If you notice that your child is experiencing delays or is behaving differently from kids, as a parent you may be thinking to yourself, does my child have autism? It can be so hard to know what is “normal” and …
Continue reading “Is Your Child on the Spectrum? Recognizing 10 Early Symptoms and Signs of Autism”
The goal of autism therapy is to help the child develop academic skills, communication and social skills, increase independence, and learn daily living skills. There are many different interventions that have been developed to aid in this process. Choosing an …
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects a great number of children and often these children have difficulty communicating. In addition to having an applied behaviour analysis team, these children benefit from speech therapy. Updated: August 30, 2021 This by no means, …
In this second post on how to toilet train your autistic child, you’ll learn about: day vs night time training, urine vs bowel training and how to leverage reinforcement. Make sure to check out last week’s blog Toilet Training Tips …
Continue reading “How to Toilet Train your Autistic Child (Part 2)”
Read time: 4 minutes Many children struggle with toilet training. Autistic kids can have a difficult time making the transition from diapers to the toilet. ABA Therapy offers several tried and tested strategies for training children. There are many things …
Continue reading “Toilet Training Tips from ABA Therapy (Part 1)”
To an uninformed observer, pairing in ABA therapy is a waste of time and resources. However, this could not be farther from the truth! Pairing is a vital component of all ABA therapy programs. This blog will answer all of …
Read time: 4 minutes One of the most important principles in ABA Therapy is the three-term contingency or antecedents, behaviours and consequences. Whenever we change behaviour, we have to look at the function of the behaviour. What is feeding it …
Read time: 5 minutes Many people wonder why occupational therapy is used for treating autism. Read this blog to find out! What are your occupations? Every day, you do meaningful activities. You play games, garden, make meals and paint. They …
Continue reading “Why is Occupational Therapy Used for Treating Autism?”
Read time: 4 minutes Many new parents aren’t confident in their child’s milestone mastery. They often wonder ‘Should my toddler see a speech therapist?’ In their first two years, children accomplish many things. They learn how to walk, crawl, talk and …
Continue reading “Should my toddler see a speech therapist?”
Read time: 3 minutes Traditionally, trained professionals deliver Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the skyrocketing costs of therapy, parents do ABA therapy more frequently. On an ABA therapy team there are often 3 …
With the end of the pandemic in sight, a lot of people are wondering if virtual ABA therapy will remain a therapy option. This post will explain what virtual ABA therapy is, how it works and some things to consider …
Many parents of children recently diagnosed with autism ask themselves “What kind of therapy does a child with autism need?” This blog will cover therapy options and some guidelines for what to avoid when picking a therapy model and provider. …
Continue reading “What kind of therapy does a child with autism need?”
Many families ask “What makes ABA effective?” when they’re starting their autism therapy journey. This post will describe a number of the factors and things that make ABA an evidence based approach. Is there evidence that shows what makes ABA …
Is your child autistic? Did their doctor recommend occupational therapy? Then you’re in the right place. Read on to find out what can an OT do for an autistic child. What is occupational therapy? What should you consider before beginning …
Camouflaging or masking in autism has far reaching effects on the person. In this post you’ll discover what masking is, what effects it has on the person, why it is damaging and how to avoid it in future children. Why …
There is a lot of hype around early intervention in autism treatment. However, this hype can be very confusing. This deep dive into early intervention will help you understand the goal, how and where to access it, why it’s important …
Read time: 4 minutes When your child gets an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis there is an avalanche of information. What do the autism severity levels mean? Many families have asked me this question. Some families have a lot of support. …
Read time: 3 minutes This blog post will discuss challenging behaviours: why language matters when describing behaviour, behaviour as communication, functions of behaviour, replacements and safety when addressing behaviours. Language matters Challenging… problem… interfering… There are many words that describe …
Continue reading “Challenging Behaviours in Autism Treatment”
This is the last blog in our series about Skinner’s verbal behaviour. If you haven’t already, you should read the other posts about Manding, Echoics, Tacts and Intraverbals. This post will be about Autoclitics. Skinner created the verbal operants which are: Echoics …
This week’s post continues the series on Skinner’s Verbal Behaviour. If you haven’t already, you should read the other posts about Manding, Echoics and Tacts. This post will tackle Intraverbals. To recap, Skinner created the verbal operants and they are: Mands (requesting) Echoics …
This week’s post continues the series on Skinner’s Verbal Behaviour. If you haven’t already, you should read the other posts about Manding and Echoics. This post will tackle Tacts and tacting. To recap, Skinner created the verbal operants and they …
This post continues the series about Skinner’s Verbal Behaviour. Last week we spoke about Mands and their value in improving a person’s quality of life. This week we’ll talk about Echoics! 1. What are Echoics? An echoic is a verbal …
Last week I introduced Skinner’s Verbal Behaviour. This week we’re going to focus on the first verbal operant: mands. 1. What are mands or manding? Another word for mand is request. Mands can be single words or complex sentences. When …
B.F. Skinner created Verbal Behaviour. Read this short introduction to learn more about what he developed and how it can help autistics.
