Parenting Help
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Unlocking the Power of Individualized Education Plans For Student Success
As educators and parents, we all strive to ensure that every child receives the support they need to thrive in the educational setting. Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 plans are two powerful tools designed to address the unique needs of students with disabilities. In this article, we will delve into the world of IEPs…
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How We Learn
There’s a home movie of me as a 3-year-old making an enormous fuss out of putting my rollerskates away. In the video, I yell about how much I hate rollerskates, refuse to put them away, run to my room, slam the door, and yell at my mom when she opens it. Eventually, I put them…
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5 ABA Parent Participation Success Factors
At its heart, behavior therapy is a family therapy – it requires parents to learn new parenting methods (like how to set up the house for safety, use less punishment, minimize exposure to unnecessary triggers, how to have successful outings, reduce dependence on screens, increase communication and understanding, and more). Caregivers, siblings, and other family…
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How To Make ABA Work For Your Family
There’s no cure for autism – and there is no need to cure autism. While therapies can bolster skills needed to navigate successfully in the world, they are not magic wands, and it’s crucial for parents enrolling their child in therapies to understand that their child will not “outgrow” autism, nor can professionals “fix” autism.…
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Can ABA Be Harmful
Understanding the Complexities of ABA: Positive Impact and Potential Harms Short answer? Yes, it can potentially be, but it’s a lot more complicated than that. While the application of the science of ABA can be positively life-changing for many individuals and their families, there are a number of ABA recipients who have been harmed by…
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Talking Back
If you can’t regulate your emotions, your kid will struggle to regulate their own. You ask your kid to do something. They say something rude or snippy in return. You feel the need to correct this behavior, so you shout back at them for being rude, they shout back at you, and you’re back in…
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If Yes or No Questions Backfire, Give Choices Instead
“Can you start your homework?” (alternatively, “Have you finished your homework/ Homework.”) “No.” “Do you want to clean your room now?” “Nah.” “Wanna go to work and attend to all of your responsibilities today?” “Uh… no.” Offering choices to our children instead of asking yes/no questions can transform how they respond to you. Choices foster…
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Yes, When
If your child struggles when you tell them “no”, try saying “yes, when” instead. For example, your kid might ask for junk food or more time on Minecraft. Instead of saying “no,” which triggers immediate negative behavior and a stressful power struggle, tell them when they can fulfill their request. “Yes, you can have more…
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Perspective-Taking To a Happier You (and Those Around You)
Do you ever notice that your kid, cat, dog, or parrot doesn’t want to play with the expensive toys you bought especially for them but prefers commonplace objects that you use daily, like your laptop, cell phone, or report printout? (My kids and pets have killed many keyboards, laptops and phones.) Children learn more from…
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The Required Expertise and Tough Grind of Foundation Building
My first assignment in a management role was not to negotiate but to announce a price list with a blanket 30% price hike and then demand increased order commitments from a room full of white men in their 40s and 50s representing national dealers and international distributors. I was in my 20s, scared, and felt…
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Your first followers and biggest fans
Several friends around me vow never to have kids because they know how much bad parenting can hurt from personal experience and don’t want to wield the power of “ruining my kids’ lives.” I see parenthood as the easiest way to experience unconditional love and a second chance at healing wounds from your childhood. How…
