What is stimming?

Stimming, you’ve heard the phrase from other parents who have a child on the spectrum but what does it mean? Stimming is a shortened version of the phrase self-stimulatory behavior. This type of behavior can range from arm flapping and repetitive behavior, all which are out of the ordinary for us, but are actually soothing actions for a child on the spectrum. As well another form of stimming is chewing or sucking on clothing. 

As many stimming actions may not seem “normal” or are not socially acceptable, we should understand what about it that makes our children happy and relaxed. In doing so we then can find a different action that is more acceptable in society that still gives them that same happy feeling.My son used to chew on necklace clothes etc. I went on autism forum and read about other children doing the same thing. A great way to redirect them from not chewing on clothes it they have item I had never heard of called chewy jewel or chewy jewel.  Lessening or modifying stims can be tricky, but several approaches may be helpful. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) may help individuals to eliminate or modify some of their stimming. Occupational therapy is another useful tool.

In some cases, stimming can be reduced with medications that address underlying issues of anxiety. Finally, some people with autism can learn through practice and coaching to either change their stims (squeeze a stress ball rather than flap, for example) or engage in excessive stimming only in the privacy of their own homes.

Read more at http://blog.theautismsite.com/what-is-stimming/#C710C2VTIS1SuEmm.99

What is it now means to me as a mother when I hear word "stylized" When is come to children characters.

I usually post about special needs posts. But I saw something today I just needed to talk about. I grew up watching Sailor moon.  Serena in general because she out of all the anime looked like me. Not the alien spindly body like me but more like a real girl she talked about wanting to lose weight about boys etc. She was a little boy crazy and not the best of role model but to me she was one I most related to at the time. Aside from usual teen stuff and fighting alien bad guys :) They brought out reboot. I was really excited. I had actually shown old version to my son. I know I might get payback later for it but I am not huge fan of gender stereo typing show they watch.

I used to be HUGE fan of this and was really excited until I saw the sketches.I have actually shown the original show to my kindergarten sons. I wanted to share with them stuff I liked when I was little and I liked how they weren't twirling around in belly shirts Aside from Serena who was fun it had some good female role model.They really like it. I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade I just don't like direction it is going. Sailor moon was only anime with more realistic body type. She was almost on the pudgy side for anime standards at least. Which makes sense because she always whining about need to go one diet which is running gag for better part of series.

First Disney actually make villain Barbie dolls makes a rather rotund Urula size two because they want her "more stylized."Which baffles me why they even used her in first place. Why not leave her out rather than make size "24" a size "2" Now they are stretching out Sailor Moon body out to unrealistic proportions.They even rebooted Candy Land character to make them even skinnier. Same went for rainbow bright. When does it end? I love sailor moon but I might pass on this. Now term "stylized" keeps popping up to justify these changes. Now when I hear it seems to be on par with saying made skinnier without offending parents.They didn't change anything about her really outfit are the same but now she grown a foot and lost a lot of weight. As mom this sadden me because this isn't what i grew up with.  It isn't near a normal body type they can achieve. We as parent are accepting body acceptance isn't getting better it's getting worse. On step at a time our childhood is getting re written and plus sized bodies will not be a part of it eventually under pr term more "stylized"in short meaning replacing fatter model with skinnier models and them reselling it to us as something completely new.

Then 

Now

http://www.themarysue.com/new-sailor-moon-cast/

Now a even more drastic design change. Let not look at the heroes we loved but the villains. Take Ursula. She was only plus sized female character in the Disney universe. I wasn't biggest fan of her as child I really like her confidence as adult woman. She wasn't the type to give up everything for a boy and knew what she wanted. As an adult woman I related her more than Ariel. he's evil sure but no one perfect lol. By no means am I saying this is healthy body type. But neither is the one that follow this design.  This year they re wrote history yet again with Disney collect and I'll show you want mean.

