My NEW Websites!

I thought it might help if I organized my niches a little bit better so I have started a few websites to do that.  My current projects are...

Sidther's Free Printables     for free printable stuff that parents of kids with autism may find useful (still customizable)

and then...

sidther to welcome parents of kids who recently received the diagnosis with separate pages for each of the most pressing social issues faced by families with autism.

When those are complete, I will build one dedicated to the medical and genetic aspects of autism...yeah baby, I get to dig around in CDH8 and NSD1!!!!!

Anyhooo,

I thought it might help it I was better organized, maybe the ads will pay a bit too to help keep my custom designed services free. (ummm, right now, I'm paying to do it.......)

The "R" Word

I wish that I did not have to write about this. My new article on Squidoo is about the use of The "R" word.
I felt that I had to write it, I am so sick of hearing the children call my child a retard and it is obviously becoming worse as the issue has made national news multiple times- lawmakers have even been discussing options to eliminates it's usage as an insult or joke.

The problem with eliminating the word however, is that it is a legitimate word with legitimate uses in science and medicine as well as the rest of the english language in general.  If we officially removed the word from our language, what would happen in those areas where the word is commonly used in it's proper form? In medicine for example, removing the word may have dire consequences as  "Mental retardation" is an actual diagnosis- much like how the term "aspergers" marks the severity of  an individual's symptoms on the autism spectrum, the term "retardation" does depict the severity of an individual's intellectual impairment.  Removing the word may cause more than inconvenience- if a doctor or nurse does not keep up with the change and say for example that  they are one of the very few lazy providers who will not look things up- or the one with an attitude who insists that the patient's family is lying or has made up the new diagnosis because they had not heard of it- what happens to the patient when the provider is confused about the terminology?

Anyway, thinking about the r-word is upsetting on many levels. I get furious when people call Cutie the "R" word- in part because he is autistic and I do not want him to feel that retardation is part of his diagnosis. On a side note- Cutie's IQ after being tested repeatedly came out ridiculously high, I do take some guilty pleasure in knowing that he is probably smarter than the children calling him the "R" word!  I know that doesn't really matter, but I have to find something to think about to avoid screaming at the kids- this helps me tell them nicely that it is wrong to use the word....

I am also infuriated by the causal way that young people have been throwing the word around as a way to indicate that their "friend" has been irritating or done something clumsy or stupid- it is an insult to people with the official diagnosis everywhere. Aside from showing compassion for people who have mental retardation, I think people should consider how brave these individuals and their families are- as brutal and cruel as our society is, they continue to enjoy life and make the best of it.  On some level, I wonder if some people are envious of people with mental retardation- their ability to appreciate the simple things and see beauty in the world where others can't is an amazing gift that very few other people have.

Stop Using the R word Button by Sidther
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Another glorious trip to Sea World

Today my Cutie  is relaxed and calm because we spent yesterday at Sea World AGAIN!  It was great!

Yesterday, we actually started at Dolphin Cove where Cutie fed the Dolphins and named one Mr Piggy.  He got lots of special animal connection and interaction time as well as some sensory input from splashing around and petting the dolphins.  He was super brave though when he had to touch the icky fish! The dolphins have a new enrichment toy and they were swimming around it all excited and a little confused.

We then made our way over to the aquarium and watched the sharks and fish for a while while cutie actually asked questions....  Not just any questions though.  He acutally asked "why do sharks have those bumpy things on the ends of their tails?"   If you have a child with autism- you know what a big deal a why question like that is, especially when it is actually being asked (as opposed to parroted) and the child really expects an answer!  So, in our visit with the sharks Cutie actually met 2 of his speech goals that he has been struggling with for years!!!

Then we visited the Sea lions- there were a few adorable babies there but we had to leave rather quickly as a stranger took it upon herself to try teaching my son about God and the Birds and bees- neither the time nor the place to introduce these subjects to him.

We did some wandering around, Rio Loco had an insanely long line so we skipped it. We got a few snacks and checked out the penguins although since this is their winter time and the lights must stay off, we did not stick around for too long.

Then we headed to the NEW Shamu show!  We have been to the Shamu show "Believe" for years, it was great, but it got a bit old seeing the same show every week.  Now there is a sparkly new show- yes it really is sparkly!  They added a backdrop with twinkly blue lights!  The new show "One Ocean" was good.  There did seem to be more waiting around in between tricks BUT the tricks were more impressive than before- so it balanced out quite well!  I LOVE the baby Shamu!!!!

