Autism Parenting · up and to celebrate all the milestones. Deanna’s tips are helpful for...

Autism Parenting MagazineIssue 37

Making Educational Strides

7 TIPS FOR AN AMAZING SCHOOL YEAR WITH YOUR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD

Getting to Know YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL

SUPPORT TEAMSimple Tools to Help

YOUR ASD CHILD SLEEP BETTER NOW

5 Valuable Safety Skills YOUR CHILD NEEDS TO KNOW

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Disclaimer:Autism Parenting Magazine tries its best to deliver honest, unbiased reviews, resources, and advice but please note that due to the variety of capabilities of people on the spectrum that these are recommendations and are not guaranteed by Autism Parenting Magazine or its writers.

Dear Readers,

Just when we finally settled into a summer routine why does the calendar tell us it’s time to transition once again?

For many children, the classic build up to the “first day of school” includes picking out special school clothes and meeting new teachers and friends. But, as we know, a changed environment and a modified schedule doesn’t always go smoothly for children with autism. Really, any variation in routine presents its own complexities.

With a new school year on the horizon, let’s spend these final weeks of summer looking for innovative ways to approach the changes ahead. Long-term success can be reached through knowledge and preparation.

As we reviewed potential content for our August issue, we kept in mind the multiple challenges families with children on the spectrum face this time of year — even when change is positive and educational strides are be-ing made. That’s why we reached out to doctors, spe-cialists, parents, and even a high school student with As-perger’s syndrome, to gain information on the best way for families to plot a course for a new school year.

First, we are excited to introduce you to Annette Estes, PhD, Director of the University of Washington Autism Center and Ashley Penney, M.Ed., BCBA, a Behavior and Education Consultant at the center. In their piece, The Value of Getting to Know Your Child’s School Support Team, they encourage all parents to meet with a school sup-port team to make the beginning of the school year less intimidating and stressful. Their advice is crucial to mak-ing a smooth transition.

One of our regular contributors, Deanna Picon, the found-er of Your Autism Coach, LLC, recommends families with a child on the spectrum take a step back and look at the coming year with a fresh perspective. In her piece called 7 Tips For an Amazing School Year With Your Special Needs Child, Deanna reminds families to communicate with teachers, become involved at school, know when to speak up and to celebrate all the milestones. Deanna’s tips are helpful for families with children of all ages.

We also are happy to share an interesting piece written by Oriane Robison, the Residential Coordinator of a na-tional post secondary program which supports young adults with Asperger’s, high functioning autism, ADHD and other learning differences. In How to Help Your ASD Child Navigate Through Life, Oriane describes the multi-ple challenges many people with ASD face a world filled with unspoken rules and subtleties that can be difficult to navigate. Being more aware of how a child on the spectrum may view tasks allows for improved communi-cation and understanding.

We are especially thrilled to offer our readers a unique perspective as Sydney Holmes, a high school senior di-agnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, shares helpful tips for teachers on how to help ASD students reach their personal goals and feel more comfortable in the class-room. In Dear Teacher: Sure Fire Ways You Can Help ASD Kids, Sydney explains what can causes her stress and anxiety within the classroom and ways teachers (and other adults) can help Aspies reach their goals.

We are delighted to share with you the guidance of Sal-ly Thibault this month in Professional Tips for Combating Stress and Anxiety in the New School Year. As she explains in her video, it’s important for families and teachers to be able to identify and understand responses to anxiety and stress to in order help children on the spectrum. Her thoughtful perspective is valuable.

Be sure to also check out Felicity Dryer’s article, Ways Technology Can Aid ASD Students in the Classroom, to learn how technology has advanced bringing autism education to a whole new level. Felicity has included in-formation in her piece on relevant laws as well as vital assistance tools for your family.

While I have worked for numerous magazines and news-papers during my career, I consider this past year working as Editor-in-Chief of Autism Parenting Magazine as one of my most rewarding. Interacting with so many outstand-ing professionals devoted to serving families affected by autism as well as connecting with dedicated parents has been especially meaningful. I want to thank our contrib-utors who make an effort to educate our readers with the latest news as well as the families who have written to us to share personal stories and express gratitude.

Enjoy the remaining days of summer with your families and cherish the memories made.

Kind regards,

Amy KD TobikEditor-in-Chief

Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 37 | 3

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Table of contents 5 7 TIPS FOR AN AMAZING SCHOOL YEAR WITH YOUR

SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDThe founder of Your Autism Coach, LLC provides valuable ad-vice about communicating with teachers, getting involved with school activities as well as celebrating the milestones.Deanna Picon

9 10 VALUABLE LIFE LESSONS MY BROTHER WITH AUTISM HAS TAUGHT MEA poignant piece written by an aspiring human rights law-yer who has a sibling with autism inspired to make a differ-ence for people with disabilities in the future.Dora Perera

13 WAYS TECHNOLOGY CAN AID ASD STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOMLearn about how technology has advanced in the classroom bringing autism education to a whole new level. Includes information on relevant laws as well as vital assistance tools.Felicity Dryer

16 THE TRUTH ABOUT BEING ON THE SPECTRUM: IT’S NOT A CONTESTExcellent reminder from the mother of an ASD child that it can become polarizing when distinctions are made within the autism community when all families need understand-ing and support.Julie M Green

18 THE VALUE OF GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL SUPPORT TEAMBeneficial advice from the University of Washington Au-tism Center regarding the importance of getting to know a child’s school support team to make the beginning of the school year less intimidating and stressful.Annette Estes, PhD & Ashley Penney, M.Ed., BCBA

23 OUTSTANDING TIPS YOU’LL LOVE FOR THERAPY ON THE RUNEvery moment has the opportunity to be a therapy moment and that’s where Therapy on the Run comes in. This article will help you have find those “perfect times” to work on SO many different skills, without having to set up a structured clinical hour that so many parents don’t have. Natalie Maddison, M.S., DIR® Expert Training Leader

27 DEAR TEACHER: SURE FIRE WAYS YOU CAN HELP ASD KIDSHelpful tips for teachers on ways to help ASD students reach their personal goals and feel more comfortable in the classroom provided by a high schooler with Asperger’s syn-drome. Sydney Holmes, Aspie Student

30 BRAIN BALANCE TAKES A LOOK AT THE CHALLENGE OF SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDERThe owner of several Brain Balance Achievement Centers in both SC and NC explains what Sensory Processing Disorder is in easy-to-understand terms while providing possible in-tervention goals to help a child with sensory processing.Victoria Naumann, DC, DACNB

33 HOW TO HELP YOUR ASD CHILD NAVIGATE THROUGH LIFEThe Residential Coordinator of a national post secondary program which supports young adults with Asperger’s, High Functioning Autism, ADHD and other Learning Differ-ences discusses the many daily living challenges people on the spectrum face.Oriane Robison, Residential Coordinator, CIP Bloomington

Disclaimer: Please note that the advertised business and products are not endorsed or guaranteed by Autism Parenting Magazine or any of it’s employees.

36 TWO OF A KIND: A REVEALING LOOK AT ASD MOTHERINGThe mother of two young boys openly and lovingly shares the daily struggles and victories of being a mother of an au-tistic child.Summer Stewart

39 HOW ONE SPECIAL BEAR CHANGED THE WAY PEOPLE SEE AUTISMRead about a young man with autism who helped launch an autism awareness program by sending his stuffed bear on global adventures.Christine Frances Poe

42 PROFESSIONAL TIPS FOR COMBATING STRESS AND ANXIETY IN THE NEW SCHOOL YEARWatch this excellent video developed by Sally Thibault as she explains why it’s important to be able to identify and understand responses to anxiety and stress to in order help young children on the spectrum.Sally Thibault, EFT Practitioner, Dip. Prof. Counselling, ADA-PEF

43 5 VALUABLE SAFETY SKILLS YOUR ASD CHILD NEEDS TO KNOWLearn 5 critical community safety skills you can teach your child which will eventually allow both you and your child more freedom.JJ Carolan, MA, BCBA, CPC

45 AMINO ACIDS: A SIMPLE WAY TO CALM AN OVER-ACTIVE NERVOUS SYSTEMLearn from an expert on the autism spectrum about how these five amino acids can possibly make a significant dif-ference for children who experience an overactive nervous system.Dr. Jared M. Skowron, Biomedical Autism Expert

47 NEW COMMUNICATION APP GIVES AUTISTIC CHILDREN AN IMPORTANT EDGEInformation about an interactive tool developed to teach language concepts and nourish communication skills through customized lessons turning turn traditional behav-ioral therapy into an iPad brain game.

48 A QUICK LOOK AT ASD LITERARY FINDSA quick look at two recently-published books that provide reading for both parents and children during the back-to-school timeframe.

50 SIMPLE TOOLS TO HELP YOUR ASD CHILD SLEEP BETTER NOWIn this episode of Dr. G Aspie Show, host Dr. Frank Gaskill in-terviews Southeast Psych’s Dr. Melissa Miller about why As-pies might be prone to sleep problems, as well as provides some tips that everyone could use to sleep better.Dr. Kristin Daley, Psy.D

52 SUCCESSFULLY SECURING YOUR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD’S CARE FOR LIFEProfessional advice regarding the importance of complet-ing a LIFE Journal™ or Letter of Intent to ensure your special needs child has a lifetime of care. Ryan F. Platt, MBA, ChFC, ChSNC

53 SCRUMPTIOUS STRAWBERRY CRISPLearn how to make a delicious, yet simple, strawberry des-sert with coconut whipped cream — a perfect treat on a warm summer evening.Autism Food Club

4 | Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 37


PARENTAL ADVICE ON EDUCATION

On top of that, you have to add the items on your own parental list. You’ll need new run-ning gear for when you’re bustling from one end of town to the other in an effort to get everything done, scissors for all this year’s red tape, and an industrial forklift to help you carry extra burdens.

Before you hit the extra strength aspirin, though, it might be a good idea to take a step back and look at this coming year with a fresh perspective. With a few simple steps, you can transform the school year for both you and your child. All you have to do is start.

7 Tips For an Amazing School Year With Your Special Needs ChildBy Deanna PICON

All parents anticipate the dreaded, back-to-school supplies list. It’s the first day and your child comes home with a book bag full of information. After reviewing every-thing, you rub your tired eyes, and wonder when you’ll have the time to pick up note-books, pencils, hand wipes, and all the other things your child will need this year.



1. Be An Active PartnerGetting to know and develop good, working rela-tionships with your child’s teacher, classroom para-professionals and therapists is one of the smartest and most effective things you can do for yourself and your child. Most times, teachers and classroom staff spend more time with your child than you do during the day. They observe your son or daughter in a variety of settings and time periods in school.

In fact, by staying on top of what your child’s profes-sional team has to offer, you can make a huge differ-ence in your child’s life both personally and develop-mentally. They can offer advice on which academic activities and lesson plans are best suited for your child as well as provide information about how your child behaves socially amongst their peers.

But you have to do your part as well and help them understand your child. Nobody knows your son or daughter better than you do, so it’s advisable to give them a “cheat sheet” – a short list of communication skills, likes and dislikes, behavior triggers and all the other things that provide insight into your child and his/her behavior. It can be written on an index card or simple piece of paper. It may not seem like a lot of information to you, but this knowledge about your child is priceless for the teaching staff.

Keep in mind, it’s best to form these partnerships early in the school year, while your child and teach-ing staff are learning about each other.

2. Keep the Lines of Communication OpenAll of these educators and therapists will be more helpful and involved when you come forward as an engaged partner. Tell and show them that you want to work together. Be open, honest and approach-able and they will be the same in return. Discuss best practices for communicating and building a success-ful partnership.

One of the most effective ways to keep in touch is also the simplest – a notebook. Every day, your child’s teacher should write a brief note summarizing your child’s day, in as few as 3 to 6 sentences. For exam-ple, a listing of the academic or physical activities your son or daughter participated in. Once the teacher has done his/her part, it’s your turn. You can comment on your child’s activities or address any other issues you may have. A specific agenda isn’t necessary.

There are other options, such as communicating via text messages or email, if you prefer not to write. Discuss with your child’s team and see what is most convenient for all. And don’t forget the phone. Most




teachers and therapists don’t mind speaking with parents during their break. In fact, most welcome your interest and input.

