Autism Awareness

By: Marla Roth-Fisch

Do you know a sensory sensitive child who is trying to understand themselves or starting Occupational Therapy?  If so, Sensitive Sam is the book for you!  This helpful book is based on my experience working with my son who has experienced both challenges and successes when it comes to Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).  Children will enjoy reading about Sam as he engages in several sensory situations at school, home and at the Occupational Therapist’s office.  Children with sensory issues will be able to relate to Sam as he explains from a child’s perspective what it’s like to have SPD.  Professionals and family members can use this resource to start open communication about sensory challenges and ideas for coping.

Best of all, Sensitive Sam also includes a quick reference guide to Sensory Processing Disorder with a glossary of helpful terms and website resources mixed in with its rhythmic and expressive language and bright illustrations.

The book offers a unique conclusion:  using tools to help manage sensory challenges a child can become more comfortable in sensory surroundings, and a child who feels different isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  A great resource for parents and professionals who are looking for a way to comfort and reassure sensory sensitive  children.

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!

On December 18, 2007, the United Nations declared April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD).  Autism is now affecting tens of millions of people all across the world. The United Nations created world autism awareness day to encourage early diagnosis and early intervention and to express their deep concern for the high rate of autism in children in all regions of the world.

 Please join us in our effort to inspire compassion and inclusion and hope for those with autism. Start a conversation today with somebody you come into contact with. This can be as simple as saying “happy world autism awareness day” to friends or coworkers that you come into contact with today.

April is Autism Awareness month and April 2 is World Autism Day. We hope everyone will wear blue and try and start conversations about Autism. At National Autism Resources we try our best to be encouraging because we believe all people can do great things and everyone deserves respect. However, raising a child on the spectrum is often a long and difficult journey.

20 years ago autism only affected 1 in 10,000 children. Now autism is affecting conservatively 1 in 110 children. Autism is now the most common childhood disability. Many professionals and teachers are not trained in how to support and work with these kids. The professionals that do have training can’t meet the demand. We need more resources for parents, teachers and researchers.

Let’s talk about the needs of our community and work together to raise awareness!

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) makes it difficult for a person to understand information they receive from their senses. If you take a minute to think about it, everything you know about the world comes through your senses. SPD causes a person’s body to misinterpret this sensory information causing them to respond inappropriately to ordinary sensory experiences.

When our senses are integrated properly they protect us and allow us to enjoy our surroundings.  Who doesn’t enjoy smelling fresh baked cookies or leave a building when they smell smoke?   The five senses most of us are familiar with are:

• Vision -visual perception
• Hearing – auditory perception
• Touch – tactile perception
• Smell – olfactory perception
• Taste – oral perception

Two senses we may not be familiar with are:

• Vestibular – our sense of balance
• Proprioceptive – our muscles movement

When coordinated properly our senses work together to help us understand and maneuver within our environment. For example to open a door:

• We look at it- visual perception.
• We place our hand on the doorknob- visual and tactile, and proprioceptive perception.
• We squeeze the doorknob (not to hard or to soft) and turn it- tactile, proprioceptive perception.
• We pull open the door (not to hard or to soft) – vestibular, proprioceptive, visual, and tactile perception. (If the door has a squeaky hinge we hear that as we are opening it – auditory perception.)
• We walk through the doorway, stepping over the door jam- visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive perception.

A person with SPD may:

• Bump into the door.
• Slam the door.
• Hit their self with the door.
• Trip or bang into the doorway as they walk through.
• Be unable to open the door.

If you believe your child may have SPD have them evaluated by an Occupational Therapist trained in Sensory Processing Disorder.

It’s easy to drill academic information over and over again and “show” that a person is making “progress.” However, if a person can add and even balance a checkbook, but they can’t go shopping, how does this help in real life?

The truth is it’s much harder to teach individuals with autism how to access the community. It’s much harder to help them gain independence and make meaningful connections in society. As of yet there is no textbook that clearly teaches us how to do this.

