Children with autism may fear physical exams at the doctor’s office, and their fears may be reduced with behavioral therapy.
This study asked parents about their child’s reactions to specific medical instruments and office visit procedures. Most of the children with autism in this study (11 out of 18) were extremely upset during blood draws. Some (10 out of 23) were upset or extremely upset when someone examined their throat. Some children reacted when specific instruments were used (for example, a thermometer or stethoscope). To help children feel more comfortable, behavior therapy, such as applied behavior analysis (ABA), was performed for about 7 to 10 months. Children were very gradually introduced to the process of the physical exam, and given a reward when they did not show fear at each small step. The process continued until the child could go through the entire exam. After therapy, 10 out of 14 children who completed the process had no fears of medical exams, and 4 had fears of one piece of equipment.
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Fear of elevators
Aug 3, 2009 by AnonymousI am working with an 8 year old autistic child who is extremely fearful of elevators. Through desensitization she is able to put 2 feet in the elevator with the doors remaining open & then she gets out. Any suggestions, how to proceed would be greatly appreciated.
Just around the bend...
Jul 26, 2009 by AnonymousSummer is half over and as with people nationwide concerns regarding bugdet cuts to services, inavailability of services that are supportive of our children on the spectrum and the dangers in the community that became more apparent as they get older abound. While I am sure parents overall have concerns about their children being at risk in their community this fear is exacerbated greatly when your child is often oblivious to these dangers because of social skill and comprehension deficits. In the past few weeks I have run into two friends whose teenage sons, once a part of a special needs support group which has fallen prey to the budgetary axe, both found themselves under arrest. I could debate the circumstances but suffice it to say that this is every mothers nightmare. So what do we do when the mainstream only hear about early intervention. It is as if by some misfortune parents who have not solved this exhaustive puzzle of advocating and searching for appropriate services and therapies simply no longer exist once their child falls out of that window the public eye envisions of a child on the spectrum. Beautiful doe eyed 2, 3, 4 and 5 year olds. What happens when they become 12, 13,16, 19? when insurance companies want to deem their progress insufficient and therefore not medicallly necessary? When schools have decided thier capabilities long before they max out at age 22? When they have too often become prey for others willing to exploit their disability? I lose sleep over the thought that my son will one day find himself in a compromising situation because of his inabiility to discern dangers around him, or people who would use him, hurt him.... So that is my thought for the week. How do you as educators, clinicians and parents affect change in the lives of our preteens and teens and adults with ASD so that mothers like me will not live this nightmare?
Seven Special Education Success Strategies
Jul 8, 2009 by Anonymous1. Take Responsibility
It's time you take responsibility for your role as your child's voice in their education and of the state their education is in. This does not mean that you are solely responsible for mishaps, but if we are going to move forward with you becoming an equal member of the team, you must know your role.
From this point forward you will be responsible for consciously choosing the most effective action in any special education situation. You will be in charge of increasing your credibility and influence with the team. You will develop behaviors and actions that will not only improve your own effectiveness, but you will strengthen the entire special education team.
2. Create a Mission
Every parent is given a voice in their child's IEP. It's time to use yours effectively and strategically. No longer will you hesitate on your input into the IEP.
It's time to create your child's Education Mission Statement. This will include a clear definition of educational outcomes at the end of their school career. Included in your plan are descriptive qualities of your child's education that will assist them in achieving their outcomes.
3. Plan for Success
Educational success and mastery does not happen by accident. Only using consistent approaches when collaborating with the IEP team will produce results. You must create a systematic approach that works for you in becoming an equal member of the IEP team.
It's time for you to gain a reputation for excellent follow-through and superior input on your child's top educational priorities. By developing and communicating priorities within the IEP, you will see consistent movement and progress towards the desired outcomes.
4. Develop A Winning Strategy
Team collaboration for IEP success is mandatory. Every team member needs to clearly understand both short and long term education goals. Everyday must be a new effort to achieve.
As an equal member of the team, you can find ways to share recognitions of success without fear of diminishing the weaknesses which still need to be addressed. It's time to create effective, long-term professional relationships with the IEP team. With mutual respect between IEP team members, the child wins.
5. Listen, Learn, Teach
It's your turn to listen, learn and teach. Listening to IEP team members with an open-mind to their perspective can bring new insights to your role on the IEP team. Learning from IEP team members will broaden your information for decision making. Teaching the team your knowledge and expertise about your child will keep the focus on your child's unique needs.
Listen, learn and teach are skills which require practice and adjustment within each team. However, when these skills are mastered you will have greater influence to lead your child's IEP team. You also will develop faster problem solving skills.
6. Cooperate
Understanding differences and how the contribute to innovative and better solutions is key to IEP team success. You never will agree with every team member. Your child needs you to develop the skills to cooperate with their team to create a better program education program.
The action of cooperation includes learning how to value other team members, their knowledge and their participation on your child's team. The goal of cooperation is to integrate every team member's best idea. With integrated solutions, a special education program has the potential to be much greater than an individual strategy.
