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AUTISM FIRST STEPS
AUTISM DAILY NEWSLETTER
Monday December 10, 2001
INDEX:
* Autism and the Holidays
* Coping with the Reality of Severe Autism, part 1
* Community Inclusion Heros
* 
* Harvard researchers reached conclusions
* Autism Spectrum Disorders Chat Reminder & PS Promos
******************************
Autism and the Holidays
By Maureen
Bennie
It's that time of year again - the holiday season. Everyone is busy shopping
for Christmas gifts, the malls are packed, company is coming to your house,
school is out, presents need to be wrapped and the tree needs decorating. The
holidays are magical from some and stressful for others. For children with
autism, this time of year can be particularly overwhelming on the senses.
Lights, crowds, traffic, line-ups, and visitors can be upsetting for children
who need predictability and routine. Most therapy programs are in low gear
during the month of December and school programs break for two weeks. How to
you keep children with autism on an even keel during the hectic holidays?
The most important thing to do for your child is to keep his/her routine. Try
to keep mealtimes and bedtime the same. Stick with tried and true routines that
your child thrives on. If he has cereal for breakfast everyday, keep it the
same. If the bedtime routine order is potty time, bath, then tooth brushing
don't vary from the pattern. Let new childcare workers know what the routines
are for your child. Continue to use picture symbols to support routines and aid
in communication.
School programs will be taking a break and therapy may also have some
interruptions. Try to plan ahead for those "down" times. Do allow
some unstructured time, as all children need a break, disabled or not. Schedule
some fun family activities that everyone will enjoy. In my city, our zoo has a
beautiful light display that we plan to take the children to see. Look in your
local paper or community guides to see what's on for the month of December. A
family swim at the local YMCA, skating, story time at the library, children's
theatre or a visit to see Santa can be enjoyable activities.
Whatever new or old activities you plan to do be sure to prepare your child in
advance. Use a social story with photos to show what will transpire on an
outing. If you don't have a social story prepared, perhaps briefly stop by the
place you plan to visit just to let your child see where something will take
place. A little advanced preparation can lessen an autistic child's anxiety and
make the activity pleasant for the whole family.
I personally try to keep houseguests to a minimum over the holidays. We don't
invite people to stay overnight - just for a meal. I also lower my expectations
for the children during this time. If they need to leave the room to collect
themselves, I let them. Most of the time, my two PDD-NOS children can't eat at
the table with people they don't know. I allow them to eat before we do or let
them eat at a separate table in or out of the room depending on who the guests
are. Try not to have unrealistic expectations for your child when
visitors/relatives are coming over. I never ask my children to kiss their
relatives as I know they feel stressed by that. I have a policy of no
unannounced houseguests as that leads to a disaster when I can't prepare the
children ahead of time.
Help your child get into the spirit of Christmas. Read books about Christmas,
watch children's Christmas videos (Teletubbies, Sesame Street, and Blues Clues
all have Christmas videos), and play Christmas music in your home and car. Our
children love to hear songs they recognize. You'll hear Christmas music almost
everywhere you go including elevators!
Christmas day gift opening can be overwhelming. We tend to spread Christmas
gift opening over the course of a week. The children open a couple of presents
everyday until after New Year's Day. They love it because they can only cope
with seeing a couple of new things at a time. Having one or two new items a day
allows the children to explore each toy in more depth. Once all of the new toys
have been opened, I put old things away from the toy bins and limit the amount
of new toys on display. Most children can't cope with many new things. They
don't know where to look or what to do next.
Be wary of over-scheduling. It is tempting over the holidays to try and squeeze
in lots of visits, day trips, or events. Limit new experiences to one a day.
When going to a new place, a reasonable time to stay is half an hour. After
that time period, the senses tend to get overloaded. Keep flexible - be
prepared to move to plan B if plan A is not working.
Schedule some time for you and your spouse. The holidays are a good time to
reconnect. Book a baby-sitter and go out just the two of you to a movie or
dinner. You need to regroup after being with the children all day. Take a break
and don't feel guilty about it. All adults need some R & R over the
holidays.
Keep an open mind about the holidays as parents of a special needs child. The
most important thing is being together and giving your child love and security.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.
http://www.autismtoday.com/article_autismandtheholidays.html
******************************
Coping with the Reality of Severe Autism,
part 1
How are
care providers to support a person who is not connected to others, who lives
in-the-immediate moment, who reflects and magnifies other's emotions, and who
has little continuity of experience? (requires Adboe Acrobat Reader)
http://www.autismtoday.com/article_copingwithreality_p1.pdf
******************************
Community Inclusion Heros
Mr.
