Accepting and Embracing Autism

New Home

2011-07-23T17:00:00.000+10:00

Well as you can see I haven't been on here for a few weeks. That is because I have been getting my new site up and running. I now have a new home on Wordpress. Please come by and visit and let me know what you think. I decided to do the change due to Wordpress being able to do a lot more design and plug ins then here I blogger. It has been great to start here but I feel it is time to move up. You can now find me at http://acceptingandembracingautism.com.

Making Goals Monday Blog Hop

2011-06-27T12:14:00.005+10:00

I have decided to host my 2nd blog hop - Making Goals Monday. I thought this would be a great way to start the week and get you thinking about things you would like to achieve during the week. You could either have short term, long term or daily goals. I have started thinking about this because I have become involved in a program where I have Personal Helpers and Mentors through Ozcare Sunshine Coast.

The Personal Helpers and Mentors (PHaMs) service:

aims to provide increased opportunities for recovery for people whose lives are severely affected by mental illness
takes a strengths-based, recovery approach, and
assists people aged 16 years and over whose ability to manage their daily activities and to live independently in the community is impacted because of a severe mental illness.

The Personal Helpers and Mentors, employed by each service provider, support participants in their recovery journey, building long-term relationships and providing holistic support. They ensure that services accessed by participants are coordinated, integrated and complementary to other services in the community. A Personal Helper and Mentor:

helps participants to better manage their daily activities and reconnect to their community
provides direct and personalised assistance through outreach services
provides referrals and links with appropriate services such as drug and alcohol and accommodation services
works with participants in the development of Individual Recovery Plans which focus on participants' goals and recovery journey
engages and supports family, carers and other relationships, and
monitors and reports progress against each participant's Individual Recovery Plan.

The lady, Del who has started coming to see me is helping me to work on areas which I have been struggling with, mainly getting organised and having a routine. Now you might ask with 5 kids don't you have a routine to survive? Well yes and no. We have a sort of routine but it is not consistent and doesn't really help me to keep on top of the things such as the cooking and cleaning and washing. Now when I tell people this they are like you can't be too strict with a routine because you have kids. But when you have children with Autism and Asperger they actually need a pretty strict routine to help them cope. That is why I think my boys do well at school cause it has a pretty good routine and rules. That is another thing that we need to sit down and do is a set of house rules that is visual.

So my goals for this week:

Sit down with the kids and work out house rules that we all agree on.
Work out some a job roster for everyone (have been saying that we should do this but haven't done it yet)
Work out some rewards - such as maybe having BBQ down at the park, doesn't really have to cost anything.
Before getting on the computer put a load of washing and tidy up the lounge and kitchen.
Spend some one on one time with each of the children with something that they want to do.

I think that should be enough for now.

Now the rules for this blog hop:

The rules are simple.

Add your blog title and URL.
Follow your hostess - Accepting and Embracing Autism and Featured blog (there won't be one this week due to being the first one) Also follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Network Blogs.
Follow any other blogs you wish
Make sure you leave a comment so that you'll get a follow back.
Feel free to add your own goals that you would like to achieve.
Grab our Catch a Wave Wednesday button if you'd like so that followers will know where to leave a comment.
I will return the love.

*Each week I will randomly select one of the blogs listed in the Linky to be the feature blog for the next week.*

You can also find me following other blog hops here.

SOOC Saturday Camera back in Action - Nature Shots

2011-06-26T15:11:00.001+10:00

Check out the photos below. I have posted ones of each of the kids. We have just recently got the camera running again so before I start taking more photos and posting them I thought I would show the ones I had taken with our new camera already. These are ones of nature and objects around our house.

Camera back in Action - Jessica

2011-06-26T14:45:00.001+10:00

Well our camera which we haven't had for a long time is now back in action and I can't wait to go out and do some more photography. But before I share the new lot of photos that I will be taking I thought I would share some of the ones I took when we first got the camera.

Jessica age 3 and half.

Camera back in Action - Samuel

2011-06-26T13:53:00.001+10:00

Samuel age 6 and half.

Camera back in Action - Matthew

2011-06-26T13:44:00.000+10:00

Camera back in Action - Nicola

2011-06-26T13:10:00.000+10:00

Nicola at home, 2011, age 11 years.

Camera back in Action - Joshua

2011-06-26T12:24:00.003+10:00

I will do a few different posts of different things I have taken. The first ones I will post will be of each of the kids. Firstly I will do Joshua.

Joshua at Football for Caloundra Sharks.

