Archives for June 2021

Sensory Processing Issues and Summer: Sand, Sweat, Fireworks … Oh, My!

June 23, 2021 by BACA

by Katherine Johnson, M.S., BCBA
Senior Director of Partnerships, LEARN Behavioral

Families everywhere are chucking backpacks and school shoes to the back of the closet and getting ready for some fun in the sun. While other members of the family enjoy themselves during the quintessential summer activities, sensory-sensitive kids may feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable. How can you anticipate problems and find solutions ahead of time, so your entire family can make the most of the summer?

Smiling Black Lady Using Laptop And Map At Home, Planning Future

Planning and Preparation

Last-minute plans, like any schedule changes, can be disruptive to children with sensory processing disorders and issues, so planning is key. As you map out your summer, think about the types of activities everyone will enjoy and how you can make those with potential sensory triggers comfortable for your child.

Start by looking for sensory friendly events on your local events calendar. Many communities host special events or days for sensory-sensitive kids, such as performances at theaters without spotlights, blaring music, and crowds, or trips to shopping malls without the usual mob of consumers.

Other ways to plan and prepare in advance include:

Calling facilities ahead of time to find out what days and times are less crowded
Doing a sensory analysis of stimuli your child might encounter on an outing to pinpoint potential triggers (noise, crowds, smells)
Helping your child “practice” the sensory experience in advance (e.g., applying sunscreen to a small part of the body and increasing the amount daily until your child gets used to head-to-toe coverage)
Arranging an “out” for your sensory-sensitive child (e.g., creating a Plan B for your overstimulated child, in case Plan A doesn’t work)

Clothing

Clothing and sensory issues go far beyond tag removal. Summer clothing can make or break an outing. The wrong clothes can be a source of irritation, but the right ones can offer protection from other sensations your child may not like.

If your child takes time to get used to wearing shorts and short-sleeved shirts, buy some long sleeves and pants in light, natural, breathable fabrics to ease the transition. Likewise, keep in mind these tips about swimsuits, which can cause all kinds of sensory-related problems:

Tight straps, elastic waists, tags, and ruffles can make swimsuits itchy and uncomfortable. Have your child try a variety of styles to discover the best fit.
Consider shorts-style suits for girls, which can avoid sand inside the suit from sitting.
Getting used to a wet suit can take time. Help your child grow accustomed to it by taking baths or showers in the suit ahead of your day at the pool, lake, or beach.

And don’t forget about shoes. The right shoes can help your child avoid the sensory discomfort of walking on sand, grass, and rocks. In addition, flip-flops can irritate some kids’ toes. For an alternative, look into plastic clogs, slides, or different types of water shoes.

Mother Applying Sunscreen Protection Creme On Cute Little Toddle

Sun

When spending time in the sun, make sure your child drinks enough water and takes some shade breaks, while watching out for signs of overheating. Also realize that sunglasses are a must for light-sensitive kids. In fact, if your budget permits, buy multiple cheap pairs at the beginning of the summer, so your child never goes without.

When it comes to sunscreen, know that it is essential but, just like bug spray, can be greasy, sticky, creamy. What can help?

Try out different types of sunscreen and bug spray to find what’s most acceptable to your child, including sprays, wipes, and unscented versions.
Consider using a color-fading sunscreen, too, which fades in color as the lotion is absorbed—and disappears when your child is protected from and ready for the sun.
If your child finds pressure relaxing, use the application of sunscreen as an opportunity for a massage.
When bug spray is necessary, find a combination bug-spray/sunscreen so only one application is necessary. Alternatively, you can apply bug spray to their clothing before they put it on.

Kids Playing On Beach. Children Play At Sea.

Water Fun – Beaches and Pools

Most children love to get in the water. Some of the sensory experiences that go along with it, like sand and chlorine, are less welcome. Protect your child’s beach towel from sand by placing it in the center of a fitted bedsheet with weights on each corner. Also apply sunscreen before getting to the beach to avoid sticky sand that won’t come off. To remove sand from skin quickly, rub a little baby powder on the area.

Chlorine in pools can be another problem for kids with sensory sensitivities. Nose plugs and goggles that cover the nose can help with the smell. If your child has chlorine-sensitive skin, consider a salt-water pool—or, if possible, stick to lake and ocean excursions. And, of course, remember to take extra precautions to help your child stay safe around water and while swimming.

Little Cute Adorable Happy Caucasian Toddler Boy Sitting In Chil

Parties, Parades, and Car Trips

If parties, parades, and car trips are on your agenda this summer, you’ll want to plan ahead as much as possible to deal with the stimulation. Noise-cancelling headphones can be a life-saver not only in the car but also at parades, fireworks displays, and in many other situations. If your child gets carsick, avoid the rear seats of busses and backward-facing seats, and keep ginger candy on hand (real ginger, not ginger-flavored) to ease nausea.

