Many kids love the break summer brings – a relaxed schedule, sleeping in, a variety of activities like the pool, summer camps, and vacation. But for a child with autism (and their parents) the lack of the regulated school schedule can cause major struggles over summer break.
Having a predictable schedule helps kids on the autism spectrum make sense of their world. Knowing what to expect from day to day and even hour to hour helps reduce anxiety. So as a parent, how do you facilitate a summer break that provides the structure your child with autism needs, while also incorporating fun summer activities we love?
5 Ways to Help Your Child With Autism Thrive Over Summer Break
Create a Summer Schedule
Use visuals to show what your child’s “typical” weekdays, weekends, vacations and holidays will be on a calendar. Another great tool is to make a “typical day” schedule to show when they should get up, get dressed and eat meals. Also include activities and outings for the day. So if you plan to go to the pool or library on certain days – put them in the schedule to show them what to expect. And for days at home, read on for how to have a schedule on those days too.
Review the schedule each day, or the night before, so they know what is coming up. Doing so will help to reduce the anxiety involved with the unknown. Here is one example from the Reading Mama that’s available for download. And a quick Google or Pinterest search will offer a variety of options.
Create a Back Up Plan
Work on teaching your child about a back up plan or “Option A” and “Option B”. If your schedule is to go to the pool tomorrow but thunderstorms are in the forecast, talk with them about a back up plan. Reviewing with them what you will do if they can’t do what’s on the schedule will help reduce behaviors associated with a “change in plans”.
Be Disciplined
If you stay home with your child in the summer it’s easy to get too relaxed and let go of any set schedule. But the more you can stick to a routine for meals, bed time and wake up time, and limiting screen time (see the next tip for more on this), the more well-regulated your child will hopefully be.
Create a Summer Vacation Rules Chart
The never-ending requests for the iPad, video games and TV are exhausting. Manage these requests – to a degree – with a Summer Vacation Rules list. The chart spells out a list of things they need to do BEFORE they get to use any technology. Some “rule” options include tasks like getting dressed and brushing teeth. Or include chores like making their bed, cleaning their room, and more advanced chores for older kids. You can also have a rule for playing – inside and outside for specific amounts of time. Additionally, include some academic work that is age appropriate – reading for 30 minutes, math work, or coloring for 20 minutes. Here’s one example from Thirty Handmade Days.
Celebrate the end of the school year and the start of summer. Plan an activity or treat that you can repeat every year. Make their favorite dinner (or go to their favorite restaurant if that is an option for your family), or go out for ice cream. Or plan a fun activity like a trip to the zoo, visiting their favorite playground or making a picnic lunch to have at a special park or beach. Do something that you can repeat each year on the last day of school/first day of summer break. This creates a positive rhythm to the start of summer.
We hope these ideas help you create some structure AND fun for you and your family this summer! What are some ways you survive the summer months with your child with autism? We’d love to hear them!
It’s April, and during this month at Healing Haven, we, along with many others, celebrate Autism Acceptance Month. And seventeen years ago, the United Nations established April 2nd as World Autism Awareness Day.
However, autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), isn’t new. According to the CDC the prevalence rate of autism is 1 in 36 children are diagnosed with ASD. In other words, autism is more common than many may realize!
In 2021 Autism Awareness Month changed to be called Autism Acceptance Month. With autism becoming more common, the shift from awareness to acceptance is important. Awareness goes only so far and without action is meaningless.
So how can we take action?
1. Learn about Autism
Considering the diagnosis statistics, you probably know at least one child or family impacted by autism. Autism is a developmental disorder that can impair communication and social interaction. Individuals with autism often display repetitive behaviors, obsessive interests, communication challenges and may have learning difficulties. However, autism is a broad spectrum, and individuals can have a vast array of abilities and struggles.
Likewise, it’s important to know that not all individuals with autism look or act a certain way. Some may express themselves in a distinctly different way than most neurotypical people, whether through body language, speech, or body movements. But for many, you may not even know they have autism. Nevertheless, just because an individual’s autism may not be noticeable doesn’t mean they don’t have unique needs.
Check out these resources to continue your autism self-education:
2. Reach Out and Listen to Parents of a Child with Autism
Parents who have a child with autism often battle stress and isolation. Their child may be prone to challenging behavior outside of a strict routine, thus disrupting gatherings, which means invitations to social events may not be plentiful.
Invite a parent of a child with autism out to coffee or a meal and be a listening ear. Ask questions to learn how you can support them. Invite their family over and prepare any accommodations needed for their child. These actions will show parents you care.
3. Talk to Children about Accepting Individuals Who are Different
You may be out with your child and see another child engaging in stereotypical “autistic” behaviors. Children (and adults) often stare and feel uncomfortable. Instead of telling your child to stop staring, use the experience as an opportunity for discussion. You could say, “It looks like he/she is feeling happy/sad. Sometimes, people show how they feel in different ways. What do you do when you feel (insert emotion)?”
Additionally, your child may have an autistic classmate. Discuss how we all have differences, and some differences are more noticeable than others. Together, come up with ways to befriend them and include them in activities.
4. Recognize Strengths Rather than just Difficulties of People with ASD
While autistic individuals face many challenges, as well as their parents, their challenges do not define them. In fact, people with ASD often possess many incredible strengths and unique traits. For example, people with autism often have intense interests in one area, such as animals, music, or numbers. Autistic people’s passion for these interests can take them far in life and many have succeeded in great ways. And this story of one of our clients (and his Behavior Technician) learning to play the piano in our clinic is sure to encourage you.
