This Special Life

Autism Advocacy & Support

For Parents

Why That Boring Paperwork From Your Provider is Actually Worth Filling Out

by

If you have a child with autism, you’re no stranger to forms. You’ve probably memorized more than your fair share of rote family details. At a certain point, you might question the value of all that paperwork. As a provider of education and ABA, I am often asked this question by families. They are frustrated by the seemingly endless stream of forms to complete. This frustration is understandable! Here are some reasons why that boring paperwork is worth your time.

1. It helps providers make sure you have all the resources you need. Intake paperwork often poses boilerplate questions to every new family. These questions serve an important purpose though. They let your provider know what services you need that they may need to refer you out for. They may have a resource list compiled to help you find a specialist in your community. Different needs may be best served by different providers. 

2. It helps providers serve your child better. Providers ask a lot of questions at the beginning of services. This is because they are using the information you provide to adjust their methods to fit your child. The more information you provide, the better your provider can individualize services. Don’t be afraid to be too wordy. But, don’t feel like you have to include long answers. Sometimes a short, succinct answer will be more than enough. This can be especially true if you’ve had a lot of practice answering these types of questions already!

3. It helps keep you and your child safe (in two key ways). First, your providers must meet certain standards set by their regulating authority. This could be your state department of health. It could be the office of public education. It could be a certifying board in your provider’s field. Your provider demonstrates many of these standards in their patient records. Second, your provider will likely ask for more safety information than emergency contacts. This helps them quickly respond if an emergency happens during services. For example, for telehealth, they will want to know the hospital closest to your home.

4. It keeps your information up to date. The upside to filling and refilling out paperwork often is that your information is less likely to become outdated. This is important for basic information like email addresses and phone numbers. It is also important for information like allergies and medications. Updated reports from other providers may impact updates to treatment.

If you’re struggling to find time to complete excessive amounts of paperwork, you are not alone. Ask your provider if there are ways to merge the information, but don’t be surprised if that is not an option. It is often a rule that each form be completed by the family. Your provider may not have control over these requirements. Another strategy is to set up a meeting with your provider or someone from their office to fill out the paperwork together.

You may be asked for documents from somewhere else, like your pediatrician. If so, it can be helpful to give your provider an update. For example, let them know you have reached out to your pediatrician and you’re waiting on the response. This way your provider knows the paperwork is in process, even if they don’t receive it right away.

5 Concepts You Can Teach At Home

by

When you think about concepts you can teach your child with autism at home, what is the first thing that comes to mind? For many families and teachers, the answer is “colors.” There are a lot of reasons for this. Colors, while abstract, are a fairly concrete concept. They are a staple of many daycare and preschool curriculums. They are ever present across early childhood classrooms everywhere. And, colors are easy to find everywhere around us. Your child’s toy collection probably presents lots of natural opportunities to work on teaching colors.

But colors aren’t the only concept you can easily teach your child at home. In this article, we’ll discuss 5 other concepts you may not have thought about yet. After reading, you’ll be able to add these to your toolbox of home teaching skills.

1. Sizes. The most important thing to keep in mind when teaching sizes is that size is relative! A mountain will always be big and a grain of rice will always be small. But for the most part, the size you label something will change based on context. That is OK! Don’t let it deter you from labeling sizes often for your child. In addition to big and small or large and little, show how sizes compare with more than two items. Practice ordering objects in order of size.

2. Prepositions. Some common prepositions you can practice with your child are: over, under, in, out, inside, outside, on top, beside, next to, in front, behind, and off. Generally, it’s best to start with prepositions related to location. That way you can demonstrate what you mean with toys and experiences. For example, playing with water and cups at bath time is a great way to teach your child “in” and “out.”