It can be easy to get caught up in simple tasks and memorization. For example, when teaching an individual how to make their bed, why practice over and over again until they make a perfect hospital style bed? In real life do any of us really do that? Yes these skills are important, but they can’t be our only focus.

Autonomy, access to the community, the ability to follow one’s interests, these are things that enhance the quality of a person’s life. We need to look for ways to encourage these opportunities for people with autism.  Many people on the spectrum are capable of far more than they are allowed to experience.  Let’s help them find ways to make meaningful connections in their communities.  Let’s help them reach their full potential.

 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.

In April, AMC Entertainment and the Autism Society launched a program that would change the way autistic children enjoyed themselves at the movies. The Sensory Friendly Films program, which kicked off on April 10, allows for thousands of children with autism to see one of 93 sensory-friendly screenings across the nation in over 45 cities across 30 states.

One of those films, How to Train Your Dragon, explored cinematic magic in an autism-friendly setting. Lights are dimmed but remain on, volume is lowered, and the movie starts without previews. Families with special dietary needs were allowed to bring in special snacks from home and children were allowed to talk, respond, yell, dance, or even walk around the theater throughout the film.

Thankfully, this program that caters to those with developmental disabilities will be held on Saturday mornings once per month in all of the participating theaters and cities. All of the films are newly released and featured either a G or PG rating.

To learn more about the Sensory Friendly Films program, check out this featured article in TIME Magazine or you can visit the official site.

On June 8^th, best friends around the nation will come together to celebrate a very special day: Best Friends Day. Unfortunately, for many autistic children, celebrating this occasion can be challenging. It can be difficult to foster and encourage friendships between autistic and non-autistic children. However, there are some things that you can do to plant the seeds of a beautiful friendship that can last a lifetime. Here are some ways that you can celebrate Best Friends Day with your child by giving him or her a chance at making a friend.

First off, friendship starts when you’re a parent. You are your child’s role model, so to help your child develop the skills needed to form friendships you have to practice them yourself. Talk to your child about his or her interests, listen, share, and play. Acquaint your child with the behaviors found in a healthy friendship.

Next, introduce your child to other children and work with support staff to have your child socialize in a classroom or even in a group of other autistic children. Expose your child to different social atmospheres while being conscious of your child’s sensitivity to certain stimulation. Be patient and be understanding. It takes time.

Finally, talk to other parents and create opportunities for your child to connect. Take fieldtrips with the classroom. Work in the community to develop a playgroup for developmentally challenged children. Work with others to develop a network that your child can tap into to form friendships.

Traveling with a special needs child can be a challenge.  Lot’s of rest, good snacks and special items to keep a child busy can really help.  Here is a list of our best travel toys for those with autism:

Wikki Stix Activity Set:

Wikki Stixs are bendable, colorful yarn that sticks to a surface with just fingertip pressure.  These provide an interesting tactile experience and also help fine motor skills. Children can make all kinds of art projects with no glue or mess.  Fun Activity Kit includes: 96 Wikki Stix, Wooden shapes, Feathers, Pompoms, 4 blank faces that are great for exploring emotions, 2 greeting cards, Do-Wikki Gam,e Wikkidoodle sheets, a Travel Fun Book and more!  The activity set comes in a convenient carrying case.

Knobby Teether Ball:

This is a teether ball that a child can hold and chew on. Many teachers use these during circle time to help kids sit who also need to chew.   These are nice for airplane and car rides, particularly if your child is prone to chew on things.

Mini Light Spinner:

It’s easy to keep track of the mini light spinner because it has a break away necklace.  Visually mesmerizing a child can  wear it and watch the lights spin and flicker.

Tangle Jr:

Tangles are great for keeping hands busy on trips in the car, on a plane or anytime. The Tangle Jr. has  18 interconnected pieces that a child can quietly twist keeping their fingers quietly moving. Tangles are a great manipulative toy that stimulates the brain as it helps increase finger dexterity.

Let’s Make Faces Book:

This spiral bound book is designed to be drawn in.  Kids can draw in faces, wipe them clean, and then draw them again! A wonderful tool for exploring emotions and easy to travel with.