It’s that time of the year again! Grading, finals and Holidays. It’s so easy to get swept up into the frenzy of: I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO! But then stop take a breath. It’s the words we use to label how we are feeling that in a second can change our mood. This has […]
The first week back at school can be overwhelming for any child and for children with ASD even more so. The key is preparation and priming. Priming is when you prepare a child for an activity or event before it takes place using visual supports and clear language. Teachers need to be primed too. No […]
Feelings are a funny old thing! Many therapists and teachers will work on this with children with special needs to help them understand how they are feeling as well as to “read” how other people may be feeling. Feelings show up at all sorts of times and depending on the course of the day most […]
Parents of exceptional children often ask me if it is ok for them to use more than one language with their child. The answer is yes! I am bilingual. I grew up in a home where I was exposed to several languages. It was the norm. My nieces and nephews are following similar suite. Sunday […]
Shakespeare and I have been friends for many years. We first became friends when I was seven and since then we’ve always been friends. My dearest teacher Mrs Tipping introduced me to him, as well as to other great literary artists such as Gerard Manley Hopkins, Eleanor Farjeon, and Wordsworth. I owe a great deal […]
When do you teach your child to communicate? Hand washing, toileting, mealtime, and naptime are some of the daily activities that occur throughout the day. These routines are predictable and regular and therefore can be utilized for natural teaching opportunities to address communication development and related skills. These routines can become ideal learning activities for […]
Autism, gender and culture. Autism crosses all boundaries: social, religious, cultural and linguistic. The treatments that we offer children and families must however address the differences in culture and language. When I was in Saudi Arabia conducting workshops, I gave an example of sorting laundry to help children match and categorize. This is an activity parents I have worked […]
I am spending Thanksgiving with my dear friend Susanna, her husband, children and family. This is my first American holiday. It’s postcard perfect. The house with the wooden front porch, children playing with autumn leaves in the back yard (garden), the aroma of turkey and pumpkin pie. Family traveling from afar. This is all very new for […]
These are some useful resources if you are considering the the use of hand held device as alternative augmentative communication system for an individual with ASD. Supporting the communication of individuals with ASD leads to greater community accessibility and self-advocacy. If you want to be inspired I would suggest watching: Wretches and Jabberers this is an […]
I am excited to be attending a film screening on December 5th 2012 of the documentary film INCLUSION — at 6: 30 pm at Japan Society, in NYC. This will followed by a Q&A with executive producer and former First Lady Kayoko Hosokawa and a reception. This invitation has been kindly extended to my graduate students at Hunter […]
