A LOOK AT HOW TO DEVELOP A WIDE RANGE OF POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES A PERSON WITH AUTISM MIGHT EXPERIENCE.

By Karen KAPLAN, MS (a 2021 and 2022 APM Contributor Awards Winner)

Every day I see posts made by teachers, therapists, and parents asking how they can address a challenge their son or daughter with autism or other learning differences is experiencing. I think it’s great that they are reaching out to others for help, but I often wonder what type of processes they are going through to find out why a concern is occurring and are developing a wide range of possible solutions to address that challenge.

I have often asked parents to put on their detective hats and become the investigator. They must become like Sherlock Holmes, who was said to be a great observer, present and focused. It is said that Sherlock deconstructed what happened, step by step. He stepped back, did not take any information for granted, and looked at even the smallest details.