3. Get Involved and Meet OthersIt’s also a great idea to become part of school activ-ities, a parent support group or the PTA. You can be involved as little or as much as you want, but it never hurts to put yourself out there and see what’s avail-able. You might be able to influence the develop-ment of academic programs for your child, become a voice for special needs children, or simply support other parents like you. Who knows? You might even walk away with a few new friends or a place to send your child for a play date.

4. Know When to Speak Up Every parent wants to ensure that their child has the best and most successful experience possible. But if you’re not happy with your child’s educational plan or you feel that your child’s needs aren’t being met, you can seek to change the situation.

Whether it’s a problem with the IEP (Individualized Education Program), another student or the teaching staff, you have to advocate for your child and your family before the issue escalates. Speaking with the principal or administrative personnel can go a long way toward resolving your concerns and avoiding bigger problems down the line.

5. Celebrate All MilestonesEvery achievement, no matter how small, is some-thing to rejoice about.

Like everything else, your child’s progress will ebb and flow. However, by working closely with teach-ers and therapists and setting credible goals, you can give yourself something to celebrate with every step, instead of lamenting that the finish line is still so far away. Focus on what your child can do and praise him/her constantly. Be proud and know that you’re making headway, even if it’s not as fast as you might have hoped.

6. Remember You’re HumanThe special education system will be frustrating. Regardless of your child’s age, there’s always a new challenge—finding the right school, the right pro-gram, the right services. It never ends.

Deanna Picon is the founder of Your Autism Coach, LLC, which provides personalized guidance, support and seminars for parents of special needs children. She is a parent of a non-verbal, young man with au-tism. Deanna is the author of “The Autism Parents’ Guide to Reclaiming Your Life,” which is available at www.amazon.com. She can be reached at www.YourAutismCoach.com or @yourautismcoach.


Things will get done, and if mistakes are made, it’s not the end of the world. You’ll manage the bus driv-er and the afterschool activity schedule just fine as long as you don’t let it consume you if something goes array. Just remember to cut yourself some slack.

7. Loosen UpYou need a break. And you know what? Your son or daughter does too. While you’re driving yourself crazy making sure their schedule is managed and everything is going smoothly, your child has been working hard towards completing goals.

You both need some “down time.” Do something small like watching a show or cooking together. Go to a local park or see a movie. Just take some time for yourselves. You’ve earned it.

Pat Yourself on the Back While you’re lying in bed at the end of the day, what is it you’re thinking about? Your child’s con-cerns and successes? What you’ll make for dinner tomorrow?

We’re all guilty of this, but when you go through that mental checklist, be sure to add a few more thoughts before you close your eyes. You have been so patient, resilient, and hard working. You’ve contributed to your child’s education in a meaningful way.

So, when you make your school shopping list, don’t forget to add a few things you may have not accounted for—a megaphone to cheer on your-self and your child, a refrigerator frame magnet to show off all the awesome things your child will do this year, and a mug that says “#1 Parent.”


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Nothing is out of the ordinary; and yet everything is.

I still find it strange to carry on a conversation with a five-year-old. When I go home, I find a 17-year-old teenager who watches Disney movies, eats breakfast, lunch and dinner every day at the same time, never swears, but instead seeks my love and attention.

My brother is anything but ‘normal’ – he is outstand-ing. He could do long division before any other kid in his class; he can multiply at the blink of an eye; he can remember streets/houses that he’s only been to once, and where they keep the spaghetti (he loves his pasta); he remembers where all of his things are despite not having used them in years; he makes the best turmeric rice (we are half-Sri Lankan) and he can take away my worries with just a smile.

The little boy who threw himself on the floor if when he wanted something, kicking and screaming; that kid that wouldn’t give me the light of day unless he needed something from me has grown to be a lov-ing, affectionate young man, who uses words to tell me when he’s feeling tired or hungry, who asks for cuddles and kisses, who tells us he loves me when I am mad or sad (or I ask him to).

My brother has been my greatest teacher, and here is a glimpse into what he has given me.

1. Patience is bitter but its fruit is sweetWe repeat words, sounds, timetables, plans, songs, movies, movements a lot with Christos. He likes rep-

10 VALUABLE LIFE LESSONS My Brother with Autism Has Taught MeBy Dora PERERA

PERSONAL NARRATIVE

etition. There are so many stories I can use, but only one that is vivid; putting on his socks. They need to be put on perfectly, if not you start again. If you touch the wrong spot, or accidentally stroke his an-kle, toe at any point you have to start again. If you don’t start at the right end, if both sides aren’t mov-ing up at the same pace, if it’s too high or too low, you start again, you start again, you start again. Even if it’s not visible, is it a new pair? Are you sure they’re

My brother, Christos, was diagnosed with autism when he was two. We grew up in Cyprus and our parents were extraordinary and even though no one prepares you for an autism diagnosis, they made it seem effortless. Living with autism is enthralling; so much so that the daily obstacles we encountered became our life.



PERSONAL NARRATIVE

a pair? Start again, just in case. Then come the shoes. Something’s not right; is it the shoes or the socks? Take everything off and start again.

You have to practice to succeed. Would you want to start your day in uncomfortable socks?

2. Accomplishments mean different things to different peopleMy parents, grandparents, spent hours driving him back and forth, age three, to another town so he could have all the available forms of therapy; speech therapy, special education, ergotherapia etc. Every day Christos had private lessons at home with us, it was such a struggle at first just to persuade him to have a seat for that long. But then, at the age of 8 he began to speak his first words he started with the alphabet, and then he started counting, writing and doing math. We use the Picture Exchange Pro-gramme to communicate and teach him words for everything; there were pictures everywhere.

When he said “Ena, dio, tria” (“One, two, three” in Greek) for the first time I recorded him on my phone and listened to it repeatedly. We all worked so hard for those three words, it didn’t matter that he was 8; all that matters was that he did it.

3. Our journey together is the reward Christos shaved for the first time this year. It took a while for my parents to admit that he was growing up and that he had a moustache.

My brother just turned 17 in May 2015. Yet, it feels like yesterday when he was my little brother who wouldn’t turn around no matter how many times I yelled his name; that boy that lived in my house and broke everything I had; the boy that wouldn’t draw with me even though I took out all my crayons from their box.

There is no ‘happy ending’ in a life with autism, there is no ‘cure.’ Instead, I got the gift of living in the mo-ment, every moment with him, every word, every tantrum, every little thing I have to repeat a hundred times over.

4. To smile He has a face when he is trying to make you smile. Not only is he affectionate, he can sympathise with us. When I cry, when I’m weak, when I’ve had enough he will squint and smile really big, get in your face and laugh really loud.

Autism may not speak, but it sure has a contagious smile.

5. Nothing is impossibleSeeing Christos transform from a smiling baby, to a frustrated toddler, who had outbursts on the street; to a young boy learning to count, read and write; has been my inspiration.

From a grunt and a moan to actual, real sentences taught me that I can do anything, with determina-tion.

6. Silence can speak volumesJust because Christos couldn’t speak, didn’t mean he had nothing to say. Up until he was 11, my brother and I didn’t have a common language, we couldn’t communicate in words. We communicated in silence or silly arguments that strengthened our connection. Fighting with my little brother was about as close as I got to having a conversation with him. In those 11 years, my brother and I had a bond that was beyond words.

He taught me that actions are the loudest words I will ever use, he taught me to do rather than to say I will.

My family knew I had a weakness for making an entrance, singing on tables and generally making myself the centre of attention and

it was great, until Christos came along. 10 | Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 37


PERSONAL NARRATIVE

7. To be strong even when I’m weak I knew from a very young age, from an incompara-ble brother and exceptional parents, to manage de-mands and behaviours. His uniqueness taught me things you don’t learn at school. I learned effective-ness, because time was of the essence; I learned resil-ience because you can’t let the fear of the unknown consume you.

Concerns of toys and attention faded away and as an adult I had to start thinking of the future. Loving some-one with autism is not regular kind of love; it’s consuming and it was heart breaking for me to leave home and live away from him; it still is. But I had to; I had to be able to take over and be his carer.

Not going back to Cy-prus after University was an impossible decision; I had to try and start a life for him. As an autism sibling I know that it doesn’t matter if I am lonely, it doesn’t matter if I miss him, because I have to be strong enough to make deci-sions now that will build a life he can join at some point in the future.

I have been away from him for 8 years, I see him once a year. Can you even imagine? I can’t call him or text him, I can’t do the selfish things people do when they love someone, instead I settle for 5 seconds of “Hello, Bye, I love you” and pictures my parents send me.

I want to take all the great things he and my parents have taught me and use it to make him safe, com-fortable, and happy. I want to rise up to the occasion; I want to make him proud.

8. To look at ability instead of disabilityI know I’m not expected to be optimistic as an autism sibling, but Christos’ progress gave me hope when I couldn’t find any.

9. Not to settle for anything less than the bestBeing different is not a bad thing, it’s a quality. It is what makes Christos unique; his aversion to follow-ing the crowd and not compromising to society’s dos and don’ts allow him to flourish and live outside the pre-determined box.

Christos is fierce, bright and beautiful; he makes me fearless. He knows what he wants, and he is un-compromising in his pursuit of it; he taught me to fight for what I want. Because of him I never stop learning, I have purpose, I have strength and courage to take on everything life has to offer.

10. We are each other’s missing puzzle pieces I didn’t always know I wanted to be a human rights lawyer. For most of my childhood I wanted to be an actress, a singer, a performer. My family knew I had a weakness for making an entrance, singing on tables and generally making myself the centre of attention and it was great, until Christos came along.

I dedicate this to all the people out there who live with autism – you’re not alone. To all the people that are facing autism – you’re stronger than you think. To the people that think autistic children are different – you’re wrong.

Dora Perera grew up in Cyprus and is half Sri Lank-an. She is a law graduate from Lancaster University and the University of Kent and is currently working at the University of Kent and studying the i-LLM-LPC at the University of Law in London. In her spare time, she researches and writes an autism blog about her brother (christos90.wordpress.com), watches Net-flix and plays board games with friends. She is an aspiring human rights lawyer and hopes to help make a difference for people with disabilities in the future.


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treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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However, it is technology in the classroom that has propelled so many where there has never been the same capability before. These advancements are an exciting and example of what is to come in the future, bringing autism education to a whole new level.

The Right TrackIt’s important to know that, as a parent of an autis-tic child, you have a multitude of rights that you can rely on if you feel your child is not getting the proper tools in their school.

Many laws have been put into place to enable a smooth transition into the proper learning process for each individual child with special needs. Check with your local, state and federal resources to inquire about such legislation.

For classroom requirements, there is the Assistive Technology Act (ATA) which is intended to ensure that people with disabilities have access to assistive technology devices and services.

For comprehensive, umbrella resources there is The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which guides how states, school districts, and public agencies provide early intervention, special educa-tion and related services.

Basic Assistive ToolsAlthough assistive technology is associated with electronics, there are also certain basic requirements that are just as important to take note of. These are assistance tools that can make a huge difference, even if considered minimal. Your child should have access to what is needed for their individual chal-lenge(s). Some of these include:

EDUCATION

Ways Technology Can Aid ASD Students in the Classroom

By Felicity DRYER

Great strides have been made in the past few years towards embracing the inherent challenges and discoveries made about the different degrees of autism. Targeted di-ets, advanced educator training, multitudes of periodical resources and specialized mainstream community mentor programs are all available to lend support.


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http://www.monarchcenterforautism.org/assistive-technology/types


y Seating - Non-slip surface chairs, blocks for feet, head supports and bean bag chairs.

y ADL’s (Activities of Daily Living) - Adapted eating utensils and drinking devices as well as specialized toilet seats and adaptive dress-ing devices.

y Mobility - Wheelchairs, walkers and grab rails.

y Physical Play - Adaptive toys and games, sporting equipment and beeping balls.

Make sure your child’s learning environment includes these and other basic assistive tools to enable them to advance accordingly.

Advanced Assistive ToolsOnce the basics are covered there are advanced as-sistive tools that are more unique, specific, expen-sive and essential for accommodating many autistic symptoms. Look for this technological in the class-room of your child. If you do not find what you need, either obtain it yourself or refer to the ATA and other legislative resources for help.

y Visual Aids - Although autism does not al-ways associate with weakened vision, hav-ing advanced visual aids can help focus an autistic student more efficiently. These may include enlarged images, screen magnifiers, captioning, and large print books.

y Auditor Aids - The same concept is applied to hearing. Classroom amplification, books on tape and hearing aids all target focused en-couragement.

y Reinforced Communication - To effectively re-late in the classroom as well as integrate into more social relations, reinforced classroom technology for communication can help. As-sistive tools such as smart boards, tablets, speech synthesizers, eye gaze boards, and so-cial computer games can make a difference.

