Hi everyone! I'm sorry I haven't been around to blog. I just wanted to give people an update on how things are going in my Poughkeepsie and Kingston Social Skills groups. I would like to give a shout out to the kids and parents who participate.  I want to thank all of you for your support which makes these groups possible. 
Currently, I have 4 students in the Poughkeepsie group ages 12-16. This is a wonderful group of kids who get along well and get together outside of the group for outings. 
The Kingston group is growing, with a diverse age range of 6-12.  We had a great group today and I look forward to next week.
We spent some time getting to know each other and we talked about having friendships. We played some games and shared a snack. Next week we will be working on play skills that address turn taking and winning/losing. 

I received an email about a 911 registry, which informs first responders if your child or adult child has a disability. This could save your child from being dealt with incorrectly in a crisis situation. You can go to this link to learn more about it at http://www.orangecountynyddconnection.com/

Who ever chose the puzzle piece to represent children with Autism was most insightful. I've learned so much in the last 14 years.  At my job it takes a team to transform a students behavior.  Each child is unique in some way but alike in other ways. It's those consistencies that help professionals understand behavior. For example the FBA process (function of a Behavior) has 4 target reasons for behavior: Tangible the child wants something, Escape, Attention and Sensory.  Once I can understand the function of a behavior, I can begin to create a strategy to either prevent or extinguish the undesired behavior. I'm not a Behavior Specialist, but I know my work.  I've had the good fortune to work at a progressive school with highly trained staff. 
Another key component to being successful in shaping or changing a behavior is consistency.  All persons involved with a child with challenging behaviors must be on the same page. This helps the child be successful. The first thing to do is fill the child's need.  If it is sensory, provide sensory opportunities. If it's a tangible a first /then approach might help delay that need especially when it can result in aggression.  


Knowing a child's likes and dislikes are also essential in being able to speak to a child's interests or to avoid things that upset the child.


Collecting  data and determining if it  is working.  A true sign something is working, is when the target behavior increases, before it decreases. The child will push the boundaries put in place.  It's important to challenge a child but not push them to a breaking point, depending on the situation.  These are just a few ideas about why challenging behaviors occur and one approach to address the behaviors. Any questions blog me.