Then

now

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2166609/The-Little-Mermaids-Ursula-gets-new-tiny-waistline.html

Daily commodities by baby bus identifying item around the house

 It has two aspects the flash cards as well as object finding game

I like this app for numerous reasons it help to identify item around the house. I has a find item play style to it to help reinforce learning rather than relying solely on flash cards which is has as well. You learn name of everyday item and then you need to find them through out the house. Which is great for labeling hand eye coordination etc. My boy love the little bear and it make learning fun. Once you find item is has verbal prompt that tell child items name to help reinforce labels. .  click tio go to app

Here is an example of flash card provided

Here is example of the game you search from room to room
 trying to find object listed on left hand side

my favorite learning app of all time and why

1. First Then
This program is great for any mother with android phone or also available on iphone for portable visual schedules on the go. I usually use this for mostly morning routine when boy are getting ready for school. It is highly interactive. you can do one image at a time or use first then model. As well as you add pictures you have option of recording your voice saying different activity so they can use verbal cues on the touch picture. I posted a few visual schedules and I was looking online at special need apps and I highly recommend this one. You don't need to have rolls of picture on string to flip through to show each step . I used to have routine printed on wall but  had to reprint for certain order. This app has picture step you can search and add with touch of button.Has different view for different types of difficulty. There is one picture at time then first then and list option.I used this and find it really great to create everyday routines. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apps.gk.firstthen

There is first then view

Then list setting if they can follow more instruction

You can set timer to make them more aware of time or leave off under settings.

2. Endless abc.

Here is one of the best apps I have seen yet. When they touch individual letter it play sound letter makes phonetically.Once it in place it tell you letter.  Then one they have spelt out word it say it has cute animation and explanation of the word.It is free to try but whole alpabeht cost about $3 You can find it in both android and itunes.https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.originatorkids.EndlessAlphabet

3. My day with wh. This is great app I use with son Gabriel. It has colorful social story. The social story show example of who what where questions  it about $3.04 on google play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.TouchAutism.MyDayWHWords&hl=en

Another neat feature is there is button you can press after story that has example of who what when where questions to help with conversation building. It helps  reinforce what they learnt in social story.

4 Staying safe social story. It pretty safe to say anything by touch autism will top my list as favorite apps. Not only does it have social stories that are extremely useful but also and engaging color and interactive component to each app.  This app is made up of two community safety social stories. One story focuses on safer strangers and buildings, and the other focuses on what to do if you are lost.The “stranger danger” style of story sometimes frightens children, and causes them to not ask for help if they are lost, for fear that all strangers are bad. Safer strangers and social stories focuses on which strangers are “safer” and good to go to for help, such as police officers, check-out clerks, librarians or paramedics. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.TouchAutism.StayingSafe


4. Super why adventures. This is very engaging app the has multiple puzzle children can cycle through.Based on popular tv show Super why. Has video review above and screen shots. App played by my son Gabe who is asd. I highly recommend app for letter recognition. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.pbskids.swhyabc

5.Tracing Abc This app is found on google play. I had Gabe draw with stylus it follow one line at a time.It has many great option let you practice letter number words as well as you can add your own word on menu. I used that option to help teach Gabriel to write his own name on the tablet. Little stars light up as you follow direction. Bright engaging colors. He actually enjoys using this programhttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.remarkable.tracingabcfull

Tracing abc

This app is found on google play. I had Gabe draw with stylus it follow one line at a time.It has many great option let you practice letter number words as well as you can add your own word on menu. I used that option to help teach Gabriel to write his own name on the tablet. Little stars light up as you follow direction. Bright engaging colors. He actually enjoys using this program.

You can practice individual letter words or numbers. In this part he using number option Little stars light up as you follow direction. One finish it will say name of number you just wrote. A drop down image will appear showing visual example of number complete like in the video for example he traced number two and it display picture of two shoes. As well as written version on the number you just traced.

Gabriel is tracing out letter two

super why abc adventures review

This is very engaging app the has multiple puzzle children can cycle through.Based on popular tv show Super why. Has video review above and screen shots. App played by my son Gabe who is asd. I highly recommend app for letter recognition 

Welcome to Holland part 2

Welcome to Holland (Part 2)

 by Anonymous 

I have been in Holland for over a decade now. It has become home. I have had time to 

catch my breath, to settle and adjust, to accept something different than I'd planned. 

