It’s summer time, which means that it is time for us as parents to help our children navigate the upcoming transitions. Transitions out of school, transitions into summer activities and more. Check out this video with tips by RethinkAutism.

All of us make daily choices in life. Most of these choices are trivial, like what to have for dinner or what color socks to wear. Other choices are more life-changing, like whom to marry, where to live, or what house to buy. Sometimes, choices are made which at the time seem to be in error, but allow us, if our ears, eyes, and mind are open, to learn about life, our children, ourselves. Sometimes a wrong turn can lead to nothing less than a miracle.

It was a spring Saturday in the Bay Area. There was nothing exceptional about the day, except that it wasn’t raining. Not bad for a weekend in the wettest year California had experienced in decades. The sky was blue with white puffy clouds, and it was on the cool side – a great day for a picnic.

April and I decided to spend the day in Sausalito, a trendy upscale town on the waterfront just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. We packed a lunch and ate hot dogs, chips, and sodas with a spectacular view of the San Francisco skyline. The pigeons and sea gulls, we discovered, are only your friends when you’re eating. They’re not one of God’s more loyal creatures, to say the least. Later that afternoon we blew bubbles with Shamus, our four- year-old autistic son, in a local park before starting the drive back to our home on the Peninsula.

On the way home I took a minor detour; I wanted to show April some nice places to have a picnic another time, with a great view of the San Francisco Bay. As luck would have it, despite our best efforts to follow the signs to the freeway we somehow took a wrong turn. Or was it a wrong turn?

We soon found ourselves among green rolling hills that we could see eventually led to the Pacific Ocean. We were debating whether to turn around, or just keep going and enjoy the ride. It was so beautiful, we decided to venture on. By the time we arrived at the ocean, April had no interest in making the short trek to the water. I parked the van and walked to the beach by myself, staying only a few minutes. It was no fun being there without my wife and son. That’s just not the way God intended it.

Before maneuvering home, we knew Shamus needed a potty stop. Even though the restroom building was not more than a few hundred feet across the parking lot, we figured the less walking our boy did here, the better. Parked cars are a real distraction for Shamus. Once “business” was done, I turned to Shamus and said, “Shamus, do you want to go to the beach?” He was never a beach-lover before, but I thought I’d give him the option. Surprisingly, he said “yes.” Kids, even autistic ones, do change sometimes, I guess…

We watched the waves tumble in, leaving the hissing, white-green foam behind. Shamus seemed to be enjoying it so much – the sound of the ocean, the frothy surf, the big sky overhead.

Now, Shamus is a native Californian and our home is only 10 miles from the ocean. He had been to the beach many times before and had never been too interested in exploring beyond the blanket he was sitting on. But today was different; he wanted to get his feet wet.

San Francisco is not a “beach” town, despite its physical proximity to the ocean. The water is cold, and summer weather along the coast is usually cold and foggy the entire day. Bay Area residents, especially coastal residents, don’t wear shorts and don’t keep beach towels in their car. Extra blankets and jackets are a far more practical item to have on hand.

But here was my son wanting – for the first time – to get his feet wet. So, we rolled up his pants, took off his socks and shoes, and I did the same. Shamus got his feet wet. He was ecstatic. As for me, the water felt like ice, my feet were frozen, my rolled-up pant legs soon unraveled, and in no time, both our pants were soaked – and we had no dry clothes. And yet, I wouldn’t have traded that moment for anything in the world. It was our moment – father and son – playing in the surf. Nothing else in the world mattered to either of us. For most four-year-olds, such a moment would be routine. With our dear Shamus, however, I take nothing for granted.

April is such a “Mom.” Even today my own mother, who is 82 years old, often tells me to put on a sweater when she is cold. A mother’s nurturing nature transcends generations and crosses cultural lines. As April motioned for us to come out of the water, even trying to bribe Shamus with a bag of potato chips, I shook my head. I laughed and laughed and shook my head. “No way,” I was thinking to myself. This is our special moment in time. I knew what she was thinking. We were cold and wet – more specifically, Shamus was cold and wet. Dad can take care of himself. And I knew that I would allow nothing – not even a loving Mom waving a bag of potato chips – to spoil this moment. Potato chips and a warm minivan could wait.

After we came out of the water, April drove home as I sat in the passenger seat, stripped down to my T-shirt and underwear. Shamus wore only a shirt and a towel – and a big smile on his face. As we drove south across the Golden Gate Bridge, I thought about what a miracle God had given me that day – and all because of a wrong turn.

