Guidance & Support.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. There is often nothing about how people with ASD look that sets them apart from other people, but people with ASD communicate, interact, behave, and learn in ways that are different from most other people. The learning, thinking, and problem solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others need less.” Research shows that Autism is 4 to 5 times more likely in boys than girls, and that in the United States 1 out of 54 boys and 1 out of 252 girls are diagnosed with autism. Individuals being diagnosed with Autism is on the rise, 1 in 88 children in the United States are on the Autism Spectrum. The rise in diagnoses can be attributed in part to awareness, education, and better diagnostic tools.

One of the most important things you can do as a parent is learn the early signs of ASD witch typically emerge between 24 and 36 months of age. The following is a list of the signs to watch for as your child learns and develops (I’d like to find an image available for commercial use that has these signs listed to display on the webpage)

• No social smiling by 6 months
• No babbling by 12 months
• No verbal one-word communications by 16 months
• No verbal two-word communications by 24 months
• Limited or poor eye contact
• Not sharing interests
• Not responding to their name, sounds, or voices
• Unusual attachment to one particular toy or object
• Lack of understanding for own or others feelings
• Delayed motor skills

Autism is diagnosed by an evaluation of the child’s behavior and development milestones, and can sometimes be detected earlier than 18 months of age. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pediatricians screen children for autism at 18 months of age. An autism diagnosis can be given by a psychologist, a child psychiatrist, a developmental pediatrician, or a child neurologist.

ASD is treated through applied behavior analysis (ABA). ABA is the scientific study of socially significant behaviors, and a specific type of therapy used to aid in the development of new skills for individuals on the autism spectrum. Each child receives an individualized assessment to determine their strengths and weaknesses. From the assessment a comprehensive treatment plan is designed by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and a team of autism behavior technicians implements the programs to start building the necessary skills. At HBC we focus treatment on developing new skills, decreasing maladaptive behaviors, and refining acceptable replacement behaviors. There is no greater joy than to teach a child to say their first word. Nothing is sweeter than having a child learn to eat a new food. Whether the goal is to decrease tantrums, build self-help skills, or social skills HBC can help you reach those goals.

School readiness essential skills are assessed by teaching the following:

• Following multiple step instructions
• Sitting in a small group
• Participating by responding to teacher instructions while in a small group
• Transitioning between activities, including cleaning up, getting in line, walking down the hallway
• Playing cooperatively with peer engaging in social interactions lasting 10 or more minutes
• Self-help skills for eating (unpacking lunch, feeding self)
• Self-help skills for using the restroom (washing hands, independent toileting)
• Sitting in a chair at desk working independently
• Expressing their wants and needs