Special Diets for Autism Part II: The Critical Role of Amino Acids
An educational Webinar for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder  

Speaker:     Judy Converse, MPH, RD, LD
Location:     Your computer. (See note below on how to join the Webinar.)   

To Register Visit: https://shsna.webex.com/shsna/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=661395578.

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Location(s)

Basic matching is one of the first lessons taught in an ABA program with kids with Autism. Generally a therapist will start with “nesting items” such as bowls or cups. You put one bowl on the table and hand the other bowl to the child. Then you teach the child to “match” the two items.

I work as a speech tx in a public school in New Jersey.  I am in a self-contained autism class, grades 2,3 and 4, so my students are in that class, and I also have studetns on my caseload who are in other self-contained classes such as MD (multipli-disabled), LD (learning-disabled), and preschool-disabled. In the past, the staff of the autism program (there are 3 teachers and 3 speech therapists) have presented evening workshops for parents of the kids in our program (actually open to parents of kids with any disability in our district).  However, the last 3 years, we have seen a huge decrease in the # of parents who attend.  We're not sure why they're not coming...we have asked them, but haven't gotten a clear picture of why they don't attend.  It could be that they're busy, exhausted by the evening, can't get babysitters (a common problem for kids with autism), or they are simply not interested in the topics we present on.  Would you all mind if I asked your opinion?

 Some of the past topics:

-ABA therapy overview, plus Q & A

-Social Stories

-Visual Schedules - Make-and-take

-Behavioral Issues, modifying behavior

-Dealing with the Holidays/Birthday parties

-Developing Play Skills, working on play dates

-Power Cards

-Appropriate play skills re; games, plus toy suggestions

Some of the topics we haven't presented on yet, but we are interested in:

health and safety (home, school, stranger safety)

sexuality

chore charts and job skills in the home

What do you all think?  Any additional suggestions?  I would like to start this program up again, but my colleagues are so bummed out that they don't want to try, for fear of being disappointed again at a poor turnout.

Please let me know what you think!!  Thank you!

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   A common challenge with children and adults with autism is their ability to communicate. Many a parent and therapist will tell you that Picture Cards are one of the best tools to aid in communication with individuals with Autism, whether the individual is verbal or non verbal.

Many people with autism tend to be visual learners. While some people respond to the spoken word and others to the written word, people on the autism spectrum often learn and communicate best with pictures. For some individuals with autism, pictures are the only way they can let you know what they want.

If your child has no spoken language, you can use pictures to figure out what they want and help them let you know that desire. Here are a few examples:

1.       You may take pictures of various foods that your child enjoys, attach magnets to them, and put them on the refrigerator. This way, when your child is hungry, they can go to the refrigerator, and point to the appropriate picture, or even take it off the refrigerator and bring it to you.  read more »

Integrating Your Child into the Classroom

When you first begin your one-on-one intensive teaching program with a child with Autism or Developmental Delay, the environment is very structured. Often one child will sit alone at a table with one teacher or therapist. The teacher and student are just a few feet away from each other, to minimize the outside distraction.

As a child progresses, the teaching sessions will gradually become more natural. Perhaps the teacher will stand up and walk around the room. Instructions which were once short, concrete sentences may become longer, multi-part directions. This new structure is intended to simulate a classroom environment, where children must attend to a teacher who is at a distance, working with the entire classroom.

A good way to move toward this integration process is to use items which are familiar to the child from their one-on-one, structured environment, in new and different ways. Accordingly, while the instructions and style of the lessons may be different, the materials used will not pose an added distraction.  read more »

This is from my "Tip of the Day" section of my website:

An SLP gave me this idea. Try making a sensory oranament with your child or students.  Use an orange and cloves (pushed into the orange) along with a strudy ribbon tied around the orange. It will be a scented holiday decoration, that the kids will enjoy making.  (Bring an extra orange to eat!!!)

Great cause.  If you live in the Jacksonville, FL area, it could also mean FREE GOLF.  

http://autismparents.net/the-jericho-autism-school-golf-challenge-08/

Ideas for the classroom or Home
ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATION-  Remember communication is not just speaking, it is any way a person relays a message.  Try to encourage communication with your students each day all day. 