I reflect back on those years of past when I had first landed in Holland. 

I remember clearly my shock, my fear, my anger—the pain and uncertainty. In those 

first few years, I tried to get back to Italy as planned, but Holland was where I was to 

stay. Today, I can say how far I have come on this unexpected journey. I have learned 

so much more. But, this too has been a journey of time. 

I worked hard. I bought new guidebooks. I learned a new language and I slowly found 

my way around this new land. I have met others whose plans had changed like mine, 

and who could share my experience. We supported one another and some have 

become very special friends. 

Some of these fellow travelers had been in Holland longer than I and were seasoned 

guides, assisting me along the way. Many have encouraged me. Many have taught me 

to open my eyes to the wonder and gifts to behold in this new land. I have discovered 

a community of caring. Holland wasn't so bad. 

I think that Holland is used to wayward travelers like me and grew to become a land of 

hospitality, reaching out to welcome, to assist and to support newcomers like me in this 

new land. Over the years, I've wondered what life would have been like if I'd landed in 

Italy as planned. Would life have been easier? Would it have been as rewarding? Would 

I have learned some of the important lessons I hold today? 

Sure, this journey has been more challenging and at times I would (and still do) stomp 

my feet and cry out in frustration and protest. And, yes, Holland is slower paced than 

Italy and less flashy than Italy, but this too has been an unexpected gift. I have learned 

to slow down in ways too and look closer at things, with a new appreciation for the 

remarkable beauty of Holland with its' tulips, windmills and Rembrandts. 

I have come to love Holland and call it Home. 

I have become a world traveler and discovered that it doesn't matter where you land. 

What's more important is what you make of your journey and how you see and enjoy 

the very special, the very lovely, things that Holland, or any land, has to offer. 

Yes, over a decade ago I landed in a place I hadn't planned. Yet I am thankful, for this 

destination has been richer than I could have imagined! 

Autism poem that touched me called "Welcome to Holland"

Welcome to Holland

Written by Emily Perl Kingsley 

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability – to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this…

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum, the Michelangelo David, the gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!" you say. "What do you mean, Holland?" I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy.

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to some horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy a new guidebook. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around, and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills, Holland has tulips, Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life you will say, "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

The pain of that will never, ever, go away, because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.

But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland. 

https://www.facebook.com/notes/stop-discrimination-against-special-needs/welcome-to-holland-by-emily-perl-kingsley-c1987-by-emily-perl-kingsley-all-right/312159348880123

Id card for little wanderer

Roughly half, or 49%, of children with autism attempt to elope from a safe environment, a rate nearly four times higher than their unaffected siblings.I had Gabe used to wader alot so I looked online to what other parent are doing  I saw id badges. They were pretty boring I have a diploma on business management so I have some practice making business cards. I went into Microsoft publisher and selected business cards and entered their data. Don't worry I changed info to make fake card for this example. What I did to get kids to like their card was I asked them what their favorite super hero was. I had left over card from when I was in school.We would visit business and they told us to network and suggest these card to make our own cards to give out when we attended meeting or interview. Once I made id card I simply printed them out when I was done. They are pop out cards once it was done 1 sheet make about nine cards. I put one card in their wallet in back pack another I kept in my wallet and another I gave to my mother so they would have picture in case they got lost.  http://www.officedepot.ca//business-cards/avery-business-card-38876.asp.

begining to write finger placement

I went with Gabriel to occupational therapist and she told me something neat about hand placement. She said common mistake was to go to high on the pen to write. Simple reminder is to either buy sticker to place where you want finger or to use nail polish from around the house to pain two spots where you want little ones to put their fingers.Red sticker can be bought at dollar store but I just used what was around the house.

We'll get by song about autism

This beautiful song about autism touched be deeply so I thought I would share for those who are on the spectrum.

