Baumgardner said, to ensure more success the child will have, one must focus on what child does well. The counselor helped the radio personality Lori Crofford's son Ethan, a nine-year-old boy, diagnosed with high-functioning autism with Asperger syndrome, to develop stress management tools andgaveCrofford sense of security she wasn't able to find elsewhere by knowing Ethan's behaviors on schedule.
Ashlynn Faust, Baumgardner's daughter, was diagnosed with Autism and Asperger's disorder when she was 14. She had behavior differences since her infancy according to her parents and social-behavioral differences during school years that became the biggest indicators.
Baumgardner said that "A One Act Play," a course taken from sophomore to senior years caused Ashlynn to understand and master interpersonal communication.Using role play as a technique when teaching social interaction makes a difference according to Research in The Journal of Autism and Development Disorders and gives a degree of improvement in 100 percent of Baumgardner's cases measuring success against the differences of the child.
Being a certified personal trainer and nutrition specialist, Baumgardner said that exercise, healthy diet and probiotics are essential. She believes that Autism isn't a disease and something needs to be cured but a different way of processing one's observed world according to an article on Amarillo Globe-News.
What separated her from others is knowing her diagnosis and was very beneficial, Ashlynn said. Also, the family support made a big difference. Baumgardner wants to help children develop their skills and coping mechanisms also help their parents to understand autism spectrum better.
According to a blog on Psychology Today, autism is not the whole being of an individual nor the only description of one's personality but rather only an aspect of a person. So this label must not be a hindrance to interact and communicate naturally.