Motion Sensor Video GamesAccording to an article by USA Today on how video games help autistic children in the classroom, Mo-tion sensors like the ones used in the Xbox Kinect games “have become a big deal in the world of au-tism therapy and education.”

By setting up video game personas, “Researchers have found, autistic children easily interact with an onscreen avatar that mimics their motions.” Accord-ing to Dan Stachelski of the Lakeside Center for Au-tism in Issaquah, Washington, “For kids with autism, there’s a certain social awkwardness and a lack of ability to recognize emotion, and to respond to emo-tion and verbal cues in an appropriate manner.”

As a result, software engineers at the University of Michigan specifically designed motion sensor ac-tivities specifically for autistic children. One is called ‘Tickle Monster’ where “kids tickle imaginary crea-tures onscreen and learn about both appropriate touch and facial expressions.” Stalchelski describes that, “the game world is more predictable and less threatening than real life” making it easier to advance in what once took months or even years of therapy to accomplish.

As technology in the classroom continues to ad-vance, try to stay on top of its progress. Talk to others in your community; read studies and blogs; stay con-nected through social media and physical outings. Most of all, keep the positive attitude that will surely influence your child toward a more fruitful educa-tional and life-lesson path.

EDUCATION

Originally born in Flagstaff, Arizona, Felicity Dryer was raised by her parents (more or less modern-day hippies) to always make her health a top priority. She moved to Los Angeles to pursue her career as a freelance health writer, and continues to help those seeking encouragement to keep moving forward to achieve their goals.

@FelicityDryer

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Congressional Country Club MD 6/01/15

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Rich Harvest Farms IL 6/22/15

Hawktree Golf Club ND 6/29/15

Baltusrol Golf Club NJ 7/13/15

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PERSONAL NARRATIVE

s a mom to a child who previously may have been called an Aspie, I cringe ev-ery time I hear the terms ‘high func-tioning’ and ‘low functioning.’

Autism is not a competition. It’s a spectrum, with challenges common enough to fall under the same di-agnostic family tree, yet different enough for the grass to seem greener on the other side.

That’s not to say the high-functioning child (or in-deed his parents) has it easy. Maybe the media is to blame for having assigned a kind of geek chic to As-perger’s in recent years. As a parent, I try to focus on the positives, since they are many — such as my little guy’s affectionate nature, his brilliant mind and his unique sense of humor.

I have made my peace (for the most part) with autism. I don’t regard his way of being as a tragedy or a disas-ter. But because he’s high functioning, some people may assume that he — and by extension, I –must be lucky. After all, my boy can speak and can toilet in-dependently. So yes, on some level, I am lucky. But then, like everything in life, luck is relative, isn’t it?

Did I feel lucky the time my 6-year-old grabbed me by the ears and hair and pulled as hard as he could? Or the time he left me with a bloody lip?

Do I feel lucky when he throws his glass of milk, the iPad and numerous household items? Or the count-less occasions he says rude or outlandish things to friends, family and strangers?

Yes, as a matter of fact I do feel lucky, because I love him, he’s an amazing kid, and I try not to make a hab-

The Truth About Being on the Spectrum:

IT’S NOT A CONTESTBy Julie M GREEN

Labels are a necessary evil, I realize that.

Even within the autism community, distinctions can be divisive. Ever since the term Asperger’s was swallowed up by the broader ASD umbrella in the latest version of the DSM, those dis-tinctions have become more marked, and the effect on parents can be po-larizing.

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PERSONAL NARRATIVE

Julie M Green is a Toronto-based writ-er who regularly contributes to The Huffington Post, The Globe and Mail, Metro, Today’s Parent, ParentsCan-ada, and Yummy Mummy Club. She blogs about having a young son with autism at Other Side of the Coin. Visit juliemgreen.ca or follow her on Twitter @juliemgreen.

it of airing my dirty laundry in public. Even so, it has a habit of piling up.

My son’s struggles may be categorically different than that of another child’s on the spectrum, but they are still struggles.

And as his mom, I’m on the same roller-coaster of ups and downs that other parents with autistic kids ride. I just happen to be sitting in a different spot.

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EDUCATION

The Value of Getting to Know Your Child’s School Support Team

By Annette ESTES, PhD, and Ashley PENNEY, M.Ed., BCBA

“Why can’t you just tell me who her teacher is?!” Casey sits down on the couch, sweat beading on her brow as her daughter, Janie, repeatedly rewinds and watches the same clip of a cartoon on the iPad. Casey has been calling the school since June, when Janie’s teacher, Mrs. Naugh-ton, retired after 25 years in the same special education classroom.



EDUCATION

She was so good with Janie, understanding her personality and her likes and dislikes from day one. The school has been saying that they were working on finding a great replacement, but it is now mid-August and Casey hasn’t heard a thing.

Last year Janie loved going to school and loved Mrs. Naughton, but that wasn’t always the case. The transi-tion into Mrs. Naughton’s class was difficult and Janie took a while to warm up, despite Mrs. Naughton’s keen understanding of her needs. Janie’s transition into Mrs. Naughton’s class consisted of crying on the bus ride, pulling out her own hair and refusing to eat breakfast or lunch on most school days. She also refrained from using the bathroom for the entire school day, resulting in accidents on the bus and a urinary tract infection. Mrs. Naughton suggested preparing Casey for the up-coming school year by having her meet the team and talking with her about her new classroom and teacher as much as possible over the summer. Casey is worried that without the proper time to prepare, the transition will go much as it did last time.

Back to school is an exciting time, but is also a poten-tially difficult time of the year for many children with autism and their parents. The new school year might mean a new classroom, new teachers, new staff and new expectations. Change is a difficult thing for many individuals with autism. Adequate preparation for the school year is important, but parents are not always given information early, and changes may oc-cur at what feels like the last possible minute. Schools

may be coping with changes as well, and well-mean-ing administrators just may not have the information parents need. This can add to stress for both parents and children and lead to feelings of frustration at the looming start date in September.

One possible way to minimize this stress is to re-ac-quaint yourself with your child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) team and provide them with an avenue to get to know your child better. This article will provide a brief synopsis of the roles that different IEP team members may have in your child’s educational plan. We will also talk about suggestions for creating an “all about me” one-page document that details your child’s strengths and challenges, to better prepare staff members to support your child.

… Casey struggles with what to do and how to prepare Janie for the coming year. She takes a look at the school website and starts to get an idea…

Meeting the school team:• Special education teacher: Your child’s special

educator is the primary case manager for your child. This person will be in charge of delivering specially-designed instruction in the qualifying areas and coordinating with all team members around accommodations and modifications. He/she will also be the one to organize your an-nual IEP meetings.



• General education teacher: Your child will likely be assigned a general education teacher based on his/her grade. Depending on your child’s placement, this person will either be heavily or minimally involved in his/her educational plan. This person is in charge of a classroom of stu-dents and, as indicated on your child’s IEP, may be responsible for making sure that he/she has access to the general education curriculum.

• Educational assistants, paraprofessionals/par-aeducators, instructional assistants, and class-room aides: These individuals can have many names and usually wear many hats. Often times, these educators are the ones who are imple-menting the plan that the special education teacher has designed for your child. They spend a great deal of time working with your child to implement the strategies to help him/her learn.

• Speech language pathologist (SLP): SLPs are responsible for your child’s language and com-munication goals, if this is an area in which your child qualifies for services. He/she may see your child in the classroom or may pull your child out for direct therapy services.

• Occupational therapist (OT): OTs are involved in working with your child on tasks related to ac-ademic work and/or play and leisure skills. OTs may work on small motor muscles, such as writ-ing or grasping. They may also support a child’s ability to sit appropriately in class with the use of adaptive equipment. Some OTs in schools may also support your child’s sensory needs. Your child’s specific OT services should be clear-ly outlined on his/her IEP.

• Physical therapist (PT): PTs work with children in schools to ensure that they can appropriate-ly access the school environment. This may in-volve support for walking, range of movement or the use of other motor equipment to access school environments.

• School psychologist: A school psychologist may be involved in assessments or support your child’s needs related to his or her diagnosis. School psychologists can also serve as support staff for teachers and may provide behavioral consultation, if appropriate. Some psychologists work one-on-one or in small groups to support social skills and emotional development.

• Administrator/principal: Depending on the school district or system, you may be more fa-miliar with your school principal or a district lev-el administrator/coordinator. This person serves as the “administrator” for IEP meetings and is often the one that has the ability to make de-cisions for the school district during meetings. If you are new to the school system, try talking to other parents to figure out who will be more likely to serve on your child’s IEP team.

• Specialists (music, art, PE): These individuals teach special classes related to their area of ex-pertise and training such as music, art or PE. Their interactions with your child may be more limited since these classes do not occur every day.

EDUCATION

All About Me:One idea for helping your school team get to know your child better is to create a bulleted, one page document that will tell your child’s team about him or her in a quick and easy to read format. The more succinct the information, the more likely school team members can take the time to read this and understand your child better. Some ideas for what this document can include are:

• A cute picture of your child

• Your child’s name and any nicknames that he or she uses

• Include your child’s unique strengths and passions:

o Things your child does really well (draw-ing, paying attention to details, follow-ing the rules, etc.)

o Things your child loves (e.g., talking about WWII, music, animals, sand play)

• Include an explanation of things that are challenging for your child:

o Sudden and unplanned changes in rou-tine

o Loud, unexpected noises

o Filtering important information in visu-ally stimulating environments

o Organization (writing down assign-ments, turning in homework, etc.)



…Casey spent the better part of an afternoon working on her plan. She used the school website to create a list of the educators involved in Janie’s care last school year and would likely be on her team again this year. She then created a one page “All about Me” document with a cute picture of Janie that described some of the most important things that someone working with her should know. She sent this in an email to each team member, including Janie’s principal, whom she had met several times in IEP meetings and at school events. She also sent the “All about Me” to the office staff, so that they would have some information about her adorable daughter and perhaps help to get in touch with her as soon as in-formation was available about Janie’s new teacher. In her email, she stated the importance of preparation for Janie when it comes to returning to school for the next school year and asked if there were times when staff might be available for Janie to stop by and say hello during their first prep week back. After doing this, Casey

They will be featured speakers at the upcoming Se-attle Teachers Autism Symposium in August: http://seattleautism.org/

Ashley Penney, M.Ed., BCBA, is a behav-ior and education consultant at the UW Autism Center and a certified spe-cial education teacher. She received her M.Ed. in Special Education with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analy-sis at the University of Washington in 2009. Upon completion of her degree, Ashley coordinated an intensive instruction program for preschool stu-dents with autism in the Lake Washington School District. Ashley has experience in early intervention, applied behavior analysis, challenging behaviors, supporting children with autism in a variety of ed-ucational settings and providing workshops and trainings. Ashley became a board certified behav-ior analyst in 2009. She is also certified in Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT), a naturalistic behavioral intervention for young children with autism. She is currently a doctoral student in special education at the University of Washington and is interested in early intervention for young children with autism, social communication, and strategies that pro-mote adult learning and professional development. https://depts.washington.edu/uwautism/clini-cal-services/staff-penney-ashley.html

Annette Estes, PhD, is the director of the University of Washington Autism Center. The UW Autism Center is com-mitted to clinical services, research, and training to improve the lives of individuals with autism spectrum dis-orders and their families across the lifespan. She holds the Susan and Richard Fade Endowed Chair, is a Research Associate Professor in the Depart-ment of Speech and Hearing Sciences, and Adjunct Research Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington. She is also a licensed psychologist in the state of Wash-ington. Her research is carried out at the UW Au-tism Center and Center on Human Development and Disability. She is the principal investigator on two intervention studies for very young children with early signs of autism; these are collaborative studies between the UW Autism Center, UC Davis, and Vanderbilt University using the Early Start Den-ver Model and A Work in Progress. Dr. Estes is also the co-principal investigator of the Infant Brain Im-aging Study Network (IBIS) with Dr. Stephen Dager of the University of Washington site. Dr. Estes is es-pecially interested in the role of the family in sup-porting positive outcomes for children with disabil-ities and improving the lives of people with ASD. http://depts.washington.edu/uwautism/clini-cal-services/staff-estes-annette.html

felt empowered and more prepared for the school year. She knew taking the time to reach out could create an opportunity for Janie to meet her new teacher, and re-gardless, she decided she would visit the school grounds with Janie to help her with the transition. Casey also felt relieved to know that Janie’s team might understand her a bit better now that they had information about what works and doesn’t work for her.

