I keep learning more about the life challenges of children with autism by watching . . . .my own life. Here’s an example. Do you like to try something new? I was looking for a quick and easy breakfast option for those days when I’m on the go. There were some breakfast wraps in the […]
Need some really good tools to deal with the challenges of autism? Why behavior problems in autism? Here’s a short list of possibilities. Because people assume the students with autism understand the same way everyone else does. They presume students on the autism spectrum are understanding the ongoing conversations and routines just like other students. […]
I was consulting with a teacher of teenagers on the autism spectrum. She emphatically stated, “My students would never use a cell phone.” Really??? Here are some statistics about what is happening in our tech-social world. More Kindle books are now sold than “real books” 8 out of 10 people now shop online 81% of […]
I received a question recently about a boy on the autism spectrum who spoke with a lot of echolalia. He also demonstrated a lot of behavior challenges related to schedule activities. The combination of these two issues made a lot of sense to me. What is echolalia? When a student with autism repeats […]
Julia attended a workshop I presented in Texas many years ago. She was already a “visual strategies believer” and I think that conference put some extra zing into her enthusiasm. She contacts me from time to time to share her experiences. This letter was in my morning inbox. PLEASE…….forward this to the Queen of Visual […]
If you know me very well, you know that I am passionate about using pictures and other visual supports to enhance communication, especially for our students with special learning needs like autism. There are a million reasons why. But all pictures are not the same Here’s my story I purchased a new vacuum last night. […]
I was speaking in an online program this week about the autism spectrum and visual strategies and needs of students. When attendees had an opportunity to ask questions, one Mom asked, “My son with Asperger’s will be going to Middle School and I’m afraid. How do we prepare?” Powerful question Worthy of more than the […]
Christmas tree season! I picked out the perfect one at the tree farm. A sweet young girl who looked about fifteen years old hoisted that tree onto my SUV and started tying it down. I engaged her in some conversation while she quickly and capably did her job. Of course, I commented on how skilled […]
I have 5 grandchildren and I love to shop. That’s a disaster waiting! But here’s what I’ve learned. . . . I shop before I shop Here’s what I mean. I do a lot of looking first so I can avoid the impulse purchases. Then I really shop. Here’s the problem Our kids are so […]
Autism and behavior challenges. It’s so easy to become totally dominated by trying to manage the challenging behaviors that it can feel like being constantly on the defensive rather than on a path toward a positive, successful situation. Here’s an example While communicating with a Speech Pathologist recently, the following information was shared about a […]