We spent most of the remainder of the visit at the Lost Lagoon playing in the water and having LOTS of Sensory input!  We stayed until the Lost Lagoon closed, but then we had to go... Cutie did not have a tantrum or attitude when we told him it was time to go this time!  He finally understands that because we live right down the street and we have season passes, it is OK to leave because we will be back in a few days!

Currently, he is writing a few pages in his journal about his fantastic adventures at Sea World and is practicing his speech!  He will soon have a few more visual cues on his ring that I am making from our visit yesterday!

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I am so surprised at the ratings that this lens has achieved!  I threw FREE Printable Behavior Charts, Reward Charts and Visual Cues together, partly for myself as I do use them very often.  I get very upset when I think I find a site and it causes pop ups or is not actually free so I gathered the best together and categorized them- then I also uploaded some of my own printables to it.  I am absolutely amazed by the response I have gotten!  This is officially the highest ranking lens I have ever created!

I want to keep it going strong so if anyone has any suggestions for designs or visual cues ( I will custom make some if you need them- no charge) I would really appreciate it!

As always, if you wish to print any of my work out, go for it! If you would like to use it online please link back- attribution is appreciated but not required.

If you would like to see more of my available FREE Printables,
please click for PECS,Behavior and reward charts

click here for fine motor practice printables

click here for free printable chore charts

click here for free printable preschool level coloring pages

click here for free printable worksheets 



I am trying to make FREE printable Social stories- I am finding this to be the most challenging venture as I do not have a template yet.  Once I create my template (I usually play with a few, then build my own) I hope it will be easier.

Free printable preschool level coloring pages

Free printable preschool level coloring pages a new freebie article! I put together a list of free printable coloring pages. I screened these pages for simplicity and pop ups, registration etc. My goal is to provide links to the sites that offer skill appropriate coloring pages so that parents of kids with autism could locate them more quickly- if the child can not yet put a mark on the paper, then a coloring page containing cartoon characters and complex scenery is not appropriate.

I have created a few simple coloring pages for you to print- some are basic shapes and there is a collection of fruits- I recommend starting with the banana, then the orange, then apple, then grapes, then strawberry  as they get more complex in that order.

I will be creating another article with more complex coloring pages soon- I am still learning how to draw with my mouse....

Free printable fine motor practice to help kids with special needs

Here is my shiny new freebies article! Free printable fine motor practice to help kids with special needs

Kids with autism often have poor proprioception and sometimes lax muscles in their forearms, both of which significantly effect the child's ability to write legibly. It is important to have them continue to practice, and free printable practice sheets can make a huge difference! I try to make my designs fun so that the child will be engaged, to save money on ink, I do recommend printing only one or two in color and using black and white copies (simply set the printer to grayscale) more frequently. I save the full color copies for rewards!

Some of the designs such as "Trace the falling stars" were designed so that the color would be so light, it should use fairly little ink- I know I can print a few hundred copies of that one with no problem- I have the HP Deskjet F4280, I used to have an Epson, the Epson ran through ink VERY quickly and was expensive to replace so please.... try one or two out and see if your child even likes them before you go too crazy!

Cutie was having fun helping me with a few of the designs, the "girl's writing practice" was tough- neither of us understand this princessy obsession that has taken over the US, the page is so girly, I nearly threw up on my keyboard!

http://www.squidoo.com/autisms-gifts

Here is an older article that I wrote as I was learning how to use Squidoo! http://www.squidoo.com/autisms-gifts

Please note, I am not suggesting that having autism is the best thing ever, I am merely reminding people that the diagnosis does not need to define the individual and that there are a few little perks that come along with it. My personal favorite perk- a renewed appreciation for my child every single day as he perseveres to accomplish what doctors said would never be possible for him, and doing so with a smile on his face and great pride in his progress!

Choosing your battles in Autism therapies and education

So very many challenges that all need attention. What do you target first? When the choices are as simple as "running out in to traffic" vs "napkin on the lap" it is pretty easy to know that the traffic issue needs addressing immediately while the napkin, although frustrating, can wait. What do you do though when there are multiple safety related behaviors and ALL need addressing at the same time? Sometimes, each behavior must be addressed individually, however, there is often a common underlying theme....

If you figure out the common theme, you can address that and see improvements (maybe not absolute fixes immediately, but improvement is still good!) across all of the behaviors in question.