One of the clinical indicators of autism is repeating the same actions over and over again (AKA: stims or stimming). Stimming in autism is movements or other behaviours that are either calming or alerting. Most of the time stimming is …
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Autistic children are often picky eaters. Once you’ve figured out the reason your child is picky you can use these picky eating strategies.
Parent coaching is an excellent way to learn ABA strategies and technique to become empowered to help your child yourself!
In last week’s post we discussed that some parents are searching for a cure for autism. This week we’ll be looking at IF there should even be a cure. Should we be looking for a cure for autism? I think …
“Is there a cure for Autism?” “How long will my child have to be in therapy?” “How long until they’re like other kids their age?” Each week I speak with 10 or so parents, most of who have newly diagnosed …
Many parents are unsure of when or how to tell a child they’re autistic. It can be a very sensitive subject and without some thought it can be tricky conversation to navigate. Crane, Lui and Davies (2021) recently published a …
Continue reading “How and When To Tell a Child They’re Autistic”
There are MANY ABA strategies that are effective for teaching learners new skills. Here are my top 5 favourite!
There are many myths about ABA. Here are the top 5 myths debunked! Connect with Side by Side Therapy for more information about how we help!
When you’re new to ABA it can be very daunting. There are many acronyms and words with unusual meanings. In this post we’ll discuss reinforcement in ABA and how you can use it to increase behaviour. You can read the …
This post will describe the elements you need to consider when you choose an ABA provider for your child. As soon as you get an Autism diagnosis the first place you turn is likely Google. When you’re reading you find …
Robert Schramm has developed these 7 steps to get your child to cooperate. In applied behaviour analysis, cooperation or compliance is one of the first things we work to establish. The instructor must have instructional control, meaning that the child …
On Friday December 11th, 2020, the province published an announcement about the rollout of the newest variation of the Ontario Autism Program. The news came from Jennifer Morris, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. It was …
Each child develops at their own pace. However, there are general guidelines, called milestones, that are used in monitoring if your child is progressing. When a child doesn’t meet their milestones, it can be a red flag for autism. Red …
Continue reading “Red Flags for Autism: 8 Behaviours to look for”
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Families with concerns about their child’s development will wonder where to go. Read on to find out where you can go in Ontario for help.
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Why is ABA Therapy so expensive? Read on to find out more about some of the barriers in Ontario that make therapy unaffordable.
Autism is expensive. Utilize these funds to help offset the extraordinary costs associated with raising your child.
Children thrive on predictability and structure. Using visual schedules is an excellent way to support your child in many settings.
Autistic children have difficulty with social communication. This blog post explains what social communication is and how to address it.
There are many ways that receiving an early autism diagnosis will benefit your child and family (having a treatment plan is just one!)
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Many children with autism also have language delays. Read about how your S-LP can address these challenges and why it’s important to!
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It can be very difficult to know how to choose a Speech-Language Pathologist. Ask these questions before you sign up with a new clinician.
Read time: 2 minutes An autism diagnosis should not stop anyone from being a productive person and bringing his/her contribution to society. Both autistic teenagers and adults can get jobs, but they will likely need more support to achieve their …
Continue reading “Autistic Teenagers and Adults Getting Jobs”
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Learn how speech therapy in autism treatment can be key to helping your child communicate and learn. All areas of communication can be addressed.
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Most children love playing outside but few recognize the benefits of outdoor play. Learn why you should encourage your child to play outside!
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There are specific things you can do to help build the relationship you have with your child’s teacher to set them up for success.
Many children and adults have Sensory Processing Disorder. Read on to learn what the signs are and who can help!
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Knowing which direction to move when looking for autism therapy can be tricky. Here are 8 questions to ask potential therapy providers.
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It’s easy to be confused about ABA and IBI. ABA is Applied Behaviour Analysis and IBI is Intensive Behaviour Intervention.
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Young children with autism benefit from tremendous growth and development when they participate in the Early Start Denver Model!
A new diagnosis of autism can be terrifying. Reframe your thinking with these strategies, questions and insights into your child.
A short history of the changes to the Ontario Autism Program over the last 4 years.
There are many reasons to utilize Side by Side Therapy’s Respite in Toronto Services. Read on to discover the top 10 ways you and your child will benefit!
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Many autistics struggle with sensory difficulties. Use these 9 strategies to address some of those difficulties.
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Side by Side Therapy offers social skills training in Toronto. Here are 6 tips from our playbook to try at home with your child.
In these changing times, due to COVID-19, we have had to change our behaviour in a lot of uncomfortable ways. We’ve done this to follow the rules and recommendations set out by the government and public health officials. The field …
Continue reading “3 Applied Behaviour Analysis Tips to Get your Child Wearing a Mask”
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Top 7 speech therapy strategies to help develop language and communication in your toddler.
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Part of our top 10 series, here are the top 9 reasons your autistic child will benefit from ABA in Toronto.
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There is a lot of value in accepting your child’s autism diagnosis and implementing autism therapy in Toronto to address your child’s needs.
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Every parent should be in the habit of taking time for themselves, especially special needs parents. Let Side by Side Therapy help with your Respite services in Toronto needs.
It is often said that a parent is a child’s first teacher, playing an important role where development and learning are concerned. A diagnosis of autism only reinforces this belief, in the sense that the parent will work harder to …
Continue reading “2 Necessary Social Skills you should teach your child!”
Confidence is not a parenting skill parents are born with, but rather a skill that is learned over time. Being the parent of a child with autism can challenge our confidence, but you must understand that this skill is vital …
Continue reading “Autism Parenting: What does an autistic child need? A confident parent!”
Read time: 5 minutes Have you ever been in a situation where the music was just too loud or the lights were way too bright? How about being in a place that was far too overcrowded and you started to …
Continue reading “Top 10 Fun Autism and Sensory Friendly Places in the Greater Toronto Area”
We know how difficult it can be for an autistic child to spend all of his/her time inside the house. The Covid-19 pandemic has forced us to think outside of the box, finding occupational therapy activities to keep our children …
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What should our priority be: equality or equity with regards to autism?
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Dr. Tracy Alloway discusses some of her research on autism and memory.
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Add Your Voice to the Giant Autism Billboard for World Autism Awareness Day, April 2, 2020.
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Side by Side Therapy will be expanding to offer 5 disciplines: Applied Behaviour Analysis, Speech, OT, Therapeutic Recreation and Respite.
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Those with autism often have a very difficult time with transitions. Read here to learn 11 strategies to help ease transitions.
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Transitions can be difficult for anyone. Read on to get some good tips for managing transitions for those with autism spectrum disorder.
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Sleep affects everyone, especially those with autism spectrum disorder. Read this post to learn some stats around sleep and autism and some tips for good sleep hygiene.
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Is it more appropriate to use identity-first (autistic person) or person-first language (person with autism). Read on to understand my perspective.
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This blog post gives 11 valuable tips to ensure the safety of your autistic child at home and in the community.
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8 Things to do that will help your newly diagnosed child be successful.
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10 Tips for parenting a child with autism
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A dictionary of Applied Behaviour Analysis terms that you’ll encounter on your ABA journey.
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Here are the essential parts of a BIP to look out for when designing one or if one is being implemented with your child.
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Read a bit about my career, my education and how I hope to be able to help your family.