Asperger's, Autism, ASD

Part of the challenge for students with ADHD is managing the steps and focus needed in doing homework and long-term projects. For some students on the Autism Spectrum (and with an ADHD diagnosis as well), a strategy of decreasing stimulus as well as using managed stimulus can help with concentration

Disclaimer: For any website, we recommend parents check it out first before recommending it to their teen. That said, we recommend www.scarleteen.com as a resource for parents who feel their teen can navigate the myriad topics related to sex, dating, STDs, gender-reaffirming surgery, queer sex-ed,

In thinking about being stuck, I come back to Executive Functioning skills, especially Task Initiation and Persistence. Why is it so easy to get stuck or fall into rigid habits that hold us back from our potential or from our successes? What patterns are we slipping in to that prevent us from moving

Could there be another way to think about why electronic habits are so engrained in our kids? Might there be another way to help kids ease their way away from technology and the grasp of social-media? This Health News from NPR story shares common challenges associated with electronics as well as ti

The cost of housing is not cheap. And with the increase in awareness of this in the news, we wanted to share ideas related to housing for those on the Autism Spectrum and those in the Neurodiverse community. First--we know that this is only 2 examples of resources and not tailored specifically to

As the need for support grows during the transition from high school to young adulthood, more options are opening up to support the neurodiverse and Autism community. We want to share a list of questions you might use or adapt when considering post high school programs, housing, and blended-support

What do we think of when considering Life Skills? Sewing? Giving a presentation? Car maintenance? As is typical with each person on the autism spectrum, it depends. When teaching a Life Skills class for higher-functioning autistic students, I started with a strategy: A. Who is the person(s) we are

As an administrator at a residential school for boys on the Autism Spectrum, one of the first documents we'd receive prior to a student enrolling was a Neuropsychological Evaluation (also called a Psycho-educational Evaluation or Psych Evaluation). This report includes a summary of assessments, inte

How do we address the realities of the loss of a loved one with our children? Research on addressing the reality of death shows that including kids in the process allows for healthier outcomes as each child navigates the death of a loved one in his or her own way. In our experience with kids and tee

Prior to being hired at the Oakley School, a therapeutic boarding school located in Oakley, UT, I had no clue that there was an industry of support for children who require an elevated level of care outside of the home. Therapeutic treatment programs offer a range of services and supports for studen

Emo Reg is an executive functioning skill, yet I wanted to write about a set of responses for us parents, teachers, and caregivers to be aware of, especially when kids or teens are exhausted or pushed to their mental limit. Fight or Flight--Most of us know these two responses. There's a threat, peo

Executive Functioning Skills (EF Skills) are the skills we use to decide what to do (and what not to do), how to organize steps in a process, how to manage stumbling blocks, how to monitor progress, and how to evaluate what occurred in the past to connect to our future. There are different models

Vocational Rehabilitation (Voc Rehab) is a nationwide program helping eligible adults 18+ with disabilities to prepare for, obtain, and maintain employment. The process involves typically working with a Rehabilitation Counselor to determine options for the person seeking employment by identifying in

What to do when you've exhausted the family system and school resources or when your child is struggling beyond control and the traditional school/counselor support isn't getting results? Hiring an Educational Consultant might be the next step. Ed consultants serve as a crucial role in connecting

Suicide and Crisis lifeline call or text 988 and/or visit 988lifeline.org Part of building a support system for parents, caregivers, teachers, and those on the Autism Spectrum is facing the dark challenges that persist for individuals who cannot escape the pull of ending their life. We share these

A down-to-earth, approachable resource for mental health: the National Alliance on Mental Illness. This organization has information from disorders and diagnosis to treatment and strategies to create habits when managing mental illnesses. Their child, teen, and adult links for those with mental illn

When I started working in the Autism world, I'd heard that 80% of parents with a child on the Autism Spectrum get divorced. True or false? And where did this come from? Sure, parenting, teaching, and working with Autistic kids can be challenging, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. Let's look a

Part of the growth and development of kids and teens is building skills and adjusting to changes in our bodies and the environment as we grow older. The 8 types of risky play lists the actions that contribute to skill-building, independence, and age-appropriate problem-solving: Height--tree climbin

Housing and transition services for Neurodiverse and Autistic individuals is growing! For parents of students who might need a structured post-high school residence, we wanted to share a potential weekly schedule that mirrors what many transition programs follow. This schedule shares a mix of our ex

One of my favorite parts of being a teacher and administrator is hearing student successes after they've graduated high school and are out in the community. And of course there's a transition from the structure and schedule of high school to work or college that is much more challenging. Three stude

So I asked students to list 25 ideas for topics we could cover in my Life Skills class. This was a class of 20 teenagers who are on the higher-functioning end of the Autism Spectrum. The assignment was to create a list of 20 items for hands-on/project type ideas and 5 ridiculous ideas (G-rated!). I

A neurological developmental disorder like no other! Okay, but let's get down to the nitty gritty: In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association published their 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5, also called DSM-5-TR...for Text Revision). The DSM-5 uses

We posted a brief description of this in our blog, but we wanted to expand on examples here. Let's revisit this briefly before examples: Rose--something that has gone well recently Thorn--a recent situation or problem that exists Bud--an interaction, start of a process, or step towards something go

You're tired. You're hungry. It's the end of the workday. And you're stuck in your head dreading some upcoming demand that you're not a fan of. What to do? One strategy is to use Acting opposite of the emotion. It's easy to get stuck in our own heads--perseverating on some minor negative situation

Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) are critical in obtaining services for an Autistic or Neurodiverse child with needs not met in the typical school setting. IEP--An Individualized Education Plan is a document created by a public school's special education department that summarizes the progress

What do we think of when we talk about self discipline? What does it mean when a student is a go-getter or a self-starter? How does someone build skills to be independent? A critical set of skills are Executive Functioning Skills. Check out our list below: Response inhibition--The capacity to stop

Box Breathing is a stress-reduction tool for helping with the skill of Emotional Regulation. I use it most often when driving, when I'm in a hurry to get somewhere or perseverating about some issue that I can't take my mind off of. It's called Box Breathing after the 4 sides of a box...this tool

Tightness in my shoulders, firmness in my jaw, and a lock-tight fixation on something...yep time to actively focus on a resource to regain a sense of calmness and balance. Thich Nhat Hanh is a Buddhist monk who, sadly passed away at the beginning of this year. His writings and teachings have inspir

Each school year, parents and their Autistic children applying to college navigate the process of registering and participating in the ACT. There are a few specifics related to this for those on the Autism Spectrum that we're excited to share to smooth out the process. Accommodations and Process to

As caregivers we tend to think we are more perceptive to the needs and desires of others--but are we? Do we make decisions based on inaccurate information we think is valid? What is influencing our judgement of others, and are we perceiving cues from others accurately? This program examines the c