Brushing Teeths..

An uphill battle for any parent, getting your child to brush his or her teeth can be a challenging task. For parents with special needs children, this is particularly true, due to ongoing oral-motor issues and oral sensitivities.

In order to better understand how tooth brushing can be a positive experience for both the parent and child, here are few tips for helping children with special needs brush their teeth.



1. First, let him/her face a mirror with you standing behind him/her. Using one hand to support his/her chin, and the other hand to help him/her brush.

2. If he/she can hold his/her own toothbrush, let him/her brush on his/her own. You need to supervise, observe and correct his/her brushing technique.



If the person doesn't know how to spit, it is difficult for him/her to rinse after tooth brushing.

You can first let him/her wear an apron to avoid getting his/her clothes wet. Prepare a glass of drinking water for him/her to rinse. When he needs to rinse, teach him/her to first open his/her mouth and then slowly pour the water into his/her mouth. Let the water flow out from his/her mouth so that the foam from toothpaste will be rinsed out from his/her mouth naturally.

@Swallowing toothpaste while brushing

Use only a pea-sized blob of toothpaste to brush his/her teeth. No harm will be done to his/her body even if he/she accidentally swallows the toothpaste. Fluoride is effective in preventing tooth decay and strengthening teeth, therefore it is essential that fluoride toothpaste is used. If you are worried that the fluoride content in toothpaste is too high, you might consider using children's fluoride toothpaste which contains only half of the fluoride content as the regular adult fluoride toothpaste.

@Involuntary wobbling of the head

You may stand behind him/her, use one hand to wrap around his/her head, and gently support his/her chin to stabilize his/her head. Remember to do this only if he/she is willing, otherwise he/she will refuse to brush or floss his/her teeth.

@Protruding tongue which interferes with toothbrushing

Tongue protrusion during toothbrushing is a natural reflex. You may first ask him/her to calm down and start toothbrushing for him/her as soon as he/she relaxes his/her tongue. There is only a short period of time while he relaxes his/her tongue. Therefore you may need to precisely place the toothbrush inside his/her mouth and speed up the brushing process to make toothbrushing more pleasant for him/her. You may also consider using an electric toothbrush to shorten the time needed for brushing. However, you should use a correct brushing technique with care in order to avoid damaging his/her teeth and gum.

@Biting on toothbrush

You may use some supplementary tools (e.g. a few chopsticks wrapped by a towel) for him/her to bite on one side of his/her mouth so that his/her mouth will stay opened. You can then place the toothbrush inside his/her mouth and start brushing on the other side of his/her mouth for him/her.

@Refuse toothbrushing

Find out the reason why he/she refuses to brush, then target at this reason to help him/her overcome his/her hard feelings towards brushing. If toothbrushing brings him/her discomfort, his/her gum may be sensitive due to gum inflammation. You may first choose a softer toothbrush and let him/her try to get used to brushing only a few teeth. After he/she gets used to brushing, you can then try to brush the rest of his/her teeth. Ask him/her to raise his/her hand when he/she feels uncomfortable and stop brushing to let him/her take a rest. It is important that you must not try to brush all his/her teeth by force. Otherwise, it will be difficult to change his/her attitude toward toothbrushing in the future.

@Gagging when he/she brushes his/her teeth

You may use a toothbrush with a smaller head. When you are brushing his/her molars, try not to place the toothbrush too far back as long as you can brush his/her last tooth in order to avoid gagging. If there are sensitive areas which make him/her gag, you should brush those areas last.

@Crooked teeth which are difficult to clean

You may use a toothbrush with a small head. Pay special attention to areas of irregularity to make sure that the bristles have touched the gingival margins. This could ensure that the teeth are thoroughly cleaned.

@Difficulty in inserting the dental floss into the interproximal area (area between the teeth)

Difficulty in inserting the dental floss into the interproximal area may be caused by the accumulation of calculus. The situation will improve once the calculus has been removed by the dentist. Remember to floss daily after the calculus has been removed in order to avoid accumulation again.

 Posting Reward Chart for brushing the teeths (pictures from Google)

Visual sequencing how to brush the teeths (pictures from Google)

posting some books on Brushing the teeths (Available on Amazon)

Hope the Blog is useful !!!

Happy Brushing :)

Calming Strategies

As much as you hate to see it in your own child, every child throws tantrums and has meltdowns, sometimes in the middle of the grocery store. This can be even more prevalent if your child has a language delay and doesn’t understand or can’t communicate what he wants. We’ve seen those kids, we call them “spoiled” and they have a long road ahead of them because they aren’t always going to get their way. Instead, your job is to teach your child how to deal with getting upset. In particular, it can be extremely helpful to teach your child calming strategies to calm himself or herself down. There are many calming strategies that you can teach your child to get through those awful meltdowns faster and without requiring you to bribe your child with ice cream and toys to make it stop. Calming children with self-calming strategies has worked for children across the world, and it can work for your child, too!

1 Don’t Give In

If this method is going to work at all, you HAVE to stop giving in to your child’s meltdowns.. If you try to teach your child these calming strategies but you eventually give in after he’s been screaming for 5 minutes (even if you only give in sometimes), the calming strategies will NEVER be as effective as throwing that tantrum so the tantrums will never stop and the calming strategies will never work. You have to stop giving in!! I know this can be so hard to do because you don’t want to see your child hurting and you don’t want to cause a scene in whatever public place you may happen to be, but this is crucial. If your child starts throwing a fit about something, you CANNOT give in, even if you were just about to change your mind anyway. Your child will feel like the tantrum worked to get him what he wanted and the next tantrum will be even bigger. Here’s what you should do at this point if your child is tantruming:
Remain calm, don’t show any emotion to your child. If you have to walk away so you can compose yourself, do that. If you need to tag in your spouse to handle the problem because you’re too emotional, do that.
Try to wait the tantrum out for a bit. See if it goes away on its own if you don’t give it much attention. Just monitor your child for safety and make sure that your child doesn’t put himself in any dangerous situations (like throwing a tantrum in the knife aisle at Bed, Bath, and Beyond). If he does, calmly move him away from danger without making a big deal out of it.
Remove your child from the situation. Carry him out of the store or back to his room. Try to isolate him from any attention he may get for the tantrum.
Wait till it passes. Because it will. Eventually, your child will tire and that’s when he will need a hug. Be there with his hug when he’s ready for it and have faith that the rest of these steps will make these tantrums better. (But again, don’t give in to what he wanted, even after the tantrum stops).

2. Identifying Calm Vs. Upset

The first thing you need to do is teach your child the difference between being calm and being upset. You will want to do this with your child when she is calm. I like to use a mood thermometer for this. A mood thermometer has a happy face at the bottom, an angry face at the top, and sometimes a few faces in between indicating someone who is on their way up or down the continuum.





Show your child the thermometer and say “when we are happy and calm, we are down here at the bottom”. Explain to your child that she is calm right now and show her where she is. You can even show her pictures of other children who are calm and happy. Then, tell her that when we are not happy, we are the top of the thermometer. We are upset. Show her pictures of children who are upset. You can type “child tantrum” into Google image search and get some pretty great upset children. Have her help you figure out which children look calm and which children look upset. You can also talk about some emotions in between, such as sad or scared. These often will lead to being upset if not dealt with early. Those will be the best times to try some calming strategies with your child. Keep working on labeling these emotions until your child is starting to understand them. You can even label her own emotions when you see them. For example, if your child is starting to get upset, show her the thermometer and say “You look sad” while pointing to the sad face. Just help her understand what those emotions look like and how they feel. I’ve even had some parents take pictures of their children displaying different emotions and use those to show their children. Be creative and talk about emotions a lot. Once your child starts to understand, move on to step three.

3. Teaching Calming Strategies when Calm

Think about your child when he’s in the middle of a tantrum. Do you think now would be a good time to teach him a new skill? Probably not, I’m guessing he wouldn’t be listening very well at that point. So the best time to teach calming strategies is while your child is already calm. It sounds counter-productive but we’ll get to the actual calming part later. Try a whole bunch of calming strategies with your child and see which ones he seems to do well with or he seems to like the most. Keep trying them until you get about 4 that your child can do fairly well. It helps if each strategy has its own picture to go with it so your child can learn what they are. You can create your own pictures (like take pictures of the child doing the strategy) or you can use the ones created above..

Here are some strategies to try with your child. Show him how to do each one and then have him do it with you. After you’ve practiced them several times, have your child do them by himself so you can see which ones he’s learning the best. This will help you pick your four.
The Balloon: Have your child hold his hands in front of his mouth like holding a small balloon. Tell your child to blow up the balloon. As he blows, he spreads his hands apart to pretend the balloon is getting bigger. Once the balloon is as big as it can get, your child claps his hands together to “pop” the balloon.
The Pretzel: Have your child fold herself into a pretzel and squeeze. Have her wrap her legs together and fold her arms across her chest like she’s hugging herself. When she is as twisted as she can possibly get, have her squeeze hard.
Take a Walk: Have your child take a walk to cool off. Sometimes just walking around a bit can help.
The Bunny: Have your child pretend to be a bunny. He can get down on the ground like a bunny or just sit on his bottom. Have him breathe like a bunny does in short, quick breaths. Don’t let your child do this too long or he might get dizzy but a little bit of shallow breathing can bring his breathing back under his control. Follow this up with some long deep breaths, like hissing like a snake or blowing out candles.
Write a Letter: Have your child “write a letter” about why she’s mad. Get out a piece of paper and a big fat crayon. Have your child scribble violently all over the paper. This should release some tension. If your child is older, you may actually be able to get her to write down why she’s mad. When she’s done, have your child read it to you or just crumple the paper and throw it away. If this strategy works for your child, you can have a calm-down bucket or stash that has paper and a crayon just for such an occasion.
Count or Sing the ABCs: Have your child count as high as he can or sing/say the alphabet. Many times this is enough to bring the breathing back under control to quell the tantrum.
Hug a Pillow/Stuffed Animal: Have your child pick a pillow or stuffed animal to hug. Tell her to squeeze it hard so she can get all of that upset out. She could also tell her stuffed animal why she’s upset

4. Make a Calming Strategies Board and Practice

Choose the four strategies that work best for your child (and feel free to use your own if you know of something that works for your child) and put them together on a board. It’s best if you get some sturdy poster board for this as it may be thrown across the room in anger at first. Cut out the pictures from my printout or make your own and put the four pictures (with descriptions) on the board. You should also put the mood thermometer on the board so you can use it to show your child. While your child is still calm, show her the board and say “this is what we will use when we are upset. When your body is red (point to the red on the thermometer) and you are upset, we will use these calming strategies to make your body green and help you calm down.” Have your child practice each of the calming strategies while she’s calm so you know she can do them. You could also pretend to be upset at some point and go over to the board to show her how to use it. Role playing is great for young children and those with language delays. You can also create a smaller version of this board to stick in your purse in case you need it on the go.

5.Practice the Calming Strategies When Your Child is Upset

Now that your child knows the strategies, it’s time to put them into action. The next time your child starts to get upset, try to catch it before he gets completely out of control mad. Say “Your body doesn’t look green, let’s get our calming board”. Bring him the calming board and show him where he is on the thermometer. Label his emotion for him by saying “You are upset” or “you are mad”. Then, ask him to pick a calming strategy to try. If you’re lucky, he’ll remember his training and pick a strategy so you can help him through it. More likely though, he will be so mad about it that he will refuse to choose and possibly even try to cause harm to your board. Remain calm, this too will pass. If he doesn’t want to pick a strategy, you pick one for him and demonstrate it. Don’t force him to do it with you. Then, wait a minute or two and try that whole process again. Eventually, he should calm down enough to be able to do a strategy. However, the first several times you try this, it may take a while, especially if he’s just now getting used to you not giving in to his tantrums. Just keep trying it every few minutes until he’s ready to do one with you. If you stay calm, that will bring him down even faster. Eventually, your child should be more willing to do this. If you do it consistently with him, he will get to the point where you can say, “You look like you need to calm down, why don’t you go pick a strategy. When your body is green again, we can talk (or I can give you a hug)”. Then, he should be able to go calm himself down using the strategies you have practiced so many times. Keep in mind it may be a long way down the road before he can do this on his own, but that’s the overall goal. Once your child is calmed after a tantrum, talk with your child calmly about what happened and what you can do to solve the problem. Now is the time to work through the problem, now that he’s calm.

Keep calm and be persistent and you can teach your child these calming strategies as well.

(Image courtesy Google)



Posting some story books on Anger Management..(Available on Amazon)

Teaching Rhyming Words To Special Need Children

Why teach about rhyming?

