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Expert Q&A: Supporting siblings of autistic children with aggressive behaviors … for the other child and have long term effects if unaddressed.  It's important for parents and caregivers to know how to support their children through these challenges by acknowledging their feelings, keeping lines of communication open and teaching healthy coping strategies. Support groups can be a valuable tool, giving both siblings and parents a safe space to share their experiences and learn new …
CST information for parents and caregivers… about your child’s development or behavior and are looking for strategies you can implement at home Desire a stronger local support system of trained community members and other families Are looking to build your confidence and develop parenting skills to better support your child and your own well-being What can you expect? The CST program consists of 12 sessions, including nine group sessions and three home visits. Small groups of caregivers get together with a trained group leader weekly or biweekly …
Autism Speaks to host Thought Leadership Summit on Challenging Behaviors… Autism Speaks will convene an invited group of researchers, clinicians, autistic adults and other autism community members virtually on Dec. 3 and 4, 2020, to … with social interactions or might not be appropriate for work or school, to behavior challenges that require significant support, such as aggression and self-injury. There are few programs that provide the level of care needed for those with more significant support needs, and families often face obstacles like distance and financial limitations that keep them from accessing them. …
CST information for professionals… with lack of access to quality care and interventions. In response to this need, the World Health Organization (WHO), with support from Autism Speaks, developed the Caregiver Skills Training (CST) for Families of Children with Developmental Delays … and teachers to deliver parent training with supervision from skilled trainers. Consisting of 12 sessions, including nine group training sessions and three home visits, the CST program aims to help parents and caregivers of children with autism …
Things to Look For in Your Child's Team… quite complex, so it is helpful to take a broad approach when evaluating concerns, and deciding how to provide appropriate support. In order to meet their various needs, many people with autism, especially those with challenging behaviors, need a … have you worked collaboratively in the past? “I have to say, we were lucky enough from the beginning to have assembled a group of fine people who had the very best intentions of helping my son Eli. But a few months into his preschool year, after … the provider’s experience by asking at his office, or by connecting with school or agency staff, other parents, or local support groups for suggestions and recommendations. What is your experience in working with individuals with autism? This …
Challenges of COVID-19 disruptions: Guidance for autism service providers… lockdowns have been in place for a month or more. We hope this guidance will help you to continue your important work supporting people with autism and their families. Prepare before lockdown/during minimally restricted movement : Set up a … and prioritize the immediate needs for each family, including basic needs (food, medication, shelter) as well as caregiving support. If your health system has a patient portal or other way to communicate through the electronic health record, now is … tools, digital downloads, videos and other specific needs that families may request. Try to set up a caregiver support group via an online platform, such as Facebook groups or other technology such as WeChat, where parents and caregivers can …
How My Family Faces Roadblocks… got lots of individual attention, speech and occupational therapy.  When it came time to enter Kindergarten, his teacher supported him going into a regular classroom with an aide, which is what my daughter wanted as well. The principal was on … want either of these options (a roadblock), so her team (the speech and occupational therapist, plus his pre-K teacher) regrouped and came up with an IEP plan that had lots of supports, including preferential seating, a behavior modification plan, options to test in a small group setting, etc. At …
Cheryl Chafos honors her late son, Zachary, by advocating for autism training among healthcare professionals… His younger brothers were now so scared they often locked themselves in the bathroom. Cheryl and Tim were looking into group homes but none would take him while he exhibited aggressive behavior. But they couldn’t handle him on their own … away.  For 19 years Cheryl spent countless hours advocating on Zach’s behalf with school staffs, doctors, therapists, support agencies and others-as well as driving to therapies, consultations and events. She had spent the last 59 days up … is needed to better recognize and address mental health issues in those like Zach with challenging behaviors and high support needs. Research and clinical programs supported by Autism CARES Act could help develop more personalized treatment …
Teacher seeks advice: Student with autism intimidates others … to get the materials he needs – demonstrating polite behavior toward the other students in the process. Use words or visual supports (picture cards) to remind the student of rules (waiting turns, no pushing, no grabbing, etc.) before starting an … firmly ask him to put the item down and give him a brief time out (set a timer for, say, a minute) before he can rejoin the group and try again at appropriate behavior.  If his behavior is more challenging or longer lasting, work with his … he needs to wait for his turn. Keep it simple. We suggest offering two alternate activities that you know he enjoys. Visual supports can be particularly helpful for this strategy. For instance, you can offer him two cards with pictures of the …
Improving autism therapies by exploring the roots of social avoidance… brain activity while anticipating the social cue (smiling face) that they’d guessed correctly. And within the autism group, the children with severe symptoms showed greater brain activity when anticipating the non-social cue (upward arrow) than they did the smiling face cue. Support for the social-motivation hypothesis We see these findings as confirming and extending the social motivation …