by Nikki Schwartz Over the next few weeks, I'll be featuring several of my community Pinterest boards. Pinterest is a great way to organize ideas, especially the ones you want to save, but read later. This first board, Awesome Autism! features pins from several different members of the Autism community. You don't have to have an account to browse Pinterest, but you will need an account to save or "repin" anything that you like. Are you on Pinterest? Has it been useful in helping you compile ideas for your autistic child? You'll find lots of great resources, suggestions, and ideas on our pinboards, stop by when you get the chance.
This information applies to parenting both neurotypical children, as well as children with Autism, Asperger's, and ADHD. Many parents I work with find themselves constantly trying to put out fires and are always chasing behavior. Without some way to be proactive, you will always find yourself dealing with behaviors. (Click here for a larger version of the psychological needs infographic) I encourage parents to examine these needs and determine which ones are high for their child in general and then work at meeting those needs proactively. I'll be talking more about meeting these needs proactively in the future, but for now I'll summarize. Proactive parenting involves meeting psychological needs before they cause a conflict or a behavior problem. It is a more subtle approach to parenting and involves a bit more thought and planning. However, it is nearly always far more effective. Which needs seem to be strongest for your children? What proactive solutions have you tried? Let me know in the comment section. Make sure to check back for future posts on proactive parenting. I'll be sharing my experiences from my time in wilderness therapy, therapeutic foster care, play therapy, and family therapy. Disclaimer: LEGO® is a registered Trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site.
The Spectrum Parents group is made up of local parents of children on the Autism Spectrum. The group is "closed" or private, which means you'll need to request an invite from the group moderator, Suzi Noyes. I know many parents who are able to build supportive relationships with others, even though everyone is so busy with life. You'll find links to resources, websites, blogs, events calendars, and, most importantly, other parents to connect with.
One of the group's goals is to remain positive and helpful, which means that you can turn to other parents, without the fear of being judged. If you're a parent in Virginia Beach or Hampton Roads with a child on the spectrum, I'd really encourage you to check out the Spectrum Parents group.
by Dr. Rick Ellis Spectrum Psychological's Dr. Rick Ellis, posted this graphic recently on our Facebook page. He wrote, "What you see is not what you get on the Spectrum. ASD kids are usually misidentified first as ADHD, then ODD, etc.. Anxiety/ Arousal/ Dysregulation is at the center of the emotional/ behavioral difficulties and should be addressed through consistency, predictability, stability and structure. Sensory issues are often overlooked and must be addressed." Click to see the original post of Layers of the Onion for ASD Autism behaviors can be mistaken for so many disorders, since many disorders share some of the same symptoms, such as difficulty paying attention, hyperfocusing, and perseverating. Getting a solid psychological evaluation can be crucial to good intervention and outcomes for children on the Spectrum. (Did anyone catch my silly reference to the movie Shrek?)
You can find the link to start the grant application process on the their website. You'll need start a user account on their website. If, in the last 90 days, you've experienced a job loss, foreclosure on your home, natural disaster, a death or critical illness, or termination of employment, you're family might qualify for an award of financial support. According to their site, they review applications once per month, so you might consider applying a second or a third time, if your family is not chosen the first time. I think it's great that organizations like AutismCares offers assistance to families in need under these types of circumstances. Do you know of other resources where families with a child or family member with autism can receive financial asssistance? Let us know in the comments, I'd love to post about other resources.
Teachers and Parents Stores (TAPS) are Closing in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton and Richmond11/27/2012 I was visiting one of my favorite stores in the area, the Teacher and Parents Store, a.k.a. TAPS, a store that serves carries a variety of quality educational materials for teachers and parents. They are sometimes the only place in our area to purchase specific items for special needs children. I was disappointed to learn they are closing all of their locations in two weeks, unless a buyer is found. Their website states, "Due to economic conditions beyond our control, we must close our store locations. We want to thank you for supporting us and for allowing TAPS to serve your educational needs for the last 26 wonderful years." According to staff, TAPS owner is retiring from the business. I wanted to say thank you to TAPS for serving our kids during the last 26 years and providing quality items for teachers, families, homeschoolers, and those with special needs. You will be missed!
"I wish I had known my children's behavior was a language...." I think this applies to any child, but is particularly relevant to raising an autistic child, who may not be able to verbally communicate their wants and needs. As soon as I saw this, I wanted to share it with you. Let me know in the comments what you think of this piece. CONTINUE READING
I am so excited about being able to give away two pairs of tickets, Courtesy of Cinema Cafe, to the Sensory Friendly Movie Showing of Wreck-It Ralph this Tuesday, November 13th, at 6:30 pm, good for the Kemps River or Hampton locations. CONTINUE READING
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Nikki Schwartz,
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