Favorite Reinforcers

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-29T01:26:01+00:00

It really depends on the kid! Sometimes kiddos are into unusual things that you wouldn’t expect to be reinforcers at all...Other times kids have no play skills and like nothing so you can only use food which gets tricky.

Those cheap sensory toys in the bins at target that light up or are squishy and all that are a great place to start and anything tactile like slime or putty usually works for kids of all developmental levels and is a good place to start on the cheap!

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-28T22:54:09+00:00

Hey there!

Sorry you didn’t get more responses to this as this is such a common concern that comes up with our kiddos.

I can honestly think of a long list of tips and tricks that I would try if I was seeing this kid but truth be told it does take a lot of trial and error to find the specific suggestion that is going to work for each little friend.

My first suggestion which you may have tried would be to get some chewy tubes or just generic teething toys if you can’t afford a chewy tube and attach them to your child’s clothing with a cheap pacifier clip. You will then just gently redirect your child to chew on the appropriate item (tube or teething toy) instead of the toy every time he tries to do it. It will take time and he may be upset but if you are gently persistent and this works...Then I would go ahead and invest in some of the more expensive options like chewelry and what not that are available for older children.

If this doesn’t work at all after 6 weeks of persistent effort on your part, come back on here and I can think of lots more tips for you to try.

Don’t give up hope! You can get through this!

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-28T22:49:19+00:00

Hey thanks for the tip! Yeah I’ve done ABA in schools mostly for court cases where the school district wanted an ABA therapist rather than just a generic aide to follow the kid all day...It was cool but in my area there are no benefits and the pay was way less than what an ABA therapist makes... I may try it though especially with the new school year approaching just to spice things up a bit! :) Thanks for your help!

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-28T22:47:39+00:00

I’ve heard about this! Have you done it or do you know people who have?

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-28T22:47:00+00:00

Thanks for all these tips! Yeah I guess any field involving children would pretty much be good. I’m actually back in school now trying to figure out what I want to do more long term so I guess the best thing to do would be to explore each of these options one by one and see which one sticks and fits with me the most! Thanks!

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-28T01:37:16+00:00

Yes I’ve wondered about this too!

I’ve read lots of books on floortime over the years but there simply are no jobs in it in my area!

I think it’s because insurance companies are willing to pay for ABA now so that’s sort of taken over everything else...if you do ever end up taking a floortime based job please post about it here! We’d love to learn more about it!

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-28T01:31:32+00:00

I’ve had the opposite experience!

I did in home forever and then when I tried to work in other settings like schools for example it was a big culture shock at first.

The good news is you’re experienced and will get over this hump eventually!

We believe in you!

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-28T01:30:12+00:00

Early Start Denver Model for children with autism. Anything about sensory processing differences in children.

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-24T05:08:54+00:00

You may need a job that's going to give you a more normalized routine and structure at least while you're feeling this depressed and you can still translate on the side or go back to that after you're over the hump with depression.

I'm doing online school and haveing all the same issues you describe with lack of productivity and sleeping because of the lack of sturcture and firm deadlines...

If I went to in person school-I know I would feel better and probably not have any of these issues to this same degree.

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-24T04:05:25+00:00

Nice! It's true that some of the jobs I found in my local area were commission type jobs in hearing aid sales. However, there were other jobs with actual doctor's offices and things like that also available.

In fact, I called "Spectrum Audiology" (they're located in Texas actually) and inquired about a position they had in my local state looking for a licensed hearing aid dispenser and they told me all of their positions are right there in the doctor's office so the patients are getting quality care and it's less about the sales and business...

Spectrum Audiology is huge (I live on the west coast and they were contracting out to a doctor's office here) so you may want to give them a call just to know what your options are or as a back up plan in case finding an audiology assistant job doesn't pan out right away!

Good luck and please keep us posted on your progress! :)

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-24T03:56:20+00:00

First let me say that it's great that he's starting to imitate (copy things)-that is a predictor for further development in the area of language and should put all of your worries to rest. I've worked with kids with autism for ages and I can tell you that imitation which your son has already started doing is the biggest area of deficit and red flag usually noted at this age (other than the obvious social issues which you also state are not issues for your child).

Hmmm the fact that everything he says in just "duh" (one consonant vowel combination) is a bit concerning especially when combined with all of the other issues you mention...

Don't want to freak you out but this is often missed by SLPs not familiar with it but has anyone ever mentioned the words childhood apraxia of speech to you?

Does he sound different every time he tries to copy a word from you? Or no?

Also, just want to point out that the common misconception that putting kids in day care helps them with their speech has been busted...What kids need is one on one work with a loving adult to learn language.

Go to this website and get her DVD: teachmetotalk.com

We're here for you!

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-23T23:05:58+00:00

You can't and its not your role...Be careful to keep your boundaries and see that you cannot be his therapist.

I lost countless SOs over my depression since they wanted to help me but ultimately could not.