3. Texture and weight. An easy place to start with concepts about how things feel is teaching “heavy” and “light.” These are simple to label in terms of your child’s own experience. Let them try to lift something that is a little too heavy for them, and use the word “heavy” to explain why it’s hard. Understanding “heavy” might come before “light.” It also may be easier to understand than texture concepts like “rough” and “smooth.” After you find a word like “heavy” that your child understands, you can start introducing other texture and weight words and concepts.

4. Time (sequencing). Time may seem too abstract to teach your young child, but it’s never to early to introduce! The best way to start teaching time is with the sequence of events. For example, take the time to explain to your child what activities will happen today, and in what order. Start using words like “before” and “after” to describe events as they happen, and talk about them later. The more you explain your daily schedule in simple ways, the more you are teaching the concept of time.

5. Symbols. Has your child ever been fascinated by an excavator or a bulldozer while you were driving? Do you have any books with pictures of excavators and bulldozers at home? Use opportunities like this to demonstrate the relationship between pictures and real world items to your child. Gradually, this is how you teach the concept of symbols. Drawing pictures that represent your child’s favorite items at home is another great way to teach this skill. Learning the concept of symbols is a good first step to learning about letters and numbers.

Teaching Home Routines: Hand Washing

by

Children with autism sometimes struggle to learn daily routines. Taking the time to teach routines one by one can save you a lot of time in the future. Putting this time in can also decrease your future stress. Parents often create “shortcuts” to get through a day successfully at home, by providing lots of prompts and help for routines like hand washing. But over time this can mean less time to spend on other activities as your child gets older.

By building in time to teach home routines, you can increase your child’s independence. You can also create more time in the day to help your child with new and more difficult activities. And, you’ll have more time to do the things you need to do.

In this article, we’ll discuss the steps of teaching hand washing.

1. Build interest in hand washing. This can be done by creating times in the day when the whole family washes hands. This can be when returning from a walk outside, before meals, or another consistent daily activity. You can also build interest in hand washing by letting your child watch you wash your hands often.

2. Adjust the environment. If your child is very young, they may need a step stool to reach the sink. You may need to put a spout adjuster like this one on your faucet so your child’s hands easily reach the water. Depending on what type of faucets you have at home, turning the water on and off may be the last step your child learns. This may be something that you or an older child continue to help them with for a long time even after they have mastered all the other steps of the routine.

3. 20 seconds really is 20 seconds. This length of time can be hard for many families to adjust to. Many children may have trouble washing their hands for this long, especially if their parents already don’t spend that much time washing their own hands. This is also important when considering that it starts after your child has already obtained soap. You will also want to consider the water pressure – too much water coming out of the faucet will make it harder to scrub effectively for 20 full seconds.

4. You can motivate your child by using special hand soap and singing special songs during the hand washing routine. Choose songs that last about 20 seconds, or repeat a song that lasts about 10 seconds twice. Supervise your child and encourage them while they are washing their hands. Remember, teaching independence doesn’t mean that you walk away completely. Especially in the beginning, your child will need lots of partial support and lots of praise to be successful.

5. Be aware of your child’s sensory needs for the hand washing routine. This could mean that they are extra sensitive to the temperature of the water, the texture of the hand towel, or even the noise of the faucet. Making small adjustments for sensory needs can decrease any stress around the routine and increase success.

Practical Tips for Teaching Kids with Autism How to Help with Household Chores

by

Many families value having their children help out around the house. This could be for a variety of different reasons. Families may want to teach their children the process of earning money. They may want to teach older children basic household care skills. Doing the dishes, helping prepare meals, and folding laundry are all lifelong skills. Families may also need help from all household members to keep up with housework.

Here are some practical tips on how to create positive chore routines for your child with autism:

Decide on Your Goals

First, decide why you are involving your child in chores. Some possible reasons are listed in the paragraph above. This will help you determine how to structure the chore schedule. For example, you may be teaching your child how to do chores so they can become familiar with the process of earning money. In this case, you will need to set up a clear method of giving instructions on the chores to be done. You will need to show your child what they will earn before they do the chore. This is probably best accomplished with a visual schedule or chore chart. Then, when the chore is completed, you will need to give them what they earned. You also might need to help them organize their earnings, and decide what to do with them. Of course, if they don’t complete the chore, they will not earn the money.

