Why is Having a Schedule Important for a Child with Autism?
Schedules establish a predictable environment where the child can feel safe.
And because the child can understand expectations, you can use schedules to tell them what they can get if they do something they normally would not want to do. They know that play time, for example, comes after bath time.
Schedules come in many forms depending on your child’s abilities. To learn more about techniques in ABA therapy, contact us here ➡️ https://www.autismstep.com/contact/
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Why is Early Assessment Important in Autism?
Getting an early autism assessment is crucial because it will pave the way for the proper interventions to take place. Early intervention can result in improved intellectual capabilities and better speech control, for instance.
Autism can significantly impact a child’s life, but there are ways to ensure that they are getting the right care to unlock their true potential.
To learn more about how ABA Therapy can help, send us a message here ➡️ https://www.autismstep.com/contact/
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What is Tacting?
Tacting is an important skill to build especially for children with ASD. It can help them increase social communication and reduce repetitive language.
ABA therapy can unlock a child’s verbal potential and help them build the language skills necessary to describe their day-to-day environment.
To learn more about our ABA therapy, send us a message here ➡️ https://www.autismstep.com/contact/
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Autism Assessment for Children: What To Expect And How To Prepare For It
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) doesn’t look the same in all children, which makes it difficult to diagnose. ASD can sometimes be detected at 18 months of age, or even younger. Some children can get a diagnosis when they are around 2 or 3 years old, which is considered reliable. However, some people are not diagnosed until they are in their teens or adulthood. The delay in getting a diagnosis can take a toll on a child’s development.
Since early detection is the key, the first step to helping your child thrive is getting a professional autism evaluation. In this blog, we’ve rounded up what happens in an autism assessment and how you can prepare your child.
What are the benefits of getting an early autism assessment?
In Singapore, more than 200 estimated cases of autism in children are diagnosed yearly.
Since autism can impact a child’s life in so many ways, it’s crucial to have intervention as early as possible. When earlier intervention is initiated, it can result in improved intellectual capabilities and better speech control. After completion of the intervention, the child can develop more effective motor control and communication skills.
The key to early treatment is detecting the needs of your child as early as possible, says researchers at the Yale Child Study Center. A study by the researchers, they are focused on finding ways to detect ASD in children earlier in infancy with the use of eye-tracking technology. This way, when children in the spectrum are diagnosed early, they will receive treatment, not allowing them to miss out on opportunities to learn about the world.
Other studies have also shown that when a child obtains an initial diagnosis, they are more likely to show improved developmental, cognitive, and adaptive functioning. Further, they will have enhanced social and language skills.
What is an autism assessment?
Diagnosing ASD is not a one-step test, but rather a battery of observations and assessments. Autism assessment is usually ordered by a paediatrician or clinical psychologist during a routine well-child consultation. You may also observe the signs and symptoms of ASD and report it to the doctor.
The signs and symptoms include:
- Problems with communication skills, such as finding it difficult to talk to other people
- Unusual or intense interests
- Avoids eye contact
- Does not respond to name
- Does not share interests with others, especially with other kids
- Finding some situations hard to cope with
- Strong prefers usual routines
- Lines toys
- Hand leads
- Repeats words or phrases (echolalia)
- Rocks body and flaps hands
- Delayed language skills
- Delayed cognitive skills
The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) endorses that all children should undergo screenings at 9, 18 and 24 months, or 30 months. Meanwhile, autism assessment or screening should be included in the standard 18 and 24-month regular child checkups as suggested by the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP).
What is an autism assessment?
If your child needs an assessment, it should start within three months. The team of licensed assessors, including the paediatrician, will make sure you and your family know what will happen.
A case coordinator will be in charge of explaining answers to your questions, getting information and support from the family, and collecting information such as family history, developmental milestones, and a report from the school about the child’s behaviour and performance.
1. Before the assessment
This initial step is crucial for the assessors to have a baseline of the information needed to make a diagnosis. Apart from these, they will also conduct screening and observation.
How to prepare for it?
Since the team will need information about your child and family, it’s recommended that you know your child’s health history. This includes family history, birth history, and personal health.
The family history includes all information about risk factors that run in the family, including if the child has older siblings with ASD, relatives with the condition, and at what age the parents had the child.
The birth history includes information about the child’s birth – was he or she premature, did he or she have complications during childbirth or did the baby have reduced oxygen supply during birth. In some instances, infants with very low birth weight are also at an increased risk of developing ASD.
Lastly, know the child’s health, including major health problems in the past. This is important because some health problems are common in children with autism, such as sleep problems, anxiety, and gastrointestinal issues.
2. During the assessment
During the assessment, the team will observe the child in various settings and use objective tools to assess the child’s triad of challenges. The team will screen for language or communication delays, play or social delays, and restricted or rigid behaviours.
They will use various screening tests to ensure that the child will be assessed appropriately. Typically, an autism assessment will last for about 3 to 4 hours, conducted over about three sessions.
How to prepare for it?
During this phase, you must understand the process, how it will be conducted and how long it will take to land a diagnosis. It is recommended to accompany your child and make sure they had plenty of rest the night before. However to make sure that the assessment result is accurate, do not prompt your child if you are sitting in during the assessment.