Although the transition back to school can be a scary and intimidating time for parents of a child with autism, there are things that can be done to allevi-ate stress around preparation. Understanding your child’s school team, setting up a meeting, visiting the school, and conveying information about your child in a way that is quick and easy to understand may in-crease the chance for smooth transition and reduce feelings of anxiety about the coming school year.

EDUCATION


https://depts.washington.edu/uwautism/clinical-services/staff-penney-ashley.html

https://depts.washington.edu/uwautism/clinical-services/staff-penney-ashley.html

http://depts.washington.edu/uwautism/clinical-services/staff-estes-annette.html

http://depts.washington.edu/uwautism/clinical-services/staff-estes-annette.html


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TEACHABLE MOMENTS

Instead, there is the illusion that therapy needs to exist in structured settings with a clinician present, but teachable moments can be found through-out the day in so many simple daily living situa-tions. From a clinical perspective, every moment

has the opportunity to be a therapy moment. That’s where Therapy on the Run comes in. This article will help you have find those “perfect times” to work on SO many different skills, without having to set up a structured clinical hour that so many parents don’t have. Let’s take the example of mealtime:

For a child who is still having difficulty sitting, meal-time is the perfect opportunity to work on this. Mo-tivation is high for food, use the opportunity! You can get the necessary tools from your OT, (sensory cush-ions, supported seating) and set small and achiev-able duration goals. As you meet each milestone, increase the expectation.

For a child who is having difficulty reading facial ex-pressions and attuning, mealtime is one of the few times of the day we are all naturally sat at eye level,

Outstanding Tips You’ll Love for Therapy On The RunBy Natalie MADDISON, M.S., DIR® Expert Training Leader

Every parent’s goal is to have their child generalize the things they learn in therapy to their everyday lives, but that’s exactly the problem, the learning occurs in therapy and then we all go back to our everyday lives. All too often there is no crossover.



facing each other. You can use this time to increase your words, your affect and your actions, to harness your child’s attention naturally. Be silly, be playful, be animated, create opportunities for your child to truly connect.

For the child who is having difficulty with fine mo-tor skills and manipulation, think of all the tools we naturally use at the table. You can try out different utensils, incorporate small containers onto the table and encourage your child to open them, use con-diments in squeezy bottles and jars. Offer support with an expectation to fade it as the child becomes more able. Keep your support natural and remember “help means together!”

For a child who is having difficulty with organiza-tion and sequencing, you can use mealtime to work on setting the table. Determine your child’s current capacity and add small supports to help your child identify what to bring out, where to put it, how many plates, where does Mommy’s cup go, do we need spoons?

For a child who is having difficulty with reciprocal exchange and communication, mealtime is the per-fect place to practice natural conversation. You can take turns asking questions to each other, (model language with an expectation for imitation). In addi-tion to asking questions, you can observe and com-ment, helping to build many different opportunities for language participation.

And that’s just mealtime. The day is filled with these natural Therapy on the Run moments: loading the car, bath-time, bedtime, choosing movies, getting dressed, grocery stores, gardening, homework, laun-dry, even putting on Band-Aids. The challenge is rec-ognizing the opportunity in the moment, with so many other contenders for our attention. One of the main goals in creating a functional treatment plan with families is minimizing the role of effort so that therapy feels like a “can do” in busy lives. So how do we formulate a plan? Here are some vital tips:

1. THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO DO IS UNDERSTAND OUR CHILD’S CLINICAL PROGRAMAll too often our end goal is the first goal, but this is like buying the dress before the gym membership. Whatever your end goals for your child are, sit down with your therapists and let them help you identi-fy and map out the steps that are needed to meet those goals. Think of this process as a staircase and go up each step systematically. Some of the steps may seem irrelevant, you may want to rush, but each step is necessary to a staircase.

2. SEPARATE YOUR GOALS, SPEECH VERSUS OT VERSUS BEHAVIORAL, VERSUS DEVELOPMENTAL, VERSUS PHYSICAL THERAPY VERSUS ACADEMICS ETC. It’s much too hard to work on everything at once. A dinner table with a child working on their sensory system, while harnessing fine motor skills holding the fork, while sequencing with cutting the food, while practicing speech asking you to pass the salt, while addressing inhibitory behavior at the opportunity to just get some tactile input from that huge bowl of pasta, all while being social, taking turns with their sibling, and answering “wh” questions about their day… Its every parent’s nightmare, we become Jack of all trades and master of none. It is also often ev-ery child’s nightmare, and more often than not, we’re setting them up for failure when we do this.

3. ORGANIZEAsk your entire clinical team to sum up two or three things they are currently targeting, in layman’s terms. In order to do Therapy on the Run, you will need to know what you’re working on. Write them out, make sure you understand them, make sure they comple-ment each other. In order for it to be effective, the goals cannot contradict each other, this will just con-fuse you and your child.

TEACHABLE MOMENTS

Realize the value of playful interactions — playing and learning are intricately woven in development, play is how children learn.

Take time to incorporate play time.24 | Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 37


4. PRIORITIZEOut of all the goals, pick the things that are most important to your child’s immediate development. This is a great time to sit down with your entire clini-cal team and come to a consensus.

5. PLANA goal without a plan is a dream. Identify key times in your daily routine when you could work on your therapy goals, ask your clinical team to give you sug-gestions. Make a list and post them on the fridge so you have a quick reminder.

6. BREAK IT DOWNIf you decide you’re working on language today in the bath tub, then for how long? Are you working on circles of communication? Questions? Commenting? Nouns?…This may seem tedious but one of the best ways to achieve your goals is to make them achiev-able. Keep these goals small and manageable so that both you and your child have the chance to feel more successful than you do exhausted. Five min-utes while in the bathtub can work wonders if both parties are truly connecting.

7. INCLUDE THE WHOLE FAMILYOne of the biggest blocks to quality time is all the other things a parent has to do with the other chil-dren in the family. Find ways to include everyone. If your goal is engagement, get a balloon and a towel and play volleyball in the living room for 15 minutes with all the kids letting your children fall into their natural roles.

8. SIMPLIFYAll too often parents get overwhelmed with the need to “teach.” Positive interaction is the key. Enjoyment and curiosity are the driving forces behind persistence. If you only have time to teach one or two things to your child today, be OK with teaching that.

9.TURN CHORES INTO A TEACHABLE MOMENTWhat was previously a grocery store trip is now your chance to tick all the boxes your clinical team have set you for the week. You can work on processing, directions, tracking, sequencing, problem solving and team work. Pick one or two goals before you get out of the car and give them a go. Once you identify those goals, stick to them, don’t overwhelm yourself.

10. DON’T TRY TO DO ANYTHING WHEN YOU’RE TOO BUSYAcknowledge your own schedule and your own needs, they are important. In order to really support your child, you need to plan out these teachable mo-ments in the community when you have the time to allow mistakes. Self-correction can only occur when the child has enough processing time. Processing time means we have to have time to spare.

After all this planning, take the time to notice your child’s responses and receptiveness. There is a sig-nificant difference between performance and true learning. It is potentially easy to get a child to per-form, to imitate, to repeat. However, true learning, means the skill becomes integrated into the child’s natural patterns of responding, and for that we need to honor a child’s need for processing time and own-ership. Without it, we find ourselves in the same sce-narios over and over again, “re-teaching” our children. Realize the value of playful interactions — playing and learning are intricately woven in development, play is how children learn. Take time to incorporate play time. It is important to laugh, it is important that your child sees you laugh, it is important to laugh to-gether.

TEACHABLE MOMENTS

Natalie Maddison is a Pediatric Developmental Cli-nician and Parent Trainer based out of Los Ange-les. She has extensive clinical experience creating and tailoring interventions to treat children with neurodevelopmental diagnoses and the family units surrounding them. Natalie utilizes a strength-based model to help parents access their own skill-sets to support their children. She received her B.Sc and M.S in Psychology from the University of East London and is currently completing an M.S/ Phd combined in Educational Psychology. In addition, Natalie is a certified Expert Training Leader with the Interdisciplinary Council on Development and Learning (ICDL), where she actively facilitates in-cremental practicum courses to students around the world at various levels of certification. She most recently joined the DIR® FloortimeTM Coalition of California- expanding awareness, access to, and use of developmental approaches through educa-tion, fundraising, research, networking, and policy advocacy.



Different RoadsTools for kids on the spectrum since 1995.(800) 853-1057 • www.difflearn.com

http://www.thepuzzleplace.org

http://www.difflearn.com

Different RoadsTools for kids on the spectrum since 1995.(800) 853-1057 • www.difflearn.com

A new school year affects everyone in different ways. Some kids are ready to go and don’t have any fears for a new year. Other kids have a few butterflies but push them aside and try to act confident and optimistic. Some students

dread a new school year, knowing there is a very good chance it will just end up like the year before. I am one of those kids. For me, school brings nothing but unnecessary stress and drama I didn’t ask for.

What causes me stress? I worry about every lit-tle detail, where are my classes, what teachers will I have, how strict will they be, did the dress code rules change again, where will my locker be, will I have time to go to my locker between classes, how far apart will my classes be, when is my lunch time, will I get stuck with the mean girls and jerks this year again; the list goes on and on. My true friends know I am an Aspie. I don’t think the rest of my class knows, and I’d like to keep it that way. My class perceives me as stuck up, or snobbish, or “goody two shoes”

and I don’t care. I hear them complain about “stress.” Yes, some of them have real problems, I get that, but most just complain and use the word stress loosely. Stress is my life. They don’t know daily stress. I don’t know what it feels like to be relaxed. They do. Some-times I wish they understood that, it’s not that I don’t care, but I’m comparison, I wish I had their problems. I know Aspies all over can relate. A new school brings you back to the people you wish you could escape.

Teachers also bring me stress. There are just certain teacher types I can’t communicate with. I have noth-ing against them personally. They just either teach in a way they know I don’t get, or insist on being more “social with the class.” Aspies don’t go to school gen-erally to be social. We hate it. We go to school be-cause we have to in order to get an education. I hate it when the teachers assign group projects. They stress me out. It aggravates me when I ask a teacher if I can do it alone and they know full well that group things stress me out, and the refuse to work with me.

TEACHER ADVICE

DEAR TEACHER: Sure Fire Ways You Can Help ASD Kids

By Sydney HOLMES, Aspie Student

The first day of a new school year brings stress and anxiety to everyone; parents’ tearing up about their kid’s first or last school year; teachers frantically searching for all their lesson plans and dreading the possibility of new juvenile delinquents in their class-room, and the kids themselves wondering what new surprises await them this year.



Please don’t be that teacher that makes kids work in groups. Some kids perform better working on their own. Group projects don’t teach collaboration or so-cial skills, at least for me. All I get out of it is two weeks of never ending stress and a never ending headache.

Group projects mean waiting on others to get things done when I am more than ready to get the project over when it is assigned. I also usually end up doing most of the work. How do group projects benefit me again?

Sydney Holmes was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome in 2004. She is a senior in high school and often works with her mother, Stephanie Holmes, a certified au-tism specialist, to educate others about issues Spectrum teens and girls face.

TEACHER ADVICE

Here is my list of helpful tips for teachers in starting a new year:

1. Keep your due dates! An Aspie’s worst enemy is sudden change. I know that sometimes change does have to happen, like if you are suddenly out or something because of an emergency. That kind of sudden change is tolerable. The type of sudden change that isn’t OK is saying something is due, and then not collecting it. I hate it when the class whines about something being unfair and the project was too hard and they need more time, so the teacher rolls over and gives them another week, but here I am sitting with a completed paper in my hand ready to turn it in. I stressed out to get the paper done on time, and the deadline changed.

