My Approach to Helping
For over 20 years, I have been enjoying helping children and teens with autism spectrum disorder overcome obstacles to more successful and satisfying lives. Whether through group therapy or individual therapy, I help children develop the skills they need to succeed in all areas of life. I also work with parents to help them understand their children, and relate to them in a loving but effective manner, so life at home is more peaceful and enjoyable for the whole family. If your child is on the spectrum, or just "quirky" I would love to help you get a grasp on the nature of your child's problem and figure out how we can solve it together. Having a child with developmental differences has its challenges and rewards, but it can be invaluable to have an expert in the field help to guide you.
More Info About My Practice
It is important to examine all aspects of your child's life in order to thoroughly understand what's happening with them. As I learn about their temprement, school life, social life, and home life, I gain a better understanding of what is going on with them and how best to address their problems. Children with social skills deficits can be suffering at school by unintentionally pushing other kids away, for example, while at home, they are wonderful at speaking with adults. In such a case I might work directly with the school, as well as with the child, for them to understand exactly what they are doing and how they might change how they speak to their peers to get a better reaction.
What I Usually Need to Know to Help
I will ask you a series of questions during our initial interview, but the very first things I will be asking about are your child's issues, when they started, and what you have tried so far to alleviate them. Some kids are great candidates for my social skills groups, while others are a better fit for individual therapy. Still others benefit most from their parents attending a few sessions to get a better grasp on how to tackle the issues at home. Sometime a shift in perspective is all it takes to improve things dramatically in your child.
