When starting a new behaviour protocol for their child, autism parents have always been told to withhold any reinforcer until their child does what they want them to do. While the long-term effects of this protocol will be worth it, having to follow it can lead to a tantrum or worse. 40% of children with […]
Author Archives: Serena
Applied Behavioural Analysis. ABA. It’s a sticky word. What is it really? It falls under the field of Psychology and under the science of behaviour. A therapy…yes. Strategies? That as well. Teaching? You know it. It can be a foreign term- and even when you hear it, you may still be a tad confused. […]
Unless you live in a bubble you know that recently the Ministry of Child and Youth Services (MCYS) has changed the structure of provincially funded treatment for Autism. For those who are unaware of what the changes mean, the coles notes version is that every child over the age of 5 will be discharged from […]
Earlier this year, one of my fellow colleagues wrote a blog post about The Joy of Inclusive Camping! You should definitely go and read it if you haven’t read it already. What I’d like to focus on in this post is the benefits of inclusive camps for children without disabilities. One of the many reasons […]
I think everyone in the autism community can agree that one of the first thing that pops into your head when meeting a child with autism is “I wonder why they’re doing what they’re doing”. I know that every time I interact with a child I haven’t worked with before I am very curious to […]
Growing up as a child, I recall many social excursions with my family. Activities such as concerts, picnics, vacations and Sunday bowling, I always had something to look forward to. After all, children deserve fun outings instead of staying home and relying on meaningless technological entertainment (i.e. video games). Aside from planning family events and […]
Over the past week, Autism intervention has been a hot topic of discussion in the news and media. Due to the recent changes in Government funding, Autism services of Ontario have been drastically altered.The ministry has made a change to increase Autism funding in Ontario by $333 million dollars over the next 5 years. The […]
“Remember: a disability descriptor is simply a medical diagnosis; People First Language respectfully puts the person before the disability; and a person with a disability is more like people without disabilities than different!” –National Inclusion Project I was so excited to watch that video from The Ellen Show of a young adult with Autism who […]
There is a mountain of snow outside today! Some of you are at work, some shovelling their driveways, and some spending time at home with your kids. Now, if you are a KID – you are likely shouting from the rooftop today that you can stay in your PJ’s that little bit longer, tobogganing seems […]
My son has severe ADHD, and yes he is on medication. I am going to guess that over half of the people who just read that statement gasped, judged and silently said to themselves “I would never medicate my child”. I used to be one of those people. I used to judge and silently condemn […]