Developing a child's phonological awareness is an important part of developing a reader. Young children's ability to identify rhyme units is an important component of phonological awareness. Research shows that students benefit from direct instruction on rhyme recognition paired with fun activities that target this skill.



Body Name Game

How to Play: Begin by modeling how to rhyme. Point to parts of your body, say a rhyming word and your child should say the body part. This puts rhyming into her ears with a visual cue (pointing). If you point to your nose and say rose, she will automatically say nose.

1. Tell your child, "We are going to play a rhyming game. Rhyming words have the same sound endings. I'm going to point to something on my body, and say a word. You're going to say the body part that rhymes. Okay?"

2. Give her two examples: "I'm pointing to my leg, and I say beg. You say leg. I'm pointing to my nose. I say rose, and you say nose.

3. Here's a list of body parts and rhyming words:




deer-ear
pail-nail
sack-back


go-toe
gum-thumb
put-foot

bye-eye
deck-neck
see-knee

bear-hair
fin-chin
band-hand

peek-cheek
farm-arm
feel-heel


4. When your child is able to do this, turn it around. Point to your knee and your child will say a rhyming word such as bee or me!

5. When your child rhymes body parts, play this game:

a. Say, "I'm going to say a word and you'll tell me as many rhyming words as you can. I say bee." Your child then says words such as "he, she, we three, free, or agree."

b. Choose one-syllable words that are easy to rhyme with such as had, rat, man, fall, ten, red, big, fill, hop, dog, bug and sun. All of these have multiple words that rhyme.

Read a Ton of Rhyming Books


In my opinion, introducing rhyming to children is best done by reading rhyming books. It exposes the kids to how rhymes sound in a meaningful, engaging manner. While reading such books to the kiddos, it’s easy to point out the rhyming words by saying, “I hear rhyming words! ‘Dog’ and ‘fog’ rhyme.” A simple extension would be to have the children come up with more words that rhyme with words in the book. Tomorrow I’ll share specific rhyming books that I enjoy reading with kids.

Songs and Finger Plays

Another wonderful way to introduce rhyming is through songs. Most kids love to sing, listen to, and dance along to music. With the youngest children, simple finger plays do the trick. They’re short, contain rhyming words, and involve the kids in the music. “Ring Around the Rosey” and “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” are favorites for a reason! As children get older (moving from toddlers to preschoolers), they still enjoy finger plays. The older children also enjoy longer songs to sing and dance to, and rhyming words are often a part of such songs.

Use Children’s Names

Children’s names are incredibly meaningful to them, making names an awesome teaching resource! Simple word plays with children’s names (and the names of those important to them) is another way of introducing rhyming concepts. Here are some ways to use names when introducing rhyming:

· Call kids by rhyming versions of their names —sam jam, Ram shyam , Super Cooper, etc.

· Insert children’s names into songs and poems — “The itsy-bitsy Riddhi climbed up the water spout . . .”

· Play goofy name games that involve rhymes — “If your name rhymes with Fairy, jump up and down. If your name rhymes with moon, turn around in a circle.”

· Sing some version of “The Name Game” with your children/students. A shorter, simpler version might be the best way to start with this.


Rhyming Basket

Objects are placed in a basket (one object for each child present), and the basket is passed around the circle. As each child gets the basket, I say a word (such as “fizzers”) and they pull out the object that rhymes (“scissors”). You can use any objects, because it doesn’t matter if the rhyming words are real words or nonsense words.


Erase a Rhyme

Draw a picture on a dry erase board, such as grass, sky, tree, flower, and sun. Say a word, such as tower, and have a child come up to erase what rhymes (flower); erase what rhymes with bee (tree); erase what rhymes with fun (sun). Continue until the whole picture is erased. Draw on a dry erase lap board before the children arrive, so that they don’t have to wait while you draw. Usually, after I’ve drawn a few, some of the children will volunteer to draw one for the next day.


Rhyming Rings

Hook words that rhyme together on a metal ring. Include a picture with the word. Children flip through the picture cards and say them into a PVC phone. Example: bag, tag, rag, wag. You can make these using clipart, or save time and purchase


I hope this blog will be helpful in teaching Rhyming words..(Posting some Rhyming story books , nursery rhymes and picture of activities..)

Cheers !!

Auditory Processing Disorder

What is an Auditory Processing Disorder?

Children that struggle with an Auditory Processing Disorder can't process the information they hear in the same way as others. It is as if their ears and brain don't fully co-ordinate. Something adversely affects the way the brain recognizes and interprets sounds, especially speech sounds. These children do not recognize subtle differences between sounds in words, even when the sounds are loud and clear enough to be heard. They find this especially challenging in the presence of background noise, which is a natural listening environment. This is different to a hearing loss; in that these children can hear well in optimum conditions (a sound proof booth) as would occur during a hearing test.
So children with APD have the basic difficulty of understanding speech signals presented under less than optimal conditions
A speech therapist can help children with the problems listed below, but the diagnosis is made by Audiologists after the age of 7-8 years.
1. Auditory Figure-Ground Problems: when a child can't pay attention if there's noise in the background. This makes noisy, low-structured classrooms very frustrating for the child to be in.
2. Auditory Memory Problems: when a child has difficulty remembering information such as directions, lists, or study materials. It can be immediate ("I can't remember it now") and/or delayed ("I can't remember it when I need it for later").
3. Auditory Discrimination Problems: when a child has difficulty hearing the difference between words or sounds that are similar (COAT/BOAT or CH/SH). This can affect following directions, reading, spelling, and writing skills, among others.
4. Auditory Attention Problems: when a child can't stay focused on listening long enough to complete a task.
5. Auditory Cohesion Problems: when higher-level listening tasks are difficult. Auditory cohesion skills — drawing inferences from conversations, understanding riddles, or comprehending verbal math problems — require heightened auditory processing and language levels. They develop best when all the other skills (levels 1 through 4 above) are intact.
What is an Auditory Processing Disorder?

