How Storytelling Supports Literacy and Learning for Children
How shared storytelling builds vocabulary, sequencing, and social understanding for autistic kids—and how to use personalized stories alongside ABA goals at home.
Aug 22, 2026 · 4 min read
Parent and Caregiver Support
17 articles
Is ABA Therapy Harmful? Why I'm Pushing Back on the Criticism
Is ABA therapy harmful? Dr. Flick answers the live objections: punishment, identity, and training kids not to be autistic, plus how to tell quality ABA from a bad clinic.
Aug 21, 2026 · 5 min read
Sensory-Friendly Activities on Seattle's Eastside
Sensory-friendly activities around Bellevue, Woodinville and Seattle: which museums, theatres and cinemas run low-sensory hours, when they actually happen, and where the support is available any day you walk in.
Aug 13, 2026 · 6 min read
Autism-Friendly Parks and Playgrounds on Seattle's Eastside
Fully fenced playgrounds for kids who bolt, plus sensory-friendly and wheelchair-accessible parks across Issaquah, Bellevue, Kirkland, Sammamish, Bothell and South King County, with what's actually at each one.
Aug 8, 2026 · 8 min read
English Language Development for Autistic Children | Orchid Academy
Support English language development for autistic children with bilingual visuals, gestures, and home-language support—without asking families to abandon either language.
Sep 26, 2025 · 4 min read
How to Play With Your Autistic Child: Ask Fewer Questions
Constant questions add cognitive load. How to play with your autistic child by cutting demands, sitting at their level, and letting them lead.
Mar 8, 2025 · 1 min read
Autism Signs in Children: A Parent's Guide to Next Steps
Possible autism signs from toddlerhood through the teen years, how developmental monitoring differs from screening and diagnosis, and what parents can do next.
Feb 21, 2025 · 4 min read
Is Your Child with Autism Ready for Toilet Training?
How to tell whether your autistic child is ready for toilet training, why the diaper-to-toilet shift is hard, and what to put in place before you start.
Feb 23, 2025 · 3 min read
Preventing Autism Meltdowns During Challenging Times
How to prevent meltdowns when routines break: stack preferred items early, cut demands, and save skill-building for after the crisis.
Nov 21, 2024 · 2 min read
Designing Your Ideal Holidays When Your Child Has Autism
A five-step holiday planning exercise: list traditions, decide what to keep or drop, rank your top events, and tell your ABA team what to practice.
Oct 21, 2024 · 3 min read
Handling Embarrassment When Your Child Has a Public Meltdown
What to do when your child has a meltdown in public, and how to handle the embarrassment that comes with it without turning it on yourself.
Jun 27, 2024 · 2 min read
Preventing Parent Burnout During Summer Break
Parent burnout over summer: protect downtime, tag-team coverage, short self-care blocks, kid chores, and asking for help without guilt.
Jun 6, 2024 · 3 min read
Autism and Marriage: When Parents Disagree
Parents often handle an autism diagnosis differently. Strategies for weekly check-ins, shared decisions, and protecting your marriage while you disagree.
Apr 11, 2024 · 3 min read
Affirmations for Parents of Children with Autism
Affirmations for parents who are hard on themselves, and why self-doubt is so common among parents raising an autistic child.
Jan 5, 2024 · 3 min read
Questions to Ask a New ABA Provider
Questions to ask an ABA provider before you sign on: approach, similar cases, progress data, parent training, behavior practices, and who owns the company.
Dec 27, 2024 · 2 min read
Teaching Children Gratitude: Why It Matters
Why teaching children gratitude is part of how we work at Orchid, what the research shows, and simple ways to practice it with your learner at home.
Nov 6, 2024 · 2 min read
What I Tell Families in the First Months After Diagnosis
First months after an autism diagnosis: what to prioritize, how to choose therapies without drowning, and how to protect your own bandwidth.
Dec 14, 2024 · 4 min read