Eastside Social Skills Therapy

08/18/2025

WE HAVE 3 MORNING OPENINGS THIS FALL FOR ABA THERAPY

8:30 (or 9:00) - 12:00 Mon-Fri

AND 4 OPENINGS MID-DAY 12:00-3:00 Mon-Fri

THERE IS ALSO AN OPTION FOR 9:00-3:00 Mon-Fri IF YOUR CHILD NEEDS 30 HOURS A WEEK OF EARLY INTENSIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION.

ALL AFTER SCHOOL HOURS ARE FILLED.

👉Our programs provide a balanced focus between social skills, language and communication and play!

👉We teach independent life skills such as potty training, getting dressed, and having a play date with a friend.

👉We use visual schedules and behavior contracts to reduce anxiety that your child may have and we follow your child’s unique interests to help motivate them to learn new skills.

Let us help you and your autistic child. Call (206)380-3009 or check out our website for more information and apply online.

“EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS” “PLAY SKILLS” “COMMUNICATION” “LEISURE” “ADAPTIVE SKILLS” “SOCIAL SKILLS” MISSION Is to provide intensive early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder and to help their families grow and learn together by surrounding the child with a com...

06/22/2025

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🏖️ 5 Tips for a Sensory-Friendly Beach Trip 🌊
Planning a beach day with a child with autism? These tips can help make your visit smoother, more enjoyable, and sensory-friendly for the whole family:
1. Prepare with Practice and Visuals
Ease anxiety by creating a visual schedule of the day’s events and reading a social story about going to the beach. Try a “mock beach day” at home so your child can practice wearing swim gear, applying sunscreen, and experiencing beach-like settings in a safe space.
2. Choose the Right Time and Spot
Visit during off-peak hours—early mornings or late afternoons—to avoid large crowds and loud noises. Look for calm beaches with gentle waves and quieter areas for a more relaxed sensory experience.
3. Bring Sensory-Friendly Gear
Pack items like noise-canceling headphones, rash guards, and familiar comfort objects. A large towel or sand-free mat can help if your child is sensitive to sand.
4. Create a Safe and Predictable Space
Use blankets, cones, or visual markers to set clear boundaries. If your child is prone to wandering, consider using an ID bracelet. Always keep a close eye near the water—even with flotation devices.
5. Plan for Breaks—and Have an Exit Strategy
Schedule downtime to avoid sensory overload. When it’s time to leave, use a verbal countdown or visual timer to help with transitions. Keep the car ride calming with soft music or a quiet activity.
💙 Every child is different—adjust your plans to meet your child’s needs and remember: flexibility is key to a successful beach day!

12/28/2024

10/18/2023

If your child with autism is dressing up for Halloween, here are 5️⃣ ideas that are both autism- and budget-friendly for you to try. The most important thing is that your child is happy and comfortable.

👹 Be aware of sensory needs when helping your child choose a costume. Some materials may be itchy, smell weird or be uncomfortable for your child.
👹 Think about your child’s special interests when helping them choose a costume. For example, suggest that they dress up as their favorite superhero or other character. Allow your child to dress up in their preferred costume without judgment, no matter what their age.
👹 Have your child put on the costume a few times before Halloween so they get used to how it feels.
👹 Don’t use face painting or costumes that are challenging for your child’s sensory experience.
👹 Think about getting the costume in a larger size so your child can wear their own clothes underneath.

**Information from autismspeaks.org.

10/16/2023

Happy Monday, friends! We've got this! 👊

10/07/2023

Fall is a great time to give your child a sensory experience by encouraging them to play in a pile of leaves. Playing in leaves offers kids an opportunity to stimulate so many senses including sight, hearing, touch, and smell. Also, if your kids participate in this activity with others, the activity can also encourage relationship building.

10/05/2023

Join our team today!

Click the link to apply:
https://loom.ly/kopYClc

09/26/2023

If you have a picky eater with autism, know that you’re not alone. Psychologist Emily Kuschner, PhD, of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) – recommends the following strategies to gently expand the diet of picky eaters with autism:

#1 - Rule Out Medical Problems
If your child is clamping her lips shut when offered a certain food, it may be that she knows it will make her stomach hurt. Gastrointestinal distress is common among children with autism, many of whom can’t easily describe their distress. Your child’s doctor can help you figure out if this is the case and how to deal with it.

#2 - Stay Calm
Many children need to taste a food more than a dozen times before they’re willing to eat it without a fuss. Children with autism-related sensitivities can take longer. Be patient as your child explores and samples new foods. If your child continues to reject a food even after a dozen-plus tries, perhaps he just doesn’t like it. Consider trying a different food. Above all, don’t let mealtime become a family battleground. Instead, get creative.

#3 - Take Steps Toward Tasting
Many individuals with autism are afraid to try new things. Help your child explore a new food by looking at it, touching it and smelling it. When he’s ready for a taste, he can try giving the food “a kiss” or licking it before putting a whole bite into his mouth. Sometimes, mixing a new food with a favorite one can help.

#4 - Tune into Textures
Autism often comes with hypersensitivity to textures. So remember that it may be how a food feels in the mouth, rather than its flavor, that produces a food aversion. The squishiness of a fresh tomato is a classic example. Try chopping or blending such foods to smooth out the offending texture. That tomato, for example, can be chopped into salsa or blended and cooked into pasta sauce.

#5 Play with New Food
That’s right. Playing with a new food is another way to build familiarity and decrease mealtime anxiety. Together, try painting with pasta sauce. Use veggies to make faces on pizza. Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into fun shapes. While you’re playing, let your child see you taste — and enjoy — the food.

#6 Offer Choices and Control
Your loved one with autism may need to feel some control over what she puts into her mouth. It’s also okay to simply not like some foods. So try to offer a broad variety and allow choices within the categories you care about. For example, you might decide that your child needs to have one serving of vegetables and one of protein for dinner. So put five types of these foods on the table and allow your child to choose at least one vegetable and one protein. Along the same lines, if you’re making a favorite dish such as pasta, ask your child to add one mystery ingredient for other family members to discover during the meal. She gets to choose: corn, broccoli or chicken?

#7 Be Careful with Rewards
In the long-run, it’s important to reward and reinforce your child’s flexibility with food and willingness to try to new foods. But blatant bribes can backfire. Your child may eat the food, but won’t learn to enjoy it or understand why it’s important to eat a well-rounded diet — and that’s the goal. Let dessert and treats be part of meals and snacks, but don’t use them as carrots to get your child to eat … carrots.

*Information from autismspeaks.org.