Alee Behavioral Healthcare

There are many benefits associated with early intervention when it comes to managing autism and related disorders. Firstly, “in this period, a young child’s brain is still forming, meaning it is more “plastic” or changeable than at older ages. Because of this plasticity, treatments have a better chance of being effective in the longer term.” As such, it can be a great way to limit the impact that autism has on your child’s life, as they can develop a wide range of coping mechanisms and tactics at a time when they are most susceptible to learning or change. Another (often overlooked) benefit of early intervention is that it enhances the entire family’s understanding of autism, how it works, and how it manifests in each individual person. After all, you may be more likely to research autism after your child is diagnosed. This will allow you to build a strong support network for your child while also ensuring everyone in your family understands their needs. Beyond this, early intervention...

  There are many benefits associated with going on a family vacation. After all, without having to contend with work, school, or your usual social calendar, you can spend more quality time with each other than ever before. While you may view an escape from your home and routine as something to look forward to, this can be an incredibly daunting experience for children with autism and related disorders. This is because they tend to thrive in familiar environments and prefer to stick to a consistent routine as a result. However, that’s not to say that those with autism and related disorders cannot enjoy vacationing – you may simply need to put some extra accommodations in place to care for them during your travels. With that in mind, here are some tips that may be useful when heading out on your summer vacation! Put together a vacation schedule. While you may be keen to catch up on sleep and enjoy a more relaxed pace of life during your vacation, putting together some kind of schedu...

Enroll them in Speech Therapy . Working with a speech-language pathologist is one of the most effective methodologies when it comes to helping individuals with ASD find their voice and improve their communication skills. During any given session, they will work closely with your child to help them develop a range of communication-based skills.   

  No student enjoys doing their homework. After all, after spending a busy day at school – they want to be able to dedicate their time to something a little more relaxing or fun, such as exploring their special interests or hobbies . However, for children with autism or related disorders, completing their homework could present them with a number of different challenges that they must combat.  While the school year may be behind us, many teachers chose to set their student’s work to complete over the holidays. If not, it’s important that they develop these skills in time for the new academic year.  With that in mind, here are some tips that you can use to help your child complete their homework (without the stress).  Add it to your calendar. Children with autism or related disorders prefer to stick to a certain routine – so you should ensure that homework is part of their schedule. For example, they could spend an hour or so after school working on their homework- wh...

One of the biggest issues that children with autism and related disorders encounter with literal thinking is difficulty understanding abstract thoughts and concepts. While neurotypical people may find it easy to use idioms such as “under the weather” or “piece of cake”, various studies have found that “children with ASD face greater difficulty than normal children in understanding idioms; they fail to consider social context and tend to interpret expressions literally.” For example, if they are told that information came “straight from the horse’s mouth”, this could be a point of confusion for them. More generally, this thought pattern also means that children with ASD may also be more straight to the point when communicating with others – which can sometimes appear as though they are being rude. While this is not the case, it can make it harder for them to communicate, especially among others within their age group. However, there are many ways in which you can encourage your child to...

  Heading back to school can be both exciting and challenging for children of all ages and abilities. For example, while they may be excited about seeing their friends again or learning new things, each academic year brings forth new challenges.   Children with autism and related disorders , however, are more likely to encounter challenges during school than their neurotypical peers. For example, a recent study found that “ 74% of autistic students in the U.S. graduate with a diploma, versus 86% of all students .”   However, this does not mean that your child is not capable of great things or excelling in school. You simply need to ensure that the right accommodations are put in place to allow them to thrive both academically and socially.   With that in mind, here are some useful back-to-school tips for children with autism ! Tour the Classroom Ahead of Time Students with autism and related disorders are more likely to thrive in environments they feel comfortable in...