It Takes a Village to Raise a Child.....

I'm a big believer in teaching social skills to everybody, even strangers (my husband says that this can be annoying) ....... But, I was waiting in line at a drug store yesterday, when a girl who looked about 10 years of age stepped in front of me to reach for the candies lining the cashier's counter.
The mom firmly directed her "Rachel, do not get in front of the lady, stand next to me. " 
The girl shot off to another counter and again the mom called her back to her side.
I paid for my order, turned around to face the girl and said "Rachel, thank you for waiting for your turn".
Surprised- Rachel said "you're welcome". Mom looked very pleased.
Short interactions from strangers can pack more punch than requests all day long from parents. It takes a village to raise any child........

Occupational Therapy Activities to Promote Visual skills

These are my 2 favorite books for activities OTs can do to promote ocularmotor control, scanning, and visual perceptual skills. CVA is an older book but packed with great explanations as to the types of problems children with special needs may have, a chart of the classroom difficulties that impact functional vision and adaptations that might help. 

Different..... Not Less

In her new book –Different….Not Less, Temple Grandin reinforces the popular notion -that if you meet a person with autism….you have met ONE person with autism. Indeed, each of the 14 contributors in this collection creates a collage of the childhood and adult experiences that have made them the individuals they are today.

Grandin carefully chose a cross section of men and women with Aspergers syndrome from  different fields (i.e. medical, art, technology and sales), various western cultures (i.e Australia and Scotland) and life situations (i.e. rural/urban, religious/non-religious upbringings) that show the similar social, communication and sensory challenges that people with Aspergers face despite varied backgrounds. These stories also demonstrate the unique talents and coping strategies that have enabled these individuals to achieve varying levels of life satisfaction and success.

 I believe that within the context of these stories- “life satisfaction” and “success” may be considered almost synonymous. A common thread is that after a lifetime of being “different” and with  varying degrees of  family support- finding acceptance and meaningful activities (whether vocational or recreational) is critical to happiness and indeed, success. Unlike mainstream western values-success need not be equated with wealth, owning things, fame or having lots of friends.

Most of the authors did not learn about their Aspergers diagnosis until later in life. For some it was a relief to find an explanation for why they felt different and for others it made them angry to receive a label. Most of them consider their lives a work in progress as they take the diagnosis and use it to forge societal and self-acceptance.     

Each contributor’s story was riveting- partly because I am an occupational therapist and I deeply understand Grandin’s message that people with autism shine when they develop their talents. Perhaps I loved this book because I believe that my mother (daughter of immigrants and obsessively religious) had undiagnosed Asperger’s and my Generation Y son (who is a brilliantly creative college student and entrepreneur with Aspergers) benefited from our modern day IEP and disability supports. There is much food for thought here….I believe that readers with autism and family members/friends of individuals on the spectrum will appreciate the following themes that run through many of the stories:

·         Mentors are extremely important-if not one’s parents, then others (perhaps teachers, clergy, employers) who recognize and support the person’s abilities and goals

·         High expectations of children to work and develop manners will contribute to future acceptance, persistence and feelings of self- worth

·          People with autism think outside the box and therefore may do best working in settings where their creativity is a positive-such as running a business or artistic fields.  

·         Hard work pays off…

Readers whose lives are not personally touched by autism may also appreciate the inherent logic in raising children with these guiding principles and enjoy the many other insights offered by the contributors. I strongly encourage them to visit the intense visual arena that brought us the likes of Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs.       

 Many of the contributors describe how they were brought up to be kind, yet were victim to bullying. Some found solace in animal relationships.  Others became deeply involved in helping others (a psychologist, nurse anesthetist, psychiatric rehabilitation worker). I think that Grandin may have chosen people with these backgrounds to dispel the techie nerd stereotype associated with autism. Some of the contributors are accomplished authors and public speakers despite communication challenges and others have overcome a history of jail time and alcohol abuse. They represent a wide swath of humanity.

Grandin concludes the book with her own chapter about how to find work opportunities. She reiterates that people with autism need alternatives to interviews (a weakness for people with communication challenges), mentors, early experiences that develop the work ethic and by all means- should take advantage of social media to show off one’s portfolio. 