Also, the child should have eaten their meals before the test. Provide a walkthrough of what to expect during the assessment, including where you will go, who they will meet, and what they may do. If your child is unwell, tired, or uncooperative, ask to reschedule the assessment.
3. After the assessment
After the autism screening or assessment, the team may explain whether they think your child has autism and why. A written report will be provided, which includes all findings. For children on the spectrum, the team will now recommend the treatment plan appropriate for your child’s needs.
Conclusion
It’s essential to identify children with possible ASD early so they will receive the needed intervention and support services to address their learning needs. An autism assessment will help parents confirm if their child has autism and other developmental issues.
Autismstep is a team of certified and experienced BCBAs and RBTs. To ensure that your kids are in good hands during the therapy sessions, all our therapists are required to be RBT-certified. Autismstep conducts autism assessment, too. Tap here to know more about The Role of An Autism Specialist in Singapore.
To help you make an informed decision on the type of therapy your child needs, please schedule a consultation with us today, or call +65 6456 9950.
Licensed ABA Therapists are Your Child’s Development Partners
For parents of children with autism, finding ease in day-to-day activities can be tough. That’s why it’s important to find a support system that genuinely understands the unique challenges of families with a loved one diagnosed with ASD.
Licensed ABA therapists can be your partners in your child’s development. Through home-based ABA Therapy, our RBT and BCBA therapists can help children with ASD master skills that are crucial in their daily activities.
To learn more about our programmes, reach out to us here ➡️ https://bit.ly/3NjfXxl
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Poor Eye Contact – ASD
Did you know that making eye contact can be stressful and very uncomfortable for people in the spectrum?
Studies suggest that avoidance of eye contact is an early indicator of autism spectrum disorder—and it’s not that they’re socially challenged or indifferent like most people think.
By avoiding eye contact, they save themselves from the unpleasant feeling of excessive stimulation due to the overactivation of a particular part of the brain.
If you want to know more about autism or are interested in having your child evaluated, just ring us up at +65 6456 9950 👆
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Savant Syndrome
Savant syndrome is a condition in which persons with ASD or other developmental disorders exhibit impressive abilities. These are called splinter skills or savant abilities, which are considered remarkable in contrast to the typical characteristics of autism. These skills are often observed in areas such as memory, music, mathematical calculation, sensory sensitivity and athletic performance among others.
These often-prodigious gifts or talents in most autistic savants are shown in obsessive and repetitive behaviours. However, these skills may appear to have little functional application or meaning.
Find out where your child stands in the spectrum. You can start with a pre-assessment test here >> https://www.autismstep.com/pre-assessment-test/
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Know Your RBT’s Credentials
A large part of the success of our ABA therapy is owed to our behavioural therapists—the Autismstep frontliners, all of whom are RBT-certified.
Any discerning parent would require their ABA therapists to be certified. A certification signifies that the behavioural therapist has the necessary training and experience to implement the strategies, collect data and educate the parents/primary caregivers.
If you want to know more about an RBT’s role in ABA therapy and why it should matter, check out our blog >> Autism Specialist
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Benefits of Getting Therapy at Home and an Autism Centre in Singapore
It’s understandable for parents to worry that their children are unable to communicate their thoughts or express a range of emotions at an age where these are expected. After all, how a child processes language, behaviour, or visual cues are indicators of their development.
Your child’s paediatrician would be in the best position to determine if your child is in the spectrum. Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that may affect a child’s development.
Why is early treatment important in autism?
Autism is a condition characterised by a wide range of communication and behaviour problems. Children diagnosed with ASD often experience challenges with repetitive behaviours, social skills, speech, and nonverbal communication.
Worldwide, about one in 100 children exhibit symptoms of autism. In the United States, approximately one in 44 children has been identified with ASD. In Singapore’s population of 5 million, about 50,000 individuals have been diagnosed with ASD. Of these, 11,500 are under the age of 19.
Though there is no cure for autism, a number of therapies can help people with the condition improve their abilities and reduce symptoms. The early initiation of therapy, preferably during or before preschool, improves the child’s ability to function. These therapies help reduce ASD symptoms and at the same time, support learning and development.
Research has shown that early treatment for autism can improve a child’s overall development. Children who receive therapy and autism-appropriate education are more likely to achieve important social skills.
For instance, a study by researchers at the Autism Research Centre, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Canada found that early intervention as early as 15 months show promising results. Meanwhile, a study published in the journal Advances in Family Practice Nursing reports that maximising early brain development sets the foundation for optimal outcomes. Early detection and intervention of ASD help children maximise their development and improve developmental outcomes.
In a nutshell, early detection can provide a child in the spectrum with the potential for a better life. At the same time, parents will learn how to help their children improve physically, emotionally, and mentally across the developmental stages with assistance from therapists.
What is the treatment for ASD?
There is no one-size-fits-all treatment for ASD. A personalised, research-based therapy can help your child with autism to reach their true potential.
The treatments for ASD include cognitive behavioural therapy, social skills training, occupational therapy, sensory integration therapy, speech therapy, and applied behaviour analysis (ABA).
What is ABA therapy?
ABA therapy is the most widely-used treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental conditions. It is a type of therapy that can improve social, communication, and learning skills through reinforcement approaches.
The goal of ABA therapy is for children to show more interest in people around them, become more focused in school, reduce or stop self-harming behaviours, have fewer outbursts and tantrums, communicate with other people more effectively, and learn to ask for things they want clearly.
The treatment can be performed at home or in an autism centre. Here, we will provide the benefits of both strategies to help you decide which one best fits your child’s needs.
Home-Based Therapy vs. Autism Centre in Singapore
A home-based ABA therapy is designed to help children with ASD develop their behavioural, social, and language potential. The therapy aims to increase language and communication skills, decrease problematic behaviours, and improve focus, attention, memory, skills, and cognitive skills.
The licensed therapist will break down each of these skills into smaller and concrete steps. This means the therapist will teach each step one at a time, from simple tasks to more complex activities. Afterwards, the BCBA and therapist will collect data to measure your child’s progress.
ABA therapy is performed in both at-home and centre-based settings.
To have a better glimpse of the differences between these two settings, we’ve rounded up their benefits.
Home-Based ABA Therapy
Home-based ABA therapy involves applying the strategies to help children with autism attain their verbal, social, and behavioural potential in their home environment.
Further, during at-home sessions, parents are present to monitor the child’s progress and development. This way, they will familiarise themselves with the process, and better understand the child’s needs, struggles, and behaviour.
Though sessions are conducted while the child is at home, the tailored programmes will suit every learning style. The BCBA therapist is trained, certified, and experienced in working with children with special needs.
Benefits
• Conducted in the natural and familiar environment
Children with autism will benefit from at-home ABA therapy because learning in their natural environment makes them master the skills easier and faster. Also, since they are in their natural environment, BCBA therapists can observe them more closely, getting a glimpse of how a typical day goes.
At-home sessions are designed by RBT and BCBA therapists, tailored to each child’s needs and pace. One of the most valuable benefits of home-based ABA therapy is how comfortable the child will be.
• Reduces distraction and convenient
An ABA therapy at home helps reduce distraction for the child. The need to adjust to a new environment is also avoided, causing lesser outbursts. Another benefit of having a home-based therapy is the fact that the child no longer needs to go out to the therapy centre. The Behavioural Therapist comes right to the door, reducing the challenges of transitioning from home to a new setting.
• Family is involved
ABA therapy can be performed at home, which means that parents and siblings can be involved in the process. Aside from providing quality autism therapy, therapists help teach parents and other family members to support the child and make sure daily therapy sessions are attended.
• Knowing the progress
Home-based therapies let the parents learn more about the capabilities of the children. Therapists will let you know how they’re coping with the sessions and the issues they encounter.
• Skills set generalised to home setting
A common issue for parents is that their children are able to do things for themselves when they are at school but not when they are at home. This is because the child gets accustomed to the fact that at home, things are done for him so there is no need to do it himself. By having home-based therapy, we can correct all these behaviours. One common example is eating. Child able to eat by himself in school but not at home.•
Centre-Based Therapy
A centre-based therapy is provided on-site in an autism centre in Singapore, rather than in the school, home, or community. Many parents who participate in early intervention want their children to transition to a regular school. Centre-based sessions will help the child adjust to a new environment.
Benefits
• Highly-structured environment
Centre-based therapy allows goals to be achieved in a highly-structured setting. In a centre, variables are controlled so specific goals are targeted. Children experience reduced distractions from familiar situations and they become more focused.
• Social interaction
Perhaps one of the most important benefits of autism centres for therapies is social interaction. The child is allowed to socialise with other children as well as adults.
This provides them with a better option to acquire social skills that can be imperative for success in school and later in life.
• Resources
With centre-based therapy, the therapist usually has access to numerous teaching materials and other instructional resources to aid his or her own practice.
Takeaway
When it comes to determining the most suitable environment for the child to receive ABA therapy, there are many aspects to consider. Both at-home and centre-based ABA therapy sessions are beneficial to children on the spectrum.
Autismstep is a team of certified and experienced BCBAs and RBTs. To ensure that your kids are in good hands during the therapy sessions, all our therapists are required to be RBT-certified. In fact, we are the only organisation in Singapore that does this. Tap here to know more about The Role of An Autism Specialist in Singapore.
Every child has different needs. For some children, staying at home is suitable for their needs, while others may benefit more from centre-based therapy sessions. It is pivotal to determine the child’s needs to conduct therapies more effectively.
To help you make an informed decision on the type of therapy your child needs, please schedule a consultation with us today, or call +65 6456 9950.
BCBA and RBT Certified Therapists
We make good on our promise to give your child the best care possible. Fact is, we are the only one in Singapore that requires all therapists to be RBT-certified.
As shapers of young minds, we believe that we should be equipped with the right skills, knowledge, and attitude best achieved through training and experience—and genuinely qualified to help your child in their challenges with ASD.
Get to know us more at +65 6456 9950!
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