ABS' Teens ADAPT

Teens ADAPT is a Program of Autism Behavioral Services fb.com/absabaservices and www.absaba.com

ADAPT is designed for individuals ages 6 to 14, who may be experiencing behavioral excesses or deficits.

As you probably know, socialization, in reference to skills and habits necessary for individuals to participate within their own society, is essential whether or not you have a diagnosis of autism/Asperger’. Socialization is thus "the means by which social and cultural continuity are attained". This just so happens to be directly tied into our communal sense of existence, otherwise known as our societal culture.

Unfortunately, many families affected with autism spectrum disorder, have a lack or absent sense of community as their children’s diagnosis prevent them from actively seeking out common communal events or occasions such as going out for dinner, seeing a new movie at the , or visiting friends or relatives for special occasions such as birthdays. Typically, when parents force themselves to ignore past experiences associated with attempting to engage in such activities, it usually isn’t long before they remember why they so actively avoided the community in the first place. If your child is a teenager, you may be observing the effects of a lack of a social life, and the challenges and frustrations that can be associated with it.

The purpose of ABS’ Teens ADAPT Program is to address the concerns mentioned above, yes, however this program is much more beneficial than one may imagine. The skills that are taught during ABS’ Teens ADAPT program extend beyond challenges faced when your child attempts to speak to others. Unfortunately, autism brings with it a difficulty associated with the very essence of life, otherwise known as connecting or socializing with others. What is life without a sense of socialization? The fact that a new born baby, even when kept fed and nourished, will eventually pass away if not picked up and interacted with gives us some insight to the power behind socialization, and more importantly, the ability to socialize. Teens ADAPT helps the facilitation of socialization among children and young teenagers.

ABS’ Teens ADAPT Program provides your son, daughter, or teenager with the missing characteristics which assist the “popular” to not even have to try to make friends, which is another all too common disadvantage individuals with autism experience. This can lead to isolation, unhappiness, even depression. At ABS, we do not attempt to “change” who your child or loved one is, we simply prepare them for life’s challenges which will inevitably be made known and continue to require a larger and stronger skill set. We do not attempt to pressure or force your loved one to be the most popular child in school, we help address the conditions which are leading to the isolation and teasing that may be occurring. If that just so happens to not exist, we address other social skill related deficits that may exist in school or elsewhere.

Our Teens ADAPT Program prepares your child to be best suited for the unavoidable environment which surrounds them today and will continue to surround them the rest of their lives. If that means assisting them to comprehend why others may be poking fun at them in school, or teaching them the benefits to being able to appropriately ask for assistance when needed, then they will be better suited for their inescapable environments, now, and in the future.

Let’s discuss Teens ADAPT’s ability to significantly decrease challenges with making friends and its importance to your child or loved one’s success, not only in school, but in life as well. School is an especially difficult time for children and teenagers on the spectrum. In kindergarten, a child must, in addition to several other things, interact with his or her friends and engage in independent, cooperative, and pretend play. In grade school, a child must be able to sit for a duration at a time and attend as well as retain information provided. Individuals of all ages on the spectrum will require a greater level of external support from both their families and their school. All this can add to the existing pressure one feels if they do not have friends who they can utilize to help them feel like they are not the only ones feeling nervous or overwhelmed.

Of course parents must ensure the school is capable of providing the essential support system needed for their child or teenager to benefit and thrive. The application of ABA can significantly advance a school’s existing support system, making it much more effective and likely to succeed. ABA not only teaches this population about the variables leading to the susceptibility of not being able to make friends, it also facilitates the awareness or rationale behind the challenges sustaining friendships that are actually made.

Many individuals with ASD have similar dreams and goals as you and I. There may be only subtle differences in some cases, while in others, they are much more apparent. Some classmates may have difficulties with certain activities due to their disability, but may have strengths in other areas. For example, a teenager with ASD may be a computer or science whiz, but may have difficulty in social situations or playing on a sports team.

Some children or teenagers with ASD may misunderstand rules to various sports or get anxious when rules are not followed. Many even have a difficult time with following unspoken rules or routines, such as always sitting in the same place in the cafeteria or always taking the same route to class. They may experience an intense desire to pursue an interest and become very focused on one particular thing, such as a video game, mythology, or sports facts. In addition, they may have a hard time coping with everyday challenges, such as schedule changes, making eye contact. Children and adolescents on the spectrum may react strongly or become overwhelmed by things like noisy cafeterias and gymnasiums, fire alarms, crowded hallways, or bright fluorescent lights.

Autism Behavioral Services’ Teens ADAPT Program is designed to address these concerns and more. ABS utilizes systematic desensitization during Teens ADAPT to address these challenges or sensitivities. ABS, through the application of ABA, focuses on these concerns during our “Girl’s Group”, “Teens ADAPT” and “Leaders in Training” Programs as well, although the deficits related to communal environments are best addressed during our Teens ADAPT Program. There are many other existing deficits or behavioral excesses we address through our ABS’ Teens ADAPT. The following are more examples:

Often times, children and teenagers do not recognize or protect themselves from bullying or teasing at school, in public, or on the Internet. Because they are literal thinkers, they may not understand sarcasm, slang or jokes. Social situations produces many challenges due to the unspoken rules mentioned earlier. They may stand too close when talking to someone or may not comprehend the “hint” that the conversation is over. They may make comments that seem rude without understanding their social impact (for example, “you have bad breath”). This may lead to the perception that individuals on the spectrum do not care about other people’s feelings.

Your loved one may want to make friends, but might not want to talk about things other than his/her special interests. You should realize they are trying to connect and make friends. There is a common perception that individuals on the spectrum would rather be by themselves. However, more often than not, the negative consequences they have experienced in the past while attempting to make friends through discussions of their interests only, affects their desire to continue attempting to build friendships. ABS’ Teens ADAPT helps them to be more conscious of the causes behind many of their challenges.

Additionally, children and teenagers on the spectrum may not be able to interpret facial expressions, such as when the teacher gives a meaningful look to signal that it is time to be quiet. Why do they act in what seems to be such unusual ways? They are typically not choosing to misbehave or act peculiar. They may be having a hard time controlling their behavior because of difficulties understanding expectations or dealing with the world around them. They also may not be aware of their behavior or that it is perceived as unusual. Again, ABS’ Teens ADAPT addresses each of these concerns.

ABS also addresses another common concern directly related to socialization, whether at school or elsewhere: communication.

Individuals with ASD may have a problem with receptive communication. This means that they may not always understand everything that is being said to them, may need some extra time to process what is being said or may become confused when someone says too much at once. To communicate more effectively with a person with ASD, make an effort to speak slowly and use simple words. Allow extra time for the person with ASD to process and develop an answer. Speak in direct and positive language that tells the person what to do (“stand still” instead of “don’t move”). Try not to use sarcasm, slang or implied meanings (such as “get over it,” “let’s hang out,” “put a sock in it” or “take a chill pill”) until they have learned how to process this manner of communication or terminology being used.

At ABS, we have seen all the above concern, challenges, or deficits. We continually target each one in an appropriate fashion utilizing Applied Behavior Analysis, the only scientifically proven behavioral method effective for individuals with autism. We hope we have the chance to demonstrate the positive effects our social programs, like Teens ADAPT, can have not only on your child, but on your life as well.