Highly-trained and caring therapist combined with educated and understanding staff, working together develop effective and impactful therapy programs. Teens with ASD benefit greatly from the individual attention and daily mentoring…
Living with a neurodevelopmental disorder such as ASD can make life as an adolescent overwhelmingly stressful. Much of this stress is the result of not functioning within traditional, or normal, social environments. If your teen with ASD struggles with one or more of these 13 issues, it may be time to seek additional help.
Motivating students with ASD can be a difficult challenge. Many teens with autism have restricted interests and show little motivation in other areas outside of those interests. In addition, the strained social environment at school can further hinder individuals with ASD. However, through participating in meaningful learning and social experiences, they can successfully learn, grow, work, and play. There are several strategies that can best foster academic and social success, which include:
If your child has social issues due to their executive function deficits, it was likely upsetting to both you and your child. Fortunately, there are several actions you can take to help your child work through these weaknesses. Early intervention can help you identify and support your child’s unique weaknesses. However because the brain continues to develop into early adulthood, intervention can be helpful at any age. The goal is to identify your child’s specific areas of difficulty and find strategies that help. Growth-promoting environments provide teens with the opportunity to practice necessary skills before they have to apply them in a real-life setting. Common interventions for teens with executive function deficits include:
Executive function issues often make it difficult for children and teens to interact with others because of the way they think about and approach problems. Children with executive function disorder…
It’s uncommon for a child to have executive function deficits and no other issues. Children usually have executive function issues in additional to another disorder. Commonly, individuals with ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, depression, and learning disabilities have these deficits.
Some individuals are born with executive function deficits. However, many parents don’t realize their child has executive function deficits until the child starts school. This is often due to the…
It can be extremely difficult for parents to understand and connect to their teen who has executive function deficits. Simple tasks such as completing homework assignments and proper hygiene can…
Experiential Learning teaches more than just the individual lesson; it teaches tenacity. It teaches that it’s okay to fail, as long as you don’t give up. It provides an almost tangible feedback loop between cause and effect, and for some, this makes a significant difference in their ability to absorb information. As we discussed in our last blog post, when paired with wilderness adventure therapy, has found to be a highly effective solution.
If you opt for the wilderness therapy route, it is important to select a credible program that is not only research-driven and adheres to clinical best practices, but also one that can provide expertise in treating students with executive function deficits such as Nonverbal Learning Disorder, ADHD, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Make sure you select a program that offers all of the following: (more…)
Life can be a struggle for just about all of us at times. We all have our strengths and weaknesses; there are certain skills, like athletic ability, or an innate understanding of mechanical workings, that come effortlessly to some, and yet are painfully difficult for others. Those born with these advantages may take for granted how frustrating it is for people without them to try and succeed in these areas.
Children and adolescents with serious executive functioning deficits, Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD), or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) struggle with certain skills, such as understanding the changing environment, picking up on nonverbal social cues, understanding different perspectives, and staying focused on the task at hand in a world that is increasingly full of distractions. This blog post will discuss what makes these brains different and will also take a deeper look into each of these learning disorders.