Caroline Winstanley

A fun game: Spears Polar Panic

2011-02-06T14:13:00.000+00:00

I bought this great game the other day from Tesco's for only €6. You place the polar bear on the ice and you take it in turns to hit the ice with a hammer making sure that the polar bear does not fall into the sea. This is the game of choice for the majority of my clients at the moment! It is great for working on turn taking as the children are so motivated to take a turn. It is also great for working on motor skills and strength.

Social skills for adolescents and adults on the autistic spectrum

2011-02-02T19:06:00.000+00:00

There is a really great guide on the National Autism Society website (UK) that helps adolescents and adults with autism develop their social interaction skills:

http://www.autism.org.uk/Living-with-autism/Communicating-and-interacting/Social-skills/Social-skills-for-adolescents-and-adults.aspx

Information like this is really crucial as adolescents and adults rarely get the same access to services as children on the spectrum. Once they leave school there is a black hole and services disapear, especially for those who are not intellectually impaired.

Using timers

2011-01-24T18:46:00.000+00:00

Children with autism can become distressed if they do not know when an activity starts and when an activity ends. Some activities have a natural start and end, for instance puzzles. If you give a child an activity like playing with cars of a favourite toy, these activities do not have a natural end. This explains why children can become very upset when you try and stop them from playing with a favourite toy. To help children understand when they need to finish an activity, I use timers. Sand timers can be very useful as the child can visually see how much time they have on an activity. You can buy a great range of sand timer on ebay:

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=m570&_nkw=sand+timers

They have lots of timers for different amounts of time at good prices.

This book looks fantastic!

2011-01-19T17:20:00.002+00:00

I was looking on Amazon and I found this book that is coming out in February 2011. It looks really interesting. It's an activity and story book that can be used with children that may have an autistic child in their class. It helps them to make sense of their friends behaviour and how to include them. Work with peers is often something that gets missed, but is vital if you are trying to improve the social interaction of a child with autism. Social interaction is not one sided! I will be buying this!

My Friend with Autism: Enhanced Edition with Free CD of Coloring Pages!

You can follow the link if you want to pre-order this book. I will be giving a full review once the book has come out!

Games for encouraging turn taking in pre-school children

2011-01-17T18:48:00.000+00:00

Sheet swing: Get an old sheet and one adult should take one side of the sheet and another adult the other. The child lies in the sheet and the adults swing the sheet like a hammock. The child can initiate another turn by either saying 'swing' or putting a corner of the sheet in the adults hand if they are non-verbal.
Bouncy ball: The child sits on a gym ball and the adult takes their hands. The adult says one, two, three bounce or ready steady bounce. The adult should keep saying this until the child gets the idea of what is expected of them. The adult can then start the interaction and let the child fill in the missing word i.e. one, two, three ..... or ready steady ......... The child is encouraged to say bounce. The child can also initiate the interaction by carrying out the action themselves.
Bubbles: Same as the bouncy ball activity. The adult models ready steady blow.
Chase: The adult starts the game by saying "coming to get you". Chase the child pretending that you can't quite reach the child. Eventually catch them, give them a big hug and say "got you". To start the interaction again you can tell the child to 'run'. Your child will eventually make eye contact with you to start the game again.

A great toy: Chatimals

2011-01-15T09:58:00.002+00:00

My parents bought me a great toy for Christmas and I have been using it with my clients. He's called Ocscar the hamster and he is a chatimal:

http://www.chatimals.org.uk/

When you talk to the hamster he repeats back what you say. Each time the hamster speaks back, his voice changes. Sometimes it's really squeaky and sometimes it's a very deep voice. There are three hamsters to choose from and I believe there is also a Meerkat.

I have been trying this toy out with some of my clients and have had some good results. Whilst Some of my clients were initially a little scared, some had an amazing reaction to the toy. One girl in particular could not stop laughing. She quickly got the idea and had fun saying different words and phrases to the hamster. Her mum was amazed as her daughter does not typically talk so much (I am working with this girl to help her use the language she has functionally).

Book recommendation: Blue Bottle Mystery : An Asperger Adventure (Asperger Adventures)

2011-01-08T12:12:00.000+00:00

This is a brilliant book for explaining to children that they have autism (book one of two). The book manages to explain autism without bombarding a child with technical language. The story is exciting and all the children I know that have read the book could not put it down. They felt like they were part of the adventure. The book is available from amazon: you can follow the link below or try your local bookshop.

Book recommendation: A lovely book to help children with autism make friends

2010-12-13T23:58:00.000+00:00

This book has lovely pictures and is really helpful for younger children with autism. It's really an extended social story about how to make friends, but presented in a motivating way. The only criticism of this book is some of the language is a little too American and may need some adapting for your child. However, this is easily done!

If your child likes the sesame street games then they will love Treehouse TV

2010-12-07T17:04:00.000+00:00

The Treehouse TV website:

http://treehousetv.com/kids/games/play.aspx?ID=70

has lots of fun games from all your child's favourite television characters. These games will be especially motivating for a child who has a very favourite cartoon character. Several of the clients I work with really enjoy 'In the night Garden', so would love this site as their are games, colouring in and video clips.

