One year in the sunshine state!

Today is a special day! My family and I have been living in Florida for a year now. We arrived in Florida exactly a year ago on this date, and it was spring break for the schools during the time. When we arrived, we moved into a rental apartment complex that we ended up living in while our house was being built. Attached is a picture of our new family home we moved into four months ago:

In the past year, a lot has occurred! I gained full time work within the first month I lived in Florida for my county’s school district. Two months later, I gained work with Full Spectrum ABA on various roles. Furthermore, I have been reunited with my best friend/longtime boyfriend, and we created some fun memories so far while I have been living in Florida. Throughout the year, I have been going on adventures with my family on the west and east coast of Florida, such as visiting the beaches. In addition, I have been attending college online for my bachelor’s degree and will be finished this year in the fall. As you can tell, I am so excited for more memories to be created!

I am so grateful to be living in Florida now. I feel that living in Florida has opened so many doors for me as a young autistic adult.

What do you enjoy about Florida? Share your experiences in the comments section!

Functional Behavior Assessments

What are functional behavior assessments (FBAs)?

Functional behavior assessments (FBAs) are a systematic process for figuring out the functions/reasons for behaviors. Behaviors can be occurring for sensory, attention, escape/avoidance, and/or access to tangibles. There can be more than one function/reason an individual engages in a behavior. These assessments consist of indirect and direct assessments, as well as a functional analysis.

Indirect assessments are indirect observations in behavior analysts gather information from the client’s parents, teachers, therapists, and etc. Methods implemented during indirect assessments can include rating scales, questionnaires, and interviews. Direct assessments are direct observations of the client in their natural environment. Behavior analysts observe the client in their natural environment and record using data sheets like ABC data to learn the setting/event before the behavior and consequences provided after the behavior occurred.  A functional analysis is conducted to confirm the function(s)/reason(s) for the behavior by setting up specific conditions. Here are examples behavior analysts find out confirmed function(s)/reason(s) for behaviors:

  1. Attention- An individual or client shouts out answers in the classroom, they are reinforced from their teacher by saying “Do not shout out answers!”
  2. Escape- when an individual or client screams when a worksheet is provided during their tutoring session. The tutor gives the individual or client a time-limited break from completing the worksheet by letting them escape the demand.
  3. Access to tangibles- An individual is taken to the store with their parents. They want to buy a toy, and their parents said no. An individual starts screaming and crying to get a toy.
  4. Sensory- An individual or client spins in circles and rocks back and forth because it makes them feel good.

After functional behavior assessments (FBAs) are conducted, then behavior analysts create behavior intervention plans (BIPs) that are effective for individuals/clients.

Have you heard of FBAs before? Do you understand why they are beneficial for ABA therapy sessions? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Importance of reading

I was a guest reader for my classroom at work for Florida Literacy Week back in January 2022!

Did you know tomorrow is Read across America day?

Read across America day is celebrated by having students enjoy time to read their favorite books. In Florida, the state had their own literacy week dedicated to celebrating the joys of reading back in January of this year. No matter which state you live in, the country knows that reading is important for everyone.

In fact, reading is beneficial for peoples’ overall success in life, including people with disabilities. People are provided with background knowledge of the world through reading, which helps increase cognitive development. People connect their own lives with the characters and events in stories. Reading daily helps people increase various skills, from communication to social skills. By helping people read early on in life, it prepares them for academic success. These are the five skills essential for peoples’ overall development in life:

  1. Phonemic awareness– being able to hear and identify spoken words.
  2. Phonics– connect letters of written and spoken words.
  3. Vocabulary– words needed to communicate effectively with others.
  4. Reading comprehension– ability to understand and know meaning from stories read.
  5. Fluency– being able to read quickly and accurately.

Reading is the key for lifelong learning. These benefits mentioned will be carried on for peoples’ entire lives. Here are some ways to get students/children with disabilities to enjoy reading:

  1. Develop a special bond with your student or child by reading with them on a regular basis in their favorite place.
  2. Schedule a time to read daily with the student or child.
  3. Do some research about books the student or child may be interested in.
  4. Go on a field trip to the library or bookstore with your student or child to help them find books they would love to read.
  5. Help your student or child create a list of books they will read, so they can set a goal to read all of the books on the list.
  6. Keep it fun!

Do you enjoy reading? Why does reading matter to you? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Interview with Kevin Askew and Maribeth Edmunds about safety in schools and technology

Do you think schools are as safe as they used to be?

