Weekly Update - December 9, 2022

We hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving break and enjoyed time with your loved ones!

We know this can be a very busy time of year, and we try not to add extra obligations for our families during December. We will have a holiday party on the last day of therapy before our break, Friday, December 16th. We provide all the activities and treats for the party, parents do not need to bring anything.

We will resume Caregiver Appreciation Days and VIP Days in the new year.

Just a friendly reminder that children will go outside when the temperature feels at least 20° or above. In Burton, our kids will play on the playground for 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon. In Brighton, our kids will go outside at least to walk downstairs to the motor room, and may play outside too, depending on conditions. No matter what, kids need a warm coat with a hood or a hat and mittens or gloves daily. When there is snow on the ground, we will still play outside in Burton, so please send boots and snow pants daily too. We can send all the winter gear home daily so that you can use it at school or play outside at home. Please let your BCBA know if you need any help finding winter gear that fits your child.

We have openings in both our Burton and Brighton locations for ABA therapy in the morning. Morning sessions begin at 8:30am and can end at 11:30am or 12:30pm, depending on the family's needs.

Our best advertising is word of mouth, so please share with your friends and family who might benefit from our services! Families can call 810-344-8082 to arrange a tour of either location, and we can start a new family just as soon as the insurance can process the request.

With the holidays fast approaching, here are a few tips that we hope will de-stress the season a bit for you!

• Prepare! Help your child understand when different things are going to take place – use a calendar to count down days until a big visit, or use a visual schedule for the special day – we’re happy to help you design something.
• Decorate! Some children find decorations disruptive. Be sure to engage your child in decorating as much as possible, and be clear about the rules for decorations – if you have some that can’t be touched, tell your child clearly and consistently. We can provide visual supports to indicate things that can’t be touched. We will decorate at the center (as we always do!) but almost everything here can be touched and enjoyed by the children. We will help practice with your child if you need him to learn to keep his hands off.
• Take a break! Teach your child to ask for a break when things get overwhelming, and make sure that at any get together, there’s a quiet, calm place for your child to go. At home, it can simply be his bedroom, if you’re visiting family, ask ahead if there’s a bedroom or small space that can be kept quiet for your child. Let other family members know that when he’s in this space, he should be left alone, and family should try to keep noise to a minimum. If your child can’t yet ask for a break, gently direct him to this space when he appears overwhelmed.
• Travel with his favorites! If you’re traveling, make sure you bring favorite toys, comfort objects, and foods. A little familiarity can go a long way to ease stress.
• Share pictures of the family! Prepare a photo album of all the relatives that you expect to see over the holidays – send it in to therapy, and we’ll be happy to show your child the pictures, and remind him who he’ll be seeing. If you email the pictures to your BCBA, we can print them and keep them here – just let us know what your child calls each person.
• Prepare your family members! If you’ll be seeing people you don’t see often, let them know what your child responds well to, and what he doesn’t like. Let them know what questions he’s likely to answer, and what he struggles with. Let them know what games and toys he likes, so the kids can all play together.
• Let us know what we can do to help! Tell us what you’ve struggled with in holidays past, and we’ll be happy to help you make a plan for this year, or teach skills that will help. We can work on opening presents, taking turns, and vocabulary related to the holidays your family celebrates.
• Relax and enjoy! Don’t over-schedule your family this year – sometimes just a small get together with a few family members is the best for everyone. Use this time to reflect on all the changes in your child and your family over this past year. Give yourself a giant pat on the back for bringing your child to therapy and committing to his progress.

Amy has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Central Michigan University and a master’s degree from Western Michigan University in Applied Behavior Analysis. She participates in several behavior analytic groups, including the Association for Professional Behavior Analysts and the Behavior Analysis Association of Michigan. Amy received extensive training in B.F. Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior and its applications to children with autism.

Amy was the lead psychologist for a residential neurobehavioral and medically complex children’s unit and a Director of several Applied Behavior Analysis programs serving children with autism in schools, homes, and clinical settings.

Amy is the Executive Director for both Strive Center for Autism locations in Brighton and Burton, and has enjoyed her time covering for maternity leaves in each location this year.

We'll just keep this link right here, for your convenience. For any absences scheduled in advance, please use this form to report the dates. You may take an entire day or half day, depending on your needs.

Therapy Schedule Update Form

Here are some additional dates that the centers will be closed:

Monday, December 19th - Friday, December 30th - Holiday break

*Therapy resumes on January 2, 2023

If your family is planning a longer absence around one of those dates, or at another time, please let us know as soon as you are able!

Email: info@sc-centers.com
Website: www.sc-centers.com
Location: Burton and Brighton, MI
Phone: 810-344-8082