For Parents

Don’t let bad weather keep you from getting outside with your kids. In today’s post, we’re rounding up family friendly outerwear. Here’s what you’ll need to stay warm and dry when it’s cold and damp:

Rain Suits

Rain suits have become quite trendy with parents of young children in recent years. Have you ever outfitted your child in a raincoat and rain boots, only to have them fall on their knees in the mud? Enter the rain suit. Rain suits protect your child from head to toe. You can let them run, jump, and fall down in the rain and mud without worrying about moisture seeping through their pants. Rain suits can be off-putting for parents because of the cost. Your child may outgrow them quickly. They also take more room to store than regular rain coats. But there are budget friendly options available like this one. You can also usually find these items for resale through local social media groups.

Some kids with autism may find the sensory experience of wearing a rain suit to be unpleasant. Or, it may be too much of a struggle to dress in a one piece suit (and remove it once playtime is over). Fortunately, there are two piece rain suits available as well. Here is an example.

Headbands and Hats

You’ve probably heard before that heat escapes the body through the head and feet. Rain boots are a relatively easy staple to keep track of, but the same can’t be said about head gear. Additionally, knit hats that are sensory friendly and will stay on during outdoor play can be hard to find. A practical, budget friendly solution that works for lots of kids is the ear warmer or ear band. If your child is wearing the hood of their rain coat, they’re already protected from moisture – so a hat isn’t necessary. An ear band keeps them warm while the hood does the work of keeping them dry. Hang the ear band over a coat hook or hanger when you come inside to keep it handy for tomorrow’s trip outdoors.

The Right Socks

Rain boots, while waterproof, aren’t so great at insulating your child’s feet from the cold. Socks made from merino wool are perfect to pair with rain boots on cold days. Merino wool keeps your child’s feet warm, and also helps regulate body temperature. Look for budget friendly options or size up and look for sales to get more wear out of pricier pairs. 

Other clothing made from merino wool can help when temperatures fall even lower. Look for base layers your child can wear under their play clothes and outerwear.

Accessories

If you have young children, you are probably bringing at least some equipment with you when you leave the house. If you are taking a walk with littles and you have a stroller, consider a stroller rain cover. I have one that is specific to the brand of stroller that I own, but you can easily find universal options as well. Additionally, a waterproof blanket or water resistant stroller blanket like these ones can provide additional warmth and protection.

Finally, a waterproof backpack will help you keep snacks, your phone, and any other belongings dry as well. This is especially helpful if the weather where you live is unpredictable. You might head out when it’s dry and then have to run back home during a downpour. Depending on your child’s needs, you may also need to have things like visual supports and reinforcers with you while you are out. A waterproof bag or backpack ensures those things are ready and intact should you need them.

Now you’re ready to hike, puddle stomp, go on a scavenger hunt, or visit your local park. Have fun out there!

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA Courtney is a behavior analyst, educator, and writer in the Pacific Northwest. She has over fifteen years of experience in the field of autism services, and over ten years of master’s level experience in classroom teaching and ABA therapy. Her areas of expertise include infant and toddler development, parent coaching, ABA clinical leadership and training, P-12 special education, and case consultation for children and young adults with autism and other special needs. Courtney lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.

“Being flexible” is a skill children with autism may struggle with often. “Being flexible” means dealing with a change to what was planned or what was expected. These changes tend to present themselves at the last minute. This can make it especially hard for your child to cope. It’s hard for anyone to continue to take part in a task or activity when it isn’t going as planned. For children with autism, these difficulties are magnified. For example, your child might have a meltdown when their favorite item at the drive thru isn’t available.

Situations where your child must be flexible in real life are last minute by nature. This means that practice is essential. Basically, you take a low stakes situation and turn it into a chance to show flexibility. The more you practice being flexible with your child in non-stressful situations, the more flexible they can be when stressed. Here are 5 opportunities to practice being flexible. These are common or easy to create in daily routines:

1. Vary the steps in your morning routine. This works for any daily routine that has many steps that occur in arbitrary order. It is tempting to follow the exact same routine each day. In fact, this predictability might be something you do on purpose. This helps your child learn independence or self regulate. But, if you are working on flexibility, considering varying the steps in the routine. This could mean starting with brushing teeth instead of getting dressed. You could clean up the playroom before dinner instead of after. Or, switch who handles which chore. Take turns being in charge of setting or clearing the table, for example. Varying the steps as a habit will help your child better deal with last minute or unexpected changes when they do happen.