Improve your Alexa ranking with the Alexa Blog Hop

2011-06-26T01:32:00.001+10:00

Welcome to Alexa Blog Hop. This hop is hosted by Spearmint Baby and co-hosted by Ourfamilyworld, Kelly Lucky You and Scraps of Life. Improve your ranking with this Alexa Hop. Why is it important to improve your Alexa Ranking?

Having a good Alexa ranking (The lower score on Alexa, the better) improves your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and attracts sponsors. Alexa ranking is based on visits and pageviwes. Alexa counts the visits to your blog/site through their toolbar. So, if your visitor does not have a toolbar, it will not count. You can download their toolbar for free. The Alexa Toolbar will allow you to keep track of your daily traffic rank- which will give you an idea of how your blogging efforts are paying off.

If you’ve been participating to Alexa Hop the past few weeks, you have probably seen a significant improvement in your Alexa Ranking. If you are a new blogger, improve your ranking and gain new blogging friends (GFC). Our ranking has been improving since I took part of this hop!!

YOU NEED TO INSTALL THE TOOLBAR. IT IS FREE AND TAKES FEW SECONDS. There are toolbars available for Chrome, Explorer and Firefox.

All our Christmasses - a new Trampoline!!

2011-06-25T11:57:00.001+10:00

Well the yesterday we received a very exciting phone call. But first I will explain how the phone call came about and then you will understand why the it was exciting.

After going to the monthly Asperger meeting last year, I found out about this great advocate group.

Parent to Parent provides families with disability specific information and assistance to make informed decisions. I had a lovely lady come out and advise me on places to contact. I spoke to her about my concerns for Matthew. Even though both the boys had been diagnosed at the same time, Samuel with Asperger and Matthew with Autism and ADHD, because Samuel was only 4 years old he was lucky because he was entitled to Helping Children with Autism package.

Read more »

Holidays Are Here Again!!

2011-06-24T13:44:00.001+10:00

As of 3pm this afternoon we will have the pleasure of Joshua, Nicola, Matthew and Samuel for 2 weeks, for the June/July holidays. These are not the easiest holidays due to being in the middle of winter. It means coming up with lots of activities that can be done in doors, although we may be lucky and have some really warm days.

Here are a few things that we might do:

Because we live close by we could go and visit Australia Zoo. We recently took the kids and they loved it. Jessica is constantly asking to go back.

Great Asperger Links For Parents

2011-06-23T23:06:00.003+10:00

The following links were taken from MY ASPERGERS CHILD. It has some really great information for parents.

HOW TO PREVENT MELTDOWNS AND TANTRUMS IN ASPERGERS CHILDREN

thankful Thursday.

2011-06-23T14:13:00.004+10:00

Well I am participating in thankful Thursday. This is something I do all the time as I am thankful for all I have.

There are 2 verses that keep me going when times have gotten tough they are:

Philippians 4:13

¹³I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

and
Romans 8:28 Or that all things work together for good to those who love God, who; or that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who.

Whenever I watch things on TV where people have been through some devastating things and show such amazing strength it makes me thankful for what I have and admire those who seem to handle it so well.

Read more »

Autism Awareness Wednesday Blog Hop

2011-06-22T19:30:00.002+10:00

Welcome to the 2nd Autism Awareness Wednesday Blog Hop

This blog hop is to help raise awareness for all of those who either have Autism or related disorders, or caring for someone.

The following information is taken from About.com:

Autism 101

Autism Spectrum Disorders can be mild or profound, and may include a surprising range of symptoms, quirks, talents and abilities. Learn more about autism -- from the early signs to diagnosis, prognosis, and important first steps.

Surprising Autism Information You Need to Know

Autism information is everywhere - and often you'll read the same content in multiple sites. You'll be surprised, though, to discover some of these tidbits of autism information that are rarely publicized.

What Are the Autism Spectrum Disorders?

The way the media presents it, you'd think that autism is autism. But not so. In fact, "autism" is actually a collection of diagnoses, each a little different from the others. At its most severe, autism is sometimes termed "classic autism." But what are the other autism spectrum diagnoses?

Don't Worry - These Things Do NOT Cause Autism!

As parents hear more and more about autism in the news, they worry that anything they do (or don't do) could cause the disorder. In fact, while there is debate about what causes autism, it's clear that many things cannot cause autism.

Autism Information You Need to Know - Top Ten Autism Facts

Autism is a complex topic - but what are the MOST important things to know about autism? This quick top 10 article includes the most imortant autism facts, plus links to learn more. Share it with your mom, your child's teacher, or anyone else who asks "What is autism, anyway?"

