Hello Dear listeners, I am happy to announce the next podcast episode on the topic “Children with ASD in inclusive education” with special education expert Dr. Diane Adreon! Dr. Adreon has worked with children and adults with ASD and their families for more than 30 years. Dr. Adreon is a consultant focusing on Autism and other developmental disabilities and intervention in schools and clinics. She received her doctorate in special education from Nova Southeastern University and a Master’s in special education and applied behavior analysis from Teachers College, Columbia University. Our discussion focused on student inclusion and education: · What inclusion is and what to take into consideration when planning the inclusion of a child with ASD into the educational process; · What strategies can help and support the child at school; · The importance of an individualized education program; · Conflict management strategies; · Dr.Adreon’s book “Simple strategies that work!”, etc. Dr. Adreon’s books: · “Special Considerations for Students with High-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Guide for School Administrators” (Adreon & Myles, 2017). · “Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Practical Solutions for School Success” with Dr. Brenda Smith Myles, which was honored by the Autism Society of America as the Outstanding Literary Work of 2002. · “Simple Strategies That Work!” - helpful Hints for All Educators of Students with Asperger Syndrome, High-Functioning Autism, and Related Disabilities (Myles, Adreon & Gitlitz, 2006). Additional resources: You can use free Autism Internet Modules (AIM) to get the information on different topics about Autism Spectrum Disorder and methods based on Applied Behavior Analysis principles click here https://autisminternetmodules.org/ Organization for Autism Research (OAR) provides guidebooks, manuals, and booklets for parents, self-advocates, educators, clinical professionals, military families, and first responders (police officers, fire fighters, etc.)  click here https://researchautism.org/ Dr. Adreon mentioned the book “Perfect targets: Asperger Syndrome and bullying – practical solutions for surviving the social world” (Rebekah Heinrichs, 2003). Thank you for attention! Enjoy this episode!

Hello Dear listeners, I am happy to announce the next podcast episode on the topic “Sleep problems in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and effective treatment” with a BCBA-D Kylan Turner, who is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Behavior Analysis at Simmons University and a BCBA Dierdre Smith. She has worked with individuals with developmental disabilities and their families since 2003. Dr. Turner specializes in researching interventions provided through caregiver training to address prevalent sleep and feeding behavior problems in children with autism. Her area of interest is in conducting evaluations of interventions to address challenging behavior. She is the author of the book “Functional Behavior Assessment: Case studies and practice”. We discussed different important ideas about sleep problems and effective treatment: · What kind of sleep problems children with ASD can have and how these problems can effect the development and behavior of a child and the quality of life of the family; · How specialists and parents can assess sleep problems and objectively measure their improvements; · What kind of antecedent-based and consequence-based behavioral interventions can be used to manage sleep problems; · The importance of establishing good sleep hygiene not only for children with ASD but for everyone; · Different examples from our practice and possible strategies to establish better sleep routines, etc. I hope that we were able to answer your questions! Thank you for listening to this episode!

Hello Dear listeners, I am happy to announce a new podcast episode on the topic “Self-care skills for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)” with an occupational therapist and a university professor Dr. Aditi Mehra. Dr. Aditi Mehra graduated with a bachelor’s in occupational therapy, from Western Michigan University in 1998 and has a Doctorate in Health Sciences from Midwestern University in Illinois. She has practiced as a pediatric OT for the past 20+ years in various settings: early Intervention, hand therapy, inpatient/outpatient rehabilitation and school-settings. During her Doctoral Studies, Dr. Mehra also pursued a certification in Applied Behavior Analysis to improve and enhance collaboration within multidisciplinary teams. Once she delved deeper into this branch of Psychology, Dr. Mehra uncovered Fit Learning, an academic program based on the principles of Precision Teaching designed to build fluency and address all differences in learning (Executive Functioning, ADHD etc.). Dr. Mehra is currently the Director of Fit Learning Labs in Chicago, and London. She continues to practice OT in the school setting, hosts a YouTube channel and is also an adjunct professor at Elmhurst University. Her passion is rooted in using simple data collection process to make more progress and save time and can be found on her website: https://dradititheot.com/ We made our discussion practical and discussed different cases from our everyday practice. Thus, what we have discussed: what are self-care skills and what factors can influence the participation in these activities among people with ASD, the sensory issues and the importance of adapting to some sensory stimuli or modifying the environment to minimize the possibility of sensory overload, different examples from our practice about dressing, washing, toileting skills and difficulties parents can face raising a child with ASD, the transition from childhood to adulthood, etc. Participating in self-care activities is an important part of our life. The independence and confidence improve our quality of life and affect our self-esteem. The independent functioning in these activities can be limited among people with ASD due to a range of factors. Consequently, knowing these factors, we can analyze the situation and support people with ASD. I would be delighted if you could find some answers to your questions. Thank you for attention!