Author Bio
Patrick Paulitz, a freelance writer, lives with his wife April and son Shamus in San Mateo, California.

Photo: mikebaird/Flickr

We are smack dab in the middle of moving to a new house and let me tell you, it has been a roller coaster. We decided to split time between the two houses until school is out next week. So the weekends we spend at the new house and the weeknights at the old house. I figured this gradual transition would be good but now I’m not so sure that I made the best choice. The kids cry when we leave the new house for the old house and then my oldest has broken down and cried several times at the old house. He’s not sure he wants to move, now. I think the reality of it is kicking in and since we moved into this house when he was an infant, it is hitting him hard.

So now you know why I’ve been a little more quiet on the site the past few weeks. Hopefully I’ll be back into the swing of things again once we make the permanent move!

Photo: ahhyeah/Flickr

I just came across this post, 50 Blogs You Should Bookmark for Autism Awareness Month, and The Autism Education Site was one of the blogs featured. There are literally thousands of autism-related blogs out there and so I was excited to see my site’s inclusion on this list and I had to share it with you, my readers. Thank you for your support!

~ Melissa ~

Excerpt reprinted with permission from Autism Asperger’s Digest, July/August 2010 issue. www.AutismDigest.com

According to the National Autism Association, drowning is the #1 cause of injury-related deaths in children with an autism spectrum disorder. In 2005, 14 children with ASD died from drowning, when these children wandered off and were attracted to the water. Children with ASD do not fear “death” the way we do. At early ages, they do not understand the finality of death nor are they afraid of those things that could cause death, like water.

We know:

• Kids drown without a sound.
• It takes approximately one inch of water to drown in – a frightening statistic.
• 90% of drowning deaths occur while the child is being supervised.

Therefore, it is critical that, right from the very beginning when our kids are young, we teach them water safety and how to swim. Learning this lesson too late can be tragic and heartbreaking.

Teaching Water Safety and Swimming

Sensory Issues
A significant proportion of kids with an ASD have sensory issues, which complicates how we teach them to swim. The old-fashioned way our parents did it (throw you in and see what happens) just doesn’t float. (Yup, that’s what my father did, and I’m lucky I made it!) Kids with an ASD may need to ease into the pool and get used to the water before they are able to enjoy the experience enough for concrete lessons to start. Others may love the pressure they get from the water and just jump right in, not cognizant of drowning as a danger. It’s important we make the experience enjoyable from the start. From there you can teach them what they need to do once in the water.

Teach Swimming
The same teaching strategies that make kids with an ASD successful in the classroom will also make the child a successful swimmer.

- Minimal Distractions
Make every attempt to minimize distraction while the child is in the water. If there are a lot of people in the pool turn the child around, so she can’t see what is going on at the other end of the pool. Also, pool areas echo, so be prepared if the child has any vocal “stims” and try to redirect the child back to the swimming. Or schedule lessons on off times, when less people are present, or, if needed, do private lessons.

- Use of Visuals
Use pictures to show the child the steps involved in swimming. Combing the visual with your explanation will give him multiple ways of understanding the sequence of steps and your expectations. Laminate the pictures and bring them in the pool. You may also want to show the child a video of swimming prior to getting in the pool. Video modeling is a great way to teach new skills. If you can’t find a pre-packaged teaching video, create one of your own using a neurotypical sibling or friend as the “actor.”

- Consistency
Whatever approach you decide to use (there are tons of examples on the web) make sure you use it consistently every time. Spectrum children learn through repetition, and lots of it!

- Task Analyze
Break down the steps to swimming and teach each one until the child can do the skill with little or no guidance. Do not overwhelm the child with too much information all at one time. Just putting his face in the water may be a huge accomplishment in and of itself!

Teach Water Safety
Swimming and water safety are not synonymous. They are different skills and should be addressed differently. All children, whether or not they ever want to put their little toe in the water, should be taught water safety skills. And the #1 rule is this: unless an adult is present, the child should never go into any body of water, be it a kiddie or adult pool, a fountain, a stream, a pond or lake, or the ocean. They need to be taught this very specifically and concretely.

The more able child: Many children on the autism spectrum are highly rule driven (sometimes to a fault). In this instance it is a great thing! Make specific rules around water.

- You do not go near water without an adult with you. You may even make it more specific, adding distance to the water, how near the adult should be (i.e., an arm’s length away, in visual sight, holding your hand, etc.) and/or citing specific people, like Mommy/Daddy/Grandpa).