7. Maintain Accountability
Accountability of all team members, including yourself, is key to long-term success. The purpose of your child's IEP, as stated by IDEA, is to prepare for Further Education, Employment and Independent Living. This is not a sprint of learning, but a marathon in life preparation.
By practicing these 7 strategies consistently you will bring your child's education to a higher level than ever imagined.
Copyright 2009, Precision Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
"Providing you with the information and help you need to change your child's special education outcomes."
Precision Education, Inc. www.precisioneducation.com (815) 302-1273 / (800) 432-0170
Tennis, anyone?
Apr 15, 2008 by AnonymousFinally, the weather is improving! We’ve been spending a lot more time outside playing in the yard and walking to the park. Last year, it seemed like no matter how old Thomas got, I’d still be strapping him into a stroller or making him sit in the wagon to take him to the park. It’s really amazing how much things can change in what seems like no time at all.
Thomas loves to ride his little pedal car to the park. The only problem is that riding the pedal car is all he wants to do when we get there. Hayley wants to play on the slides or the swings but Thomas wants to keep on truckin’. So we go on to the next park and the next (there are three nearby that are all connected by paths) and by then Hayley has seen a flying bug and it’s all over; we have to go home immediately. We saw a very sluggish and sleepy bee on the ground at the park yesterday and Hayley flipped out. (I was rather surprised to see a live bee this time of year too, as a matter of fact.) She is suddenly quite imprisoned by her intense and irrational fear of bugs and it’s worrying me for the coming summer. I’ve tried explaining to her that bugs are important to trees and plants and that bugs live outside and we have to get along with them when we’re outside too. Not much of that is sinking in. I hope she can get over it before summer really gets going. Our family vacation will be one very long week if she doesn’t.
So Thomas pedals to the park, being careful not to get too far away from me – and I can trust him to not run away! (Or pedal away, as the case may be.) Tomorrow it’s supposed to be even warmer and I suggested tonight during baths that we go to a different park. I’ve seen some other neat-looking parks on my jogs and I hope we can try some of them. Thomas is ill-disposed, however. He said that we shouldn’t go to different playgrounds; “that wouldn’t be too much fun.”
Tomorrow is Spring Picture Day at school and I can’t wait to see the kind of picture Thomas brings home. He’s been very into having his picture taken lately. I’ve been selling a lot of old clothes on eBay as I lose weight, and every time I get the camera out to take snaps of these items, Thomas insists that I take a picture of him and then show it to him. It hit me that Thomas and Hayley will never know a time before digital cameras! They’ll never fool around with film and flashcubes (I’m only just barely old enough to remember flash cubes, I swear!) and waiting four days for film to be developed only to find out that Aunt Maude had her eyes closed in every single picture of her at Uncle Joe’s retirement party.
Which brings me to another aspect of life that our children will never remember in its original form: We located and purchased a Nintendo Wii this weekend. Jonathan and I really wanted one (Happy Mother’s Day to me; Happy Father’s day to him) not just for us but for the whole family. I like it better than the average game system because most of the time, you’re standing up making wild, gesticulating motions as you pretend to punch with fists, poke with an epee, display a blazing backhand or perfect a breaststroke. We were playing yesterday and I remember wondering what an alien would think if they were to watch us through our windows as we had what looked like severe seizures in front of the TV. Anyway, the point is that there is more physical activity and coordination required to play this Wii system. You would not believe how much my biceps hurt yesterday from that tennis game! I think those are biceps…anyway, Thomas loves it, too! He is actually really good at the tennis game and Hayley likes to play golf. Thomas laughs so hard when his little character waves the tennis racquet and admittedly, he’s only really able to volley the ball because he’s always moving and therefore his character is always swinging, but he likes it and that’s what’s important. There’s a little “Mii” section of this system where you can create the characters you play with, from the height and body type to face shape, hair color and pretty much every aspect of someone’s appearance. So we made characters for our whole family, plus the kids’ aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. I showed Thomas and Hayley and now they like to see who’s in the stands for tennis, who’s watching at the bowling alley and who’s on their baseball team. It’s very cute! I’m hoping that as they grow, they’ll get better-coordinated with the Wii. We bought a couple games we thought the kids would be better at, but even those were too advanced. I’m going to try to find some games that are rated “EC” for “early childhood.” Those would almost certainly be more appropriate, educational, and easy-to-play. One thing’s for sure: They’ll never remember Atari cartridges and joysticks.
Thursday or Friday, I have to go to kindergarten orientation and I feel rather unprepared. I’m not sure if they’re going to have childcare available – and I don’t know if our home school is even the one Thomas will be attending next year. If our grade school doesn’t offer an MLP class, he’s going to be bussed somewhere else. I’m going to have to call his school or our elementary school tomorrow to find out what I’m supposed to do. We’re not going to decide on Thomas’ placement until May 6, and even then we could change our minds over the summer.
We’re going to the cottage this weekend to put the pier in the water. After we were there two weeks ago, I really don’t dread it. The kids are so good up there now that this is finally the year that things get better! We’ve been waiting for it and now it’s here. Undoubtedly, God will jar me out of my reverie somehow – like I’ll get pregnant or something. (I’m not pregnant, mom. That was a joke.)