2. Present two preferred options to choose from. Giving your child choices helps them learn to be flexible by selecting one option while they have to leave the other behind. This helps them learn flexibility in a situation where one preferred option is truly unavailable. 

3. Pause or stop a fun activity for a short time. Work on introducing “spontaneous” interruptions to a preferred activity. For example, if you are reading a lengthy book with your child, you can pause the activity to do a short task like check on a meal that is cooking. Practice having your child wait for you to come back. This helps teach flexibility in a situation where something is delayed or interrupted. This is especially important when there is no known end time for the interruption.

4. Insert a neutral step into the day without prior planning. Again, teaching your child the schedule of the day and following it is important. But when you are working on flexibility, it’s good to introduce small activities or tasks that weren’t communicated at the beginning of the day. You can also prepare your child at the beginning of the day. Tell them “today we will have a surprise activity” so they aren’t completely caught off guard. 

5. Skip over a step or a page “accidentally.” Skip a page of a book you are reading, or “forget” to bring silverware to the table at lunch. Coach your child on how to effectively communicate what happened and remedy it, without getting too attached to a perfect outcome. This will help your child deal with situations in the real world where a teacher or peer forgets or skips something accidentally.

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA Courtney is a behavior analyst, educator, and writer in the Pacific Northwest. She has over fifteen years of experience in the field of autism services, and over ten years of master’s level experience in classroom teaching and ABA therapy. Her areas of expertise include infant and toddler development, parent coaching, ABA clinical leadership and training, P-12 special education, and case consultation for children and young adults with autism and other special needs. Courtney lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.

Over the summer, PBS Kids released a new series called “Hero Elementary” that features a group of kids with special abilities. Each character is unique, and has their own challenges and super powers. One of the main characters, AJ Gadgets is on the autism spectrum.

While the creators of the show, Carol-Lynn Parente and Christine Ferraro, didn’t originally set out to create an autistic character, they love how it worked out. Ferraro stated in a recent interview that it sends a strong message because the show isn’t all about AJ Gadgets or his autism, instead it is about the group of diverse kids who solve problems together. AJ can project his thoughts and has various devices that help the team. His teammates can fly, teleport, or create forcefields. They are all portrayed as equally important to the team.

Autism is not the focus of the show, and people who are not familiar with the disorder may not notice that AJ has it. He doesn’t like hearing loud noises, feeling wet clothes, or being without his backpack. There are one or two future episodes that focus on AJ Gadgets, but the creators are very intentional about keeping AJ as just another regular part of the team, showing that people on the spectrum have a place in the world, and they contribute, too.

Dennis Taylor, is a consultant for the show. He is a 27-year-old, autistic artist and storyteller. He helps with the AJ Gadget’s character on every episode. Taylor hopes to help bring awareness and acceptance of people on the spectrum through his work behind the scenes of the show. His involvement helps keep the character true to life when it comes to being on the spectrum.

The other characters have their own issues to face as well. Lucita is afraid of heights. Sara is really small. They are all still learning to use their powers to the best of their ability. Everyone helps each other out, including AJ Gadgets. There is a lot of teamwork, and no one character is pointed our more than the other, showing great inclusiveness, support, and understanding for our autistic representation.

One of the major goals of “Hero Elementary” is to encourage children between the ages of 4 and 7 to use problem solving skills, empathy and kindness. The creators want to help people remember that all kids are different in their own ways. PBS will produce at least 40-80 episodes, each with two stories, for a total of about 30 minutes each. Co-creator Parente noted that she wants the show to help kids think more scientifically and independently. 

Parente is also behind the Sesame Street character Julia, who is also on the spectrum. Julia was introduced several years ago online, and has appeared on the show several times. In the last three years, Julia has been a special part of Autism Awareness Month, which is April. 

“Hero Elementary” is being shown on PBS stations, including the PBS kids 24/7 channel, and the PBS kids digital application.

Chesley Maldonado

Chesley Maldonado is a private tutor and freelance writer. She has been writing professionally for over ten years, and has been in education for nine years. As the homeschool mom of an autistic child, she brings a unique perspective to education and writing.

Next year’s Autism Full Employment Act will be put together over the next several months with direct communication for the autistic community. The goal of this act is to improve employment opportunities for adults on the spectrum seeking work. 

University partners including UCLA and Cornell will be aiding the autism community in writing out the details of this act to hopefully complete the details by the end of 2020. Groups such as the Autism Society and Autism Speaks that already have some form of job placement programs will be expanded upon. All of the latest efforts to create jobs or place people with autism in jobs happening nationwide will be considered. While autism is specifically named, other developmental differences are meant to be included in the application of the act.