After the rule is established, practice it. Don’t assume the rule on paper makes complete sense to the child in a real life situation. Take the child around water and see what happens. You want to know if there are loopholes in your thinking and make necessary adjustments in your teaching. Each time the child follows the rule, heap on the praise and reinforcement.

The less able child: We still use rules for the less able child, but we may break them down more concretely and use more visuals to teach them. For instance, the rule might be something like this: “You do not go into the water without a familiar adult holding your hand.” Have the child take your hand, walk to the pool and jump in with you. Every other time the child is around a stream, pool of any sort, lake or ocean, have her take your hand, walk to the water and go in together. Again, reinforce the child when he follows the rule and does what is expected.

Water is an awesome sensory experience for children with an ASD. It can foster language, social skills, and fine/gross motor development. It can also be a place where tragedy can strike at any moment. Remember, enjoy the water, but also respect it. Teach your child what to do around water and how to be safe. Then go out and have a wonderful summer!

Find more information about swim instruction at one of these websites.
American Red Cross. www.redcross.org
NCPAD Swimming Resource. www.ncpad.org/videos/fact_sheet.php?sheet=315&view=all
Swim Lessons.com. www.swimlessons.com
YMCA. www.ymca.net/programs

By James Ball, BCBA-D

BIO
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Jim has been working in the field of autism for 20+ years helping children, teens and adults with ASD. An author and requested national speaker, Jim runs JB Autism Consulting Services, working with schools to find success in designing programs for students with autism/Asperger’s. Learn more at www.jbautismconsulting.com.

Copyright © Autism Asperger’s Digest. All Rights Reserved. www.AutismDigest.com

Photo: Miss Barabanov/Flickr

We are preparing to move in the coming months and I’m a little nervous about how both of my children are going to react to the situation. My oldest (9) is already starting to get anxious about living a new house, in a new room, in a neighborhood and going to a new school. The good side is that we are moving to the neighborhood next to my sister’s so our kids will be able to play together more frequently. However, I still want to arm myself with resources to make this as smooth of a transition as possible.

If you’ve moved, how did you handle it and how good/bad was the process? If you know of any resources I’ll take those, too!

No matter how much we love the season or cherish the celebration, all special events come packaged with additional stress. Whether it’s finding the perfect gift, baking signature desserts, or entertaining, we all understand the extra demands of creating memorable occasions.

Now magnify that stress to an unimaginable degree and you will begin to understand how special events impact our children with autism. We know that children on the spectrum do not like changes – even those that may delight – as do neurotypical kids. Their core deficits compromise their ability to anticipate or tolerate change very well…if at all. They prefer structure, predictability, schedules. Yet holidays, birthdays, and special events mean:

• Change in social contacts
• Change in daily routine
• Change in expectations
• Change in sensory experiences

For children with autism, all that change pushes anxiety beyond being bearable. Some routine changes fly under the radar, such as rearranging the house to accommodate decorations or cooking seasonal dishes. Other plans, like parties and travel that involves hotels or homes with new beds, new people, new smells, new sounds, clearly signal huge stress-inducing changes. Whether the change is big or small, children with autism must be prepared so they have every opportunity to experience the joy and fun these situations offer. Try these tips:

Define social expectations: Let your child know how many people and who will be there. Be specific about social pleasantries – keep them simple and be clear about what’s expected of the child not just at the onset (shake hands and say “hi”), but also as the event unfolds. Plan what your child should say if he does not want to talk or dislikes food being served.

Designate a safe place and relaxing activity: Plan ahead for a place where she can go to retreat and relax. Be sure to bring along a favorite activity she can play alone and calming devices such as sensory toys or music.

Create a secret code. Pick a simple gesture or even a code-word that he can use as a signal if he begins to feel angry, anxious or overwhelmed. That’s your cue to step in and help when he’s unable to verbally express the need.

Prepare an event book. Make a book with pictures that show the place you’re going, where you’ll stay, and activities you’ll pursue while there. If you’re staying at home, the same concept can be used to prepare your child for visitors (photos of relatives), changes in routine, and decorations (include a photo of last year’s Christmas tree). Include extra blank pages for photos of this year’s activities. Involve your child in taking pictures this year, as much as his ability and interest dictates.

Maintain the routine. As much as possible, maintain her normal daily routine. Create a schedule showing not just which parts will change, but the regular routines that will remain the same. Knowing some things won’t change can be very important to your child.

Include friends and family. Make sure everyone knows about your child’s socialization, sensory, communication and dietary challenges. Ask them to honor your child’s request to stop talking, not to hug, or her need to be alone. Step in and kindly but firmly handle the relative who insists that “an itty bitty little huggie isn’t going to hurt him.”

