Communication to get Autistic Child's Needs Met

Most children with autism have a difficult time communicating. Imagine being thirsty looking up at a cup of water that you just can’t reach. Imagine that everyone around you can reach up to get that water and if you only knew how to ask, you too could have the water. But you can’t form the words. What do you do?

Many children with Autism live out this scenario daily when they have needs and they can’t figure out a way to get them met. They may hit you, throw something, point, grunt, scream, or just start crying. Why can’t you just see that they want the water?

 Maybe after trying a series of a few inappropriate behaviors, someone tries to console them by offering water. Ahhhh, finally. Now unfortunately, a new pattern of abnormal behavior has just been set. Child with autism thinks, when I threw, cried and hit, I got water. Ok then.

Many therapist like to call these inappropriate behaviors maladaptive, when you think about it, the child modified his behavior to get his needs met. Whether it was appropriate or not, it got his needs met. That’s why we as therapist, teachers and parents, need to help teach the children more appropriate ways of getting their needs met.

And because many kids with autism have problems communicating, much of the behavioral problems can be reduced significantly if the child just knew how to ask for what he or she wants. When people learn how to get their needs met, the whole world opens up to them. Now imagine again being thirsty and calmly and confidently saying “may I have a drink of water please”. You immediately get the water.

These results are not uncommon when utilizing ABA with a competent Board Certified Behavior Analyst. ABA usually focuses on teaching skills which are socially relevant to the child. This usually results in less stress on the teachers, the family and ultimately the child.

To learn more about ABA treatment in the South Florida area visit www.buildingblockresolutions.com.

Individualized Autism Treatment with ABA

It’s called Autism Spectrum Disorder because it’s just that --a spectrum-- meaning it can range from very severe to barely noticeable. No two cases of autism are alike therefore it should be no coincidence that no two autism treatments should be alike. It’s often best for children with autism to get an individualized 

approach to treatment.

Deciding which type of autism treatment will be best for your child can pose a challenge. Probably the only thing that different practitioners and researchers agree on is that the earlier the child gets treatment the better off he or she will be. Early detection and treatment can prevent symptoms from getting worse, teach missing skills, and sometimes even mainstream the child -- meaning they become virtually undetectable from typical developing children. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?

The best place to start is to assess your child’s current basic strengths and weaknesses. A skilled therapist will be able to do this. The reason for this is that treatment most often treats the symptoms, not the diagnosis of autism itself. There is currently no cure for autism and the cause is still unknown. Luckily, treatment options are very promising. Assessing your child’s current strengths and weaknesses will help better direct the treatment in the areas which would be most beneficial to your child.

Next look at the treatment options available and ask yourself which one would best benefit your child. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the most commonly used behavioral approach. ABA is a scientifically based, systematic approach to teaching people how to learn. Usually no plan of action is started without a functional behavioral assessment (FBA). This way you as the parent can be assured that your child is truly receiving individualized care. ABA focuses on socially important problems so the child can best function in their environment. This is why treatment is often conducted in the home -- the natural environment.

It’s always important that in any approach that the child likes the treatment or else it will eventually become aversive and possibly ineffective. Good therapy sessions should be rewarding and fun. Progress should be systematically reviewed; and if you are not seeing positive changes within the first 3 months, services should be re-evaluated because when treating young children time is of the essence. Getting effective treatment while the child’s brain is still young and developing can make a world of difference.

Finally, making sure that you are utilizing skilled practitioners who utilize best practice will be essential to child improvement. When choosing ABA it’s important that the case is being supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).

To learn more about ABA treatment in the South Florida area visit www.buildingblockresolutions.com.