Tips for supporting a child with word finding difficulties

2010-12-07T17:02:00.000+00:00

Word finding difficulties are when a child has difficulties retrieving a word when they need it. These tips are ideal for the classroom, but can also be used at home:

When you are introducing new vocabulary write the word on the board, repeat the word around five times throughout the lesson and get your child to repeat the word out loud. If you do this your child is more likely to remember the word and find it easier to access in the future.
Provide the class with key topic vocabulary prior to starting the topic. Pre-teaching vocabulary makes it easier for children to access key vocabulary when needed.
Use mind mapping to brainstorm class discussions. Mind mapping is thought to simulate how words are stored in are brains. Using this approach will increase the likelihood of children storing vocabulary properly and later retrieving it.
Encourage your pupils to record group discussions/take notes using a mind mapping approach.
Use vocabulary books: when you introduce a new topic word get your pupils to write the word in their vocabulary book with a simple definition of what the word means. If the word comes up again you can refer them to their books.
Use sorting and classifying activities when possible, for example sorting things that are solids, liquids and gases. This helps the pupils understand and retain new vocabulary.
Semantic dictionaries: have dictionaries that are organized by categories rather than initial sound, for example you may have a page of different clothes types.
Develop word knowledge through word association skills, for example what is the function, location, parts, category and attributes of the word.

Free body language teaching tool for children with autism

2010-12-03T10:26:00.000+00:00

Leeds Metropolitan University (UK) students have developed a body language teaching tool and It's free to download:

http://www.lmu.ac.uk/ies/comp/staff/dmoore/bodylanguage.htm

There are lots of video clips demonstrating different aspects of body language with questions to answer. I'd been interested to hear how you find the tool.

The traffic light system

2010-12-02T15:47:00.000+00:00

Does your child have difficulties knowing how much to write? For instance, when they are asked to write an answer to a question would they write a couple of lines rather than a full response? This is very typical! If you don't tell a child what is expected of them then they won't know. To overcome this difficulty, I use a traffic light system. At the top of the page, I use a green circle to indicate where the child has to start writing. Then a red circle is used to show when the child can stop writing. This can be moved depending on the requirements of the task.

Book recommendation: Making Visual Supports Work in the Home and Community

2010-12-01T18:09:00.000+00:00

If you need help implementating visual strategies in your home, then this book will really help you. It's really clearly written and works you through step by step the process of creating visual supports. The book is available from amazon: just click on the link or try ordering from your local bookshop.

Tips for supporting a child with auditory memory difficulties

2010-11-30T15:09:00.002+00:00

Does your child have difficulties retaining information? These tips are helpful both in the classroom and at home:

Keep instructions short and use simple vocabulary where possible.
Use visual aids to back up what you are saying, for example: pictures to support instructions and use of objects during practical lessons.
Explain to the class at the start of the lesson what you are going to cover.
You may use a mind map: this will help focus the child's attention and can act as a visual memory aid- the child can refer back to it throughout the lesson.
You could also use a task board: this will have the same benefits.
You could write key parts of the instruction on the board for the class to refer back to. Use an approach that is most suited to the literacy levels of your child.
Define difficult vocabulary: write in on the board and refer to the new word at least five times, including getting the child to say the word.
If you need to give a specific instruction to a child: refer to them by name.
Ask your child to feedback what you want them to do to ensure that they have retained your instructions.
If you have a pupil that has particular difficulties with auditory memory sit them near the front of the class, or to the side of you depending on how the class is set out.
Try not to talk for extended periods, as children with auditory memory difficulties tend to shut off. You could give the child a task at a time.
If you are reading a book to a child, ask frequent questions about the content of the book.
If a child has auditory memory difficulties it may be beneficial to sit them next to a peer that is better and listening and staying on task. They may be able to ask their peer for help.
Encourage pupils to take quick, short notes during lessons to help them remember what they have to do. Notes can be pictorial or words depending on what works for that particular individual.

A fun game: Build your own city

2010-11-30T14:54:00.000+00:00

I found this really fun game today. I don't know if any of you have played Sim City? This game is a child's version of Sim City:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/games/theme/life/#/lb/metoo/buildacity

The child has to drag and drop different buildings and people to make their own city. This game is on the CBeebies website where there are lots of great games and stories to choose from.

Weighted blankets

2010-11-23T20:29:00.000+00:00

Many of my clients have been recommended weighted blankets by their occupational therapist. Weighted blankets are typically recommended for children that have difficulties sleeping or require deep pressure for comfort and relaxation. One of my clients relies on deep pressure to calm him down when he is anxious.

The one thing I have noticed is weighted blankets are very expensive. They cost around €200. I have been doing some research as one of my clients requires a blanket but at a more affordable price. The best prices I can find are on E-Bay:

http://shop.ebay.ie/?_from=R40&_trksid=m570&_nkw=weighted+blankets

You can get a blanket for around €100 including postage and packaging. Happy sleeping!

