Submitted by: Amanda Coad, M.Ed., BCBA

We have all seen this scenario before: parents are out to dinner and their child starts crying. It’s so common for children to cry that many don’t even blink an eye when they hear a child start crying in certain environments. But what about when a child starts to flap their hands in excitement that their dinner has arrived; that they begin rocking and humming due to the loud atmosphere, or throwing items off of a grocery store shelf because they were told they can’t have a certain type of cereal (way to go parents for following through!!).

People begin to stare, and sometimes blatantly. Often questions follow – “What is wrong with him/her?” “Are they special?” “Why don’t they discipline their children more?” How does our community answer such invasive and sometimes rude questions?

First, there is absolutely nothing wrong with your child. Nothing, zero, zip, nada. Secondly, as a society, we can look at these questions several ways. You can educate them on what your child’s exceptionality is in addition to explaining why those types of questions may be hurtful to others in this specific population. Or, when met with those invasive and sometimes rude questions, we can politely say, “Thank you for your concern, however there is nothing wrong, I hope you have a nice day” and then continue with your day. Often the stares are harder than the questions, and in those situations you can choose to politely state that it is inappropriate to stare, and then continue on with your daily activities. You can also choose not to respond at all. It is your right as a parent, regardless of your child’s exceptionalities, to divulge as much or as little as you want. Just because something that may look different to others, does not mean that your child is less than others.

Unfortunately, we cannot control the actions of others. However, we do have control over our reactions. It is whatever you – as parent – feel most comfortable with. Whichever response you choose to give should be in the best interest of your family and you should know that you are giving your child something they will have for the rest of their life: love.

The post It’s Called Love appeared first on Reaching Milestones.

Submitted by: Beth Vaughan

Our very own Jamie Redding (Senior Vice President) and Missy Rolison (Vice President of Operations) for Reaching Milestones recently took a trip to Washington, DC last week to meet with members of the United States Congress. The mission of the trip was an extremely important one for all of us involved in both the Autism and Military communities.

Recently, it has become difficult for many military families to find in-network specialists for their children who have been diagnosed with Autism. According to a group of US Senators, this is in part, due to the way federal officials have changed health insurance plan reimbursements earlier this year. A group of six lawmaking senators (including North Carolina’s Thom Tillis) are calling for Congress to reverse the reimbursement cuts via additional funding and sent a letter to federal funding decision makers last week, asking for this very serious issue to be addressed. The letter asks for leaders on the House and Senate appropriations committees to include $32 million in upcoming budget legislation. That money is expected to effectively reverse the reimbursement rate cuts and address the shortage of ABA therapy providers.

According to the Senators, the reimbursement issue arose after Defense Health Agency officials changed the rate that TRICARE pays medical providers (such as Reaching Milestones) for Applied Behavior Analysis therapy. Through TRICARE, military beneficiaries diagnosed with ASD are eligible to receive ABA treatment. The Academy of Pediatrics fully supports and endorses ABA as an effective treatment for individuals with Autism. A Report of the Surgeon General states, “Thirty years of research demonstrated the efficacy of applied behavioral methods in reducing inappropriate behavior and in increasing communication, learning, and appropriate social behavior. The ABA treatment program is used by nearly half of the 26,000 children covered by TRICARE who have been diagnosed with Autism.

On April 1, 2016, the DHA imposed reimbursement rate cuts of as much as 15% for ABA services in most areas of the country. These cuts were imposed despite indications from military families from across the country that they were experiencing ABA provider shortages; and, in some locations, families had no access to providers at all. Just this week, 3 providers in San Diego were forced to shut their doors and a major ABA provider in the Georgia area had to close down all but one of their locations because they could not afford to stay open.

The House and Senate has already approved the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017 to include reinstating ABA reimbursement rates. However, that bill does not appropriate federal funding for such costs and final approval of the budget is expected later this year (most likely December).

Missy and Jamie personally met with 10 members of the US Senate and were very enthused by the conversations that took place. They were able to lock in signatures from these representatives and came back to Jacksonville feeling very positive about the potential outcome.

This mission is far from over, and the efforts to reverse the rates don’t stop with the Jamie, Missy and the group of Senators. We need YOUR help! Sign the petition. Voice your opinions and concerns. Let TRICARE and Congress know how important ABA is for the future of your children. Progress is made every single day with ABA. Please contact your local congressman and senators to voice your opinion and let them know how important this is to all of us!

The post Be the Change! appeared first on Reaching Milestones.

Dr. Lee Wilkinson of www.bestpracticeautism.com has quite a few useful recommendations for ASD households.  He suggests that you decorate in gradual stages, introducing the different decorations after your child has had time to adjust to the changes in the environment.  If possible, allow your child to help hang the decorations.  Dr. Wilkinson also warns that flashing lights or musical decorations can disturb some children.  When you are out shopping or perhaps enjoying the seasonal drive to look at your neighbors’ lights, gauge your child’s reactions.  This information may help you in choosing your own household decorations.