 Reading these stories and Grandin’s brief synopsis of what each of the authors overcame- serves to emphasize that –people on the autism spectrum (as well as borderline neurotypicals such as myself) are different, not less. If we viewed every person on the planet with this simple frame of reference-wouldn’t it be a better world for us all?

Different....Not Less

If you use the code "PEDIA", you will get the book Different . . . Not Less by Temple Grandin for $16.96 instead of the $19.95 retail price.

http://www.templegrandin.com/

RecyclingOT.com

Book Review: Autism Every Day

Teacher, autism trainer and mother -Alyson Beytien has performed a magic act.  I don’t mean raising three boys with autism and not going insane. I mean writing an entertaining book about the challenges and joys of raising her unique and lovable guys while making readers LOL (… “laugh out loud”) and  wonder -    HDSDI (how does she do it!).
 

“Autism Every Day” is Alyson’s story of a life filled with the many acronyms familiar to every parent of a child with special needs,
the funny and not so funny experiences that make her laugh and    cry and the strategies she has learned through her training and on    the job parenting. I use the author’s first name because readers   will quickly feel like they know Alyson. She is the shopper in       Walmart trying to diffuse a tantrum, the parent who   cries at IEP     meetings and friend  who dances next to her child in public to     explain away his unusual body movements (it’s a family dance she        says!!).   

Pages saturated with love and humor are also pungent with words of wisdom such as:

·       Visual schedules are life savers. They indicate what will happen, when and how long it will last (i.e. doctor’s visit, shopping, Christmas dinner)

·       children with autism need to be taught flexibility by changing things up just enough to be tolerable but not so much as   to cause a meltdown (hint: choice cards can help              with this).


·        recognize a child’s unique expression of love-such as creating physical contact by backing into a person 


·      Use advice from your most trusted supporters
even if the majority opinions differ


·  
Bring a yummy treat to an IEP meeting to set the tone of    teamwork (or one might say- bribery)

Readers won’t realize that they are learning 150 strategies since they are cleverly tucked into funny anecdotes later to be summarized at the end of the chapter. My favorite is the toilet training             competition told by Ron the sportscaster with minute by minute    descriptions of match-ups between son and mother in the battle of the bathroom. I am happy to report three successful toilet training contests –mom won with the aid of action figures, candy, dad       demonstration and a toilet vigil. 
As an occupational therapist and mother of a young man with Aspergers syndrome I was familiar with the sensory and behavioral     strategies described in this book. But even those of us long       enmeshed in the world of autism will love this book for its humor, honesty and poignant stories. For parents and other family members new to the bewildering world of autism your friend Alyson will remind you that every family is unique and wonderful. Now the rest of the   world needs to learn this, too!

AutismEvery Day: Over 150 Strategies Lived and Learned by a Professional Autism Consultant with 3 Sons on the       Spectrum is published by Future Horizons. It
is 286 pages long and costs $14.95. 
Use the code "Pedia" to get 15% discount.

The Best Kind of different

I wrote this review a while ago......just loved this book so sharing again on my blog!


A voice for parents seeking support and validation
During the 1950's parents were blamed for the apparently aloof behaviors manifested by children with autism. There was even a term for this- "refrigerator moms" who were viewed as so cold- they made their children antisocial. Shonda Schilling's story of how she was viewed resounds this familiar theme. Her son has the form of autism called "Asperger's syndrome" where the child typically has average or above average intelligence accompanied by struggles to communicate, process sensory information, focus and control impulses. Schilling's descriptions of how other's have viewed her as a failing parent, who can't set limits or control her child reflect the misguided concept that a child on the spectrum- a child with a neurological disorder whose behaviors make others uncomfortable is the fault of the parent. Many readers will relate to these experiences and appreciate Schilling's voice for parents experiencing the frustrations, guilt, shame and anger of raising a disabled child.

Packed full of Information
Readers will find it fascinating and shocking that with the increasing awareness and prevalence of autism- medical and educational professionals did not make a diagnosis or referral for services until their son Grant was ten years old. Schilling not only shares with her readers the emotional roller coaster she went through upon learning that Grant's behaviors were not his fault. She inspires them to advocate and find the resources they need to help their children and themselves. This involved explaining to coaches that winning isn't everything and children with learning differences deserve the opportunity to play and be part of a team even if they are not an asset to winning. Schilling discovers that parents should not be embarrassed by a disabled child's behavior- it is not a reflection of one's parenting style or foibles. Finding the right summer camp-one designed for children exactly like Grant enabled him to engage in the childhood rite of summer camp and with supports make friends. Schilling also learned that no parent should go through the special education process alone. If the spouse is away -find a friend who can not only provide emotional support but help advocate.

