התנהגויות מאתגרות בקרב אוטיסטים - למאמר בעברית Have you ever felt trapped inside a body that does not listen to you, while those around you speak to you as if you are a baby? For many children with communication and motor difficulties, this is their everyday reality. When we encounter challenging behaviors at home, in the classroom, and outside: Shouting, hitting, outbursts, and self-injury, it is easy for us to focus on putting out fires and reacting to violence. But what if

היבטים רגשיים סביב אנקופרזיס באוטיזם - למאמר בעברית This week a conference was held on emotional aspects surrounding encopresis, organized by the Emotional Developmental Clinic at the Child Development Institute at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer. Toilet training challenges may present as constipation, encopresis, toilet refusal, and more. Toilet training challenges in autistic children can be particularly complex. We chose to share with you 15 key points that emerged from

אינטרוספציה ואוטיזם - למאמר בעברית Our brain receives information from eight senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch, proprioception (the sense of body position in space), balance, and interoception. Interoception is a sense that is less known, discussed, and researched. A fascinating new article provides an in-depth review of interoception and its link to autism, offering guidelines and recommendations for dealing with interoceptive difficulties. What is Interoception? I

שימוש בסיפורים חברתיים באוטיזם - למאמר בעברית For many children, and especially autistic children, the world in general, and the social world in particular, can feel confusing and unclear. Everyday situations that may seem self-evident to us often contain critical social information that is not stated explicitly. This is where social stories come in: a meaningful educational and therapeutic tool designed to make the world more predictable, understandable, and safe. What Is a

תרגול קשר עין-יד בקרב אוטיסטים - למאמר בעברית Last week we talked about the factors behind challenges in eye hand coordination in autistic individuals and how they are expressed in everyday life. This week we move from theory to the practical aspect and talk about practicing eye hand coordination in autistic individuals. Understanding the mechanism underlying eye hand coordination in autistic individuals allows us to develop more tailored therapeutic strategies. The key to i

קשר עין-יד באוטיזם - למאמר בעברית For most of us, the action of reaching for a glass of water or typing on a keyboard seems completely automatic. But behind the scenes, the brain performs a complex coordination that integrates visual input with precise motor movement of the hand. This process is called hand–eye coordination. Research from recent years sheds new light on how this process operates in children with typical development compared to autistic children. It turns out

גמישות מחשבתית בקרב אוטיסטים - למאמר בעברית What is Cognitive Flexibility? Cognitive flexibility is part of the executive functions . It refers to the ability to “shift gears” in our thinking and behavior, move between rules, tasks, or different points of view, and adapt ourselves to changes in the environment. It is the ability to set aside a familiar habit and try a new approach, for example, when rules in a game change, or when something in the daily routine does not go as

דפוסי התנהגות חזרתיים ומוגבלים בקרב אוטיסטים - למאמר בעברית Repetitive and Restricted Behaviors (RRBs)  are patterns of behavior characterized by repetitiveness, inflexibility, rigidity, lack of contextual appropriateness, and often by the absence of a clear function or specific goal. These behaviors are part of the core characteristics and diagnostic criteria of autism. Testimonies from autistic individuals indicate that stereotyped behaviors help reduce anxiety, provide gro

קשיי התארגנות אצל אוטיסטים למאמר בעברית Organization may sometimes seem like a simple action: getting dressed, packing a bag, tidying a room, or starting homework. But for autistic children and adults, it is often one of the most complex tasks, as it requires coordination between multiple systems. In this post, we will explore what causes this challenge, how it appears in daily life, and offer practical tools to improve this skill. ⭐ Why do autistic children and adults strugg

What are executive functions? Executive functions are a set of higher-order cognitive abilities essential for goal-directed behavior, self-control, and adapting to changing situations. They support planning, decision-making, problem-solving, and regulating emotional and behavioral responses. Types of Executive Functions Inhibitory Control: The ability to suppress automatic responses, focus on relevant information, and regulate impulses. Working Memory: Holding and manipulatin

Experiences, Insights, and Field-Based Conclusions of Autistic Adults Social anxiety and managing interpersonal relationships constitute a major challenge for autistic adults. In recent years, adapted cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT) have become the standard for addressing these difficulties, yet there remains a lack of studies that deeply explore participants’ own experiences in such group-based treatments and their effectiveness for this unique population. An innovative

Diagnosis of autism is crucial in order to provide children and their families with appropriate treatment, support, and access to rights and services. Although awareness and early identification of autism have significantly increased in recent years, there are still children who may “fall between the cracks” and fail to receive the proper care and support. Long waiting lists and the heavy workload of pediatricians and allied health professionals may lead to missed signs or “r

The ability to recognize emotions is a central component of social interaction, and it is closely linked to emotional regulation and social functioning. Previous studies have shown that autistic individuals struggle to recognize and interpret socio-emotional cues and face challenges in identifying emotions. Emotion recognition refers to the ability to identify and understand others’ emotional states using cues from several sources: Facial expressions Vocal prosody (intonation

Due to the current situation, our team has created a collection of simple and calming activities for children. These activities can be...

In the first post , we discussed the concerning data regarding life expectancy of autistic individuals. We saw that being autistic itself...

תוחלת חיים של אוטיסטים - דף בעברית 🟨 Understanding Life Expectancy in Autistic Individuals Research into the life expectancy of autistic...

The Passover Seder, one of the most significant family events on the Jewish calendar, can be overwhelming for autistic children. The...

📅 This day is an important reminder of a whole world of abilities, creativity, and human diversity. Over the years, we have made...

Also contributing to the study are Dr. Yael Estrugo and Dr. Shahar Bar-Yehuda. 🔬 This fascinating study examined 84 autistic children...

Purim brings joy, costumes, noise-makers, and a lot of sensory input, which can be especially challenging for autistic children. Purim is a very confusing holiday: suddenly, people don’t look the way they usually do. They have the same voice but a different appearance. There are many changes and sensory stimuli, which can lead to sensory overload. Coping with all this requires a lot of energy. Here are some key tips to help make the holiday a more pleasant and adapted experie