The Clinical Director for Daniels Academy talked about the complexities of working with the autism spectrum with talk radio show host Lon Woodbury and Elizabeth McGhee. The interview was on the radio show, "Parent Choices for Struggling Teens."
Lon Woodbury, the host of the radio show, has worked with families and struggling teens since 1984. He is an Independent Educational Consultant, and the founder of Struggling Teens and Woodbury Reports. Elizabeth McGhee, the co-host, is the Director of Admissions and Referral Relations at Sandhill Child Development Center in New Mexico.
About Douglas W. Maughan
Once a case manager at Utah's Division of Services for People with Disabilities (DSPD), Douglas, who has a BA, MA, and LCMHC, is now the Clinical Director at Daniel's Academy, a therapeutic boarding school that offers a family-living atmosphere for boys with autism. These young men, aged 13 years to 18 years, struggle with emotional difficulties, academics, and executive function.
A New Approach to Working with the Autism Spectrum
Students within the autism spectrum are often misunderstood. They are often misdiagnosed by psychologists as having Oppositional Defiant Disorder or mislabeled by teachers as willful. However, these adolescents actually are unable to shift perspectives or follow the rules of traditional education because of problems with their prefrontal cortex functioning.
Awkward in peer relationships, autistic students do not react well when they are teased or bullied. This becomes a huge issue for them and sometimes to fit in they tease or bully others as well.
Although many of these boys are actually very bright, they suffer from low self-esteem. At Daniel's Academy, the staff teaches students simple social skills through individual therapy, group milieu settings, and interactions in the local community. Daniel's Academy only works with adolescents diagnosed as having Level One autism in the DSM V. These are individual who fall within the high-functioning range of the Autistic spectrum.
Students learn what Daniels Academy call the Four Pillars. These are the four essential skill sets associated with social adaptability: Executive Functioning, Social Thinking; Emotional and Mood Regulation, and Daily Living. In addition, students practice improving fine motor skills. The success of the program in working with the autism spectrum is measured by whether or not students have been able to use the four essential skill sets at a high level for at least 6 months in the course of their interactions with staff, community members and peers.
Lon Woodbury, the host of the radio show, has worked with families and struggling teens since 1984. He is an Independent Educational Consultant, and the founder of Struggling Teens and Woodbury Reports. Elizabeth McGhee, the co-host, is the Director of Admissions and Referral Relations at Sandhill Child Development Center in New Mexico.
About Douglas W. Maughan
Once a case manager at Utah's Division of Services for People with Disabilities (DSPD), Douglas, who has a BA, MA, and LCMHC, is now the Clinical Director at Daniel's Academy, a therapeutic boarding school that offers a family-living atmosphere for boys with autism. These young men, aged 13 years to 18 years, struggle with emotional difficulties, academics, and executive function.
A New Approach to Working with the Autism Spectrum
Students within the autism spectrum are often misunderstood. They are often misdiagnosed by psychologists as having Oppositional Defiant Disorder or mislabeled by teachers as willful. However, these adolescents actually are unable to shift perspectives or follow the rules of traditional education because of problems with their prefrontal cortex functioning.
Awkward in peer relationships, autistic students do not react well when they are teased or bullied. This becomes a huge issue for them and sometimes to fit in they tease or bully others as well.
Although many of these boys are actually very bright, they suffer from low self-esteem. At Daniel's Academy, the staff teaches students simple social skills through individual therapy, group milieu settings, and interactions in the local community. Daniel's Academy only works with adolescents diagnosed as having Level One autism in the DSM V. These are individual who fall within the high-functioning range of the Autistic spectrum.
Students learn what Daniels Academy call the Four Pillars. These are the four essential skill sets associated with social adaptability: Executive Functioning, Social Thinking; Emotional and Mood Regulation, and Daily Living. In addition, students practice improving fine motor skills. The success of the program in working with the autism spectrum is measured by whether or not students have been able to use the four essential skill sets at a high level for at least 6 months in the course of their interactions with staff, community members and peers.
About the Author:
Discover more about the problems faced by Struggling Teens. Lon Woodbury records the entire interview on his L.A. Talk Radio show for people to listen to at any time.
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