Cresanna Kahrl, BCBA, LBA

Slipping away unnoticed within the home may seem harmless at first, but it can be an early warning sign of future elopement risk.

For our free guide on elopement prevention, see link in comments.

If I notice these skills are missing or inconsistent, I follow up with additional assessment of joint engagement.

Connection is built one moment at a time.

Most babies enjoy attention … in early infancy they discover that eye contact, coos, and wiggles are reinforced with caregiver approach, smiles, and voices.

In babies with autism, this critical early connection may be disrupted:

🔹 the baby may be overstimulated by eye contact, voices, and touch and quickly become dysregulated, or
🔹 the baby may be absorbed by environmental stimuli such as lights or fans, failing to respond consistently to caregiver interactions

In both situations, caregivers are likely to feel confused and discouraged by their baby’s unexpected response.

Through coaching, we can support caregivers to recognize engagement opportunities, respond in ways that support engagement, and experience more moments of connection with their child.