Mike
By Bill Davis
Push! That's it! Good Boy! Push
real hard! Great Job! My son was resisting and pushing against me testing his
strength, using his body, flexing his muscles. He enjoyed exercise and I knew
that it would be a great way to communicate with him. I exercised with Chris
every day- we wrestled, went to the weight room, walked, hiked, ran and bounced
up and down. Gymnastics seemed like the perfect choice for a child with Autism.
It was one on one, it developed not only physical fitness but self-esteem,
self-discipline, safety, interaction and knowledge of one's body and how to control
it. Chrissy loved our workouts and I was determined to bring him to the gym.
I nervously called Prestige Gymnastics and spoke to the boy's coach at length.
Mr. Mike was kind, understanding and willing- I would soon find out that he was
also a natural ABA therapist, a man of great depth and love- a true hero.
When we entered the gym, I was overwhelmed- kids tumbling everywhere, noise,
music, sharp commands- but Chris smiled and ran toward the tumble tramp- he
climbed up and began to leap high in the air!
There were obstacles-Chris had balance and spatial issues, vestibular and motor
planning problems but Mr. Mike and Chris set our to conquer all.
Mr. Mike and Chris became close, quickly. There was a definitive coach-gymnast
relationship developing. Mike broke everything down into simple steps. He
stretched with Chris and brought him over to different pieces of equipment. He
showed my son what was expected, demonstrated patiently and worked hand over
hand.
One session as Chris and Mike walked toward the trampoline holding hands, my
son placed Mike's hand on his heart. They looked at each other lovingly. Later
that day my son climbed a high, thin ladder, grabbed onto a high bar and swung
himself into the "pit". Some very cute 8-year-old girls gave Chris
"the eye". My son was smiling and Mr. Mike was beaming!
Chris now attends gymnastics three times per week. The owners, Jen and Tony and
the gymnasts treat Chris like a regular guy. He has developed strength, social
skills and has built his self-esteem.
He is on every apparatus. Mr. Mike even has Chris walking backwards on the high
balance beam! Chris has formed muscle as well as friendship.
But most of all, he has found a mentor and a coach- a good friend who treats my
son with dignity and respect- a quiet caring hero- Mr. Mike.
http://www.autismtoday.com/heros_mrmike.html
******************************
Do you have concerns about the future of your loved one
with special needs when you are no longer here?Have you been unable to or
avoided planning for your loved one's future because you feel overwhelmed and
confused by all the issues and details that need to be addressed?
Are you among the many families who have done little or no
planning because you are:
Not sure how to begin;
Don’t know who to turn to for
assistance;
Have concerns about the costs;
Don’t have enough time to plan? The
Special Needs Planning Kit™ has been designed to assist in attaining peace of
mind for you and, most importantly, assuring care, supervision, security, and
quality of life for your loved one with special needs. The kit features:
Detailed instructions and examples
that guide you from start to finish making it possible for you to complete your
plan in just a few hours.
The Special Needs Trust, Letter of
Intent and a local attorney who will assist you in executing your trust and
prepare your Simple Wills. All this is included in the price of the kit.
You won’t have to find a lawyer who specializes in this type of planning and
worry about costs.
A
computer disk is provided which includes all the necessary forms. Through an arrangement with the Legal Club of America, they will
provide you with the name of a local attorney who will prepare your Simple Wills
and notarize the Special Needs Trust. Your first month’s membership is included
in the cost of the kit. If you are not ready to see the attorney during the
first month after you purchase your kit, you can continue your membership at
the low cost of $12 per month. You may cancel at any time after completing your
plan or continue your membership utilizing their many other services.If you
prefer to use your own attorney, detailed instructions are included in the kit
as a guide for your attorney to assure proper preparation of your legal
documents. For your convenience and to assure continuation of your membership
in the Legal Club of America, until you complete your plan, a credit card
number is registered with them for automatic continuation. If you do not want
to be a member, simply check the box on the order form. Planning for the future
is no longer an option, it is a necessity. With The Special Needs Planning Kit™
you can eliminate the obstacles; identify the needs; and be assured your goals
and wishes for your loved one will be met.
Typical costs for a comprehensive plan like this can easily exceed $2,000.
The Special Needs Planning Kit™
is only $240 (shipping & handling included)
If shipped to AZ residents add $19.44 sales taxPlace your order HERE on our
website
or call 1-888-222-8441 and
our operators will assist you.
https://www.specialneedsplanningkit.com/specialNeedsKit.asp
******************************
Harvard researchers reached conclusions
Dr. Andrew Wakefield Fired
Ironically, Dr. Andrew Wakefield has been fired by the Royal Free
Hospital only one day after Harvard researchers reached conclusions
similar to his controversial findings on the cause of Autism.
http://autism.about.com/library/weekly/aa120501a.htm
******************************
Autism
Spectrum Disorders Chat Reminder & PS Promos
- Your
Parent Soup Reminder -
AND -- Be sure
to check out the entire mailing
so that you don't miss out on ANY of our
SOUPER PROMO's!!