As we know, there has been an increase in regards to in school bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, and suicide rates. Many factors are considered, such as our world’s experience with COVID for a couple of years now. Students with disabilities are the most vulnerable population to become victims from bullying, cyberbullying, and etc. To decrease these events, collaboration among the community and the right ways of using technology is key!

Based on this topic, I am so excited about these next two guests!

Maribeth Edmunds and Kevin Askew

This guest interview episode features two people who are committee members with me in the NJ Autism Think Tank. The guests are Kevin Askew and Dr. Maribeth Edmunds! Kevin Askew works for STOPit Solutions, a technology company that promotes safety in schools, work places, and beyond. He provides his perspective about ways technology can make schools a safer environment for all students, including students with disabilities. Dr. Maribeth Edmunds returns as a guest to provide her perspective as a former principal in the education system and parent of an autistic adult about technology impacting all students, including students with disabilities. Check out the interview I did with Kevin and Maribeth here:

Do you think technology will contiune to impact all students inclusively in goods ways or not? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Dating and relationships

Since yesterday was Valentine’s Day, let’s talk about dating and relationships. This topic can be hard for people to discuss about, but I thought it was time to discuss this topic. In the world of dating and relationships, here are things people should know when their boyfriend/girlfriend is autistic:

  1. Do not be shocked about us having autism
  2. Make sure we understand what you mean when communicating with us
  3. Ask any questions you have because it shows interest in us
  4. Give us time to process important small and big decisions
  5. We are so honest about thoughts and feelings
  6. We can date and be in relationships like anyone else can

Now here are some advice for autistic people when it comes to navigating the world of dating and relationships:

  1. Go with the flow. I learned in my relationship of over a couple of years now that plans change. Know it is ok, and things are outside of our control. Stay positive about the dating process and being in a relationship. Life is good thank you think!
  2. Know that facing rejection and break ups will lead to better times. Facing rejections and break ups are part of life. I have been through them myself sadly. Just know that its ok to feel sad, anger, and etc. It is part of the process towards being with a better person and better boyfriend/girlfriend.
  3. Be interesting and interested: In my long time relationship, I have learned that being myself is the best! Make sure to have hobbies and interests that you want to share with the person you are dating/the partner in your relationship. You can even express your skills and personality, from being creative to knowledge of history facts.
  4. Demonstrate eye contact and be aware of body language: Face the person, show eye contact, and smile at them. Other important actions include holding hands, kissing, being next to them, and hugging. It shows the person you are dating or partner in the relationship you love them. Make sure though to let the person you are dating or partner in the relationship know your level of comfort when it comes to physical intimacy.

Any more tips do you have for a someone dating/ in a relationship with an autistic person or dating/ in a relationship with a typical person? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Verbal Operants

What are verbal operants?

Verbal operants are kinds of verbal behaviors people demonstrate. These verbal behaviors in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) help promote language development. They aim to help children develop communication and language skills by understanding ways words are used and the importance of communication. Here are the six verbal operants/behaviors that help with language development:

  1. Mand is a kind of verbal operant known for the person to request, ask, or demand for something through expressive language. Unlike the other verbal operant behaviors, there is a motivation operation. Here is an example of mand applied in a home setting: Child is hungry and wants to eat pizza (antecedent), Child says, “pizza” (behavior), and mom gives the child a slice of pizza. (consequence)
  2. Tact is a verbal operant known as labeling or naming. It involves the five senses, so the person expresses the object, property, or feeling based on their five senses. Here is an example of tact applied in in a home setting: Child sees a dog in the backyard (antecedent), child says “dog” (behavior), and parent says, “I see a dog in the backyard too.” (consequence).
  3. Echoic is a verbal operant involving repetition of someone else’s words; The person repeats spoken word(s) from another person. Here is an example of echoic applied in a home setting: Child hears a parent say “pie” (antecedent), child says “pie” (behavior), and parent says, “You said pie. Good job!” (consequence).
  4. Textual is a verbal operant involving the person reading written words. Here is an example of textual applied in a therapy session: Therapist presents the written word, “shoe” (antecedent), child says, “shoe” (behavior), and therapist says, “That is the word shoe. Great job!” (consequence).
  5. Transcription is a verbal operant involving dictation. The client writes and spells the spoken word. Here is an example of transcription applied in a classroom setting: Teacher says, “Spell the word – cookie” (antecedent), child writes: c-o-o-k-i-e (behavior), and teacher says, “You spelled the word cookie correctly. Great job!” (consequence).
  6. Interverbal is a verbal operant used in typical conversations. It involves asking questions and having conversations with the person. Here is an example of intraverbal applied in a classroom setting: Teacher asks, “what shape is round?” (antecedent), child says, “circle” (behavior), and teacher says, “Yes, a circle is round. Good job!” (consequence).