Top Autism Myths

If you're new to the autism spectrum, you may have built your picture of autism from media stories. But it's important not to believe everything you see or hear!

Top Ten Autism Sites

There's an incredible glut of information about autism available on the web. Some is outstanding; some is ... not so outstanding. These top ten sites are reliable resources that offer solid information, useful advice, and fascinating insights into the world of autism.

Autism Coverage from About.com’s Pediatrics Guide

This article covers the basics and much more. Be sure to read the case descriptions, quotes from adults with autism, and information about treatment and prognosis.

The only rules for this blog is to follow the 2 featured blogs below, A Helicopter Mom and Lets Talk About Me. Check out their wonderful blogs.Please be sure to follow me at Facebook and Twitter. I will return the love.

A Helicopter Mom

Lets Talk About Me

I am also taking part in other blog hops here.

New Look and New Name

2011-06-22T09:41:00.002+10:00

I decided to give the blog a new look and new name whilst it is only fairly new. I thought that if I wait till I have more followers and get right into the whole blogging thing that it wouldn't be a good idea as it may confuse people. I firstly decided to change the name when I goggled Autism Connects and found a few sites with that name so to try and stand out I decided to change it. James and I tossed around a few ideas and came up with Accepting and Embracing Autism because you need to accept and embrace autism to have any sort of life where you can see beyond tommorrow. I suppose I was a little different to most parents when they get a diagnosis and they are totally and utterly devastated. I myself had always wondered what was wrong with me. I struggled all through primary and high school. I sort of fit in socially but was never really part of a group of girls where I was regularly meeting up and having girly days. I never had really close friends. From the outside it may have looked like I coped ok and I wasn't having too many problems cause I seemed like I was friendly and out going. On the inside was a different story. I suffered from high aniexty and depression. I now know I probably had Autism/Asperger and ADHD, and Sensory Processing Disorder. I also had low muscle tone. This has helped me be able to relate and also identify problems my 3rd and 4th children, Matthew and Samuel have had and led me to get them diagnosed. Although people have said to me over the years you have to be careful not to label kids I have thought about this and I feel that even with out a diagnosis they still labelled normally as naughty kids who are uncontroable. It would be amazing to see how different their schooling would have been had they had a diagnosis and had they go the help from teachers who understand why they do the things they do. It has helped us so much in the way they are taught at school and in the play ground.

Read more »

Wonderfully Wired | Created to be remarkable…

2011-06-22T09:16:00.001+10:00

Wonderfully Wired | Created to be remarkable…

I was thinking about the difference between ‘coping’ and ‘surviving’last night as I sat and chatted with a close friend that came over to visit me. I used that phrase to refer to how I am feeling personally at the moment and I realised that lately I have been a lot more in survival mode rather than actually “coping”.Read More.....

Wordless Wednesday and a CHERRY ON TOP AWARD too.

2011-06-15T17:51:00.002+10:00

I feel so honoured that I got this really cute little award from Robyn at Frugalplus, so thank you very much to her and check her blog out. I have had a few issues being about to connect at the moment but will keep trying so I can go by and say thank-you.

The Rules:

Thank the person that gave this to you :) Go on, give them a virtual hug!
Copy the award and put it on your blog.
List 3 things you love about yourself ♥
Post a picture/pictures you love (e.g a person you adore etc.)
Tag 5 people you wish to pass this award on to :)

3 things I love about myself.

I am a good mother and wife who cares deeply about my husband and children's well being. My philosophy is to treat others the way you would like to be treated. I treat each of my children as individuals and try to deal with each of them as to their personalities as well as their dissabilities. I had such a great example of what a mother should be like because my mother is the most amazing person who never is judgemental and only ever wants the best for each person she comes in contact with.
My faith in God. For the many things I have been through my faith has remained stead fast. I know that He has it all in His plan. This is something that I am very thankful to my mother as well for passing onto me as she has an amazing faith in God. I pray that this is something I have then passed onto my children.
I am very creative and can sew. I go through stages where I want to do this though. At the moment my creative abilities are being expressed through blogging. This is less messy then sewing and can be left when children are around, not like with sewing.

This was taken in 2007.

Sam with his 6th birthday cake.

The kids in 2007 when Jessica was only 6 weeks old.

Matthew when he was about 3 at the beach.

Jessica 3 years old Posing.

James and I at our wedding 11 July, 1998.

Josh at about 5 months old, 1998.

Nicola at about 7 months old, 2000.

The 5 blogs I am going to give my award to are the following. Please check them out. It will be well worth it.

