking to us. Children on the autism spectrum also often experience difficulty in reading or providing facial expressions and body language as well.

What is Functional Communication?

Simply stated, functional communication is the way in which a person communicates their wants and needs to others. This is also the way that people socialize with those around them. Functional communication isn’t limited to verbal speech. It may include verbal speech, gestures, non-verbal cues, sign language, the use of picture exchange communication system, and the use of assistive devices.

 

For those on the autism spectrum there is often difficulty engaging in functional communication. If your child is on the autism spectrum, they may suffer with difficulties in communicating. They may also struggle in social and educational engagement due to their communication challenges.

 

Children on the autism spectrum often suffer from bullying due to poor communication skills. They may also find themselves struggling to form meaningful relationships with peers. Children on the autism spectrum often struggle to read social cues and can appear rude to people with rigid expectations for how others behave socially. Children who struggle to follow verbal instructions may also fail to thrive in educational environments. 

How does Functional Communication relate to ABA therapy?

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapists use functional communication training to teach children on the autism spectrum to replace problem behaviors with socially acceptable ways of communicating their needs and desires. 

If your child’s ABA therapist determines that your child is resorting to problematic behavior because of the anxiety or frustration associated with difficulty in communicating, they will use functional communication training to help your child replace their problem behaviors with appropriate communication.

 

Identifying the reasons a child resorts to problem behaviors can be challenging. A professional ABA therapist is trained to identify problem behaviors and to determine the reasons that these behaviors have become part of your child’s behavior patterns. A professional ABA therapist is also able to understand how to help reduce your child’s problem behaviors and to teach your child more appropriate ways to communicate and engage. 

Is Functional Communication Training Evidence-based?

According to the literature on Functional Communication Training, the practice of using Functional Communication Training meets the requirements to be considered an evidence-based practice. This practice has proven effective for children from preschool age through high school age. Literature indicates that Functional Communication Training is helpful in helping children with social concerns, communication challenges, behavior issues, play behaviors, adaptation to their environment, and school-readiness. 

Relationship Between Communication and Behavior

Children struggling with ASD will often display behaviors that are unacceptable to others. Many times these behaviors occur because of the levels of frustration children on the autism spectrum struggle with due to their inability to make their needs and desires known to those around them. Children on the autism spectrum often struggle with language skills. Children on the autism spectrum often have difficulty with the meaning and rhythm of sentences and words.

 

Some children with ASD have difficulty stringing together words in a meaningful way. Other children may experience difficulty in using gestures to communicate with others. Not only do children on the spectrum struggle with issues associated with speech, but their attempts are also often met with ridicule. All of these individual issues can contribute to an autistic child experiencing high levels of frustration in social situations and can result in the child behaving in ways that are ineffective and/or problematic. 

 

If your child struggles with communicating, you have no doubt watched your child try to communicate their needs with others. This can be a heartbreaking experience for parents who have often developed a way of communicating with their autistic children. The reality is that your child needs to be able to communicate with people who aren’t as motivated to understand them as you are. Your child needs to be able to communicate and engage socially with people who are busy, distracted, and often uninterested in being particularly helpful.

 

What does a Functional Behavior Assessment Look Like?

If your child exhibits problem behaviors, they may benefit from a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA). An FBA may be performed by an education specialist, a psychologist, an Applied Behavior Analysis therapist, or a counselor.

 

Oftentimes, when FBA’s are performed as part of the education system, many people may be involved in the FBA process. Although many FBA’s occur when children exhibit problem behaviors in the classroom, it is in your child’s best interest to have an assessment when problem behaviors are first noticed. Regardless of who is performing an FBA, there are specific steps that will be taken.

 

The steps of your child’s FBA will follow are:

 

•       Step 1: Identifying the problem behaviors your child exhibits. The person performing your child’s assessment will interview you, your child, and those important in your child’s life. They will also observe your child. This allows for both direct and indirect assessment of your child’s behavior.

 

For example, it may be determined that your child yells when they want to ask a question. This problem behavior may have developed as a way of getting needed attention in a classroom because your child struggles to be heard over other children and hasn’t made the connection between raising their hand and getting the teacher’s attention.

 

•       Step 2: Determining where these behaviors happen. This information may come from the interviews performed, observations, and written information like school records.

 

Once it is determined that your child yells to obtain their child’s attention when they have a question, it will be necessary to determine if this happens in every classroom, or only some classrooms. It will also be necessary to determine if your child also yells to get attention outside of the classroom.

 

•       Step 3: Collecting information about your child. The person performing your child’s assessment will generally talk to you, your child, and other people important in your child’s life.

 

The person involved in performing your child’s functional behavior assessment will want to talk to you, your child, and teachers. However, they may also want to read your child’s school records to help them understand when this problematic behavior started. Your child’s doctor may also be beneficial in helping the person making the assessment determine any medical issues your child is dealing that could impact their behavior.

 

It is possible, for instance, that a child with autism becomes overwhelmed in certain situations and that this could impact the child’s behavior. If, for example, it is determined that your child only yells for attention when the classroom is unruly, it may be due to your child’s hypersensitivity to sound. If your child perceives the environment as loud, they may be yelling out of a belief that this is the only way they can be heard.

 

•       Step 4: Developing an educated guess, or hypothesis, about why these problem behaviors happen. Your child’s ABA therapist will determine which of the four functions your child’s problem behaviors are meant to fulfill.

 

It is understood that behavior is intended to fulfill one of four functions:

 

○       Escape: Your child may use behavior to get away from a situation that they find uncomfortable or anxiety provoking.

○       Attention: Your child may use behavior to get attention.

○       Obtain Tangible Objects: Your child may use behavior to get something physical that they want.

○       Sensory Stimulation: Your child may behave in a certain way because it feels good or is in itself some way positive.

 

In the example we have been using, your child’s yelling is used to obtain attention. It is possible that this same behavior may fulfill other functions for other children.

 

 

•       Step 5: Identifying appropriate behaviors that your child can be taught to use in place of the problem behaviors. The appropriate behavior will be chosen specifically for your child. The appropriate behavior will serve the same function as the problem behavior and be one that your child can easily perform.

 

With the example we have been using, your child would be taught another way to get their teacher’s attention when they have a question. Your child’s ABA therapist will determine an appropriate behavior for your child to use in place of yelling. If, for example, your child has poor control over their limbs they will not be taught to use hand raising to obtain the teacher’s attention.

 

Functional Communication Training Examples

Your child’s ABA therapist will use a series of steps to help your child move from exhibiting problematic behaviors to using appropriate and effective communication. To help your child make this transition, their ABA therapist will follow a series of steps. The steps you can expect to see are:

 

•       Step 1: Define the challenging behavior and complete a functional behavior assessment. As we discussed above, the FBA is a multi-step process of its own. To define the problem behavior your child’s ABA therapist may interview you, your child, and others important in their daily lives. They will also observe your child in situations where they are working or playing.

 

•     Step 2: Identify an appropriate form of communication that will meet the same function as the problem behavior. This information will be based on your child’s FBA. If it has been determined that your child throws a tantrum in class to get their teacher’s attention, for example, their ABA therapist will find a way for your child to communicate their need for attention to the teacher in an appropriate way.

 

The exact behavior your child will be taught will depend upon their individual needs. The replacement behavior should be:

 

•       Easier to perform than the problem behavior
•       Something that your child can learn quickly
•       Something that other people will understand

 

A child who has limited verbal skills may be given an assistive device to use for this purpose or may be taught to use sign language, for example.

 

•       Step 3: Teach the identified appropriate replacement behavior. To do this your child’s ABA therapist will create situations where the challenging behavior is likely to occur and prompt the child to use the appropriate communication behavior before the problem behavior occurs. Once the appropriate communication behavior is used, the child will be reinforced.

 

It is important at this stage that the problem behavior be placed on extinction. This means that your child should not be reinforced for the behavior problem. If your child is using yelling to get attention, yelling can not get your child attention at this point. If your child yells, for example, their therapist may ask the child to stop or use a signal to let your child know that they have to stop yelling. Once the problem behavior has been stopped the child will be redirected to perform the appropriate behavior.

 

Ideally, your child’s therapist will notice your child’s agitation and ask if they need help before they yell for attention. Your child’s therapist may intentionally teach your child something likely to cause confusion. Rather than allow the child to struggle, the therapist may ask the child if they have a question and cue them to use the identify appropriate behavior to get attention. When they use the appropriate behavior, the reinforcer will be provided.

 

If your child starts to yell out in the classroom, the therapist will stop the negative behavior. The therapist will prompt your child with a reminder of the appropriate behavior. When your child uses the appropriate behavior, it will be immediately followed with a reinforcer. The reinforcer will be determined by the therapist specifically for your child.

 

•       Step 4: Create opportunities for the learner to practice the new behavior. To help your child generalize the new learned behavior to multiple situations, they will need to see that this new behavior is rewarding in multiple situations.

 

To this end, you will often be encouraged to reinforce your child’s use of a new behavior when it occurs in spaces outside of therapy, or if the learning takes place at school, outside of the classroom. If your child has multiple teachers, they will all be taught to reinforce the use of this new behavior whenever it occurs.

 

•       Step 5: Maintain the new behavior. Initially your child will be reinforced every time the appropriate behavior is used. Slowly, and over a course of time, the level of reinforcement will be reduced.

 

As the new behavior becomes a habitual response, and the original problem behavior has stopped occurring, the new behavior will become your child’s default response for getting their needs filled. If reinforcement is discontinued too quickly, the new behavior may also stop. So, this step in functional communication training is slow and intentional.

 

The Best Atlanta Based Applied Behavior Analysis Program that Offers Functional Communication Training

If you are located in the Atlanta area, you will find that the best Atlanta based ABA program offering Functional Communication Training is Hidden Talents ABA. Hidden Talents ABA works with children from birth through age 12 helping them to become the best they can be.

In Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), therapists believe that all behavior happens for a reason. Heather Gilmore, MSW, BCBA, identifies the four basic functions that motivate behavior in Reflections on Applied Behavior Analysis.

What are the four functions of behavior?

1) Escape

One of the major reasons a child will behave in a certain way is to get out of doing something they don’t want to do. This is the definition of the escape function.

For example, a child who feels anxious in social situations may hide to avoid doing things in groups. The child may find novel ways to get out of doing things with others. Or a child might avoid eye contact or place their head down on a desk during a lesson to get out of school work.

 

Behaviors you may see when children are motivated to escape include:

 

•       Avoiding physical discomfort
•       Avoiding social situations
•       Running away
•       Avoiding people or situations
•       Hiding

 

2) Attention:

An individual may also behave in negative ways to draw the attention of parents, teachers, or others to them. Again, attention seeking behavior can be appropriate or problematic, depending on the situation. For example, a child might raise their voice or talk over those around them to draw a parent or teacher’s attention. A child might complain or scream to draw attention away from others in a classroom setting.

 

Although we generally think about attracting attention to ourselves as it is a means of having positive engagement with others, children may behave in negative ways to get attention even if the attention isn’t positive.

 

Things you may see when children are motivated to attract attention include:

 

•       Raised voices
•       Whining
•       Being overly loud
•       Raising a hand or waving hands

3) Tangible Items:

A person may behave in a problematic way to obtain an object they want or to get to participate in an activity that they particularly enjoy. Behaviors that may be used to get tangible items or experiences can be either positive or negative in nature. For example, a child may throw a tantrum in an attempt to get a toy or to go to see a movie.

 

Behaviors you may see that are intended to obtain something tangible include:

 

•       Throwing a tantrum to get a toy
•       Ordering a pizza
•       Stealing a desired object from a store or another person
•       Buying a desired object

 

4) Sensory Stimulation:

The best way to describe the sensory function is that a child might do things that in and of themselves are pleasurable. For example, you will often see children twirling their hair around their fingers. Some children will twirl themselves around or pick at their skin or hair. Others may hum or crack their knuckles.

 

Behaviors you may see that are reinforcing in themselves:

 

•       Picking at hair or skin
•       Cracking knuckles
•       Twirling
•       Twisting hair
•       Humming or making noises that vibrate within the child’s chest or throat

 

Clearly, the function of a particular behavior may not be obvious. Sometimes a parent may assume that a particular behavior has one function, when in actuality it is found to fulfill a less obvious function. 

For example, you may initially assume that your child always cracks their knuckles when you are driving to school in an attempt to get your attention. Although this is a possibility, and may be true for some children, your child may actually find the act of cracking their knuckles physically rewarding.