2. Say what you mean! The teachers I have never done well with are the teachers who encourage you to give your own opinions, but then fail you because they don’t think your opinion is a valid one. If you want the class to write what you want them to, just say so. This happens a lot more often than you think. To other kids, it will automatically register, OK, this is what I REALLY need to write; not so much for the Aspies. Fully explain your expectation and don’t change them. If you want something done a certain way say so. Please do not infer we have inferred your underlining meaning.

3. Don’t give your kids a hard time for asking questions! There have been times where a teacher says something over and over again but it doesn’t register in my head. If I ask for a complete explanation, I get rebuked. Answer your kids’ emails! Eventually kids like me learn not to ask in class, so we come by after class, after school or send an email. I know a few of my teachers hated that. “Why didn’t you ask in class when I asked if anyone had any questions? You should understand what I want from you by now.”

4. Work with your spectrum kids! Unfortunately teachers will go to the IEP meetings and say “Oh ya, no problem. I can do this or that or whatever,” and then turn around and don’t help the spectrum kid. I wouldn’t have to put this in here if teachers didn’t do this. It happens all the time. I try to talk to a teacher about an issue and they completely ignore it until I run to my IEP advisor and she handles it and forces the teachers to work with me on an issue. By that time, my issue is no longer relevant. Help your kids out! It is hard for an Aspie to ask for help. If we have an IEP or 504 they are there to help us get resources we need. These are resources not a crutch. You do not get to decide if we truly need them. In high school spectrum kids are taught to advocate for themselves. This is already a difficult task but to be rejected or disregarded when we ask for help, this teaches us not to ask or give up.

This is all I can really tell you teachers to do. The rest is up to the student. They have to put in the work, and figure out a routine in school that works best for them. Give them a few weeks to figure things out. It took me maybe two days to figure out a plan that would cause me the least amount of stress possible. The students know what is best for their performance level. Aspies have survival skills that work for them, and each one of us is different. No two spectrum stu-dents are the same and no two have the same needs or react to things the same way. It is important to get to know how each Aspie student you meet pro-cesses and what will help them succeed. They have

the ability and potential to succeed, they often do not know what they need in order to succeed, but they do need your help to make it to the finish line.



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SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDERS

“I can’t wear those jeans!”

“No, I won’t eat mashed potatoes!”

“Agh, don’t make me touch that!”

These statements and tantrums are often how Sensory Processing Disorder shows itself in a child. Sensory processing is the brain’s recognition of receptor

(eyes, nose, skin, taste, vestibular, etc.) driven input, and the interpre-tation, integration, and prioritiz-ing of the information. The brain then outputs a response. If the brain interprets all input as equally im-portant and doesn’t prioritize it, under processes it, or over processes it, you can imagine the potential “traffic jam” this creates, and the messy output (reaction) that follows in a child. Sensory process-ing “traffic jams” are present in most children with autism, high-functioning autism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivi-ty Disorder (ADHD).

From the receptors, to nerves, to spinal cord, to brain stem, then onto the thalamus (sen-sory relay station), and into the limbic system (emotion-al centers), is the path the

input takes. Before the input ever hits the conscious brain, the autonomic/involuntary nervous system creates a response to the input. Processing input from the environment can cause a child’s heart rate

to go up, sweating and other features of the fight or flight response to bloom.

There are two parts to the autonomic ner-vous system, the sympathetic (fight or flight system) and the parasympathet-ic (the rest and digest system). Studies show that children with SPD and autism are more ruled by the fight or flight re-

sponse system and the higher brain centers have trouble mak-

ing the rest and digest response system domi-nate like it should. This can be why you see, for example, a child gets very reactive over that tag touching their skin.

In order to do its job the brain must be vertically in-

tegrated (information flows well from bottom to top and

top to bottom), as well as hori-zontally integrated (information easily and quickly exchanged between the left and right hemi-spheres). This not only regulates the autonomic nervous system to keep a child calm, but also assures a smoother more orga-nized flow of sensory input and output.

Brain Balance Takes a Look at the Challenge of Sensory

Processing DisorderBy Victoria NAUMANN, DC, DACNB



Every child can improve their ability to process sensory input and to produce appropriate output.

SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDERS

Therefore the goal of any intervention to help a child with sensory processing difficulties should include:

1. Decreasing the sympathetic response (fight or flight) and increasing the para-sympathetic (rest and digest) response in a child.

2. Improving every processing function that a child is low in, and working on every pro-cessing skill at the same time. It has been known for decades that “neurons that fire together wire together” (Donald Hebb 1949), so working skills in isolation is a very slow process, compared to an integrated approach.

3. Promoting growth (myelination) in the area of the brain that is lowest in process-ing, so that it can sync up with the rest of the brain.

4. Grow the upstairs brain (frontal cortex) through physical and cognitive stimula-tion of all types at once. This will give the upstairs brain, that controls, prioritizes and inhibits what the downstairs brain is doing, more speed and skill.

These are the four goals for every child in the Brain Balance Program. The vast majority of children with autism, ADHD and other neurobehavioral challeng-es struggle with sensory processing skills. Children perform a variety of activities at their Brain Balance Center to mature their function in gross motor, fine motor, rhythm and timing, vestibular, propriocep-tion, oculomotor, visual and auditory processing, touch processing and cognitive skills. All activities a child performs in their sensory motor sessions and academic sessions are designed to increase function towards age level in the slower processing hemi-sphere.

Intensity, repetition and fun are also important components of any effective sensory integration approach for children. That is why parents of Brain Balance students, perform daily eye, core muscle, as well as primitive (infant) reflex remediation exer-

cises. Children come three times each week for an hour of intense in-center activities and stimulation. Parents are also coached on nutrition and behav-ior strategies. Teachers working with the student in a school setting are also recruited to be part of the child’s team.

It is tough to replicate the intensity and consistency of a Brain Balance Program but parents can go a long way towards increasing their child’s sensory pro-cessing ability (along with a lot of other functions) by making sure their child gets brain training daily or every other day. The book Disconnected Kids by Dr. Robert Melillo, gives parents tools to assess their child and to design some activities that are specific to their child’s needs. Suggestions of activities that will improve touch, visual, auditory and olfactory processing are included, as well as specific activities to stimulate overall brain growth and development.

Every child can improve their ability to process sen-sory input and to produce appropriate output. It is all a matter of brain maturity, which can be fostered through targeting all of a child’s deficit areas at once. A bottom up approach to addressing the senso-ry processing skills that are low in a child can then make top down approaches like tutoring, ABA and behavior modification systems much more effective for a child.

Dr. Victoria Naumann, DC, DACNB, grew up in Au-burn, a small town in upstate New York. She has a B.S. in Biology and received her DC degree in 1986 from National College of Chiropractic. She received her Diplomate in Functional Neurology in 2012. During the post graduate modules “Child-hood Developmental Disorders,” taught by profes-sor, researcher and author Dr. Robert Melillo, the path of her life changed. Through his classes and seeing what can be done to help children strug-gling with neurobehavioral disorders Dr. Naumann found her next calling in life, after 22 years of work as a chiropractic. She opened the Brain Balance Achievement Center of Greenville in 2010. In 2011 she and her sister teamed up to open Brain Balance of Charlotte, and in 2013, Brain Balance of Corne-lius.



Do you have a story to share? Perhaps you have in-formation that would be helpful to other parents with ASD kids and want to share the info. Why not share your story/info with us? Autism Parenting Magazine wants parents and caregivers to unite

to help each other. Our writing guidelines are simple.

Ideally, the topic needs to be relevant to the magazine. Any topic that is related to parenting a child with au-tism or being a person on the spectrum that is parent-ing would be a relevant topic. Released on a monthly basis, the magazine features the latest news, tips and advice for parents of children with autism. With helpful advice that covers subjects like: behavioral tips, sensory processing issues, mitigating meltdowns, special edu-cation needs and getting access to services, we are con-fident that the magazine will become a must read for parents of autistic children.

We do ask that you submit a topic, title or idea of the ar-ticle to make sure that someone hasn’t already covered the same thing by emailing the editor. You may use a blog post that you have posted on your blog already.

THE ARTICLE SHOULD BE A MINIMUM OF 300 WORDS. FONT DOES NOT MATTER. WE DO ASK THAT IF YOU USE SOURCES TO PLEASE SITE YOUR SOURCES AT THE END OF YOUR ARTICLE TO AVOID PLAGIARISM.

At the end of your article please include a few sentences about yourself and your writing or autism related back-ground with links to your site or products.

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EVERYDAY SKILLS

However, it wasn’t until I started working with adolescents and young adults on the “ASD and LD Spectrum” who experience “Executive Function” difficulties that I realized this isn’t the case for everyone.

Working with my students forced me to break tasks down into their most basic parts, and make myself explain things with the most precise explanations I could come up with. Against my will, it made me take an introspective look into my own way of do-ing things to figure out how exactly that all comes together.

I don’t have to think about how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. But…if I were to explain it to someone who had never made one (and yes, this is a true story!), this is what I would say:

1. Find a store that has the ingredients you need

2. Find a way to get there

3. Purchase peanut butter, jelly, and bread

4. Bring the items back to your home

How to Help Your ASD Child Navigate Through Life

by Oriane ROBISON, Residential Coordinator, CIP Bloomington

5. Clear a space to work on making the sandwich in your kitchen

6. Clean the space if dirty

7. Open the bread

8. Take two slices out

9. Tie up the bread so it doesn’t go stale and put away

10. Open the peanut butter

11. Remove the protective seal on the peanut but-ter with your fingernails

12. Take your knife and put peanut butter on it

13. Spread the peanut butter on one side of one piece of bread

14. Repeat steps 12 and 13 until peanut butter is completely covering the bread, though not too close to the edge

15. Put the lid back on the peanut butter

I find that a large portion of my day is spent running on auto-pilot. I don’t really think about getting dressed, taking a shower, feeding the cat, driving to work, and so on. I react to what I encounter in my environment almost instinctively, nailed down by habit, and granted … all of it seems pretty easy and straightforward.



16. Put the peanut butter away

17. Clean off your knife with a paper towel

18. Dispose of the paper towel in the trash can

19. Open the jelly

20. Take your knife and put jelly on it

21. Spread the jelly on one side of one piece of bread

22. Repeat steps 20 and 21 until jelly is completely covering the bread, though not too close to the edge.

23. Put the lid on the jelly

24. Put the jelly away

25. Rinse your knife

26. Put the knife in the dishwasher

27. Take the slice with jelly and turn over onto the piece with peanut butter so that the jelly and peanut butter are touching.

Oh! And one more thing…eat the sandwich and en-joy it!

Broken down, I can count 27 steps to ending up with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, with some clean-ing up in between, from start to finish.

I decided early on in my job that this is how I need to see every-day living tasks, as I rarely have a stu-dent who does not have trouble somewhere along the way.

I’ve witnessed very bright students:

• unable to locate items in a store

• unable to open a jar

• wipe up a mess with their t-shirt

• dispose of garbage on the floor instead of a trash can

• eat moldy bread or undercooked meat

• pour laundry detergent in the dishwasher

• clean sinks with a toilet brush

• spray themselves with air freshener in place of taking a shower

• using bleach-type cleaning wipes as toilet pa-per

I can think of a hundred times where I might have said to myself, “Surely, Tom, Sarah, Michael, Matthew, Todd, Lisa, and Annie etc., know how to do that prop-erly.” And often they don’t, so I intervene, break the task down, and tell them the missing steps that no one has told them or shown them before (or maybe just not enough times).

And then I try to understand their thinking. And be-lieve it or not, a lot of times, it sort of makes sense. “If disinfectant wipes are good for cleaning counter-tops, they’re probably especially good for cleaning my body!” Or, “I’m out of dish soap, but these laundry pods looks pretty similar and clean my clothes well, so I’m sure they’ll do the dishes in the dishwasher just fine!”

Well, what I think is that when it comes down to it, there is a really lengthy “Hidden Curriculum” when it comes to life skills. And it’s chock full of unspoken rules and subtleties that can be difficult for students “on the spectrum” to navigate.

Some people are probably reading this story and thinking that the person who can’t make a peanut butter and jelly is just being lazy, or not trying hard enough. However, I cannot stress enough times to all the readers of this book … how wrong this is.

If making a sandwich from start to finish is 27 steps, imagine how many steps they have to go through in a day (thousands? tens of thousands?) to do oth-er tasks that we (who are not “on the spectrum”) do mostly on “auto pilot.”