People with autism can also possess a plethora of positive qualities such as the ability to deeply focus, fact retention, attention to detail, and high intelligence. They are complex and gifted individuals who offer a unique perspective of the world.
5. Advocate for Parents and Individuals
Show your support in social settings involving individuals with autism or parents of children with autism. If a parent is trying to access accommodations for their child in a school, religious or community setting, advocate for them. Listen and share your voice to help influence the decision makers.
Throughout this month, how will you look for ways to advocate for those with autism? You can even make it a family challenge and discuss what you discover.
Be sure to check out the blogs listed below for further education on autism and support for parents. We are in their corner and yours as we work toward a world with more awareness and acceptance.
We originally created this post during the pandemic shutdown of 2020 when stress was particularly high world-and-nationwide. But as humans we often go through times of uncertainty and stress, so the principles and tips highlighted in this blog post can help us at any time. We hope that you can utilize some of the information provided to manage your own stress!
Learning how to manage your stress is an important skill to master for many reasons, ranging from showing up for yourself and others to maintaining good health. Let’s first start with understanding how stress impacts our bodies and what it can look like so you can identify it. Then we’ll look at our perspective in stressful situations and how we can direct it. And then finally we’ll provide a variety of tools and techniques to help you manage your stress.
Stress and Our Bodies
Our bodies were designed to engage in the stress response for life-threatening situations – fight, flight or freeze response. Think lions in the brush. So, even when the stressor is not life-threatening, our bodies react inside like it is. Hormones in our bodies lead us to the fight, flight or freeze response. When our stress response kicks in, our behaviors and thinking patterns becomes less flexible. Also, chronic stress breaks down the body leading to a weakened immune system and an increased likelihood of disease.
What Stress Might Look Like
Mental
Trouble thinking clearly
Memory problems
Can’t concentrate
Short attention span
Poor judgement
Anxious or racing throughs
Constant worrying
Physical
Tightness in muscles
Aches and pains
Headaches, trembling, sweating
Nausea, dizziness
Chest pain, rapid heartbeat
Loss of appetite
Lack of sleep, nightmares
Emotional
Moodiness
Easily upset or hurt
Irritability or short temper
Agitation, unable to relax or keep still
Feeling overwhelmed
Sense of loneliness and isolation
Depression or general unhappiness
Behavioral
Eating more or less
Sleeping too much or too little
Isolating yourself from others
Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities
Using alcohol, cigarettes or drugs to relax
Nervous habits like nail biting, pacing, etc.
5 Myths About Stress
The following are some common misconceptions regarding stress:
Myth: In an ideal world, there would be no stress. Truth: A little stress is natural and healthy and can help motivate us.
Myth: What is stressful to me is stressful to you. Truth: Perspective, culture & personal history play a role.
Myth: Only unpleasant situations are stressful. Truth: New job, new home & a new love can all be positive AND stressful.
Myth: No symptoms, no stress. Truth: Symptoms are a warning sign but might not be present or you might not be tuned into symptoms.
Myth: Stress is inevitable, so you can’t do anything about it. Truth: Techniques can be learned to prevent some stress & be less impacted by stress that you can’t control.
Perspective Is Key
Our perspective of the situation we are in is KEY. Worrying about things we cannot control is not only fruitless but can be self-destructive. There are certain behavioral patterns associated with interpreting events less stressfully:
Viewing potentially stressful events as interesting and meaningful
Considering change as normal and an opportunity for growth
Believing oneself as capable of having influence on some events
You Have a Choice in How You Respond to Stressful Situations
In most situations, stress begins with a thought. We may not be able to control the event, but we can control our response to the event. Our choice is to respond with curiosity, interest, and an open-mind (solution-orientated) or to respond with a closed mind, negativity, dismissiveness & hopelessness.
More effective ways to respond to a stressful situation include:
Gratitude: “I appreciate….”, “I am thankful for…”
Acceptance: “It’s ok….”, “I can go with the flow…”
Discovery: “I wonder…”, “What can I learn from this?”
Observation: “I am noticing….”
Identifying and Understanding Your Values
80th Birthday Party Exercise
A great way to identify and understand what your values are is to think about what you would want people to say about you at your 80th birthday party. Write down the qualities and characteristics you want people to know you for. Assess what is most important in your life. When your choices are guided by the values and goals that are most important to you, your life can be full and active, yet not stressful.
The Choice Point
Your choices either take you toward who you want to be, or away from who you want to be. The Choice Point is being in a difficult moment and experiencing difficult sensations and making a choice to move towards your values or away from your values. Taking action at a point in time that leads you towards your values, leads you to a more fulfilling life. Take a look at this video – The Choice Point: A Map for a Meaningful Life.
Psychological Flexibility
As mentioned earlier, our stress response kicks in, our behaviors and thinking patterns becomes less flexible. So here are some ways we can train ourselves to have psychological flexibility.
Being here now means being in the present moment (as opposed to thinking of the past or the future).
Accepting the way I feel means not avoiding unpleasant thoughts or feelings. Instead, sitting with them, experiencing them with compassion, curiosity and acceptance until they pass.
Noticing my thoughts means seeing thoughts as just thoughts. They come, they go. They are just what the brain does, makes thoughts. I don’t have to buy into my thoughts. They do not define me.
Doing what I care about means taking action to live life in accordance with my values.
Are Your Thoughts Helpful?
Check in with your actions or ‘away moves’ that take you away from your path, sometimes they are “good”, but not for long periods of times. If you are buying in to the story your mind is telling you, first take a moment to check out its WORKABILITY. Workability is when we see if our story helps us follow the path toward our meaningful life or does it move us away?