Typically, family members within companies will advocate for their loved ones so that they can find work at the same companies. The Autism Full Employment Act of 2021 will support and encourage actions like these, as well as other possibilities, such as forming groups and mentoring programs. Financial incentives from the government, such as the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, are expected to help encourage employers to take on more workers on the spectrum. In light of the ongoing pandemic and monetary struggles, many businesses may welcome the funds and hire more people. The writers of the Act are looking to previous subsidies that have shown increases in hiring actions towards people with developmental differences.

There are several other important issues that will be addressed. One goal of this Act is to require state and local governments as well as private employers to hire a certain amount of people with developmental differences. Another issue is providing on-the-job-support from coaches, counselors and trainers in order to keep people working once they do get hired. Low payment for many of these positions is another problem that the Act hopes to address, both for those on the spectrum and their support workers. The Employment Act is also set to help those who may not have advanced or unique skills, so that they can also find appropriate work.

People in the autistic community not only struggle with finding work, but also underemployment. While they may be capable of certain more skilled jobs, they are sometimes placed in positions that they are overqualified for. This is due to a variety of factors, such as a lack of interview skills or communication skills. Many work programs were created for people with other kinds of disabilities, such as physical ones, which may not be satisfying for an autistic person who is more capable in certain ways. 

It is important for parents to investigate transitional programs for graduating students. By the age of 22, school provided programs come to and end. There are limited programs that help adults with autism, though many are beginning to form due to the increase in autistic adults in the population. Life skills and jobs skills training are essential. This Act will hopefully create more opportunities for autistics to find work.

Chesley Maldonado

Chesley Maldonado is a private tutor and freelance writer. She has been writing professionally for over ten years, and has been in education for nine years. As the homeschool mom of an autistic child, she brings a unique perspective to education and writing.

If you’re at all like me, back-to-school 2020 hit like a ton of bricks! I find myself still in adjustment mode both as a parent and an educator. I thought I was prepared after a few months of remote learning in the Spring, but everything feels totally different now. I’m still figuring out why. One of my theories is that our bodies and brains are no longer in survival mode. But the needs of our children, now that summer is over, require immense energy and innovation. This goes for their general daily needs as well as their educational needs. These two things are more enmeshed than ever. And, that immense energy and innovation is required of us as parents as well as our child’s providers.

I personally am finding articles written by parents and teachers to be a good source of inspiration these days. My energy is at least a little renewed when I read about how others are coping. So, in today’s post, we’ll be tackling one area of at-home learning: the daily schedule. My hope is that providing some examples will inspire you, a fellow parent in the back-to-school trenches. These schedules are intended to be modifiable. As always, accommodations and modifications are a critical component of successful education for children with autism and other special needs. You can adjust them to fit whatever schedule your school has provided for your child. After the schedules, you’ll see three extension strategies to help you adapt these long-term.

Schedule 1 (for the early riser)

• 7:00: Start morning routine
• Use a light-based clock like this one or this one for kids who wake up early and need to know when to stay in their room and rest or read, and when it’s OK to get up.
• 8:00: Start school day
• Many schools are doing two to three hour blocks of “live” or “synchronous” school in the mornings. These are broken up like:
  • 8:00 Morning Meeting
  • 8:30 Reading / ELA
  • 9:30 Break and Snack
  • 9:45 Math
  • 10:45 Class Check-In
  • 11:00 “Sign Off” (many teachers will instruct students to de-video and mute themselves during this time, rather than exit the meeting completely, before they walk away from the computer)

• 11:00: Lunch
  • I suggest making snacks available before lunch time, especially if your child is an early riser. This way they won’t be starving once lunch time arrives. Experiment with making the lunch block longer – 90 minutes to 2 hours – to facilitate rest and exercise time as well.
• 1:00: Second half of school day
  • Example afternoon block schedules might look like this:
    • 1:00 Science or Social Studies
    • 2:00 Small Groups / Rotations
    • 2:45 Independent learning time
    • 3:30 “Sign Off”
• 3:30: Parent-child check-in
  • This is a good time to see if your child has any homework or outstanding assignments. You can make a plan with them to complete the activities necessary, whether it’s on the same day or later in the week (many school districts are assigning Wednesdays to be fully independent, with no “live” classes).
• 4:00: Afternoon activity: get outdoors if possible. If it is not possible to go outside, help your child select a specific activity to do together, such as a short puzzle, board game, or LEGOs. Spend about ten minutes “front loading” your child with attention and coaching at the beginning of the activity. Then, if they can sustain play for the next ten to twenty minutes, that gives you time to step away to start dinner, close out work emails for the day, or tend to another daily task.
• 5:30: Dinner
• 6:00: Bedtime routine (includes shower or bath)
• 6:45: Reading time in bed
• 7:30: Lights out
  • My children fall asleep with the light on. We have other cues that represent “lights out.” For my son, this is setting aside the book he is reading on his tablet. For my daughter, this is putting away her books and getting tucked in with her pacifier and stuffed animal. I go back in later before I go to bed to turn the light off.

