When a Parent is on the Autism Spectrum: Tips for their Kids
by Barbara R. Lester, LCSW – author of My Parent has an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has led to…
by Barbara R. Lester, LCSW – author of My Parent has an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has led to…
By Colby Pearce, author of A Short Introduction to Promoting Resilience in Children. Many children and adolescents are reluctant, at-least initially, to attend and be…
“Some things that our children say or do can be especially poignant in certain situations and, quite often, they can say things that are so truthful, we just wouldn’t dare say them ourselves! There shouldn’t be anything sad or embarrassing about situations like these. We should see the humour in it and not feel guilty to laugh out loud. I think it is important to embrace moments like these as we have enough of a hard time and laughing can help redress the balance. Laughter is very good for stress too, so there’s no excuse!”
Carol L. Spears and Dr. Vicki L. Turner are Speech Language Pathologists, Assistive Technologists, and Alternative/ Augmentative Communication Specialists. Here, Carol and Vicki answer some…
“Finding out about something as important and life-changing as your parent’s AS has the potential to overwhelm…I think using comics and graphic formats when talking about things to do with behaviour, health or illness can help integrate the very dense, sometimes technical and “clinical” information into the practical, emotional and deeply personal side of the issues.”
by Charlotte E. Thompson, M.D., author of Grandparenting a Child with Special Needs With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, parents often turn to…
The Extreme Makeover Challenge: Room Re-Design! by Carol L. Spears and Dr. Vicki L. Turner As discussed in our book Rising to New Heights of Communication and…
“The important thing for me is that every child is valued and that we look at the causes of their difficulties rather than just the presenting symptoms: Why are they struggling in school and what can we do about it that is simple and easily implemented as the first stage in supporting them?”
“Whatever your child’s level of verbal ability or behavior, don’t pass by the possibilities provided by animals. Non-verbal children are as capable as anyone of establishing a positive relationship with an animal. Your child may well surprise you with her compassion, connection and willingness to build a relationship with a non-human friend.”
“Evelyn often spoke to me about how after her son received his diagnosis that she expected the ‘autism fairy’ to arrive at her house and explain the implications of Jasper having autism to her, as well as helping her secure educational provision which met his needs. Other families also spoke about how prior to diagnosis they were labelled as being bad parents and told that it was their fault that their child was not behaving in school. Almost all stated that they had been through the most emotionally (and often financially) draining time of their lives to try and secure appropriate provision, and that little or no help or advice had been forthcoming…”