Labdien, dārgie klausītāji! Man ir prieks paziņot, ka šodien jums ir  iespēja noklausīties jauno podkāsta epizodi par tēmu “Sociālās prasmes  un efektīva intervence” latviešu valodā. Podkāsta epizodi oriģinālvalodā  jūs varat noklausīties angļu versijas mājaslapā. Mums bija ļoti vērtīga un interesanta saruna ar audiologopēdu Aleksu  Kelli, kas jau 36 gadus specializējas sociālo prasmju veicināšanā  cilvēkiem ar īpašām vajadzībām, tajā skaitā cilvēkiem ar autiskā spektra  traucējumiem (turpmāk AST). Aleksa ir sociālo prasmju novērtēšanas un  mācīšanas programmas “Talkabout” autore. Viņa ir arī dienas centra  “Speaking Space” dibinātāja. Vairāk informācijas par Aleksu un viņas  darbu jūs varat atrast šeit: http://alexkelly.biz. Mēs runājām par: kas ir sociālās prasmes un kā tās attīstās dzīves gaitā, ar kādām sociālās mijiedarbības grūtībām varētu sastapties cilvēki ar autiskā spektra traucējumiem, kā speciālisti un vecāki varētu novērtēt sociālo prasmju attīstības līmeni, kādas efektīvas un zinātniski pamatotas metodes un stratēģijas tiek pielietotas, lai veicinātu sociālo prasmju attīstību, izrunājām, kas ir pašpārliecinātība un pārrunājām dažus piemērus no mūsu prakses. Pirms kāda laika es apmeklēju Aleksas mācību kursu par sociālo  prasmju veicināšanu Lielbritānijā. Tā bija reize, kad es sapratu, ka  cilvēkiem ar AST sociālās prasmes, tāpat kā citas prasmes var veicināt  un attīstīt strukturētā veidā. Tā nav viegla, bet nav neiespējama  misija! Es būšu apmierināta, ja kādam šī saruna sniegs atbildes uz  dažiem jautājumiem un veidos izpratni par sociālo prasmju veicināšanu.  Paldies par uzmanību!

Sveicināti, cienījamie klausītāji! Esmu priecīga iepazīstināt jūs ar  jaunu projektu – podkāstu ar nosaukumu “Par un Ap” autiskā spektra  traucējumiem (turpmāk AST). Šī projekta mērķis ir informēt ģimenes, kas  audzinā bērnus ar AST, pedagogus, speciālistus un citus ieinteresētus  klausītājus par grūtībām un zinātniski pamatotām metodēm un intervencēm,  lai veicinātu attīstību un uzlabotu cilvēku ar AST dzīves kvalitāti. Kāpēc es uzdrošinājos uztaisīt tādu projektu? Katru dienu savā praksē  es saskaros ar stereotipiem un aplāmu informāciju saistībā ar AST tēmu.  Manā podkāstā dažādu jomu speciālisti varēs dalīties ar savām zināšanām  un pieredzi, lai sniegtu zinātniski pamatotu informāciju. Šodien ir iespēja noklausīties 1. epizodi ar tēmu “Lietišķās  uzvedības analīze (turpmāk ABA) un autiskā spektra traucējumi”.  Uzvedības analītiķis Virginija Juskeviciute jau 16 gadus praktizē  lietišķās uzvedības analīzes jomā. Viņas intereses sfēra ir autiskā  spektra traucējumi un citi attīstības traucējumi. Virginija  speciālizējas uz funkcionālās komunikācijas treniņa, prasmju novērtēšanu  un individuālās programmas sastadīšanas, nevēlamās uzvedības  mazināšanu, dažādu prasmju veicināšanu bērniem un pusaudžiem ar AST.  Virginija ir centra “ABAlab” dibinātājs Kauņā, Lietuvā. Vairāk  informācijas jūs varētu atrast šeit: www.abalab.lt. Pirmā epizodē mēs izrunājām daudz svarīgas un interesantas tēmas: Kas ir lietišķās uzvedības analīze un kā zināšanas šajā jomā var  palīdzēt veicināt bērnu ar AST attīstību un uzlabot dzīves kvalitāti, Stereotipi par ABA, Verbālā uzvedība, Nevēlamā uzvedība un stratēģijas to mazināšanai, Mācīšanās process, un c. Šo projektu līdzfinansē Rīgas domes Labklājības departaments.  Podkāsta 1. epizodes oriģinālvaloda – angļu, tāpēc tā tika tulkota  latviešu valodā. Paldies par tulkojumu Indrai Ozolai! Es ceru, ka dzirdēta informācija būs vērtīga un palīdzoša ikvienam,  kas saskarās ar autiskā spektra traucējumiem, un jums būs iespēja atrast  atbildes uz saviem jautājumiem. Paldies par uzmanību!

