Miracle Puppy Has Impact On Boy With Autism. Just months after being left for dead, a dog is making a world of difference for a young boy with autism. Last year, animal rescuers found an abused puppy on the side of a Georgia road, having nearly starved to death. They nursed her back to health, naming her Xena the Warrior Puppy. The amazing recovery won Xena fans worldwide on Facebook and her story helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for the care of abused animals. But it may be Xena’s connection with her new owner that’s having the biggest impact. Now healthy, the dog was adopted by Jonny Hickey, who has autism, and his family. “My name is Jonny,” the boy says in a video that aired on WXIA-TV, the Atlanta NBC affiliate, “and this is my puppy, Xena. Loud Hands: My Flapping Kid Is Really Okay. Julia Bascom When my son first started occupational therapy, at about age two, one of the first things the therapist noticed was the flapping.
“It’s a thing,” she said. “It’s age-appropriate right now, but if he keeps doing it, it’s not typical.” I didn’t know what she meant by a thing. I shrugged it off. Our Little Dude’s happy flapping was adorable. Later, when a new pediatrician asked if Little Dude had ever been evaluated for Asperger Syndrome, I found out what the occupational therapist meant by “it’s a thing.” When he started in a special needs preschool, the hand flapping was, once again, a thing. But, seeing Little Dude in a classroom, I wondered, how else is this going to be a thing? We still let it go, but nagging doubts persisted. Little Dude started Kindergarten.
However, flapping is part of who he is, and how he communicates. At some point during all this worrying, I came across a blog post by Julia Bascom that pretty much erased my concerns. Julia: I’m so glad you asked! Autism Acceptance: We All Grow Up. Jennifer Byde Myersjennyalice.com We want April -- Autism Acceptance Month -- to matter, to help further acceptance and understanding of autistic experiences, happiness, and rights for autistic people of all ages and abilities.
We will be publishing your Autism Acceptance posts and pictures all month long. If you want to participate, contact us at thinkingautism at gmail dot com. -TPGA Editors I heard a crunchy sound from a mouth that should have been empty. It is a horrible feeling when I think one of my children has eaten something dangerous. We've been pretty lucky around here, the most inedible items actually swallowed aren't really inedible, the cut-off tops to strawberries, nibbles of wine corks, a little raw onion, a small piece of crayon; nothing really harmful at all. So when I heard the crunchy, chomping-on-china-plates sound, I begged Jack to spit out what was in his mouth. It was a tooth. He's just at that point between being a little boy and a young man. 10 Great iPad Apps for Students on the Autism Spectrum. I’m continually impressed and amazed at how much impact the iPad is having in education – and especially in helping students with autism or on the autism spectrum.
So I’m delighted to share this guest post today, covering 10 great iPad apps (and one great iPad case) for Students on the Autism Spectrum. This post was written by Cathy Hoesterey. Here’s a little background on Cathy and her qualifications to write on this subject: Cathy Hoesterey is an assistive technology specialist and occupational therapist living in Bellevue, WA near Seattle. She works for Belllevue School District in the special education department providing technology for special needs students ages 3-21 years old. As an assistive technology specialist working with special needs students for many years now, I’ve seen a lot of technology come and go. ABC News recently reported that a government survey of parents says 1 in 50 U.S. schoolchildren has autism. We put our all our iPads in Otterbox Defender cases. Business Builds Itself Around Workers With Autism. In a what’s being billed as a first-of-its-kind approach, a new car wash is staffed almost entirely by people with autism and backers of the company are looking to take the model national.
The Rising Tide Car Wash — which opened its doors in Parkland, Fla. this month — is built around the idea that people with autism excel at repetitive, structured tasks. The business’s founders say the concept is to provide a high-quality product while playing off the strengths of a workforce that’s desperately in need of employment opportunities. “By leveraging the talents of individuals with autism, we are turning a disability into a successful business strategy,” said John D’Eri who started the company with his son Thomas in an effort to create work opportunities for his other son Andrew, 21, who has autism, and those like him. Already, the car wash claims to be the “largest single store retail employer of individuals with autism.” “Autism Parents Don’t Sleep. We Just Worry with Our Eyes Closed.” | Toca Boca.
I love that quote because it is so true. I wanted to share a story that could help give families a better perspective of what life is like for families who have kids with autism. Almost 3 years ago, we received a phone call at one am from a police officer. He asked us if we had a little red haired girl. My heart immediately sank into my feet. Addison, my oldest daughter with autism, had left the house in the middle of the night. My wife and I panicked. We jumped straight out of the bed and went to Addy’s room. Since Addison was little, she was often prone to wandering. When we met the policemen, he explained to us that a neighbor down the street had gotten up to let their dogs out and saw Addy walking down the road. When the police found Addy, they assumed that she was either sick or that she had gotten into some medication that was causing her odd behaviors. One of the officers noticed that Addison had an iPhone in her hand. Sadly, kids with autism wander all the time.
Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation | Research, Education and Advocacy. IEP Question | Autism PDD. We heard from our EI team that an IEP cannot include a specific methodology- ie: ABA, and would say something like "child needs a behavior approach" instead. But, in all the reading we have done, we can't find anything to support this statement. In fact, part of what we found in the book "Advocating for your Special Needs Child" suggests that you indicate a specific methodology. Can anyone clarify this? Thanks in advance. However, I did find this information in my cyber-sleuthing efforts: The 1997 reauthorization of IDEA and the 1999 regulations eliminated the schools' misinterpretation by specifically including methodology as part of the instruction individualized for the student. This section is one of the most important clarifications of the law. “Sec. 300.347 Content of IEP. Here's another helpful link: .fape.org/idea/what_idea_is/methodology.htm I know that in our district, we do not do this for a reason.
Momdadtojake -- Very important part to mention! Dana's View - Education Information. If you like this site, you can buy it in book form, click here Page 1 -- General, Comprehensive, and Parent InformationOriginal thoughts, message boards, diagnostic criteria, understanding your AS child, other issues and diagnoses related to AS, insurance, advocacy, other issues. Page 3 -- Biological and Medical InformationDiet and supplements, online food sources, medications, vaccinations, heavy metal chelation. Interventions and Therapies -- GeneralEarly intervention, communication and language development, PECS, ABA, AVB, floortime, son-rise, RDI, TEACCH, assistive technology. Interventions and Therapies -- SpecificDaily living skills, social skills and social stories, sensory integration, communication, handwriting, AIT, vision therapy, toilet training, physical education, sexuality, bullies, therapy animals.
Homeschooling InformationHomeschooling children with disabilities, and homeschooling in general. General Information.
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