For myself, many (although not all) of them are done without a second thought, but for students strug-gling with “Executive Function” difficulties each one of these steps might as well be a trial, judge, and jury.

EVERYDAY SKILLS

If making a sandwich from start to finish is 27 steps, imagine how many steps they have to go through in a day to do other tasks that

we do mostly on “auto pilot.” 34 | Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 37


And I watch daily, how “frustrating” doing simple dai-ly living tasks can be for these young men and wom-en.

They may be challenged with something that, to all outward appearances, seems easy and com-mon-sense to most people. But what a lot of us (as educators and support personnel), fail to realize is that having to struggle with routine, rote, or simple daily living skills often creates feelings of shame and great failure to those trying to live on their own.

So…for these amazing young men and women, I will continue to fill in the missing gaps, help them practice the small things, and remind them endless-ly of what they need to do each day, and I will do this with compassion on my side. I will help them as constructively as I can, and I will celebrate their small victories, and remind them of my own struggles and successes.

I may even tell them that doing laundry isn’t my fa-vorite thing, and this is how I make it bearable: I play music and dance in between. I also throw garbage in the trash like it’s a basketball hoop. I tenderize my chicken with a mallet and pretend to be a super

villain. The stain in my toilet bowl is an enemy and I must conquer it with a vengeance!

I will tell them (if they can) to keep things light-heart-ed. And then...I will give each person clear directions and feedback, and cheer when the job is done. And...I will not assume anything!

To you - it may only look like, smell, and taste like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich - but to me, it looks, smells, and tastes like victory.

Oriane Robison serves as the Residential Coordi-nator for CIP Bloomington “http://www.cipworld-wide.org.” CIP is a national post secondary program which supports young adults with Asperger’s, High Functioning Autism, ADHD and other Learning Dif-ferences as they transition to college and careers. This article was adapted from Chapter 6: Compe-tency 4 – Skills for Independent Living, Autism and Learning Differences (An Active Learning Teaching Toolkit), by Michael P. McManmon Ed.D., to be pub-lished by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London, Octo-ber, 2015.

EVERYDAY SKILLS

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PERSONAL NARRATIVE

When I found out I was pregnant with Eli, I was crushed, not excited at all, but sad. Sounds harsh, I know, but we had just had a baby, who was eight months at the time. How was I going to take care of two babies that

close together? How could I do that to my daugh-ter? I would not be able to give her 100%, I foolishly thought. I felt extremely guilty for taking away the time and energy I should have had for my little girl…

During my pregnancy with Eli, I was sick, had a lot of pain, and was not able to do simple things like give my daughter a bath, or put her down in her crib. I was huge! I just wasn’t as excited about this pregnancy as my first. What a terrible mom I had become…

The day Eli was born, I was excited, but more excit-ed about not being pregnant anymore. I tried to cry happy tears when he was born, instead I cried be-cause I was scared, nervous, and struggling with the

TWO OF A KIND: A Revealing Look at ASD MotheringBy Summer STEWART

It’s no secret I’ve been struggling with my son’s delays. Every day I think about it; I think about what the world will be like for him in the future. I think about the journey for our family. I often wonder if he loves me as much as I love him…he doesn’t have the words to say it, but deep down his hugs seem real enough to make me believe there’s hope…



PERSONAL NARRATIVE

fact that I was a mother of a 15th month old and a newborn. What was I going to do??

We brought him home and I cried the whole way. Then the guilt set in. How could I not be over-whelmed with joy and happiness? He was an amaz-ing gift from God, right?

Eli cried from the beginning, didn’t sleep well, and had eczema. My husband and I were walking zom-bies, but still had to take care of a curious, rambunc-tious soon to be toddler. It was hard, real hard! During that time I noticed something wasn’t quite right with my emotions, my feelings about life, and my overall sense of control. Like my life was slipping away, and I didn’t seem to care…numb.

As my daughter got older, she had reached all the milestones much earlier than most kids. She was so eager to learn and had a drive like no other child I knew. My son also crawled, walked, and said a few words. He paid attention, when I talked to him, and showed emotions. My kids were fine and I was a mess. Feeling disconnected.

I’m not sure how it happened, but as I was quickly fading away, my son was as well. We would go shop-ping and everyone would comment on how sleepy he looked, and how quiet he was. He would stare at things, and not pay attention to strangers, or even his own mother. He stopped saying words, and look-ing at me. Maybe I was just not interacting with him enough, I was also in my own little world as well. I knew something wasn’t right, with either of us…

I soon started therapy, I needed someone to talk to, someone who would listen and not judge, and someone who would tell me I’m not crazy. I needed to know if I should stay with my family instead of just packing up and leaving. It had gotten that bad. The therapist helped me realized that I was human, and I was not alone. She walked me through my past, and helped me focus on my future, WITH my family. Lots of meds and sessions later, I was fixed…or so I thought.

My son hit the 18th month mark and his doctor vis-it was more than just the average routine checkup. Questions were asked and most of the answers were no. I had a moment of “oh no, something is definitely wrong, here.” My doctor recommended, many ther-apies for him. Sound familiar, after all therapy had helped me. He started speech, physical, and occu-

pational therapies. They seemed to help some, but the expenses were adding up, so we decided to just keep him in speech. That was his major problem, anyway. Months went by and we saw improvements here and there, but by his two-year checkup, the an-swers to the questions were still no. I was convinced he had autism…

My crazy thoughts were starting to rise again. Had I done something while I was pregnant to cause this? I knew it was my fault. I was the one who cried about his existence. I was the one who didn’t want to have a second child so soon. I was the one who didn’t pay him enough attention, I was too worried about my-self. God had punished me…

My husband has always been supportive and my number one fan. My coach when I was down, my rock. But even he was hit hard by my son’s challeng-es. After all, that was his fishing partner, his little league pitcher, his little boy. But as the days passed my husband stayed so positive and encouraged, I, on the other hand, felt heartache and was filled with an overwhelming sense of guilt. I was feeling sorry for myself, and no amount of love and support seemed to be helping. I was jealous. Jealous of what other parents had, a milestone reaching, emotional seek-ing, and baseball playing little boy.

I’m getting toward the end of my story, and I’m sure your waiting for the heartfelt moment where I have a turn around. A positive spin on the story. Well, the truth is I am still struggling every day. I still ask God “Why”? I still blame myself for things out of my con-trol. I still wonder about the future. I often think about the day my son was born and wonder if he saw my fears, my struggle. I truly believe we were meant to be together, to learn from each other, and to give to each other…the gift of patience and understanding. We can do it together, Eli, just lead the way…

Summer Stewart is the moth-er of two amazing children, Eli (3 yr.) and Scarlett (4 yr.) Eli inspires her to write about the daily struggles and victories of being a mother of an autis-tic child. She also started the Facebook page Autism Insight of Alabama which provides resources and promotes autism aware-ness.



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HOT OFF THE PRESS!

We know all too well the challenges in raising a child on the spectrum. After seven trying years Dorian was finally diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Being “high-functioning,” Dorian has advantages

over many less fortunate; yet even today we struggle with melt-downs, low tolerance, tics, and aggressive behavior. Luckily for us, these occasions are less fre-quent now; as we cherish those special moments of hugs, affection, laughter, enthusiasm, and wonder-ment.

Children on the spectrum don’t see the world as we do. I’ve come to realize that’s not a bad thing. In fact, as a mom to a child with ASD, I feel privileged to catch a glimpse of Dorian’s world – a world where anything is possible…and dreams really do come true!

In January 2013, Dorian decided to send his Ganz Webkinz plush polar bear Tikko around the globe for autism awareness. Encouraging Dorian’s dream, I suggested creating a Facebook page where we could share photos from Tikko’s trips. Eventually this evolved into my researching autism in the countries Tikko visited. Our Tikko followers were now learn-ing about the varying levels of support for autism throughout the world.

It wasn’t long before we realized Tikko was making a difference; not just for families living with autism, but also for those who had no previous connection to autism. One lady vacationing with Tikko tearfully commented, “Bless you for doing this. I wasn’t able to have children of my own. I’m so thankful to be a part of this!” This was our first indication Tikko meant so much more than simply raising awareness.

Tikko wears a t-shirt with an important message in rainbow colors (representing the spectrum) – “Au-tism…it’s okay to be different!” Tikko also wears a rib-bon and tag “FIND ME ON FACEBOOK” which invites people back to his Facebook page.

Tikko’s first trip was to Jamaica in February 2013. Tik-ko came home wearing dreadlocks! How wonderful! While raising autism awareness while on vacation, people were also being imaginative and having fun with Tikko™!

As Tikko’s popularity grew, Dorian shared stories of Tikko’s adventures with his teachers and class-

How One Special Bear Changed the Way People See Autism

By Christine Frances POE

In two short years, Tikko has captured the hearts of thousands of people. What be-gan as my child’s dream to make the world a better place for families living with au-tism, is now a passion that continues to grow every time Tikko travels.



mates at Missing Links, a school specializing in in-dividualized programming for the education and treatment of children with ASD and other excep-tionalities. Dorian’s love for Tikko and everything Tikko represents; HOPE, COMPASSION and COURAGE, gives Dorian a sense of purpose; pride, and a sense of achievement; knowing he is doing something worthwhile that will benefit others. As he matures, Dorian shares many of Tikko’s qualities. He’s loving, fun, and has a great sense of humor. By talking about Tikko, Dorian’s gained more confidence; made more friends; and found more balance in his life.

For our family, it’s been an adventure! Some of our most favorite memories are: when Tikko sky-dived from an airplane while four seasoned skydiv-ers played “Pass the Tikko™” at 10,000 feet; meeting Commander Chris Hadfield & the Canadian Snow-birds on Canada Day 2014 when Tikko flew with them over Parliament in Ottawa; Tikko parachuting solo from a kite at the Washington State Kite Festival 2014; bungy-jumping off the Macau Tower in China (the highest bungy jump in the world); when singer/songwriter Alessia Cohle was so inspired by Dorian & Tikko™, she, and her musical partner Brian Donkers wrote “Make A Change (The Tikko Song)” which Alessia sang at the Canadian Milton Italian Club on September 21, 2014 while 14 children on the spec-trum took to a runway, modelling costumes native

to where Tikko travelled (orchestrated by Kitsa Statti / Catwalk Girls Modelling & Makeup).

During his travels, Tikko has met a lot of celebrities along the way; Ne-Yo (an American R&B singer, song-writer, record producer, dancer, and actor); Canadi-an actor (and Dorian’s cousin) Devon Bostick (aka Rodrick; “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and CW’s “The 100”); Eliza Taylor, Lindsey Morgan, Ricky Whittle, Isaiah Washington (also from CW’s “The 100”); Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham; Canadian/American actor Jim Carrey; The Globetrotters…to name a few.

HOT OFF THE PRESS!


http://www.missinglinks.ca/

https://youtu.be/z9_uajdQBjQ

https://youtu.be/z9_uajdQBjQ

https://youtu.be/5ylcPQcqyZE

https://youtu.be/5ylcPQcqyZE

https://youtu.be/H8x1o47Xri4

https://youtu.be/xUbqh10Rjo4

https://youtu.be/T5-aeLPDYOA

https://www.facebook.com/catwalkgirls

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemporary_R%26B


Christine Frances Poe is an autism advocate, writ-er, mother of two (one on the spectrum; one with ADHD) and owner of Tikko™; Tikko Travels™ and Travelling Tikko™. She joins her 11-year old son Dorian in an international campaign to raise Au-tism Awareness! Deciding in 2013 (at the age of 9) to send his plush GANZ™ Webkinz polar bear “Tik-ko™” around the world, Dorian continues his dream of making the world a better place for families liv-ing with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

“Embracing Dorian’s dream I’ve found my passion, my life’s purpose, and a magical world as seen through my son’s eyes. Won’t you JOIN THE JOUR-NEY? Together, we’ll make miracles happen!”

Yet the relationships we cherish most are those we’ve built through connections; with those vacationing with Tikko; those offering support for our campaign; and with those we’ve yet to meet (in person) who hold a special place in our hearts. We know they feel the same. As we build our autism community (who we consider an extension of our family), our wish is to give them hope; hope for a brighter future; hope for acceptance; and hope for every opportunity for success! Tikko is building an international hub of sup-port, love and compassion throughout the world.

