April 22, 2024
Tour Our Brookfield ABA Therapy Learning Center!
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Welcome to our partnered WEAP and Total Spectrum Brookfield, WI Learning Center!
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Welcome to our partnered WEAP and Total Spectrum Brookfield, WI Learning Center!
LEARN MOREDr. Megan Anna Neff, a Neurodivergent Psychologist joins us to discuss discovering her own autism in the aftermath of her child’s diagnosis and how that has inspired her passion to support the neurodivergent community. Dr. Neff describes the experience of her autism revelation in this way, “For the first time in my life, my body made sense, my experience of self made sense, and it was a powerful moment of liberation.” We also delve into helpful strategies about sensory sensitivity and self-care that are helpful for adults and parents of children with autism.
For more information:
@neurodivergent_insights on Instagram
All Autism Talk (https://www.allautismtalk.com/) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (https://learnbehavioral.com).
In this informative video, two Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) moms, Heather and Trisha, share their personal experiences with Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy and how it has helped their children succeed. For more information about our ABA Therapy services, visit: https://lrnbvr.com/yt-aba-moms
We’re excited to announce we have expanded our reach in Wisconsin with the opening of a new Wisconsin Early Autism Project (WEAP) Learning Center in Sun Prairie this past April. This center represents our commitment to providing children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) the resources and support they need to develop essential life skills in a nurturing, group environment. Our mission is to find success for every child with autism in our care by providing compassionate, contemporary applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy to help them reach their potential.
The WEAP Learning Center in Sun Prairie offers a learning-rich environment that supports the unique needs of each child. Our center-based services are complemented by home and community-based services as well as social skills programming. We understand that every child has unique needs and interests, and we’re committed to providing tailored treatment that respects the varied needs, values, and cultures of every family we serve.
To celebrate the opening of our new Learning Center, we hosted an open house where the public and families were invited to tour our bright and airy new facility, speak with our leadership team, and participate in a range of fun, summer-themed activities. It was a festive occasion that brought the autism community in Sun Prairie and throughout Wisconsin together. The event was topped off with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was organized in collaboration with the Sun Prairie Chamber of Commerce.
We’re proud to have served children with autism for over 25 years and our dedication to serving the autism community is steadfast. Our commitment to the welfare of our clients has allowed us to be one of the leading providers of ABA therapy in the country. We take enormous pride in providing positive outcomes for children and families and are committed to continuing to provide exceptional care to all those we serve.
If you’re interested in learning more about our services or finding a WEAP location near you, please visit our website. We look forward to serving the autism community in Sun Prairie and throughout Wisconsin in the years ahead.
“We are excited to offer center-based learning on the east side of Madison in Sun Prairie and the surrounding communities. Our new location has reduced the commute time for some families traveling to the west side center and created an opportunity for new families to access services.
Our staff and families love our fresh, new, bright center, which features large clinical spaces and group learning areas. Plus, kids can get lots of physical activity in our gym and outside at our playground. Many families have already taken advantage of our Saturday Squad program for weekend fun for their children. I encourage interested families to reach out to schedule a tour.” – Christine Laurent, Clinical Director
We’re proud to announce the expansion of our services in Michigan with the opening of a new Total Spectrum Learning Center in Portage this past March. This center is a testament to our commitment to providing children with autism the resources and support they need to develop essential life skills in a nurturing, group environment. Our mission is to empower children with autism and other special needs to achieve success in school and life, and we’re dedicated to providing contemporary and compassionate applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy to help them achieve their goals.
The Total Spectrum Learning Center in Portage is designed to offer a learning-rich atmosphere that caters to the unique needs of each child. Our center-based services are complemented by home and community-based services that offer flexible scheduling options. We understand that every child has individualized needs and aspirations, and we’re committed to providing a comprehensive range of services that cater to those needs.
To celebrate the opening of our new facility, we hosted an open house where families were invited to tour our state-of-the-art facility, engage with our leadership team, and participate in a range of fun, spring-themed activities. It was a joyous occasion that brought the autism community in Portage and throughout Michigan together. The event was topped off with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was organized in collaboration with the Southwest Michigan First Chamber of Commerce.
Our dedication to serving the autism community is unwavering, and we’re proud to have served children with autism for over a decade. Our commitment to the well-being of our clients has allowed us to emerge as one of the leading providers of ABA therapy in the country. We take immense pride in our work and are committed to continuing to provide the highest quality of care to our clients.
If you’re interested in learning more about our services or finding a Total Spectrum location near you, please visit our website. We look forward to continuing to serve the autism community in Portage, throughout Michigan, and across the Midwest.