But, many families do not attach monetary allowances to successful completion of chores. Rather, chores are taught as part of overall life skills in the home. Or, they may be taught as part of developing empathy and helper skills. In this case, you might not need a structured chore schedule. Instead, you might teach your child to show willingness when asked to help out. Or, they could choose from a couple of different chore routines you offer them. That way, they have control over what household routines they take part in that day.

Start Small

It is important not to overwhelm your child with autism with a task they don’t know how to do. Chore routines should start small. This could be as minor as putting one block inside a box. Or, they might hand you their cup when they are done with it instead of throwing it. Teaching these small skills to take care of the home environment can lead to more complex and independent chore routines. 

Teach, Teach, Teach

When you are assigning your child a new chore, you will need to teach them how to do it first. You might need to have your child watch you do the chore several times before they can attempt part of it themselves. They will also need prompting with most chores for a long time before they can do them alone. This includes cleaning up spaces like their own rooms and other play areas.

Give Feedback

Your child will need a lot of behavior specific feedback when they are doing chores. This is true even after they have learned how to do a chore by themselves. Look for ways you can deliver specific positive feedback. This will help your child establish a sense of pride about work they complete. You can also praise them for doing things like “helping your brother do ______.” Emphasize helping behaviors in your praise. This encourages more helping behavior in the future. 

Make Big Things Small

Large, multi-step chores will always be overwhelming. Try to help your child learn how to make big things small. For example, time how long it takes them to put away ten things in their room. Then, see if they can beat their time for the next ten things. This helps a big project like cleaning an entire room be easier. It also helps your child manage potential overwhelmed or frustrated emotions.

8 Easy To Make Sensory Activities At Home

by

Got bored kids at home?  Keep them busy with items from around your house!

Is your sensory seeking kid getting bored with things from around the house? They always turn to mom or dad for ideas.  Give them something new to try instead of suggesting the same old games and toys.

No need to go shopping either!  Prep these easy to make activities ahead of time and pull them out next time your child says, “Mom I’m bored!”

Homemade Sensory Bin

For this activity, all you need is a plastic bin and sensory type trinkets.  Put the stuff in the bin and you’re all set!  Here are things you can use for the homemade sensory bin:

  • Uncooked rice
  • Uncooked pasta or noodles
  • Buttons
  • Shredded paper
  • Scraps of cloth

Add some plastic cups, bowls, and spoons for your child to scoop and pour.  Turn it into pretend play with little cars, action figures or animals.

Shaving Cream

Some kids prefer squishy textures.  Shaving cream is perfect for that.  For this activity, all you need is a cookie sheet, plastic mat or even a window and non-gel shaving cream!

Practice writing numbers, letters, or draw pictures with fingers.  Turn it into a car or animal wash by letting the toys run through the shaving cream.  Scrub with toothbrushes.  Rinse off in a bowl of water.

Bubble Monster

Put a new spin on blowing bubbles!  For this activity, all you need is:

  • Sock
  • Tube
  • Sudsy dish soap water.

Simply put the sock over the end of the tube and dip into the sudsy water.  Blow into the other end of the tube and watch the bubble monster form!

Box Reading Cubby

Have a large box from Amazon?  Turn it into a cozy reading cubby or nook!  Let your child decorate the outside however they wish with markers or stickers.  Cut out windows or simply leave one end open.  

Put in some soft blankets and pillows and your child has quiet spot to read, rest or take a break.

Tin Can Stilts

Looking for a fun way to walk around?  Make your own stilts!  For this activity, all you need is:

  • 2 large tin cans
  • Sturdy rope, twine or jump rope.

To make the stilts simply turn the can over so the bottom is facing up.  Punch two holes across from each other on the sides near the rim.  Run the rope through the holes. 

