Happy Mother’s Day to the Incredible Moms I’ve Come to Admire!
Happy Mother’s Day! Today, Sunday, May 11th, is such a special day, and my heart is…
Visual Boards Routine: Calm Your Home & Boost Communication
Using these boards at home doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s all about weaving them into your daily routines. Here are a few examples:
Example 1: The “What Do You Want?” Board (Requests)
Let’s say it’s snack time. Instead of just asking, “What snack do you want?” and potentially getting frustrated if your child struggles to answer verbally, you can use a simple board with pictures of available snacks: apple slices, crackers, yogurt.
Communication & Language / Motor Skills (Fine & Gross) / Parents / Preschool (3-5) / Sensory Processing & Tools / Social Skills & Play / Therapists / Toddler (1-3)
Squish, Roll, Connect! Fine Motor Skills Through Tactile Play
Every time a child interacts with these materials – squeezing, rolling, pinching, pulling, poking, or flattening – they are giving their hand and finger muscles a fantastic workout. It’s resistance training and dexterity practice disguised as play! Strengthening these muscles and improving control lays a crucial foundation for countless other skills.
Cognitive Skills (Learning & Academics) / Communication & Language / Daily Living Skills (Self-Help) / Social Skills & Play / Therapists
Your First Steps into Teaching Basic Sign Language
Bringing basic sign language into someone’s life works best when everyone’s on board. Parents, siblings, teachers, therapists – the whole crew! When everyone uses and understands a few core signs, you create an environment where communication attempts are understood and reinforced consistently.
Your Free Toolkit: Quick Self-Care to Combat Burnout
When you’re feeling drained, stretched thin, or burnt out, it impacts everything – your energy, your ability to be present, your patience, and ultimately, the quality of the support you provide. It also steals the joy from your life outside of work.
Behavior Management & Regulation / Communication & Language / Daily Living Skills (Self-Help) / Early Elementary (5-8) / Parents / Preschool (3-5) / Sensory Processing & Tools / Social Skills & Play / Therapists / Toddler (1-3)
Making Sense of Meltdowns, Shutdowns & Overwhelm
When your child experiences those huge reactions – the ones that might look like massive tantrums, complete shutdowns, or anything in between – it’s so easy to feel lost, frustrated, or even judged. But here’s something crucial I want you to hold onto: These intense moments are very rarely about defiance or being ‘bad.’ They are almost always involuntary responses. Think of it like a system overload, a distress signal saying, “I can’t cope right now!”
Navigating Challenging Behaviors in Autism: Understanding the Escalation Cycle.
If you’re a parent or therapist supporting an amazing autistic child, you know that alongside the…
Setting the Stage for “I Need…” Moments
I’ve seen magic happen when we tap into the power of connection and purposeful play. One of the biggest “a-ha!” moments for many parents (and therapists!) is realizing how much communication blossoms when we create just the right opportunities for it.
Your Formal Guide to Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) Certification
Pursuing certification as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) is a significant undertaking. It represents a commitment to entering the field of behavior analysis, a discipline dedicated to understanding and improving behavior through scientific principles. This role carries substantial responsibility, as RBTs directly impact the lives of the individuals they serve, often vulnerable populations requiring specialized support.