Keeping an autistic child busy over the holidays doesn’t need to have you running for the hills. Yes we know that you will need to do some planning and you will need to take their basic sensory and physical needs into considering when you are on outings but when you are at home, just remember...
There are so many activities to do, but building a bug hotel will make you an instant hero – because autistic children love bugs! Actually not just bugs – Autistic children have in most cases got an incredible bond with animals. Maybe it is because our children are acutely sensitive, vibrating with a frequency that...
Children love jumping and climbing, there is no denying it. However, children with Autism, also known as ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), can at times jump and climb excessively – to a point where parents end up frustrated and exhausted. So why do so many children with autism jump and climb excessively? The answer to this...
Not a week goes by where I don’t hear: “I can’t get my child to keep their shoes on; or why will my child not wear his/her new shoes?” The truth is that many children and adults on the Spectrum have tremendous difficulties when it comes to shoes. Sensory Processing difficulties in children with Autism...
The discussion about “toys” for an autistic child is a much debated one. For some it is all about the benefit that the toy will have for the child. So in other words it has to be an educational toy or a sensory toy or a toy that will help with motor development or motor...
Don’t make the game/play time a chore and don’t do it if you are not in the right headspace. You don’t want to rush the games and definitely do not want the child to feel like they are “learning”.
Enjoy the paining experience and with a bit of planning this can lead to a great guided “learning through play” session over the holiday.
By disguising learning with play – in other words by encouraging children to learn through “meaningful play” - we can also improve gross motor, fine motor planning, sensory profile, behaviour, creativity and group participation.
With anxiety affecting so many children on the autism spectrum – the introduction of music in the home, car and their routines can help increase their tolerance to environmental input and frustration which in turn can decrease anxious behaviours.
Teaching numbers and helping our children gain a passion for numbers is extremely important for their future independence. Autistic children in particular need to be taught numbers from a very young age. They need to be taught what the number represent and means - not just which follows onto what or what comes next.