Wanted: ABA consultant, Maine, pays up to $35,000. Behavior analyst, Hawaii, pays up to $65,000. ABA therapist, Virginia, pays up to $55,000. Senior behavior analyst, Texas, pays up to $55,000. Small group intervention coordinator, Washington State, pays up to $65,000.
The job openings above come from the online bulletin board at the Association for Behavior Analysis International, and they appear to be growing in number. On April 10, the group's bulletin board listed 100 openings. On April 24, it held 132 jobs. May 9: 160 jobs. May 14: 176 open positions. It's the season of course when schools are planning for September's new classes and so it makes sense for more openings to emerge like so many spring flowers. It's also fair to speculate that the interest in the field is rising with the reported prevalence of autism spectrum disorders, and with those reports of rising caseloads come a rising demand for services.
Wanted: ABA Program Consultant (primary focus: autism), Virginia. Autism Consultant, Missouri. Behavior Analyst (primary focus: autism), California. Behavior Therapist, (primary focus: autism), Florida. Behavior Analyst, (primary focus: autism), Northern Ireland. Director, Kentucky Autism Training Center. Program Director, May Center for Child Development (primary focus: autism), Massachusetts. Psychologist (primary focus: autism), Melbourne, Australia. Assistant Professor of Special Education, Applied Behavior Analysis, New England states.
At the February 2007 ABA International conference in Boston, organizers said they expected a few hundred attendees. More than 1,600 showed up, including more than a few parents. And so recalling that crowd, taking note of the rising media and public interest in autism as a social and public policy issue, I contacted ABA International to see if they would talk about trends they may have spotted on the jobs bulletin board, but haven't heard back yet. If you have observations to share, or know someone who does, comment here or write to me at michaelsgoldberg AT yahoo.com. We can continue the discussion.
The discussion about autism specialists -- those teachers, behavior therapists and other professionals -- is an important topic. What makes the good ones good? What makes a staff supervisor effective? How do we encourage them to stay in this field? How do we attract more talented young people?
It's important because from what I've seen in the past few years the most important people a parent meets -- by a wide margin -- are those who spend time with our children, helping them learn. The good ones are very special -- so special that one fumbles for the right ways to express appreciation for the work they do. And so I'm asking you here for what approach you use, in the question below. If you see a choice not listed, you can visit Autism Bulletin to post a comment, or you can go to this website to view the poll question and vote and comment.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Why Families with an Autistic Child Need to Celebrate Mother's Day Frequently; Plus Some Suggestions
An Autism Bulletin reader wrote to say that her young child had recently received a diagnosis of "pervasive developmental disorder -- not otherwise specified" (PDD-NOS), and she was eager to learn what she could do to make a difference, not only for her child, but for the autism community as a whole.
There are many answers to this question, but in this post just before Mother's Day, let's discuss one important step that can be easy to overlook: take care of yourself.
Raising a child with autism presents a set of challenges that comes with on-the-job training: the extra demands on your time to learn what's going on here; the skills to ask questions so you can evaluate courses of action; project management and scheduling prowess to arrange for educational and other kinds of services; and more (like maybe there are other people and events in your life needing attention, other children, for example, or spouses, parents, jobs).
This is a stressful life, researchers have found. Two recent studies in the journal Pediatrics from the American Academy of Pediatrics suggest that not only is raising a child with an autism spectrum disorder more stressful than raising a typically developing child -- it's more stressful than raising a child with other kinds of disabilities or special health care needs without developmental problems. A study published in February (see citations below) noted:
The second study, just published May 1 in Pediatrics, focused specifically on mothers of kids with autism and concluded that while these moms are "highly stressed and more likely to report poor or fair mental health than mothers in the general population," they also show a great deal of resilience. "Mothers of a child with autism were more likely to report a close relationship [with their child] and better coping with parenting tasks and less likely to report being angry with their child." The researchers add: "this suggests that families use compensatory strategies to maintain family stability in the context of poorer mental health and higher stress." They also say they want to study this dynamic more to understand it better.
Maybe you're living this, and so these research findings are not news to you (or at least not surprising). That's fine. But if that's so, what do parents do to relieve that stress? Not enough, suggest the respondents to the poll question posted here May 4. So far, there have been 40 responses to the question, "How many times have you gone out with your spouse or a friend since Jan. 1?"
The results:
Zero to one time: 58 percent.