• How to do this- Create communication opportunities where there were none before.  For example, during breakfast time, if you are used to giving the students their food automatically, try withholding the food until they sign, say or give a symbol for food.  To take it a step further, give them one food item at a time or give their food first, then have them communicate to get their drink.  Even further...give them their drink, but do not open it, until they communicate.  Next, do the same for the straw and the spoon and the fork, etc.  This same process can be incorporated into an art activity or group activiy or play activity.  You will have an extra advantage any time you have an item the child really likes.  Beware, however, the child who is used to having items given to them "for free" may protest.  You just stick with it and provide them with an appropriate manner in which to communicate their wants. 

An Introduction to Autism Power Point

Leisure skills are important.  Mucho Importante!  or I guess it should be "muy importante".  Hey, don't distract me!  I've been thinking about leisure skills for our kids with autism since my last blog...and it's bugging me!  You may or may not know that, besides having a son with autism, I am a speech language pathologist in a public school, and I work with children who are on the autism spectrum.  I also have many friends who have kids with autism, as well as having a nephew who has autism.  There must be something in the water here in NJ!  (haha, not actually so funny because there IS a lot of crap in the water AND in the soil AND in the air).  Well, in our schools, social skills groups are usually in everyone's IEPs because that's how social skills are adressed, right?  Well, I had forgotten the fight I put up when my son was younger and had recess...I couldn't figure out why social skills were not addressed every moment of the day.  And I kept asking why couldn't the aide who was with him at lunch and recess facilitate some kind of appropriate play interaction with the other kids?  I never got an answer, except that maybe I was asking too much.  read more »

There is so much to think about when targeting skills to work on with a child and what to put in the IEP.  Here are are a few considerations that may help guide you as you take on teh task of proposing goals and obctives for the IEP.

Communication
-encouragement of consistent and meaningful communication
-talk with Speech Language Pathologist to collaborate
-vocabulary development
-symbolic communication
-developmentally appropriate communication
-appropriate language use
-labeling
-making associations
-encourage choice making
-discussions maintained by others
-encourage expressive communication throughout the school day  read more »

Now that we’re well into the academic school year, I thought it would be interesting to highlight two films that deal with inclusion in the school system in two different filmmakers stories. The first film titled Elementary Ed, by Andy Genovese and Samantha Grogin, specifically focuses on Ed Smith Elementary, located in Syracuse New York and tells the story of Daniel and Cory who are two fifth-graders on the autism spectrum.

Ed Smith Elementary carries a long-standing tradition of classroom inclusion. The film focuses on these two boys’ stories and their families, interspersing thoughtful remarks from their fifth-grade peers. It is apparent from the way the “normal” children in the classes interact with Daniel and Corey that there is a feeling of responsibility and care for those that need more attention and guidance in their classes. Ed Smith appears to be a model for inclusion, reinforcing the idea that the earlier our children can be exposed to the variety of human abilities with understanding, the greater empathy and compassion they stand to develop as they mature into adulthood.

The film Including Samuel tackles the subject of inclusion in the classroom from the personal view of its creator Dan Habib whose son has cerebral palsy. Shot and produced over four years, Habib's award-winning documentary film honestly chronicles the Habib family's efforts to include Samuel in every facet of their lives. The film also features four other families with varied inclusion experiences, including those with autism and bi-polar disorders among others, plus interviews with dozens of teachers, young people, parents and disability rights experts.  read more »

My oldest son has HFA.  He is 12 years old.   We have tried several different reading programs with him and had very little progress with his reading.  He is still just reading at a 1st grade level.  I am looking for a very visual reading program that he can use on the computer and/or TV.  As that is where he learns best.   I would love any ideas or suggestions.

Thanks

Kim (autismmom)

Okay, so here is an idea that may help a little to increase desired behavior in a child.  Of course nothing is full-proof, or works for eveyone.  But since we know that visual supports work for everyone (including us, i.e. grocery lists, street signs, appointment books), then we know they are even more important to many children and adults on the spectrum.  Here is the idea:

PORTABLE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS RING-   This set of visual supports can be easily placed in a pocket and transported to any place the adult goes.  The picture or written directions state the behavioral expectations of the child.  When in the middle of a situation in which intervention is needed, the adult can add an effective visual directions instead of, or, in conjuction with verbal directions.

• How to do this- Use 2 inch by 2 inch squares, index cards or heavy stock paper, to place words, icons, photos or objects on.  Have each square represent a behavior expectation you have for the child (ex. stand up, walk in line, wait, listen).  Hole punch a hole in the top left corner of each.  Place a silver ring or a lanyard through the holes.  Use the support ring as needed.

Good luck, I hope this idea is useful to you.