As constant gloomy economic news dominated the media, Barack Obama’s presidential campaign slogan “Yes, We Can” inspired so much hope in the American people. When I thought about the influence this positive phrase had on such a troubled nation, it made me think about the power of Yes as it applies to all aspects of our lives, and to parenting in particular. One of the biggest mistakes parents make is saying “No” too often. Being told no frustrates a child and can instigate bad behaviors. Instead of saying “No”, try telling the child instead what he CAN do. For example, if a child asks for a treat before dinner you could respond by saying “You can have a sweet treat after we eat our dinner.” Of course there are times when a parent has to say no, but I often suggest to parents for every No response, try to offer at least two Yes answers. Making positive behavioral changes is crucial to the practice of applied behavior analysis (aba). Try the “Yes We Can” approach and see what a difference it will make in your child’s behavior. And stay tuned for more great ways our new president is supporting Autism research and treatment.

Kudos to the writers of Grey’s Anatomy for including a character with Asperger’s Syndrome in this season’s hit medical drama on ABC. Mary McDonnell did an excellent job playing Dr. Dixon, the brilliant cardiac surgeon whose colleagues on the show refer to as “a little off”. While I do commend the show’s producers for featuring a character with Asperger’s, I was a little disappointed with the stereotype portrayal of the disorder. Asperger’s Syndrome is often referred to as a form of high functioning Autism, characterized by above average intellectual capacity with underdeveloped social skills and can include other quirks like spouting of factual information, inability to filter conversation and emphasis on rules. Since it is so misunderstood, I would have preferred they show the world that many people with Asperger’s can be just like you or me. Of course no two cases of Asperger’s or Autism are alike and that is why each case needs to be treated on such an individual basis. One thing the show did highlight is a lesser known characteristic of Autism Spectrum Disorder called Sensory Integration Disorder or SID. SID, or Sensory Processing Disorder, can cause difficulties with processing information from the five classic senses (vision, auditory, touch, olfaction, and taste), the sense of movement (vestibular system), and/or the positional sense (proprioception). In the episode, Dr. Dixon becomes overwhelmed when another surgeon changes her diagnosis in front of a young patient and her family. The family becomes overwhelmed with emotion and there is a lot of loud talking and laughing and Dr. Dixon experiences sensory overload and starts to freak out. She tells her fellow doctors that she needs them to wrap their arms around her to help calm her down. The feeling of being weighted down helps restore her sensory balance. For children with the developmental disorder, parents and teachers can benefit from learning to recognize the signs that a child may be experiencing sensory overload and learn to avoid those situations. Weighted vests have also been used for children who have trouble sitting still at school and feel comforted by the feeling of heavy weight. If you think your child may have sensory processing disorder, speak to a teacher or professional to find out what services and therapies are available to help them.

Hello and Welcome to the Wellspring Blog. This web blog is meant to be a forum that will feature our thoughts and analysis of everything that is taking place in the exciting world of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), its uses and implications for the treatment of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, behavior disorders and development disabilities. ABA is an effective method with proven results in treating a variety of behavior problems. Wellspring is thrilled to be at the forefront of this practice as one of the premier providers of early intervention services in Southern California. The world-class therapists and clinicians who comprise the professional staff at Wellspring are eager to share their stories and thoughts in this blog with the hope that you the reader, whether your are a parent, teacher or professional, will benefit and join in on the conversation. We welcome your comments and reactions but we do reserve the right to monitor, edit and/or delete any comments we deem inappropriate.

Enjoy!

Leo Landaverde, CEO, Wellspring