Thank your mind for your thoughts. This means you don’t have to buy into your thoughts. You can see them for what they are, thoughts. It also means you are not trying to replace your thoughts with more desirable thoughts, nor are you trying to stop or reduce your thoughts.
Avoidance
Avoiding our negative feelings and thoughts will not lead us to our values but to more suffering.
Avoidance of thoughts actually increases those thoughts in both frequency and strength and therefore their burden upon us.
Mindfulness
Instead of avoiding our thoughts and feelings, embracing the present moment and sitting with those thoughts and feelings, in a non-judgmental way, with curiosity and acceptance, helps us move toward our values. Mindfulness is the intentional, accepting and non-judgmental focus of one’s attention on the emotions, thoughts and sensations occurring in the present moment.
A few mindfulness resources to check out:
5 Myths of Mindfulness – Dr. Russ Harris (3:25 min)
It’s important to find some relaxation methods that you can incorporate into your life for better management of your stress, which leads to better health!
Taking care of yourself
Some of these seem like a no-brainer, but it’s a good reminder that during stressful times, these basic elements can help tremendously in managing your stress.
Exercise – Even minimal exercise leaves you feeling better!
Good Food – Fuel your body with healthy foods. Whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies.
Sleep – Find ways to get that 8 hours of sleep. Get creative if needed.
Be realistic with your expectations for yourself and others.
Have patience and grace with yourself and others.
Use perspective taking to help understand other people – How you express your emotions, might not be the same as others.
Take a moment away for yourself when you need it.
Guided Imagery & Meditation
Guided Imagery & Meditation are essentially methods of focus. Focus on the breath, on a light, on a mantra. Benefits include decreased stress, increased focus, better sleep, improved heart health and immunity. Many exercises can be found on-line. Find one that resonates with you and find a quiet place to focus on yourself.
Yoga
Yoga has many variations. Find the one that fits your needs and a quiet place to practice. Yoga increases strength, flexibility and mindfulness and improves balance, focus and posture. It has been demonstrated to decrease stress, anxiety, improve health factors such as heart and immune health, improve sleep and focus. Many apps and YouTube resources are available for you to browse through.
How to Manage Your Stress Recap
Check in with your stress levels during this unprecedented time. Look to see how your perspective is influencing your thoughts. Look at your choices to respond. Remember your values and what actions lead you toward them and which ones lead you away from them. Be psychologically flexible: “I am here now, accepting the way I feel, and noticing my thoughts, while doing what I care about.” Avoidance of negative thoughts just gives them more power, acceptance is more adaptive. Utilize stress management techniques like intentional focus on taking care of yourself, mindfulness, yoga, guided imagery and more! We hope these recommendations and resources are helpful as you seek to manage your stress during these challenging days.
Need Additional Help?
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Resources
ACT books
Get Out of Your Mind and into Your Life by Steven C. Hayes
The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris
Act Made Simple by Russ Harris
Counseling Services
Seek out professional support. We and many others have counseling services that may be able to help. And our counselors understand the complexities of being a parent to a child with autism. Contact us today for more details.
This content is from a webinar Dr. Jennifer Thomas, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA, Vice President of Clinical Operations at Healing Haven, and Danielle Harrison, MA, LPC, Counselor at Healing Haven presented to parents.You can download a copy of the slides here.
In the United States, our culture has predetermined ideas of what love looks like between parent and child as well as between adults. As most of us have experienced, relationships can be complicated, autism or not. And developing relationships when you have autism is just as important as it is for those who don’t. Autism can cause differences in communication, understanding of context and sensory perceptions. As a result, people often believe that individuals with autism don’t understand or even require love and loving relationships. However, that is simply not the case.
The expression of love starts at a very early age as parents and others are teaching skill sets that children will need for the rest of their lives. Here in our clinics our team witnesses the many ways kids with autism connect with their therapists and show love. And, as professionals deeply invested in the wellness of our clients and their families, many of our team members read and learn about some of the less commonly discussed aspects of life on the spectrum — and that includes love.
In this post we share some wisdom from our President & Founder, Jamie McGillivary. She shares what love for someone with autism may look like and how to help foster the ability to develop loving relationships.
Start with understanding and acceptance
Because love is universal and not limited by age, we will start with a couple of concepts about love on the spectrum for parents and loved ones to consider.
First, it’s important to recognize there is a notable difference between feeling love and behaving in a loving way. And this difference applies to everyone, not only those with autism. Jamie says that when we consider autism as a way of being, rather than a disorder, an individual’s response to love makes a lot more sense. Essentially, loving behavior can look very different from one person to the next. Just because a person isn’t comfortable with hugging or kissing, doesn’t mean they don’t feel love.
Second, individuals don’t have to excel at recognizing the emotions of others to have emotions of their own. Jamie points out a great irony regarding this idea. “As therapists, we teach the skills of putting yourself into another’s shoes, but, as so-called neurotypical people, do we do this when interacting with people with autism?”
This concept is called “theory of mind”. It is the ability to understand the experiences of others, even if they don’t coincide with our own. For those of us who don’t have autism, we can show the greatest amount of love simply by extending understanding and acceptance.
Expressing and receiving love
Parents can gain a lot of understanding about how their child with autism, as well as anyone else in their lives, shows and accepts love by reading The Five Love Languages, a book series by Gary Chapman. There is a kid’s version too.
The 5 Love Languages
Everyone has a preference as to what feeling loved means for them. The 5 Love Languages are: words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service and physical touch. You can learn more about each of the five love languages through Champman’s book, as well as in our post 5 Ways to Express Love to Your Child with Autism.
