During her senior year at Villanova University in 1991, Libby Majewski was looking for a part-time job. She was a psychology major and knew she wanted to work with children with special needs.
She was, however, looking for any type of part-time job to help with expenses of living off campus. She was fortunate enough to hear through a roommate that there was a local family looking to hire a college student to work with their 3-year-old daughter who was recently diagnosed with autism.
After interviewing and meeting the little girl and family, she was hired to work as a behavior therapist in (what was then) a unique type of in-home program that was overseen by a clinician at UCLA.
“As a home therapist, I was trained in Applied Behavior Analysis,” Majewski said. “During my sessions in the home, I watched the little girl learn many things that she was not able to do previously.
“I also really enjoyed working closely with the parents and having their constant input and support as their daughter progressed,” she added. “It was a wonderful experience and I knew I had found something very special in the field of working with children with autism.”
Majewski treats children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), which are a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in 110 children in the U.S. have an ASD.
The cause of the ASDs are still unknown yet a genetic predisposition is believed to be responsible.
Majewski said it’s never too late to treat ASDs.
“Over the last year or two, we have received a lot of calls from parents who have older teens or young adult children living at home,” she said. “These individuals are somewhat ‘out of the system’ and options are limited.
“Parents are concerned that their teen or adult child is getting more and more isolated which can lead to depression and increased anxiety,” Majewski added. “Of course, we love to work with young children because they are chronologically closer in age to the point where their ability to develop in relationships and to think dynamically stopped or slowed significantly.
“We can coach parents to create opportunities for their young child to hit those developmental milestones that they missed,” she continued. “However, older kids, teens, and young adults have all responded well to Relationship Development Intervention.”
Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) is one form of therapy that empowers parents to guide their child’s development with hands-on activities to encourage growth in areas such as relationship building, problem solving, initiation, and flexible thinking.
Relationship Development Intervention is a comprehensive treatment program that first and foremost works to restore the natural parent-child relationship that is disrupted or interrupted when autism or other developmental disorder is present. Although originally created for autism, it is appropriate for numerous developmental disorders including but not limited to PDD/NOS, Asperger’s Syndrome, ADHD, adoption and/or trauma, etc.
“We get calls almost every day from parents who are frustrated and looking for answers,” Majewski said. “They know their son or daughter needs something different than what they are already getting through other therapies but they often don’t know what that ‘something’ is.
“They often cite that their main concern about their child is the child’s lack of initiation with others (adults, peers, siblings) and their lack of social abilities,” she added. “They typically aren’t calling us about their child’s school performance and grades.
“This is where RDI comes in,” Majewski continued. “It is often referred to ask ‘the missing piece’ in the autism puzzle because it goes to the root of issue which is relationships and the ability to think dynamically.”
What signs should parents be looking for regarding these disorders in their children?
- Lack of joint attention;
- lack of responding to their name when parents call them;
- lack of reciprocity — when parents try to engage the child (i.e. peek-a-boo, and other face to face interactions that babies typically have interest in and respond to, especially w/ their parents) and child is slow to respond or does not respond at all. Parents find that they are “working harder and harder” to keep their infant, toddler, or preschooler engaged in simple play and interactions. Eventually, parents stop attempting these interactions;
- lack of facial gazing (often referred to as eye contact) — looking to their parents for approval, permission, or to share a moment of anticipation, etc;
- child seems to prefer “static systems” (may create rituals with objects, letters, numbers, may script videos, books, etc.) and avoids dynamic interactions with others (adults and peers). Child may seem overwhelmed, anxious, or shut down when taken into social situations, even familiar ones (like a family gathering or party). Prefers highly predictable situations and rituals;
- concerning behaviors — frequent tantrums that are severe (i.e. meltdown);
- communication issues — language may be slow to develop or it may develop early or on time but is more “instrumental” (i.e. asking, requesting, demanding, etc.) or echolalic (repeating what was just said by another person) than typical toddler communication which is highly about sharing experiences about the world around them (i.e. “Windy Day!” or “Silly Daddy!”);
- and sensory issues — sensitivity to textures, sounds (may cover ears often), visual stimuli, etc. — Co-occurring disorders like sensory integration disorder (SI) are common among children with ASD and this may be the first thing parents begin to see as concerning as they are often disruptive to the child’s daily life (won’t eat certain textures of food, won’t touch certain things, hates tags, socks, etc.).
Majewski has been a Medford resident for nine years and is the founder of KidsAhead Consulting, which was formed in 2003 and is located at 6 N. Main Street, Medford.
KidsAhead is contracted by numerous public school districts and private families in the tri-state area to provide RDI services and family-based developmental consulting.
Majewski suggests the following 10 inexpensive activities for children with ASDs:
• Driveway/sidewalk painting. Have a bucket of water that your children can use as paint. Let them decorate without worrying about making a mess;
• decorate a brown paper bag as a mystery bag. Then go on a hunt with your child to find things in nature such as leaves, sticks, and flowers. Take them back home and make a nature collage;
• wash the car;
• make a fun obstacle course for them to follow out of chalk;
• water balloons;
• water hose/sprinkler play;
• make a photo album of all the places and things you can do together this season;
• make a weather chart;
• plan an outside picnic. Have your child help with making the snacks or set up;
• and go for a daily walk. Switch your route each day and see what fun new things you can discover around your neighborhood.
“Activities like these help children and teens with autism spectrum disorders to develop more meaningful relationships with their families and peers, improve their cognitive functioning, and enjoy improved success at home and school,” Majewski said.