Twice: 12 percent.
Three times: 15 percent.
Monthly: 12 percent.
Weekly: 2 percent.
Let's stipulate that this is a self-selected sample, not scientific. But it suggests some parents could use some suggestions for taking more breaks. So here are some suggestions.
1.) Take a little time off, but do it regularly, even if it's alone time. Take a walk. Go to a movie. Tend the garden. Visit a friend. It helps not only to get away from the many demands on your time. The process of looking forward to these short breaks is a positive thing.
2.) Date night. If hiring a babysitter is a problem, make it date day. My wife and I once spent part of a weekday at an art museum while the kids were in school. It took some planning (like scheduling a vacation day), but it was a fun, memorable time to think about art and Isabella Stewart Gardner's life. You could also try the lunch date variation on a school day.
3.) Be a joiner, part 1. If you feel that you need to talk to other parents about what you're going through raising a child with autism, you could consider joining a parent support group. Check with other moms and dads at your child's school, or through your autism services providers' offices.
4.) Be a joiner, part 2. If you want to make sure your time away from home is really time away from home, consider joining a club or organization that does something interesting to you. It could be a book group, or adult soccer team, or religious organization or volunteering. Participating, actively engaging in an enjoyable activity can be restorative and relaxing.
5.) Fill in the blank. It's up to you how you want to spend your free time; just put in the effort to free up that time.
Do you have other suggestions for freeing up time? Submit comments below or e-mail me at michaelsgoldberg AT yahoo.com.
Research citations:
From the May 2007 issue of Pediatrics: "Psychological Functioning and Coping Among Mothers of Children with Autism: A Population-Based Study," by Guillermo Montes and Jill S. Halterman, who are affiliated with the Children's Institute of Rochester, N.Y., and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, respectively. See abstract here.
From February 2007 issue of Pediatrics: "The Relationship Between Autism and Parenting Stress" by Laura A. Schieve, Stephen J. Blumberg, Catherine Rice, Susanna N. Visser, Coleen Boyle, all researchers at units of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. See abstract here.
There are many answers to this question, but in this post just before Mother's Day, let's discuss one important step that can be easy to overlook: take care of yourself.
Raising a child with autism presents a set of challenges that comes with on-the-job training: the extra demands on your time to learn what's going on here; the skills to ask questions so you can evaluate courses of action; project management and scheduling prowess to arrange for educational and other kinds of services; and more (like maybe there are other people and events in your life needing attention, other children, for example, or spouses, parents, jobs).
This is a stressful life, researchers have found. Two recent studies in the journal Pediatrics from the American Academy of Pediatrics suggest that not only is raising a child with an autism spectrum disorder more stressful than raising a typically developing child -- it's more stressful than raising a child with other kinds of disabilities or special health care needs without developmental problems. A study published in February (see citations below) noted:
The findings reported here support and inform the need to consider family effects in planning for services of children with autism. We found that overall, the most knowledgeable parents and other adult caregivers of children diagnosed with autism reported high levels on several indicators of stress and aggravation.
The second study, just published May 1 in Pediatrics, focused specifically on mothers of kids with autism and concluded that while these moms are "highly stressed and more likely to report poor or fair mental health than mothers in the general population," they also show a great deal of resilience. "Mothers of a child with autism were more likely to report a close relationship [with their child] and better coping with parenting tasks and less likely to report being angry with their child." The researchers add: "this suggests that families use compensatory strategies to maintain family stability in the context of poorer mental health and higher stress." They also say they want to study this dynamic more to understand it better.
Maybe you're living this, and so these research findings are not news to you (or at least not surprising). That's fine. But if that's so, what do parents do to relieve that stress? Not enough, suggest the respondents to the poll question posted here May 4. So far, there have been 40 responses to the question, "How many times have you gone out with your spouse or a friend since Jan. 1?"
The results:
Zero to one time: 58 percent.
Twice: 12 percent.
Three times: 15 percent.
Monthly: 12 percent.
Weekly: 2 percent.
Let's stipulate that this is a self-selected sample, not scientific. But it suggests some parents could use some suggestions for taking more breaks. So here are some suggestions.
1.) Take a little time off, but do it regularly, even if it's alone time. Take a walk. Go to a movie. Tend the garden. Visit a friend. It helps not only to get away from the many demands on your time. The process of looking forward to these short breaks is a positive thing.
2.) Date night. If hiring a babysitter is a problem, make it date day. My wife and I once spent part of a weekday at an art museum while the kids were in school. It took some planning (like scheduling a vacation day), but it was a fun, memorable time to think about art and Isabella Stewart Gardner's life. You could also try the lunch date variation on a school day.
3.) Be a joiner, part 1. If you feel that you need to talk to other parents about what you're going through raising a child with autism, you could consider joining a parent support group. Check with other moms and dads at your child's school, or through your autism services providers' offices.
4.) Be a joiner, part 2. If you want to make sure your time away from home is really time away from home, consider joining a club or organization that does something interesting to you. It could be a book group, or adult soccer team, or religious organization or volunteering. Participating, actively engaging in an enjoyable activity can be restorative and relaxing.
5.) Fill in the blank. It's up to you how you want to spend your free time; just put in the effort to free up that time.
Do you have other suggestions for freeing up time? Submit comments below or e-mail me at michaelsgoldberg AT yahoo.com.
Research citations:
From the May 2007 issue of Pediatrics: "Psychological Functioning and Coping Among Mothers of Children with Autism: A Population-Based Study," by Guillermo Montes and Jill S. Halterman, who are affiliated with the Children's Institute of Rochester, N.Y., and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, respectively. See abstract here.
From February 2007 issue of Pediatrics: "The Relationship Between Autism and Parenting Stress" by Laura A. Schieve, Stephen J. Blumberg, Catherine Rice, Susanna N. Visser, Coleen Boyle, all researchers at units of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. See abstract here.
Monday, May 07, 2007
17 States Require Some Insurance Coverage for Autism Services, Recent Survey Finds
Seventeen states afford some level of coverage for autism-related services, according to a report from the Connecticut Office of Legislative Research. The report, dated December 27, 2006, came in response to inquiries from state lawmakers wondering "if health insurance policies cover physical, speech and occupational therapy for autistic children and if not, whether the legislature could require coverage."
With a rise in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders among children in the country, a number of states have been considering proposals to require health insurers to cover autism-related services. Last month, Wisconsin Gov. James Doyle came out in support of such coverage (see more here) and the Pennsylvania legislature took up consideration of a bill that would provide coverage (read more here). New Mexico also has taken up the issue.
The Connecticut report notes that health insurance policies in the state must cover "certain mental illnesses" and that the law appears to cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism -- though it's unclear whether such treatment includes physical, speech and occupational therapy. State lawmakers "could refine the state insurance laws to specify certain coverage requirements for autism," the report says.
Interestingly, the report also notes that the state Insurance Department staff "declined to comment on the extent of coverage required for autism due to their lack of medical expertise." The agency did say that policies must cover "medically necessary early intervention services" from birth to age 3, with expense caps of $3,200 per child per year, or $9,600 per child per year until age 3.
You can find a copy of the report online here, via the Connecticut General Assembly website. The state Office of Legislative Research has an online section of the website here.
Aside from Connecticut, the report finds that six other states -- Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New York and Tennessee -- have laws that specifically address insurance coverage for autism-related services.
Ten other states -- California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Virginia -- require coverage for autism-related services as part of laws that say insurers must cover autism as they do other mental illnesses.
With a rise in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders among children in the country, a number of states have been considering proposals to require health insurers to cover autism-related services. Last month, Wisconsin Gov. James Doyle came out in support of such coverage (see more here) and the Pennsylvania legislature took up consideration of a bill that would provide coverage (read more here). New Mexico also has taken up the issue.
The Connecticut report notes that health insurance policies in the state must cover "certain mental illnesses" and that the law appears to cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism -- though it's unclear whether such treatment includes physical, speech and occupational therapy. State lawmakers "could refine the state insurance laws to specify certain coverage requirements for autism," the report says.
Interestingly, the report also notes that the state Insurance Department staff "declined to comment on the extent of coverage required for autism due to their lack of medical expertise." The agency did say that policies must cover "medically necessary early intervention services" from birth to age 3, with expense caps of $3,200 per child per year, or $9,600 per child per year until age 3.
You can find a copy of the report online here, via the Connecticut General Assembly website. The state Office of Legislative Research has an online section of the website here.
Aside from Connecticut, the report finds that six other states -- Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New York and Tennessee -- have laws that specifically address insurance coverage for autism-related services.
Ten other states -- California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Virginia -- require coverage for autism-related services as part of laws that say insurers must cover autism as they do other mental illnesses.
Friday, May 04, 2007
Question for Parents of Autistic Kids: How Often Do You Take a Break?
Parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder know it's important to take a break from the stress of caring for their kids. By "break" I do not mean respite care, such as hiring someone to engage your children in constructive play, extra therapy sessions or the like. I mean a break from everything, to go out with your spouse or friends or even by yourself with the goal of having fun, taking time off to do nothing parenting-related. How often do you get to do that? How often have you gone out with your spouse, significant other, or a friend, just for pleasure, since January 1? Once? Twice? Monthly? Weekly?
Please answer the question below. (E-mail subscribers can participate in the question by clicking here.) I plan to use the results in a future article on Autism Bulletin. And feel encouraged to post a comment on this subject, or write to me at michaelsgoldberg AT yahoo DOT com.
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Please answer the question below. (E-mail subscribers can participate in the question by clicking here.) I plan to use the results in a future article on Autism Bulletin. And feel encouraged to post a comment on this subject, or write to me at michaelsgoldberg AT yahoo DOT com.
How many times have you gone out with your spouse or a friend for pleasure since Jan. 1?
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Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Experts Unveil New Framework for Identifying Developmental Delays, Possible Signs of Autism, In Very Young Children
A working group of experts in autism spectrum disorders and child development has published a simple framework designed to help parents and pediatricians identify very young children who may present with developmental delays that indicate autism or other developmental disabilities and benefit from early intervention services.
The experts produced the four-point framework in a report for the Centers for Disease Control and the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders (ICDL), a non-profit organization founded by the creators of the DIR/Floortime model for behavioral intervention. A statement from the report says the framework "is based on current understanding of health developmental patterns and is designed to detect all possible deviations from those patterns. It uses risk indicators designed to detect a lack of mastery of age-expected emotional, social and cognitive milestones during a child's first two years of life."
The four points ask whether a child can do the following:
The effort to develop this evaluation framework overlap with some other efforts by researchers at places like the M.I.N.D. Institute at the University of California at Davis, to look for ways to diagnose children with autism by their first birthday -- on the theory that the earlier intervention services can start, the better the potential outcomes for these kids later in their development. This research project was the subject of a "60 Minutes" segment earlier this year. Read more about that here.
The experts produced the four-point framework in a report for the Centers for Disease Control and the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders (ICDL), a non-profit organization founded by the creators of the DIR/Floortime model for behavioral intervention. A statement from the report says the framework "is based on current understanding of health developmental patterns and is designed to detect all possible deviations from those patterns. It uses risk indicators designed to detect a lack of mastery of age-expected emotional, social and cognitive milestones during a child's first two years of life."
The four points ask whether a child can do the following:
* Be calm and focus on sights and sounds by 2 months of age
* Initiate and sustain warm, joyful interactions with caregivers by 4 months of age
* Exchange emotional and social gestures (using different sounds), reaching, exchanging, back-and-forth smiling, looking, and searching by 8 to 9 months of age
* Engage in shared social problem-solving and playing, including taking a caregiver's hand to find a toy or favorite food; playing with a toy and a caregiver together with lots of back-and-forth exchanges of sounds; and social gestures such as smiles, looks, and pointing by 12 to 16 months of age.
This new framework "casts a wider net than current common practice in an effort to identify all children at risk of developmental disabilities," according to a statement put out by CDC and ICDL. You can find the text of the statement, in a PDF file issued April 23, by going to this website. A 10-page report on the frameworks, dated December 2006, is available here. The proponents said in the press release that they were announcing the new framework in April to coincide with autism awareness month. Both are hosted by ICDL, the non-profit organization that presents the DIR/Floortime model of behavior intervention and relationship building established by Stanley Greenspan and Serena Wieder.
The group that developed this framework included Greenspan and others, among them: Jose Cordero, former director of the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities; T. Berry Brazelton, founder of the Child Development Unit at Children's Hospital Boston; and Margaret L. Bauman of Massachusetts General Hospital.
The effort to develop this evaluation framework overlap with some other efforts by researchers at places like the M.I.N.D. Institute at the University of California at Davis, to look for ways to diagnose children with autism by their first birthday -- on the theory that the earlier intervention services can start, the better the potential outcomes for these kids later in their development. This research project was the subject of a "60 Minutes" segment earlier this year. Read more about that here.
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