Crayola dry erase activity Centre

My sons ta gave him this as gift and it is greatest gift ever. I actually have it for both sons to help to read. I used sheet provided and also bought book of mazes and cut down the center to take out sheet so I could put under plastic so they could practice hand eye coordination.They had regular abc sheet that came with. But while they were good. I looked at regular dollar store and found more uses for crayola dry erase.   This is sheet that came with. It came with four but I lost 2 after taking on cross country trip.

I found a maze work book and simply sheet down cut down the middle. Then simply placed sheet inside. So that Gabe could practice hand eye coordination. He loves mazes and I usually start him on these sheet first. This workbook was luck find I found at local local store for about $2. It has bright colour and is fun. Great part of crayola dry erase board is that you can place sheet under plastic wipe of and resuse. So you don't have to buy multiple books once their done. Plus it eases their anxiety over making mistakes since they can wipe of and try again easily. Again these book DON"T come with it I bought separately and cut sheet out to place inside. 

This was another great dollar store find found a number maze book again by crayola. The cost was about $2 plus tax. Not work sheet that came with I bought regular book and cut sheet down middle to fit. 

 This work book is most versatile and most expensive cost around $8 by target I photcopies sheet to place inside due to size would be awkward to cut out. I had this book before Gabe was given dry erase as gift but you can also photocopy sheet to place inside. What I like about it is bright color and it has arrows to show direction and which step is first. Label 1 and direction arrow and 2 etc to show how each letter is supposed to be written.

I bought file folder for the different work sheet. Once Gabe has completed set of five he gets sticker to put on his folder. He has been doing pretty well and writing has improved alot as well as letter recognition. 

Here is set I was speaking about. You can buy at Target in Canada for roughly $15 plus tax. Additional work sheet found at local dollar store  http://www.crayolastore.com/product/crayolareg-dryerase-activity-center

pops program

For those that don't know you can ask for pops program for free speech therapy and occupational therapy in Canada. The caveat  being cut off is five years old.  Which as special needs mom is really frustrating. Most like myself don't know until later in life around 4 years that there is anything wrong. I addressed issues with pediatrician since he was twin said he will find his words. He's still young. But he didn't and because of that by the time I discover supports most were no longer available. Anyhow that was my rant. Luckily in time frame I had I signed him up for some speech therapy and occupational therapy covered under ohip. It friendly uses toys to help develop language. He actually looked forward to weekly therapy. Each child has about ten blocks. But in short time and incredible progress. By no means is he "cured of autism" which in my opinion isn't a thing. I hear that phrase a lot but I hate that expression it like implying child is broken. Which I don't believe he is. But his speech has improved a lot and he happier boy now he can talk. Here is link to program. I don't drive but here is pic of us on the road to appointment.Since it was little early in morning I had to take them both. Here link to program to those who are interested. I took them for lunch after for doing an awesome He had improved eye contact and speech. He actualy doing alot better in school. I think it mostly because of work done with this program. Even better I had referral from pediatrician of speech delay so I was able to get speech therapy and they  refered me to get full assessment for more supports at school. But I didn't need full assessment to start.  . http://www.trilliumhealthcentre.org/programs_services/womens_childrens_services/childrensHealth/specialized_childrens_services/paediatricOutpatientServices.php

Monket Preschool lunchbox

This is very engaging app the has multiple puzzle children can cycle through. There are counting fruit which it counts all the fruit you have touched as you touch fruit and displays number. There is memory builder game and puzzles. Each puzzle is random on after another after child has completed certain amount of puzzles they can earn sticker to put on their board. I like how each puzzle is short and then cycles to next puzzle. It is very colourful and engaging to young players. It is available on android and ipad. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thup.lunchbox&hl=en

Endless abc

 Here is one of the best apps I have seen yet. When they touch individual letter it play sound letter makes phonetically.Once it in place it tell you letter.  Then one they have spelled word it say it has cute animation and explanation of the word.It is free to try but whole alphabet cost about $4 You can find it in both android and itunes click link to go to app

Once you touch letter it become animated. Moving around and making sound the letter would sound phonetically. Once letter is in place it says what letter actually is.

Once Word is spelled out it will become animated and act out meaning of the words.