»§«:*´`³Y³´`*:»§«Y»§«:*´`³Y³´`*:»§«
A
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C h a t
M o n d a y , D e c e m b e r 1 0 , 2 0 0 1
a t 1 0 p m E T (7 p m P T , 8 p m M
T, 9 p m C T)
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i t h H O S T P S T a m
& H O S T P S C e r a
(subbing for HOST PS Tam will be HOST PS Myst)
i n P S
S o u p e r E v e n t s C h a t
R o o m
»§«:*´`³Y³´`*:»§«Y»§«:*´`³Y³´`*:»§«
What
is Autism? Aspergers Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder/Not Otherwise
Specified, Fragile X, Williams Syndrome are among some of the Autism Spectrum
Disorders, which have a number of symptoms -- including impaired social
interaction and communication -- and prognoses.
Heredity, yeast, food allergies, gluten, food additives, digestive disorders,
lack of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, exposure to radiation,
endocrine deficiencies, vaccinations, etc., have all been scrutinized for
possibly causing autism spectrum disorders.
The only fact known right now is that these are often severe developmental
disabilities believed to have multiple etiologies which may include one or more
of these or none of them at all.
Please join us in a chat and share concerns, support, funny stories, or simply
vent your frustrations as we discuss the issues and challenging factors that we
face while caring for our loved ones with an autism spectrum disorder.
----------------------------------------------------------
Around Parent Soup
The Truth About
Santa Claus
As parents, we try to teach our children to always to tell the truth. So what
do we do about Santa Claus? Should parents present him as a myth or swear he's
the real deal? iVillager Naug thinks parents should come clean. How do you
handle this dilemma in your home? Join the debate today! Should
you tell your child the truth about Santa Claus?
--------------------------------------------
Stress Free
Holidays!
Is
your holiday "To Do" list so long that you get tired just reading it?
Make the most of this holiday season -- without running yourself ragged with
our 5th
annual Holiday Soup guide!
--------------------------------------------
Family
Traditions
Halloween
and Thanksgiving are gone, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa are right around the
corner! Chat with us about celebrating holidays with your family. Join us for
fun ideas for arts/crafts, special recipes, and activity ideas. Sunday's at 9pm
ET in Special Events.
--------------------------------------------
Message
Boards
Tis The Season
Are
you looking for holiday ideas from other parents like yourself? Visit
the Holiday Soup message board to get
suggestions for everything from decorating
to Food for the Feast!
--------------------------------------------
The
Countdown Has Begun...
How do you plan on bringing in the New Year? Join us and share your
special traditions and find ways to celebrate as a family, on the New Year's Eve board!
--------------------------------------------
Make Moms Laugh!
Between
bedtime battles and fights over food, raising kids isn't always fun. Take a
time-out to read a Mom-to-Mom
Email -- funny stories and words of wisdom all written by moms like you.
They're guaranteed to make you giggle!
--------------------------------------------
Souper Season
Greetings
Want
to share your family holiday traditions or raise a cup of cheer? We'll be
singing holiday songs and sharing .WAV files, macros, recipes, crafts and more.
Come celebrate the holidays with your Parent Soup family, December 10th from
8-10pm ET in Special Events.
--------------------------------------------
Around
iVillage
FREE software!
Choose
as many as you want from over 200 top
titles! Featuring Mosby Medical Encyclopedia, Williams and Sonoma Guide to
Good Cooking, Diet and Fitness, Kitchen Gourmet and more. Don't miss out on
this great offer!
--------------------------------------------
The Perfect Hanukkah Menu
Joan Nathan is to Jewish cooking what Martha Stewart is to home crafts. Try her
recipes for a delicious, traditional Hanukkah dinner from her book, The Jewish
Holiday Kitchen. The
Perfect Hanukkah Menu
--------------------------------------------
For complete
list of this week's topical chats, take a look at our schedules.
Search
by Room: Live Events --
Souper Events -- Special Events
Search by Topic: Alphabetical
Listing
--------
~~~~~~~~~~~¤~~~~~~~~~~~
HOST PS Tam
Community Leader -
Chat Host
My Homepage - Blake's
Mom's Site
Make Parent Soup A Favorite
Place
iVillage.com:
The Women's Network
Developmental
Delays Sunday 10pm ET PS Live Events Chat
Room
PS Casual Chat Room
Monday
10am ET
PS Casual Chat Room
Monday
11am ET
Autism
Spectrum Disorders Monday 10pm ET PS Souper Events Chat Room
PS Parlour Chat Room Monday
11pm ET
~~~~~~~~~~~¤~~~~~~~~~~~
******************************
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