We invite everyone to JOIN THE JOURNEY! Tikko.ca “Autism…it’s okay to be different!”

HOT OFF THE PRESS!



STRESS MANAGEMENT

Our role as parents and teachers is to help these young people experience school with as little anxiety and stress as possible so that they can learn, just like everybody else. Of-ten times however, their behavior is judged, rather than understanding that their ad-

verse responses can be a result of a stressor that can be either avoided or adapted.

In this video I share with you some of the signs to look out for and why understanding the responses to anxiety and stress are so important in helping a young person living with ASD live their best lives.

Professional Tips for Combating Stress and Anxiety in the New School Year

By Sally THIBAULT, EFT Practitioner, Dip. Prof. Counseling, ADAPEF

As the holidays draw to a close and children (and parents) get excited about the be-ginning of a new school year, for many children living with autism, the new school year cause higher levels of stress than normal.

Sally Thibault, Dip. Prof. Counseling, is a professional speaker, author and EFT Practitioner. She has been featured on numerous national and international TV and radio interviews and in print media. She is the author of the book David’s Gift, the true story of her family’s journey following her son’s diagnosis of As-perger’s syndrome in 1997.

Speaking regularly on raising a child living on the au-tism spectrum at conferences, seminars and Teacher

Professional Development Days, she works with par-ents in particular helping them find their own strength and wisdom to raise these extraordinary young peo-ple.

www.sallythibault.com.auwww.facebook.com/sallythibaultwww.davidsgift.com.auwww.facebook.com/aspergersparentconnect

David’s Gift is available on Amazon.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdMBmPJzGIs


http://www.sallythibault.com.au

http://www.facebook.com/sallythibault

http://www.davidsgift.com.au

http://www.facebook.com/aspergersparentconnect

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdMBmPJzGIs


SAFETY ADVICE

ABLG often works with clients who have a hard time doing things with their families like attending religious services, going to a store that has lots of tempting toys or goodies, or going to a playground with brothers and sisters. After assessing the client’s abilities in the community, we choose skills to teach that can help him or her have more freedom, and that help

our families have more freedom, too!

We often start out teaching these skills at home, in a safe and controlled environment. That’s not a hard and fast rule, however! Some of our learners already demonstrate basic safety behavior in the commu-nity. For example, if a learner isn’t prone to running from an adult or bolting in a parking lot, we can of-ten start teaching right in the community. Your clini-cian can help make those determinations.

Some individuals with autism will be more likely to use the skills they learn when they’re taught in real-istic environments. Use lots of examples of environ-ments (e.g., stores and parks), materials, and people (e.g., mom and dad, but also siblings and any other caregivers) during teaching. Using “multiple exem-plar training” often leads better skill acquisition and generalization.

Here are a 5 basic skills we like to incorporate into community outings teaching sessions:

1. Tolerating “No” and Waiting in the Presence of a ReinforcerOne common problem with children (not just chil-dren with autism) is difficulty hearing “no” when they want something they see at a store. Most par-ents have had the experience of a huge meltdown or tantrum when a child sees something they want in a store, and they can’t have it. There are two skills that come into play. First, being able to tolerate hearing “no.” Secondly, being able to wait calmly, even when there is something tempting like the candy counter at checkout! Your BCBA can help you design an indi-vidualized approach to teaching these skills.

5 Valuable Skills Your ASD Child Needs to Know

by JJ CAROLAN, MA, BCBA, CPC

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) providers often focus on filling in academic and lan-guage gaps when creating an individualized curriculum for a client. At Above and Be-yond Learning Group (ABLG), we believe those skills are important. We also believe in designing well-rounded programs that address practical skills. We include domains like safety and using technology to make sure our clients are getting everything they need to lead a quality, meaningful life.



2. Waiting When Things Are BoringNobody likes to wait in line, wait for help, wait for the person in front of them to count out their change in pennies, or wait while someone else is reading labels. Waiting is boring. As adults, we’ve learned that wait-ing is a fact of life. We learn that eventually waiting brings us something we want, like taking our gro-ceries home. For some learners, we have to explicitly teach them that waiting is worth their while. Waiting is an important life skill, from preschool to on-the-job. To teach waiting, we often start with an interval as short as 5 or 10 seconds! Your BCBA can help you figure out what’s right for your child.

3. Stop!Every parent has experienced that heart-stopping moment when their child runs for the street, breaks away from them in a parking lot, or starts climbing up the shelves at the grocery store. Most young chil-dren need to be explicitly taught to freeze when they hear “STOP!” There are lots of fun ways to teach this skill. We can’t emphasize enough how important it is to generalize this skill to other, noisy environments!

4. Staying with an AdultWhen children are small, we don’t mind holding their hand to keep them beside us in the store. As they get older, hand holding limits independence and also becomes stigmatizing. Our learners need to ac-quire the ability to keep an eye on US in the event we forget for a second to keep an eye on THEM. Using the direction “Stay with me,” or “Walk by me,” adults can teach children to zone in on staying within arm’s reach.

5. Getting Help If LostAll children need to learn how to approach an au-thority and ask for help. This skill can be complicat-ed — how do you teach an individual who is an au-thority, and who is just a stranger? If your learner is non-verbal, how do you teach them to give up an identification card with in-structions? There are some studies within the Applied Behavior Analysis litera-ture than can help take the overwhelm out of this skill. There are new technolo-gies such as single-button cell phones that can help us cue individuals to go get help as well. Like all skills, seeking assistance when lost CAN be broken down and taught, step-by-step!

While some of these skills might seem overwhelm-ing, complex, or not relevant at this time, be assured that they can be taught to learners of all ages and abilities. They’re critical life skills that will become more and more important as children become old-er and want to take part in extracurricular activities, enjoy more freedom, and start seeking meaningful employment.

JJ Carolyn is the Director of Programming and Development at the Above and Beyond Learning Group, a therapeutic intervention agency in New Jersey specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Speech Therapy for individuals with Au-tism Spectrum Disorders. They provide in-home therapy, clinic-based therapy, social skills, assess-ments, school consultation, and other services to enhance the lives of people with Developmental Disabilities and their families. Download their free Quick Start Safety Guide for Individuals with Au-tism at www.ablg.org.

Website: www.ablg.orgYou Tube Channel, ABLG TV: http://www.you-tube.com/c/AblgOrg Facebook: www.facebook.com/ABAABLGTwitter: www.twitter.com/ABLGServices

SAFETY ADVICE


http://www.ablg.org

http://www.ablg.org

http://www.youtube.com/c/AblgOrg

http://www.youtube.com/c/AblgOrg


SCIENCE

These are the building blocks of happiness as well as temper tantrums, the key to good be-havior and development is balance of our nu-trition. Amino acids come from the protein in our diet. Beef, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, pea-

nut butter, beans, soy, etc. are all wonderful sources of protein. However, if our children are carb lovers and don’t eat any protein, you can guarantee an in-crease in violence and aggression.

The key to a healthy brain is balance. Most kids on the spectrum have an overactive nervous system. This shows itself as Fight OR Flight. Some children

are hyperactive and aggressive. Others are anxious and avoid social interactions at all costs. Children who are physically hypersensitive, and those who are ‘sensory-seekers,’ all have an over-active nervous system that needs to be calmed down to an average, healthy level.

Here’s a description of the top five amino acids that calm down the hyperactive nervous system:

GABA – This amino acid is also classified as a neu-rotransmitter. Some forms of this amino acid cross the BBB (Blood-Brain-Barrier) to increase production

AMINO ACIDS: A Simple Way to Calm an

Over-Active Nervous SystemBy Dr. Jared M. SKOWRON, Biomedical Autism Expert

Amino acids are the nutritional powerhouse of the nervous system. They are the cor-nerstone of emotion, sensory function, focus, and sleep. Your child needs specific ones to succeed.



of alpha waves, which create a relaxed yet focused mental state. GABA results in a smooth and calm rhythmic flow of electrical impulses in the brain, which create a healthy sense of emotional well be-ing.

5-HTP – This is the precursor to serotonin, which most know as the chemical of happiness. 5-HTP is a metabolite of Tryptophan, commonly referred to as the protein in turkey that makes you tired. 5-HTP increases levels of serotonin and melatonin in the brain regulating healthy mood and behavior.

Theanine – This is the only amino acid that acts as an NMDA antagonist. Many recent research studies show that NMDA antagonists can greatly control be-havior. Theanine, naturally occurring in green tea, re-laxes the mind without drowsiness.

Taurine – This is the conditionally essential amino acid that is neuroprotective to oxidative damage, and modulates glutamate toxicity. Glutamate is a problematic neuroexcitatory substance that can cre-ate uncontrollable hyperactivity in the brain. Taurine also helps maintain healthy GABA levels.

Glycine – This is another relaxing amino acid in the brain, glycine has the beneficial side effect of having a sweet flavor. While we associate sweetness with sugar, this is one of the few proteins that taste sweet without sugar. Glycine can be combined with miner-als, such as Magnesium Bisglycinate and Zinc Bisgly-cinate.

Amino acids work quickly. Many children will re-spond within one week of taking the correct amino acids. These do metabolize out of the system quick-

Dr. Jared M. Skowron is the Amazon best-selling author of 100 Natural Remedies for Your Child. Expert in biomedical in-terventions for children on the autism spectrum, he is on the Advisory Board of Autism Hope Alli-ance, Editorial Board of Natural Practitioner maga-zine, and sponsor of Generation Rescue. He lectures internationally on autism and is striving to unleash the full potential of all children and families.

ly, and some of the calming effects that are noticed may need a continued boost every 8 hours.

Supplementation of amino acids is far superior to di-etary protein. An egg or a chicken nugget or a hot dog takes hours to be processed, and a molecule of protein contains a minimum of a thousand amino acids that need to be digested and absorbed before they can create an effect in the brain and nervous system. An amino acid supplement is immediately absorbed. No digestion is necessary. The benefits can be noticed within ten minutes.

As with all nutritional biomarkers, lab testing is avail-able. Have your child’s amino acids tested. Many chil-dren have absent GABA levels in their urine or blood, and many more have low-normal levels of trypto-phan, theanine, taurine, and glycine. Amino acid supplementation is quick, easy, and effective. Never give up hope and try anything you can for your child. A better brain is a few amino acids away.

SCIENCE



HOT OFF THE PRESS!

Communication is the key to every human in-teraction, and when a child faces challenges with language it can be devastating to social growth. Nikki Dickman, a supervisor to behav-ioral therapists focusing on kids with autism,

had the idea to turn traditional behavioral therapy into an iPad brain game. With the help of her part-ners Andrew Greenstein and Darius Zagrean, she be-lieved the intersection of technology and her expe-rience working with autistic children could provide a long overdue change in the field.

Auteachism is harnessing the interaction and cap-tivating quality of technology to ease the process of overcoming these challenges. The Auteachism Therapist App is an application for tablets that turns traditional ABA therapy into an enjoyable activity for children with autism. It replaces the traditional

laminated cards with high-quality photographs that are interactive and entertaining. It’s designed for use with discrete trial and conditional discrimination protocols, as well as provides a built-in random rota-tion mechanism that ensures the student is truly dis-criminating between images. A database is provided that enables multi-client use by cataloguing each child’s past sessions and scores, in accordance with HIPPA privacy laws. Best thing is: anyone can use it!

New Communication App Gives Autistic Children an Important Edge

App Link: appsto.re/us/GZcA6.i (iPad)Video Link: https://youtu.be/DSuBqAUabSM

Twitter: @AuteachismWebsite: Auteachism.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSuBqAUabSM&authuser=0


http://appsto.re/us/GZcA6.i

https://youtu.be/DSuBqAUabSM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSuBqAUabSM&authuser=0


Just BreatheBy Annette Rivlin-Gutman

For any child who feels anxious or worried when fac-ing everyday life circumstances, this charming pic-ture book, Just Breathe, helps children cope with the challenges by reminding them to take a moment to breathe and find one’s own inner calm. Annette Rivlin-Gutman’s second book provides a positive and uplifting message, giving readers the sense that though they may have challenging moments, they can find their strength and serenity within.

“It’s the first day of school and I’m anxious to go. Will I like my new teacher? Make new friends or a foe? My mom says “Just breathe” so I deeply inhale. I slowly breathe out, let my body set sail.”

