This post is going to go in to the four main functions of behavior to help you better understand the why to better plan for the now what do I do phase.

In honor of Autism Awareness month, I wanted to take a look at some of the recent changes in discoveries in the world of Autism Spectrum Disorder and how it affects more than just the individual and their families.

The magical tablet. The piece of equipment that makes children’s eyes light up with wonder and parents’ hearts soar as they realize they might get to eat a meal in peace, fold a load of laundry, or just stare at the wall for a bit at the end of the day. The purpose of this post is not to shame you in to donating your kids tablets to charity or feel guilty about just needing a few minutes to cook dinner, or shower. Parents today have so many wonderful tools at our fingertips that our own parents did not and I am prepared to take full advantage of them, especially since “go outside and play with your friends and come in when the streetlights come on” is not something we’re allowed to say to our children like our parents said to us. Times have changed, kids have changed, we now have tablets.

Parenting young children isn’t for the faint of heart, they come in to this world flailing, screaming, and demanding 100% of your attention and time. We devote ourselves to meet their every need and over the first year things start to get better, they can do things, they can walk, they can start to communicate their wants and needs more efficiently, and for the lucky few, they can start to entertain themselves! Then, they turn 2, and at their first meeting at the 2 year olds club they all get together and decide it’s time to start having tantrums. (Some kids are inducted in to the 2 year olds club a little early, as was the case for my kids, overachievers)

As a parent and as a clinician I find myself saying “good job!” way too often. By diversifying our own language and praising specific behaviors, our kiddos are more likely to repeat the same behaviors. Below is a list i like to give to my therapists working with children and parents during parent training meetings. I’m sharing here because, why not, we all need a little positive boost once in a while!

There are some things you can do to prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and not have to bring the entire contents of your home with you.