Blog

As written for Autism Parenting Magazine, Issue 95

Author: Erica Crowley, BCBA, is the Manager at Invo Behavior and Therapy Services' Belfort Oaks Therapy Center in Jacksonville, Florida. (Invo is a sister-company to Engage Behavioral Health.)

Parents often worry that friends and extended family don’t spend enough time getting to know their children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and tend to overlook them at gatherings and parties.

Many adults aren’t sure how to engage with a child who isn’t verbal or doesn’t respond to social cues. They might be uncomfortable when a child vocalizes, jumps or flaps his/her arms. As a result, adults often focus on neurotypical kids...

Special guest blog by Kim Caifano, writer, speaker, life coach, and special needs mom. Learn more about Kim at kimcaifano.com

Every once in awhile I’m out in public and there is a child who catches my attention. Perhaps for a gross motor tic or a behavior that differs from his peers or an interesting use of language.

Immediately after that my gaze goes toward the mom. Because while I may not know specifically what is going on with the child, I often know that there is “something” and that the child is quite possibly a special needs child. And I wonder how the mom is doing. What stage is she at with all of this? Has she accepted this fact? Is she handling the situation in lov...

Most times, parents and families of those kids are going to stay home to avoid unnecessary overwhelming and frightening or even disrupting a child's routine. Though this can still be problematic not only because of the loud fireworks heard throughout the night, but they could get bored or anxious being stuck inside.

Here are some tips to still have...

TAMPA, Fla. — Jennifer Phelps M.S., BCBA has always seen growth as success, especially for individual clients and their respective families.

Now, her own success as a businesswoman has resulted in exponential growth of her company, Engage Behavioral Health, which specializes in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for autistic children.

The company’s exceptional growth has not gone unnoticed, as Jennifer has been named a Tampa Bay Business Journal 2017 Businesswoman of the Year finalist, one of 52 local business women to receive the honor.

Founder and CEO, Jennifer Phelps.
“It is a truly humbling honor to be considered for this award with so many other impressive and worthy...

SSummer break can be a difficult time for many families of children with disabilities. The regular structure and routines of the school year are disrupted, sometimes resulting in the emergence of challenging behaviors. Fortunately, there are some strategies families can implement to ease this transition and make summer break more enjoyable for everyone! One way to prevent some of this change-related challenging behavior is to keep some routines or schedules the same. For example, families may find that maintaining a consistent bedtime schedule and routine is a good antecedent strategy. Another important component of a child’s routine is often his or her therapy schedule. Individual ...

We don’t expect children, with or without developmental disabilities, to do things like tying their shoes or playing a new game without first being taught how. Eating in a restaurant (i.e., a new environment, probably out of routine, potential for unexpected environmental stimulation) is a skill like any other—it requires practice, antecedent management (planning), and consequence management (reinforcement). Because children with autism often require a higher level of support when environmental changes occur, families of children with autism may find themselves avoiding eating out in restaurants. With preparation and planning, however, this does not have to be the case.

Practice...