Weekly Update September 8, 2023

This is a reminder that Strive Centers do not follow any local school's calendars. Our families live in a variety of different school districts, with different calendars, and we can't follow them all. There are a number of ways you can keep track of any days we're closed, including:

• A paper copy of our yearly calendar is provided with each intake packet (please ask if you need a new one)
• This newsletter always lists upcoming days off
• A Remind message will be sent the day before each day we're closed and the day before we return
• Our Facebook page has regular updates when we are closed
• Just call us or ask your therapist at pick up or drop off!

The Autism Alliance of Michigan (AAoM) will be hosting their annual Hero Walk at the Detroit Zoo on September 23rd. Strive Center for Autism is please to sponsor the event and we'll have a team of walkers again as well. If you plan to attend the walk, please join our team using this link.

The AAoM provides resources, advocacy, and key information about autism to families and individuals affected by autism, to the general population, and to those who are in the position to affect positive change. As an organization helping people with Autism, we support their work in the community through fundraisers like this one. This walk brings together nearly 5,000 people at the zoo - people diagnosed with Autism and those who love and support them. It's a fun, family friendly day to enjoy the zoo with people who understand what it's like to live with Autism.

We selected the winner of the ticket raffle randomly and informed the family this morning. If you did not receive an email, then you did not win the tickets, but we'd still be happy to see you at the walk! Please join our team and we'll see you there!

Please save the date for Inclusive Halloween 2023 on Friday, October 27, 2023 in the early evening (final time to be determined) at the University of Michigan-Flint!

This is a very fun event for all families - there's trick or treating, sensory activities, food, and so much more! We have hosted a table at this event each year and it is definitely one you don't want to miss. We will pass along more info as we receive it, but definitely mark your calendars for now.

We will celebrate Halloween with a party on Tuesday, October 31st during our regular therapy session. Parents do NOT need to bring anything - we will provide treats and activities that all of our children can enjoy, including appropriate edible treats. Children are welcome to dress up in their costumes for the party, so please feel free to send that in if you'd like.

Some children with Autism struggle with costumes - the fabrics or wearing multiple layers, masks, or unusual accessories. We are happy to help your child get more comfortable with his costume if you send it in early. We can practice wearing it and we will practice trick or treating in October. Please talk to your BCBA if you need help with planning for Halloween and consider attending the Inclusive Trick or Treat event above - there is no requirement to dress up and the entire event is inclusive of people with different needs, so it's a great way to experience Halloween with the whole family.

One addition to our newsletter this year will be some definitions of terms we use most often in ABA. We know we use a lot of lingo and we want to help families understand it better. All of these terms will also be on our website in a glossary, so you can check them out anytime.

This week's term is error correction.

Error correction is simply a way of defining what we do when a child makes an error in response to a task that has been presented.

There are different ways to respond when a child makes an error. In ABA, we want to focus on giving a fresh opportunity to get it right and we recognize the error as the child letting us know that he could use a little help.

How we handle errors at Strive typically follows this format:

• Present a task (child makes an error)
• Practice the task (with a prompt this time)
• Distract (do something else)
• Repeat the original task (hopefully with a lesser prompt)

For an example, let's say we are teaching a child to match items by selecting an item on the table that matches one we provide (a sample.) The first time we present it, we may put 3 items on the table, hand the child a cup that matches one of the 3 items, and say, "match" or "where's this one?"

The child makes an error - he puts the cup with a toy dog. We will immediately re-present the task - so we pick up the cup, and we will say "match" again, but this time we provide prompting as needed to ensure he gets it right. The prompt could mean we point at the other cup, we could guide his hand to put the cup with the other cup, but we make sure that he gets it right.

Now, since that response was prompted and came after an error, we move on to something a little easier. This is the distract part - we present about 3 tasks that we know are easy for our child - things that are quick and he will be very likely to get right. These come from our "mastered cards" that we keep at the table for each child.

After the distract, we re-present that original task one more time - again prompting if needed to ensure that he gets it correct. We try to prompt a little less than we did before, so that the response is more independent as soon as possible.

Why don't we just say "No, that's not it" when our children make errors? While that is a perfectly natural response in many situations, it doesn't provide any information as to what is the correct response. For children with Autism (and all children, for that matter) it is generally more helpful to know what they should be doing than what they shouldn't be doing. We are assuming that our child is making an error because he doesn't know the correct answer, so we provide the correct answer and give him another chance.

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 upcoming dates that the centers will be closed:

Friday, October 27th - PD Day

Wednesday - Friday, November 22-24 - Thanksgiving

Wednesday, December 20 - Monday, January 1, 2024 - Winter break ***We will return on Tuesday, January 2, 2024***

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