For example: Cutie used to A) run into traffic, B) get out of his seatbelt, C) touch the stove, D) leave the house without an adult (until I put chains on the doors).

What do all of those issues have in common? A physical boundary....

In the house, we used red tape and stop signs to note where he could and could not go. Out side, I got up every morning and drew a boundary line with sidewalk chalk- beyond that line, he had to hold hands. For the traffic- luckily we lived on a military base where everyone knew each other, people drove slowly and most of the neighbors drew a line on their sidewalk near the street to help him see that the road was off limits. We all practiced with him together.

Once he understood more about the physical boundaries, it was easier to work with him on the individual behaviors- all of which are now resolved.

If your child has multiple behaviors that need targeting, please visit

Choosing your battles in Autism therapies and education to see how to identify the common thread and prioritize the behaviors.

Father's Day was yesterday!

So, Cutie was his adorable self!

We went to the store the other day and he chose this special edition Jedi fighter transformer hybrid thing for "DAD's" father's day present.   He decorated the wrapping paper beautifully and wrapped the present all spiffy.


Yesterday, when Dad got up, Cutie brought him the present.  My husband was great, and very excited about this wonderful gift and VERY proud of Cutie for thinking of him on FAther's day as well as actually GIVING a gift.

Not 30 seconds after the wrapping paper fell to the floor.....
"Dad, can I just show you how to play with this toy?"
My husband of course says "that would really be nice, we could play with it together!"
Cutie got into "a zone" and disappeared with the toy.  Twice I recovered it for my husband.

This morning I found the toy tucked safely under Cutie's pillow....

"I'm just keeping it safe for Dad!"

I have been working very hard on my free printable visual cues!

I have been working on them for a few days now..... I have created a few for different occasions.  I have been using the public domain clipart from CLKR to create most of these ones because they have such a great variety!  If you like what I have made, please feel free to print it out.  If you would like to use it online, I do ask that you link each image back to my original page and credit "Sidther".
That link is   http://www.squidoo.com/free-printables-to-help-with-autism   there are more free printable visual aids and other items there as well, I just wanted to share a few here.

Technology visual cues: help your child feel more familiar with items that surround them at home- especially those that they may learn to use as a means to communicate better or use during therapy.  Hopefully you will be modeling speech when using these cards, so these would be good for your child to learn to verbalize!

Getting dressed visual cues: help your child with their daily routine and learn what each item of their clothing is called!  I included the fedora because my son LOVES to wear one with a three piece suit! 

 Christmas visual aids: help your child know what to expect around christmas time! Bells, carolers and parties can be un nerving, so can Santa claus for some kids!  I included the kiss to help kids with severe aversions to physical contact prepare for distant relatives who may not understand not to smother them!

I feel visual cues: If your child can not express their mood, they will likely resort to tantrums to get their message across.  Visual cues can help decrease the likelihood of that while reducing their level of frustration!

So, those are my four latest, I hope that you find them to be helpful in some way!  Please feel free to leave comments or contact me if there are any events or topics that you feel I should make some visual cues or other printables for!

Developmental Progress Binders

Developmental Progress Binders

New article on squidoo! How (and why) to create a developmental progress binder for your child with Autism or other developmental disbalities.

Parties for kids with special needs

Parties for kids with special needs

Simple advice and tips to ensure a fun and exciting (yet problem free) party for kids with special needs. Fun sensory activities strategically located and timed will really help the kids get the most fun out of it! Don't forget to make some visual cues for your home too!

What to do when a child with autism does not understand sports

They so desperately want to be included and it is gut wrenching to watch them try to play a game with neighborhood children.  You feel like screaming because your child is not included but at the same time you know exactly why the other kids are annoyed.  It is one of the symptoms of the disorder- your child does NOT understand teamwork- not truly any way.  Your child will be having great fun and the game is going well, then suddenly, your child takes the ball and is doing their own thing - not realizing that what they have done is not good or helpful.  When they realize that people are frustrated they often become defensive or angry because they think they were playing the game right.

Do you then forgo the games altogether?  This is really a tough decision-playing sports really is so good for them. It is terrible though, knowing that your child's behavior is the cause of the frustration for the other players.

We got very lucky.  One of our neighborhood kids LOVES to teach the games, he actually pretends to be a coach! That really does help, sure he gets frustrated and temporarily stops the game but he understands better than most of the other kids that Cutie wants to play and he honestly thinks his behaviors are helping.