Schedule 2 (for the midmorning riser)

• 9:00: Start morning routine
• 9:30: Start school day
• If your teacher isn’t starting the morning meeting until 9:30, this should work fine. Or, if you are homeschooling, you can adjust the start time to fit your needs. Additionally, your child’s school day might not start with a morning meeting – students might be expected to do independent work in the mornings. This could allow a later “start time” for your child. Talk to your teacher to find out your options.

• 11:30: Lunch
• 1:00: Second half of school day
• 3:30: Parent-child check-in
  • This is a good time to see if your child has any homework or outstanding assignments. You can make a plan with them to complete the activities necessary, whether it’s on the same day or later in the week (many school districts are assigning Wednesdays to be fully independent, with no “live” classes).
• 4:30: Afternoon activity (outdoors or indoors)
• 6:00: Dinner
• 6:30: Bedtime routine (includes shower or bath)
• 7:15: Reading time in bed
• 8:00 – 8:30: Lights out

Schedule 3 (for the late sleeper)

You may have a teen in your household who tends to stay up later and wake up later. The schedule above can still be adjusted to fit a much later wake up time. However, managing the later night bedtimes can be a bit more difficult. If you have a child who can do independent leisure activities for a couple of hours before going to sleep, the following schedule may work for you.

• 10:30: Start morning routine
• 11:00: Start school day
• This time frame obviously isn’t likely to work if you are participating in a public or private school program, but check with the teacher just in case. If your child requires more radical schedule modifications to be successful, they may be able to facilitate an alternate schedule with you.

• 1:00: Lunch
• 1:30: Second half of school day
• 4:30: Parent-child check-in
• 5:30: Late afternoon / early evening activity (outdoors or indoors)
• 7:00: Dinner
• 7:30: Bedtime routine (includes shower or bath)
• 8:15: Independent activities and reading in bedroom
• 10:00: Lights out

Extension Strategies:

Cut: You will have days when there are just too many activities in the schedule. You might end up skipping whole blocks that are on the schedule (like the afternoon activity, if your child had a longer homework assignment that day). Or, you might find that the morning learning session runs all the way into the lunch period. You can cut out the longer portions of the lunch time to get back on track with the afternoon schedule if this happens. If you find that an activity is running behind early in the day, plan ahead to what future blocks in the day you can cut.

Expand: Similarly, you’ll have days when there just doesn’t seem to be enough to do to fill every block. These are great days to bring out some of those rainy day activities: puzzles, play dough, and baking brownies or muffins from a box. You can also extend certain academic activities. For example, play the audiobook version of the book your child is working on reading. For children who are just starting to read, you can find Youtube readings of lots of popular early readers online. For the late afternoon and before dinner period, you can expand activities by involving your child in the set-up and clean-up process. For example, if you are going for a walk, help your child go through each of the prep steps. They can get the water bottles ready, find jackets, put on shoes, and find keys. Coach them through each step and provide the help needed. This takes a long time, but if you have extra time to fill anyway, it’s a great way for them to practice new skills. 

Move On: Many families get to a point where they are ready to move on from an exact schedule. You may find you get into a daily rhythm and routine that works pretty well. If you are able to modify it as needed on a day to day basis, you can let go of the hour by hour breakdown. Just be ready to re-integrate it at the next transition (when school onsite resumes for at least part of the week, for example).

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA Courtney is a behavior analyst, educator, and writer in the Pacific Northwest. She has over fifteen years of experience in the field of autism services, and over ten years of master’s level experience in classroom teaching and ABA therapy. Her areas of expertise include infant and toddler development, parent coaching, ABA clinical leadership and training, P-12 special education, and case consultation for children and young adults with autism and other special needs. Courtney lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.

