Behavior

Social communication is an essential component of daily interactions. It influences how people perceive a message and formulate an appropriate response.  However, in children with autism, this can often be a challenge. To help address these challenges, Jim Mancini, MS, CCC-SLP with Seattle Children’s Autism Center, shared common communicative deficits and strategies designed to encourage communication development at the Autism 205: Social Communication— Making Connections presentation. We attended the lecture and have recapped some of the key takeaways. Read full post »

The International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) was recently held in San Diego from May 12-14 by the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR). In one of many research symposiums, recent findings from multiple randomized controlled trials of autism treatments were presented. The methodology used in randomized controlled trials requires substantial resources to develop strong study designs that have often not been used in autism research. Therefore, the research presented in this symposium was quite exciting, as it begins to address many of the current gaps in knowledge that have occurred due to the previous use of study designs that are not well controlled.  Read full post »

I often hear my colleague, nurse Jason Russo, on the phone asking, “Can you describe what his meltdown looks like?” He spends much of his day fielding calls from parents about a child’s behavior, answering questions about new medications, and acting as a liaison between medical or mental health providers and parents. 

Think about all the words we use to describe our kids’ challenging behaviors: hyper, agitated, distracted, out-of-control. Yet, just as each child with autism is unique, so is the meaning of the terms we use. Read full post »

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 »