It’s that time of year again…
So, that time of the year has come around again.. A day which I particularly like, and I’ll tell you why… I like this day because it reminds me of all the ASD/ Asperger’s children I’ve worked with over the years. And I mean all of them; the runners, the gigglers, the logical thinkers, the…
FEE-FI-FOO-FUM!
Something almost all Autistic and Asperger’s children love in life is predictableness. There’s something about predictability that makes an ASD or Asperger’s child feel adequate and “in the know” if you like. So as their parents and careers it is key that we encourage this in their lives. One great way of doing this is…
Miracle Toy
Many parents/carers and teachers struggle with getting and holding their Autistic child’s attention when talking to them and I can say from experience this is a challenge that can become very frustrating. What with SO many techniques and visuals to try, you can easily feel like you’re fighting a losing battle. But I assure…
Just Two Minutes!
Communication can be very daunting to many Autistic or Asperger’s children so it’s important that we as parents and careers handle the subject with care and understanding. Being asked or expected to spontaneously begin a conversation is a terrifying and highly stressful task for many Autistic children of all ages. All children, when taking part…
Buzz Says!
I’m sure what I’m about to describe is something you will all think of as a “classic” game, that most if not all of you have played at least once in your childhood years… Simon Says. Now, some of you may be thinking that “Simon Says” is dated and that there are many more engaging…
Surprise, Surprise!
Inflexible and rigid thinkers are something I personally have come across many a time while working with Autistic children, and many parents ask me, how they can overcome this. I always say, with consistency, patience and a positive mind-set you can achieve great things with your ASD child. Now the rule-bound “Not gonna budge” kind…
Anything for a chocolate muffin!
Here’s something I’m sure all you parents/ carers and teachers out there have worked on a thousand times before… Reinforcement. Was I right? A potentially incredible tool to use both at home and school. But if the instructions are unclear you can actually be reinforcing the entire opposite behaviour to your ASD child. Here’s an…
No more “I can’ts!”
If you know, teach or have an Autistic child who has, what I like to call the “I can’t syndrome” it’s time for them to stop holding themselves back and make some changes! A fun, innovative and effective way of doing this is to create an “I can’t” time capsule with your child and stage…
It’s OK To Be Angry!
Children with Autism find expressing their emotions extremely challenging, so when it comes to anger they are no different. Your child may express themselves in negative or aggressive ways, for example screaming, hitting/kicking, verbal insults, swearing or head banging. These behaviours show that your child is frustrated. And understandably as a parent you just want…
Ask better questions!
There’s one little word that we use so often in life, and we expect answers straight after. We sometimes ask it out of anger, frustration, curiosity or even to be reassured. … And that’s “why”. But when caring for Autistic children we often forget that the majority of ASD children do not know or…