Learning how your child expresses and receives love is an important skill. Jamie provides this example, “You can learn about your child’s love languages by observing their behavior. Are they in your space, do they say ‘mom, mom, mom, mom, mom’? This gives you a clue that they need you to fill their bucket with quality time.”
If you sense that your child is feeling less connected, it might be that you or others aren’t communicating in their preferred love language. Receiving a gift can mean very little to someone who craves praise and acknowledgment. Some kids with autism want hugs but will never give them from the front. Thay may need a hug from the back or the side for it to be acceptable to them on a sensory level.
Additionally, a common misconception is that kids with autism don’t want to be social. In reality, they may feel disconnected because you are not communicating in a way that’s meaningful to them.
A common scenario most parents can relate to is when a preschooler wants to play with a peer but doesn’t know how to express they want to play. So instead, they kick over the peer’s just-completed block tower. And the reverse of this is when a child asks another to come play but is ignored by the nonverbal child. The children in both scenarios have a need and a desire to be with each other. But unfortunately aren’t able to communicate it in a way that the other understands.
This is called “negative reciprocal actions,” and when they add up, the person trying to connect eventually gives up. Socially, this is where we see a difference. Kids with autism express their needs on their own terms. It’s important to learn how to speak their language of love.
Setting a relational foundation
As parents, you are the first role models for loving relationships. If you are accepting and open to your child’s differences, it opens the door to enter your child’s world. Follow your child’s lead and be a detective in how they communicate with you. When you figure that out, you will get more back in return.
By recognizing your child’s way of connecting with others, it goes beyond your own parent/child relationship. You are helping them express their need for love to others. This sets the stage for teaching pivotal social interactions that can help them make deep friendships and develop loving relationships. Developing a connection with your child – or grandchild, friend, relative or love interest — with autism, is possible. The key is figuring out how they express and receive love..
Children with autism, Down syndrome, and other special needs often benefit from occupational therapy (OT), to support many areas of their development. Occupational therapy is typically characterized as exclusively addressing fine motor strength and coordination. However, there are many other areas of a child’s development that occupational therapy can positively impact. Skills OT’s work on include balance, core strength, body awareness, sensory regulation, executive functioning, attention, and greater independence with participation in school and self-care.
The benefits of occupational therapy for children with special needs are numerous. Occupational Therapists are skilled in using a variety of strategies to address motor development, self-regulation and sensory needs. Additionally, they work on social participation, adaptive skills, and daily life skills. This means activities like brushing teeth, toileting, opening containers, writing, and getting dressed. OTs also incorporate sensory integration techniques to help children who struggle with sensitivity to touch and clothing textures, light and sound sensitivity, as well as balance and body positioning in space.
Occupational therapy for children with special needs is built upon a foundational belief that children learn best through engaging in their natural “occupation” of play. Their goal is that the “work” should be FUN! They use a variety of play-based materials such as yoga balls, animal walks, scooter boards, swings, obstacle courses, and resistive tunnels to address gross motor skills. They also incorporate board games, crafts, and other manipulatives to teach fine motor coordination through play. It’s obvious our OTs enjoy building a variety of skills through fun and engaging child-centered activities. A constant cycle of assessment and treatment through engagement in such activities allows children to keep advancing their skills in a developmentally natural progression.
Occupational Therapy at Healing Haven
As our ABA Therapy services grew, we added additional therapies to support our clients’ development. Doing so also provides one service location for parents. We first added Speech Therapy and then in 2018, we added Occupational Therapy services. This provides collaboration opportunities among the professionals supporting a child. In fact, all our OTs receive ABA training and know how to work collaboratively with our BCBAs and RBTs.
From the Beginning
Our first OT on staff has a long history working with our Founder Jamie McGillivary. Long before she ever ever considered studying to become an Occupational Therapist, Julie worked with Jamie at Beaumont’s HOPE Center. She was the Motor Room Expert in the Parent Training Program. She later went on to manage the summer programs in the early days of Healing Haven.
From Behavior Therapist to Occupational Therapist
Julie first met Jamie through a family she worked with more than 20 years ago doing in-home therapy and respite care. This family motivated her to work with individuals with autism and their families full-time. As a result of that experience, Julie studied to become a BCaBA – Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst. After several years working in ABA Therapy, she decided to pursue education to become an Occupational Therapist.
Julie
As Healing Haven grew and Julie studied to become an OT, she knew from her previous experience of working with Jamie, that she wanted to return to work here. She rejoined Healing Haven in January 2018 after receiving her Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Eastern Michigan. Her years of experience in ABA combined with her education and training as an Occupational Therapist are a powerful combination.
Julie describes her current role as her “dream job”. The primary reason she was drawn back to Healing Haven is that “the kids are so much fun!” She likes the saying ‘when you meet one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism’. The reason is she has witnessed it lived out. Each child is unique, and Julie loves the challenge of discovering what motivates them. Julie also appreciates how the staff acknowledge each other for hard work. “I could not ask for better people to surround me each day.”
Expanding Our OT Services
As our ABA Therapy clinic grew into two clinics, and then to three clinics, serving kids from 2-16 years old, we recognized the need to also grow our Occupational Therapy services. Over the past five years we have added several more highly qualified and passionate Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants to our team. Their breadth of experience are a tremendous asset to our clients. Many of them have years of experience working with children with special needs.
Maddie
Maddie Gildner, MSOT, OTR/L joined our OT team in early 2023. She graduated with her Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy from Western Michigan University in December of 2022.