Crystal at 3 Princes And A Princess 2
Lori at A Day in Motherhood
Mickey at A Helicopter Mom
Andrea at Angelica's Awesome Adventures
Lee Anne at The Life of Riley

Sarah
****************************************************************************

You can find me at the following blog hops:

Autism Awareness Wednesday Blog Hop - 1st one Ever.

2011-06-14T22:46:00.004+10:00

Welcome to the very 1st Autism Awareness Wednesday Blog Hop

Well I know I have only been doing this blog for a short time, but I did do another one previously to do with craft and had a blog hop with that has well. So I thought that I would start another one. So here I go welcome to the very first Autism Awareness Wednesday Blog Hop. Please be sure to follow me at Facebook and Twitter. I will return the love.

Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. People with ASD have problems with social and communication skills. Many people with ASD also have unusual ways of learning, paying attention, or reacting to sensations. It is part of a group of disorders known as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In most cases its causes are unknown. Today, 1 in 160 individuals is diagnosed with autism. To learn more go here.
As the weeks go by I will choose 2 different bloggers to feature in the following week.

Sarah

Developing Gross Motor Skills

2011-06-14T13:23:00.006+10:00

The following information was taken from ACT Now.

Some children with autism are agile, well coordinated and nimble (ask a mum whose child climbs the fence and walks on the neighbour’s roof!) whilst others have problems with their gross motor skills and can be clumsy or awkward in their movements and generally poorly coordinated.

Why are gross motor skills important?

Gross motor skills are those that require the larger muscle groups for function: running, jumping, hopping, climbing and ball skills etc.

As a child develops gross motor skills, other skill areas are also developing, such as eye-hand/foot coordination, sensory functioning (visual, tactile, kinaesthetic, auditory modalities), the skills to work and play within a team and sporting environment, and the development of self-confidence and a positive self image.

Josh Playing Rugby League

Gross motor difficulties in a child with autism may be in part due to:
- proprioception problems (awareness of body in space)
- lack of motivation to participate in and therefore practice these activities
- avoidance because of the social nature of many of these activities (e.g. sports)
- limited strength or muscle endurance
- lack of confidence or a fear of moving equipment
- difficulty problem solving in order to develop skills

How can we help gross motor skill development?

It is important to encourage children with autism to participate in gross motor activities in a gradual and supportive way. The activities presented also need to be appropriate to the child’s developmental level to ensure comfortable participation with minimal fear/anxiety, and to increase the likelihood of success in these activities.

If a child with autism is fearful of movement activities, the key to improving their skills will be to increase their confidence in a range of balance and movement activities. To build up confidence, activities need to be graded, starting with those that are least threatening and gradually introducing activities requiring a higher level of skill and confidence.

Always remember the child’s developmental level when choosing activities.
The following is a list of fun, motivating activities to develop a child’s gross motor skills, strength and confidence. Keep the activities short, simple and fun!

Scooter board fun 1:

Ask the child to lie, sit or kneel (more difficult), on a skateboard and encourage him to propel himself around the floor using his hands.
Scooter board fun 2:
Alternatively, ask the child to sit/kneel/lie on the scooter board/skateboard and pull on a suspended rope (or you can hold it) to move around the room
Walking/Marching:
Raise knees as high as possible with each step – a nice activity when done to marching band music

Obstacle courses:
Make your own. Climb through, under, over objects, walk on lines, footprints, planks, rough ground, etc.

Simon Says:
Simon says be as small/tall as you can, stretch out, be stiff/floppy, be happy/sad, be still/wriggly, roll up/stretch out

Throwing beanbags in sequence:
Throw beanbags into 3 containers 1,2,3, and then 1,2,3 again. Repeat and do it as fast as possible.

Balls up Jumper:
Place ping pong balls up his jumper and see if he can get them out without looking.

Balance activities:
Walk on a line, a beam, backwards on a beam, stand still with eyes shut, on all fours and take same leg and arm off ground, stand on one leg and then with eyes shut.

See-saw:
Carry things (blocks, puzzle pieces, etc.) from one side of the see-saw to the other, trying to keep your balance as you complete your task. You may like to sing “Jack and Jill”, as the child carries a bucket of water, trying not to spill it as he walks.

Washing laundry:
Tell the child you are going to pretend that he is dirty washing, and that you’re going to put him in your pretend washing machine. Roll him up in a blanket, and then add some balls or beanbags as the detergent. Swing the blanket from side to side and wiggle it around as you “wash” him (for as long as he’s enjoying it). Tell the child it’s time to rinse off. This is when you spin him, by moving the blanket around in a circular motion (rather than side-to-side). Now he can get out of the machine, but you roll him up in a different blanket nice and tight to dry him off. If you have monkey bars, or something he can hang from easily enough, you might like to get him to hang from the “washing line” for as long as he can.

