LeafWing Center

06/03/2020

The LeafWing Center is committed to protecting the health of the people that work with us and the people that we serve.

06/01/2020

Just letting everyone know, we are open and providing Telehealth services.

06/01/2020

Work 1:1 with people with developmental disabilities. Make a difference in someone's life!

11/22/2019

Check out this article about how using time warnings can help students with autism: https://leafwingcenter.org/using-time-warnings-to-help-students-with-autism/

  Giving students warnings about time remaining in an activity can provide a helpful frame of reference. Time limit warnings should be paired with an auditory or visual cue, such as a bell or card. Towards the end of the work activity, the teacher should verbalize, ‘five minutes left, ‘two minu...

11/15/2019

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is typically provided by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBAs), Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), and paraprofessionals. Find out more here: https://leafwingcenter.org/who-can-provide-aba-therapy/

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is typically provided by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBAs), Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), and paraprofessionals. A BCBA is a person who has met the educational and professional training re...

11/06/2019

As a general recommendation, “earlier is better” when it comes to starting ABA therapy.
Know more here: https://leafwingcenter.org/when-is-a-good-time-to-start-aba-therapy/

As a general recommendation, “earlier is better” when it comes to starting ABA therapy. The time at which a child is diagnosed with Autism or a related developmental disorder is typically also a good time to begin ABA therapy. There are several reasons for this. At younger ages, children go thro...

10/30/2019

An activity completion signal is a tool which can help students identify when an activity is over. Learn more here about how activity signals supports students with autism: https://leafwingcenter.org/using-activity-completion-signals-to-support-students-with-autism-in-classroom-settings/

An activity completion signal is a tool which can help students identify when an activity is over. Many students with autism have difficulty knowing how long an activity or task will last. These difficulties may also be present when students are asked to switch their focus to another task. Activity....

10/29/2019

Can Autism Be Treated? Find out the answer here: https://leafwingcenter.org/can-autism-be-treated/

This is a common and very good question that we hear “new” families ask during intake or in the very early phases of services; however, before we proceed, something needs to be clarified: treatment is not cure. Cure implies that we know a definitive cause and we have stopped the cause. Right now...

10/21/2019

Does Research Show That ABA Is Successful In Treating Children With Autism? Know the answer here: https://leafwingcenter.org/does-research-show-that-aba-is-successful-in-treating-children-with-autism/

 Yes—research does show that ABA is successful in treating children living with autism. As a matter of fact, since the early 1960s, the effectiveness of ABA based interventions has been very well documented particularly when helping children with developmental disabilities. Over 400 research ar...

10/16/2019

In the first Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis article in 1968, Baer and colleagues described six dimensions of behavior analysis. Read the full article here: https://leafwingcenter.org/some-current-dimensions-of-applied-behavior-analysisexplained-for-parents/

In the first Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis article in 1968, Baer and colleagues described six dimensions of behavior analysis. To facilitate your understanding of this seminal article, we suggest that you substitute the word “characteristic” for the word “dimension.” We will do so for...

10/15/2019

Learn more about Senate Bill 946 here: https://leafwingcenter.org/how-does-senate-bill-946-affect-individuals-with-autism-in-california/

Senate Bill 946, passed by the State Assembly and the State Senate on September 9th, 2011 and signed by then Governor Brown and filed with the Secretary of State on October 9th, 2011 is a monumental step for individuals with Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) in California. The new la...

10/14/2019

One of the main obstacles to learning that many children with autism face is a lack of observational learning skills. Check out this article that tackles about Observational Learning: https://leafwingcenter.org/observational-learning-and-children-with-autism/

One of the main obstacles to learning that many children with autism face is a lack of observational learning skills. What is observational learning? It is learning that occurs without explicit teaching and by observing another person do something and simply doing what they do. Children with autism....

10/13/2019

Did you know that using mini schedules and task organizers help students with ASD in classroom? Learn more here: https://leafwingcenter.org/using-mini-schedules-and-task-organizers-to-help-students-with-asd-in-classroom-settings/

Children with autism can be easily distracted and may require a high level of assistance in order to attend to tasks and activities. Their attention span is typically shorter than that of their typically developing peers. When this is the case, an ABA program will begin teaching concepts by breaking...

10/12/2019

Wondering how attention and learning rates play a role in a child’s ABA program? Check-out here: https://leafwingcenter.org/how-do-attention-and-learning-rates-play-a-role-in-a-childs-aba-program/

Children with autism can be easily distracted and may require a high level of assistance in order to attend to tasks and activities. Their attention span is typically shorter than that of their typically developing peers. When this is the case, an ABA program will begin teaching concepts by breaking...

10/11/2019

Here's an elaborated description of Applied Behavior Analysis: https://leafwingcenter.org/what-is-applied-behavior-analysis-aba-an-elaboration/

Applied Behavior Analysis is the applied science of behavior formalized by B.F. Skinner. It is sometimes referred to as Behavior Modification, ABA, or Behavior Analysis. The theories, laws, and techniques have their foundations in years of basic research and describe some of the most fundamental thi...

