About me:
I am currently working as an a school psychologist & autism coordinator at a public school system with my Educational Specialist Degree (Ed.S.) in School Psychology from the University of Colorado, Denver.
I recently completed my Board Certified Behavior Analyst examination and am certified as a BCBA. I obtained my bachelor’s degree at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania in Psychology with a minor in Business Administration. I have been serving students on the autism spectrum for approximately 7 years both in the public and private sectors. Work experience has included direct early intervention, teaching privately and within the public school sector, teacher consultation, staff training, parent training, and parent & student advocating for students in Durban, South Africa, Colorado, specifically the Denver and Colorado Springs areas.
My teaching & training philosophy encompass an eclectic approach with an Applied Behavior Analysis foundation. I have two fields of focus (1) Autism and (2) am just beginning to research ABA within the world of athletics. The ultimate goal is to help a student/child diagnosed with autism to become as independent as possible, what families can do to support that and prevent significant behavioral difficulties. The majority of intervention and training will focus around social significant behaviors. In the realm of athletes, I plan to provide summaries on research articles, this sector will continue to grow and develop as I become more experienced with the research and practices. I hope this blog serves as a resource for you and a discussion board that will be useful! In this blog, I will reference personal stories, research studies, and topics of interest in the field of autism.
If you are reading this blog, you’ve probably been curious or had some experience with a child with autism. If not, enjoy as I’m hoping to provide as much information as I can. This is a diagnosis that even here in the states can be very misunderstood and misconstrued. My blog was sparked by comments like “that autistic child,” “they have to have autism because they misbehave,” etc. Sad, huh? It breaks my heart. I’m hoping that I can provide information that will increase understanding of this complex developmental disorder as well as provide outlets and support resources for families that are looking for it.
I will start with my experiences about two summers ago when I made the trip to Durban, South Africa to work with a child whom I had worked with previously here in the states. I can’t begin to describe the growth he has made and the positive impact this wonderful child and his family have had on the belief system and culture of South Africa, increasing awareness and education.
Here is an excerpt from an article written in which you can find here.
The following text is quoted from the website above:
“Mackie, Mackie”
“Mackie is autistic,” said my daughter-in-law on a transatlantic telephone call from outside the country. Silence from me here in Cape Town. Then, “No, he is not. He can’t be.”
“Yes, Mom. He had a four-hour assessment session with a psychologist and has all symptoms to place him on the autism spectrum. We always knew we had a problem and now it has a name. We have a way forward at last.”
I could not agree with this. I knew better because as a social worker in a psychiatric children’s clinic in the 1970s, our multidisciplinary team diagnosed autism. The term applied to children who did not communicate and were apparently not bonded to anyone. It was an extreme condition which we saw in less than one percent of the clinic’s caseload. The term applied to children who did not communicate and were apparently not bonded to anyone. It was an extreme assessment in the 1960s research by Lorna Wing, an English psychiatrist who realized that some children’s lack of response to others was not due to low intelligence but rather to cognitive and emotional withdrawal which she called “autism.” We could not know these children’s intelligence or indeed any of their capabilities or potential capabilities because they could not show us. There was no “spectrum of autism” at that time for us to discern characteristics that could benefit from interventions. There was in fact, no treatment for a child who had autism, no hope of accessing any human qualities, no plan for parent counseling.
Mackie, my grandchild, 4 years old at that time, in contrast had a superior vocabulary at 18 months, was well-bonded with his parents and expressed emotions. True, his original good speech was currently of mumbling mode and his previously cheerful demeanor was currently fearful. His level of activity had also dropped; all changes that could be put down simply to a stage in the complexity of growth. Mackie certainly did not fit my criteria of autism. We must not label him and steer him onto a path of pathology, I thought.’
