Top 5 Ways to Reduce Problem Behavior in Children With Autism

If you have a child who has behavior outbursts, it can leave you desperate for things to try to stop the behavior or reduce its intensity. As a behavior specialist, I have learned many reactive strategies that help to reduce behavior if it is already occurring. Without giving you too much technical terms about ABC data, finding functions of behavior, and setting up a behavior intervention plan, (which you should have a behavior therapist do), here are 5 strategies/consequences you can try when you are in the heat of the moment:

1. Ignore the Behavior. Please know that this means you are not to verbalize the behavior that is happening. If your child is doing something dangerous to himself or others, you obviously have to intervene but you still do not have to draw attention to the actual behavior. This strategy only works if you know that your child is doing this behavior to get attention, even if the attention is negative. You don't want to reinforce inappropriate behavior, so ignore and then also try a strategy below.

2. Redirection. If your child is a acting out, verbally or physically, it is important to redirect her to another task or activity. Instead of focusing on the behavior, focus on what you want her to do next.

3. Decrease Demands. Sometimes, your child becomes frustrated with the task at hand and does not know how to ask for help, so instead, he acts out. Lower the demands that are placed on him. This can include lowering the amount of time he has to be on task before he gets a break. You may just have him work for one more minute. Decrease the number of questions or offer assistance to complete the task together.

4. Decrease Stimulation. Often with children with sensory processing disorders, the environment or setting can be causing your child to demonstrate behaviors. If the setting is too loud, has too many people, too many pictures, or is too lit up or too dark, it may be overstimulating for her. Use headphones, a preferred electronic device like an iPhone or iPad to distract her, or simply take a walk outside or to a quieter location. This may help you get through a trip to a restaurant, family party, supermarket, or store.

5. Use a Calming Down Protocol. It is very important to try to help your child self-regulate and calm down before the behavior escalates to a dangerous situation. Teach him how to take deep breaths, fold his hands to avoid hitting/punching, count to a designated number, close his eyes, go for a walk, etc. You can also try some sensory integration in your protocol like deep pressure or light scratching on the arms if your child is calmed by this.

Care Training: An In Demand Course For Everyone

Every person on earth would reach a point where they would need professional medical assistance and this is where nurses and other experts in the field comes into play. The government knows that by the year 2020, the number of people who will need the service of nurses and doctors would double and decide to act on it as fast as possible. Their objective is to provide programs that can help ease other people's suffering as they enter the hospital with regard to the billing and quality of service. If you are seeking for a profession that not only pays well but is fun and rewarding as well, then there are many health care training facilities in Australia that you can enroll into. There are unlimited opportunities that await people who take medical professions because of the list of individuals who are seeking health care assistance in maintaining their body's good physical shape. Medical trainings are given to individuals who are seeking greener pastures.

The government has increased the salary of doctors and nurses in an effort to entice others to consider taking health courses. The scarcity of doctors and nurses today are among the many problems that every government in the world is facing right now. The government needs to produce professional nurses and doctors to provide the sick citizens with the utmost care and quality services. There are private organisations that render their help to the citizens with regard to providing medical assistance and are receiving help from the government since they have the same vision thus making this faster and more efficient.

People who have undergone the proper training and passed the appropriate exams can easily get a job since they are qualified to do so. There are many facilities that graduates in this field can go to, like hospitals, aged care facilities, local clinics, and many others. With so many facilities that are looking for professionals, getting a job in the medical field is as easy as singing the ABC song.

If you are currently stuck with your job and can't find time to enroll in an actual school, then you can always study and get certifications online. There are many online sites that are willing to take in individuals who are fed up with their current jobs and want to start anew. Greener pastures await people who take allied health professions. Not only will they get a higher salary, but the job is fun and rewarding as well.

Illiteracy - A Modern World Problem

When thinking about teaching someone to read, we invariably think about a child of about 6. When we hear about illiteracy, our minds immediately goes to a middle-aged person in some third-world country who did not have the time or resources to learn to read because they had to take up guns and fight a civil war. But this is not the biggest problem in literacy anymore. Illiteracy has become a problem in many first-world and developing countries. According to reports the number of teenagers unable to read at a functional level, are staggering.

What are the reasons for this? Why, in a modern, developed world where reading is a skill we readily accept everyone has, are there so many who cannot read?

It is a vicious cycle. Poverty is one of the reasons people never learn to read properly. Without that proper education, one cannot find a good job, leading to having to accept a menial salary or even long periods of unemployment. Children born in such circumstances have an even more difficult time to learn how to read than others.

One of the things you always hear when you are a teacher, is that you cannot teach a hungry child. When a child is not properly fed, his brain chemicals start changing. This causes the brain to focus only on survival and all energy go to the vital organs to sustain life. It leaves the reasoning and learning part of the brain depleted so even though the child is trying his best, he is just not able to concentrate on what the teacher is trying to teach him.

