Laura Ackerman, BCBA

03/11/2025

Supporting potty training, getting dressed, or hand washing can be very tough for parents of neurodivergent children and can be aversive for neurodivergent adults as well!

When teaching a child how to do these skills, breaking them down into smaller steps can make it seem more manageable. It’s also super important to remember assent and motivation while teaching these skills - if the child is pulling away, crying, screaming, or other behaviors indicating that they are not ready to participate, it is up to you to help modify the environment and/or the expectation to support engagement in the task at hand.

These are some strategies and reminders that may help. Check out my blog for more information on this subject.

And contact me to set up a free course consultation to see if I might be a good fit for you and your family to support teaching these skills and working with assent withdrawal.

This is a recipe for stress for parents and children. There are some strategies that can be used by parents of neurotypical and neurodivergent children which is great where there are siblings in the picture. Try some or all of these strategies and see what works for you. 

03/11/2025

If you see someone singing to themselves, drawing in class, or twirling their hair, you might not think anything of it. If you saw a child hand flapping, spinning in circles, or turning the lights on and off, you might think twice but why?

Engaging in stimming or sensory seeking behaviors is a daily part of a neurodivergents life and is typically very helpful for them to regulate, calm down, or show excitement.

If these behaviors are dangerous to themselves or others, we need to redirect it and find another way to meet that input. We all do “weird things” so do not let others opinions or thoughts change your child’s behavior. We need to focus on acceptance and understanding of others rather than shaming these types of helpful, regulating behaviors.

If you want to know more about my thoughts on this topic, please check out my blog post!

If you are looking for a neurodivergent-friendly and trauma-informed approach to this topic for you and your family, let’s schedule a consultation to see if we might be a good fit.

Hand flapping, turning in circles, body rocking, singing, and other actions are often misunderstood. For years, these behaviors, and others like them, have been discouraged in some situations. These actions help individuals by expressing their excitement, directing excess energy, and blocking out av

03/10/2025

Understandably, there can be a lot of stress and worry that comes after the diagnosis and before service start.

You hear all about early intervention, getting the maximum hours per week, not to waste any time. Especially here in the Bay Area, once you find a provider that might work, you are faced with a long waitlist or hoops to jump through to start services.
There are things you can do to help services start smoothly but most importantly, spend time with your child.

Modeling language and play, ensuring they are going out in the community and school, and playing with same-age peers are great ways to provide support in the meantime and even after services start. If you are on a long waitlist or trying to figure out your first steps and would like to hear more about what you can do now, please check out my blog.

If you would like to talk to an experienced BCBA about support before services start, let’s set up a free consultation to see if I might be able to help you or your family.

On a waitlist for ABA and want to get started? Here are some ideas for a smoother start to sessions

03/10/2025

Working with parents who are strongly against headphones or other sensory accommodations honestly mades me feel sad.

After years of having this important discussion with parents, it all comes down to "what others will think". While you are worried about what others *might* be thinking, your child like likely feeling nervous, anxious, or even in pain without the use of these everyday objects.

Using headphones, fidgets, movement breaks, among other interventions can actually make it more enjoyable for your child to participate. If you are anti-headphones or other accommodations, reflect on if it is something society has told you not to do or if it could actually benefit your child in the long run.

Read through my blog 'Headphone's aren't Taboo: Sensory Accommodation vs. Pushing Through" for more information.

Are there any sensory accommodations you find helpful or necessary for your day to day?

While not surprising at this point, I often find myself caught off guard when a parent is resistant to their child using headphones in situations where they feel overwhelmed. I'm not even suggesting that they wear them for any specific amount of time; rather, just having the headphones available if

03/09/2025

There are many places where you can have ABA sessions, and each option has its own pros and cons. It's crucial to talk with your provider to find out which location or locations would work best for your family.
At the start, sessions might happen in one place with one or two people. However, the ultimate goal is to practice skills in different settings and with different people. This means being able to use what you've learned at school, home, or in the community, with family, friends, teachers, or others. It may take some time to reach this point, but keeping this goal in mind from the start is very important. This is why location matters.

Check out my blog post on how age impacts behaviors to learn more!

With numerous ABA companies claiming to be the best or the most innovative, it can be quite challenging to identify a provider that aligns with your family's needs. Once you have selected a suitable provider, an important consideration will be the location of the sessions. Each setting—whether it ...

03/09/2025

What is "normal"? For years as a BCBA, I have seen goals written for a three year old to have "0 instances of tantrums and aggression per day." - I will even admit that in my early days, I wrote unachievable goals as well.
Upon reflection, focusing more on what *to do* instead of what *not to do*, like how to ask for items or to gain attention to play a game together were so much more effective, leading to progress and engagement in sessions.
Why? because we focused on what was age-appropriate. We focused on what the child actually wanted to do and gave them a way to communicate that want- vocals, approximations, hand leading, pointing, icon exchange or visuals, AAC, modeling that language without expectation. We listened when they said "no" or "go away", rather than correcting it to be more *socially appropriate*.
Building an environment of trust and understanding is just as important for behavior reduction as communication is. It is normal for some days to be harder than others, especially if the child is getting sick, their routine has changed (like school break or grandparents being in town), or if there is something internal that they cant or don't know how to communicate. If we can focus on allowing neurotypical and neurodivergent child just be children, our relationships with them would be much better.

Check out my blog post on how age impacts behaviors to learn more!

https://www.ackermanbehavior.com/blog/what-is-normal