Speaking of going shopping, Dr. Wilkinson makes an excellent point when he says to avoid last minute holiday shopping with your child, if you can.  Your child may have well-established routines that might be ruined by such a hectic outing.  The holidays are already chaotic enough, aren’t they?  If you must take your child shopping, Dr. Wilkinson suggests allowing time for your child to adapt to the shopping environment.  The holidays tend to bring out bright lights, loud noises, and lots of moving people.  Once your child has had time to get used to the holiday shopping environment.  As always, provide positive behavior support for socially acceptable behaviors.

Meetings with the family to make such behavioral support a team effort may help.  Minimizing disruptions for the child and determining rewards for positive behavior when the inevitable disruption occurs should be part of the agenda.  If you are going to have visitors staying with you this season, make sure they understand your child’s condition and how they can be a part of this wonderful holiday experience.

When it comes to gift giving, Dr. Wilkinson suggests that we help our children learn that wrapped gifts are to be opened when the family has gathered.  He recommends presenting the child with a wrapped gift and rewarding him or her for not opening it.

For more of Dr. Wilkinson’s insightful article, visit http://www.examiner.com/article/autism-and-the-holidays-reducing-stress-for-families

What about buying gifts for your child?  While toys and entertainment devices may seem like a natural choice this season, consider this: Autism treatments afford parents the opportunity to be deeply involved with their child’s educational attainment, both during treatment sessions and otherwise.  Why not use the holiday season to build upon your child’s growing love of learning?  www.nationalautismresources.com has several gift options for your child.  Games, toys, and puzzles that are both fun and educational can provide enjoyment and learning at home.

Of course, if you have any questions about managing this holiday season or wonderful gift ideas, you can contact Reaching Milestones with BCS at 904-579-3280.  Happy holidays from all of us at Reaching Milestones with BCS!!!

The post Enjoying the Holidays: Some Guidelines for Parents of Children With ASDs appeared first on Reaching Milestones.

Parents of children with autism often face the decision of whether to seek home- or center- based treatment.  At Reaching Milestones with Behavioral Consultation Services, one of our most important principles is that our clients are able to make educated and informed decisions.  With that in mind, we would like to share what recent, scientific research has to say about home- and center-based treatment, as well as our experiences in the matter when treating children with our Autism program.

A well-controlled study conducted by behavioral researchers (Roberts et al., 2011), examined the treatment outcomes for children diagnosed with autism who participated in Center-Based programs or Home-Based programs.  Treatment outcome measures included: social and communication skill development in the children, quality of life and stress for parents.  Results from the study showed that children in the Center-Based program improved the most in social & communication skill development.  Furthermore, parents of the children in the Center-Based program reported the most gains in “perception of competence & quality of life.”  Researchers concluded that, if possible, Center-Based treatment was the preferred option for children with autism (Roberts et al., 2011).

While there may be multiple factors affecting the results in the aforementioned study, our experiences at Reaching Milestones with BCS have led us to draw a few conclusions:

Center-based treatment (also known as clinic-based treatment) allows the behavior analyst to minimize or alleviate many variables that may prove very difficult to control in a home environment.  Such things as toys, entertainment devices, pets, and even siblings can cause unnecessary distractions that hamper a child’s development.  In a center, a behavior analyst is able to control events that would otherwise be distracting in a home setting, and in some cases use those events to bring about effective changes in your child’s behavior.

Center-based treatments generally allow the analyst to spend more time working with your child.  Let’s face it: Life happens.  Aside from working or meeting family obligations, sometimes we are caught off-guard by emergencies and other events.  You may have aging parents to care for or other, typically functioning children whose demands need to be met.  Now, imagine having to work around these events and maintain your child’s home-based treatment schedule.  Our experience as behavior analysts tells us that center-based treatment allows for your child to get more of the attention that will lead to positive, beneficial changes and allow you to focus on the other aspects of your life while still benefitting your child.

Center-based treatment, while giving analysts more time with your child, also gives them the ability to gather more information about your child’s development.  This information is used to better formulate your child’s program of instruction and allows you to better communicate with the analyst about progress and concerns.  At Reaching Milestones with BCS, we believe that keeping you informed and up-to-date on your child’s progress will also give you the confidence to handle the day-to-day challenges that you may face in meeting your child’s needs inside the home.

You don’t have to take our word for it, however. In the study previously mentioned (Roberts et al., 2011), researchers also found that parents involved in center-based treatment scored significantly higher in the following areas, overall:

Family interaction

Parenting skills

Emotional wellbeing

Physical wellbeing

Confidence

Coping skills

Knowledge

Understanding

Planning

Knowing your options is a vital aspect of selecting treatment for your child.  At Reaching Milestones with BCS, your child’s progress comes first.  We want to make sure that you have all the information you need in order to make an informed decision regarding your child’s care.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the nearest Reaching Milestones location.

Roberts, J., Williams, K., Carter, M., Evans, D., Parmenter, T., Silove, N., Clark, T., Warren, A.

(2011). A randomised controlled trial of two early intervention programs for young children

with autism: Centre-based with parent program and home-based. Research in Autism

Spectrum Disorders, 5,

1553-1566.

The post Home Based or Center Based Services – Which is right for my child? appeared first on Reaching Milestones.