It’s up to parents and family to give our kids with autism the tools they need to succeed. Helping them anticipate changes and cope with new expectations goes a long way toward reducing anxiety and building memories of joy and love.

Photo: starrynight1/Flickr

If you have an iPad and a child with autism then this is a must read post for you. There are a bevy of iPad apps that are perfect for parents of children with autism including apps with social stories, language based programs and even augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) apps. In the list below you will see the name of the app, the kind of app it is and the price at the time of publication of this article.

20 iPad Apps for Kids with Autism

• Model Me Going Places 2 – Social Stories – Free
• Is That Gluten Free? – Nutrition – $7.99
• Sentence Builder for iPad – Language – $3.99
• TapToTalk – Language – Free
• Story Builder – Language – $3.99
• Understanding Autism – Educational – $2.99
• Proloquo2Go – Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) – $189.99
• Question Builder for iPad – Language – $3.99
• AutoVerbal Talking Soundbox – Language – $9.99
• iCommunicate for iPad – Language – $29.99
• MyTalk Tools Mobile – AAC – $39.99
• iDress for Weather – Life Skills – $1.99
• MyTalkTools Mobile Lite – AAC – Free
• TapSpeak Button for Ipad – Language – $9.99
• Grace – Picture Exchange for Non-Verbal People – Language – $37.99
• Alexicom AAC – AAC – Free
• AACSpeechBuddy – AAC – $44.99
• Visual Impact – Living Safely – Life Skills – $34.99
• Off We Go – Going to the Dentist – Social Stories – $4.99
• Off We Go – Going on a Plane – Social Stories – $4.99

I’d love to hear from you. What are your favorite iPad Apps for your child with autism? Drop me a note in the comments below.

Thanks!

Photo: Yutaka Tsutano/Flickr

Here are a few recent stories to get you caught up with the latest in autism news before you head into your weekend.

Autistic student bitten by substitute teacher

Council builds ‘cage’ for autistic schoolboy

“The family of the 18-year-old raised £500 to cover the costs of the outdoor facility, which they hoped would include decking and play equipment. But Western Isles Council in Scotland instead erected a narrow compound just a few feet wide from wire mesh fencing. An autism charity branded the cage “a disgrace and 100 per cent cruel”.”

The school officials apologized and blamed a communications error for the construction of the cage-like enclosure.

Starting Autism Treatment Early

“Can early treatment for autism prevent later problems? A form of autism therapy has been shown in randomized trials to significantly improve I.Q., language and social skills in toddlers with autism, and researchers say it has even greater potential if it can be started earlier, reports today’s Science Times.”

Grandin gives autism insight

“At sell-out national autism conferences this year, the star has been Temple Grandin, an author and animal scientist. A recent HBO-movie about her life was an Emmy-award winner, and she landed on TIME magazine’s list of this year’s most influential people. Here’s how Grandin and others are pushing the dark mystery of autism into the spotlight to get early help for children:”

Did you know that November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month? If you didn’t before, then you do now. The theme for the 2010 National Epilepsy Awareness Month is Get Seizure Smart.

There are several different types of epilepsy and epilepsy is one of the comorbid conditions that can be found in children on the autism spectrum. My oldest child is on the autism spectrum and he also has epilepsy. In his case, he has been diagnosed with complex partial seizure disorder.

Here’s a bit of information about complex partial seizures from the Epilepsy Foundation:

‘During a complex partial seizure, a person cannot interact normally with other people.’

Complex partial seizures affect a larger area of the brain than simple partial seizures and they affect consciousness.

During a complex partial seizure, a person cannot interact normally with other people, is not in control of his or her movements, speech or actions; doesn’t know what he or she is doing; and cannot remember afterwards what happened during the seizure.

Although someone may appear to be conscious because he or she remains standing with eyes open and moving about, it will be an altered consciousness - a dreamlike, almost trancelike state.

A person may even be able to speak, but the words are unlikely to make sense and he or she will not be able to respond to others in an appropriate way.

Alexander’s seizures have presented in a variety of ways including wandering, bicycling of his legs while sleeping, agitation and behavioral outbursts and even hallucinations. Last year about this time he was hallucinating (spiders) and it was very debilitating for him and scary for everyone around him. We finally got him on the right mix of medication and he was seizure free for almost a year. Unfortunately he has had two seizures in the past week so we’re trying to figure out what might have changed to cause the sudden onset of seizures again.

So there’s my little story about how epilepsy has affected our family. If you’d like to learn more, visit the National Epilepsy Awareness Month website.