Archive for July, 2010

 As we work with people who have autism it’s important to treat people on the spectrum as people, not tasks!  They have likes, dislikes, and interests, listen to them and help them to achieve THEIR goals. This becomes very important as people mature and become older.

One autistic man shared at a conference that he asked if he could quit his restaurant job over 10 TIMES! The case worker would not let him quit because she didn’t want to “place” him in another job. How would you feel if that were you?  Finally, the man was allowed to quit when he had a melt down in the restaurant.

So why didn’t this young man hate his job? He was in a kitchen sweating, it was loud and over stimulating. The man hated this job and he was being paid minimum wage. To him it felt like torture. The good news is that eventually with the help of another case worker this man found another job, and is currently employed.

We all have a lot on our plate. No one has enough time to finish everything on their to do list. But as we work with autistic people let’s not lose sight of the big picture, we are here to make the world a better place one person at a time.

A fun and simple oral motor activity that kids love is a bubble factory.  All you need to make it is a straw and a clean empty yogurt cup.

 To make it cut two holes in the top of a yogurt cup:

Cut a small hole on the top of the lid and a larger hole on the bottom. Fill the yogurt cup half full of bubble mix. Insert a straw in the small hole and let the child blow bubbles. If you are worried about the child sucking up the bubble mixture, cut a hole in the straw about one inch down. This will keep them from sucking up the bubbles.

Grocery shopping with a child on the spectrum can be challenging. Some autistic children want to touch everything in sight. One mother shared that all her child wanted to do was touch the wrapped meats until he poked a hole through the plastic.  Then he picked the meats up and smelled them. Needless to say she hated going to the grocery store.

 Here are a few tips to make grocery shopping easier:

 1. Give your child a special toy or fidget to hold their attention while you are shopping. Some ideas include bubble wrap, a stress ball or bendy toy. Try to only give this toy to the child when you’re in the grocery store.

 2. Another interesting idea is to cover part of the shopping cart with press and seal plastic wrap. Before going into the store cover a section of the cart and let your child poke holes in it.

 3. Plan to go shopping at less busy times of the day. This will minimize distractions and allow you to get your shopping done faster.

4. Contact your grocery store ahead of time. Many stores will gather your groceries for you or get your basket started as a service for your business.

5. Set up a simple reward system. If you don’t know how to create a reward system talk to your child’s teacher or therapist. Behavioral therapists are especially trained to create these types of systems.

6. Ask a neighbor to check with you before they go to the grocery store. Often neighbors and friends want to help they just don’t know how. Keep some money on hand to pay them to pick up an item or two that you might need. This will save you a trip and give them an opportunity to be helpful.

If you have a tip please share!

Mark your calendars for the next AMC-Autism Society Sensory Friendly Film, Despicable Me, on July 17.  The movie will start at 10 a.m. in participating theatres accross the United States. New locations will be: Champaign, Ill.; Chicago; Denver; Evansville, Ind.; Indianapolis; Madison, Wis.; Omaha, Neb.; Peoria, Ill.; Phoenix; Providence, R.I.; Rockford, Ill.; Sacramento, Calif.; and South Bend, Ind.  To find a location near you visit the Autism Society of America.