We decided to use a picture schedule and communication cards to help with behavior problems.  We have been using the picture/visual schedule for about a month now and we are having great success with it.  It helps our little guy to know what is coming up during the day and he can go check it any time he needs to.  Also, we have put up pictures instructing him on the steps for brushing teeth, going to the bathroom, washing hands, etc.  We have placed several pictures for the foods he will eat on the fridge so he can point to what he wants if he is unable to tell us.  Hint:  Page protectors will prolong the life of your charts!

Unfortunately, I found few websites that had what I needed.  I found several of my pictures, like for playing, grocery stores, restaurants, etc, on Google Images.  It took some work, and some time to organize, but it has paid off. 

Here are a couple of websites I found that were helpful.

Do2Learn

Sites with information on using visual strategies, etc.

Using Visual Strategies

Have a great weekend!!!

I am seeing that it is taking our son a while to adjust to being out of school.  He was only in Pre-K for three hours a day but it made a big impact on him and he is missing it.  I am trying to provide activities at home to keep him busy and engaged.  We painted piggy-banks and he really liked that. We also played balloon ping pong using paddles made out of paper plates and craft sticks. I am always on the look-out for more ideas and I wanted to pass on what I found.  I found some great ideas on Facebook.  Below are some websites I found with different ideas. 

9 Creative Sensory Ideas for a Summer of Fun

Sensory-Friendly Summer Fun!

82 Summer Activities for Families with Special Needs

Kids Sensory Activities on Pinterest

99 Sensory Activities For Any Child

I hope you all have a great summer!

We have been dealing with some negative behaviors with our youngest son for about six weeks now.  His sensory diet, brushing, and re-directing have not been helping.  We are planning to try ABA therapy soon.  Hopefully we can get some strategies to help.  If you need more information and strategies, as we do here are some websites I found with some useful information.

Behavior Strategies for Autism

Positive Behavior Support (PBS) Strategies for Students with Autism

help with Behavioral issues & learning life skills

Tantrumming & Aggression

Autism and Aggressive Behavior - Intervention Strategies for Physical Aggression

I was looking at my wonderful toddler today and wondering what the future will hold for him.  We are honestly trying to decide if the public school would be the best place for him.  He went to their PPCD unit for two weeks and two days.  Then, he regressed to a point we had not seen in two years, if ever at all.  We pulled him out of school, under our doctor's advisement, and he has slowly recovered to a point close to where he was developmentally before he attended school.  After an experience like that, we decided to look into our options for schooling.  There are no schools in our area specializing in Autism, unfortunately, so we are looking to the internet and other parents for information.

I found several websites with curriculum geared towards Autism.  I thought I would list these sites below and we can explore them later.

Linguisystems-has the Buddy Bear curriculum along with other curriculum choices.

Star Autism Support

National Autism Resources

 ACE-Autism Curriculum Encyclopedia:  offers online curriculum

Rethink Autism

Model Me Kids Autism Curriculum

Eden Autism Services

The one thing I learned early on when dealing with an Autistic child is that you have to be flexible.  No two days are the same--ever.  Usually, no two hours are the same.  My toddler's sensory needs can vary drastically from one day to the next and we never know what to expect.  We have pinpointed a rough cycle that he goes through which lasts about six weeks, but even that varies.

It's become a sort of joke between my husband and I when we talk to new doctors, therapists, etc. about our toddler.  When they ask us questions about him, we chuckle and our answer, "It varies."  I also like to tell people that he is "consistently inconsistent."  It gives me a headache just thinking about trying to explain the complexities involved with our youngest son to someone who is not familiar with him.

If anyone else out there is experiencing the same thing, just know that you are not alone in what you are dealing with.  I've learned to be flexible in any and all plans, routines, and appointments depending on how our son is doing on a given day.  It's not easy being flexible to the extent required but I believe it is a necessary part of being a parent to a child in the Autism Spectrum.  Otherwise, I would have driven myself bonkers trying to keep to a schedule, routine, and following normal protocols laid out for a neuro-typical child.  

I told my oldest child not too long ago that our family is not "normal" and will never be considered "normal," ("normal" being another family who does not have children in the Autism Spectrum or have special-needs kids).  Just about everything about us is different from other families:  our schedule, our routines, our environment, our meals, our family time, our bedtime routines, our bath-time routines, our nights, our days, our holidays, our vacations (if we take any).  But, as I told him, that's o.k.  It's o.k. to be different.  It's o.k. to not do things like everyone else.