A Book Occupational Therapists Can Appreciate
Occupational therapists and other readers will love learning about how a sensory diet packed with vestibular and proprioceptive stimulation helped Grant control his behaviors and optimize learning. A weighted bean bag on his lap helped him to remain calm and the Alert Program for self regulation helped him know what energy level was appropriate for different situations. Schilling learned that her son slammed his body against others because he sought out deep pressure stimulation. Understanding his sensory needs helped her to understand and address his behaviors.

The Role of Animals
Schilling confirmed something that many parents, therapists, teachers and individuals with Asperger's syndrome have long known-animals often play an important role by providing an unconditional love, sensory stimulation and opportunities for communication void of misinterpretation and idioms. Author and lecturer Temple Grandin has long written about the importance of animals during her childhood leading up to her successful career as animal scientist. The schilling household has included numerous dogs, fish, lizards, turtles and hamsters. Like many other individuals on the autism spectrum, Grant gravitates towards pets and experiences a sensory based connection.

A Highly Recommended Book
I highly recommend this book not only for its quality writing and entertainment value- but because reading it gives insight into the inner resources a parent must discover in order to survive. Being married to a famous ball player probably played a pivotal role in finding a publisher for this memoir. But readers will be delighted with her brutal honesty, openness and optimism. This is a book that offers support, inspiration and basic information for all readers affected by autism.

Buttoning Board and Button Squares

 This may be a repeat but I like these so much here goes.......   Removing and attaching the fabric pieces with slits in them is easier than actually buttoning and may be considered a pre-buttoning skill builder.  I sewed the large piece of blue fabric to cover a sturdy piece of cardboard.    

I cut the pink circles out of a detergent bottle and punched holes with a heavy duty puncher from an office supply store. Next, I sewed the pink buttons onto the fabric. Grade by using more or less of these. The student has to stabilize the pink pieces while attaching the fabric (or removing the fabric) and this is a bit easier than actually using buttons. The red and blue button squares shown here are large, the fabric is soft and feels good and is a bit stretchy making it easier and hopefully a bit fun to manipulate. You can set up sequencing containers to either button or unbutton these, depending on skill level. This is a lot less stressful than manipulating fasteners on clothing and the squares are easy to see on the table as opposed to on clothing.


Source: Fun Activities that Develop Buttoning Skills by RecyclingOT on Rumble

barby

Source: Sensory Buttoning Board by RecyclingOT


                                                                      

Manipulation Snow Man

I've been thinking for a while how a large white orange juice container can be cut up to make a snowman.

I cut into one side to create the 3 snow balls.

Then I cut a circle from a different color bottle.

Punch a few wholes into the circle and background so that the holes align. I took my leather shears and made the holes extra big so that they would be easy to lace. I drew a face on the blue circle.
I attached the cord to one of the holes so that it won't get lost and will be easy to begin lacing.

I realized that the cord was too long and cut it shorter, attached tape to the end to make lacing easy and it is now long enough to lace through the 4 holes.
I cut two more circles to make buttons. I punched holes in the green buttons shown here and the snowman so that I could lace them into place. then I cut a slit in the red fabric. It is soft and stretch and easy to pull on or off the "button".




For some reason the photo won't rotate correctly but you can see the completed snow man with a scarf tied around his neck and a screw cap hat.

So now- to make the snowman children need to button, screw a cap, tie a knot on the scarf and lace the face.

It is easier to open and remove the clothing than attach. This activity can be used with children between 2-5 years of age, but adapted according to their abilities. Some children may assist with lacing the last hole, completing the button, pulling the ends of the cord to tie the knot on the scarf or giving a twist to the hat. Over time they will do more and more of the steps independently.

Some children will find it easier to undress the snowman.

I attached a container inside to hold the clothing articles and opening and closing the lid provides another great opportunity to manipulate.

Source: Plastic Manipulation Snowman by RecyclingOT