Author: Ron Thomson MA, BCBA

Holiday Travel and Autism

November 5, 2013  |  Recreation & Fun, Safety3 Comments

airplaneWhether you are travelling near or far this holiday season, here are some helpful tips to make travelling with your child with autism successful from Seattle Children’s Autism Center behavioral specialist, Ron Thomson.

Gather information and organize documentation:

• Emergency fact sheet: This is a document that is carried in a secure spot, often with other travel documents. A typical format is an 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper (perfect for slipping into a clear sheet protector) that contains essential information. Common information to be included is name, contact information, diagnosis, pertinent health Read full post »

Discipline and Autism

March 7, 2012  |  Treatment1 Comment

Discipline is a hot-button issue that meets with many strongly held and divergent opinions. I’ll take a direct approach and speak as a clinician as that will be the best way for me to start a discussion.

In behavioral terminology discipline is more typically called “punishment.” Clinically, punishment is defined as, “a consequence that decreases the probability of subsequence occurrence of the behavior it follows,” (Cooper et al, 1987). This is desirable in the case of disruptive behavior. However, note that punishment is defined by its effect on behavior and not by its intention. That is, I might remove a privilege due to disruptive behavior but that alone does not make it punishment; only if the likelihood of that disruptive behavior occurring again decreases is it actually punishment. An example will be helpful: Read full post »

Toilet Training and Autism

October 19, 2011  |  TreatmentComments Off on Toilet Training and Autism

Toilet training a child requires great amounts of effort and patience. Toilet training a child on the autism spectrum presents additional difficulties that can stretch your efforts and patience even further. Fortunately, there are several well-researched training regimens that can facilitate this task. This doesn’t mean that the training will be easy or will be completed over a single weekend; however, following the guidelines presented by these programs will let you know that you’re on the right track. Read full post »

Tips and Tricks for Travel

June 3, 2011  |  General, Recreation & Fun, SafetyComments Off on Tips and Tricks for Travel

Traveling with a child with autism presents a unique set of challenges while also providing opportunities for new experiences and shared family activities. Numerous questions present themselves: how do we make sure we have all the equipment and materials we need; where do we go if there is an emergency; how will my child react to new settings such as an airport or a hotel room; how can we help pass time during long travel periods; and many more. Read full post »

Safety Skills for Participating in Community Activities

April 28, 2011  |  Behavior, General, Safety2 Comments

Summer is the time for being outside and trying new activities. As with anything new, there are risks involved. A child on the autism spectrum can be particularly vulnerable to a number of safety concerns; however, summertime fun and maintaining safety can coexist.  Read full post »