The turkey is not the hard part. The doorbell is. So is the sage smell in a kitchen that usually smells like nothing, the cousin who wants a hug, and the four unstructured hours between arrival and dinner. Autism Thanksgiving planning means preparing an autistic child for a day that breaks every rul...
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The grill is on. The neighbors are out. Somewhere a few blocks over, someone is testing a mortar shell at 4pm for no reason at all. Memorial Day weekend compresses almost every hard thing into 72 hours: broken routines, crowds, unfamiliar food, heat, open water, and sudden noise. Autism and firework...
Pumpkin patches. Costume try-ons. A pillowcase promising more candy than one kid could ever need. Halloween sounds simple until you picture it through a different nervous system. Scratchy costumes, packed sidewalks, strangers in masks, and a schedule that throws bedtime out the window: for an autist...
Valentine’s Day sounds simple: cards, candy, a classroom party. For an autistic child, it can mean a full day of unpredictable noise, new textures, and social rules nobody wrote down. Valentine’s Day sensory activities give parents a way to prep for the parts that matter, cards, treats, ...
Twenty kids shouting at once. A lunch bag splitting open on the sidewalk. A bus engine idling six feet away. The day has not technically started yet. Field trips for autistic students are school outings planned with sensory, communication, and safety supports arranged ahead of time, rather than impr...
The first day of school does not start on the first day of school. It starts weeks earlier, at a kitchen table, with a laminated photo of a bus. School readiness skills are the practical abilities a child needs to take part in a school day: following a routine, separating from a caregiver, communica...
Pool days should feel like freedom, not a fight. For many families raising an autistic child, splashing water, echoing shouts, and unpredictable routines can turn a simple summer outing into a source of stress before anyone even gets wet. At Move Up ABA, our team works with families across Maryland ...
The nursery is painted. The bag is packed. And somewhere down the hall, a child who thrives on knowing exactly what comes next is about to have their entire day rewritten by a seven-pound stranger. Preparing an autistic child for a new baby means teaching the new routine before it starts, rehearsing...
Starting therapy begins long before your child’s first session. It begins with intake. The ABA intake process is the series of steps that move a family from a first phone call to approved, ongoing therapy: the intake call, document collection, insurance verification, authorization, and the ini...