Submitted By: Desiree Lawrence, BCBA

The school year has finally come to an end.

It is hard work maintaining a tight schedule during the school year. I know this, because I have 3 sons, 2 of which are school-aged. There have been times (closer to the end of the school year) that if they had on clothes and shoes, I did not care if it matched. We tend to take it easy during the summer and celebrate the hard work we’ve accomplished during the school year. We sleep in, swim, eat poorly, stay up late, hangout outside, watch TV and travel for the entire summer break. And each year, come August, I slide my children back into the swing of things and get them ready for school mode. It always starts out great, they are generally ready to mingle with friends, and luckily my kids love school so they are anxious to get back.

9 weeks after the start of school, interim report cards get sent home and I go into panic mode wondering how in the world my child is delayed in reading and regressed in math. This is generally the moment I start to reflect on what we did all summer and where they were at the end of the previous school year. And I remember the flyer that was sent home from the teachers at the end of the year warning me of “The summer slide” and urging me to read daily to stay sharp on skills. Then the guilt sets in because it is all my fault. I was so busy keeping my kids busy having fun that we didn’t take the time to read or brush up on school work.

This is all coming from a mother with typical children. It is especially difficult, yet important, for a parent with a special needs child. The skills that they have spent countless hours mastering all year long are detrimental to their success and development in the future. I know this is easier said than done, but parents I am warning you of “The summer slide” and urging you to stick with the program as best as possible. It may look different for your child in terms of what you should work on and focus on this summer. Speak with your child’s therapists, supervisors and teachers to find out 1-2 things you could focus on for the summer and really work to stay sharp in those areas. It will give your child a giant head start leading into the upcoming school year and reduce having to backtrack to catch them up for the skills they’ve lost.

Have a happy and safe summer!

The post Avoiding the “Summer Slide” 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.