Archive for March, 2010

As new visitors of Corrie’s blog, Pickle Talks, we sure can’t wait to visit again!  Throughout various doctors’ appointments and connecting with other medial professionals, Corrie’s son Jonathan was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome when he was three and a half years old.  You may be wondering, as we were too, where the name of Corrie’s blog, Just Because My Pickle Talks Doesn’t Make Me An Idiot, came from.  Once her son, Jonathan, speech was developing, she found him repeatedly saying, “Just because my pickle talks doesn’t make me an idiot”, Corrie and her husband, Scott, spent hours trying to decipher what this phrase meant.  Scott concluded it would be the name of the book Corrie would be writing about raising Jonathan, but since Corrie wasn’t too sure about working on a publication, so she took this phrase and created a blog with this title.  Throughout the blog, Corrie talks about the life struggles and what role Asperger’s Syndrome plays with Jonathan’s life and the rest of her family.  Corrie and Scott also have two other wonderful children, Josh and Faith, and you can also follow their adventures too throughout the blog.  The families behind Pickle Talks are always looking for new friends to stop on by, so feel free to stop by for a visit!

1.) Children with autism can learn better when you use visuals to support the things you are saying. If at all possible incorporate pictures, charts, or other visual aids into your instruction.  This will help all students (not just the one with autism) to concentrate and keep them from withdrawing from the lesson.  Visual aids can also give structure to a classroom. Pictures and words should be used all around the classroom to help identify areas such as where lunches are stored, pencils are sharpened, and even where the restrooms are. Give an autistic child the opportunity to communicate by using these visual aids as cues.

2.) If teaching in a regular education classroom, you may need to make changes so that an autistic student can learn effectively.  Pay attention to where your autistic student is sitting, and try to make it an area with few distractions.  If possible use room dividers or the placement of furniture to keep things structured and to keep certain areas free of distractions. Separate areas for independent work, group work, play and other activities can give the autistic student visual cues about what is expected of them.  They can also make the autistic child feel safe by using structure and routine.

3.) Use visual cues and routine to help the student focus on instruction. It may be helpful to do your classroom instruction in front of a plain white board with out any background distractions.  Reward and praise actual accomplishment and staying on task. Having trouble keeping focus? Try using other sounds than the child’s name repeated to regain attention, like clearing your throat.  If he is in a situation where he gets too excited, take the child to a quiet place where he can calm down and recompose. While it is important to accommodate the child with autism, do not make it obvious that the child has special needs. Children with autism should feel like they are a part of the class.

4.) Challenges will happen when you’re working with an autistic child, but preparedness will always make things easier. Know that you may encounter frustration and confusion caused by sensory overload or the inability to communicate effectively. Stressful, loud, overly stimulating, or unstructured situations may cause panic and tantrums in an autistic student. Work with the parents, student, and administrators to have a plan in place to help the student work through frustration or difficult experiences. Keep a close relationship with any support staff that can help you positively respond to an autistic child.

5.) Finally, be patient. Students with autism are faced with a variety of communication, social, and sensory challenges. Take the time to educate yourself on the nature of autism as you work to better the life of an autistic child in your classroom.

More resources and autism materials for setting up a classroom for an autistic child can be found here on our website, along with other visual support tools.

Raising a child with autism takes a community.  Families, educators, and community support systems are all keys to an autistic child’s success.  One way that educators can effectively support an autistic child is to develop a good Individualized Education Plan (IEP). An IEP is a federally mandated education plan created specifically for every child that has a disability.  In developing an IEP, educators work with administrators and parents to determine the best course of action (in the form of goals) for helping a student learn, grow, and develop with autism.

So how can an educator help develop a good IEP for an autistic child? They key is to create good IEP goals.  A helpful system for creating goals is the SMART process.

SMART IEP goals are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time Limited

SMART goals will give structure to the IEP plan.  A SMART IEP goal will state when each goal should happen, the context for the goal, and what determines the success of the goal. SMART IEP goals are specific about behavior, speech, educational, or social skills.  They define any modifications to the curriculum or environment that need to take place to achieve the goal.  With SMART goals you will better define what the child will do, when and how he’ll do it, and what the time frame will be for achieving each goal.

Avoid using broad, sweeping generalizations in the IEP development process. Remember, an IEP is meant to be unique to each and every student. It is essential to have an accurate understanding of the student’s position on the autism spectrum and what things he needs to work on.  Take some time to review the educational history of the autistic student.  Look at early intervention techniques, behavior modifications, or any modifications that either worked well, or did not work with the child.

Along with SMART goals, be sure to include any curricular modifications or accommodations, any support staff that are needed to support the IEP goals, special materials or resources needed, and which goals should be given priority for the welfare of the autistic student.

Find more on SMART goals here on our site!

We want to share with you another great blog we stumbled across, called Same Child, Different Day.  We found them not too long ago while on our search for other blogs that cover the experiences behind raising and caring for an autistic child. Aside from sharing personal stories and experiences from Jon, who is behind the blog and is raising an autistic child, he also covers topics from changes to developmental services system across states, to pushing for autism reforms in the state of Vermont.  Jon has even managed to write a book, which has the same name as the blog, titled, Same Child, Different Day.  His goal is to shed some light into expectations and experiences following the first year of a diagnosis.  We want to lend our support to Jon and the rest of his family throughout the days to come and want to wish him best on his publication!  Make sure to stop by Same Child, Different Day and consider picking up a copy of his book!

We recently had the pleasure to connect with Jeannie, who is the inspiration beyond The Adventures of Mr. Busypants. Her blog allows her to talk about the everyday adventures of her 6-year-old son, who has autism, and her 2-year-old daughter. When Jeannie isn’t busy with her kiddos, she is busy establishing the Mr. Busypants brand, and hopes to some day write a Bible study for Mom with kids with special needs, as well as other books for children with Autism. Her passion and excitement for the activities and daily happenings with each of her kids shines through with each and every one of her posts. You can follow the adventures of her boy, Alex, who has Autism, and his younger sis, Jorie, as they live each and every day to the fullest, and have quite the fun doing it!  We encourage you to visit Jeannie at The Adventures of Mr. Busypants and enjoy the collection of happenings in her children’s lives as well as the struggles associated with Autism. We wish her and her family all the best and tell her we said hello when you stop by

According to a recent release, the American Academy of Pediatrics has now recommended new guidelines that indicate that all children should be screened for autism at 18 months and 2 years old. While this new guideline should help with earlier diagnosis and intervention, there’s a new program that’s getting even more attention in the process.

Rapid ABC is a new screening technique that uses simple activities to test for autism, like having a child’s name called, looking at a book, or playing. Then, the screening will target attention, reciprocity, and communication in the children, which usually age 15 to 17 month. Once it’s complete, a software program then computes a score. If autism is suspected, the child will then be put through further testing to get an appropriate diagnosis.

The Rapid ABC test was developed by Emory University and Georgia Tech and several studies show it’s accurate in identifying toddlers at risk for autism spectrum disorders. This helps alert parents to the need for further testing as well as early intervention. The goal of those involved with Rapid ABC is to make the program part of regular pediatric checkups at both 18 and 24 months so that children at risk for autism can be properly diagnosed without delay so intervention and treatment can take place.