What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)?
The Virginia Institute of Autism
Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is the process of using behavioral principles to teach new skills and increase desirable behaviors. ABA methods break skills down into small, measurable units and use high rates
of positive reinforcement. ABA is committed to objective measurement and data-driven analysis of behavior within relevant settings, like home, school, and the community. ABA uses many different teaching strategies to increase and maintain desirable behaviors, teach new skills, and generalize behaviors to new environments or situations....READ MORE |
Dogs Work “Magic” on Kids with Autism.
"It's the magic of dogs."
That's how Karen Shirk explains the ability of service dogs to
help children suffering from autism.
"I'm sure there's some sort of scientific explanation," she says.
"But I call it magic."
Since 1998, through her nonprofit 4 Paws for Ability, Shirk has helped partner service dogs with people with a wide range of disabilities...READ MORE |
Treatment
Children do not grow out of autism. With appropriate intervention, however, they can be assisted to gain many of the skills we take for granted, such as learning to play, to communicate and to respond to others in a social way. People with autism....READ MORE |
FAQ's about Autism Spectrum Diagnoses.
What is a diagnosis?
A diagnosis is a categorical term that describes a group of behaviors or characteristics that, in most cases, are linked with a particular disease or disorder through cause, trajectory and
effective treatments....READ MORE |
Challenges Siblings of Children with Autism Face.
The "typically developing" siblings of autistic children are, in fact, the furthest thing from typical. Often, they are wiser and more mature than their age would suggest. And they have to be, given
the myriad challenges they face: parental responsibility; a feeling of isolation from the rest of their family; confusion, fear, anger and embarrassment about their autistic sibling. And on top of all of it, guilt for having these feelings...READ MORE |
What are some of the signs of ASDs?
People with ASDs may have problems with social, emotional, and communication skills. They might repeat certain behaviors and might not want change in their daily activities. Many people with ASDs also have different ways of learning, paying attention, or reacting to things. ASDs begin during early childhood and last throughout a person’s life.
A child or adult with an ASD might:
• not play “pretend” games (pretend to “feed” a doll)
• not point at objects to show interest (point at an airplane flying over)
• not look at objects when...READ MORE |
Speech/Language Problems in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
A Neurologist's Persective/A Parent's Perspective
Problems with speech and language are one of the defining characteristics of the Autism Spectrum Disorders. However, the difficulties that individuals with autism have with speech and language are very heterogenous and ...READ MORE |
Study links child's autism with parents' mental illness
CHICAGO (Reuters) - In another sign pointing to an inherited component to autism, a study released on Monday found that having a schizophrenic parent or a mother with psychiatric problems roughly doubled a child's risk of being autistic....READ MORE |
Tracing autism's roots
Move over vaccines. The most promising research into the disorder is emerging from the quest for the genes that underlie it...READ MORE |
Mom Wins Fight For Autism Insurance.
South Carolina-- Ryan Unumb just turned 7 years old. He has
about 100 words in his vocabulary, even if they are difficult to understand. He's potty trained. He loves playing....READ MORE |
| High stress for parents who are raising autistic children is no excuse for murder…. |
