Rules and Tools for Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum and Related Disorders: Changing Behavior One Step at a Time - Softcover

Coucouvanis, Judith

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1937473856 ISBN 13: 9781937473853

Publisher: Future Horizons, 2015

Synopsis

Parents are their child's best teachers.

National Parenting Publications Award Winner

Step by step, Rules and Tools for Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum and Related Disorders will guide parents throughout their journey toward understanding their child and solving behavior challenges.

Parents can use one, some, or all of the 119 rules and tools presented in their Parenting Toolbox, to help their child reach their unlimited potential. Using checklists, forms, and other practical tools, parents can also develop their child’s personal MAP – Master Action Plan to help their child succeed in school!

About this title

About the Author

Judith Coucouvanis, MA, PMHCNS-BC, has been a clinician for over 45 years, specializing in the treatment of children with developmental disabilities, severe behavior challenges, autism spectrum disorders and co-occurring conditions. She is a national speaker on topics of behavior management, social skills training, psychopharmacology, educational strategies, and toilet training.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Think for a moment about your favorite activities; perhaps you watch television, surf the Internet, golf, gamble, play electronic games, or shop. Can these everyday activities ever become a problem? Of course, they can. They are a problem if you engage in them exclusively, for long time periods, and with such intensity that they begin to interfere with your daily responsibilities and negatively affect those around you. When we become so absorbed in our favorite interest that we miss work, forget about meals, don’t get enough sleep, stop interacting with our families, avoid chores, and omit daily hygiene, there is a bigger problem. We assume our behavior is just fine, but those around us might disagree.

While the above activities are typically harmless, increasing the frequency, duration, and intensity can turn them into problems.

Rule: Frequency, duration, intensity, setting, and persistence help determine the significance of a problem. In addition to the Rule of Five (see page 10), there are more aspects to consider when determining the significance of a problem. These include frequency, duration, intensity, the setting where a behavior is displayed, and chronicity. Let me explain.

Frequency – How Often Does Your Child’s Behavior Occur?

Frequency refers to the number of times a behavior occurs in a time period, such as in an hour, a day, a week, or a month. Behaviors can occur once in a while or often. Think about a behavior like getting dressed. Most of us get dressed when we get up in the morning. Sometimes we change clothes after school or work. Usually, we change clothes again to get ready for bed. Changing our clothes 2-3 times a day in these circumstances is typically insignificant. But what if your child changes her clothes every time her shirt gets wet or dirty, or if she refuses to ever change her clothes, wearing the same shirt 24/7 for days on end? Now the frequency of the behavior (too much or too little) indicates a possible problem.

Edition details

• Publisher: Future Horizons
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1937473856
• ISBN 13: 9781937473853
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 260