Children that struggle with an Auditory Processing Disorder can't process the information they hear in the same way as others. It is as if their ears and brain don't fully co-ordinate. Something adversely affects the way the brain recognizes and interprets sounds, especially speech sounds. These children do not recognize subtle differences between sounds in words, even when the sounds are loud and clear enough to be heard. They find this especially challenging in the presence of background noise, which is a natural listening environment. This is different to a hearing loss; in that these children can hear well in optimum conditions (a sound proof booth) as would occur during a hearing test.
So children with APD have the basic difficulty of understanding speech signals presented under less than optimal conditions
A speech therapist can help children with the problems listed below, but the diagnosis is made by Audiologists after the age of 7-8 years.
1. Auditory Figure-Ground Problems: when a child can't pay attention if there's noise in the background. This makes noisy, low-structured classrooms very frustrating for the child to be in.
2. Auditory Memory Problems: when a child has difficulty remembering information such as directions, lists, or study materials. It can be immediate ("I can't remember it now") and/or delayed ("I can't remember it when I need it for later").
3. Auditory Discrimination Problems: when a child has difficulty hearing the difference between words or sounds that are similar (COAT/BOAT or CH/SH). This can affect following directions, reading, spelling, and writing skills, among others.
4. Auditory Attention Problems: when a child can't stay focused on listening long enough to complete a task.
5. Auditory Cohesion Problems: when higher-level listening tasks are difficult. Auditory cohesion skills — drawing inferences from conversations, understanding riddles, or comprehending verbal math problems — require heightened auditory processing and language levels. They develop best when all the other skills (levels 1 through 4 above) are intact.

(picture credit pinterest)

Early Intervention and Autism

Effective early intervention programs are an important first step for children with autism and those with other developmental concerns. Early diagnosis followed by individualised early intervention can provide the best opportunities for achieving their potential.

Certainly, we are all too familiar with the unfortunate reality that there is no tailor-made treatment for all forms of autism. Different combinations of drugs that may work well in some individuals may be ineffective in others, and the same rule seems to apply to therapy and other forms of care. However, there is one form of treatment that proves effective in every single application: early intervention. With incredible improvements in diagnostic techniques, specialists are now able to diagnose autism spectrum disorders in infants as young as six months.

Autism is much more common in today’s society than parents might think. With the numbers increasing annually, the Centers for Disease Control has stated that one out of every 68 children has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

Back in the day, if a child was diagnosed with autism there was little to no help available. Children were left to work independently and parents were left to pay extensively for private tutoring and assistance—often without results. Organizations and Therapy centers were not around to provide assistance for autistic children so that they could find a way to live somewhat normal lives. In fact, just over a decade ago, autism was considered a learning disability and often children were poorly diagnosed.

Today, autism is a growing concern and is also becoming more popular in research. More parents are aware of what autism is, and there are organizations like ASDF to help educate and provide financial assistance to parents of autistic children.

Diagnosing Autism

Early detection is key in helping a child with autism live a more normal life in society. Since autism can be seen as early as 18 months of age, children should be watched throughout their development for any warning signs of autism. High-risk groups, such as children with siblings diagnosed with autism, should be watched even more closely by physicians and parents alike.

Warning signs of autism include:
Not engaging in pretend play, not making eye contact, not liking to be held or cuddled, not understanding typical emotions or relating to their own feelings, not handling change well, and not relating to others
Repeating actions over and over, and repeating words that are said to them
Having unusual reactions to everyday things
Rarely responding to their own name

Why Early Intervention Is Imperative

Research has shown that early intervention can improve a child’s overall development. Children who receive autism-appropriate education and support at key developmental stages are more likely to gain essential social skills and react better in society. Essentially, early detection can provide an autistic child with the potential for a better life. Parents of autistic children can learn early on how to help their child improve mentally, emotionally, and physically throughout the developmental stages with assistance from specialists and different organizations .

Lastly, catching autism and working through it early also benefits parental relationships. The strain of caring for an autistic child can be an everyday challenge, but with early preparation and intervention, parents can prepare themselves for the road ahead emotionally and mentally.

The road ahead will be bumpy. There will be times when your progress stalls or takes an unexpected turn. When it does, try to remind yourself that these are speed bumps, not roadblocks. Take them one at a time. It is important that you start now. There are a variety of services available to treat and educate your child.

There is no debate or doubt: early intervention is your child’s best hope for the future. Early attention to improving the core behavioral symptoms of autism will give your child – and the rest of the family – several important benefits that you will not gain if you take a wait-and-see approach until your child enters school at age four or five. A good early intervention program has at least four benefits: It will provide your child with instruction that will build on his or her strengths to teach new skills, improve behaviors, and remediate areas of weakness. It will provide you with information that will help you better understand your child’s behavior and needs. It will offer resources, support, and training that will enable you to work and play with your child more effectively. It will improve the outcome for your child. For these reasons, an intervention program for your child should be implemented as soon as possible after he or she receives a diagnosis. However, as you probably know by now, it can be very challenging to teach young children with autism. They have a unique profile of strengths and needs and require intervention services and teaching approaches that are sensitive to these needs. That’s why strategies that worked for teaching your other children to remain seated at the dinner table, to play appropriately with a toy, or to say words simply don’t work as well for your child with autism. In the same way, intervention programs that are generic – rather than autism specialized – are less likely to be effective for your child. That’s why as you begin your exploration of early intervention, you must keep in mind that not all interventions are equal.

Early Intervention will improve the outcome for your child.

The Importance of Early Intervention for Children with Autism

A child’s early years are often considered the most vital. Aptly called the formative years, this period is when the child learns most basic cognitive and mobile functions such as speech, comprehension and physical coordination. Early parent or guardian intervention during this time is essential, and even more so for kids who have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), for the following reasons:

- With early intervention, nonverbal children at age 4 can learn to use two-word phrases.

- High-quality early interventions make enough impact that some children with ASDs no longer meet the diagnostic criteria for autism.

- Delays can have significant impact on development and can lead to years of further unnecessary training.

- Early intervention has proven effective. Various early intervention options are available such as:

 The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) — This uses applied behavioral science techniques for early intervention with toddlers.

 Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) — Behavioral psychology and training techniques are used to teach skills and behaviors.

 High-quality Parent-Mediated Interventions — These have been shown to positively modify behavioral patterns for children with ASDs.



The Right Program

The quality of the teaching program is an important consideration for early intervention. Just as essential, however, is picking the right program, since different children have different needs. High-quality programs, though proven effective, may not always yield the same results if they do not suit your child.

A good intervention involves regular assessment to check that your child is making progress. The gains might be small at first, but it all adds up. If there’s no progress, the intervention might need to change or be stopped.



Good intervention services see your child as a child first and as part of a whole family, not just as a person with autism.

Teaching Calendar to special need kid

How to Get Started with Calendar Skills

When I was ready to teach calendar skills to my children with special needs, I read up on the topic. We tried a few different methods, this is what worked for us. Calendar skills are necessary for daily living and special needs kids can learn to use a calendar too! I hope this helps someone else in the future.

Teaching the Concept of One Day

Step 1

Begin by teaching the child a concept of a day. The child will get an idea of how long it takes a day to pass with repetition of an activity. Here are some ideas to get started:

*Get a calendar with one sheet per day. Make it the child's job to tear off a page each morning.

*Use a monthly calendar and have the child be responsible for crossing off the day as it passes.

*Talk about how the sun comes up in the morning and goes down at night. Show the child a visual representation of day and night if they have trouble with the concept.

Teaching the Concept of a Week

Step 2

Once the child has had plenty of practice understanding one day. Introduce the concept of one week. Explain to them that a week has 7 days. Show this to them on a calendar. Sing songs about 7 days in a week.

Introduce the days of the week to them as sight words. Point out that there are 7 of them and practice reading the day of the week each day, Monday, Tuesday, etc.

In addition to singing the days of the week in order, you can practice saying them. An alternative is simply to repeat the days of the week slowly in order. Do this frequently.

These days of the week free printable cards are perfect for sight word practice. They have symbols on them to help the child arrange them in order, before they are able to do it by the word alone. Sing the days of the week song, have them practice putting the days in the week in order and read each day from the days of the week sight word cards until the child has the days of the week memorized.

Often, it was easiest for us to simply read across the kitchen calendar days of the week in order. The calendar was always readily available, on the refrigerator, and it provided plenty of repetition to read them daily. After doing this for a while, we practiced putting them in order. If the child became stuck, we would run to the kitchen calendar and look to see what day came next.

Visual prompts often help children with special needs to commit new concepts to memory. For example, a picture of the sun on "Sunday," wind on "Wednesday," and 2 on "Tuesday," helped them read the words correctly.
Months of the Year
Teaching Calendar Skills to Special Needs Kids

At the beginning of each month, use the opportunity to prepare the calendar. This is a wonderful chance to talk to kids about the special events that occur in a month. For example, October is about falling leaves, pumpkins, windy days and harvest. Let the child color the calendar. Help the child choose colors that represent the month. Stickers and photos cut from a magazine can also be placed on the calendar. Discuss any special events that occur in the month, such as Halloween in October.

Make your own Calendar


Make your own calendar use a scene to be colored for each month. The word January, for example, can be colored along with a border of snowmen and snowflakes. It can also have page to be filled in with drawings, so kids can make their own artwork about the month of January, or cut pictures from magazines. Set aside a day to do calendar and talk about the weather and the season for that month.

It's a paper calendar, so we crossed off the day as it passed with a big X. It can also have stickers to plan for special occasions in the month, such as holidays and doctor appointments.

Hope it would be helpful , Cheers !!!!

Students Who Struggle to Write.

Helping Students Who Struggle to Write: Classroom Strategies



I shake myself to stop daydreaming…Writing is definitely the worst task of all. It was just way too hard to remember all the things I need, like periods and capital letters. And then it's almost impossible to think about how to spell words when I'm busy trying to think about the story. It's so hard to remember what I'm writing about.

— Eli Richards from The Boy Who Hated to Write: Understanding Dysgraphia, p. 36




Classroom Strategies

Some example of classroom strategies include the following:

1. Staging

Dividing the task into smaller units and performing each subtask independently.Some students become overwhelmed because tasks appear to be too large or have too many steps. Staging helps them focus on each subtask with greater concentration and an emphasis on quality.

2. Decreasing quantity

Allowing the student to perform fewer math problems, write fewer sentences, or write a shorter story. Some students work so hard for each problem that they find it very difficult to perform an entire assignment or even to concentrate on the concept. Students with writing difficulties sometimes learn more from fewer problems because their concentration is more efficient. Allowing for shorter assignments encourages the student to focus on quality rather than quantity, thus often decreasing the urge to rush through.

3. Increasing time

Providing the student with more time to finish his work. Many times a student may be capable of completing the work, but unable to do so in the same amount of time as his peers. The extra time decreases the tendency for rushing through and can increase the focus on quality.

4. Copying

Reducing or eliminating copying demands, such as copying from the chalkboard, or even copying from another paper.

Sometimes students with writing difficulties make multiple mistakes when copying information and it is important to insure that they have access to the correct information. For example, rather than having them copy the target information from the board, provide these students with a printed copy.

5. Providing structure for math

Using large graph paper or loose-leaf paper turned sideways helps the student align numbers properly in multi-step math problems.

Some students benefit from having their math problems machine copied in enlarged format with additional white space, as this also prevents errors in copying the problem.

6. Adjusting writing format

Allowing each student to choose the format that is most comfortable.

Some students perform better in manuscript whereas other students perform better using cursive. Allowing work to be completed by computer word processing helps the student use staging more efficiently while also bypassing the mechanical difficulties of letter form and space.

7. Spelling

Allowing for misspelling on in-class assignments. Hold students responsible for correct spelling on final drafts, encouraging use of a phonics-based spell checker .

CAUTION: It is unfair and counterproductive to make a student with writing problems stay in for recess to finish work. These children need more movement time, not less.

Keyboarding

The most efficient compensation for any student who struggles with basic letter form and spacing is to develop efficient word-processing skills. Parents and teachers need to be aware; however, that it is very difficult to go through life totally avoiding use of paper and pencil and, consequently, it is important for each student to develop at least some basic handwriting skills.

Specific multisensory strategies designed for dysgraphic students are useful for any student who needs help developing appropriate letter form and automatic motor movements. Specific remedial strategies that incorporate air writing, use of the vertical plane (chalkboard), simultaneous verbal cues, and reinforcement with tactile input, are most effective .

In today's world, keyboarding skills are valuable for all students, but are particularly essential for the student who struggles with writing and/or spelling difficulties. Students are able to learn keyboarding skills at a very young age. However, keyboarding development requires practice and many students complain that the practice is especially boring. This can be a problem because consistency and frequency of practice are very important in developing automaticity. Consequently, it is useful to have the student practice keyboarding on a daily basis, but only for very short period of time each day. In early elementary, the student may practice only 5 to 10 minutes a night. In upper elementary, the practice sessions could be 10 to 15 minutes a night. If the student is just beginning to learn keyboarding as a teenager, it may be necessary to extend the practice sessions to 15 to 20 minutes a night. The consistency of the practice is critical.