There's a volcano in my tummy

2010-11-22T21:20:00.000+00:00

There's a volcano in my tummy is a great book for helping children learn to deal with anger. There are lots of activities that your child can work through to help them understand what makes them angry. Practical strategies are then taught to help the child recognise and deal with their anger in an approriate way in the future. I have used this with several of my clients with great success. This book can also be used by parents and teachers.

The Transporters: Teaching children with autism to understand emotions

2010-11-18T20:13:00.000+00:00

Some of you may already have heard of 'The Transporters; as it has been around for while, however I think it deserves a mention as it is so good!

Transporters is a series of stories about the adventures of a group of vehicles. The vehicles are animated, but have real human faces. During each story, the child learns about a different emotion and then there is a quiz at the end to see what they have learnt. If you would like to view an episode go the website:

http://www.thetransporters.com/index.html

The vehicles have a similar appeal as Thomas the Tank Engine.

The series was developed by Cambridge University in the UK and is backed with research. I used this program at an autism unit I used to work at in the UK. All of the children who used this program saw significant improvements in their understanding of emotions. They enjoyed the programs so much that they did not realise that they were learning.

I prefer this program to the Universities earlier emotions program 'mind reading'. I have to admit I found some of the emotions difficult to interpret even though I don't have a difficulty understanding emotions.

I love the Thomas the Tank Engine website: what great games!

2010-11-17T20:31:00.000+00:00

I have just had a play on the Thomas the Tank Engine website:

http://www.thomasandfriends.com/usa/Thomas.mvc/Games/Home

There are lots of different games with different ability ratings: easy, medium and difficult. There are memory games, matching games and in the difficult section there is a great emotions teaching game. I also enjoyed the 'build an engine game'. You have to drag the different parts of the engine with your mouse to make a complete engine. These games would be really useful teaching aids and would be really motivating, especially as many of our children love Thomas.

Tips for supporting children with comprehension difficulties

2010-11-17T14:50:00.002+00:00

Around 60% of children on the autistic spectrum have some degree of learning disability and find it difficult to follow instructions. Here are some tips to help you support your child:

Make sure that you have the childs attention and have eye contact with them prior to giving an instruction.
Split long and complex instructions into smaller chunks.
Use visual aids to help support understanding.
Use vocabulary, concepts and grammar that you know that your child understands.
Monitor your rate of speech: don't speak too quickly or slowly.
Children that have difficulties with understanding find it difficult to isolate specific verbal messages from all other auditory and visual stimuli around them.
A child with difficulties with comprehension may need more time before responding.
Prioritize the vocabulary and concepts that you use: use only what is essential for your child to be able to follow your instructions

Article in the press: Children with autism have distinctive patterns of brain activity

2010-11-16T20:01:00.000+00:00

There was an interesting article in the UK newspaper 'The Guardian' today:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/nov/15/children-autism-patterns-brain-activity

Researchers in the US have found that children with autism have different patterns of brain activity compared with children that do not have autism. Further research is needed, but the findings could be really useful for developing treatment targets for children on th autistic spectrum.

Tips for supporting a child with auditory processing difficulties

2010-11-15T19:38:00.000+00:00

Children with autism often have difficulties making sense of the language that they hear and may struggle to filter instructions from background noise. This is why children with autism are predominantly visual learners and respond so positively to visual strategies.

If your child has difficulties with auditory processing then try some of these tried and tested strategies:

Keep instructions short and use simple vocabulary.
Give one task at a time to decrease the processing load.
Give the child time to answer: they may be unable to give you a response immediately, but it does not mean that they don't know the answer. Some children can take as long as 25 seconds to process an instruction.
If a child is taking time to answer try and refrain from repeating the instruction using a new sentence structure. The pupil will then stop processing your original instruction, as their brain is telling them that you have asked something different.
Monitor the rate that you are delivering information: if you speak too quickly, or too slowly it will be harder for the young person to process what you are saying.
Keep using visual strategies like timetables and task boards.

Sesame Street: some great counting games

2010-11-12T18:25:00.000+00:00

I was just exploring the Sesame Street website and I found some great games:

http://www.sesamestreet.org/games

The counting games are fun and would be motivating for your child, especially if you are battling to teach them their numbers.

Resources for explaining to your child that they have autism

2010-11-12T18:23:00.000+00:00

The National Autistic Society (UK) has some great advice for deciding when to explain to your child they are autistic and how to do it:

http://www.autism.org.uk/about-autism/all-about-diagnosis/diagnosis-the-process-for-children/diagnosis-telling-a-child-about-their-diagnosis

They also recommend some books to help you. I like:

I Have Autism... What's That?

by Kate Doherty, Paddy McNally and Eileen Sherrard

and this next book is useful for explaining to a sibling that their brother or sister has autism:

My Brother is Different: A Book for Young Children Who Have a Brother or Sister with Autism

by Louise Gorrod

Carol Gray at the Gray centre has also produced a workbook for children with autism, so that they can learn about their individuality. This workbook incorporates the use of social stories.

Special Introductory Offer

2010-11-05T03:11:00.000+00:00

For November & December, I'm offering new clients their first therapy session at half-price (e.g. €40 for a 1-hour session).

Please see my website for details