Some children, and adults as well, gather strength in private alone time. Solitude can feel good to these individuals, so they seek it. But this can lead parents, especially those that feel a personal need to be socially active, into the throngs of concern, “My kids do not want to socialize. They are happy being alone. Should I force socialization?” We understand that a child’s desire for aloneness can present real concerns for parents, but rather than forcing socialization (which does not work), here are some key points to consider:
Autism Behaviors
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Shutdowns – Are They Different from Meltdowns?
When the world around us pushes us to stress overload, as it often does, we turn to our long-learned coping mechanisms to navigate the challenges. But what if we are autistic, and have crossed the threshold of overwhelm? When our emotional resources are tapped out, in exhaustion our brain may react by going into a protective mode called shutdown.
What is the Connection Between Apraxia, Echolalia and Autism?
Apraxia, echolalia, and autism are highly comorbid – if your child is diagnosed with one, they should be evaluated for the others, because they frequently occur together.
Autistic and Outgoing: I Thought All Autistics Were Introverts
It is a limiting and unfair belief that all autistics are introverts. Just like neurotypical people, autistics are introverted, extroverted, and everything in-between.
‘High-Functioning’ vs. ‘Low-Functioning’ Autism
The “high-functioning” and “low-functioning” labels for autistic people were coined in the 1980s. Sadly, once the research and medical community came to terms and realized that the high-functioning and low-functioning labels were inaccurate and unneeded, the general population had already noticed the terminology and the labeling continues to be used today.
Parent Guide: Helping Our Autistic Children Avoid Holiday Anxiety and Depression
Autistic children particularly struggle with making sense of new surroundings, changes in routine, and changes in the emotions of those around them – holiday season or not so go into the season prepared and ready to equip your child to understand and even embrace change.
Can You Have Autism and Empathy?
Our society often describes autistic individuals as lacking empathy and incapable of having feelings as others do. This is a myth, a false stereotype, and a misunderstanding of behaviors. While some autistics lack empathy, many possess it, and this is common to all populations—neurodivergent or not.
Is Your Child Exhibiting Signs of Autism? When Should You Seek Out a Diagnosis?
There are a lot of different thoughts and feelings happening when you think your child might have autism. Sometimes it’s difficult to know whether your child is on the autism spectrum, if there’s a developmental delay, or if your child is just developing just a little later than usual. When it comes to what may be autism symptoms, what causes you to seek out a diagnosis?
Why Is It Harder for Girls to Be Diagnosed with Autism?
Autism screening criteria are based on data collected mainly from the studies of autistic boys. Why? Historically, the diagnosis of autism has been more common in boys than girls, so scientists have focused their research on boys–and now girls with autism are being overlooked.
Spotting Signs of Anxiety in Autistic Children
Children with autism often express anxiety and stress like neurotypical individuals, however, autistic children can experience anxiety more intensely and more often than other children which typically prompts a regression in behaviors.
Selective Mutism: What Is It and Why Does it Happen?
Selective mutism is the inability to speak or communicate effectively in situations where one is overwhelmed or has anxiety. How does it relate to autism?
Autism is NOT: 8 behaviors that are common stereotypes of “autism behaviors”
There are still so many misconceptions and misunderstandings around autism. These misunderstandings can cause a great deal of pain because they can perpetuate harmful stereotypes.
When Stimming Turns Violent
Your priority in addressing violent stimming is to remain calm and to keep your child and family safe. It may feel incredibly difficult when you are in the middle of an aggressive behavioral episode with your child but know that there are things that you can do to help the situation.
What Causes Regression in Autistic Individuals?
Autistic burnout can occur at any point in your child’s life, but it commonly presents during times of transition, such as toddlerhood, adolescence, or young adulthood. At these pivoting stages in life, children experience many changes which may promote stress and can lead to an episode of burnout.
What is Executive Functioning and How Autism Affects It
Executive functioning is critical to our independence as an adult, and most of us are not aware that we possess it. It is comprised of cognitive and mental abilities that help us regulate, control, and manage our thoughts and actions and can be a marked challenge for autistic people.
Promoting Positive Behavior in our Autism Treatments
Problem behavior, typically thought of as “autism behavior”, is both voluntary and involuntary action that autistic children resort to as a coping mechanism in their environment. Positive behavior, signs that your child listens, watches, responds, and eagerly wants to be a part of the learning and growth process is what we encourage in our treatment. Our program is not one of behavior modification, nor are we a textbook program that treats behavior in autism based on age-related standards. We treat behavior as information.
Behavior: Start with the Mind First!
At RDIconnect, our programs focus on rebuilding the brain’s neural pathways that have disrupted the naturally occurring parent-child Guiding Relationship, which opens the door to...
Mysterious Things People with Autism Do – and Possible Reasons Why
Kids with autism have a unique way of thinking about the world that can be both fascinating and baffling.
What Makes Individuals with Autism Feel Stressed?
Why is your child acting out? Is it stress?
Does Your Child’s Stimming Worry You?
Stimming is not the enemy. The enemy is how we view it.
Listen Up!
Learning to listen to your special needs child.
What Nobody Ever Tells Us About Meltdowns
This blog post was originally published on saiconnections blog. You can read the original article here. “I don’t know what sets him off. He suddenly gets into meltdowns and attacks his father and...
Building Communication with a Non Verbal Child
Can you imagine wanting to say something and not being able to say it?
What´s So Tough About Brushing Your Teeth?
Helping your child learn life´s necesarry skills.
When “No!” Means “I’m Scared or Overwhelmed!”
Sometimes the word “no”, does not mean what you think.
Non-Verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication is part of the RDI story.
When No Means “I’m Confused”
What are they really thinking when they yell “NO”?
Thinking Beyond Eye Contact: Part 1
In teaching children with ASD to visually reference, it is important to understand and respect why they may look away.