My dad sent me this link, it is a refreshing and encouraging article about the abilities and strengths of people with autism.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v479/n7371/full/479033a.html
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Tools of the Trade
These tools of the trade – for teaching/ helping a child with autism – are the ones I keep close at hand, the tools that I use everyday to get the job done most effectively and efficiently!
Time timer
I was so excited to discover this visual timer a few years ago, on Sue Larkey’s website. It is a great concept, with the red indicator to give the child a visual as the time elapses. The timer is silent apart from a little double beep when the time has completed. We use the Time Timer every day. It is useful for indicating time on the computer, preparing the boys for changes in activities, giving them an expectation on how long I want them to keep on a task eg. sitting at the dinner table, and for indicating how much time is left before a change is coming up eg. 2 minutes left in the bath. The boys are so accustomed to the timer that they often request it. For example if I say, “time to get out of the bath now” they say “put the timer on mum?” so I’ll set it for 2 minutes, then when it beeps they are usually happy to get out of the bath.
First, then
This visual aid is almost miraculous in its’ effectiveness. It often amazes me how well this visual aid works. I can tell Ethan 5 times “toilet then dinner time” and he may refuse or not acknowledge what I have said. Then I will put the picture cards on and show it to him and he will do what I have asked! It reminds me how much more powerful visual information is compared to verbal information for Ethan. This visual aid has proven useful with activities like swimming. Ethan has to wear ear plugs because he has grommets bilaterally, but he really dislikes wearing ear plugs or a swimming cap on his head. He does love being in the water, so using the visual of first ear plugs in, then ear band on, then SWIM works. He understands what things need to happen before he can go in the water, when he is given the visuals.
Obsessions are your friend!
Work with the special interests rather than trying to stifle them. Refer to my post Obsessions: Love them or Loathe them - learn to use them!
My “be prepared bag”
Whenever we go to church, a doctor’s appointment, to the hospital, supermarket shopping, etc I always take a bag of essentials with me, even if I won’t end up needing it all. I always anticipate that I will have to wait and will have to keep the boys entertained. My activity bag contains:
· a mini magnetic drawing board
· container of snacks (rice crackers/ pretzels/ tiny teddies/ grapes etc)
· a couple of trains
· bottles of water
· colouring/ activity books
· textas
· Ethan’s electronic spell-checker (one of his most beloved “toys”)
· Eli’s Star Wars reference book
· Fidget toys (koosh balls, stretchy animals, mini hand massager)
Time timer
I was so excited to discover this visual timer a few years ago, on Sue Larkey’s website. It is a great concept, with the red indicator to give the child a visual as the time elapses. The timer is silent apart from a little double beep when the time has completed. We use the Time Timer every day. It is useful for indicating time on the computer, preparing the boys for changes in activities, giving them an expectation on how long I want them to keep on a task eg. sitting at the dinner table, and for indicating how much time is left before a change is coming up eg. 2 minutes left in the bath. The boys are so accustomed to the timer that they often request it. For example if I say, “time to get out of the bath now” they say “put the timer on mum?” so I’ll set it for 2 minutes, then when it beeps they are usually happy to get out of the bath.
First, then
This visual aid is almost miraculous in its’ effectiveness. It often amazes me how well this visual aid works. I can tell Ethan 5 times “toilet then dinner time” and he may refuse or not acknowledge what I have said. Then I will put the picture cards on and show it to him and he will do what I have asked! It reminds me how much more powerful visual information is compared to verbal information for Ethan. This visual aid has proven useful with activities like swimming. Ethan has to wear ear plugs because he has grommets bilaterally, but he really dislikes wearing ear plugs or a swimming cap on his head. He does love being in the water, so using the visual of first ear plugs in, then ear band on, then SWIM works. He understands what things need to happen before he can go in the water, when he is given the visuals.
Obsessions are your friend!
Work with the special interests rather than trying to stifle them. Refer to my post Obsessions: Love them or Loathe them - learn to use them!
My “be prepared bag”
Whenever we go to church, a doctor’s appointment, to the hospital, supermarket shopping, etc I always take a bag of essentials with me, even if I won’t end up needing it all. I always anticipate that I will have to wait and will have to keep the boys entertained. My activity bag contains:
· a mini magnetic drawing board
· container of snacks (rice crackers/ pretzels/ tiny teddies/ grapes etc)
· a couple of trains
· bottles of water
· colouring/ activity books
· textas
· Ethan’s electronic spell-checker (one of his most beloved “toys”)
· Eli’s Star Wars reference book
· Fidget toys (koosh balls, stretchy animals, mini hand massager)
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