Another reason is the over-population of classrooms and teachers being pressured by authorities to stick to a certain program. Children are supposed to be sufficiently literate by the time they reach the end of grade 3. Teachers have big classes and a program to follow. In some places it is now popular practice to have a teacher's salary determined by his/her performance in class. So if there are a few children in class who, for whatever reason, cannot keep up with the prescribed program, they easily fall by the wayside.

After grade 3 it is not part of any syllabus to teach basic literacy. Laws on promoting students to the next level differ between different countries, states and schools. But at some stage the child will get stuck in a grade. When this happens it is easy for the child to become despondent. A child like this will easily leave school without any further education. He has now fallen through the cracks in the system and there is no more help for him in the mainstream schooling system.

There are many reasons why children beyond grade 3 cannot read. And probably it is not my fault or yours. But if we leave this to world leaders and government to solve, no help will be coming for this generation. It is up to each and every one of us to teach someone to read.

By teaching a child to read, you empower her to make a better life for herself and those she will need to take responsibility for one day. One better life will make one better country, which will hopefully make one better world.

Typical Learning Contents From PASMA Training Courses

There are several PASMA training courses which would benefit those who are in the work at height industries. These are accredited courses which are recognized by the local authorities on safety and health as well as industries.

There are basic as well as advanced courses offered by PASMA which is a well recognized training agency that contributes to the development of safety and health courses in various industries. 

Types of courses

PASMA offers a variety of training courses to benefit those in the relevant industries. Its Towers for Managers course is essential for managers involved with mobile access towers while the Cantilever Access Tower training proves useful to those who are using Cantilever access methods and equipment.

The PASMA courses on Towers on Stairs, Bridging and Linked towers are important to those who are involved in building and dismantling such items.

These courses can be conducted in a day to 10 days depending on the level of training. After the successful completion of any PASMA course, candidates would receive a content booklet and a PASMA Code of Practice as well as the PASMA certification and photo card as a valid identification which are valid for five years.

Course Contents

Some of the contents of a typical PASMA training course include understanding of towers, inspection, building and maintenance as well as dismantling of the item. The classes for most PASMA courses are kept small for better facilitation especially when it comes to the practical sessions.

PASMA courses are well tailored to those in the building, maintenance and dismantling of mobile access towers and their inspection or usage. Various types of materials on mobile access towers such as fiberglass and aluminum would be considered in the courses for familiarity.

Candidates would be able to understand statutory regulations on mobile access towers, health and safety regulations, Codes of Practice, safety in working at heights, identification of types of equipment and reading of instruction manuals.

The course contents would also cover ground conditions for the erection of mobile towers and the use of appropriate equipment in the setting up, maintenance and dismantling of such towers. There is also the identification and familiarity with other related tools such as outriggers, sole pads and stabilizers which are needed in mobile tower operations.

End of the course

At the end of each PASMA course, candidates would take a multiple choice test; successful candidates would receive the coveted PASMA certificate and photo identification card which are valid for 5 years.

Contents of Some Scaffolding Training Courses

Those who are interested in the right scaffolding training courses should check out the industry approved CISRS courses which are widely available in the market.

Basic Scaffolder Course

The CISRS scaffolder course is a basic one day skills course which includes an acute assessment of the candidate. Those who have already undergone the CISRS scaffolding training of parts 1 and 2 are eligible for this one day skills test course as they are usually working at work at height jobs.

The course content basically assesses the candidate's competency in interpreting work instructions and deciphering information which would not be a problem if they are familiar with their on-site responsibilities and having applied the course contents of scaffolding training parts 1 and 2 diligently.

Candidates would also be tested on understanding the material list and statement on methods; their skills on components selection and checking would be assessed to confirm their competence. They would also be practically tested on the erection and dismantling of various types of scaffold such as cantilever scaffold.

CISRS scaffold courses

It is a legal requirement that any erection, alteration and dismantling of scaffolding must be handled by a qualified person who has undergone the appropriate training such as CISRS scaffold course. These are held in two parts; both courses are conducted on 10 consecutive days.

A successful completion of these scaffold training courses would qualify the candidate with an industry approved certification to handle scaffolding works or to supervise such works at the work site.

The CISRS scaffold course of part 1 is the basic scaffolding course which allows the candidate to understand the statutory regulations of scaffolding works with the current Codes of Practice. There would be the practical sessions of erecting and dismantling of scaffolds from basic to complex natures.

Independent scaffolds with bridging would be taught with various components used in the industry such as truss out, cantilever drop, roof saddle, gantries, sheeting and safety harness. There would be a great emphasis on safety and health issues as a reminder and caution to candidates on the possible dangers and risks that lurk around the work site.

Hence, the PPE is necessary to be worn as a safety requirement during the course.

When the successful candidates have at least 6 months of work experience, they can proceed to the part 2 of the CISRS scaffold course. This course is also 10 days long with a maximum of 12 candidates to ensure a good ratio of machineries to candidates in the practical usage of equipment.