Swing and Kick:
Set up some empty bottles like skittles in front of a swing. Ask the child to try to swing over to the bottles and kick as many of them over as possible. Alternatively, he can lay on his tummy on the swing, and try to knock the bottles over with his hands as he swings.

• Shop ‘til you drop:
Give the child a “shopping list” of different pictures they are to find hidden around the room. Use a laundry basket for the trolley, that he is required to push around the room as he goes. Make the items that you hide different weights, so the basket gets heavier as he goes along (rice bags, pumpkins, laundry powder, juice containers are all good heavy items). You may like to give him some clues to work on prepositions (under, behind, in, on, etc.), or just leave him to his own devices.

Shoe box path:
Keep boxes of different sizes. Ask the child to line them up or make a road with them. Tell him that they are stepping stones in the “water”, and to see if he can make it from one side of the room to the other only using the boxes, or “stepping stones” to stand in.

Movement activities in the preschool environment
Some children have difficulty with their movement development because they need more movement than other children, and seek movement in inappropriate ways and at inappropriate times.
The following activities can be helpful for a child who seeks movement at inappropriate times and in inappropriate ways in the preschool environment. By providing activities such as these interspersed throughout the child’s day, it is likely the child will not feel the need to move around in ways that disturb other children (and staff):

Use a chair on wheels or a chair the child can rotate on whilst focusing on the task at hand

Provide a “sit-n-move” malleable cushion for ongoing movement input whilst completing seated work.

• Break up seated tasks with some movement, e.g. table top activities interspersed with physical activities (dress-ups or a chance to run around to collect items from outside to use in indoor activities).
• Ask the child to collect an item from across the room when becoming fidgety on the mat at group times (a tissue for the teacher, the book to read, show and tell items, etc.).
• Include songs during mat time where the children will have the opportunity to get up and wriggle around, particularly bending over and changing speeds.
• Ask the child to be the “helper” to pass out items or pack them away during seated group times.
• Engage in physical activity before a seated task.
• Introduce some outdoor equipment (mini-trampoline, climbing frames, tunnels, etc.) into the indoor environment.

• Encourage the child to select the heavier items when packing away toys.
• Introduce an obstacle course. This provides some structure to the child’s movements when outside. Climb through, under, over objects, walk on lines, footprints, planks, rough ground, etc.

Sarah

You can find me blog hoping at:

Helping Kids with Autism Develop Fine-Motor Skills

2011-06-13T11:53:00.011+10:00

The following information was taken from K-6 Linkages

Fine motor development contributes to the development of communication skills in young children.

What are fine motor skills?

Fine motor skills are those skills which require a child to manipulate and gain control over a range of materials and tools. These are often for communication purposes both functional and expressive, eg writing a name or message, manipulating a computer mouse, creating a sculpture. Opportunities to develop these skills exist in all six key learning areas of the primary curriculum.

The components of fine motor skills can be considered to be:

Grasping -eg using a crayon, pencil, brush, glue stick, beater, blocks

Manipulating - eg playdough, clay, unifix, centicubes, paper, sewing, scissors, fingerplays

Hand-eye co-ordination - eg writing, cutting, threading, moving a cursor, using a glue gun

Structured learning experiences such as developmental play and learning centres are opportunities for teachers to provide a range of activities which will help develop the fine motor skills of children. These will often include materials such as playdough, clothes pegs, sorting, Lego, construction toys, bottles and lids, paper, pens, paints and other media, computer-based technology.

The following information was taken from Bright Hub

Helping Develop Fine Motor Skills in Children with Autism
Helping kids with autism develop fine-motor skills involves adapting the environment and activities to address sensory motor and learning needs.

Promoting Attention to Tasks

Young children on the autism spectrum often have difficulty developing the fine-motor skills that lead to eye-hand coordination, visual discrimination and eventually reading and writing. Distractability and a preference to seek out movement and other sensory experiences often impact a child’s ability to sit and learn basic skills such as fitting shapes through openings and placing pegs inside holes. Preschool teachers and therapists can create environments and adapt activities to help children develop these critical skills.

Helping kids with autism develop fine-motor skills begins with creating a work environment as distraction-free as possible. A child may benefit from wearing head phones to block out sounds.

