Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Autism

What are gastrointestinal symptoms? When people talk about gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and autism they could be talking about a variety of different things including constipation, diarrhea, abdominal bloating/discomfort/irritability, gastroesophageal reflux/vomiting, or food selectivity/feeding issues.  Sometimes they may be referring to GI diseases like Crohn’s disease (an inflammatory bowel disease) or Celiac disease (an immune reaction […]

Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments

Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments by Brenda Myles and Jack Southwick. XBM Myles 2005 This expanded edition of the bestselling AAPC classic offers both parents and professionals tried-and-true solutions to minimize and circumvent the often frightening circumstances that surround the rage cycle not only for the child with Asperger Syndrome but others in the environment […]

Autism and Sleeping Problems

Do children with autism have more sleeping problems then typically developing children? Yes, studies have shown children with ASD to have as many as 10 times more sleep difficulties than typically developing children.  Problems include not falling asleep, sleeping for only short periods of time, being tired during the day, resisting going to bed, sleep […]

Where should my child be tested or get diagnosised?

Though diagnosis by a medical professional (MD or PhD) is necessary for certain documentation and programs, the wait for an assessment can be long.  Being assessed and treated through your local school district or counseling provider can be a first step while awaiting formal diagnosis. Medical professionals in East Central Illinois who offer diagnostic services […]

What are the best interventions for children with ASD?

This is a tricky question to answer.  Individuals with ASD are complex and unique so finding ways to best support them depends on the individual and their goals.  Below, we’ve outlined a few interventions that you would want to be familiar with.  On our “Community Autism Specialists” page we have contact information for area resources.  […]

Social Stories and Social Narratives

Social Stories and social narrative are used to help children with ASD understand a certain behavior, the social environment, their peers, etc.  A social story is a simple book, written in clear and concise terms that help a child with ASD better understand or prepare for a certain issue.  Often using Boardmaker, the story is […]

ABA Educational Resources LTD.

ABA Educational Resources LTD provides practical resource materials for families and professionals using education strategies for children with autism at a free/affordable cost.  Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a research based best practice for autism interventions.

BAAM Behavior Movies

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a research based best practice for autism interventions.  If you’re wanting to learn more about this technique (for free) then BAAM is the place to go.  ABA has lots of jargon that can make it difficult for parents and professionals to understand, but when you see it in action, it […]

Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks has many great resources.  We really like their video glossary– this web-based tool is designed to help parents and professionals learn more about the early red flags and diagnostic features of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) by seeing side-by-side the subtle differences between typical and delayed development in young children (this does require creating […]

Autism Internet Modules

Have you heard of PECS but not really sure what it is?  Would you like to implement a five-point scale, but not exactly sure how?  The Autism Internet Modules were developed with one aim in mind: to make comprehensive,up-to-date, and usable information on autism accessible and applicable to educators, other professionals, and families who support […]