Maddie has always enjoyed working with the pediatric population, and she’s passionate about providing fun, effective, and client-centered care. Maddie “looks forward to partnering with and supporting children and their families to help them be as independent as possible in their daily lives.”
Jacey
Jacey Lacanilao, COTA/L, is a licensed occupational therapy assistant who joined our team in November of 2021. She graduated from Macomb Community College with an Associates of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy degree in March of 2021. Healing Haven is her first place of employment in her COTA career.
Jacey has always had a passion for working with children with special needs. She emphasizes that no two kids are the same, and that each comes with their own fun personality. “Being a part of the journey that helps our kids grow into independent individuals is one of the best feelings,” Jacey says.
In her free time, Jacey loves to play volleyball, spend time with family, hang out with friends, eat, and travel.
Anna
Anna Weir, COTA/L joined the Healing Haven team in February of 2022. She graduated from Northwood University with a Bachelor of Business Management and an MBA in Project Management. However, after accruing experience working with children and raising her own family, she discovered her passion for the field of occupational therapy. She obtained her Occupational Therapy Assistant degree from Macomb Community College.
Fueled by the joy and determination of the children she works with, Anna thrives in the pediatric realm due to its variety and because it “allows me to use my creativity to motivate, teach, and promote daily life skills.”
In her free time, Anna enjoys horse riding, hiking, kayaking, swimming, playing tennis with her daughters, acrylic painting, piano, pilates, yoga and walking her family’s dog, Chloe.
Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn Wynne, COTA/L, is a licensed occupational therapy assistant who joined our team in February of 2022. She graduated from Macomb Community College’s Occupational Therapy Assistant program in 2021, having earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wayne State University prior.
Kaitlyn is passionate about what she does, saying she loves “to create a challenging and nurturing environment for kids to inspire confidence and build the skills needed to meet their goals.”
When Kaitlyn is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, watching movies, and being outdoors.
Gabrielle
Gabrielle Brod, COTA/L, is a certified occupational therapy assistant. After graduating from Macomb Community College in 2021, Gabrielle joined our team in July of 2022.
Gabrielle’s experience consists of working with a variety of clients aged 2 to 80 years old in settings such as pediatric summer camps, outpatient mental health facilities, and acute care facilities.
In her free time, Gabrielle likes to hang out with her family and “go on different adventures with them.”
Alexys
Alexys Anderson, MSOT, OTR/L joined our team in April of 2024, shortly after graduating from Grand Valley State University. With experience gathered from the school-based setting and inpatient rehabilitation, her role at Healing Haven is one of the first in her Occupational Therapist career.
The creativity involved in pediatric OT to make sessions fun and engaging is what fuels Alexys’ passion for the type of work she does. “I am constantly learning new things and the kids make each day a little brighter,” she said.
Outside of work, Alexys enjoys being physically active, hanging out with friends and family and spending time at her family’s cabin.
Getting Started With OT
Healing Haven offers occupational therapy for kids with special needs within our clinics and via telehealth. In clinic provides one service location for parents seeking behavioral, speech and occupational therapy for their child. Additionally, OT services are open to individuals not participating in our behavior-based therapy programs. If your child needs occupational therapy, reach out to us! Fill out our Contact Us form, or give us a call at 248-965-3916.
Are you a parent seeking a developmental assessment or autism evaluation for your child? Or did you try have your child start ABA therapy but ran into insurance issues due to an incomplete assessment? Whatever your situation, starting the journey to support your child’s development can be stressful, overwhelming, and confusing. But you are taking the right steps in seeking help for your child – and you! That is why we want to provide you with information on our autism evaluation process. Here is a detailed breakdown of how it works.
Where to Start
Maybe you are concerned about your child’s development, or your pediatrician is recommending an evaluation due to signs of communication and developmental delays. Whatever the reason, it can be confusing to know where to start. In order to access the most common therapies for autism (such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), speech or occupational therapies), most insurance companies require an evaluation that includes a series of standardized assessments. Additionally, they need a report with the data of those assessments to support a concluding diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. These evaluations are typically performed by a qualified psychologist or neuropsychologist. It’s important to note that most insurance plans require something more than a simple neurologist diagnosis; neurologists do not use the standardized assessments insurance companies look for.
What to Expect
The overall evaluation process at Healing Haven is not very long. It consists of three appointments which total roughly six hours altogether (depending on the child’s age and level of skill.) The turnaround time from the first appointment to receiving the final report averages about one to two months. But it’s important to note that time can vary depending on the facility performing the testing.
However, the wait to receive the assessment is generally the biggest issue. Most facilities that offer quality evaluations have waitlists of several months or up to a year. But time is precious when it comes to a child’s development. Those several months can make a huge difference when it comes to receiving therapy supports and interventions.
One of the most impactful things you can do as a parent is obtain a clearer understanding of your child’s struggles. At Healing Haven, we try to keep all evaluations–from the time parents contact us to when they receive results–within three months. This way, if intervention is necessary, your child can access it as soon as possible.
The Autism Evaluation Process
Our autism evaluation and developmental testing process is typically divided into three appointments. These appointments are after you complete the initial intake paperwork and questionnaire.
First Appointment
During the first appointment, a parent or guardian meets with the clinician. They will discuss background information, family history, and any concerns regarding their child’s development.
Second Appointment
The second appointment involves the direct assessment of the child. The clinician utilizes several standardized assessment tools to gather objective data on the child’s skills and their behaviors. The clinician will use this data to reflect the child’s developmental progression in comparison to other children of the same age.
