Over the years, many of my friends of all ages with autism have been intrigued with the process of cooking over a fire. Even people who have never shown much interest in eating have taken bites of food they have helped prepare over the colorful glowing embers and dancing flames. Listen Now:
In part 1 of our discussions about swimming pools, we looked at one example of water safety rules a family implements every time their youngster with autism goes swimming. Safety is, of course, the first consideration when it comes to our friends with autism and water. In part 2 of this discussion, we will take [...]
Just as with more typical kids, some youngsters with autism love the water. Let’s take a look at some creative ideas and some serious factors related to autism and water. First and foremost, we must consider water safety. Listen Now:
Families, teachers, and others who care about the well-being of individuals with autism frequently ask for ideas to help prevent isolation. Challenges like loud outbursts, aggressive behaviors, repetitive mannerisms, and meltdowns can make folks hesitate to get out in public. Sometimes it is just easier to just stay at home to keep the peace. The [...]
You can jazz up snack time by encouraging individuals of all ages who are diagnosed with autism to mix up their own snack mixes at the beginning of the week. They can put their own hand-selected mix in small, snack-sized ziplock bags and keep them handy for road trips, school lunches, work breaks, or t.v.snacks. [...]
“As long as he had three meals a day, my son would probably be happy just sitting on his bed, flapping his hands and rocking,” commented the dad of an eight-year-old youngster diagnosed with autism. “I’m concerned about his physical health and emotional health, so I’m looking for some ideas for getting him out and [...]
This will be a very brief podcast because I have actually lost my voice. But take a minute to listen, because I have two quick stories to tell you. Listen Now:
Decreasing dependence on others is a challenge, especially when our friends with autism are unwilling to become more self-reliant, or if they have difficulty learning new skills or new routines. Under these circumstances, how can we encourage and teach a person to be less dependent? Listen Now:
Some of our faithful FAQautism.com followers live in parts of the world where earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, tornadoes, tsunamis, and even civil unrest or war can lead to unexpected emergency evacuations. What would you grab in the event you and your youngster with autism were required to suddenly leave your home? Listen Now:
What specific skills do our friends with autism need in order to live as independently as possible? Sometimes we focus on self-care like grooming and dressing or daily-living skills like laundry and cooking when thinking of self-sufficiency, but the list of skills necessary for independent living is VERY long! Listen Now:
It is certainly challenging – if not impossible – to monitor what a person is doing 24/7. Parents, teachers, and others report the need to keep a constant watch on some individuals with autism in order to prevent injury and to protect breakable or potentially dangerous items around the house or school. Listen Now:
Some of my friends with autism and their families are sitting in the dark and cold this week because of a treacherous blizzard that damaged power lines and brought their region to a halt. Weather forecasts allowed advance planning in this case. But situations sometimes arise unexpectedly, making it imperative to keep emergency supplies at [...]
Research confirms what grandmamma always knew: “Vegetables are good for you.” Of course, veggies have no impact on the health of people who refuse to eat them. Let us look at 3 rules to follow when attempting to sneak healthy vegetables into the diet of individuals with autism. Listen Now:
I just heard a weather report forecasting several days of cloudy, windy, cold weather. The meteorologist described the upcoming days as “gloomy.” Many of us are prone to slugishness and low energy in the winter months because of the short days and cold weather. Kids and adults can bust the gloomies by staying active and [...]
Should teens and young adults participate in group activities with younger kids? For example, at what point do our friends with autism outgrow the need for participating in soccer, swimming, t-ball, and other adaptive recreational activities designed specifically for individuals with special needs? Listen Now:
Sometimes very simple, everyday substances can solve complex, challenging issues related to autism. Today we are talking about one such “magical” substance: white school glue, sometimes known as Elmer’s glue. Listen Now:
The realities of autism can bring on a flood of challenges, a situation that causes parents, teachers, therapists, and other to scramble in efforts to change behaviors, teach new skills, deal with issues, and otherwise shape our friends with autism. Over time, we realize we cannot fix everything. When establishing priorities about issues that are [...]
The term “picky eater” can be quite an understatement when autism is involved. Part 1 of this conversation about inflexible or restrictive eating habits includes examples of the types of food issues common in autism. The podcast Food-Part 2 overviews the process involved in pinpointing the specific problem encountered by an individual with autism and [...]
What factors contribute to various food-related problems common in autism? How can we effectively address these challenging situations? Obviously, we cannot answer those questions in a brief podcast, so let us just consider one specific, real-life situation, that of a youngster who insists on eating just one food for breakfast, lunch, and supper. Listen Now: [...]
For a variety of reasons, some individuals with autism have issues with food. To begin this discussion about food and autism, we will look at some of the challenges that arise in the lives of individuals who have difficulty with their eating habits. Listen Now:
