Autism Turnaround - How This Two-Year-Old Girl Went
From Breaking Her Parents’ Things, to Asking Nicely
(All Names Changed for Privacy)
“It’s our fault, isn’t it,” said Adam to his wife Elena as they watched their two-
year-old girl throw his cell phone across the room and hit her head on the table.
“We must be doing something wrong if she’s behaving like this.”
Full of guilt, afraid to confront the worst, Adam and Elena took in little Breckyn for
an evaluation. She was diagnosed with autism. It wasn’t their fault, after all.
Parenting Breckyn was no easy task. She would:
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Destroy her parents property out of anger or frustration
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Engage in repetitive behaviors
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Injure herself
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Pull her parents hair, or swat at them
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Scream, whine, or cry loudly
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Refuse to use a fork or spoon
Adam and Elena lost count of the number of phones, iPads, and toys Breckyn
had destroyed. They had to watch Breckyn every moment of the day. They didn’t
know what to do to keep Breckyn happy other than to let her use the TV or iPad as
long as she wanted, even though they didn’t want her glued to the screen.
Adam and Elena were saddened, frustrated, confused, and lost hope.
When Things Started to Change
Breckyn’s parents were referred to enroll in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)
therapy with my team. We initiated therapy by collecting data about Breckyn’s
]daily behavior to understand what triggered her intense feelings and destructive
habits.
Data in hand, we implemented a plan to teach Breckyn new ways of communicating
her needs and desires. We taught Breckyn to delay gratification, comply with her
parents’ instructions, and to stop using aggressive or destructive behaviors.
It wasn’t long before Breckyn’s behavior started to change:
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She became less aggressive
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She stopped injuring herself
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She engaged in fewer tantrums
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She destroyed less property
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She cooperated more with her parents
Adam and Elena were happy that they could finally start building a relationship
with their beloved Breckyn. They were relieved to experience their feelings of
guilt melt away. Life at home became happier, and the parents felt calmer knowing
they had a dedicated team of professionals standing by their side.
The Secret to Breckyn’s Success
So, what was it that helped Breckyn grow so quickly? How did she end up on a
trajectory to live a much fuller and happier life? One element is seeing each child
as a holistic individual with their own strengths, weaknesses, and ways of
communicating.
But the most important factor that helped Breckyn is the fact that her parents
took action and got the help they needed.
They appreciated that the longer you wait to get help, the longer it takes to help
your child. They decided that they didn’t want to stall or delay or look into it
“someday.” Now look where Breckyn is.
There’s Hope for Every Child
Imagine train tracks that stretch all the way to the horizon. If you alter the course
of those train tracks just a couple of degrees, they will end up miles away from
where they point now.
ABA therapy is about helping your child change direction now, so they end up
at a totally different destination in the future.
By helping children with autism learn the communication, social, and life skills
they need, we can help them live more independently for the rest of their lives.
There is hope for every child.
Now It’s Your Turn
Would you like to get help for your child? Our team of highly experienced
professionals has many decades of combined experience helping kids with autism.
We can look at ways to address whatever is on your mind, including:
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Signs of autism
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Helping you set up a diagnostic evaluation
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Toileting issues
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Temper tantrums
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Social skills issues
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Difficulty performing routines
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Communication deficits
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Self-injurious behavior
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Eating difficulties
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Academic challenges
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And more…
Here’s What to do Next
Below there is a form you’ll need to fill out, and on the following page you’ll be
asked to pick a time to schedule your session
