Okay, so this isn't really a product, but AutismList is a place you can list your product or service or favorite autism website. One stop shopping for parents and teachers looking for autism related products. Autism Blogger is there! www.autismlist.com

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!!!)

I happened to write this on my Tip of the Day this monring on my website.  I thought it would be good to share here too.  I hope its helpful.

Help your child or children with autism prepare for  large gatherings by using a few tricks:

1.  Write a quick social story about what to expect at a large gathering (7-9 sentences should do.)

2.  Ahead of time, show pictures of the people who will be at the gathering.

3.  Maybe Bring a DVD or video that you child likes and ask for it to be played while dinner is being prepared.

4.  Pre-plan a quiet space for you child to go to if he or she needs to get away from the crowd and noise.  Ask the host ahead of time if a place like this exists in their home.

5.  For the verbal child, give your child some words or phrases to use that day and write them on an index cue card for their pocket.  (ex. Happy thanksgiving. Good to see you.This food tases great. ETC.)

AutismClassroom.com has created these work tasks for children with autism and other special needs.  This item is a pre-made activity that is enclosed in a sturdy box, which makes for easy storage.  The item pieces are laminated.  All pieces are secured. This item is perfect for the teacher or parent who wants to provide self-monitored work tasks for the child, but can not find the time to make them. 

         

For more information, go to : http://www.autismclassroom.com/products_and_books 

AutismList.com, new directory for autism related websites, is looking for people to list their favorite sites.  Anyone can list a site, product, magazine, blog or item related to helping individuals with autism.  Go to www.autismlist.com to add a website.

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. 

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 »

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.

If anyone has an IEP coming up here are some ideas for the objectives.

The objectives should be clear and measurable.

Clear, measurable objectives should be specific with reagard to:

Who

What

When

With what support

How many/long/often

The school team should ask parents ahead of time for their input on what they woudl like their child to work on. And if possible, send a draft home for parents to review before the meeting. If not, be sure to bring your ideas for objectives to the meeting in writing or send them to teh teacher before the meeting. At the meeting, all can be reviewed and evaluated.

This was posted in the books section, but it fits here as well. 

AutismClassroom.com's How to Set Up a Classroom for Students with Autism is a 70-page manual for new teachers, paraprofessionals, related service providers and administrators new to working with students with autism or for professionals who would like to enhance their current autism classroom set-up.  The manual is easy to read and is full of great ideas for setting up an autism classroom.  With items such as a checklist for classroom set up, ideas for collaborating with others, data collection ideas and behavior intervention plans, this manual is sure to be a major support for any professional working in a classroom for students with autism or any parent looking to see what a quality classroom should look like.  Perfect resouce for the entire classroom team.

Saturday, October 4th, at 1pm on Discovery health channel, the familiy with 6 children on the autism spectrum will be on again. The show first aired on Wednesday, but if you missed it, here is a second chance to see it.

Autism Classroom has created a wonderful resource for teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators and parents called How to Set Up a Classroom for Students with Autism.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

How to Set Up a Classroom for Students with Autism is a 70-page manual for new teachers, paraprofessionals, related service providers and administrators new to working with students with autism or for professionals who would like to enhance their current autism classroom set-up. For parents who may want to know what to expect in an autism classroom, this is great too. The manual is easy to read and is full of great ideas for setting up an autism classroom. With items such as a checklist for classroom set up, ideas for collaborating with others, data collection ideas and behavior intervention plans, this manual is sure to be a major support for any professional working in a classroom for students with autism!

*Also available as an E-book* www.autismclassroom.com

AS we are going through our day, and difficult situations arise, it is sometimes hard to remember that some challenges or behaviors we see are infact, characterisitcs of autism. There are very really and valid reasons that the child may be doing some of the things he/she is doing. Or if you are new to the world of autism, this may provide some insight on the child with autism in your life. These are the characteristics of ASD as listed by the Autism Society of America.

• Insistence on sameness; resistance to change
• Difficulty in expressing needs; uses gestures or pointing instead of words
• Repeating words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language
• Laughing, crying, showing distress for reasons not apparent to others
• Prefers to be alone; aloof manner
• Tantrums
• Difficulty in mixing with others
• May not want to cuddle or be cuddled
• Little or no eye contact
• Unresponsive to normal teaching methods
• Sustained odd play
• Spins objects
• Inappropriate attachments to objects
• Apparent over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to pain
• No real fears of danger
• Noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity
• Uneven gross/fine motor skills
• Not responsive to verbal cues; acts as if deaf although hearing tests in normal range.

If you are teaching in a school where you are the only autistic support classroom, chances are you are feeling pretty lonely out there.  I would suggest establishing a good rapport with the custodians and the secretary at the school.  They  have been some of my biggest allies when trying to get things that were needed to support the students in my class. Maybe have your students make something for them to say thanks, etc. 

Another idea might be  to go to a teacher who is willing to estabilish a partnership in which the classes have a social (structured party) or a share a reading activity.  For example, some of her/his students come over the list 20 minutes of school to do a paired reading activity with your students or your some of your students go to her.   

Or if the school is really behind the times ask the pricipal if you can provide handout information about autism or speak for 15 mintues at the next staff meeting to discuss the characteristic of autism.  This way you promote some awareness.  (The Autism Accepance Book is great for this) If you have an ongoing 5 minute or so updates of autism information at each staff meeting, throughout the year, maybe this will help build a support team.  If you could have a specific training for 1 hour or so, that might be even better.

Finally find the other autistic support teachers in your school system (Call the Special Educatio Office) and get their email address to build a support team.

A lot of parents and school teams are looking for effective ways to increase appropriate behaviors in children with autism.  A Behavior Intervention Plan is a good way.  A Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) is a written list of strategies and supports for an individual which encourages appropriate behaviors and discourages inappropriate behaviors.  A BIP is created AFTER a Functional Behavior Assessment is conducted which helps identify the reason for the behavior.  A BIP or set of strategies should be written for each behavior.  This is because each behavior may serve a different function or motivation for the student, therefore, a person's response should vary based on the function of the behavior. The BIP should include the child's name, the specific behavior, the function (based on your data collection from assessment), strategies to increase appropriate behaviors,  strategies to decrease inappropriate behaviors,  materials and supports needed to implement the BIP, and skills to be taught to the student in order for him or her to demonstrate appropriate behaviors.  Of course this all takes time and loads of energy.  However, don't give up after one or two weeks.  Usually a child will "have a VERY DIFFICULT time (may become even more aggressive or persistent) if you are no longer "giving in" so to speak, to a specific behavior. Prepare yourself for that.   A BIP is a document which should be flexible and is okay to chage if it is clear a plan is not working for a child.