Seat the child facing a wall or partition with little visual clutter and nothing to touch except the activity you are teaching. Experiment with different types of seat cushions or sitting on a therapy ball with legs (so that it won’t roll).

These enable the child to have some movement while seated. The child might also benefit from working in alternative positions such as reclining in a bean bag, sitting in a rocking chair or kneeling at the table.

Keep the training sessions short and frequent, ending with a sensory reinforcement such as time on a trampoline or use of squeeze balls. Addressing the child’s sensory needs through seating, activities and reinforcements will promote focus and motivation.

Adapt Activities with Sensory Components
Adapt fine-motor activities by adding a sensory component such as sound, bright lights or vibration. Some commercially available toys such as ring stacks and form boards play music or flash lights upon completion.

Vibration may be added to containers or tubes used for ring stacks by placing the handle from an electric toothbrush or a vibrating pen (with the point removed) inside.

After a child has learned how to insert objects inside containers, increase the challenge by providing blocks to fit through a square opening or Lotto cards that fit through a rectangular opening in a coffee can lid. Again, place the vibrating device inside the container to motivate the child. Unlike commercial shape sorters, these enable the child to practice fitting one simple shape in an opening before attempting to match complex shapes to several openings.

Simplify Activities
Children with autism often have difficulty with motor planning or the ability to plan and execute new motor skills. Simple adaptations such as using larger materials can increase success. For example, a homemade lacing board with only 3-4 large holes will be easier than the boards sold with several smaller holes.

Stacking small boxes that are weighted with sand inside are easier to coordinate than small blocks. This use of heavier materials increases body awareness and the sand makes an interesting sound.

An adapted pegboard can be made using small plastic bottles filled with water that fit inside holes in a cardboard box. Add glitter to make the water sparkle. The natural reinforcement upon task completion is playing with the bottles.

Whether fine-motor activities are purchased or homemade- parents and educators should consider adaptations that simplify and/or add a sensory component. Then they can gradually add challenges such as smaller pegs or more complex shapes to fit inside a shape sorter.

Once the child experiences success, he or she may be motivated to try other fine-motor activities. The key is to have fun. So, remember when helping kids with autism develop fine-motor skills- that if YOU find the activity to be enjoyable, chances are good that the child will too.

Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/education/special/articles/22578.aspx#ixzz1P7NJyp2L

Sarah

Today I am blog hoping at the following:

Mr Mc Gee and Great Toy for Gross motor development

2011-06-12T13:32:00.010+10:00

This is the book that Sam go out of the library at school a few weeks ago. We forgot to send it back. He loves me to read it too him every night before he goes to bed. But he is getting really good with his reading skills that without too much prompting. I am so proud of him. Even though he has things that he struggles with such as social skills and his ability to control responses to emotions, there are things that he just seems to fly with such as reading and maths. So even though he has Asperger, there are also positives from this.

I found this great Kid-O Bilibo - Blue which I think all the kids would have so much fun on. I would probably have to get 5 of them other wise there would be fights. Maybe this is something I will look at when it is Matthews birthday in August.

You can also find me blog hoping at the following blog hops:

Recommended Toys for Cognitive Development

2011-06-11T20:33:00.001+10:00

Puzzles and Puzzle games

Children learn about shapes and space. They also learn to sort and match. As the grow older, trial and error learning will decrease as they start to use reasoning skills to work out the position of pieces.

The intellectual skills developed through this activity are classifying, attention and concentration.

Sorting objects

Develops his ability to sort, order and classify objects according to colour, shape or size.
The intellectual skills developed through this activity are classifying, attention and concentration.

Sewing

Helps children to learn about patterns and colours. The intellectual skills developed through this activity are classifying, attention and concentration.

Construction toys

Through Construction toys children learn about space, shape and structures. They can also experience matching and sorting as well as being encouraged to think about size.The intellectual skills developed through this activity are classifying, attention and concentration.

Matching games

These type of games help children sort and match. These games can also help with memory as they work out where they have seen a matching card. Cards are put face down; they choose a card and work out where the matching pair is. The intellectual skills developed through this activity are classifying, attention, concentration and memory.

The stages of Cognitive Development and what happens with Autism

2011-06-11T16:56:00.000+10:00

Stages of Cognitve Development In Children and Teenagers

Until around the age of 15 years of age, children do not have the capabilities of reasoning in the way adults do. Jean Piaget is a well known developmental biologist who devoted his life to closely observing and recording the intellectual abilities of infants, children and adolescents.

