As a Behaviour Interventionist (member of the BC RASP) I am often asked about what services I provide for children and teens with autism spectrum disorder and what was formerly called "Asperger's Disorder."
Of course, many of my patients come for initial assessments of autism spectrum disorder. Additionally, many people see me for significant/severe behavioural issues they are experiencing, that their regular behaviour interventionist can't deal with. This often involves behaviour management consultation, parent training and sometimes working with the schools and classroom teacher to develop specific positive behavioural support programs for an individual student (PBIS). This often involves observations, interviews and sometimes means writing a formal FBA or Functional Behaviour Assessment. Any behaviour plan a school writes should start with a formal FBA. If your child doesn't have an FBA, but is having behavioural problems at school, ask for someone to complete an FBA.
To learn EVERYTHING you need to learn about functional behavioural assessments you could start at the California State webpage: http://www.pent.ca.gov/frm/forms.html
This is by far the most comprehensive site for FBAs available, and I often use these materials exclusively when providing training in behaviour management to school districts. And it's all FREE!
Often parents of children or teens see me just for psychoeducation. They are trying to implement a behaviour plan, a token or other reinforcement system, and need to know exactly how it's done. This, by the way, is covered under your provincial funding for children with autism.
But one place parents often fall down is keeping a child or teen connected with a behavioural therapist or psychologist over the long term, someone they develop a relationship with, feel free to talk to, and who can teach social learning skills over a long period of time. Often I see children or teens, after an initial emergency is over, for an extended period, but only sporadically. We stay in touch to make sure things are going well, and so that I can continue to monitor school programs and deal with issues before they become major problems again.
Some of this takes ppace within the context of what might be called "play therapy," as we play, and talk about feelings, emotional issues and work through them as we engage in activities that are distracting enough to make the child comfortable with the process.
Usually we try to also follow a structured curriculum such as Michelle Winner's "Superflex" curriculum, or one of her other books that are addressed to older teens and young adults.
While I am familiar with ABA, Floor Time and many other behavioural interventions, high functioning teens and young adults with Asperger's or Autism Spectrum Disorder have a high rate of co-morbid disorders such as depression, anxiety or learning disabilities. And...ADHD. These are issues we address together.
CBT or "Cognitive Behavior Therapy" is one of the many wys we teach skills and address issues successfully. CBT is very similar to therapies and skills children with autism spectrum disorder are exposed to in many school programs, such as The Incredible 5-Point Scale and other emotional regulation programs.
For more information please visit my webpage at www.relatedminds.com or http://www.relatedminds.com/autism/
Feel free to contact me to discuss the services I provide. I am happy to answer any of your questions.
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