We’re thrilled to announce our Arizona services expanded this March, as we opened a new AST Learning Center in Chandler. This newest center, which boasts state-of-the-art facilities, held an open house where families were invited to tour the facility, converse with our leadership team, and take part in a range of fun, spring-themed activities. The event was topped off with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was organized in collaboration with the Chandler Chamber of Commerce.
At AST, we’re committed to providing children with autism the support and resources they need to develop essential life skills in a nurturing, group environment. Our latest facility in Chandler is no exception. The center is designed to offer a learning-rich atmosphere that caters to the unique needs of every child. Our comprehensive range of center-based services is complemented by home and community-based services that offer flexible scheduling options.
We take immense pride in serving the autism community in Chandler, throughout Arizona, and across our seven other states. Our mission is to empower children with autism and other special needs to achieve success in school and life. We understand that every child has individualized needs and aspirations, and we’re committed to providing compassionate and contemporary applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy to help them achieve their goals.
We’re honored to have served children with autism for over two decades. Our unwavering commitment to the wellbeing of our clients has allowed us to emerge as one of the leading providers of ABA therapy in the country. If you want to learn more about our services or find an AST location near you, click here.
Heading back to school can bring a number of challenges for our kids, especially those with autism. Navigating new environments, teachers, therapists, and peers can each be a bit scary but full of opportunity.
One very common request we get is about supporting autistic kids with their homework. How do you get your child to do his or her homework? There are many strategies to help keep your child on task; all of them tried and true. Here are some to consider:
Set a schedule and stick to it. Like any other priority, if homework always occurs at the same time, and the routine becomes ingrained, your child will eventually accept the routine. This is true for teeth brushing, baths, and all of the chores children prefer to avoid. Initially, it is hard to hold the line on the schedule, but it sure pays off later.
Set the stage and set the tone. Show your child that homework time is important and respected. Give them a special place to sit. Ask siblings to be quiet or leave the area during homework time. Check in frequently to see how they are doing and intersperse praise throughout homework tasks. Show them that you care and are invested in their homework efforts, and help them feel successful and competent.
Be firm but encouraging. Everyone tends to push back when they are nagged. Try to avoid nagging when you are frustrated by your child’s efforts. By observing your own behavior, you can better support theirs. You can set expectations for what the homework routine looks like, but make sure to be encouraging and motivating, too. Remind your child what you believe their strengths are and why you are proud of what they are learning.
Use rewards. It is OK to reward your child for completing their homework. They are doing something difficult every day. Consider giving a reward for being successful at participating in homework time (not getting everything correct). Eventually, as homework time becomes easier, you can shift rewards to more academic goals. It does not have to be an ice cream sundae. Find out what they might like to do with you after they are done. This can be an opportunity to consider setting aside quality time that you will enjoy.
Giving choices has been proven to increase motivation. What choices can they have during homework time? It is important for you to keep the time and the expectations the same. But, can they choose where to sit? Can they choose what materials to write with or write on? Can they choose what task to begin with? Also, consider letting them choose their reward as well. Give them at least three options. Empowering them in this way can be very powerful. The more control they have over the task the more motivated they will be.
Interested in more back-to-school tips? Check out our blogs, “Five Steps to Help Your Child with Autism Make Friends,” “This School Year, Build a Trusting Relationship with Your Child’s Teacher,” and “Tips for Reducing Back to School Anxiety.”
Aggressive behavior is something that parents of children with autism or emotional disabilities are often confronted with on a regular basis. It can be a challenging, frustrating and emotionally draining experience. Through the support of a professional behavior analyst and consistent practices, parents, teachers, and caregivers can address aggressive behaviors in children and adolescents so that they can live productive and independent lives.
Many times when caregivers are faced with aggressive behavior, their impulse is to want to stop the behavior, and they may view the child as misbehaving. However, it’s important to understand that aggressive behavior is sending us a message. Every behavior serves a function— such as making a request, avoiding something, escaping a task or seeking attention. The same is true of aggression. For individuals with limited communication skills, aggressive behaviors can become inadvertently shaped by caretakers and others in their environment.
For example, a child throws a tantrum to gain access to candy. The parent gives the child candy to stop the tantrum. If this interaction repeats itself, the behaviors become reinforced and the child learns that tantruming is rewarded with access to the desired food. Next time, the parent may decide they are not going to give the child candy and so the child tantrums even louder and harder. If the parent gives the child candy, the parent has inadvertently reinforced the behavior. As parents, we all do this in very subtle ways regardless of whether our child has special needs or not, often without realizing that we are shaping our children’s behavior and strengthening the behaviors that are unwanted.
