Arguing with your child about every little thing can be exhausting, am I right? Enter CONTROLLED CHOICE-MAKING. Giving your child the power to make choices is an important strategy for any parent. It allows children to have some control over their own lives. Which in turn can help you avoid those ... read more
The Power of Positive Phrasing
Parents, do you feel like you are constantly saying "No/Stop/Don't" to your child? Learning about how to use the power of positive phrasing can be an asset for parents everywhere. Children are on the receiving end of hundreds of instructions every day. Yet, many times these commands are ... read more
Reinforcement vs. Bribery
Do you struggle to provide reinforcement when your child isn’t cooperating? Parents will often ask me why they should be “giving in” to certain behaviors. Enter the reinforcement vs. bribery infographic. This is a easy way to see the differences between the two. When you use reinforcement you ... read more
Token Boards – A How to Guide
Wouldn't it be great to have a tool that uses positive reinforcement to make meaningful behavior change? Token boards do just that. They reward desired behaviors, with a series of “tokens,” which the child can then exchange for something valuable. However, before you implement a token ... read more
Using Visuals to Support Play
Visuals are a necessity when supporting children with special needs. I recently wrote a blog post for Especially Education all about the importance of using visuals in the classroom. You can read that post here. One of the most significant areas where visuals can be helpful, are in assisting ... read more
Managing Difficult Behaviors
I work with two of the best BCBAs I know. Last week we began updating a parent training that focused on managing difficult behaviors at home. We quickly got to work creating a powerpoint and a set of handouts for the parents to take home. On Friday, we got up in front of a small group of ... read more
Positive Praise and the Elf on the Shelf
I will admit it; I have a love/hate relationship with the elf on the shelf. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love crafty things. The elf on the shelf provides the perfect mix of creativity and magic that is so special about the holiday season. However, there is another side to the elf on the ... read more
How To Give Praise and Meaningful Consequences
How do you give your child meaningful consequences while also giving enough praise? Yesterday, I received a text message from my cousin. The message said: “Can E get shipped to your house for three days. She needs military school. I’m just tired. Everything is a battle and her new mantra ... read more
Task Boxes
Last month, I did a guest blog post for Especially Education. The topic was how to increase independence using task boxes in the classroom. However, today I want to tell you about an alternative to printable task boxes. The 10 activities included in my new Task Box Ideas freebie are perfect for ... read more
Visual Supports
What are visuals? Visuals are cues that provide information about an expectation, routine or activity. They typically consist of items, pictures, symbols, drawings, and/or printed words. Visual supports can help increase your child’s ability to comprehend verbal instructions. As adults, we ... read more