Would you apply any of these verbal operants/behaviors to help someone on the autism spectrum develop language and communication skills? Which ones? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Task Analysis

What is task analysis?

A task analysis is an approach for teaching complex skills by breaking them down into manageable steps. Here is an example of a task analysis for the skill of putting on a t-shirt:

Skill: putting on a t-shirt
  1. Shirts in the dresser drawer → pick a shirt from the drawer
  2. Shirt in hand → Put shirt over your head
  3. Shirt over the head → Put one arm through the armhole
  4. Arm in the shirt → Put the other arm through the other armhole
  5. Both arms in the shirt → Grab the bottom of the shirt
  6. Bottom of the shirt in your hands → Pull the shirt down

A task analysis helps autistic people complete a complex skill or task through steps. In each step, it is broken down with the event or instruction first, then the person’s response as the goal. There is a different goal in each step, but follows in a systematic process to ultimately achieve reinforcement at the end, which is completing the complex skill or task.

Does it help you when tasks are broken down into steps? Think of a time you needed to break down a task into steps. Share your thoughts into the comments section.

Interview with Ron Sandison about being an author, speaker, and founder of Spectrum Inclusion

Do you know any autistic authors or read books about autism?

Today, more autistic people are becoming authors by sharing their own life journeys on the autism spectrum through published books. Many published books by autistic authors have been providing the world a better education about autism as a spectrum full of abilities and challenges. Now are you ready to learn about the next guest on “The World of Autism”? Here is my next guest of the guest interview series!

Ron Sandison, Author at Spectrum Inclusion
Ron Sandison

Ron Sandison is an autistic adult who is a speaker and an author of several published books. Ron has published three books so far, which includes personal journeys from individuals on the autism spectrum. Now he has been working on his latest and fourth book. Not only he is an author and speaker, but he is the founder of his own website, “Spectrum Inclusion”. To learn more about Ron, check out the guest interview I did with him here:

You can check out Ron’s website here: https://www.spectruminclusion.com/

24th birthday

On this special day, it is my birthday! I turn 24 years old, which is one year away from being halfway of my twenties, haha! This year, I will be graduating from college with my bachelor’s degree, and I am so beyond proud of myself! I cannot wait for what the future has in store for me! Happy birthday to me!

24 Years Old 24th Birthday Vintage Retro Gift Digital Art by Art Grabitees

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Breaking myths about ABA

Autism & Applied Behavior Analysis: 10 ABA myths debunked - Autism: Chaos to Calm

As you may know, I was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. I received early interventions, including ABA, until the age of 8. Now as a college student through Purdue University Global, who is pursing a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), I want to provide a perspective about ABA for everyone to understand. I am going to break down some myths about ABA here:

  1. Myth: ABA is a kind of therapy.
    1. Fact: ABA is more than a kind of therapy. ABA is a kind of science. ABA is known to study behavior that occurs in the environment. For instance, the smell of food is a natural behavior for people because it means they are hungry, as their natural response/reaction. On the other hand, when students have failed a test more than once in school, they demonstrate ways to avoid exams in school, such as by pretending to be sick, which is a learned behavior developed based on situations in the environment. Therefore, ABA is used in our lives everyday.
  2. Myth: ABA is an effective service for individuals with ASD.
    1. Fact: ABA is not only an effective service for individuals with ASD. ABA is effective for individuals with various disabilities, as well as aiding acquisition of skills (self care, academic, communication/language, social) for anyone. ABA teaches people new skills and behaviors to use in any setting.
  3. Myth: ABA is only applied to behavior issues or problems.
    1. Fact: ABA is used to increase peoples’ abilities. It has been used to teach various skills, from language to social and self-care. For example, I learned to communicate through picture exchange communication system (PECs), since I lacked expressive language very young. It was a way for me to communicate with people in my life. Peoples’ abilities and individual needs are considered through observations, measurements, and assessments.
  4. Myth: Anyone can do ABA.
    1. Fact: The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) makes sure that behavior analysts, such as BCBAs and BCaBAs, are certified to train anyone in the community involved in an individual’s life to apply intervention techniques. For example, parents can receive parent training to apply intervention techniques. Plus, college courses in ABA and certification can help people gain knowledge and apply ABA techniques. It is preferred and recommended to gain proper knowledge and certification to apply ABA techniques in various settings.

Do you know any more myths about Applied behavior analysis (ABA) that should be broken down? Share your thoughts in the comment’s section.