To walk on the stilts all your child needs to do is place their feet on the bottom of the cans and hold the ropes in each hand a start walking!

Balance Beam

Have some 2×4 planks of wood?  Turn them into a balance beam.  Place 1 long piece of wood on the floor.  Nail or glue a shorter piece of wood at either end of the long beam to make a T at each end.  Turn it over and you have a balance beam!

Floor Maze

Make a life-size maze for your kids to walk through!  For this activity, all you need is masking tape or blue painters tape. Tape out a maze design and that’s it! 

You can also make an indoor hopscotch game out of tape.

Human Burrito or Pizza

For the kid who loves deep pressure, this one is for them.  Layout a blanket out on the floor along with some pillows.  Have your child lay in the middle of the blanket.  Take their food order (cheese, meat, veggies) and squish a pillow on them for each ingredient.  

Next, wrap your child up with the pillow in the blanket and let the burrito or pizza bake.  Apply deep pressure up and down as the food bakes.

Try out one of these 8 easy to make sensory activities next time your kid looks bored!  They will enjoy the new ideas as they work on self-regulation and you won’t have to spend a dime!

5 Ways to Increase Language at Home

by

Language is a critical part of childhood development. Language enables communication and social relationships. Language can be a difficult skill for children with autism. They might struggle with increasing their vocabulary. They might struggle with stringing multiple words together, like in the phrases “want help” or “go bye bye.” They might struggle with using language to communicate with others.

As a parent, there are a lot of things you can do to encourage language development at home. At first, this may seem overwhelming. After all, speech is one skill that is impossible to prompt. But think about language as a broader skill than simply the words that are said. Language is a way of understanding information and concepts. It is a way of expressing information and concepts. It is a way to relate. These are all skills you are probably already doing at home all the time without even thinking about it.

Here are five ways to encourage language development at home:

1. Repetition

Children with autism are often known for their love of repetition. This could be with words, routines, stories, games, or actions. But the truth is that all children respond positively to repetition. Repetition is an important way that children learn new skills.

You can use repetition to encourage language development. Repeat the words your child says. Expand on those words by using them in sentences. Repeat favorite activities, songs, and stories as much as your child wants. This may seem tedious to you. But it is helping your child understand the connections between language and the world around them. You can also use repeated activities to encourage use of language to request. For example, your child may love it when you sing The Itsy Bitsy Spider over and over again. Gradually teach them to request “more” or “again” each time you do the song.

2. Word Games

Word games are a fun and easy way to encourage new words at home. Word games can be adjusted to suit your child’s developmental level. A very simple word game is to get out an assortment of blocks with letters and objects on the sides. Lift the blocks up to your chin one by one and ask your child what the object is. Demonstrate saying the word for them. Give them the block and stack it.

A more complex word game is for children who have some familiarity with letters or numbers. Take turns going around the house and finding objects that start with each letter. Or find objects that can be found in groups of one, two, three, and so on. 

3. Gestures and Sound Effects

One way to make language more fun is to pair words with gestures and sound effects. For example, a child may learn to say “moo moo” for a cow before they learn to say the word “cow.” Common gestures to pair with language include pointing, nodding and shaking head, and basic signs like “more” and “all done.” You can get as creative as you like by using other signs and motions. A great way to find ideas for gestures and motions to pair with language are websites with videos like Cosmic Kids Yoga.

4. Books

When in doubt, read a book. It can be hard to brainstorm ways to encourage language once your child has tired of all your typical routines. Revisit books that may not have been motivating for your child a month ago. Point out and label images on the pages as you read. Introduce new book series by checking one out from the library first.

5. Close Enough is Really Close Enough

When your child tries to copy a word that you said, praise them even if it sounded garbled. They may say something that doesn’t sound like the word at all. If you know or can guess the meaning, go with it! Accept the effort as the real deal. This will help build your child’s motivation to use language.