Every great skill starts with a strong foundation — and social skills are no different. Our Social Beginnings early beginner curriculum is thoughtfully designed to help children build the essential social skills they need to grow their confidence and build connections. Through fun, structured, and meaningful experiences, children learn how to interact with peers in…
At Verbal Beginnings, we believe growth happens one meaningful step at a time. Our Social Beginnings elementary curriculum is designed to help children feel confident and prepared as they navigate school routines, peer interactions, and social expectations—building the skills they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond. This program helps children move from learning…
At Social Beginnings, summer isn’t just about the sun and fun—it’s about building confidence, independence, and real-world readiness. Our Teen Summer Curriculum is intentionally designed to help teens practice the job and life skills they’ll need well beyond the classroom, all in a fun, supportive environment. Throughout the program, teens work on essential skills like…
By: Brittany Cephas, M.Ed., LCPC, NCC As parents of children with autism, we often find ourselves caught up in the whirlwind of daily responsibilities, therapy sessions, and the unique challenges that come with raising a child with special needs. It’s all too easy to overlook our own well-being amidst the demands of caregiving. However, prioritizing…
By Justine O’Meara MS, BCBA, LBA As summer approaches, many families with children on the autism spectrum face a unique challenge: how to maintain their child’s progress while ensuring they have a fun and engaging break from school. The summer months can often lead to regression in skills, making it crucial for parents to consider…
By: Justine O’Meara, M.A., BCBA, LBA Summer is an exciting time for children, but for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it can also pose unique challenges. As the school year wraps up, parents often worry about their children regressing in skills. Enrolling your child in a summer program can be a game-changer. In this…
Community outings can be both exciting and challenging for families with children diagnosed with autism. These experiences are essential for socialization, learning, and health care access. However, they can also pose unique challenges that require effective strategies to ensure success. This blog will explore various approaches that can help make community outings more manageable and…
Today’s blog is written by Community Engagement Manager Taylor Pomilla Now that 2021 has ended and 2022 has officially started, we wanted to give you a Verbal Beginnings in the Community wrap-up of the past year! As with each new year, it had its share of challenges, yet it was also a very…
Halloween is known by all as a spooktacular day full of tricks and treats, but if you have a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder it can be a scary day full of challenges and stress – even though it’s just for fun. Children of all ages are usually eager and excited to be celebrating…
In this edition of ABA Behind the Scenes, Jami Hardy, MS, BCBA, LGPC, talks about listener responding in early language development. Listener responding is following directions given by others—for example, stand up, walk to the table, find mom, touch the chair, and pick up book. This is an important skill to discriminate between multiple items,…
In this edition of ABA Behind the Scenes, Jami Hardy, MS, RBT, LGPC, will be unpacking the concept of “Behavior” as part of the term “Applied Behavior Analysis.” In ABA, when we talk about behavior, we really mean anything a person says or does. Behavior includes observable actions—all the things other people can see—as well…
By: Todd A. Ward, PhD, BCBA-D, bSci21Media LLC If you are providing in-home therapy as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), your ability to form a positive relationship with the family you are working with is critical and is one of the most important components of your job when starting a new case. Failure to do…
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), school districts are required to provide services outside of the regular school year to qualifying individuals. In order to qualify for ESY, a child must already have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in place, and demonstrate either a regression in skills, or show evidence of emerging pivotal skills…
Have you ever thought that your child may need a little extra support? Do you ever think that he or she may be behind same age peers in terms of language? Do you avoid public places because your child engages in challenging behavior? Is your child’s “picky” eating becoming problematic for your entire family? Many…
What does my therapist mean when they say, “Verbal Operants”? Many children diagnosed with Autism who are receiving ABA Therapy have programs that focus on the treatment of language delays. Programming developed as part of the treatment is commonly based on the analysis of Verbal Behavior. These programs focus on the development of “verbal” language…
Theory of Mind is a term that was defined by Premack and Woodruff (1978) as the ability to assign mental states to oneself and to others. That is, the ability to infer what other people believe given a certain situation, allowing one to predict what they will do. Since this study on non-humans, the research…
How do we build and strengthen relationships with others? The answer is through conversation.
When working or playing with others, it’s important that the group functions as one.