Many fun and efficient software programs are available to help students learn appropriate keyboarding. Offering access to a variety of programs helps decrease boredom and allows for choice, as the student may select different software each night. Alternate programs have also been developed which teach keyboarding skills based on the alphabetical sequence. One such program starts with the left hand and uses a poem which begins, "little finger a, reach for b, same finger c, d, e," .

Note-taking

Many students with writing struggles are slow and/or inefficient when taking notes. This is particularly laborious for older students in high school or college, who have much greater note taking demands. While a laptop computer can be efficient, it can be cumbersome to carry around. Also, it is expensive to fix or replace a vandalized, dropped, or otherwise broken computer.

A successful alternative that has become popular with some older students is the use of a personal digital assistant (PDA) such as the PalmPilot series or the Visor Handspring series. These units are quite small (palm size) and easy to transport in a backpack. A nearly standard size keyboard can be attached which greatly facilitates typing and, hence, note- taking. This is especially useful for recording homework assignments and "to do" lists. For note-taking during a lecture, many students still require the assistance of a note-taker, even if the complete notes are only used as a backup.
Spelling

Many students who struggle with writing also have difficulties with spelling. Even if they are able to spell correctly on a weekly spelling test, when they're thinking of content it may be very difficult to also think of the correct spelling of the words they want. Some students then simplify their word usage. Other students just include the incorrectly spelled word.

When such students use a staging approach, they can first focus on pre-organization and then writing (or typing) a draft. A next step would be to go back and work on fixing misspelled words.

Sometimes the spell checker on a computer does not help the student because the misspelled word is not close enough to correct. In such situations, the student should be taught to develop strong phonetic analysis skills so that she can learn to spell words phonetically, the way they sound.

Hand fatigue

A common complaint of students who struggle to write is that their hand gets tired when writing. This can be due to a variety of factors. Some of the most common factors are inappropriate grip, a very tight pencil grip, or inefficient writing posture. There are many efficient grippers that can be used with the pencil or pen to enhance the efficiency of the students grasp on the pencil. One example, the large Pencil Grip , is ergonomically developed to work with the natural physiology of the hand to gently place fingers in the proper position for gripping.

Students can be helped to decrease hand fatigue by performing warm-up activities before writing in the middle of the task. Such activities help the student manipulate and relax muscles in the writing hand. Some examples include:
Rubbing palms of hands together
Shaking hands slightly though firmly
Clasping hands together and stretching upwards

For older students who need to take a large number of notes during a class, dividing their paper in half and writing on only one half the time helps reduce the drag of the writing instrument across the paper. This too will reduce writing fatigue.

Caution for Teachers

One of the best compensations for a student who struggles with writing is to have a teacher that understands. For some students it is not possible to be neat while also focusing on content. Some students cannot focus on both neatness and use of writing mechanics at the same time. In Eli, The Boy Who Hated to Write: Understanding Dysgraphia (Richards, 2008), we learn how elementary school student Eli compensated for the frustration caused by his struggles with trying to be neat while also thinking:

Eli figured it was easier to write just a few sentences. That didn't hurt his hand so much either. His teachers complained, but Eli kept writing very short stories. After all, teachers didn't understand what it was like to struggle and struggle to write, and still have the paper turn out sloppy and full of mistakes. They always told him how messy his papers were. They just couldn't understand how hard he tried. No matter how carefully he worked, the words didn't look like they were supposed to. Sometimes he knew how he wanted the words to look, but they just didn't turn out that way.

This is why a staging approach is critical. Requiring concentration on only one or two aspects at a time will help reduce the overload for a student.

Riya 's Story (Learning Disability)

When Riya was in the first grade, her teacher started teaching the students how to read. Riya’s parents were really surprised when Riya had a lot of trouble. She was bright and eager, so they thought that reading would come easily to her. It didn’t. She couldn’t match the letters to their sounds or combine the letters to create words.

Riya’s problems continued into second grade. She still wasn’t reading, and she was having trouble with writing, too. The school asked Riya’s mom for permission to evaluate Riya to find out what was causing her problems. Riya’s mom gave permission for the evaluation.

The school conducted an evaluation and learned that Riya has a learning disability. She started getting special help in school right away.

Riya’s still getting that special help. She works with a reading specialist and a resource room teacher every day. She’s in the fourth grade now, and she’s made real progress! She is working hard to bring her reading and writing up to grade level. With help from the school, she’ll keep learning and doing well.

What are Learning Disabilities?

Learning disability is a general term that describes specific kinds of learning problems. A learning disability can cause a person to have trouble learning and using certain skills. The skills most often affected are: reading, writing, listening, speaking, reasoning, and doing math. “Learning disabilities” is not the only term used to describe these difficulties. Others include:

dyslexia—which refers to difficulties in reading;

dysgraphia—which refers to difficulties in writing; and

dyscalcula—which refers to difficulties in math.

Learning disabilities (LD) vary from person to person. One person with LD may not have the same kind of learning problems as another person with LD. Riya, in our example above, has trouble with reading and writing. Another person with LD may have problems with understanding math. Still another person may have trouble in both of these areas, as well as with understanding what people are saying.

Researchers think that learning disabilities are caused by differences in how a person’s brain works and how it processes information. Children with learning disabilities are not “dumb” or “lazy.” In fact, they usually have average or above average intelligence. Their brains just process information differently.

There is no “cure” for learning disabilities. They are life-long. However, children with LD can be high achievers and can be taught ways to get around the learning disability. With the right help, children with LD can and do learn successfully.

What Are the Signs of Learning Disability?

While there is no one “sign” that a person has a learning disability, there are certain clues. We’ve listed a few below. Most relate to elementary school tasks, because learning disabilities tend to be identified in elementary school. This is because school focuses on the very things that may be difficult for the child—reading, writing, math, listening, speaking, and reasoning. A child probably won’t show all of these signs, or even most of them. However, if a child shows a number of these problems, then parents and the teacher should consider the possibility that the child has a learning disability

When a child has a learning disability, he or she:

• may have trouble learning the alphabet, rhyming words, or connecting letters to their sounds;

• may make many mistakes when reading aloud, and repeat and pause often; • may not understand what he or she reads;

• may have real trouble with spelling;

• may have very messy handwriting or hold a pencil awkwardly; • may struggle to express ideas in writing;

• may learn language late and have a limited vocabulary;

• may have trouble remembering the sounds that letters make or hearing slight differences between words;

• may have trouble understanding jokes, comic strips, and sarcasm;

• may have trouble following directions;

• may mispronounce words or use a wrong word that sounds similar;may have trouble organizing what he or she wants to say or not be able to think of the word he or she needs for writing or conversation;

• may not follow the social rules of conversation, such as taking turns, and may stand too close to the listener;

• may confuse math symbols and misread numbers;

• may not be able to retell a story in order (what happened first, second, third); or

• may not know where to begin a task or how to go on from there. If a child has unexpected problems learning to read, write, listen, speak, or do math, then teachers and parents may want to investigate more. The same is true if the child is struggling to do any one of these skills. The child may need to be evaluated to see if he or she has a learning disability

At school level what a teacher can do

Learn as much as you can about the different types of LD. The resources and organizations listed below can help you identify specific techniques and strategies to support the student educationally.