When children are small, it can be less of an issue for parents to manage aggression, or they may think that their child will grow out of it. It is easier to restrain young kids to combat and control outbursts, but if these are the only methods we use, we are not setting our teenagers up for success. It is important to understand why our kids are acting out and what they are trying to communicate. Once we know the “what” and the “why”, we can teach more appropriate means of communication to replace the need for aggression (such as making a verbal request and teaching the child to tolerate “no” when the answer is “no”). If the aggressive behaviors are not replaced by more appropriate functional behaviors, then we run the risk of shaping adolescent aggression which can include physical violence that is more serious and tougher to overcome.
If your child is demonstrating aggression, the best place to start is an assessment of his behavior to understand why the behaviors are occurring. A good assessment will tell you what the function of the behavior is, meaning— why he is acting out and what he is trying to communicate. Then a plan can be put in place to teach new methods for communicating effectively as well as reducing and eliminating the aggression using behavioral strategies.
Here are a few strategies you can use before aggressive episodes start:
In the moment of the aggressive behavior, safety is most important! Do your best to keep yourself and your child safe. If you can redirect your child onto something else or an activity, that might be necessary.
Some parents of adolescents who display aggressive behaviors worry that it is too late for their child to have a fulfilling and independent life. On the contrary, it is never too late to start planning on a future for your child and working towards attainable goals. Think about what you want your child to be doing in a year from now and start working towards that today. If you want your child to ask for the desired item or preferred activity instead of tantruming to get it, start taking small steps now. If you are hoping they will have more friends in a year, start exposing your child to those opportunities and teaching the socially appropriate skills that will afford those opportunities. If you want them to have fewer aggressive behaviors, do not wait a year to start working to improve that behavior. It is never too late or too early to start working towards next year. The results will support your child in having their needs met and experiencing greater success at each stage of development. The ultimate goal is setting your child up for success and helping him achieve as much independence as possible.
-Richie Ploesch, M.A., BCBA, and Ronit Molko, Ph.D., BCBA-D
When a child is diagnosed with autism, parents become charged with finding quality treatment – and the evidence-based recommendation is to seek out Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Choosing the specific ABA program that is right for a child can feel daunting, especially if ABA is new territory for a family. In this article, we look at the benefits of a program incorporating both in-home and center-based programs.
Many proponents of ABA like to state, “ABA can be done anywhere.” It is true – but we shouldn’t overlook another important point: the environment itself is a critical component of therapy. Controlling the environment to some degree is frequently part of the teaching process. Selecting a teaching environment is a decision that impacts the rest of the teaching strategy and so also has an effect on progress.
Common teaching environments for young children with autism include center-based ABA therapy, private or public school, a childcare environment, and home programs. While there is not enough research to prescribe a particular environment or model generally for children with autism, many parents and professionals are finding that a multi-site model of a controlled environment (such as a center-based program) and a natural environment (home, childcare, school) provides the best of both worlds.
Benefit #1 – Social skills can be targeted consistently and with children in the child’s community.
It is necessary for peers to be available regularly for consistent teaching; in this respect, a clinic setting is ideal for having regular access to other children to practice target skills. Ultimately, the goal is for the child to interact with the other children in their community, their siblings, classmates, and neighbors. Having a regular home component allows the therapist to work on target skills with the people who will be important in their normal daily life, even if these opportunities aren’t as regular as those in a clinic setting.
Benefit #2 – Controlled Environment vs. Natural Environment: Best of both worlds
A multi-site model allows technicians to address the most challenging skills in a distraction-free environment, but still have access to the home or school setting, with all of its naturally-occurring distractions, to make sure that those learned skills are being put to use.
Benefit #3 – Consistency of the Behavior Plan
When a challenging behavior is treated differently across settings, it is more likely to persist; this set-up can even make the behavior worse in the long-run. The best treatment involves the same plan being followed across the day. Having professionals use a consistent plan in both the home and center environments also supports family members to do the same.
Benefit #4 – Assessment of Generalization
All programs must address the issue of generalization, but a multi-site model is tailor-made for this. Generalization can be specifically addressed right from the beginning, either by teaching in both environments, or by teaching in one place and testing generalization in the other.
Benefit #5 – Ease of Group Work Vs. Ease of Parent Training – You Get Both!
One of the most important aspects of the teaching environment is the people present. In a center-based program, other children are close at hand for social interactions, peer modeling, and working on group instruction, so these parts of therapy can happen regularly. When ABA sessions are at home, it can be more convenient for parents to make themselves available for training. In a multi-site model, the child benefits from both of these types of teaching opportunities.
Whichever provider a family selects, they should be sure to work closely with their team to personalize the child’s program to best meet their needs and the goals for their family.
– Richie Ploesch, M.A., BCBA & Katherine Johnson, BCBA