Autism-Articles

There are many children within the school environment that have feeding difficulties. For these children, the task of eating lunch and snack at school is a daunting one. However, lunch and snack time can present the perfect opportunity for addressing feeding difficulties if given the necessary attention and intervention. A team collaboration framework is necessary for the design and implementation of a successful feeding therapy program within the schools, with many people and steps involved. Who is involved? The child is the primary person involved. The student's family is a key player in the success of the program. The school based speech/language pathologist or occupational therapist is typically the person responsible for designing and overseeing the feeding therapy program. Teachers and paraprofessionals play a major role in the direct implementation of the program. There may be other school personnel involved for each individual child and his/her needs, suc...

The number of Autistic children are growing. Currently there is 1 in 150 children this year who will be diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum. What is being done to prepare for this onslaught of Autistic children who will be entering the school system? The Autism Spectrum encompasses a large scale. There are literally thousands of Autistic children with varying degrees of Autism joining the school system yearly. Some of the schools would never have seen a child with Autism and are ill prepared to deal with it. Each Autistic child is an individual and the Individualized Education Plan cannot be mass produced and needs to be geared solely towards the needs of that child. No two Autistic children are the same so you can't have a one size fits all IEP. In the new age no child left behind school regime, what is being done to prepare the teachers for the new evolution of students that they are going to be teaching? Children with Autism come with multiple challenges tha...

Children with ADD, ADHD, autism, learning disabilities and other special needs often have difficulty with the social or academic aspects of school and they can be reluctant to return to the demands of the educational environment. Parents who build in support with routines established and maintained during the summer help their child feel safe and secure as they venture back to the world of school and friendships. Begin the transition process early At least a month in advance, show your child on the calendar when school will start. Include a little drawing of something that symbolizes fun to your child, such as a kickball or an artist's palette-something that he connects with school. Back plan from that date, writing into the calendar times to go shopping for clothes, school supplies, and a cool new book bag. Also plan ahead for end of summer fun experiences such as a day at the beach or a barbeque with friends. Be sure your child knows these great events are ...

I want to cover the issue of regression, and particularly since the holidays are over, the issue of regression after the holidays. There are several children that I see in my practice who have been very impacted by regression and it is very disturbing for their families. When you have a child who is progressing, has good eye contact, language and socialization and suddenly regresses, losing eye contact, language and is now engaged in more self stimulatory and sensory seeking behaviors, you must ask what is going on? With the holidays there are always special concerns to address regarding regression, the first is dietary infractions. Maybe over the holidays a child has gluten or dairy that they are not used to eating and that is contributing to regression. Another dietary issue over the holidays is increased sugar and artificial ingredients intake and that can also contribute to regression. Between school parties, parties at friends house, etc, there are more op...

It's that time of year again; time to go back to school. While many children are excited about returning to school, children with autism often experience a great deal of stress and anxiety during this time of year. Even if your child is going to the same school building they attended the previous year, this still means change for your child as there will most likely be new children, there may be a new teacher, and possibly a new classroom. Because these things can cause children with autism to have some major melt downs at the beginning of the school year, this article will outline five tips to help make this transition go more smoothly for you and your child. 1. Get Prepared A few weeks before school starts, talk to your child about the coming end to the summer routine. Start talking about how things will change when they go back to school. Talk about what things will change for them such as will they have a new babysitter, will they ride the bus etc. Try t...

Transitions are very difficult for most children on the autism spectrum to make and going back to school may be the most challenging one there is. Preparing an autistic child for change can be time consuming and emotionally draining for any family. We all hope for a stress free and easy shift into a new school routine but don't always get what we want. If despite all your preparation the new school year did not get off to a good start, don't despair because it is never too late to turn things around. All parents want things to go smoothly and when they don't it is all too easy to place blame on yourself. But wait! Before jumping to conclusions that you did something wrong or that your autistic child will never settle into a peaceful back to school routine let's approach this from a different perspective. When an airplane pilot develops problems flying an aircraft or a sea captain experiences difficulty with his ship the trouble could stem from a number of ...