This I believe may be the thoughts of many around the world- a complete misunderstanding of autism, or more specifically the components of High Functioning Autism and Asperger’s. The public school sector, continues to work hard attempting to develop programs for students on the autism spectrum but are constantly inundated with the need for more resources to help meet these needs; experiencing pressure from the outside sector to adapt program into a more clinical model & pressure to find trained personnel in this area. Yet at that same time, yes schools need to adapt to meet the needs of students on the spectrum, but… at what cost. They walk a fine line for inclusion, specific programming, presuming competence and demonstrating mastery, including the social component, building independence, differentiating instruction, providing specific and direct social skills training and preventing/managing potential challenging behaviors while maintaining autonomy for these students. But prior to the public education sector, where does a family start? Where does a family turn? I found some turn to disbelieve, these are typically parents that haven’t been completely explained what autism is or don’t completely understand the spectrum. I believe there is a cyclical process of grief, hope, sadness, joy….and so forth. Maybe some parents out there can comment on their experiences…
“On her own, without advice from professionals who did not know the resources, she took charge of a problem that had been worrying her for three years. Mackie, whose diagnosis at 4 years of age was late, as autism is usually evident by 2 years of age and must be addressed early, was immediately provided with the best American facilities in speech, occupational, behavioral and play therapy. He received a disability grant which helped pay for his treatment. His mother read everything on autism she could lay her hands on and made others in the environment read it as well. Everybody had to cooperate with the behavioral therapist’s intervention which disrupted Mackie’s own plan of solitary play and thoughts. Ideally, his interpersonal system was to penetrate his state of own worldliness and develop a more typical theory of mind. Those at home listened to his distress as the therapist firmly did exactly this. I advised his mother to out and leave him to the therapist to avoid her own distress, which is what I would have done in South Africa, but American requirements for responsible parenthood forbid such separation between parent and child. Mother suffered while Mackie learned…The general joining in with the world was the aim.
The hunt was on for a suitable school. This was not a straightforward hunt at all. We debated between mainstreaming on the one hand, where Mackie would have a good cognitive education but might be neglected in social and emotional aspects, a natural tendency with a child whose greatest wish is to be left on his own in a busy classroom; an on the other hand special schooling where attention is paid to social and emotional development but the education outcome is sub-standard in a child of superior intelligence…A satisfactory conclusion was reached with the choice of a private church school, where Mackie’s behavioral therapist was allowed to work in the classroom alongside the teacher. In South Africa, the child with autism is even less accommodated as the label is even more unfamiliar.
The dilemma of choice of school remains a thorny issue as the classroom environment needs to continuously attend to the autistic scholar throughout the child’s growth. Worldwide, very few teachers understand the spectrum and even fewer educational facilities promote the development of affected children. This is a serious issue that parents of special needs children have to face every year. Uncertainty surrounds: “Will the teacher be interested in my child who is different?” “Is the school equipped for special needs?” “How will my child be included in school activities?” And even, “Will my child get an education?””
Where do siblings and peers fit into this mix? Across America today, many schools and play groups are starting to turn to integrated play groups, teaching, etc. (I will recommend an article with further review in future posts of a high school who has adapted to peers teaching social skills classes). I am sure trying to fit in therapies, school, special programming, managing behavior, can often leave a parent feeling that a sibling is not getting enough attention and a sibling feeling fairly less significant. But sometimes, I believe it is these siblings and peers that can be the best companions and ultimately therapists.
“We embraced the active intervention approach to Mackie and he responded, all the time against his will. His father said that his best therapist was his brother and I agree. Mackie is carried along by Mike’s enthusiasm as well as by his correction.
What I find difficult as a grandmother of a child who has autism has nothing to do with the child himself. It has to do with social circumstances. Thinking of the efforts taken to socialize him, seeking the best treatments, cooperating with a home therapy plan, constantly monitoring him, preparing him for change, prompting his behavior, mediating all his experiences, enduring his frustration at being made to turn away from his natural tendencies, whith parents in fact beoming full-tim operant conditioners, I become unhappy hearing about his mother’s distress in the face of thoughtless interference. People ostracize Mackie saying: “Are you the mother of that child who doesn’t listen?” From the gymnastics club, “You should take your child to the Special Olympics, he doesn’t fit here.” “Why don’t you have your child psychologically investigated?” And of the gentleman who said, “I know a therapist who can assess him,” I would have asked “Do you get commission for referrals?” Beware your patronage, ye happy helpers. It creates more burdens for those who care.
Meanwhile, Mackie is function better and better. He now replies attentively to his name. He walks into a room and greets people by their names. He makes appropriate comments in the midst of conversations. So far from ignoring me, he asks me questions. So far from protesting when touched, he shows and accepts affection.”
Quoted: Kathleen Jane ****, Ph.D. (last name hidden for privacy reasons)-University of Witwa
A big part of this story from a grandparent of a student diagnosed on the autism spectrum is quoted directly, due to the fact that translation and personality could have been lost trying to paraphrase and replicate. I’m sure a lot of family members can empathize with this post. I caution those of you who are reading this that are not familiar with a child diagnosed with autism to become, it will bring you some of the greatest joy you have ever known. Yet if your inhibitions prohibit that, please, think carefully about the judgments you make and the comments you say verbally as you have probably never truly experienced what it is like.
