Family, Adult & Child Therapies
It’s that time of year where summer fun comes to a close and it’s time for our children to hit the books for the school year. And as school comes with many challenges for students with special needs, here are a few tips on how to make our kids’ school years as amazing as possible!
By Sarita Freedman, PhD; FACT Board Member High functioning (HF) individuals with ASD are found in all walks of life, from high powered careers to significantly underemployed. What we’ve learned about this population of individuals over the past 15 years is that they have the ability to assimilate and function well, but that in order to do so, they need specific supports and guidance—the earlier the better. What can we do to improve the overall outcome of their endeavors so that…
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By Tamra, Parent In December 2014, SB 468 was signed into law, creating a statewide Self-Determination Program that offers a voluntary alternative to the traditional way regional center provides services. This program offers the consumer and their families a way to control and tailor their services and supports independently. These services are controlled by the consumer, and paid for by the consumer using a pre-determined budget. It is a voluntary program. If you choose not to participate, you will receive…
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Mikal Britt, Behaviorist 10+ Years This is a piece I wrote with a child with autism who preferred not to be mentioned. It’s 5 things we think your child with autism wish you knew, but maybe doesn’t tell you. We hope you enjoy! 1. They love you deeplyThey may not show it in the traditional ways, but your child understands on some level the importance and value of your relationship. They would be scared and helpless without you and they…
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Martin, GAP Parent Our children, although they are young adults, have a long way to go to be more independent (By the way, this is also true of the college students I teach). The GAP is devoted to giving them those skills that contribute to their becoming adults who can make their own way (of course, with help). Every day they are at GAP they are learning and reinforcing what they need for the longer run. We owe it to…
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Eric Kastan, MA, LMFT, BCBA As a clinician and behavior analyst, I will not only highlight ABA theory and techniques, but expand to a larger sense of having a family with an identified member with special needs. One of the biggest issues I run into in my work, especially when doing in-home behavioral work, is integrating the family to a larger community. The community may include organizations that are special needs aware or support group, but I believe the larger…
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By Linda Andron Ostrow As a parent, navigating the world of autism can be very overwhelming. For some, receiving a diagnosis was validating and brought a sense of relief because at least they now know and understand. With a diagnosis, they can then know what services to obtain for their children. But for others, this may not be the case. Some parents still questioned themselves and wondered if they had done anything wrong, internalizing the social stigma surrounding autism into…
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