Seize the opportunity to make an enormous difference in this student’s life! Find out and emphasize what the student’s strengths and interests are. Give the student positive feedback and lots of opportunities for practice.

Provide instruction and accommodations to address the student’s special needs. Examples:

• breaking tasks into smaller steps, and giving directions verbally and in writing;

• giving the student more time to finish schoolwork or take tests;

• letting the student with reading problems use instructional materials that are accessible to those with print disabilities;

• letting the student with listening difficulties borrow notes from a classmate or use a tape recorder; and

• letting the student with writing difficulties use a computer with specialized software that spell checks, grammar checks, or recognizes speech.

Learn about the different testing modifications that can really help a student with LD show what he or she has learned.

Teach organizational skills, study skills, and learning strategies. These help all students but are particularly helpful to those with LD.

Work with the student’s parents to create an IEP tailored to meet the student’s needs.

Establish a positive working relationship with the student’s parents. Through regular communication, exchange information about the student’s progress at school.

At home

Learn about LD. The more you know, the more you can help yourself and your child.

Praise your child when he or she does well. Children with LD are often very good at a variety of things.

Find out what your child really enjoys doing, such as dancing, playing soccer, or working with computers. Give your child plenty of opportunities to pursue his or her strengths and talents. Find out the ways your child learns best. Does he or she learn by hands-on practice, looking, or listening? Help your child learn through his or her areas of strength.

Let your son or daughter help with household chores. These can build self-confidence and concrete skills. Keep instructions simple, break down tasks into smaller steps, and reward your child’s efforts with praise.

Make homework a priority. Read more about how to help your child be a success at homework in the resources listed below.

Pay attention to your child’s mental health (and your own!). Be open to counseling, which can help your child deal with frustration, feel better about himself or herself, and learn more about social skills.

Talk to other parents whose children have LD. Parents can share practical advice and emotional support.

Meet with school personnel and help develop an IEP to address your child’s needs. Plan what accommodations your child needs, and don’t forget to talk about AIM or assistive technology! Establish a positive working relationship with your child’s teacher. Through regular communication, exchange information about your child’s progress at home and at school.

Conclusion

Learning disabilities clearly affect some of the key skills in life—reading, writing, doing math. Because many people have learning disabilities, there is a great deal of expertise and support available. Take advantage of the many organizations focused on LD. Their materials and their work are intended solely to help families, students, educators, and others understand LD and address it in ways that have long-lasting impact.

Guiding Young Children

TECHNIQUES FOR GUIDING YOUNG CHILDREN

1. Use a positive suggestion when dealing with young children. Tell the child what to do instead of what not to do. "We walk in the halls," instead of "Don't run." Speak with a pleasant and encouraging voice and always use "please" and "thank you." Bossy commands should be avoided

2. Use alternative suggestions rather than negative commands. Suggest an alternative activity, instead of "Don't do that" when a child is exhibiting negative behavior. If a toy is taken from another child suggest a way to share or choose another toy to play with. Children cannot stop doing, but they can do something different.

3. Always praise and emphasize aspects of behavior that are desirable. Let the child know you have confidence in his/her ability to use them. "Sarah knows about scissors," "Henry is remembering to keep water in the sink," "Mike is very thoughtful to help Richie pick up the crayons." Try to comment on good aspects of a child's behavior, especially a child who often exhibits negative behavior.

4. Always use "positive strokes." This develops a sense of security, trust and self worth in a shy and withdrawn child, as well as a normal child. Give shy and withdrawn children an opportunity for success in social situations such as helping the teacher or another child, helping others notice their achievements, giving them praise and encouragement, noticing a new shirt or belt or a pretty color they are wearing.

5. Try to use a calm, soft voice. Speaking softly maintains calmness. Firm but soft voices are more effective than harsh, loud voices.

6. Anger should be avoided in the presence of children. Adults and children alike have limits of endurance. Punishing and scolding are seldom effective when one is angry. Simply stating that you "f eel angry today because. . ." lets the children know how you feel without losing control.

7. Avoid public confrontations with children. Difficult children should be handled individually , without calling attention to their negative behavior.

8. Observe a child's behavior to better understand that child's behavior. A push by a young child may indicate a desire for social contact; another child's push may indicate fatigue, illness, etc. Before attempting to change a behavior one must understand the reason behind that behavior.

9. Avoid the use of "good girl" or "bad boy." "What a good helper you are," or "That was a good job," should be used instead of "That's a good boy." The child applies good and bad to his actions rather than himself.

10. Be consistent in your requests and restrictions. Have rules and enforce them. Always let the child know what is expected of him.

11. Explain the reasons behind the rules whenever possible. "Put the toys in the box. If you throw them, they might break and we might get hurt." This helps the child learn cause/effect relationships.

12. Do not back down on the rules you have made. "If you throw the blocks, you will have to leave the block area." Follow up on this rule if it is broken. Make the child leave if he throws the blocks and he will soon learn that you mean what you say.

13. Give children choices whenever possible. This tends to give children a feeling of freedom in determining their own plans and develops decision making ability. Make the choice simple, as not to confuse the child. "Would you like to color or play with Legos?"

14. Avoid general statements. Preschool children respond better to specific requests. "Put your clothes on" is a general request which makes the task seem complicated for a three- or four-year-old. "Put on your socks," "Now put on your sneakers," are specific requests that tell the child what you expect of him/her.

15. Avoid asking a question unless you really want to give children a choice. "It is time to read a story," instead of "Do you want to read a story?" With a classroom full of children one should avoid asking "Who would like to be the first to. . .";instead you should say, "Jane, you can be first to. . ."

16. Avoid hurried commands. Use unhurried statements such as, "You can do it quickly" instead of "Hurry up, hurry up." Hurrying a child often tends to slow him up and often produces dislike and confusion for a task.

