Happy New Year! Many people approach the new year as a time to focus on bettering themselves. In fact, making New Year’s resolutions has history in both Western and Eastern cultures and dates back many centuries – a fun tidbit I learned in preparing for this blog. Our friends at Wikipedia define resolutions as a…
Common Back to School Questions – Answered!
On August 19, the Autism Society of North Carolina held a webinar panel discussion to address issues related to returning to school in 2021. The panel discussion featured Autism Resource Specialists Vickie Dieter and Nancy Nestor and Clinical Department members Deb Leach and Louise Southern. We know that a lot of uncertainty still exists around…
Back to School in Uncertain Times
It’s that time of the year again! School will be starting soon, and parents and school personnel find themselves in the same climate of uncertainty that has existed since schools closed in 2020 due to the pandemic. As I write this, school boards in our local communities are voting on whether students will be required…
Bringing Back Needed Structure and Routine
When the pandemic began in March 2020, our world took a sharp turn, and everyone’s life looked very different. With all the changes that occurred, known routines and schedules were literally turned upside down. We were left with uncertainty, few answers, and we may have lost control of maintaining what we had implemented and put…
Understanding the ISP
Because my adult son receives services through the Innovations Waiver program, we contribute to his ISP, or Individual Support Plan. During the school years, we were familiar with the IEP (Individualized Education Program), but since we transitioned into the post-school era, the document that we work on every year is the ISP. An ISP is…
Our Position on Applied Behavior Analysis
There is confusion and controversy regarding Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), particularly when used as a comprehensive treatment for individuals with autism. Applied Behavior Analysis within the autism community is endorsed by many and criticized by others. It is a topic that evokes passion and emotional responses because of the perceptions, sometimes inaccurate, of how ABA…
A Parent’s Perspective on Handling Meltdowns
Meltdowns happen. Meltdowns happen first thing in the morning, right before bed, and all the times in between. They happen at your in-law’s house, at the grocery store, and during religious services. Meltdowns seem to be the number one reason that parents seek a diagnosis of autism for their child. That was true for me…