a parent support and information center
For some kids, the movie theatre can be a scary place. It is dark, loud, and filled with people they do not know. Good News! Thanks to the “Sensory Friendly Films” program developed in partnership with AMC Entertainment and the Autism Society of America, all children can enjoy going to the movies.
At the theatre, the lights are not as dark, the volume is at a managable level, and kids don’t have to stay in their seat. Visit Autism-society.org for movie schedules and a screening near you.
No one can deny the power of social networking sites. From facebook, my space, twitter, etc, social networking has been the way to help people remain connected with each other. I have found myself completely addicted to what is going on with my friends on facebook and now my husband is getting involved in twittering (is that really a word?). Ultimately, there is great value in keeping people connected and helping develop a buzz on a business.
Recently, Susan Greenfield, a neurologist at Oxford University, claimed that social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter can physically “rewire” a child’s brain to change their personality. She claims that significant amount of time spent on the computer can result in a child becoming more selfish and could significantly reduce their attention span. Untimately, causing the child to become autistic or have autistic characteristics. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Dr. Greenfield claims that significant time on the computer is infantizing a childs’ brain through the use of bright lights and instant gratification.
Clearly, responsible computer usage and children can be an issue that should be considered by parents. This particular article was commented on by sites such as gnews.com. In the article, David Finklehorn made the most important link to the hypothesis… this idea has not been tested and no research has been conducted to provide the validity needed to make the connection between an action and a cause in autism.
In the field of research no matter the field, there is a significant responsibility to assure that real information is provided to support the statements made. In this case, when you look at who is using Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, it is primarily tweens (maybe), adolescents, and adults. The effects of relying on the computer as your only mode of socializing is more the issue. This is where good parenting comes in. Small children should not be on these sites and arguably should be only on the computer for programs related to learning. This, of course, is my opinion. If you have a child who uses these sites, here are some things you can consider:
1. who are they talking and sharing with?
2. how long are they on?
3. what other activities outside of the computer are they involved in?
4. how can you monitoring what is going on? how do you communicate with your child so that you stay connected with what is happening with your child?
As this relates to autism, I don’t put much stock in the hypothesis as a whole but could support some validity as it relates to socialization. Is the child playing on the computer with someone else? Are they working on taking turns, problem solving, practice social situations, and/or communication skills, etc? Let’s look at how a parent can plan (APP) and use the computer to help a child with social difficulties. Here are some examples:
1. Because kids who play together need to learn to take turns, use the computer which is something that can be prefered as a way to help reinforce turn taking with another child.
2. Provide a child with a common social situation, using pictures have the child put the social example into sequence.
3. If there is another child in their class they are friendly with, have them send and email or instant message them. This, of course, would be with both parents approval and monitoring. They could “talk” back and forth with each other which could help them develop a social connection without worrying about facial expressions, etc. This is a small step to developing peer supports for your child.
4. Help you child use their strengths (maybe there is something your child is really interested in such as airplanes) and learn to research information that could be shared with the class.
Of course, these are only suggestions but could be starting points to using technology to help open the doors to interactions with others even when social situations are a challenge. Keep in mind the amount of time on the computer and balance it out by having you child try out some of the skills they practice on the computer so that you assure that they do not remain isolated. Use your APP to help you think of all of the steps and identify the resources you need to guide your child in the right direction.
Last week the LA Times reported on a Sept 23 incident that occurred as a result of a 12 year old boy being removed from the Hawthorne Middle School due to misconduct and subsequent taser incident at the local police station. According to the story, the boy was removed from school after he became uncontrollably aggitated during a school photo day. Due to a behavioral incident which could not be deflected by his older sister, the boy was detained by the security guard and tasered because he was unable to calm down. While at the station, the police waived his miranda rights even though they had knowledge of his disability. They also began to question him without a lawyer and threatened to send him to juvenile hall. According to police, the boy assulted a security guard which prompted the taser incident when he could not be calmed down and based on the report, followed the police protocol.
The issue of using a taser on children has been a controversial subject as of late. Several cases in Florida and other states have prompted a ban on using tasers on minors. More important, there continues to be a need for parents, and autism support organizations to educate police and fire departments on how to effective help people with autism and what to expect from someone with the diagnosis. The significance of such outreach can be priceless as you read the continuous stories of children and adults who have been mis-handled during incidents and hurt as a result of mis-evaluating the environment by the public servants employed to keep our communities safe.
The good thing is that for parents reading this and wondering “What can I do?” you are not alone and you do not need to re-invent the wheel. There are great resources that you can use to help teach your local departments and you local school if they are not already educated. So what is your Parent Plan (APP)?
1. In relation to this particular incident, I would ask the school do they have a behaviorist on staff or does the guidance counselor have specific skills in managing behavior and crisis manangement.
2. If they do not have behavior support in the school, you need to educate teachers regarding how to work with your child. You can so this by bringing in a therapist who is working with your child or an expert in the field that is near you.
3. Although not a long term solution, agree to shadow your child for a week so that the teachers can see how to work with your child. This can be helpful beause you can give them insight into how your child manages within their world and your insights on what has succeeded.
4. Educate your child’s school on your child’s “triggers”. Clearly in this case, this young boy was aggitated by the photo session and there may have been a need to do some significant prep before the day to help him get through a situation that caused him some anxiety.
5. If all else fails, you will need to begin to meet with the school around appropriate, individualized supports for you child so that he may navigate through his school environment and become a member of the school community. This would require a formal school meet and possible an adjustment to the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). (we will begin to cover this topic in future postings – stay tuned.)
Most importantly, a parent needs to be strategic and prepared when working with schools and/or public service departments and understand that what may seem to be common sense requires education for those not engaged in the autism community.
Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer, Inc, who will be a contestant on March 9th’s Dancing with the Stars season premier on ABC, has created t-shirts to help raise money for a local autism organization. The t-shirts are a part of the New Leaf Speakers organization that Mr. Wozniak belongs to. They designed three t-shirt choices “Team Woz”, “iDance”, and “Vote for Woz” t-shirts. All profits earned from the t-shirt sales will go to the Friendship Network for Children organization based in Northborough, MA. Once Mr. Wozniak, known for his philanthropic ventures decided to use his time on Dancing with the Stars to help an organization, New Life Speakers began to look for an appropriate group to support. The Frienship Network for Children was a good fit since some of the staff were touched by autism in their own families. The Friendship Network for Childen’s mission is to decrease the isolation of children with autism by having a hightened focus on communication, socialization, and relationship building for both children and their families. Their moto is “Friendship is Possible.”.
Please watch Dancing with the Stars on ABC March 9th. To buy a t-shirt to support the Woz click here.
This week was the start of the lent season in the Catholic religion marked by Ash Wednesday. Many families who are catholic, jewish, muslim, etc often consider how will they be able to integrate their child diagnosed with autism into their religious ceremonies or practices. The good news is that as time has gone by and social marketing strategies have effectivel informed the public about autism and the issues surrounding the disorder many religious practices have begun to involve programs that meet the needs of people with developmental disabilities. This week the associated press reported that in the catholic religion alone over 31 states have begun to offer specialized religious instruction according to a 2007-2008 survey of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The article descibes how instruction has changed to be individualized and accomodating the behaviors and ideosycracies that often surround children with autism. That the congregation has become more accepting of the differences in children rather than exclude them. I think that this is a great idea and a sign of changing times. Too often families feel that they can not bring their children to church for fear of disrupting the services and other parishoners. In addition, many parents feel that they would receive pity when all they want is inclusion and love without judgement.
So how can you get started? Well parents should do a few things to see if their church is ready to include their children:
1. Locate a place of worship that is close to you or where you have connection with.
2. See if they offer instruction for children during the service. If they do not, ask if they would consider beginning a program.
3. If they have a program, ask if they offer specialized instruction for children with developmental disabilities. If they do not have a special program, offer to educate them on what autism is by using information you have gathered in your research or by bringing in a local expert. Maybe your child’s therapist.
4. Once your church has received the information they need to answer their questions, offer to begin the program. Sometimes seeing that it can work is believing. As the teachers become familiar with you child, they will become more comfortable with handling behaviors or other challenges that may occur.
Religious inclusion for your child is within reach as long as you educate those involved and take it one step at a time. If you help include your child in church or have done it in the past, please share your experience. The steps you have taken or will take will help others along the way.
If you would like to see the full article by the associated press click here.
Whether your child has just received a diagnosis or you have been on this journey for some time, you are not alone. With recent data showing that 1 in 150 children in the United States is diagnosed with and autism spectrum disorder, there are many, many Amercians who are touched in some way by this disorder. No matter if you are a parent of a child, grand-parent, sibling, or educator there are different challenges that each person wrestles with. You may be wondering what do I do after my child has received a diagnosis, how do I encourage my child to communicate, how do I obtain the proper individualized services for my young child, or how do I find a job for my adult child. You need a plan.
An Autism Parent Plan (APP) not unlike the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), parents need a plan that will help them overcome their child’s challenges, maintain their strengths and build upon their family’s support. An APP requires education, knowledge of research and special education statutes, support from family and friends, and the hope that as time goes by things will improve if you are able to focus on the strengths of your child and your family.
It is our hope that as you begin your journey or if you have been here awhile that you will receive the support you need from this blog through resource and experience sharing. As we continue to build on our strengths here, you will find resources you can use at your next educational meeting, suggestions that you can make to your therapist that are research based, interviews with experts in the field, as well as, support for you and your family through the experience of other families in the same shoes as you are wearing today.
So get ready, on we go…….
autism parent plan 