Horizons Developmental Resource Center
Evaluation and Treatment of Autism, Aspergers, ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Sensory Processing Disorder, Behavior Disorders
As I was wandering around the Minneapolis airport recently, I found a store with a variety of posters, cards, and wall hangings with quotes and sayings on them. As I perused the options, I found one that I had to purchase and bring back to the office. Here is the quote:
Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. (Author unknown)
Communication is a dynamic process. It goes way beyond the words we say. Many people interchange the words communication, language, and speech; but these terms are not synonymous. Speech refers to the actual words or sounds that are coming from your mouth. Language is the grammar, meaning and ability to use the words you have. When people talk about language, they are referring to both verbal and non-verbal language. Communication encompasses both language and speech, but it is more than that. It is the ability to share thoughts and experiences in a meaningful way while taking in, processing, and responding to the person you are talking with.
All children exhibit less-than-desirable behaviors at one time or another. Sometimes children exhibit many of these behaviors throughout the day, especially in the case of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The behaviors can take over everyone’s lives and become the focus of our interactions with these children. Too often we blame the child, when what we need to do is analyze what the child’s behavior is telling us and how we can best support his or her functioning. This involves looking beyond what is on the surface to see what physical and emotional needs lie beneath.
Whether your child has been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, or another neurodevelopmental disorder (or you suspect that your child has some atypical developmental characteristics), you may feel confused and overwhelmed regarding treatment options. There are many different approaches that can be beneficial depending on your child’s specific symptoms and needs. It can be frustrating and challenging for parents to research all the options available, decide what to try, and then access the appropriate treatments.
Most parents want to begin addressing their child’s difficulties right away, but are not sure exactly what to do. They would be relieved to find that there are some core principles of treatment that they can begin implementing with their children right away, regardless of the other treatments to be provided. Even specialists in the field who apply specific behavioral, speech, or cognitive types of therapies often overlook these critical components to treatment. Families can begin having a significant impact on a child’s behavior, learning, social skills, and communication by addressing the following four areas:
My son has been eligible for special education as a student with autism for 3 years (since he was 6), and was eligible with an early childhood developmental delay prior to that. He is now due (actually overdue) for his 3-year re-evaluation for special education. When I looked at the plan the school gave me for what they were going to evaluate, they don’t have any specific evaluations listed. They are mostly going to do observations, and when I asked them about it they told me they don’t have to do any evaluations on him since he’s still autistic and no one is questioning the eligibility. This doesn’t seem right to me, but I’m confused about how to handle this. Can you help me understand what should be done for his evaluation?
Thanks,
Connie in Michigan
My husband and I had three sons when our daughter joined our family. I was thrilled with the idea of finally being able to put one of my children in dresses, buy cute little shoes, and do her hair. After three boys, it was time for me to have another female in the house to share my love of all things girly! When she was tiny, I was easily able to put cute little things in her hair and she left them there. At some point all her baby hair fell out so there really wasn’t much hair to do anything with (I resorted to headbands for photos!). When she was about 14 months old she had a lovely head of thick, dark, curly hair that is just begging to be done up in cute bows, pigtails, and tiny braids.
There is just one small problem – she refused to leave the darn things in! I tried everything – winding the hair bands tighter, doing her hair while she has a snack to distract her, buying different types of clips, doing her hair while wet, and doing her hair while dry. You name it and I tried it. I really thought I had her beat one week when I washed her hair and spent time putting it in small little twists all over her head. I used tiny little hair bands that were “guaranteed” (according to the package) not to pull out. She looked so cute, and I was feeling really good about having finally triumphed over her in the hair department. And then she went to bed. And in the night I heard her up laughing and laughing and laughing. And in the morning her hair looked like she’d gotten way too close to an electrical outlet, with every single hair band strewn around the floor of her room. What’s a mother to do?!
When thinking about autism and all that is involved with it and other similar neurodevelopmental disorders, we sometimes overlook the possibility of co-occurring conditions like anxiety. All too often I hear responses about a child’s odd behaviors in relation to him or her “being naughty,” or that “it is just his or her autism”; but, in many instances, that is not the case. Anxiety is a complex disorder that can manifest itself in many different ways, especially in children and adults affected by autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. My goal over the next couple of months is to share with you information related to anxiety, and how you can help your child or student who may be affected by it.
I recently had a parent refer to the many needs of her daughter in this way: “It’s like there are three floors of the house burning! Where do we start and which level do we fight the fire on first?” This provides an excellent visual metaphor for determining priorities in treatment.
When a child has autism, or another neurodevelopmental disorder, there are many areas of need to consider. The pervasive nature of the diagnosis leaves little unscathed in terms of development and functioning. The extent to which each area of functioning is impacted varies, but it’s safe to say that all children on the spectrum are affected by their autism in numerous areas. There are communication problems, social interaction problems, restricted behaviors, rigid thinking, and other issues that come from having the core deficits of autism.
School-related decisions seem to be an ever-present issue for all families, but especially for families with a child with unique learning needs. Here are some tips I find myself frequently providing parents in regards to their child’s education:
I was conducting a seminar recently when a member of the audience asked me if I believe that treatment for autism can lead to “recovery”, or if I believe autism and related disorders can be “cured”. These types of questions are asked often by parents and professionals and are worth addressing. While it may be a controversial topic, here are my thoughts:
