September is Self-Care Awareness Month. But what is self-care? Self-care is actively maintaining your well-being and happiness by prioritizing the things that help you relax, de-stress, and feel good. When you practice self-care, you invest in yourself and your future. Self-care is not always easy, but it is essential for your well-being. When you take […]
Category Archives: Autism Support
Achieving Behavioral Change through Positive Reinforcement
Positive Reinforcement is a well-known technique that helps increase the likelihood that a behavior will occur again. It is a simple but powerful tool that can be used to change behaviors in individuals and groups. Positive reinforcement is effective in a wide range of settings and with a variety of populations, including children, adults, and […]
What is neurodiversity?
The word “neurodiversity” was coined by Australian sociologist Judy Singer in 1998. Simply put, the nonmedical term simply recognizes the fact that every person’s brain develops in a unique way. No two brains are exactly alike, and differences are just that — variations that are neither positive nor negative. The word refers to all people […]
ADOS-2: The Gold Standard in Autism Evaluation
Though there are multiple tools available for screening autism spectrum disorders (ASD), Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Second Edition (ADOS-2) is considered the gold standard in diagnosing ASD in both children and adults. “One thing I really like about ADOS-2 is that it’s fun,” says Madison Jernigan, LPA, a licensed mental health clinician at Heartfelt Solutions. “Kids […]