About Autism

A new book has just come out: How to Talk to an Autistic Kid.  Written by Daniel Stefanski, a young man with autism we think this will be a wonderful resource for classmates and neighbors who would like to befriend people with autism.  Recently we were able to ask Daniel a few questions about his book.

Daniel, everyone at National Autism Resources really enjoyed reading How to Talk to an Autistic Kid.  Why did you decide to write it?

I wrote the books so kids and adults can learn more about autism.  So people can understand why autistic kids act the way they do.  So autistic kids can have more friends.

There is lots of good advice in your book.  What’s the most important advice you could give someone if they want to talk to an autistic kid?

Be patient. Understand autistic kids are kids, too—kids who want to play, have fun, and have friends.

Do you have any special talents or interests outside of writing?

I’m a good golfer. I won a gold medal in Special Olympics golf last summer. I like to draw and create things. I want to go to an art or engineering college.

It’s so impressive that you wrote a book at the age of 14!  What are some of your goals for the future?

I want to travel all over the world with my family so I can teach people about autism. I want to play golf at lots of different courses. I want to learn about film production and computer animation so I can make movies and video games for kids with disabilities.

We’re excited to offer How to Talk to an Autistic Kid at our autism store!  Do you have tips to help people talk to autistic kids?  If so please share them on our Facebook page and you could win a signed copy of this book!

During the winter when children have few opportunities to go outside it can be difficult for students to focus.  It can be especially difficult for students with special needs to focus or sit still during teaching times. Here are a few tips to help your students focus when medication is not an option.

Help students focus with a mouth fidget.  Gum, chewy tubes or chewelry, work well to help students calm or refocus.

Provide students with a Fidget.   Fidgets are small toys a student can hold in their hand that can help students increase focus and attention. (Rotz, Wright, 2005) Good fidgets should have a combination of an interesting tactile composition, pliability, and some movement opportunities for the hands and fingers.

Let students stand while they work or sit on a Seating Discs.  Children who have problems focusing in the classroom may “under register” movement and without that ability they can’t focus. Although they look strong in quick actions, the body can’t endure long periods of sitting or standing. Sit discs are ideal for providing kids with movement and tactile stimulation while sitting in their seats. Literature indicates positive effects of dynamic seating for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) for attention and classroom behaviors (Schilling & Swartz, 2004; Schilling, Washington, Billingsley, & Deitz, 2003). As a group, students with IEPs and those considered At-Risk demonstrated overall improvements and/or consistencies in rate, accuracy, fluency, and comprehension while seated on an air-filled cushion. Students with IEPs showed the greatest increase in reading rate and comprehension with a full or almost full grade level of improvement noted. Best of all, both the teacher and the students in this study noted that the air-filled cushion was not disruptive and easily fit into the classroom routine.

Use a visual timer to help students focus. A visual timer help students understand the passage of time and they can monitor their own activities. Better time awareness can help with focus and attention and also relieve stress and anxiety.

Help students focus by creating a simple card with the word “wait” written on it. For some students this extra reminder can help to keep them seated. Its important when using a wait card to make sure there is ample time for breaks.

Help fidgety students focus and burn off some energy with an exercise band.  Place the band around the bottom of your student’s two front chair legs. Students can sit and fidget with their feet without disturbing the class.

Use a Weighted Vest, Lap Pad, or Shoulder Weights.   According to a study by the Challenge Infant Developmental Center, Brooklyn, New York (Fertel-Daly, Hinojosa, 2001) children with autism, who used a weighted vest, displayed an increase in attention to task and decrease in self-stimulatory behaviors. The most consistent improvement observed was the decreased number of distractions.

We hope this simple suggestions will help your students focus.  If you have an idea or technique that you have used to help your students focus, please share it!

Roland Rotz, Sarah Wright (2005) Fidget to Focus, New York, iUniverse, Inc.

Schilling, D. L. & Schwartz, I. S. (2004).  Alternative Seating for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Effects on Classroom Behavior. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.  34, 423-432.