Third Appointment
After these two first meetings, the clinician compiles all the information gathered into a report. In the third and final meeting, the clinician goes over the report with the parent(s)/guardian(s). Based on data and historical information, this meeting will specify whether a child may fall within the criteria of Autism Spectrum Disorder. If the child does not meet the criteria, parents and guardians may learn if something else is going on that better addresses their concerns (e.g. speech delay, learning impairment, anxiety, etc.)
Whether your child is on the spectrum or not, a developmental assessment provides a detailed evaluation of your child’s current level of skill and developmental status. A developmental assessment identifies factors contributing to your child’s difficulties, rules out diagnoses that may mislead treatment, and provides you with direction to address your child’s specific needs.
A developmental assessment identifies factors contributing to your child’s difficulties, rules out diagnoses that may mislead treatment, and provides you with direction to address your child’s specific needs.
What to Look for in an Autism Evaluation Provider
The most important question to ask a facility offering evaluations is, “If my child is diagnosed, will this report unlock insurance covered ABA services?” You are embarking on a lengthy process. So you are entitled to all the necessary information to access insurance covered services (if needed). Make sure you know which questions to ask of your insurance provider to understand exactly what your plan requires for ABA services.
However, many facilities that offer autism evaluations are unaware of the specific insurance requirements for ABA services. As a result, many testing facilities may be honest saying that they can provide an autism evaluation but are unsure if insurance to cover ABA services will accept the type of evaluation provided.
At Healing Haven, we’ve had countless families who had their child previously evaluated, but then found their diagnostic report was missing components insurance requires. Thankfully, some insurance companies are lenient and allow us to fill in the missing components. Other times, too many components were missing, requiring an evaluation re-do. Obviously this is time consuming and costly. It is also a significant barrier to receiving services. So again, do your best to make sure that what the testing facility offers will be sufficient for your insurance.
Insurance Plans
Healing Haven is now in network with most major insurance providers in Michiganfor developmental testing and autism evaluations. We accept: Blue Cross Blue Shield (Michigan and out of state), Blue Care Network, Priority Health, HAP, Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare and Beacon Health.
An Important Note about BCBS/BCN of Michigan
Many families in our area have insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan or Blue Care Network of Michigan. For Michigan BCBS/BCN members it is important to know that they have a list of centers for which they will accept an autism diagnosis. These specialized locations are called Approved Autism Evaluation Centers (AAEC). The AAECs are spread throughout the state, but unfortunately can have long waitlists – sometimes up to 12 months. As a result of these long waitlists, and because early intervention is so critical, BCBS of MI and BCN will accept an autism evaluation from a qualified psychologist or neuropsychologist – if it meets their standards. They call this type of evaluation a “Bridge Authorization”. This authorization serves as a place holder, allowing families to access services while they remain on a waitlist at an AAEC.
We understand how time-consuming and worrisome the autism evaluation process can be as you strive to get support for your child. But we are here for you and you are not alone in this journey. If you have questions or want to start the developmental testing or autism evaluation process, please reach out to us today!
Can you believe that Sesame Street has been producing quality educational programs for children for almost 55 years? And it’s been six years since Sesame launched their first puppet on the autism spectrum. Julia appeared on her first episode of Sesame Street on April 10, 2017. She originally was created in digital form when Sesame Street launched their autism resources in 2015.
The iconic television show has a long history of inclusive representation of individuals with disabilities. They often featured children with Down syndrome and cerebral palsy, as well as kids in wheelchairs, blind, or other disabilities. They were doing this when individuals with disabilities were rarely, if ever, seen in entertainment. Doing this sent a message of inclusion to children- that being “different” is okay. But the creation of Julia is the first time a puppet has had a specific disability.
See Amazing
The Sesame Workshop’s autism awareness initiative is called “Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children.” What an encouraging message for families impacted by a disability! Everyone has something to offer, even if they struggle to talk or learn in the same way other kids do.
One of Sesame Street’s autism resources are Daily Routine Cards. These are digital social stories to show kids about various activities or daily skills. Visuals like this can help prepare children for things that may cause them anxiety (like getting a haircut), or other daily living and social skills. We work on many of these things in our ABA Therapy, as well.
In addition to visuals, other autism resources from Sesame Street include helpful information for adults. They have a guide called Taking Care of the Caretaker with tips on reducing stress and taking care of yourself so you can take better care of your child. This falls directly in line with our philosophy of stress management for parents and caregivers.
“The Amazing Song” celebrates how every child has something amazing to offer. And it’s wonderful to see how inclusive it is by showing how some kids talk with a digital device, others struggle with eye contact, and others may flap their hands. But it’s all displayed in a way that’s made to show it’s okay and normal.
Creating Inclusive Places
Another aspect of these resources is the Provider Guide. It’s filled with ideas and suggestions for providing autism-friendly atmospheres and events that organizers can create within their communities. With this kind of focus it’s no surprise that Sesame Place, the Sesame Street themed amusement and water park, was the first theme park in the world designated as a Certified Autism Center by the IBCCES.
Even though the program states the goal is to provide resources “designed to serve autistic children and their families”, simply by including Julia as a friend of Elmo and Abby communicates a powerful message to all neurotypical kids watching. Children can learn at a young age that the classmate they have who is like Julia can be a friend.
In addition to the website, you can search the hashtag #SeeAmazing on social media to find content related to this initiative and even include it in your own social media posts.
We are huge fans of Sesame Street Workshop. They educate children on the fundamentals like letters, numbers, colors and shapes. But they also do an incredible job of teaching even more critical skills like friendship, acceptance, diversity, inclusion, and care for one another.
