A Quarterly Newsletter
IN TOUCH with Autism Spectrum Therapies™
Volume One
FALL
2012
CREATING A CONNECTION WITH AUTISM Page
2 Page
3 Page
4
INSURANCE & AUTISM What you need to know about the latest changes in coverage for your family.
ask dr. frea Answers and help on potty training your child.
insights from israel It truly takes a village. Our revealing look at creating an autism community.
QUICK STEPS FOR SUCCESS. 1. Visit AutismVotes.org and click on your state. Autism Votes is part of Autism Speaks and is an excellent resource for news and information regarding autism legislation. 2. Print our AST tip sheet on Acquiring ABA Services with Insurance. This document is full of great step by step information and guidance. 3. Watch our video on Insurance. Rob Haupt shares helpful tips and strategies for maximizing your insurance coverage for services. This video gives you access to the valuable information that AST shares in insurance workshops that are offered to parents, advocacy groups and Regional Centers staff across California. 4. AST has a team of Private Insurance Specialists to assist families with the process of accessing insurance funding. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have at 866.278.1520
DEVELOPING A PARTNERSHIP INSURANCE AND AUTISM WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. As of July 2012, there are 31 states that mandate coverage for ABA therapy for certain health plans and more states are coming on board each year. An increasing number of employers have added ABA therapy benefits to their health care plans (such as Microsoft, Haliburton, and Home Depot). Please consult with your Human Resources department to find out if your employer is one of these companies, or ask if such a benefit can be added. If enough people request it, employers will increasingly add this coverage over time. With the right amount of persistence, parents are getting their ABA programs funded and insurance for autism is becoming a reality. In most cases, insurance plans will cover more hours of ABA intervention than other sources. It’s definitely worth the quest for autism medical coverage!
View AST’s Insurance Funding Page >
ASK
DR. FREA Question: We have been potty training our son with reasonably good success over the last six months. Progress has been slow but he had been doing great until recently. We were using a toilet in a department store and when he flushed the toilet, it scared him. It was loud and in a big echoing bathroom. I am shocked at how this has set back our efforts. He has begun refusing to go potty and has been having daily accidents, which I thought we were past. Now we are starting to see tantrums when we encourage him to try to go potty. What can I do?
Answer: This is a problem that I have seen time and time again. Kids will often do well with potty training at home. It is a comfortable environment, private, predictable, and often easily made fun. The community presents many challenges. These can range from finding a bathroom quickly, to strange and different looking toilets, to shockingly loud and scary noises. It is easy to make the mistake of moving potty training into the community too quickly. When things are going so well you expect to get over the hump of independence, and generalizing those successes everywhere. With children on the spectrum, unpredictable noises and other unexpected surprises can result in a fixation that is hard to overcome. When a child has done well at home, I usually recommend gradually sampling different variations of the toileting experience. While this is often individualized based on the child’s needs and concerns, in general it involves introducing more difficult experiences one at a time, with lots of support.
With that said, your current problem is very solvable. He needs to be desensitized to the loud noises that scared him. I would recommend having a professional draft a desensitization program for you. I will give you an example of what some of the steps might look like so you have an idea of what I mean. It may include steps such as: • Having him sit outside a preferred bathroom at home while you flush. • Having him stand inside at the door while you flush. • Having him flush and quickly leave. • Introducing more noise while he flushes and leaves (e.g., sink and bath running). • Standing outside a typically quiet public rest room. • Opening the door of that rest room. • Standing inside. • Then the same steps as above. • Then going to a louder public rest room and repeating the steps. • Each of these steps is followed by lots of positive feedback. Make it rewarding and fun, and low pressure. Do not go through the steps rapidly. It can backfire. Make sure there is a break after the reward. Introduce the next step when he is calm and happy. The above is just a simple and general example, and not necessarily right for your son. Get some help developing the steps before you start. The important thing is to realize that doing this stepwise is important. I have seen parents ignore this problem hoping it is just a phase and having the child develop greater avoidance to things such as school bells and other loud noises. It is best to address it directly, take a week or two to do a proper desensitization program and hopefully put the fears to rest for good. I wish you lots of luck through this difficult and unexpected setback. I’m sure it will be resolved with a little patience and time.
DR. WILLIAM FREA is an autism expert with a background in clinical psychology, speech pathology, special education, family therapy and social development. He earned a Master’s degree in Speech Pathology and a Doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Frea created the autism program at California State University, Los Angeles, and secured federal funding to grow it into one of the largest university-based training programs for autism professionals in the United States.
ISRAEL 2012 July 20th - JULY 27th
Israel mission concluded, a new mission begins. It was the week of Valentine’s Day when I first heard of a trip that was going to Israel to look at innovative services, programs and living communities for teens and adults with autism. Judy Mark was sharing with me the details of the trip she was co-chairing. She also shared her desire to involve others in the autism community so they might see the potential she had seen and experienced on a previous trip. “Ronit, YOU should come!”she exclaimed. And that was that. Between July 20-27th, a group that consisted of 39 advocates, professionals, parents and individuals with autism visited 14 communities. We bonded with families, met political leaders, heard lectures from experts and explored a variety of living and working environments. The experiences were unlike anything I had seen before. The week was incredibly inspiring. Our first day we visited Beit Elisha, a community of 65 adults with developmental disabilities who live among the residents of Kibbutz Harduf, located in the lower Galilee. These individuals live on the kibbutz and receive vocational training which enables them to work in the businesses on the kibbutz, including a bakery, cafe, woodwork, paper, weaving and ceramics workshops. After a day’s work, there are a variety of recreational workshop opportunities, as well as a professional theatre group. Ayelet, one of the educators at Beit Elisha, spoke beautifully about the philosophy of their program, which is that every individual regardless of level of ability, brings his/her own special talents and skills. Kibbutz Harduf provides these
individuals with a place to express those skills, to create meaningful work products and to participate in businesses thereby enabling them to give back to their communities. This provides a connection to their communities in and outside of the kibbutz, and emphasizes that those who need help, can also help others and give back. The “connectedness” between the communities was palpable.