With summer, of course, comes pesky bugs like mosquitoes and gnats. Carry along an anti-itch stick or cream, in addition to band-aids to cover bites. No one likes to feel itchy, and for sensory-sensitive kids, itchiness and the urge to scratch can feel even worse.

Having an overresponsive sensory system does not mean that summer activities must be missed. With a thoughtful plan that includes carefully-selected activities and the right supports, your entire family can get some rest and relaxation—and enjoy a delightful summer and school break.

For more tips on making the most of summer, read “Transitioning to Summer: 5 Tips to Make It a Success.” And if you’re looking for an autism provider with the ability to tailor treatment to the unique needs of your child, reach out to us at 1.877.576.4824, or fill out and submit our form.

What in the World Is a Behavior Tech?

June 18, 2021 by BACA

Ever heard of the job behavior technician? If you like working with kids and families—and making a difference in their lives, while earning a paycheck—this might be the job for you.

A job as a behavior tech is a fairly new entry-level position that involves working with children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a developmental disability that can cause language, social, and behavioral challenges. Behavior techs (BTs) receive training to use a science-based therapy called applied behavior analysis (ABA) to help people with autism build skills in communication, socialization, self-help, and play.

If you’re still uncertain or want to learn more, read on for answers to common questions about the job.

Where do behavior technicians work?

As a behavior tech, you would work one-on-one with a client in a variety of settings, such as a child’s home, community, or school, or learning center.

Who do behavior technicians work with?

Liltle Preschooler Kid Playing With Wood Blocks And Teacher Educ

While a large number of jobs involve working with children with autism, behavior techs can work with people of any age. Most people who receive services from behavior techs have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which affects one in 36 children worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As a “spectrum disorder,” ASD causes individuals to experience the signs and symptoms in various ways and to varying degrees. Most often, though, ASD can affect a child’s ability to communicate, form friendships, interact with other people, and manage emotions and behaviors in tough situations.

What does a behavior technician do?

A large part of your job would be to follow the guidelines laid out in each client’s treatment plan, which provides specific treatment goals and information in a paper-based or digital format. Written by the behavior tech’s supervisor, who is often a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA), goals target important skills for that person to practice and develop. These can include communication skills, play and social skills, and self-help skills like tying a shoe or zipping up a jacket.

Along with each skill, the treatment plan provides specific instructions on how to teach each lesson, outlining what to do when a client responds correctly, and what to do if they need more help. Throughout the entire session, you would provide praise and encouragement, doing what you can to make the session fun and engaging. In addition, you would collect data to later use to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment and guide future treatment decisions.

What does a social skills group look like?

Some behavior techs work in small groups of children, practicing social skills or facilitating play-dates. In these situations, you would “assist” children in playing, which could involve going over skills before they play with their peers, observing them as they play, prompting when necessary, and praising any effective social skills you notice children using.

What is it like to work with adults?

Adult programs typically take place in homes or “day-habs,” which are facilities in the community that provide services to groups of individuals during weekday hours. Sessions often focus on independence in self-help skills and vocational activities. In these settings, you might help your client practice activities like grocery shopping or keeping the house clean, or improve vocational skills such as cooking or making copies. Sometimes behavior techs take on the role of job coach for adults in their workplace, supporting their success at a job or volunteer position. In this situation, the tactics are similar to working with children, but the treatment goals shift to the working adult’s unique needs.

How can I tell if my work is making a difference?

As behavior techs practice each lesson with their client, they take data on each response the client makes, making a quick note about whether the client gets it right or wrong, or needs extra help. The data, graphed regularly and over time, form a beautiful, visual graph of the client’s learning and growth, allowing you to see progress, or the lack thereof, at a glance.

If a career as a behavior tech sounds like the right fit for you, browse our openings, and apply for a job today.

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One Dad’s Story: Giving Back Helped My Family Heal

June 15, 2021 by BACA

Steve Olson’s day once started with an hour-long commute through the traffic-laden corridors of Silicon Valley, followed by long, intense hours at a high-stress job he did not even like.

Today, however, Steve lives an altogether different life. He’s a single father to his teenage daughters, Madeline and Addison; a volunteer with local nonprofits serving people with disabilities and special needs; and a community liaison for LEARN Behavioral, where he builds and fosters partnerships to help kids with autism.

In a recent interview in honor of Father’s Day, Steve shares how his family overcame heartache and sorrow caused by tragic losses—and their journey to a new start in Arizona.