Добрый день, дорогие слушатели! Сегодня у вас есть возможность  прослушать второй эпизод на тему «Расстройства аутистического спектра»  (далее РАС). У меня состоялся очень ценный и информативный разговор с  детским психиатром Ольгой Витальевной Доленко. Ольга Витальевна окончила  Запорожский медицинский университет и специализируется в детской  психиатрии уже более 35 лет. Также, она является организатором  здравоохранения высшей категории и автором книги «Аутизм в дошкольном  детстве – откровенный разговор». Нам удалось обсудить много важных тем – что такое расстройства  аутистического спектра, какие другие расстройства могут быть у детей с  РАС, какие признаки в поведении ребёнка могут натолкнуть родителей на  мысли о необходимости диагностики, что является научно-доказанным  вмешательством, какие стереотипы сопутствуют расстройствам  аутистического спектра и другие темы, связанные с аутизмом. В нужный момент важно услышать правильные слова, которые могут оказаться большой поддержкой! Спасибо за внимание!

Hello Dear listeners, the fourth podcast episode on the topic  “Stereotypy and effective treatment” is here! I had a great conversation  with senior consultant and BCBA-D Kelsey Ruppel from FTF Behavioural  consulting. What is more, Kelsey worked as a special education teacher  helping children with developmental disabilities. Kelsey’s areas of  interest are treatment of severe problem behaviour, practical functional  assessment and skill-based treatment that was developed by her  colleague Dr. Gregory Hanley, and preventing behaviour problems of  developing and worsening in young children using an approach called  Balance program. We went through different important questions on the topic of  stereotypy, for example, the difference between motor and vocal  stereotypy, the possible functions of stereotypic behaviour, child  controlling the environment, possible effective strategies to manage  stereotypy and other gripping questions. I got the information that  there is a short-term and a long-term treatment possibility for  stereotypy. This is an important and challenging topic to discuss and  Dr. Ruppel gives us a lot of answers to our questions. Have a great  listening to this podcast!

Hello Dear listeners, I am happy to announce my third podcast episode  on the topic “Social skills and effective treatment” with speech and  language therapist Alex Kelly, who has been working in the field for 35  years. She specializes in social skills training and works with children  and adults with social skills difficulties. Alex is the author of  Talkabout that is a structured teaching and social skills assessment  programme. Also, she is the founder of a day centre “Speaking Space” for  adults with learning disability and Autism Spectrum Disorder. The goal  of her team is to help a person become more independent within his  community. You can find more information here http://alexkelly.biz. Our discussion included the information about the social skills topic  – what are social skills and how do they develop during our life, what  difficulties can people with ASD face communicating with others, how can  specialists or parents assess social skills development level and what  is effective and scientifically based treatment, what are assertiveness  skills and how can we teach a child to manage bulling, etc. I attended Alex’s social skills training class in Hampshire some time  ago. That was the first time I realized that it is possible to develop  social skills in people with ASD in a structured way and that developing  these social skills is not something unreachable. I would be glad if  you find this conversation important for you! Thank you for attention!

Hello Dear listeners, I am happy to announce my first podcast episode that is called “Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Spectrum Disorders”! The main goal of this podcast is to inform families who raise children with autism, as well as specialists, teachers and other interested listeners about the difficulties and scientifically approved therapies and methods to improve the quality of life of people with ASD. Why is this important? Still I hear a lot of misleading thoughts and information about autism. In this podcast I am going to clear up the information about the effectiveness of specific therapies and my colleagues and I will give some suggestions of how to improve the quality of life of people with ASD. Virginija Juskeviciute is Applied Behavior Analysis Consultant with sixteen years of experience working with children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Virginija specializes in Functional Communication Training (FCT), designing and implementing individual education plans, managing problem behavior, etc. Virginija is the owner of the center that is called “ABAlab” in Kaunas, Lithuania. You can find more information here www.abalab.lt. We discussed a lot of interesting things – what Applied Behavior Analysis is and how it can change the development and quality of life of people with ASD. In addition, stereotypes of ABA, various areas of Applied Behavior Analysis, verbal behavior and the therapy process, the causes of problem behavior in children with Autism and possible strategies used to manage these problem areas. So, I hope everybody can find some important and valuable information and answers on challenging questions! Thank you for your attention!