I'll leave you with that thought for today.  I try to keep to a schedule with the blog and the website but, as I stated  above, every day is different.  My presence is now required elsewhere.  I hope everyone has a great Saturday!!!

Have you ever had one of those days?  I’m not talking about bad-hair days or days when you lose your keys and wind up being late for work.  I’m talking about days when your Autism Spectrum kids are melting down at the same time, your Spina Bifida child hasn’t urinated in eight hours and might need a catheter, your husband is in bed sick, and you can’t move without pain because your fibromyalgia is in full gear.  My normally unpredictable day has turned into a series of chaotic events that shatter the fragile peace and leave the shambles of my eventful life raining down around me like ash after an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.  All of you parents of children with Autism know what I’m talking about, don’t you? 

You might ask, “How do you keep your sanity?”  First, I have to give credit to God.  He gets me through each day.  I couldn’t do this without Him.  Without His peace, love, and guidance I would have been a greasy smudge on the road of life a long time ago.  My husband would be next on the list.  He’s the only one on this earth who knows exactly what I’m going through; exactly what it feels like.  The third on my list would be my mom.  I talk to her every day, usually more than once, and she lends me her ear, her empathy, and her experience as a teacher. 

I encourage everyone to find someone who will listen to you vent, who won’t run away when things get messy-and they do get messy.  If you have a hard time getting away from home, like me, online communities are great.  It’s helpful to see that you are not alone in the obstacles you are facing as a parent of a special-needs child.  There are forums for Spina Bifida, Autism, Tourette's Syndrome, Sensory Processing Disorder, and many other diagnoses.  There are also local support groups who meet all over the U.S. and they are a great resource for us.  

I think the most important thing for me is feeling like I'm not alone in the fight for my children.  Sharing information, talking about the challenges we face, and helping those who are in situations similar to our own is very therapeutic and fulfilling.  Please remember today:  you are not alone; there is someone who cares.

Have you noticed that, on days when the weather changes, your Autistic child's behavior also changes?  It seems that barometric pressure affects behavior in Autistic children.  It is so true in my house.  Below are some links to site which have research to support this belief.

http://www.science20.com/mom_not_otherwise_specified/physics_parenting_autism_spectrum

http://coloradomoms.com/featured/weather-can-affect-autism-symptoms/0

I knew life wouldn't be easy.  My parents taught me that at a young age.  They prepared me as best they could for life by teaching me lessons that I put into use every day.  My mom taught me how to take care of a family, cook on a budget, and keep house.  My dad taught me to take pride in what I do, to do things right the first time, and to finish what I start.  I learned patience, diligence, and tenacity as I grew up on eighteen acres in the country.  I learned to work hard in everything I did and my desire for perfection drove me on through challenges and adversity.

Even though I grew up knowing life wouldn't be easy or fair, I still didn't know life could be like this.  I mean, where in the annals of literature was it ever suggested that life could be this way, this hard, this exhausting, this confusing?  I have the pleasure of being the mother of three special-needs children.  I have two in the Autism Spectrum and one that was born with a form of Spina Bifida.  Each child is a blessing and each child teaches me something new every day.  Along with the joy my children bring to each day comes the physical, mental, and emotional challenges.  

No one ever explained to me that life could be this complicated.  No one ever told me how fulfilling it could be raising special-needs children, either.  We celebrate milestones other parents take for granted.  We get excited at prolonged eye contact and repeated interactions.  We dance a jig when some abstract concept is understood or body language is interpreted correctly.  We dance a 'Potty Dance' when our daughter with Spina Bifida is able to go potty, which does not happen often.

I have been struck with the realization that parents like me need someone to identify with; somewhere to go where you can see that another parent struggles with the same things you do.  I'm hoping that, through this blog, you will see that you aren't alone in the wide and uncertain world that special-needs parents live in.  I hope that in sharing some of our incidents with you that you might find a reason to laugh.

Please check out our new page titled, "Stephanie's Helpful Hints," where I share some things I have found to work in regards to issues that come up with Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder.

Have a great day!