Q: Let’s start with your story, Steve. Your family has experienced significant loss. Tell us about that.

A: We certainly have.

On March 2, 2012, I held the hand of my wife and best friend, Sandra, as she took her last breath. When Sandra lost her short, six-month battle to brain cancer, I knew at that moment that my world would forever change. I never thought I’d find true happiness again.

At the time, I was living in San Jose, California, with my two daughters, Madeline and Addison. We were still recovering from the tragic loss of my first wife, my daughters’ biological mother, Erika, who passed away in 2009 from a car accident.

Life was not turning out how I had envisioned. My daughters had lost both their biological mother and step-mom in the timespan of a few years.

Q: That is a lot for anyone, let alone two young girls. After your wife’s death, how were you able to cope?

A: Initially, I was blessed to have my parents help taking care of the girls. However, both my parents eventually passed away, too—my mom from breast cancer and my dad from a strange and tragic fall into a swimming pool. The timing of it all was terrible, not that the timing of any death is ever good. While this was happening, I did my best to hold things together at home and on the work front. I could somewhat distract myself at work, as I attempted to maintain a successful career in business development, but in all honesty, when I look back on that time period, I know I wasn’t the nicest person in the office or fully present at home for my daughters. I was in a severe grief-induced depression, simply going through the motions but not fully present for anyone.

Internally, I felt like I was failing on all fronts.

Q: What happened next?

A: Something needed to change. My girls and I needed a new start, so we decided, as a family, to relocate to Tempe, Arizona, in June 2018. That decision to leave behind our friends, and my high-paying, Silicon Valley job to take a self-imposed, year-long sabbatical—that decision was based entirely on putting our family first. The decision didn’t come easily, but looking back, it was the best thing that could have happened to us.

Q: What, in particular, made it the right choice?

A: In San Jose, the long hours and continuous stress were affecting all aspects of my life negatively. My girls knew I was still unhappy and welcomed the new start themselves. We didn’t know anyone in Arizona, but Tempe is home to the main campus of Arizona State University (ASU), a school both girls were open to attending. Plus, close to Tempe is Mesa, Arizona, the spring training home of my favorite baseball team, the Chicago Cubs. As an avid fan, I’d visited Mesa several times over the years, including with the girls, to attend baseball games. We loved the area.

A few months after arriving in our new home, we found the Miracle League of Arizona, a local nonprofit that provides baseball programming to individuals with special needs and disabilities. As a family, we started volunteering our time, helping individuals with physical and cognitive challenges get a chance to play baseball.

Q: Can you tell us more about the Miracle League of Arizona, and how it helped your family?

A: The Miracle League of Arizona combined several of my life’s passions: time with my daughters, baseball, and helping others. I later accepted a fulltime position at that nonprofit, making a significant financial sacrifice but finding myself far better off in terms of my happiness.

Over time, we realized how much the act of giving back helped us heal from the tragedies we’d experienced. By giving up only a couple of hours of our time per week, we started to feel joy again as a family, while joining an amazing community in the process.

Another thing I discovered, as I worked with and learned more about individuals with special needs, is that I’m the one with the disability. I’m the one worrying about the future or stuck in the past. Individuals with developmental disabilities, including autism, tend to live more in the present. They tend to have a more positive mindset and be fundamentally happy, especially when someone shows them love.

Q: That’s a great insight, which, I imagine, influenced your choice to keep working with the special needs community. How else have you stayed involved?

A: I was asked to join the Board of Directors for two nonprofits, Mikey’s League and Pawsitive Friendships. Mikey’s League is an inclusive sports league, with sports like flag football and basketball designed for children with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities to, simply, play together. Pawsitive Friendships provides animal assisted therapy to children with special needs, allowing them to build animal-human friendships, while simultaneously working on individual therapy goals. Both of these organizations, in addition to the Miracle League, give me a chance to raise awareness of the same, underserved population—individuals with disabilities and special needs.

My daughters have also thrived in this environment. My oldest, Madeline, is a now a sophomore at ASU, studying elementary education. While Madeline has always loved children, her time at the Miracle League (she is also a staff member) reaffirmed her plan to teach one day. My younger daughter, Addison, was awarded “Most Valuable Volunteer” last year at the Miracle League for logging the most volunteer hours. She’ll be a high school senior in this fall and hopes to attend ASU in 2022, with interests in social work or, perhaps, becoming a therapist one day.

Q: How did you end up at LEARN Behavioral?

A: The pandemic affected my professional role with the Miracle League, as baseball services essentially shut down completely for more than a year. Lucky for me, when I was fully ready to resume my career—this time with the intent of doing something to help others—I discovered opportunities with LEARN’s new community liaison team. The timing turned out just right. And timing really is everything.

