“My PDD-NOS son has to win at every game or he freaks out,” wrote a parent. “He also has a compelling urge to be first in line, first to complete a task, first at anything. When he isn’t first or doesn’t win he gets so angry, hitting and screaming, ‘I want to win.’ I want [...]
“I always enjoyed campfires when I was little, and I would like to share that experience with my family, including my 10-year-old daughter with autism” wrote a dad. “Scout training taught me how to build a safe fire, but I’m looking for ideas to make this a special experience for my daughter.” Listen Now:
The inability to read or write should not stand in the way of learning. For a variety of reasons, some individuals diagnosed with autism are illiterate and some are non-verbal. Under the circumstances, it is easy to assume that a person isn’t interested in a topic or isn’t smart enough to understand science or history [...]
“I can’t believe my son loudly blurted out a graphic description of a temporary pain using anatomically correct words while we were standing in line at the grocery store,” said a parent of a young adult with autism. “It seemed like everyone in the store froze and looked at him in horror. Because he looks [...]
Individuals who have limited skills are often viewed as RECEIVERS of care and seldom regarded as GIVERS with potential to help others. We can enhance the lives of our friends with autism by taking time every day to give individuals specific “jobs” as part of their daily routine in school, at home, or in community [...]
What about public restrooms? A mom wrote: “I’m a mom with a grown autistic son. Not only do I worry about his safety when sending him unattended into the men’s restroom, but I also worry because his own restroom habits are frequently “in poor taste” and he often needs help with toileting and personal hygiene. [...]
Helping a person drop a bad habit and replace it with a more appropriate behavior is challenging at best, and autism can double the trouble since individuals with autism tend to resist change. One component of an effective strategy is to help the person become more aware of their bad habit. This is a poem [...]
“My daughter is on-target or ahead of her peers academically, but socially she gets too close to her peers or touches their arm or hair or face,” wrote a parent. “She does not maintain enough personal space when standing or sitting near someone. I feel like we go over this repeatedly but she still stands [...]
“My son is 10 years old and still says ‘Go pee-pee?’ when he needs to go to the bathroom. This has caused some issues with other students at school and with kids on his baseball team. We’ve talked to him about it, but he still blurts out without thinking. He doesn’t seem to be doing [...]
Casual conversation can be awkward with a person who is non-verbal. The grandfather of a youngster with autism said, “I sure like taking my grandson out for drives, but I don’t really know how to talk to him.” A teenager said of his sister, “All she does is repeat what I say, so it is [...]
A parent of an 7-year-old girl with autism asked for some ideas for birthday parties. “Our daughter is invited to birthday parties of kids she knows at school and church,” said the mom. “We would like to have a party for her, but the sensory over-load of balloons, the cake and ice cream, the pile [...]
A small group of parents of youngsters with autism requested some ideas for family spring break activities. The youngsters, from 7 to 12 years old, spanned a broad range of abilities and disabilities. “We want to do something special to celebrate the holiday, but our work schedules keep us from taking long trips. We need [...]
