FAQautismFAQautismFAQautism features concise, practical tips that can implemented immediately to make a lasting impact on the quality of life of individuals with autism. 
Articles
Constant Monitoring
2007-10-29 23:29:00 ?It seems like we are never able to relax,? commented the parents of a fourteen-year-old with autism. ?We need to constantly keep watch our son to prevent him from hurting himself or from breaking or tearing up items around the house. He pulls clothes from closets, items from drawers, food from cabinets, and books ... More About: Monitoring
Unwilling or Unable?
2007-10-28 21:56:00 ?My daughter rarely follow directions,? commented the dad of a pre-teen diagnosed with autism. ?She doesn?t have functional speech, but she is able to communicate her needs and seems to understand much of what we say to her. We don?t know if she is unwilling to follow directions or if she is unable to do ...
Vast Spectrum
2007-10-26 00:32:00 ?Our son has just been diagnosed with autism,? commented parents of a ten-year-old. ?We were surprised at the diagnosis because he doesn?t seem to be at all like any of the other people we know who are diagnosed with autism.? A grandparent was struck by the difference in her granddaughter and a girl about the ... More About: Quality of Life , Spectrum , Vast
Extreme Communication
2007-10-25 10:31:00 What is a person trying to communicate when they suddenly start screaming, hitting, or biting? What are they saying when they suddenly drop to the floor or scratch their arm or hit their face? Teachers, family members, job coaches, therapists, and others spend a great deal of time and energy attempting to translate these characteristic ... More About: Communication , Extreme , Trem
Smooth Transitions
2007-10-24 03:47:00 ?My daughter has outgrown her favorite childhood toy, and the stuffed puppy is simply worn to shreds,? commented a parent of a 4th grader diagnosed with autism. ?I realize that she is dependent upon her puppy to help her stay grounded during the day and to reduce the trauma of transition, but her favorite stuffed ... More About: Transitions , Smooth , Tran , Transit
One-Sided Conversation
2007-10-23 04:56:00 Several family members of individuals with autism have asked for ideas for carrying on conversations with individuals with autism who are non-verbal or who only echo what has just been said to them. A volunteer who has begun giving rides to a young adult with autism to a weekly recreational event echoed similar concerns when ... More About: Communication , Quality of Life , Conversation
Sensory Slime
2007-10-22 07:01:00 Making Slime - smooth, gooey substance - is a fun, educational activity that teaches the concept chemical reactions when different substances are mixed together. This activity isn?t right for every individual with autism e.g. individuals who might eat the mixture or individuals whose tactile defensiveness will not tolerate sensory slime. But many individuals with autism ... More About: Communication , Quality of Life
Maximizing Gifts
2007-10-19 07:01:00 ?In spite of years of effort by dedicated teachers and therapists and lots of attention from a loving family, my son isn?t able to talk or read anything but functional words,? commented a father of a young adult with autism. ?But he has been given many opportunities over the years to use what gifts he ... More About: Gifts , Quality of Life
Quick Fixes
2007-10-18 07:01:00 Sometimes we can find quick fixes to challenging situations encountered by individuals who function on the spectrum of autism. For example, a parent whose adult son with autism had frequent outbursts in stores and restaurants was searching for a way to discreetly let people know that her son was diagnosed with autism. She asked around ... More About: Quick
Walk With Me
2007-10-16 07:01:00 Some individuals with autism express their frustration or anger or agitation by simply plopping down in the middle of a parking lot or a store. The podcast entitled ?Plopping Down? addressed this challenging issue from two angles: (1) developing an effective plan for encouraging the person to stand and walk, and (2) discovering the catalyst ... More About: Walk
Five-Minute Fall Follies
2007-10-15 19:32:00 Pumpkins. Cool mornings. Swirls of colorful leaves. Sometimes we miss the change of seasons and the beauty of autumn because we are so busy addressing all the issues inherent in the lives of our youngsters with autism. It is tempting to retreat into “survival mode” and just focus on making it to the end of ... More About: Quality of Life , Minute , Fall , Ollie
Plopping Down
2007-10-15 07:01:00 ?Sometimes my son just decides he doesn?t want to go any further, and plops down ? in the middle of the store, the middle of church, or the middle of the parking lot,? said one parent of a young adult diagnosed with autism. ?Sometimes his plopping is his way of communicating that he doesn?t want ...
Far From Perfect
2007-10-12 07:01:00 ?We are just not able to keep up with all the things we should be doing for our daughter,? commented parents of a youngster diagnosed with autism. ?We know that she needs structure and a schedule at home. We know that we could be helping her every day with communication and social skills and academics ... More About: Quality of Life , Perfect
Be a Sheep
2007-10-11 07:01:00 ?Most of the youngsters diagnosed with autism in my classes are not quick to pick up on social cues,? commented an elementary teacher. ?The kids would blend in better with the group if they could learn to follow the crowd rather than needing to be guided through every group procedure and process.? Although individuals with ... More About: Sheep , Shee
Difficult Behaviors
2007-10-10 07:01:00 Developing effective strategies for dealing with difficult behaviors is challenging at best. Autism, by its very nature, spans a vast spectrum of issues, so there is no single approach or type of intervention that works for every person. In fact, a strategy that works for an individual one day may be ineffective for that same ... More About: Diff
Recognizing Strengths
2007-10-09 07:01:00 ?I feel like we are always talking about the things my youngster cannot do. It seems like we spend most of our time working on changing all his negative behaviors,? commented one parent. ?I think I need to spend at least as much time talking about his abilities as his disabilities.? Alert teachers, therapists, and ... More About: Strengths
Getting Organized
2007-10-08 07:01:00 ?I have this bad habit of just putting my papers crammed in my backpack,? wrote a high school student diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. ?I have lots of trouble keeping my papers together and in the right folders.? She says she ends up with a frustrating mess at the end of the day. Listen Now: or More About: Communication , Organ
Job-Related Skills
2007-10-05 13:14:00 ?My daughter is entering high school next fall,? wrote the parents of a teenager diagnosed with autism. ?Over the next few years, we are hoping she can learn some basic skills that allow her to get a job. It may be that she would need a job coach in order to be successful, but we ... More About: Communication , Quality of Life , Skills , Related
Ready for Preschool
2007-10-04 06:55:00 ?After my son?s third birthday next month, he will be eligible for specialized classes at our local school,? wrote one mom. ?What can I do to help him get ready for that experience?? Other parents, teachers, and therapists have asked for some specifics about the skills a pre-schooler with autism might need to develop before ... More About: Ready
Boxes and Bags
2007-10-03 07:01:00 ?I?m looking for some quick, simple ideas for capturing the attention of my students, especially those with autism,? said a teacher in an elementary classroom. ?I?m also looking for ways to encourage their active participation. Since the youngsters in my class who are diagnosed with autism are either non-verbal or have very few words, I ... More About: Communication , Bags
Script for Anger
2007-10-02 07:01:00 ?I am a regular FAQautism listener via podcast and have written in the past,? wrote a mother. ?So now that I have something that really WORKS I wanted to share it with other parents and caregivers.? This mom shares a strategy that she used to help her daughter deal with anger more productively. Listen Now: or More About: Script , Anger
In Positive Terms
2007-10-01 13:29:00 A teacher and a therapist both commented about the principles outlined in the ?Don?t DON?T? discussion in the In-Depth section of the FAQautism.com website. ?After listening to the discussion, I started informally keeping track of my comments to my students,? said the therapist. ?I must confess that I discovered that I do, indeed, say ?don?t ... More About: Terms , Positive , Term
More on Following Directions
2007-09-28 06:04:00 Parents, teachers, and therapists have sent in more questions about helping individuals with autism learn to follow directions. Compliance is a life skill that is critical for functioning in society. We celebrate the fact that our friends with autism are clever and creative, but we also recognize that they must learn to follow directions so ... More About: Directions , Dire , Rect
Residential Living
2007-09-28 05:23:00 ?Our daughter is moving into residential care next month,? wrote a parent. ?She will be coming home on Saturday afternoons and returning on Sunday afternoons. Our daughter is non-verbal and seems to be looking forward to living with new friends. But she traditionally struggles with changes in her life. We need some ideas for staying ... More About: Living , Residential , Communication , Quality of Life , Resident
Positive Progress
2007-09-28 04:18:00 ?Sometimes it is difficult to see that we are making any progress with some very difficult behaviors,? commented a therapist working with several individuals with autism. ?I wonder if I need to approach the situation differently.? Other teachers and family members have expressed similar frustration, especially when working to decrease very disruptive or inappropriate behaviors. ... More About: Progress , Positive
Illiterate, but Interested
2007-09-28 03:49:00 The inability to read or write should not stand in the way of learning. For a variety of reasons, some individuals diagnosed with autism are illiterate and some are non-verbal. Under the circumstances, it is easy to assume that a person isn?t interested in a topic or isn?t smart enough to understand science or history ... More About: Quality of Life , Eres
Dog Days
2007-09-28 03:48:00 ?Because my daughter is echolalic, she has begun repeating her grandmother?s negative remarks about hot weather,? said the mother of an elementary-aged youngster with autism. ?The constant complaining from both generations is wearing on the patience of everyone in the family. We need some ideas to help focus on the positive aspects of summer ... More About: Days
Good Sport, Part 1
2007-09-28 03:46:00 ?My PDD-NOS son has to win at every game or he freaks out,? wrote a parent. ?He also has a compelling urge to be first in line, first to complete a task, first at anything. When he isn’t first or doesn’t win he gets so angry, hitting and screaming, ?I want to win.? I want ... More About: Sport , Part , Good
Personal Space
2007-09-28 03:33:00 ?Now that my son is a teenager, I?ve noticed that most kids his age have their rooms decorated with neat posters and cool lights. I don?t know if my son even notices those things, but I thought it would be fun to help him personalize his own space. How should I start? Listen Now: or continue reading: More About: Personal , Space , Quality of Life
An Elusive Goal
More articles from this author:2007-09-28 00:55:00 Effective behavior management is an elusive goal. A friend with many years of experience in therapeutic foster care commented on the challenges she encounters maintaining consistent, positive strategies in a 24/7 environment. We came to the conclusion that caregivers are always making decisions, consciously or unconsciously, about the most effective response to any given behavior. ... More About: Goal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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