So we have the physical teaching of the games covered, the big challenge though, is the team spirit and understanding about running off with the ball etc.  We have been doing social stories and yesterday we made a paper chain.

When we made the paper chain, we started with 2 rings, one on one chair, and then I asked Cutie to help me get the other to the other chair so that BOTH chairs were together.  Neither ring could reach alone.  He helped create new links until the chain reached from one chair to the other- together the links could do it!  We talked about more sport specific issues and at the end, we pretended the links were playing basketball and instead of passing the ball to the link in front of him, the middle link TOOK the ball to go and do his own thing- the whole thing came apart and Cutie GOT it!

New freebies!

Here are three new pre-screened directories I have put together for you!  All of the sites who offer "free***" (you know, with paid registration or a 5 day trial etc) have been weeded out- the sites I list are either 100% free OR clearly marked as "free registration" or in some cases if it is an amazing deal "low cost".  Also I left out all of the sites that  trigger pop ups that say they are scanning your computer etc.

While you are welcome to print off my charts or awards etc, I ask that if you use them on a website, PLEASE link back to my original page on Squidoo- each of the following images is directly above the link for it's specified page.

Worksheets : These contain fine motor and academic all sorted for you. Kids with special needs often require extra practice as their sensory and focus problems often interfere with their ability to be completely attentive at school- these are also ideal during breaks to prevent learning loss- especially beneficial for kids who suffer from regressions.

Chore charts : can be used either to help a child with autism remember to do chores, keep track of daily activities or even used as a therapy schedule.  Chore rewards that can be saved toward a larger prize are listed under "chore bucks". Free visual cues (PECS compatible) and public domain clipart  can be found at the bottom of the page.

Behavior and reward charts and visual cues : Most parents of a child with Autism use or at least try behavior and reward charts.  Before you spend $30 on one, try out these free printables and see which type works best for your family! There are lots of variables and some are extremely creative.

Don't forget the awards!  Once your child has completed chores or worksheets or improved their behavior, consider giving them an award certificate so that they may display their pride!



Some PECS compatible visual cues

Today Cutie is learning to play Baseball!

Cutie has been desperate to learn to play baseball for a while now! Today he has his chance!


He is running around outside with some friends working on throwing, catching and hitting! His friends (neurotypical) are trying to help him understand the rules as well since next year he wants to join a team at school.


When he gets done, we will take a break, then we will play a game of Count across to help prevent    
summer learning loss. 


We have been doing lots of great activities including baking cookies, playing in the sprinkler (sensory), playing catch and playing educational games!  I will post more details once I work out exactly how I am trying to organize this blog!  I am still learning how to set it up and what features are available!


If you have any questions, I am available at Squidoo and there I have 70 articles of tips, challenges and personal experiences all relating to Autism- simply leave a comment or go to my bio to send me an email.

Free printable Behavior Charts, Reward Charts and Visual Cues to help with Autism

Free printable Behavior Charts, Reward Charts and Visual Cues to help with Autism

Free printable Behavior Charts, Reward Charts and Visual Cues to help with Autism TARGET=

Free printable Behavior Charts, Reward Charts and Visual Cues to help with Autism TARGET=

http://www.squidoo.com/free-printables-to-help-with-autism. Another one of my freebie lenses- this one has behavior charts, visual cues and reward charts FREE and some clearly marked low cost as well as a link to the expensive stuff if you need to look at it to make your own! I weeded out the lenses that made evil nasty pop ups so you don't have to worry about any of that! http://amplify.com/u/a15940

http://www.squidoo.com/free-printable-worksheets-to-help-kids-with-special-needs

Kids lose lots of info over the summer- kids with autism usually need extra practice with fine motor and academic skills anyway. Here is a collection of sites that I have screened for free printable worksheets to keep the kids thinking! The sites have been categorized by skill and I excluded all of the sites that claimed to be free, but required a paid membership when it came time to click print. Please leave other great free printable sites that you know of to help make life easier for others! http://amplify.com/u/a154zv

My Zazzle Store

I have found that most of the Autism awareness stuff that people buy is bright and cheery, sometimes so bright and cheery and on baggy t shirts that they often are not worn which kind of defeats the purpose since you can't use it to raise awareness if you are not wearing it!  I decicded to try and create some of my own designs for autism awareness! They are being done in bold, muted, earthy and pastel colors (not all at once of course) and I am adding them to polo shirts and more form fitting clothes to increase the chances of them being worn.