10/10/2019

Why is Applied Behavior Analysis treatment helpful when teaching children with autism? What is it about these principles and techniques that seem to be a good fit in helping improve the lives of those affected with autism? Learn the answers here: https://leafwingcenter.org/why-does-aba-help-children-with-autism/

Why is Applied Behavior Analysis treatment helpful when teaching children with autism? What is it about these principles and techniques that seem to be a good fit in helping improve the lives of those affected with autism? These are very important questions to ask and their answers are imperative to...

10/09/2019

There are few ways in which individualization can be achieved in an ABA program. Learn about them here: https://leafwingcenter.org/individualization-in-the-treatment-of-children-with-autism/

In ABA programs, the individual’s behavior is the primary focus when it comes to intervention development, ex*****on, and monitoring. As such, the design and implementation of all ABA programs must be individualized. This is not only an ethical requirement, but also clinically relevant because eac...

10/08/2019

There are some considerations and strategies for students with autism in classroom settings. Read here: https://leafwingcenter.org/some-considerations-and-strategies-for-students-with-autism-in-classroom-settings/

When creating an educational program for students with ASD, each student’s unique characteristics present unique challenges for administrators and school support staff. An effective classroom must include a physical structure that enhances learning opportunities and instructional approaches that f...

10/07/2019

Learn more about the definition of Applied Behavior Analysis or ABA: https://leafwingcenter.org/what-is-aba-applied-behavior-analysis/

Applied Behavior Analysis is a scientific approach to understanding behavior. Behavior Analysis is a theory with principles and laws that are derived from research. All of the practices in Applied Behavior Analysis are derived from basic research. ABA is considered an evidence-based practice, which....

10/06/2019

There are reasons why some ABA programs use basic language when working with children with autism. Find out here: https://leafwingcenter.org/why-do-some-aba-programs-use-basic-language-when-working-with-children-with-autism/

We know many children with autism typically have difficulty understanding language. These difficulties can be subtle. For example, a child may have difficulty understanding humor. In other cases, they may be more pronounced. That is, a child may respond to little or no language that is spoken to him...

10/05/2019

A team of knowledgeable professionals from The LeafWing Center share their expertise about applied behavior analysis. Check out this link to listen to the podcast episode: https://leafwingcenter.org/the-advantages-of-applied-behavior-analysis-podcast-episode/

A team of knowledgeable professionals from The LeafWing Center share their expertise about applied behavior analysis. They discuss the basics of the technique, what a good ABA program entails, reasonable expectations and the many benefits to be gleaned from this type of treatment. This is an in-dept...

10/04/2019

Boundary settings are a type of environmental support for students with ASD. Read more here: https://leafwingcenter.org/using-boundary-markers-to-support-students-with-autism-in-classroom-settings/

Boundary settings are a type of environmental support for students with ASD. Basic boundary markers which establish physical space for specific activities such as break time areas, and reading areas help students differentiate expectations across settings, especially when one area is used for differ...

10/03/2019

In 2001, the National Research Council published findings effective treatments on Educational Interventions for Children with Autism from birth to age 8. Read more here: https://leafwingcenter.org/what-constitutes-effective-intervention-for-individuals-with-autism-the-national-research-councils-report-on-effective-treatments-for-autism-still-stands-true/

In 2001, the National Research Council published findings effective treatments on Educational Interventions for Children with Autism from birth to age 8. The committee set out with the question “What are the characteristics of effective interventions in educational programs for young children with...

10/02/2019

Did you know that there are forms of language children with autism engages? Check them out on this link: https://leafwingcenter.org/increasing-language-for-children-with-autism/

Impairment in communication is one of the main diagnostic criteria for a child with autism, specifically a delay in or total lack of spoken language. Behavior analysts break down “language” into many reasons a child would communicate. Based on these reasons, they identify where there are deficit...

10/01/2019

There are changes to the Diagnosis of Autism. Find out here: https://leafwingcenter.org/what-are-the-changes-to-the-diagnosis-of-autism-with-the-dsm-v/

The first change with the new edition of the DSM is to combine the formerly separate diagnoses of autistic disorder, Asperger’s disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not-otherwise-specified into one group with the name of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The st...

09/30/2019

Two common difficulties that we encounter when working with families over the years are regarding waiting and when a child is told no. This article can help you if you are experiencing the same issues with your child with autism: https://leafwingcenter.org/how-to-teach-your-child-to-wait-and-what-you-could-do-before-and-after-telling-your-child-no/

Two common difficulties that we encounter when working with families over the years are regarding waiting and when a child is told no. These two scenarios can be overwhelming as they are often accompanied by the most intense challenging behaviors. We will go over these on this this post. First off,....

09/29/2019

Using structure and scheduling can be beneficial to both you and your child with autism. Here's how: https://leafwingcenter.org/using-structure-and-scheduling-for-your-child-and-taking-much-needed-time-for-you/

When you arrive home with the kids after school and work, the first thing you may want to do is relax! Turning on the television for your child, letting her watch a movie, or allowing her to engage in her repetitive behaviors to her heart’s content is very tempting. You have had a long day …