Alee Behavioral Healthcare

Children with autism often thrive in routine environments. When they know what to expect out of each day, they can prepare themselves accordingly. New situations, even “fun” ones, such as a playdate with a friend, are a clear deviation from the norm, which, for many, can therefore be challenging. Social stories  help to reduce their fears and anxieties surrounding this by taking the “unknown” out of the scenario. They provide them with a frame of reference that deepens their understanding of new social situations. As such, this can play a key role in encouraging children to broaden their horizons moving forward.

  The goals of occupational therapy(OT) revolve around improving the quality of life of individuals by enhancing their abilities in various activities of daily living. The purpose of this type of therapy is to develop, recover, and maintain functional skills. This article outlines the goals of  occupational therapy  and how they help clients. Promoting Independence One of the primary goals of OT is to promote independence which refers to an individual’s ability to perform daily activities without relying on anyone else for assistance. Increasing Range of Motion and Strength Occupational therapy also aims to increase the range of motion and strength of their clients. This aspect is particularly important for individuals dealing with chronic conditions or recovering from an injury. Improving Fine Motor Skills Fine-motor skills are essential for performing everyday activities like holding a pen or pencil, writing, manipulating small objects, and tying shoelaces. Facilitating...

  Creativity plays a huge part in our everyday lives. We see it in the TV shows we watch, the art we hang on our walls, and in the books we read. Furthermore, creativity plays an essential role in our personal development, especially within children. Being creative allows children to find new ways to express themselves, have fun, and grow in confidence. It can even brighten their future career prospects. Despite this, it is often implied that children with autism may lack creativity and imagination compared to their peers – this is untrue! In fact, children (and adults) with autism are often very creative, with many even pursing careers within the arts in later life. However, it is important to note that their creativity may manifest in different and unique ways, or they may find it harder to start being creative in the first place. This may mean that you need to find different ways to encourage creativity and imagination with your child. At Alee Behavioral, we specialize in provid...

  Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder, manifests itself differently in every person who has received a diagnosis. This is, in part, what can make diagnosis difficult – as the symptoms can be far-ranging and often overlap with other neurological conditions, such as Aspergers or even OCD. As a result, it is essential that parents seek not to armchair diagnose their children, but instead pay attention to some of the signs and symptoms of autism in different age groups so that they can ensure their child gets the support they need.   However, some symptoms of autism are less frequent than others. For example, around 40% of children receiving autism therapies have a language delay, making it one of the more common indicators for parents to keep an eye out for. Others may be harder to spot – or you may not even recognize them as a symptom whatsoever.   With that in mind, here are three lesser-known symptoms of autism. (Note: this blog should not be considered a method of d...

Children with   autism and related disorders   may struggle in social situations because they tend to experience the world differently than their neurotypical peers. As such, they may not know how to accurately respond to specific social cues that other children seem to understand from an early age.

  Again, the nature of the speech therapy support will vary depending on the individual in question. However, these sessions often include: Learning how to better understand and approach certain emotions. For example, learning how facial expressions express both positive and negative feelings and how we can respond to these non-verbal cues. Learning how to attribute meaning and nuance to non-verbal signs of communication. For example, children may be asked to match facial expressions, gestures, or body language to specific phrases or sayings. This is sometimes achieved through the use of  Social Stories . This technique will help children recognize these social cues, moving forward to better respond to these situations. Learning how to modulate tone of voice to convey emotions. This technique can also be used to understand speech patterns and nuances in conversation, such as sarcasm. Working on making clearer speech sounds or even developing muscles in the mouth or jaw to faci...