Tips for Self-Care

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 […]

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 […]

Neurodiversity

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 […]

Autism Diagnosis

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 […]