Coach Mike
Helping Kids with Autism
Services
I offer one-on-one in-home therapeutic and tutoring services for
children and adults in the Bethesda, MD and greater
Washington, D.C. area with Autism Spectrum Disorders and other
disabilities. I use intensive
intervention programs that employ
elements of both Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and the
Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship (DIR) model.
I offer services including:
- Academic tutoring
- Coaching on social skills and understanding emotions
- Facilitating participation in sports and other recreational
activities
- Teaching life skills
- Supervising play dates
- Developing, revising, and implementing programs and
- Providing guidance for families
Methodology
I believe a combination of ABA and DIR methods is optimal because ABA provides structure and repetitive learning based on behavioral objectives, while the DIR model focuses on relationships and interests, and teaches skills based on emotional development. Children with autism need a combination and balance of both structure and meaningfulness when they learn.
Philosophy tenets on which these approaches are based
ABA is used to teach academic, communication, problem solving,
behavioral, social, play, and other skills by breaking tasks down
into small steps and practicing drills. ABA also uses positive
reinforcement and just as much prompting as is necessary.
Inappropriate behaviors may be phased out by redirecting to target
activities rather than drawing more attention to those behaviors.
Antecedents, behaviors, and consequences are tracked to try to
determine the reasons behind behaviors and implement appropriate
interventions. However, some behaviors may be accommodations
children need to manage their body or sensory difficulties.
Therefore, I focus on building skills more so than reducing
behaviors.
The DIR method focuses on the emotional development of the child. It
takes into account the child's feelings, relationships, and
individual differences. DIR is based on following the child's lead
and enables the child to learn by doing what he or she likes to do
in a fun and meaningful way that resonates most with the child. DIR
focuses on the child's skills in all developmental areas, including
social-emotional functioning, communication, thinking and learning,
motor skills, body awareness and attention. The DIR method can also
help a child generalize skills initially learned through drills.
Part of the DIR model includes Floortime, which involves working
with a child at his or her current developmental level, and building
upon strengths and interests in a way that is meaningful to the
child, rather than just focusing on surface behaviors and drills
that don't always generalize into life skills. Floortime can be
especially effective during periods when a child needs more play and
less work.
I believe in positive reinforcement, encouragement, pushing limits and trying new things that were previously believed to be unattainable. Services I offer include instruction, intervention, and supervision in areas including but not limited to:
|
Areas |
Examples |
|
Academics |
Math and word problems, reading and reading comprehension, sight
words, sequencing, etc. |
|
Communication |
Conversation, pointing, gesturing back and forth. |
|
Emotion coaching |
Recognizing, understanding and regulating emotions.
Using strategies to cope with frustration and
negative feelings. |
|
Life skills |
• Learning to count money and search for food or other items
in a store and buy them. |
|
Play dates |
Participating in play dates with other children with autism or
with typically developing children, playing board games,
sports and fostering communication. |
|
Social skills |
• Having conversations |
|
Sports and Recreation |
Participating in sports and other
recreational activities such as:
• Basketball
► Breathing and other relaxation
techniques
• Frisbee |