Also a lot of the therapists that we know say that they wish they could wear Autism awareness stuff at work, but they are restricted to polos, scrubs, babydolls or other form fitting shirts.  I have also created some buttons for business owners to help clearly identify their establishment as non-discriminatory towards children with ASD- even during behavioral moments!

I would love some input, please visit me!!!    

Sidther on Zazzle

Multitasking at Sea World

We take Cutie to Sea World often- usually every week over the summer and every other week during the rest of the operating season.  I nearly cried when his friend's mother (the child also has ASD) said that her child was too far off in his own world and would neither enjoy nor benefit from a trip to Sea World.

There is NO evidence to suggest that a person with ASD who appears to be "absent" does not still have some kind of connection or ability to enjoy life. Maybe the child would love it- maybe not but there is only one way to know.

When we take Cutie, we use everything that they have to do "therapy".  We use Bay of play to handle his sensory issues- he plays there just like the other kids, but we direct and sometimes manipulate his body to achieve the best results and he LOVES it! Sure, we have to take ear muffs for him because it gets loud and the poor child looks as if he had a rough week at a tattoo parlour after I finish covering him in info and medic alert tags, pictures, tattoos and bracelets.

Lost Lagoon is a perfect place to work on sensory and gross motor and balance!  Whether you can use it for speech or not really depends upon how crowded it is and the same goes for behavior practices- we try to go during the week whenever possible which makes all of that much easier!

I have taken some of Cutie's friends with ASD as well, they have all had a great time, hopefully soon his other friend's mother will try something- whether it is Sea World or Chucky Cheese although I have been able to get them into a grocery store and we managed that without incident.

Anyway, for the full article, please visit http://www.squidoo.com/special-needs-sea-world  and explore the 70 articles! (65 are ASD, the others are, well, experiments with other subjects that went terribly wrong- ie getting pants on!)

http://www.squidoo.com/sidther-autism-on-zazzle

Hi! I have been having fun playing with zazzle! I made a lens about it!

If you have a zazzle store that you want to be featured- just tell me- even just say "my zazzle name is...." in the comments.- If you would prefer to have a lens about zazzle featured, then just leave the url. http://amplify.com/u/a14vn0

I got a bit curious about Zazzle- went over there and began playing. I have a 30 day free trial of some graphics software and am completely addicted! I will probably be less present on squidoo until I either get bored, give up (some of you are familiar with my "technical skills") or my trial expires! Just wanted you to know that I'm still here if you need anything- feel free to direct message etc if I get too distracted to visit here- I say this because my husband pointed out that I have been scribbling and experimenting since 7am without realizing how quickly the day went!

Good night! http://amplify.com/u/a14qw5

http://www.squidoo.com/profound-autism-vs-high-functioning-autism Many people seem to believe that people with HFA are rare! As doctors are becoming more familiar with ASD the diagnosis of Aspergers and HFA are becoming more common. The kids who are verbal are stuck in a no man's land as most people tend to consider them "not autistic" but they are still not neurotypical either. I wrote this in response to a comment implying that there aren't kids with ASD who can speak. http://amplify.com/u/a14ju9

These are the methods we used to address my son's tantrums. It took a very long time and a lot of work and patience- it even required my to try an anxiety medication! Maybe parts or all of this will help you find a way to manage your child's tantrums- maybe it will just help to see that we have been there too. http://amplify.com/u/a14j5d

http://www.squidoo.com/autism-tantrums

Kids with ASD don't have tantrums because they are spoiled- they are trying to communicate something. Of course figuring out what that something is can be extremely frustrating, but once you figure out the triggers, you can try to teach the child better ways to communicate those exact feelings. Whether they learn a few words, sign or which visual aids to show you, once the child has a better method of communication the associated tantrums may become less intense or frequent. Here are some common triggers to keep in mind if you are baffled at your child's reason for this behavior. http://amplify.com/u/a14hgb

http://www.squidoo.com/haircuts-for-kids-with-asd

Are you about to sneak into your kids room to trim their hair while they sleep? http://amplify.com/u/a14hga

http://www.squidoo.com/gluten-casein-free-diets-for-autism

Trying to understand the controversy? Do gluten and casein free diets really do anything for kids with ASD? Find out why there is such discrepancy between the studies. http://amplify.com/u/a14gwi

http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-make-sensory-fidget-beads

For kids with ASD, ADHD or anything else that causes them to be wiggly at homework time! Different types of strands help kids with different challenges http://amplify.com/u/a14gi1

http://www.squidoo.com/sensory-tips-for-autism

We are on our way to go do some sensory stuff!!!! Swimming!! What kinds of sensory activities does your family do? There are lots of family activities that provide the sensory input that kids with ASD or SID need and you may already be doing some of them! http://amplify.com/u/a14fnl

Here is Cutie playing with baking soda and vinegar!