Schilling, D.L., Washington, K., Billingsley, F.F., Deitz, J. (2003). Classroom seating for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Therapy balls versus chairs. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 57(5), 534-41.

Fertel-Daly D, Bedell G, Hinojosa J., (2001). Effects of a weightedvest on attention to task and self-stimulatory behaviors in preschoolers with pervasive developmental disorders. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Nov-Dec;55(6):629-40.

 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.

They happen with all children, but sometimes, dealing with an autistic child having a meltdown can be an entirely different and more challenging experience. As an educator, you have the responsibility to keep order in your classroom while at the same time enforcing positive behavior in an autistic child. To help you manage meltdowns, here are a few tips:

1.) Make classroom rules clear, as this will help maintain structure. This is one of the first steps to preventing a meltdown.

2.) Should a meltdown happen, provide a quiet place for that student to go. This can be a trip to the bathroom with a classroom aide or a visit to a guidance counselor. Either way, just make sure the child has a quiet place that’s free of over stimulation.

3.) Be patient. Meltdowns will happen and you have to expect and prepare for them.

4.) Develop a plan of action with parents, classroom aides, and other administrators should a meltdown happen. Have a clear protocol to what must be done to calm the child and reinforce positive behavior inside and outside of the classroom.

5.) Minimize classroom chaos, noise, clutter, and other sensory overloads that could trigger meltdowns. Be conscious of the child’s sensitivity to certain stimuli.

6.) Meltdowns can sometimes occur as a result of change in schedule.  Be sure to anticipate the changes with backup plans that can help the child transition easily back into routine.

7.) Work with parents to get a sense of what triggers meltdowns at home and make changes to the classroom to adapt.

8.) Meltdowns can be triggered by anything that causes too much stimulation. Once a meltdown occurs, remove the child immediately from the situation and put him or her into a quiet place. Then, give the child something with a stimulating texture, like an interesting fidget (LINK TO SENSORY TOYS/FIDGET SECTION OF SITE), so that he or she may use it to trigger a calming effect.

9.) Track the cause of the meltdown.  Screaming, kicking, crying, silent seizures, migraine headaches, and loss of control of all behavior can occur. During an episode, a child with autism will not pay attention to his or her behavior, nor will he or she notice if that behavior compromises safety. While these episodes may have much momentum in the beginning, they will wind down. Remember to be patient and give the student time to let the episode pass while at the same time, noting what brought on the attack and what can be done to prevent it from happening again.

10.) Take time to refresh yourself on special education tactics and training. New strategies for dealing with meltdowns are always being developed and staying on top means that you can be prepared should something happen in your classroom.

For many parents, April is a time of hope. Since the 1970’s, the Autism Society has been celebrating the month of April as National Autism Awareness month, a time for educating the public about autism and issues within the autism community.

As the parent, friend, or family member of someone with autism, there are many things you can do throughout the month of April to support the cause and to raise awareness of this disorder. Show your support for someone you love in the autistic community by:

Supporting Legislation

The Keeping All Students Safe Act, Autism Treatment Acceleration Act, Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, and the Toxic Substances Control Act Reform can greatly change the way our nation supports autism. For more information about this legislation and to take action to support it, visit www.vote4autism.org.

Texting

To donate $10 to the Autism Society, simply text “AUTISM” to 50555 and 100% of your donations will be used to improve the lives of those affected by autism.

Reaching Out

Take time this month to reach out to other parents, especially those with newly diagnosed children. Help them by sharing information, experiences, and support.

Showing Gratitude

Your child’s support staff, teacher, speech therapist, and doctor have no doubt given you so much help throughout this journey. Show your support and thanks for all that they do by doing something nice for these special people. Let them know that they’re making a difference.

Finding a Mentor

Local college students and community agencies are always looking to mentor children with special needs. Connect your child with a helper or an aide so that both your child and his or her mentor can learn from each other.

Spreading the Word

Raise awareness of autism in your community by participating in or hosting events, fundraisers, school programs, and community outreach programs. Also, spread the word by wearing the ribbon, displaying your support of autism awareness on your car, or even by writing about it on the web. Your voice will be heard.

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