How the Four Functions of Behavior are used in ABA Therapy

ABA therapists will identify the function of problem behaviors they see your child exhibit. Understanding the reason that your child is behaving inappropriately, will help the ABA therapist determine a way to help your child meet their needs without having to resort to negative behavior. 

Once an ABA therapist understands why your child is exhibiting problem behaviors, they can develop intervention strategies to discontinue this behavior.

 

Understanding the reason your child performs a particular behavior will not only help the ABA therapist understand the needs that the behavior fulfills for your child. This information will also help your child’s therapist understand how to help your child stop this problematic behavior. If the problem behavior fulfills a needed function, the ABA therapist will work with your child to help them develop a positive alternative behavior to fulfill this function.

How Reinforcement can be used to Stop Negative Behaviors

ABA therapy looks at learning as occurring due to a sequence. According to learning theory, learning occurs due to A – an antecedent, which is followed by B – a behavior, and results in C – a consequence. 

According to learning theory, negative, or problem, behaviors occur because they have been reinforced by a positive consequence. Therefore, an ABA therapist must determine why the problem behavior occurs and what is reinforcing it.

 

Reinforcement can be used both to increase positive behaviors and to reduce negative behaviors. Once an ABA therapist understands the function of a behavior, they can determine how to use a combination of positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement to reduce or stop these negative behaviors.

 

To stop a problem behavior, an ABA therapist will identify the consequence that is reinforcing the behavior. Reinforcement that is provided for a problem, or negative, behavior is then stopped, by removing the reinforcer from the Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence sequence. This process is referred to as extinction.

 

The extinction process will depend upon the functions of the behavior your child is engaging in. If a child’s problem behavior is being reinforced by positive reinforcement, the reinforcer must be discontinued. For example, a child may yell out for attention in the classroom. Attention garnered by this behavior may be reinforcing and must stop. 

 

However, this same behavior may be fulfilling the escape function. Say for example, that the child is being removed from the classroom due to the outburst. The removal from the classroom, and class work, may be reinforcing the behavior. 

In this instance, the negative reinforcement of being removed from the classroom must be discontinued, or if avoiding the work is the issue, the work must accompany the child when they are removed from the classroom.

 

If the problem behavior is fulfilling the sensory function, it will be reinforced automatically. It may be a stretch of the imagination, but let’s say we determine that the child in question is actually yelling because their voice reverberates against the blades of a nearby fan, and that the child finds this sound reinforcing. To extinguish this behavior, the physical environment would need to be rearranged so that the yelling would no longer be rewarding the child with their reverberating voice.

 

How Reinforcement can be used to Increase Desired Behaviors

ABA therapy also uses aspects of reinforcement to replace negative behaviors with positive ones. Once an ABA therapist identifies the functions of negative behaviors, they will develop a plan for diminishing negative behaviors. When appropriate, an ABA therapist will help your child replace problem behaviors with desired behaviors.

 

For example, if your child is using problem behaviors to obtain attention in the classroom to ask a question, the problem behavior needs to be discontinued, but your child also needs to know how to obtain the attention they need appropriately. Your child’s ABA therapist will develop a strategy to help your child replace problem behaviors with desirable ones in instances like this.

 

The first step, in this instance, would be to obtain your child’s attention when the negative behavior occurs. If your child yells out for attention when they have a question, the goal would be to teach your child an appropriate way to get the needed attention. First, the problem behavior would be stopped. This may be done simply by asking the child to stop or through the use of nonverbal behavior.

 

Once the negative behavior has been stopped, the child is redirected to replace that behavior with a positive behavior. For example, a child who is interrupting during a lesson, may be asked to stop. The child would then be cued for the appropriate positive behavior. In this example, the therapist may simply remind the child to raise their hand. The positive behavior, in this case hand raising, is then immediately followed by a reinforcer.

 

Positive reinforcement occurs when a positive, or motivating, stimulus is presented after a behavior occurs. ABA therapist will provide positive reinforcement directly after a desired behavior occurs. Often a desired behavior will be immediately followed by verbal praise, non-verbal praise, for example a smile, or a reward. An ABA therapist may reward a child by providing access to a toy or food that the child has previously identified as reinforcing. Your child’s ABA therapist will work with your child to determine appropriate reinforcers.