If you found this information helpful, we’d love it if you’d share it with your network!
Does the thought of going on vacation with your child with autism stress you out? Taking an individual with ASD away from their familiar environment and routine, to a place that may not understand their unique needs is no idea of a vacation for most parents. But thankfully there are many theme parks and resorts that are taking extra steps to create autism-friendly vacation destinations. In addition, there are also several cities throughout America that are Certified Autism Destinations (CADs). There really are places that are fun for everyone, including kids with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental needs.
Here’s our list of the top autism-friendly vacation spots:
Theme Parks –
Sesame Place®
As the first theme park in the world to be designated as a Certified Autism Center (CAC), Sesame Place is a perfect place to enjoy a variety of fun rides, shows and activities for every member of your family. They have earned this designation from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). Sesame Place currently has two locations – one in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and the other in San Diego, California. Both locations are recognized for their thorough training of their employees on autism, sensory awareness, social skills, communication, motor skills, emotional awareness and much more!
On top of their trained staff, the park also has quiet rooms, noise-canceling headphones and low-sensory areas. They also providelow-sensory parade viewings, special character dining accommodations and meet-and-greets with Julia, Sesame Street’s first character with autism.
LEGOLAND Resorts
Located outside Orlando, LEGOLAND Floridaadded new features in 2017 to become an autism-friendly destination. LEGOLAND New York and LEGOLAND California followed suit shortly after. They created quiet rooms for families to take a break, equipped with noise-cancelling headphones, weighted blankets and LEGO building tables. The resort also offers a “blue hero pass” for guests on the spectrum. The pass allows the guest and their family expedited access to popular attractions.
In addition to specialized training to equip their new employees with skills to more effectively interact with guests on the autism spectrum, the LEGOLAND Training & Development team created social stories to provide an illustrated, step-by-step walk-through of every theme park ride and show. This allows guests to know ahead of time what rides have loud noises, periods of darkness, bright lights or other elements that might be overwhelming for some. All of these special touches make LEGOLAND stand out as an autism-friendly vacation spot.
Peppa Pig Theme Park in Orlando, Florida
Adjacent to LEGOLAND Florida, this special park, created in 2022, is not only great for young children who have never been to a theme park, but also for children with disabilities! The park is partnered with the IBCCES and is an accredited CAS, offering many useful tools to optimize the experience of those on the spectrum. These tools include similar ones to what LEGOLAND offers, such as a “Hero Access Pass”, which allows guests who have trouble waiting in lines expedited access to popular attractions, and downloadable sensory and accessibility guides. Check out this new and fun park that your child is guaranteed to enjoy!
Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Situated in the Smoky Mountains, Dollywoodfeatures a natural environment with lots of trees for shade, creeks running through the park, and a less crowded feel than many theme parks. Even with this setting, employees observed parents using bathrooms to try to calm overstimulated kids. As a result, the Dollywood team set out to create a haven for families that needed a break. In 2016 they added a Calming Room, which includes items like weighted blankets, fiber optic strands, a teepee and comfy soft places to relax. In 2017 they added a Calming Corner at its water park. Dollywood has certainly shown why they are an autism-friendly vacation spot.
Tradewinds Resort in St. Petersburg, Florida
Recognized as an autism-friendly resort by the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, Tradewinds Resorton St. Pete Beach offers a wonderful vacation get-away for families who have a child with autism. At check-in they have room safety kits that provide parents with a door alarm, outlet covers and more. Additionally, they offer temporary safety tattoos, highlighting how this resort has thought of many details other places have not. Furthermore, their popular Konk Club (“Kids Only, No Kidding”) staff are trained in autism awareness. Parents can plan with the staff before they arrive to make their child’s visit as fun and stress-free as possible. They also created a downloadable social story to prepare kids for their vacation stay at the resort.
Cities and Other Locations –
Surfside Beach, South Carolina
Proud to be named the world’s first official autism-friendly destination, Surfside Beach, South Carolina is a perfect choice for families wanting a beach vacation that provides specialized options for their child with autism. Located south of Myrtle Beach on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, Surfside Beach is unique in what they do not have – loud or overstimulating boardwalks and crowded beaches. They also partnered with CAN (Champion Autism Network) to create the CAN Card. Showing the CAN Card is a subtle way to let participating attractions, restaurants, hotels and resorts know that they have a family member with autism. Participating businesses are trained in how to accommodate the variety of needs a child with autism can have.
Visalia, California
Visalia, a Certified Autism Destination, offers several attractions, hotels, and businesses that are Certified Autism Centers, CACs, (specially trained through IBCCES). Whether your child likes going to the museum or simply exploring a downtown area, there is plenty to do for all members of the family in this city. Find out more over on Visalia’s tourism site.
Mesa, Arizona
Mesa, recognized as the country’s first Autism Certified City, is similar to Visalia in that it is filled with CACs. In addition, the city encourages the option of a Live Life Limitless Passport, a digital passport “that serves as a tour of the destination”, providing all locations and attractions within the city that are CACs through text and email. Discover more about what this special city has to offer on their website.
High Point, North Carolina
High Point, the first CAD on the east coast of the country, offers endless options for the whole family. With a variety of autism-friendly attractions, restaurants, and lodging options, High Point is prepared to host your family’s vacation. The High Point website has even taken some of the planning stress off your shoulders by preparing an itinerary of what to do and when to do it! Or you can customize the itinerary to your family’s specific interests. Visit the city’s website to learn more.
