At Help Me Grow Utah, we often have parents who call us and ask about autism. Some parents have seen behaviors that are associated with autism. According to a 2014 study done by Gerteis, Izrael and Deitz, Autism is the 4th most common chronic childhood condition, right after Asthma, Allergies, and Attention deficit disorder. When
In 2018, I started working with children on the Autism Spectrum as a Registered Behavioral Technician. Communication is critically important for children during the fastest growth phase of their lives. Children with autism are often not able to communicate as effectively as children not “on the spectrum”. At first, it was extremely difficult. I caught
If you are the parent of a child with Autism, you likely have many days when you just feel tired. Parenting is exhausting as is, but parenting a child with special needs can be next-level difficult, and that difficulty is only increased if our child is also struggling to sleep at night. At least half
As a parent support specialist with Help Me Grow Utah, I sometimes get asked questions regarding receiving an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis. Frequent questions often sound like Does Help Me Grow screen for autism? My pediatrician administered the M-CHAT to my child and it said he is at high risk– doesn’t that count as
Feeding a child can cause the most anxiety-inducing moments of the day… OR it can be an enjoyable experience that brings parent and child closer together. The following guidelines can empower your family to start out on the right foot when feeding your baby, or if you have a picky eater, to take steps toward positive feeding moments.
Si usted es padre de un niño con autismo, es posible que tenga muchos días en los que se siente cansado. Ser padre es agotador en sí, pero criar a un niño con necesidades especiales puede ser otro nivel de dificultad, y esa dificultad sólo aumenta si nuestro niño tampoco duerme bien durante la noche.
Your child has an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis, and your doctor has recommended ABA therapy, but what is that and how can it help your child? ABA Therapy stands for Applied Behavior Analysis and is one of the most common interventions for children with autism. The goal of ABA therapy is to teach skills and
The Eight Sensory Systems “It’s too loud! Can you turn down the volume?” “No hugs! Stop touching me!” “If he keeps eating, he’s going to gag himself again!” “Why is he rocking back and forth?” Have you ever heard these phrases? If you have, you are probably familiar with sensory processing. Without us knowing it,
As adults, we use each of our senses everyday to help understand and process the world around us. As children develop, they are learning how to use each of their senses too. Some children may struggle with sensory processing, either feeling overstimulated easily or having a hard time processing any sensory input at all. Whether
Close your eyes… focus on your breath… do not try to change it, just focus on it. Now, I want you to imagine yourself lying in the soft grass. As you rest, you notice a tree next to you; this tree has big, beautiful leaves. Also, notice that there is a stream nearby; you are
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