Last Day of School today!

I just published a new lens on Squidoo!
http://www.squidoo.com/free-printables-to-help-with-autism the first in a series of free products and printables to help manage autism symptoms and behavioral problems.  This one covers behavior charts, reward charts and visual cues.  The next one will cover schedules and chore charts, then another will cover free samples, discounts and items like the 100 day kit and free books and e books.  I am trying to get a few more out today because today is the LAST day of school!

What are we going to do all summer?  There will be as many trips to seaworld as poor old Shamu can handle, but the other days....

We are going to a few activities from the dangerous book for boys,  a bunch of really cool science experiments, schoolwork (to prevent summer loss- especially important in children with autism who experience regular severe regressions).  We will play various sports to help  Cutie expand his social ooportunities (the kids on the street play every day but they are all on real teams- until he know the rules inside out, they can't let him play as much as he would like (they are preparing for next year's tryouts etc- he is included when they are playing for fun).

We might do some yard work, painting (both home and artistic) and we will do lots of sensory activities!

Today when he gets home we will do some cool baking soda and vinegar mixing in plastic bottles with a paper bag rubber banded to the bottle -fill the bag with baking soda, the bottle with vinegar, do not tip up the bag until you are ready for the reaction! When they react, gas is released, filling the bag which eventually (if you put enough in) will pop!  We will do a few of these and some diet coke and mentos as part of our school year end celebration!

http://www.squidoo.com/special-needs-and-schools

If you have or know a child with special needs who will be starting school for the first time next year you should learn what to expect. The process can be tedious and frustrating when parents walk in unprepared for the amount of information they need to provide and the amount of time it takes for services to start. Do you know what services the school is required to provide? Not as many as you are probably hoping- start planning early! http://amplify.com/u/a14adi

http://www.squidoo.com/emergencies-with-children-who-have-special-needs

Kids with developmental delays are more challenging to assess and treat during emergencies. Learn simple strategies to make those situations less stressful should they occur. http://amplify.com/u/a149kq

http://www.squidoo.com/what-to-target-in-autism-therapy

tips on prioritizing which challenges to target to supplement (not replace) professional therapy at home! http://amplify.com/u/a148xw

Tomorrow is the last day of school!

I will have to find more and more cool activities to keep Cutie occupied over the summer!  Cutie must do school work with me at home every day- he has serious regressions about twice a year and we try very hard to keep him above age level academically so that if he loses any info, he will still be able to keep!

I home schooled him for a while as we lived in a bad area with a school that failed to comply with FAPE and IDEA- I could have easily dragged them to court and won... but really, they were the prize so we opted to homeschool- why win something you are not interested in?

Now we live in an area with a great school- in fact we bought this house for the sole purpose of getting him into that school!

Home schooling was fun and horrible at the same time...  I don't know what kids his age are supposed to know!  He had already had two years of real preschool, so at least I had a starting point!  He was non-compliant at the beginning and hand over hand was required for everything.  I was also solely responsible for his speech therapy, occupational therapy, sensory and behavior- not ONE therapist was available for the entire 18 months we lived on that base.

Any way- since school is getting out for the summer tomorrow, we will take Friday off, then we will begin a routine similar to homeschool- in which the opportunities to conduct a science experiment were actually the prize!  I have one week's worth of activities planned so far and many more to come!

I fully intend to post our activities (hopefully giving you some ideas) every week while he works on his spelling words!

In the meantime, here is my article from yesterday!

http://www.squidoo.com/dining-with-autism

http://www.squidoo.com/dining-with-autism

A lot of parents and friends of children with autism are hesitant to take their child to restaurants because of behavioral concerns as well as the potential for sensory overload. This lens is about our methods with my son as well as how we have managed to take 3 of his friends with ASD and him to restaurants AND get through the evening without incident. The most important factors are patience and practice. http://amplify.com/u/a148h0