Some form of negative behavior is always going to be an aspect of children on the autism spectrum. It takes a bag of tricks and sometimes a barrelful to teach them self control and how to respect the feelings of others. It is innate that children want to please the adults in their world. Children want to make us happy, but sometimes they don't. ...

What was your favorite thing that happened today? Who is your favorite singer? What is your favorite book? Do you have a favorite sport? I have a favorite time of the year, do you? My babysitter used to show me her favorite thimble. FAVORITE is one of my favorite words and it is powerful. I use it all the time and you should too. It's one of ...

 ''This is my son, Blain. It was taken a couple of years ago. He rarely smiles in pictures or in life, so I appreciate this picture.'' (Copied from a post on Facebook 1-3-13, from the mother of a young man with ASD.) There was a picture of Blain (fictitious name) with a semi-smile that accompanied this post and I could feel the love and joy ...

My son, Doug, drives slowly around our city of Las Vegas. He drives to work on the Las Vegas Strip, to the athletic club, and to go shopping. He has a blue ruler in his car at all times to measure the exact distance from his stomach to the steering wheel before he ever places the key in the ignition. People with ASD adhere to sameness, rules, and ...

Has it really been thirteen years since the turn of the century? Young children who were diagnosed with autism in 2000 are now in their teens. Teens who were dealing with autism in 2000 are now adults. Perhaps you, as an SLP, were just worrying about how the new century was going to affect your computer at this time some thirteen years ago. Time ...

Social skills aren't really so hard. Most children glean them during play and with appropriate guidance. No, social/pragmatic skills aren't hard at all, not unless you have ASD (as well as other mental disorders) Social skills only . . . Make or break every relationship Determine whether a person will attain or maintain employment Gives one ...

As an SLP you have the skills to teach children and adults on all levels of the autism spectrum social strategies they will need throughout their lives. As an SLP you have the responsibility to speak up at an IEP in the school or any setting when you hear that ''social skills do not impact education'' and state all the reasons why they do. As ...

There are no words for what happened. As my family and friends know, I am passionate about autism/ASD for those affected by it and their families. I have lived in that world and I not only know it well but I respect it. If the man who committed this unspeakable crime of slaughter in Newtown, CT, on Dec. 14, 2012, was on the autism spectrum, it ...

My son, Doug, drives a car. He drives slowly and doesn't go too far from home. He likes to go to the Las Vegas Athletic Club (LVAC) about once a week where he says he lifts a few weights but I suspect he spends most of the time in the whirlpool. That's okay. Our closest LVAC is one mile from our home and in July, the temperature can get up to ...

 People with ASD respect rules and laws. They might not always seem to follow them or understand them, but they try. May times there are tasks or rules that an SLP, teacher, or parent want to establish as routine for a child with ASD. Here is one plan that might help to make any school or home task legal. Write a contract between the child ...