Additional Resources
We hope these ideas for autism-friendly vacation spots help you to plan a get-away that your entire family will enjoy! To find a more expansive list of IBCCES-verified autism-friendly destinations, visit Autism Travel. We also wrote a companion blog post to this one, which includes destinations closer to Michigan, as well as international destinations.
Please let us know in the comments if you’ve found another park, resort, or destination that was perfect for your family!
The team at Healing Haven has an exciting announcement! We will be hosting an onsite ABA Hiring Event on Friday, April 28th, 2023 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. This event will take place in our administrative offices, located at 30701 Barrington St., Suite 125, Madison Heights, MI, 48071.
This hiring event coincides with Autism Acceptance Month in April, where we work to spread a message of acceptance and inclusion of individuals with autism in our society all month long. As a result of the continual increase in children receiving an autism diagnosis, the demand for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy services continues to grow as well.
We want you!
Our team at Healing Haven is recruiting dedicated and energetic individuals for full and part-time ABA Therapist and Registered Behavior Technician positions. These roles provide one-on-one therapy for children to increase communication, social, play, and life skills. Our ABA Therapists have the opportunity to make a direct impact on a child’s life–and that impact has ripple effects on their family and friends.
Interested candidates can schedule an interview time slot in advance here. Additionally, walk-ins for interviews are welcome between 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Individuals should bring their resumes, and prepare to interview with the Human Resources team. Job offers may be offered on the spot at this ABA hiring event! Candidates will have the opportunity to tour our therapy clinics. They can also meet our President & Founder, Jamie McGillvary, MS, LLC, BCBA, LBA.
A few important details to know:
First, we don’t require ABA field experience. We provide thorough hands-on, didactic, and online training to develop competency in applied behavior analysis. Additionally, Healing Haven provides Registered Behavior Technician® (RBT®) Certification through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Further. We offer continual support and training throughout employment. And finally, there are many opportunities for growth and advancement in our company.
At Healing Haven, we serve children and teens ages 2-16 with autism spectrum disorder and other development needs and their families. We have three clinics on our campus. As a result of the steady increase in children being diagnosed at younger ages, our newest clinic is designed for this group.
Our Early Intervention clinic opened in August 2021 and serves our youngest clients. Our Young Learners clinic serves children in Pre-K through early elementary. And our School & Community Readiness clinic serves our oldest clients who are in upper elementary, middle, and early high school.
ABA and Autism
In March 2023, the Center for Disease Control updated the autism diagnosis prevalence in the United States. The rate increased to 1 in 36 children. It’s important to note that ABA therapy is the most frequently recommended therapy for treating children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. ABA Therapy teaches children how to communicate, play and socialize with their peers, as well as learn important life skills.
In recent years we’ve experienced a noticeable increase in parents of younger children – 2-3 years old – contacting us for services. This means they are getting evaluations and receiving an autism diagnosis at younger ages than the national average. Data from the CDC indicates that the average age to receive an autism diagnosis is over 4 years old. Receiving an autism diagnosis before the age of 3 provides great opportunity for early intervention for autism to begin.
Early Intervention for Autism
But once parents receive that diagnosis, choosing the right treatment for their child can be as complex as the diagnosis. There are no miracle cures for the varied challenges that can come with an autism diagnosis. However, behavioral therapy, or Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy, is evidenced-based and the most frequently recommended treatment for helping a child diagnosed with autism.
“Research very clearly states that early intervention for children with autism and other developmental disabilities is vital,” explains Jamie McGillivary, MS, LLP, BCBA, Director of Healing Haven. “When children start therapies like ABA early on, they receive strategic learning opportunities that support them in the areas they need.”
Whether it’s communication, social and play skills, or activities for daily living (brushing teeth, eating with utensils, potty training), children who struggle with these skills can make great strides when provided early intervention support. Additionally, the likelihood of negative behaviors decreases because they learn appropriate behaviors from the beginning.
ABA Therapy
A child’s individual early intervention plan will address their unique areas of need. For instance, if it’s developing language and communication skills, the ABA therapist will work on helping the child learn to label items and appropriately request things they want or need. And the mode of communication will vary. It may be pointing to a picture, or handing a picture of what they want (Picture Exchange Communication System). And some may use a communication device (tablet), or verbal expressions.
In addition, if the child has negative behaviors their ABA therapy plan will address them. Some common negative behaviors include: damaging toys or property, non-functional crying and screaming, resisting transitions by falling to the ground or running away, aggression or self-injurious behaviors.
The behavior plan developed by the child’s BCBA will include strategies to address the types of behaviors listed above. They will work to pinpoint the reason for these behaviors and teach them skills or replacement behaviors to reduce them.
“For example, some children flop to the ground when transitioning to a new activity. Their ABA Therapist may address functional ways to communicate that the child may need a break,” Jamie explains. “Or they may introduce proactive strategies to warn the child that a transition is about to occur. Giving warnings and visual information about what is to come helps decrease the anxiety surrounding transitions.”
Generalizing New Skills
As a child makes progress on and eventually achieves their goals, we can work on scaling back one-on-one support. The ultimate goal is for the child to generalize the skills they’ve learned into their natural environments. We provide additional programs to support the child and family in this goal.
“We place a significant emphasis on parent training and involvement,” says Jamie. “When parents participate, we increase the likelihood that what children learn in the clinic will carry over to their natural environments.”
As a result of early intervention services, young children with autism receive a strong foundation to learn, develop and grow. It’s good to remember that autism is a spectrum and each child is unique. Some children need more support, while some need less. Some will need ongoing ABA therapy, while others will move on to their school environment with varying levels of support.