Let’s talk about zoning your home to support your kids with autism. This strategy works well for a lot of families. We’re not talking about zoning for construction or renovation. Zoning your home for success is a lot more simple than that. Setting up zones in your home can help your child with autism understand their environment better. Zones help identify expectations for appropriate behavior, so you don’t have to. Zoning your home will take some time, trial, and error to set up. But, it pays dividends for a lot of families in peace and efficiency.

Why Zone?

You should consider zoning your home if:

1. Your child responds well to zones in another environment (such as at school or in their ABA clinic)

2. Your child is more calm when there are less distractions in the environment

3. Your child responds well to visual cues or signals (like a picture of a toothbrush and bathtub on the bathroom door, or a picture of shoes on the door to the backyard)

4. Your child demonstrates signs of stress in new or confusing environments

5. Your child has difficulty staying on track with routines when you are not present to direct them

6. Your child seems overwhelmed by lots of verbal directions

What is Zoning?

Zoning is setting up your home so that each area is clearly divided by purpose. There are many ways to zone. Here are some examples:

1. Zone by room: this is the most common way for lots of families to zone. This is because it follows the natural layout the home already has. Zoning by room means making the purpose of each room clear: the bedroom is for sleeping. The dining room is for eating. The playroom is for playing. The office is for homeschool or remote learning. The kitchen is for cooking or baking. It’s helpful to keep as many rooms as possible having only one purpose. That way it’s easiest for everyone to understand and follow the expectations of routines for each room.

2. Zone by area: this is the way a lot of teachers zone within their classrooms. Zoning by area is a great way to workaround small spaces like apartments. It can also work well for homes with open floor plans. Additionally, zoning by area can work well for families with multiple children sharing bedrooms. In zoning by area, clear visual markers are used to divide spaces within the same room by purpose and by person. For example, your dining area might be for homeschool or remote learning AND mealtimes. An easy way to zone the dining room by area is to use two colorfully distinct tablecloths. One tablecloth can be used during school time and one can be used during mealtimes.

3. Zone by materials: zoning by materials is another way to maximize a small space. This is also helpful when you have a lot of spaces in the home that need to function for multiple purposes. Zoning by materials means limiting what you put in a room to one purpose and storing everything else. For example, you might want your child’s room to function as a supervised play space during the day. But, you need to remove distractors at night in order for them to fall (and stay) asleep. Zoning by materials is a relatively simple way to deal with this. Select the toys that you want to be available during playtime, and put them in plastic storage bins that are easy to move around. Move the toy bins to the garage or another room at night. Bring them back out the next day when it’s time to play.

How to Zone:

Now that you understand why zoning can be useful, you might want to try it in your own home. Here is a brief outline of the process to use to set up zones. You can modify this checklist depending on what type of zoning you are doing. Additionally, there is no need to limit yourself to one of the three types of zoning described above. You can mix and match according to what works best for you and your family. One strategy might work well for certain rooms in your house. Another might work especially well for one floor. Also, you can zone according to other methods as well. The methods listed here are just a start!

Checklist to Zone:

1. Review each step of your daily routine. Are there areas where your child with autism seems confused or overwhelmed? Could adjusting the environment help?

2. If yes, identify the room associated with the routine or activity.

3. What is in the environment now? Take the time to actually visit the room and look around. You might be surprised by what you find. Often, things you have learned to overlook each day could be distractors for your child. Make a list of what is in the room. Mark the things that don’t serve the primary purpose or purposes of the room.

4. Clear out the things that are not necessary. See how your child responds.

5. If more adjustments are needed, make a plan. You may need to obtain additional materials – such as the multi-colored tablecloths or plastic storage bins mentioned above.

6. Teach your child how to use the room and its contents now. This is the most important step. It’s likely that your child will need at least some coaching on what to do in the room, now that you’ve cleared out distractors. They will need clear expectations about any new materials you introduce. You can also take this opportunity to reset expectations about behavior that is expected in the room in general. You do not need to use the word “zones” when you do this teaching. Use whatever communication system and vocabulary is easiest for your child to understand.

7. Monitor your child’s response to the newly adjusted environment, and continue to make adjustments as necessary.

Now you are ready to zone!

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA Courtney is a behavior analyst, educator, and writer in the Pacific Northwest. She has over fifteen years of experience in the field of autism services, and over ten years of master’s level experience in classroom teaching and ABA therapy. Her areas of expertise include infant and toddler development, parent coaching, ABA clinical leadership and training, P-12 special education, and case consultation for children and young adults with autism and other special needs. Courtney lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.