Happy New Year to all of our families, friends and followers! We hope everyone had a safe and joyous holiday season. As we begin to wind down and the new year begins, we wanted to start the year off with a blog to emphasize just how crucial parent and caregiver participation is in ABA therapy. In this blog post, we will discuss how essential parent participation is to ABA therapy and to the child’s skill development overtime. Our Training and Program Development Director, Michelle Caldwell M.A. BCBA, states:   “The biggest poi ..read more

​July 4th is one of the most exciting holiday weekends in the United States! It's summertime, there are tons of local carnivals, fireworks, and with all the celebration, comes a whole lot of stimuli. Navigating all of the events, people, lights, and noise can be a little trickier for kiddos with sensory issues. In light of this, our team has compiled some tips to help families during this celebratory, and sometimes overstimulating, time.    Discuss What the Holiday is and Prepare for What Events Will Occur Talk with your child about what the 4th of July is and what kinds of things ..read more

Teaching Independence and Trusting your Children with What You've Taught Them ​​Happy Holidays Central Coast ABA families and followers! This season’s blog will focus on letting go of excess control over decisions your kiddos make and trusting that they’ll make good use of the skills and lessons you taught them as they grow more independent.   First, this is tough! The first time you become a parent, worry becomes incessant almost immediately. This is especially true when kids are toddlers- they’re just so fast and curious. They want to get into anything and everything! As your kids grow ..read more

Feelings of "It's all my fault!", "What did I do wrong?" and others like these are very common in parents, especially in those of children who have ASD and similar diagnoses. This is what is called Parent Guilt, and trust us, you are not the only parent(s) who have these feelings. So what's the deal with Parent Guilt and how do we overcome it? In this post we'll break down some examples of Parent Guilt, how to cope and how to move forward and use it in your favor instead of just existing in negative thoughts and emotions. ​ What Parent Guilt can look like: 1. Guilt Over Self-Blame An exampl ..read more

Hello to all of our Central Coast ABA families, clients, and followers! We hope everyone is doing well and kicking off the summer right ☀️ Speaking of summer, spending a lot more time with the kiddos is soon to be, if not already, in full force! We thought that breaking down a helpful article that includes gaining instructional control could help in teaching your kiddos to follow your lead more easily. In this blog post, we will be breaking down the article titled The Seven Steps to Earning Instructional Control with your Child by Robert Schramm, MA, BCBA.   Schramm opens the article spe ..read more

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), most commonly referred to as Autism, is a neurological disorder which may affect social interactions, communication, and other forms of learning and daily functioning. Not all types of autism are the same. For example, one individual with autism might not be able to speak and show severe tantrum behaviors while another person with autism might have difficulty picking up on social cues even though he or she is able to speak. This is why autism is referred to as a spectrum disorder that impacts individuals at different levels of severity and areas of deficit. ​ W ..read more

Hello everyone and Happy Spring! 2022 is flying right by us, and before you know it, the kids will be on summer break, the weather will be warmer and the days longer. In this blog post, we wanted to shed some light on modifiable activities to experiment and have fun with all while strengthening or learning new skills! These can be especially helpful for kids with autism and other related diagnoses. Take a look below at some of the activities and games our BCBAs have curated to try out with your family!     Uno:   Matching Skills: If your child is working on matching skills, giv ..read more

Happy Holiday Season! We hope everyone is staying warm, healthy, and safe.  We're nearing the end of December which means the holidays are here and in full force! Between taking time off, the kids being on break from school, and family affairs, we all know how busy and stressful this time of year can be. As our final blog post of the year, we wanted to give some holiday advice, tips and give light to reconnect with yourselves as we approach 2022.  Reducing Anxiety and Angst Now that the holiday season is in full swing, trying to get everyone together and on the same page can be a s ..read more

Happy Fall everyone! ​ We hope you’re staying warm and staying safe. This time of year marks the beginning to the upcoming holidays, and for starters, Halloween! Halloween is right around the corner and it’s a time filled with activities for the kids, spending time within the community and with family, as well as enjoying some candy and pumpkin flavored sweets. This time of year can also be a little overwhelming for children with autism or other related diagnoses as well, especially as we are still in a pandemic and many of our children haven’t been able to celebrate Halloween for quite some ..read more

The holiday season can be stressful for anyone. Add on the current pandemic. Parents are all just trying to make the most out of this season with their child with special needs. Here are some tips from a mom with a special needs son. These can be found on her blog site: https://www.andnextcomesl.com/2016/10/holiday-survival-tips-for-autism-families.html THE ABCS OF SURVIVING THE HOLIDAYS WHEN YOUR KIDS HAVE AUTISM OR SENSORY ISSUES   1. Ask for help when you need it   2. Buy gifts ahead of time to avoid crowded malls or shop online   3. Consider your child's sensory needs and p ..read more