17. Isolate overactive children from the group whenever possible, not as a punishment but to decrease the stimulation the child is receiving. Helping the child understand why he is being isolated is very important. He/she should be made to understand it is not a punishment, just a calming down time.

18. Avoid asking the child "What is it?" when commenting on art work or any object the child might show you. Encourage the child to tell you about his picture or toy, or just simply comment on how pretty it is or what nice colors were used in a drawing or painting.

19. Help children to understand and accept their feelings as normal. Children, as well as adults, have feelings of happiness, sadness, anger, loneliness, etc. Children should never be made to feel guilt about how they feel.

Teaching High Functioning People with Autism

Teaching High Functioning People with Autism

1.People with Autism have trouble with organizational skills, regardless of their intelligence and/or age. Even a “straight A” student with Autism who has a photographic memory can be incapable of remembering to bring a pencil to class or of remembering a deadline for an assignment. In such cases, aid should be provided in the least restrictive way possible. Strategies could include having the student put a picture of a pencil on the cover of his notebook or maintaining a list of assignments to be completed at home. Always praise the student when She or he remembers something he has previously forgotten. Never denigrate or “harp” at her or him when he fails. A lecture on the subject will not only NOT help, it will often make the problem worse. He may begin to believe he can not remember to do or bring these things. These students seem to have either the neatest or the messiest desks or lockers in the school. The one with the messiest desk will need your help in frequent cleanups of the desk or locker so that he can find things. Simply remember that he is probably not making a conscious choice to be messy. He is most likely incapable of this organizational task without specific training. Attempt to train her or him in organizational skills using small, specific steps. People with Autism have problems with abstract and conceptual thinking. Some may eventually acquire abstract skills, but others never will. When abstract concepts must be used, use visual cues, such as drawings or written words, to augment the abstract idea. Avoid asking vague questions such as, “Why did you do that?” Instead, say, “I did not like it when you slammed your book down when I said it was time for gym. Next time put the book down gently and tell me you are angry. Were you showing me that you did not want to go to gym, or that you did not want to stop reading?” Avoid asking essay type questions. Be as concrete as possible in all your interactions with these students.

2. An increase in unusual or difficult behaviors probably indicates an increase in stress. Sometimes stress is caused by feeling a loss of control. Many times the stress will only be alleviated when the student physically removes himself from the stressful event or situation. If this occurs, a program should be set up to assist the student in reentering and/or staying in the stressful situation. When this occurs, a “safe place” or “safe person” may come in handy.

3. Do not take misbehavior personally. The high functioning person with Autism is not a manipulative, scheming person who is trying to make life difficult. They are seldom, if ever, capable of being manipulative. Usually misbehavior is the result of efforts to survive experiences which may be confusing, disorienting or frightening. People with Autism are, by virtue of their disability, egocentric. Most have extreme difficulty reading the reactions of others.

4. Most high functioning people with Autism use and interpret speech literally. Until you know the capabilities of the individual, you should avoid: – idioms (e.g., save your breath, jump the gun, second thoughts) – double meanings (most jokes have double meanings) – sarcasm (e.g., saying, “Great!” after he has just spilled a bottle of ketchup on the table) – nicknames – “cute” names (e.g., Pal, Buddy, Wise Guy)

5. Remember that facial expressions and other social cues may not work. Most individuals with Autism have difficulty reading facial expressions and interpreting “body language”.

6. If the student does not seem to be learning a task, break it down into smaller steps or present the task in several ways (e.g., visually, verbally, physically).

7. Avoid verbal overload. Be clear. Use shorter sentences if you perceive that the student is not fully understanding you. Although the student probably does not have a hearing problem and may be paying attention, he may have difficulty understanding your main point and identifying important information.

8. Prepare the student for all environmental and/or changes in routine, such as assembly, substitute teacher and rescheduling. Use a written or visual schedule to prepare her or him for change.

9. Behavior management works, but if incorrectly used, it can encourage robot-like behavior, provide only a short term behavior change or result in some form of aggression. Use positive and chronologically age appropriate behavior procedures.

10. Consistent treatment and expectations from everyone is vital.

11. Be aware that normal levels of auditory and visual input can be perceived by the student as too much or too little. For example, the hum or florescent lighting is extremely distracting for some people with Autism. Consider environmental changes such as removing “visual clutter” from the room or seating changes if the student seems distracted or upset by his classroom environment.

12. If your high functioning student with Autism uses repetitive verbal arguments and/or repetitive verbal questions, you need to interrupt what can become a continuing, repetitive litany. Continually responding in a logical manner or arguing back seldom stops this behavior. The subject of the argument or question is not always the subject which has upset him or her. More often the individual is communicating a feeling of loss of control or uncertainty about someone or something in the environment. Try requesting that he write down the question or argumentative statement. Then write down your reply. This usually begins to calm her or him down and stops the repetitive activity.

13. If that doesn’t work, write down his repetitive question or argument and ask her or him to write down a logical reply (perhaps one he thinks you would make). This distracts from the escalating verbal aspect of the situation and may give her or him a more socially acceptable way of expressing frustration or anxiety. Another alternative is role-playing the repetitive argument or question with you taking his part and having her or him answer you as he thinks you might.

14. Since these individuals experience various communication difficulties, do not rely on students with Autism to relay important messages to their parent/guardians about school events, assignments, school rules, etc., unless you try it on an experimental basis with follow-up or unless you are already certain that the student has mastered this skill. Even sending home a note for his parent/guardians may not work. The student may not remember to deliver the note or may lose it before reaching home. Phone calls to parent/guardians work best until the skill can be developed. Frequent and accurate communication between the teacher and parent/guardian (or primary caregiver) is very important.

15. If your class involves pairing off or choosing partners, either draw numbers or use some other arbitrary means of pairing. Or ask an especially kind student if he or she would agree to choose the individual with Autism as a partner before the pairing takes place. The student with Autism is most often the individual left with no partner. This is unfortunate since these students could benefit most from having a partner.

16. Assume nothing when assessing skills. For example, the individual with Autism may be a “math whiz” in Algebra, but not able to make simple change at a cash register. Or, she or he may have an incredible memory about books she or he has read, speeches she or he has heard or sports statistics, but still may not be able to remember to bring a pencil to class. Uneven skills development is a hallmark of Autism.

Be Positive

Be Creative

Be Flexible