by Amelia | May 15, 2017 | blog
My father often says something rather wise: you get what you pay for. In many cases, a reward is like a payment, and it makes that behaviour more likely to occur in the future (whether you planned for it or not.) This post is all about how this strategy can back-fire,...
by Amelia | May 6, 2017 | blog
Child: *Poke poke poke poke poke poke* Me: “Sweetie, what are you doing?” Child: “I’m waiting for you to say ‘please stop’ so I can say OKAY!” Uh oh. As I mentioned last week, I’ve been working on training the children...
by Amelia | Apr 30, 2017 | blog
Just say OK.No whining, no arguing, no stomping, no screaming, no debating, no wheedling. It doesn’t work. It never works. Let’s just skip this. Just say OK, and we can move on. I am raising two infinitely optimistic boys, apparently. When they disagree...
by Amelia | Mar 31, 2017 | blog
Sending clear signals Let me show you something that will make your life so much easier. Just like a traffic light, we need the right signals to tell us what to do. This might seem simplistic, but bear with me. At first, you may give me a look like the cat below:...
by Amelia | Mar 20, 2017 | blog
It’s Sunday evening. There’s been a sudden increase in the amount of defiance and quarreling, particularly from my eldest son, age almost-five. I’ve done some ignoring and some mild complaining, made a few threats, but nothing improves. I’m...
by ameliabehaviour | Mar 4, 2017 | blog
Getting stuck… your starting point If you are the parent of a child with autism or any other developmental diagnosis, you will probably have identified some “restricted interests” your child is drawn to. Sometimes, these areas of interest can lead to elite...
by ameliabehaviour | Mar 2, 2017 | blog
This is the story of The Binder, which is shared with permission. At the mention of The Binder, the young man cringed. His mother sat beside him, and her voice was warm and sweet, but there was something about The Binder that sent a ripple of horror across her...
by ameliabehaviour | Feb 27, 2017 | blog
Wash your hands. Use the toilet. Put away your dirty dishes. Don’t drop your socks on the floor. Stop hitting your brother. Don’t experiment with Mommy’s lipstick. Quit banging on the window. That necklace is not a toy. Don’t throw those down...
by ameliabehaviour | Feb 19, 2017 | blog
If you have someone in your life who needs help following a routine or learning a complex new skill, it’s worth thinking about a visual schedule (also known as an activity schedule). There is some good evidence for its use with individuals with a variety of...
by ameliabehaviour | Jan 31, 2017 | blog
Sudden Bursts of Bedtime Creativity If you’re a parent of young children, you have probably heard some version of the bedtime begging. Classic examples include “I have to go pee!” or “Can I have a glass of water?” Many children get more...