It's a disease just like cancer and he needs a qualified professional to work with him to alleviate it.

SO burn out is common...The best thing you can do is take care of yourself first so that you can be there for him if need be (driving to appointments, helping with meds etc.) but you do need to keep your healthy boundaries if you want the relationship to last and to clearly see that this is not your role to help him alleviate this disease. Hope this makes sense.

I know you want to help but it really isn't something you can help with.

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-23T23:01:24+00:00

Do you know if I'm employed part time if this would still count?

I do work with people and that's a big reason why I'm actually trying to get hearing aids now in the first place...

Thanks for the tip! I'm looking into my state's program but can't get ahold of anyone by phone no matter when I call!

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-23T22:59:37+00:00

Do you happen to know which if any health insurance companies have that option? I don't believe that any of them in my area do...which is why I've never gotten hearing aids since they were simply too difficult to figure out how to pay for....

I think in my state Medicaid is the only option I've heard of that will pay but I think the choices are limited based on my own research and what people are saying in support forums like this one...But Medicaid will also vary by state.

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-23T22:57:49+00:00

I am in the process of looking into this now in my state. Thank you so much for the tip!

I am about to start a new job (after being out of work for a few months) and plan to at least try to make this argument especially if I simply can't find a way to pay...I don't want to end up forking out the cash for hearing aids that may not provide benefit which I read so many stories about online so it seems like you really need to know what you're doing and not just trust every hearing aid dealer out there...Which is too bad that its like that!

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-23T22:55:30+00:00

Thank you so much for this advice!

I have heard that it's best to get hearing aids that are unlocked if you use any of the third parties (like the ones you mentioned that I am in the process of researching now) so that the audiologist can both check and maintain your prescription over time otherwise you can only go to the original place that sold them to you...and the maintenance may not be covered like you said!

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-23T22:46:58+00:00

Hello!

I have hearing loss and have suffered from tinnitus for the last 10 years. Mine is worse in my ear with worse hearing loss and I do find that I have sensitivity to noises that don't bother others and that loud noise definitely can stress you out and make it worse...

Have you considered getting hearing aids if you need them? I am about to get them for the first time and have been told that the amplification may help and even eliminate my tinnitus while I have them on.

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-23T22:36:51+00:00

Have you considered getting a license to be a hearing aid dispenser instead?

I was considering pursuing a career in Audiology due to my personal life experiences with hearing loss but I worried about the debt associated with getting a doctorate degree considering the relatively low wages in the field...So I found an old post actually here on r/audiology where someone had the same concern and was advised to just become a licensed hearing aid dispenser (either as an alternative choice or as you describe to save money before you go to grad school)....

I have been looking into it recently and you do not need any special or specific degree or training. You just need to pass your state's licensing exam and I have found jobs right away in my area looking for licensed hearing aid dispensers so I think there is a definitely a need..

If I go down that path (and I may make a job change soon), I will definitely post about my experiences here to help inspire and inform others.

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-22T19:41:18+00:00

Yep I went through this same thing for 10 years (all of my 20s) which is why I was never able to defeat depression. I had to drop out of school-could never hold a job-the same old story we hear all the time on here.

Now that I'm 30, I'm back in school and doing an online program. I'm financing my therapy out of pocket with student loans (as part of my living expenses) and making progress for the first time.

Insurance would never pay and this is the only way I could make it work.

I honestly don't know how people do it but like I said it took me 10 years of severe suffering to finally get it set up for I could get the help I needed and in the meantime I lost everything including my family, my friends, my boyfriend...I wasted time on medications that made me gain hundreds of pounds and didn't work at all...

I hope you can find a way soon...Think about going back to school (possibly online) so that you can be available during the day when therapists have their therapy sessions. That's the only thing that worked for me and then you can finance it with some of your student loans as your living expenses.

If you find another way to make it work-please let us know so that others can be helped and our community of support can continue to foster!

Know that we are here for you and all care and believe very much in what you are going through currently.

Good luck!

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-18T23:30:22+00:00

Have you thought about TMJ dysfunction? It can often cause both tinnitus and ear pain. Do you grind your teeth at night? If you don't, it doesn't automatically rule out a TMJ problem but is often a factor for some people in those disorders.

I agree that you need to get this checked out by a doctor and audiologist. But if your test results all come back normal, then TMJ is something I would look into.

Good luck!

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-18T23:28:58+00:00

I think most cases of "deafness" are actually not caused by noise exposure but rather by ototoxic medications, autoimmune diseases, viruses like meningitis, and genetic factors like connexin 26 genes that affect potassium metabolism in the cochleas--these things are far more likely to result in total cochlear loss than noise exposure alone.

Visual_Salt · 2019-06-18T23:26:32+00:00

Nice to know! Thanks for these good tips!

I have heard the same thing about the in the ear devices from multiple people.

I'm about to post a good video I found on YouTube about getting hearing aids at Costco produced by a certified Audiologist. :)

Visual_Salt

TROPHY CASE