When you think of the eye of the storm, you think calm and peaceful but surrounded by destruction.
So often we as people get sucked into others attacks, others destruction’s, other problems let alone having to cope with children that naturally have higher anxiety levels. So often use up all our “calm” on the things that are Continue reading »
Today I was thinking about expectation. There is a lot of expectation put into therapies, and rightfully so; but is there something missing. I challenge you to take a step back and make note of what your expectations of your child may be. And then make a new list of what your expectations may be when you are spending time with your child.
Today is World Autism Day. Caz Collins,
behavioural therapist and mother of a child with
autism, looks at the obstacles parents face in
getting an education for autistic children
IF YOU are a parent of a child with autism, you realise pretty quickly that you will need two things: a thick skin and a lot of money. The money, to start with, is just to get through the visits
to psychologists, paediatricians, paediatric neurologists, occupational Continue reading »
April brings with it the month of Autism Awareness. This gives us the opportunity to be creative and energetic in bringing forth more knowledge and information to society regarding Autism. With Autism affecting more and more children and families each year, it is important that people stand together and advocate a way forward for these individuals.
Autism touches many lives, whether you are on the spectrum, or your child is on the spectrum, a family member or friend is on the spectrum…
The fact is that the prevalence of autism is on the rise. With more children being diagnose each year there is still such a lack of knowledge as to what autism really means.
You will not find 2 people with a diagnosis of Autism the same. Continue reading »
Many of our children with Autism Spectrum Disorder are boxed into life by their Static Brain. Neuro typically we all have both static and dynamic intelligence; both are immensely important for different functioning and activities (but that would be another article). But ASD children fail to develop dynamic intelligence and hence are only able to make meaning of the world through their static brain. And Believe me, by no means does Static Intelligence mean that one has a lower IQ! Take Stephen AKA “the human camera” for example. Stephen has the most incredible ability to sketch out cities tothe most finest detail after taking a short helicopter flip over an area – an Amazing brain. But what price does he pay to have this ‘super human’ ability? Continue reading »
It can be heart breaking for parents to witness their child with ASD fixate on toys in an inappropriate manner while other children play creatively with their toys in an imaginative manner. The good news is that pretend play and play skills can be taught. Just as neuro-typical children learn to play a child with ASD can also learn, however the manner of teaching these skills needs to be done in a structured way to allow them to eventually transfer these skills.
Developing your child’s skill in pretend play can be broken down into 5 levels. Each stage builds up on the previous stage. Continue reading »
I am really excited to share the very first article from an Autism Mom and friend. It’s really great been able to see this experience through the eyes of someone that is living the experience of parenting Autism. Enjoy
A friend has asked me to write about Relationship Development Intervention and what it means to me! Now, I am all for autism awareness and I don’t have a problem with ‘sharing’. I can talk about RDI until the cows come home, however, please bear in mind that everything I write, is about my experience!
First of all, I think that I need to go back a wee step…. Continue reading »
If you have asked the question, what is the difference between The Son rise program and RDI, and have found your way here, I hope that this information is helpful to you.
The reason I am writing this is because even though The Son rise Program acknowledges that RDI has some similarities on their site, there is a lot of misinformation that they are promoting as RDI. You can check out their page here- http://www.autismtreatmentcenter.org/contents/other_sections/floortime-rdi-son-rise-program.php Yes, RDI, The Sonrise program and Floortime all acknowledge relationships as a crucial backdrop to the ultimate success of our children. After that fact, all three take different, unique approaches. Both Sonrise and Floortime are child led, whereas RDI is guide led, with the focus on promoting Dynamic intelligence. The focus begins with relationships, but taking it that step further for the building blocks of understanding perspective and critical thinking as shown by typical children, is what makes RDI so effective In assisting our children to catch up to their peers on all levels of intelligence ( social and IQ) therefore fulfilling their true potential! click here for more information http://www.rdiconnect.com/pages/Our-Programs.aspx
I respect any parent’s choice and want to give a parent correct information… to make an informed decision. As I stated, this is the purpose for writing this, since I am a parent who took both her children Through RDI as well as a RDI certified Consultant. As a side note, there are many misrepresentations regarding Floortime in this comparison, but that will need to be for another day J When I discovered the incorrect information on the Sonrise site, I did email Mr Kaufman. I asked for Mr. Kaufman to correct the information he has on RDI on his website which to date he has not. In addition, I volunteered to have us both collaborate on a comparison which was also declined. Continue reading »
Whether you’re just starting your journey of Parenting Autism or you’ve been at it for many years, we all need stories that inspire us. Stories that motivate us to keep pushing forward and are reminders that everything and anything is possible. Stories like these give strength in times of challenge and hope in moments of adversity. Continue reading »