Told through the eyes of a child, the book’s beautiful illustrations and verse convey its essence in a realis-tic yet compassionate manner. Rivlin-Gutman hopes her writing will also serve as a resource for adults working with children.

To learn more: [email protected] Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Just-Breathe-An-nette-Rivlin-Gutman/dp/151150787X

Annette Rivlin-Gutman is a passionate, award-winning writer and certified yoga instructor. A mother of two children, Annette drew upon her professional and per-sonal experiences to write both of her children’s books, “Mommy Has to Stay in Bed” and “Just Breathe.” She is also a former teacher and seasoned video producer with a strong background in educational and children’s programming, including work with PBS, Mr. Rogers, and “Sesame Street.”

What’s New on the

Bookshelf

A Quick Look at ASD Literary Finds

We have uncovered two newly-published books that provide a per-fect fit for both parents and children during the back-to-school timeframe. For a child experiencing anxiety, we are highlighting a lovely picture book by author Annette Rivlin-Gutman that en-courages children to find their inner calm. Parents and caregivers

of children on the spectrum are sure to appreciate the inspirational ad-vice provided by Pamela Guest as she describes the journey to see her son reach his potential within the school system.


mailto:[email protected]

http://www.amazon.com/Just-Breathe-Annette-Rivlin-Gutman/dp/151150787X

http://www.amazon.com/Just-Breathe-Annette-Rivlin-Gutman/dp/151150787X


WHAT’S NEW ON THE BOOKSHELF

Artistic - The Art of Redefining a LabelBy Pamela Guest

Artistic tells the story of a mother’s struggle and determination to see her son succeed in a school system still learning to accommodate the many different faces of students with learn-ing differences. As an active and un-yielding advocate she maneuvers the system with the belief that ‘can’t’ is not an option for her child and that success is not negotiable. With the help of dedicated and conscientious teachers and administrators she carefully orchestrates as her son grows to become a strong, confident and gifted vi-sual artist with an extremely bright future.

Each year thousands of school aged children fall through the cracks of the education system because their learning differences are not identified and/or are not accommodated properly. Parental represen-tation is essential to their success but many parents are not even aware that their participation could make a difference. In this story, Pamela Guest shares

the many challenges and successes that she experienced with the hope that another young person’s fullest po-tential might be realized.

The book features artwork by Pamela’s son, Dylan Guest.

Pamela has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Pratt Institute. She is an avid seam-stress and craft maker, and she loves to cook for family and friends whenever time allows.

After being told that he would have limitations and should not pursue a college career, Dylan has proven his naysayers wrong by achieving Dean’s List status for five out of six semesters at MICA. His artwork has re-ceived multiple national awards, and has been exhib-ited at various venues both domestic and abroad. His current project will be installed at the Kennedy Center’s Focus Forward Exhibition later this summer for a three month stay. www.dylanguest.com

To learn more: www.differentcy.com DylanGuest.com

“I’ll Never Give Up On You”ccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc

Please, click to listen & shareyoutube Autism Song “I’ll Never Give Up Ou You”

* To Our Wonderful Children *

All Proceeds Used to Further Autism Awareness

Available on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/.I’ll Never Give Up On You

Autism is what our children have, autism is not who they are. Writingand recording this Autism Song - "I'll Never Give Up On You" was such a positive experience. The picture of this little boy with his angelic face, is my son. He was diagnosed with autism at age 3. He is now a wonderful young adult. Different. Yet, equally important! Keep raising awareness. The Best to You and Yours on this uncommon journey, George


http://www.differentcy.com

http://www.projectlifesaver.org/Pal-info/

mailto:cgonzalez%40projectlifesaver.org?subject=

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8a6ufii_1s

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ill-never-give-up-on-you-autism/id916006287?i=916006324&ign-mpt=uo%3D4


GUIDANCE

Sleep is an essential element in emotional and physical health, and disruptions in sleep can negatively affect coping and focus. In children with ASD, there is an estimated 73% rate of sleep challenges, many of which are associat-

ed with some of the common features of ASD. For in-stance, children with ASD tend to sleep less than the norms for their age, and expectations for sleep can create a lot of tension for parents and child. It can be difficult to determine how much sleep is needed for each individual, and we will discuss some of the

ways that we can create a reliable estimate of sleep need.

Children with ASD tend to have sensitivity to stim-uli, which can interfere with sleep onset at bedtime and after waking during the night. They tend to have a strong preference for routine and controlled con-ditions, and struggle with any changes in their pre-ferred environment. Children who have sensitive hearing may be more easily aroused by noises in the house, which can be a source of sleep disruption, or may be stirred to wake by even subtle noises in their

Simple Tools to Help Your ASD Child Sleep Better Now

By Dr. Kristin DALEY, Psy.D

Sleep problems are common in typically developing children, but can be particularly prevalent in children with Asperger’s and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). These sleep problems often appear as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AnfbME4aYM&index=24&list=PLvRSNW1JvmxSrcW0hSky218DqC-2c7EjOR


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AnfbME4aYM&index=24&list=PLvRSNW1JvmxSrcW0hSky218DqC2c7EjOR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AnfbME4aYM&index=24&list=PLvRSNW1JvmxSrcW0hSky218DqC2c7EjOR


GUIDANCE

sleep environment. Touch sensitivity can affect re-sponses to bedding or sleep clothes, and they may become fixated by a sensation that is distressing or strongly attached to a particular blanket or stuffed animal. We will cover the many tips and techniques to creating a sleep environment that is conducive to sleep and will reassure heightened senses.

Problems with sleep tend to have two major com-ponents: problems with settling brain and body and problems with circadian rhythm. Much of settling brain and body is establishing the safe conditions for sleep and appropriate distraction techniques, but there are some more complex changes that can be necessary. Much of our circadian rhythm is es-tablished through light exposure, and children who struggle with being in the dark are more likely to ex-perience challenges with sleep continuity. Children with ASD can struggle with self-soothing and emo-tional regulation, which can be an essential element to bedtime routine. Additional sleep challenges in ASD can include co-sleeping, with more parents of children with Asperger’s reporting co-sleeping oc-curring in reaction to challenges with settling to sleep. It is not uncommon for parents of children with ASD to find themselves sleeping regularly with their children simply as a survival strategy. Through this webinar presentation, we will de-mystify some of the challenges with sleep in ASD and share simple tools to allow for improved sleep for both child and family.

In this episode of Dr. G Aspie Show, host Dr. Frank Gaskill interviews Southeast Psych’s Dr. Melissa Mill-er about why Aspies might be prone to sleep prob-lems, as well as provides some tips that everyone could use to sleep better.

Southeast Psych is one of the largest and most in-novative private psychology practices in the na-tion. For us, psychology isn’t just for someone with a problem. It’s for anyone who wants to have a better life- better relationship, more balance, and greater purpose. We have taken psychology be-yond traditional therapy and assessment, and offer presentations, webinars, podcasts, videos, books, and so much more! When we say that psychology enhances lives, we affirm that we believe in what we do and what we have to offer.

Visit us online at http://www.southeastpsych.com

Autism – The Silent RulerBy Lynda Taylor

I struggle to fit in with some children at school, I don’t really know if this should be the rule?

I understand I’m different at times but I still have feelings and I want to be kind,

“Just calm yourself down love give your arms a wee rest,” my dear sweet mum, she’s doing her best!

Looking after me is a such a real task that I know, but with the right help I know I can grow,

If everyone would just try to give me a chance I know I can try to curb my loud ‘rants’

If you could just learn to understand my condition the potential within me will come to fruition.

Lynda Taylor is 43 years old, has four beautiful children and is engaged to married. She writes rhymes and stories on all spectrums of topics, getting her inspiration from her children, family and friends. She has a friend whose child copes with autism and it puts tremendous stress on the family especially when trying to get the support to confirm the extent of the condition and all the support network that follows which is why Lynda wrote this particular poem.


http://www.southeastpsych.com/


FINANCIAL PLANNING

A. I am sorry that your plan for your daughter’s fu-ture has been interrupted; however, it may not be lost forever. It seems as though your son’s life may be a bit overwhelming at this time with his wife not being home due to her recent travel for work and with your move closer to him which brought the im-pending responsibility of caring for his sister front and center in his life. Your son is most likely envision-ing his life without you as the primary caregiver for his sister, and he sees a great deal of extra work, time and responsibility that he is not sure he can handle.

Your situation is quite common at this time of life. I call it, “The Impending Passing of the Torch.” At this time, your son is wrestling with fear, but it is not fear of caring for his sister, it is fear of the unknown, of not knowing what “caring for his sister” entails. This is when communication becomes paramount. If you have not completed a LIFE Journal™ or Letter of In-tent, this is the time to do so. The LIFE Journal™ is a written document that details your daughter’s dai-ly activities, important professionals in her life (i.e. physician, therapist, case worker), her medical histo-ry, the areas in which your daughter needs support, and your hopes for her lifetime. It is critical that you complete this document, and schedule some unin-terrupted time with your son to review it with him. It

is very likely that he just does not understand what he is being asked to do in reference to caring for his sister, and this document will provide him that un-derstanding.

Please don’t lose hope regarding the plans you have for your daughter. It has been my experience that once your son understands exactly what his respon-sibilities will be, he will accept and settle in to that role.

Please follow this link to find The LIFE Journal™ - http://aspecialneedsplan.com/planning-packages/individual-planning-tools.cfm

Successfully Securing Your Special Needs Child’s Care for Life

By Ryan PLATT, MBA, ChFC, ChSNC

Q. I am a 75-year-old Dad of a daughter with autism. My daughter has her own car and is quite indepen-dent. She lives with me and we just moved closer to my son so that when I die my daughter could stay in this new house, and my son could help her. She really only needs help on financial matters, for instance, ensuring bills are paid, checks are written, maintenance on the house, she needs her brother to be her representative payee for her benefits, and she just needs him to stop by or call every couple days. My son’s wife has been traveling quite a bit for work, and he just told me he is not sure if he will be able to help his sister, and I may need to find another living arrangement for her that is more managed by a company. That was quite a blow, and quite unexpected. Do you have any advice on what I should do next?

6000 Fairview Road, Suite 400 Charlotte, NC 28210

704-557-9637 www.aspecialneedsplan.com

For more information on how to prepare for the fu-ture, be sure to contact a financial advisor who spe-cializes in serving families with special needs. A Spe-cial Needs Plan is driven by what they call Unleash L.I.F.E.™- L.I.F.E. meaning Lasting Independence For Everyone™. This is accomplished with education, action, and support in the creation, implementa-tion, and continued monitoring of a specifically de-signed lifelong and integrated plan for your fami-ly: parents, caregivers, your loved one with special needs and their siblings.


http://aspecialneedsplan.com/planning-packages/individual-planning-tools.cfm

http://aspecialneedsplan.com/planning-packages/individual-planning-tools.cfm

http://www.aspecialneedsplan.com


HEALTHY EATING

TO MAKE THE TOPPING

In a smaller bowl, combine almond flour, salt, sugar, spread or oil and rub together. Mix in the cornflakes and place on the strawberry mixture, sprinkle with the flaked almonds.

Place in the oven at 180°C/350°F for 20 minutes, until strawberry juice is bubbling, turning golden brown

Can be served with diary free ice cream or coconut cream

Scrumptious Strawberry Crisp

Coconut Milk Whipped Cream

Healthy Eats courtesy of

By Elouise ROBINSON, Autism Food Club

Ingredients• 4 cups strawberries, hulled and

sliced• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder

• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper• 1 cup blanched almond flour

• ½ teaspoon sea salt• 1 tablespoon coconut oil/dairy free

spread • 3 tablespoons soft brown sugar

• 1 cup cornflakes • ¼ cup flaked almond

Ingredients• ½ cup solid part of full-fat coconut

milk, (from a can of well chilled

milk)• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract• ¼ teaspoon of pure Stevia or 1

teaspoon of agave nectar

(½ cup will make about 1 cup of cream, the recipe can be increased as required)

METHOD

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Us-ing a hand or electric mixer, whip at high speed for a minute or two until it becomes fluffy and whipped cream-like.

METHOD

Place strawberry slices in an oven proof large bowl or four individual dishes, add the vanilla, black pepper and arrowroot; toss to incorporate all ingredients


http://www.theautismfoodclub.com



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Autism Parenting · up and to celebrate all the milestones. Deanna’s tips are helpful for...

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