Q: What do you do as a community liaison associate?

A: The community liaison role is the human link between LEARN and the organizations and people we serve within our local communities.

I work with an amazing internal team focused on developing strong relationships with key influencers— physicians, other healthcare providers, school leaders—who can potentially serve as new referral sources to solidify LEARN’s nationwide presence within the industry. Together, we work closely with local clinical teams to coordinate our community outreach and networking efforts.

Before he passed away, my Pops used to say, “Love what you do, and never work another day in your life.” Today, I know what he meant.

Q: Your story is inspirational. Based on everything you’ve gone through, what advice might you offer others undergoing a challenge or in need of a change?

A: Go find your purpose. I know, in my heart, I’ve found mine. The reason I was put on this earth is not only to be “Daddy” to Madeline and Addison (yes, my teenage daughters still call me “Daddy,” and I hope that never changes) but also to serve others.

In our “Keeping up with the Joneses” society, the chase for the better job, bigger house, nicer car, perfect body… it leaves almost all of us feeling “less than.” But what are we really chasing anyway? Is it even obtainable, whatever “it” means?

It took a lot for me to get to this place in my life where I’m happy again, even without my best friend by my side. I never thought I’d reclaim my lost smile. My girls are active and happy, too, in our new community and always want to “give back” themselves—that couldn’t make me prouder.

As someone who spent what felt like years in the fetal position in tears, I realize now that it is, in fact, possible to find joy again. For me, it took giving of myself and helping others to step away from my own problems. By helping others, I didn’t have as much time to think about my problems, and that, in itself, was healing.

For anyone in pain, depression, sadness, or grief, volunteer your time, even when you think you have nothing to offer. Know that there are individuals worse off than you. Find them. Help them. And come to see through these selfless acts that you’re the one getting the greatest payback.

4 Steps to Swim Safety for Your Child with Autism

June 2, 2021 by BACA

As the summer heat settles in, many families head to pools, beaches grow crowded, and our time spent near water becomes part of our routines. What seems like a standard summer activity for most can be challenging for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families.

Sadly, drowning after elopement, a term used to describe the tendency for some individuals with autism to wander from caregivers and secure locations, is a leading cause in death in children and adults on the autism spectrum. In fact, a 2017 analysis from Columbia University found that children with ASD are 160 times more likely to die from drowning than the general population. Other studies report similar findings—and highlight a dire need for more awareness and preventive measures.

Given the impairment in cognitive functioning and language associated with ASD, several experts have hypothesized that children with autism tend not to see water as a danger. Rather, their impulsivity and therapeutic love for the sensations of water can take over. While this may seem like ominous news, on the plus side, a study from the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders provides an initial indication that children with ASD can develop skills to avoid drowning.

What does that mean for you, as a parent or caregiver of a child or young adult with autism? Fortunately, you can take steps now to keep your loved-one safe and secure this summer—and beyond. Here’s what to do:

1. Exposure

The earlier you expose your child to water, the better. Sign up for local swim lessons, offered at most recreational centers in surrounding areas. Some specialize in adaptive programs geared toward children with special needs, which can provide an individualized approach to learning to swim, while building confidence and safety near the water.

2. Precautionary Measures

If you own a pool or live near water, make sure you use locks, gates, and other barriers around these areas. After using any small kiddie pools, large tubs, or water play areas, take a few minutes to empty these when done.

3. Strategies

Establish rules for your loved one with ASD. Practice and review these rules before going near water and throughout a visit or trip to a pool, lake, river, or ocean. Present these rules and other strategies in a way that can easily be understood and reviewed often. Consider, for instance, developing a social story that outlines the expectations of what it means to be safe near water. You can also provide replacement behaviors, such as how to enter water and when it is safe to be in water; teach children to identify and respond to common safety signs related to water; and model appropriate behavior when swimming or near water.

4. Discussion

Talk to neighbors who own pools about your child’s increased risk of roaming and drowning. Discuss the issue, too, with all lifeguards at your pool, babysitters, extended family—and even your local police department. As a parent or caregiver, you are your child’s best advocate, especially when it comes to safety. Some police departments provide a safety plan or alert form that allows for your child’s likes, fears, and behaviors to be documented, all of which can help immensely in the event of an emergency.

With these four proactive steps and clear directives, a successful trip involving swimming isn’t out of question—and is actually encouraged. Go enjoy the beach and plan to visit the local pool, but don’t forget the power of preparing and communicating with your local support systems.

Help your child stay safe this summer with the National Autism Association’s Big Red Safety Box. You can apply to receive the box of tools and resources for free, or download the NAA’s Be REDy Booklet for Caregivers at no cost.