Meet Sean

At age 2, Sean Ahlberg was diagnosed with autism. “Sean was always a good-natured, sweet boy—he was my Little Man,” Sean’s dad, Finn, said. “By age 8, he began having violent outbursts,” Ahlberg said. “These outbursts were a curveball that came out of nowhere. We did not expect this at all.” Sean would often strike his head and throw tantrums. The Ahlbergs did not know how to deal with their son’s new behaviors.

“We were at our wit’s end when Sean bit his school’s paraprofessional, causing him to be expelled from school.” Ahlberg said. “He would wake up angry, and we didn’t know how to get through to him in a way he understood.”

“When we had to return early from a family vacation, we knew we couldn’t wait any longer to get help.” Sean’s aggressive behavior was keeping him from enjoying time with his family and getting out into the world. “That’s when we heard about an opening at the Marcus Autism Center Severe Behavior Treatment Program.”

The Severe Behavior Treatment Program team started by identifying elements in Sean’s environment that made him upset. Our staff found that Sean’s violent reactions often were linked to his need to tell those around him that he needed more time with a task.

Once one of the keys to Sean’s outbursts was identified, he was taught how to sign the word ‘continue’ to ask for more time. This gave him an outlet and helped create an environment where Sean felt like he was being understood.

After he understood how to ask for more time, he was taught that sometimes it is OK to ask to continue and other times he would have to stop what he was doing.

After completing just seven weeks of a 12-week program, Sean’s parents could see positive results. “It was a complete turnaround—a night-and-day difference in Sean’s behavior. He almost never throws tantrums and has stopped hitting himself.” The team at Marcus Autism Center taught the Ahlbergs simple strategies and tools for stopping problem behaviors, and how to handle them if they did happen.

By stopping his aggressive behaviors, Sean is learning more from his classes at the Marcus Autism Center Language and Learning Clinic. Ahlberg said, “This past Thanksgiving, Sean said his first word—it was clear as day—he said ‘happy’.”