Piaget formulated fours stages of inlellectual/cognitive development related to the major developments in the growth of the brain. The brain does not fully devolop until between the late teens to early twenties, in the case of some males. Often it is expected that children think like adults but they are not capable of doing this.

The following information was taken from About.com - Formal Operational Stage of Cognitive Development

Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development

The Sensorimotor Stage

The first stage of Piaget’s theory lasts from birth to approximately age two and is centered on the infant trying to make sense of the world. During the sensorimotor stage, an infant’s knowledge of the world is limited to their sensory perceptions and motor activities. Behaviors are limited to simple motor responses caused by sensory stimuli. Children utilize skills and abilities they were born with, such as looking, sucking, grasping, and listening, to learn more about the environment.

Object Permanence:

According to Piaget, the development of object permanence is one of the most important accomplishments at the sensorimotor stage of development. Object permanence is a child's understanding that objects continue to exist even though they cannot be seen or heard.

Substages of the Sensorimotor Stage:

The sensorimotor stage can be divided into six separate substages that are characterized by the development of a new skill.

Reflexes (0-1 month):

During this substage, the child understands the environment purely through inborn reflexes such as sucking and looking.

Primary Circular Reactions (1-4 months):

This substage involves coordinating sensation and new schemas. For example, a child may such his or her thumb by accident and then later intentionally repeat the action. These actions are repeated because the infant finds them pleasurable.

Secondary Circular Reactions (4-8 months):

During this substage, the child becomes more focused on the world and begins to intentionally repeat an action in order to trigger a response in the environment. For example, a child will purposefully pick up a toy in order to put it in his or her mouth.

Coordination of Reactions (8-12 months):

During this substage, the child starts to show clearly intentional actions. The child may also combine schemas in order to achieve a desired effect. Children begin exploring the environment around them and will often imitate the observed behavior of others. The understanding of objects also begins during this time and children begin to recognize certain objects as having specific qualities. For example, a child might realize that a rattle will make a sound when shaken.

Tertiary Circular Reactions (12-18 months):

Children begin a period of trial-and-error experimentation during the fifth substage. For example, a child may try out different sounds or actions as a way of getting attention from a caregiver.

Early Representational Thought (18-24 months):

Children begin to develop symbols to represent events or objects in the world in the final sensorimotor substage. During this time, children begin to move towards understanding the world through mental operations rather than purely through actions.

The Preoperational Stage

The preoperational stage occurs between ages two and six. Language development is one of the hallmarks of this period. Piaget noted that children in this stage do not yet understand concrete logic, cannot mentally manipulate information, and are unable to take the point of view of other people, which he termed egocentrism.

During the preoperational stage, children also become increasingly adept at using symbols, as evidenced by the increase in playing and pretending. For example, a child is able to use an object to represent something else, such as pretending a broom is a horse. Role playing also becomes important during the preoperational stage. Children often play the roles of "mommy," "daddy," "doctor" and many others.

Egocentrism:

Piaget used a number of creative and clever techniques to study the mental abilities of children. One of the famous techniques egocentrism involved using a three-dimensional display of a mountain scene. Children are asked to choose a picture that showed the scene they had observed. Most children are able to do this with little difficulty. Next, children are asked to select a picture showing what someone else would have observed when looking at the mountain from a different viewpoint.

Invariably, children almost always choose the scene showing their own view of the mountain scene. According to Piaget, children experience this difficulty because they are unable to take on another person's perspective.

Conservation:

Another well-known experiment involves demonstrating a child's understanding of conservation. In one conservation experiment, equal amounts of liquid are poured into two identical containers. The liquid in one container is then poured into a different shaped cup, such as a tall and thin cup, or a short and wide cup. Children are then asked which cup holds the most liquid. Despite seeing that the liquid amounts were equal, children almost always choose the cup that appears fuller.

Piaget conducted a number of similar experiments on conservation of number, length, mass, weight, volume, and quantity. Piaget found that few children showed any understanding of conservation prior to the age of five.

The Concrete Operational Stage

The concrete operational stage begins around age seven and continues until approximately age eleven. During this time, children gain a better understanding of mental operations. Children begin thinking logically about concrete events, but have difficulty understanding abstract or hypothetical concepts.

Logic:

Piaget determine6uewd that children in the concrete operational stage were fairly good at the use of inductive logic. Inductive logic involves going from a specific experience to a general principle. On the other hand, children at this age have difficulty using deductive logic, which involves using a general principle to determine the outcome of a specific event.

Reversibility:

One of the most important developments in this stage is an understanding of reversibility, or awareness that actions can be reversed. An example of this is being able to reverse the order of relationships between mental categories. For example, a child might be able to recognize that his or her dog is a Labrador, that a Labrador is a dog, and that a dog is an animal.

