New Diagnosis Check List For Parents
□ Concerned About Your Child’s Development? Learn More Here:
□ Get a Developmental Evaluation for Your Child:
□ Learn About Your Child’s Autism Diagnosis:
□ Get A Service Coordinator through Your Local Board of Developmental Disabilities to Access Autism Scholarships and Other Services:
County Board of Developmental Disabilities
- After your child turns 3, contact your local Board of Developmental Disabilities and ask to be assigned a Service Coordinator. Service Coordination can help your family get connected with appropriate local services and look into options for funding from 3 years old to adulthood.
Steps to Obtain a Home Health Aide:
- Identify eligibility/funding for Home Health Aide OR Homemaker Personal Care Support:
Check with your insurance plan to determine if this service is covered.
Check to see if your child has Waiver Funding through your local County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
- Search for Local agencies or independent providers through your insurance plan or Waiver:
Department of Developmental Disabilities Provider Search Tool: dodd.ohio.gov/your-family/all-family-resources/provider-search
- Have the identified agency send request of 485 form to your physician’s office for signature.
Tools
□ Get Educational Supports:
Autism Scholarship
- Provided by the Ohio Department of Education. If a child has an IEP under the Autism Classification and/or a medical diagnosis of autism, they may qualify for this scholarship, which can be used to help pay for Autism-specific services through a registered private provider, rather than the child’s resident school district. Information on the Autism Scholarship, and locations where the scholarship is accepted, can be found at: education.ohio.gov/Topics/Other-Resources/Scholarships/Autism-Scholarship-Program
IEPs
Resources & Tools
□ Get Autism-Specific Therapies and Coordinate with Your Child’s Healthcare Team:
ABA Therapy
- Applied-Behavior-Analysis (ABA), or behavior-based intervention is most recommended at this time. It is the type of intervention with the most comprehensive research support in long term improvements in learning/communication, behavior, and social skills. This teaching method breaks down complex skills into smaller pieces and then teaches these pieces using specific prompts and frequent repetition. Then, as the child learns the individual steps, they are taught how to put them together and then generalize them. ABA therapists work with the family to set and work through goals across different domains (e.g., academics, behavior, adaptive, and social).
Traditionally, ABA is implemented at home or at a center under the direction of a behavioral consultant (preferable a qualified licensed psychologist or a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst – BCBA) and delivered by therapists who are trained by this consultant
Speech Therapy
Psychology & Psychiatry
□ Start Using Positive Behavioral Supports at Home:
- Build Communication Skills
- Narrate your child’s play and daily events using simple words and phrases.
- Give a choice between two: Hold up two options, pause, and wait for your child to communicate which one they want, such as reaching for object, directing eye contact, or directing vocalizations. Respond naturally by providing what they want.
- Use gestures, such as waving goodbye, pointing, blowing kisses, to help convey meaning and encourage familiar routines.
- To encourage use of vocalizations and facial expressions, try “pausing in a familiar routine.” For example, pause while reading a book together, wait expectantly for your child to communicate through vocalizations or eye contact, and respond naturally by continuing to flip the pages once they communicate.
- Imitate all forms of communication. Caregivers are encouraged to imitate your young child’s vocalizations, facial expressions, and body movements in a playful and animated way. This helps to teach your child that their communications are meaningful and can encourage positive engagement and learning.
- Create opportunities for communication. Caregivers may create opportunities such as putting preferred objects in sight and out of reach (to elicit gaining your attention) or controlling access to items/giving small portions (to elicit asking for more).
- Diversify Play and Object Interactions for Young Children
- Children learn through interaction with objects and play. Diversifying your child’s play will help build and maintain cognitive skills and fine motor skills. We encourage caregivers to use “hand-over-hand modeling” when teaching new skills or asking your child to complete a task (For example, when you ask him to put the block in the box, you can help him to grab the block with your hand placed over his hand and move it there with him). When your child engages in any new activities, even for a short while, offer positive praise and natural rewards.
- PEEKABOO- Place a toy or book under a blanket. Then ask, “Where is it?” and encourage him to look for it.
- STACKING- Encourage your child to stack large blocks or cups. Progress to stacking smaller blocks.
- READING- Regularly read books to your child, pointing to the pictures as you read and changing your voice for different characters. Invite your child to participate by encouraging them to laugh or act surprised by the story, touch the pictures, and turn the pages.
- CONTAINER PLAY- Start with a big container with a large opening (a basket, box, bin) and encourage your child to “put in” and “take out” toys one by one. These toys can include easy to grasp toys such as blocks. Progress by selecting a container with a smaller opening.
- IMITATION- Encourage your child to imitate your actions. For example, when singing a song, demonstrate clapping and encourage them to clap along with you.
- PRETEND PLAY- Use everyday objects (such as a banana or toy) to pretend to talk on the phone. Offer the pretend phone to your child and encourage them to vocalize to develop pretend play skills. Other pretend play can include feeding a stuffed animal or making a toy airplane fly.
- CAUSE AND EFFECT TOYS- Play with cause and effect toys such as pop-up toys, simple ball drop toys, or oversized piggy banks.
- Use Behavior Support Prevention Strategies for All Ages
□ Get Support for You and Your Family:
□ Prepare for Life Transitions:
Transition Toolkits: Day Programs, Employment, and More
Scholarships/Financial Help
Healthcare
Housing
