How To Keep Structure On The Weekend

You (the parent) do so well during the week keeping structure and schedules going so that your child with Autism knows what activity is next. You know that when you do this it makes life a lot simpler and that this structure actually builds in flexibility. We talked about this in the A Schedule? She's Two? blog. Oh, but here comes the weekend and there goes all the structure. You have things to do, places to go, and sometimes you need to shift gears pretty quick. How can you help your child with Autism make those transitions along with you and avoid the meltdowns?

Elizabeth Byers, a TEACCH Therapist, has offered her expert advice to us with an on-the-go Activity Folder.  She also offers complete instructions on how to make and use the folders.  I found this to be a great weekend folder that could travel on errands and outings to make those transitions go smoothly. I recommend practicing using this folder during smaller, less stressful trips and then build up to the weekends.

You may also find other uses for the Activity Folder as well, so don't limit it to just the use that has been suggested here.  Happy transitioning!

Disability Evaluation and Identification

In my part of the United States it is really beginning to feel like Spring. Our flowers are blooming, the weather is in the mid 70's (f) during the day, and no one wants to be in the house at all. Everyone is headed outside to enjoy this great weather. Of course we have the days when it is rainy and that is the perfect time to enjoy working on some Spring Coloring Pages.

This is also the time of year when parents start heading out to parks with their children. Sometimes this is when we may first begin to see that maybe our child may not be doing the same things as other children his or her age. Or we notice that our child's behavior is very different in how they approach play with other children of the same age. The best and first thing to do if you have concerns about the development of your child is to consult your pediatrician. They can reassure you that everything is fine or direct you to wonderful local resources for evaluation and support if there are any concerns.

Do2Learn has an entire section dedicated to Disabilities on their website. The evaluation and identification process is explained in simple and easy to understand steps. During a time when parents are feeling overwhelmed with information this page will be a wonderful resource to assist them when they need to refer back to the process that they are going through with their child.

This Evaluation and Identification page is one that teachers, doctors, psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, early intervention specialists, etc. can share with parents at the very beginning of anything suspicious going on developmentally. You will help empower the parents by giving them information that is clear and easy to understand.

Vacation with Autism

We are heading out for a week long vacation tomorrow. Yay us! Lots of vacation memories have flooded my mind this week as I have prepared for this vacation. Packing for vacation is a breeze, now. Hubby packs his and I pack mine, give Kaitlin her list and then I double check her packing. Pretty simple, NOW, but you know when you toss in a young child with Autism and go on vacation, the game changes!

Is a family vacation even possible when you have a young child with Autism? Sometimes that answer is just a flat out NO for some families. When faced with that situation where the whole family can not go on vacation together, there are lots of options. One really great option is to find an appropriate respite or camp situation for your child with Autism for a week and the rest of the family can go and enjoy a week of fun too. When Kaitlin was really young she could not tolerate traveling for long periods of time in a car nor the sound of the ocean. She really LOVED camp though! It was a win-win time for us and we learned to not feel guilty about those separate vacations when she enjoyed a week at camp and we took her older sister to the beach.

So maybe family vacations are possible, but you know there are going to be bumps on the way. How do you make it smoother? Take your structure with you! Prepare for the vacation by using a social story ahead of time. The social story can highlight some of the events that are expected to happen during the vacation. I suggest that you add visuals into the story that will make the story interesting to your child. You can read this before the trip, on the trip and after the trip to remember the vacation by. I would also take along any picture schedules and other portable forms of structure you have or could make. Use a daily check off form to write in activities and have your child check off the activities as they are completed. Add just one or two activities at a time, in case there are changes. 

Pack familiar items from home that bring comfort. Be ready for lots of down time! Being in a different place, with lots of different sensory input can make for lots of overload for our kids with Autism, so build in that downtime. I promise you that it will be needed. Do2Learn has lots of games that can be played with just a deck of cards (if your child is older) and/or a few other items you can bring along. So while you are planning checkout these "Homemade Games" and note the skills that your child will learn while having fun!

Lastly, breathe, it's vacation. You are there to relax and have fun. No battles on vacation...remember you may have to be the one that is the most flexible. If you find you spend your days doing nothing but watching the waves when the plans were originally to visit amusement park after amusement park, remember it's vacation and you are going to be rested! 

Support – Who is Holding You Up?

When you have a loved one with special needs you need support! Some days more than others, of course. Those early days right after finding out about a diagnosis may feel like a blur, but that is the time to begin to reach out and locate resources for support for you, your family and your loved one.

WHO—Who can offer support? Hopefully the professionals giving you the diagnosis will give you information on local resources in your area. Look to them for support. Perhaps there is a local, state, or national organization related to your loved one's disability or special need that you can connect with. Churches or other religious organizations offer support. Look to your friends and family, though they may be struggling themselves to understand what is happening with your loved one, they can still be a great source of encouragement. In fact, it would be very helpful to get them involved with your support search. There are professionals such as counselors, social workers, psychologists, etc. and you should never hesitate at any point to involve them in your search for support for yourself, or any member of your family! There are sibling groups, Father's groups, Mother's groups, and even Grandparent support groups for varying disabilities these days.  We now have the Internet and there are vast resources for support there, but be cautious about how and what you share unless you “know” the group in real life.

WHAT—What does support look like? Well it can be as simple as another person just listening to your story and offering encouragement. Support can be in the form of a group made up of people who have been through, or are going through and can relate to what you are going through and keep you from feeling like you are alone. It can be your loved one's teacher sending a note home telling you what a great job your loved one is doing! Sharing your moments that only someone “in the know” could laugh along with you, on Facebook at 1 AM is wonderfully supportive.

WHY—Why do we need support? Support is our foundation when we have our low points. Loving someone who has special needs is more than a full-time job and is like a roller coaster. There will be ups and downs and we need a strong foundation and lots of props to lean upon during those moments when we stumble.

No matter where you are on your journey with your loved one with special needs know that support is a vital part of that journey. You may be at the beginning stages or pretty far into the journey, but know that we are all in this together. Supporting one another is how we share information on coping strategies, medical interventions, public policy and financial information, camps, and loads more.

So go share, go support and be supported!