The Formal Operational Stage

The formal operational stage begins at approximately age twelve to and lasts into adulthood. During this time, people develop the ability to think about abstract concepts. Skills such as logical thought, deductive reasoning, and systematic planning also emerge during this stage.

Logic:

Piaget believed that deductive logic becomes important during the formal operational stage. Deductive logic requires the ability to use a general principle to determine a specific outcome. This type of thinking involves hypothetical situations and is often required in science and mathematics.

Abstract Thought:

While children tend to think very concretely and specifically in earlier stages, the ability to think about abstract concepts emerges during the formal operational stage. Instead of relying solely on previous experiences, children begin to consider possible outcomes and consequences of actions. This type of thinking is important in long-term planning.

Problem-Solving:

In earlier stages, children used trial-and-error to solve problems. During the formal operational stage, the ability to systematically solve a problem in a logical and methodical way emerges. Children at the formal operational stage of cognitive development are often able to quickly plan an organized approach to solving a problem.

The following information is taken from Raising Children.

Cognitive Development and Autism

Brain development

In children with ASD, the brain develops differently from typically developing children:

The brain tends to grow too fast during early childhood, especially during the first three years of life.

The brain of an infant with ASD appears to have more cells than it needs, as well as inefficient connections between the cells.

Too many connections

It’s thought that the characteristic behaviours of autism come from difficulties with how the brain processes information (especially if the affected areas of the brain are those responsible for understanding emotions and language). A young child’s brain is developing all the time. Every time a child does something or responds to something, connections in the brain are reinforced and become stronger. Over time, the connections that aren’t reinforced disappear – they are ‘pruned’ away as they’re not needed. This ‘pruning’ is how the brain makes room for important connections – those needed for everyday actions and responses. It’s thought that, in children with ASD, this pruning doesn’t take place as much as it should – so information might be lost or sent through the wrong connections.

The lack of pruning might also explain why the brain seems to be growing faster than in typical

development.

Learning about the Basics of Autism and Asperger

2011-06-11T12:17:00.000+10:00

I have decided today to go back to the start and learn all about Autism and Asperger. By learning the basics and really understanding it I should be better able to help Matthew and Samuel, and even myself, on their journey through the world with ASD.

This might seem like such a simple thing to find information these day with the help of the internet but this is not always the case. When you start looking out there, there is so much information but it is not always easy to find the information that you want and also be able to understand it in laymans terms. I will share here what I learn and hope that it helps others going through the same journey.

The first thing I have done is look for resources that I can understand and give me the best information.
Here are the ones I have found so far that I really like:

I know there are heaps more great resources out there but I think it is best to focus one or two at a time so I can really understand what I am reading.

Raising Children Network

Causes of autism spectrum disorder

We don’t yet know exactly what causes autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In fact, it’s suspected that there may be several causes. Among these are brain development and genetic factors. Autism is not caused by anything that parents do or don’t do while raising their child.

Brain development

In children with ASD, the brain develops differently from typically developing children:

The brain tends to grow too fast during early childhood, especially during the first three years of life.

The brain of an infant with ASD appears to have more cells than it needs, as well as inefficient connections between the cells.

Too many connections

something, connections in the brain are reinforced and become stronger. Over time, the connections

that aren’t reinforced disappear – they are ‘pruned’ away as they’re not needed. This ‘pruning’ is how the brain makes room for important connections – those needed for everyday actions and responses. It’s thought that, in children with ASD, this pruning doesn’t take place as much as it should – so information might be lost or sent through the wrong connections. The lack of pruning might also explain why the brain seems to be growing faster than in typical development.

Genetics
Genetic factors seem to play a major part in ASD. For example, some families have multiple children
diagnosed with ASD, and ASD also occurs in four times as many boys as girls. One specific gene is unlikely to be responsible for ASD. Rather, it might be that several genes combine and act together.
It’s also possible that different gene combinations lead to different kinds of ASD, such as autistic
disorder and Asperger’s disorder.

Autism Connects New Business

2011-06-10T08:49:00.000+10:00

I am very excited that I have just ventured into my new online buisness selling autism resources. This will help us greatly so that we can have some money coming in when it is hard to actually go out and work due to never knowing whether the boys are going to have meltdowns at school or just refuse to go to school each day. You just don't know what each day is going to bring. This will take this stress out of our situation to some degree. Please drop by and check some of the great things that I will be selling.
Autism Connects