She left us asking ourselves: “How do we connect to these individuals and how do we see their mission in this world? What is really living inside each of them, their spirit? Can we see what they have to give us? What is masked behind a ‘disability’? How do we bring them the best environment in which to live, so that they can express who they are and live productive and fulfilling lives?” I gained so many personal and professional insights from my trip that I know will make a profound impact on the work I do with our families at AST and beyond. Our group intends to work together to take what we gained and explore how we might translate these lessons to families here in the US. I look forward to sharing more as it unfolds. You can read all of Ronit’s blogs from her trip to Israel on the AST BLOG PAGE.
THE
blog post Conversations with the autism community. By Ronit Molko
the tone for how they hold themselves. To borrow a very famous quotation by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., children should “… not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”. So too, I would offer that our kids on the autism spectrum and with Asperger’s should not be defined by the labels we assign to them but by who they are as individuals. This also goes for the labels they may be given by their peers. Kids may be called geeks or weirdos by their peers who don’t have the capacity to see past social differences. I say we raise the level of conversation. Of course we can and will continue to use the diagnostic terms. In fact many outside the autism community need to hear more about what the terms are and mean. But while we are speaking
I recently heard a story about a mom referring to her son’s quirky behavior by saying to a friend “You know it’s an “Asperger’s thing”. But in actuality her son is not diagnosed with Asperger’s or any other developmental disorder. This leads me to believe that there are some people that are utilizing the term “Asperger’s” as a way to define a challenging child or moment. Personally, I am not a fan of labels. Many of our kids on the spectrum are referred to as “autistic” but most parents and professionals now opt for the more flexible and appropriate phrasing of “a child with autism”. This allows us to presuppose that the child has autism but the autism does not have or define the child. It’s more than just political correctness - I believe how we communicate to (and about) our kids, how we in fact reference any of our loved ones, sets
to the developmental label, let us also speak to and about THE INDIVIDUAL. Let us find those moments in conversation to share the unique and innate beauty of all our kids so that not only does our society respect their full value but our kids know it for themselves.
DR. RONIT M. MOLKO is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of children with autism. She has a Master’s degree in Applied Developmental Psychology and a Doctorate degree in Human Development and Family Life. In early 2000, she co-founded Autism Spectrum Therapies (AST). Her current work within AST focuses on the development of innovative programs and new service offerings for children and adults with autism and other developmental needs as well as infants at risk for developmental delays.
TIP SHEET CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO GETTING HOMEWORK DONE Make it Easier by Sticking to a Schedule
Positive Reinforcement is Powerful
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.
Use rewards. It’s OK to reward your child for completing their homework. They are doing something difficult every day. Consider giving a reward for being successful for 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.
Reinforce the Message that Homework is Important Set the stage and set the tone. Show them that homework time is very serious. Give them an important place to sit. Ask siblings to be quiet or leave the area because it is homework time. Ask them frequently how they are doing. Intersperse praise throughout homework tasks. Show them that you care that they are being successful with their homework efforts. Help them feel successful and competent.
Every Opportunity for Choice Increases Compliance 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 effective. The more control they have over the task the more motivated they will be.
Be a Benevolent Leader! Be firm but encouraging. Everyone tends to push back when they are nagged. It is hard to avoid nagging when you are frustrated, so observe your own behavior. You need to set the limits for what the homework routine looks like, but you also can be encouraging and motivating. Remind your child what you believe their strengths are, and why you are proud of what they are learning.
ON THE AIR
Check the website for more great tips >
(more from the radio show)
As AST continues our commitment to be of service to the autism community, we have embarked on a very special project. Autism Spectrum Radio has been on the air since April 3rd and there has been a tremendous response to the program. With Rob Haupt, Ronit Molko and Bill Frea acting as our show’s hosts, each week we interview extraordinary guests including some of the most prominent specialists in the field of autism. In this medium, we are able to offer relevant information to families on topics that range from navigating an IEP to preparing for a meaningful adulthood. Our show airs on the internet every Tuesday at 11am on VoiceAmerica.com and families can listen to our previously recorded shows anytime on the Radio Shows page of the AST website. Below is a sampling of some of our most popular shows.
April 3, 2012
June 5, 2012
• Guest Michael Jewel discusses planning for an IEP.
• G uest Daniel Openden discusses training parents to be teachers and information about the SAARC preschool program.
April 17, 2012 • G uest Dr. Rob Horner speaks about handling bullying at school and school-wide Positive Behavior Support.
May 22, 2012 • G uest Jo Ashline, who writes parent blogs for the Orange County Register, speaks about her experiences as a parent to a child with autism.
June 12, 2012 • H ost Rob Haupt discusses the changes with insurance coverage for autism in California. Guest Kristin Jacobson provides insight into the insurance mandate (SB 946).
June 19, 2012 • G uest Peter Gerhardt speaks about issues related to puberty and transitioning into adulthood.
AUTISM SPECTRUM THERAPIES Corporate Headquarters 6059 Bristol Parkway, Suite 100 Culver City, CA 90230 E-mail: moreinfo@autismtherapies.com Phone: (866) AST-1520 www.autismtherapies.com Sign up here to receive our quarterly newsletter
“For the first time, he said,
‘I love you too, Mommy. You’re my best friend.’ To my mind, this is a gift beyond anything else that AST has given to me.“ — AST PARENT