"The only constant in life is change" - Heraclitus

The importance of having a strong behavior support department cannot be overemphasized when it comes to serving individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities like autism. Without the ability to analyze and manage behaviors it is not possible to safely provide “day services without walls”, travel opportunities or other intensive community inclusion activities. Even adults who have stable behavior with well-developed coping strategies and hard-won social skills can be derailed by life’s twists and turns. The only constant in life is change. If the pandemic taught us anything, it is that big changes test our ability to keep our behavior under control regardless of abilities. Ability Matters is fortunate to have a CEO with a Ph.D. in ABA and special education. This emphasis on staff behavior management skills has allowed the agency to be successful with individuals that other agencies dare not try to serve. However, we understand that not every agency will have this kind of advantage. Seeking out partnerships with local behavioralists can be helpful but using the internet to educate staff can be even more important. As with everything on the internet, you need to make sure you are using information from a reputable source. In addition to helpful videos about successfully managing behavior, there is also a lot of misinformation on autism and behavior management out there. The resources below offer a more in-depth understanding of how to evaluate, change and manage behavior for those that want to understand more about why behavioral strategies are successful.

https://www.ocali.org/project/Challenging-Behavior-Expect-Success  - This 14-part webinar series is based in positive behavior intervention supports (PBIS), functional behavior assessment (FBA), and behavior intervention planning. The series explores the belief system and a systematic process essential to understanding and addressing challenging behavior. It also includes team-based strategies that focus on matching evidence-based interventions to a target behavior, after in-depth exploration of the individual’s strengths and challenges.

https://www.ocali.org/project/executive-function-webcast-series - Executive function (EF) skills are used by every person every day. These skills enable people to plan, focus attention, remember and carry out instructions, juggle multiple tasks successfully, regulate behavior and delay immediate demands in favor of long-term goals. People with disabilities may have challenges with executive function skills.