Category: blog

  I Spy…..License Plate Bingo….and 20 Questions are games that can be played in the car to pass time, but these games also help build speech and language skills.  You can play them while running errands or on a road trip.  I Spy and 20 Questions can be used to target a particular speech sound (i.e. ssssssss….  SUN), build vocabulary (i.e. I spy something that is round, yellow, and hot.  What am I?), and formulate questions (i.e.  Do you use it at the beach?).  You can also target turn taking skills with other siblings, cousins, or friends along for the ride.  License Plate Bingo can be used during road trips.  This game can generate lots of questions.   How many license

As I think about activities to increase awareness of asking questions, games such as Guess Who, Bingo, and Hide and Go Seek come to mind.  They can target simple wh-questions (i.e. who, what, where, when).  Items which can be tossed or rolled (i.e. bean bags, squishy balls, pillows, etc.) are good tools to build wh-questions.  The person holding the ball is the asker, while the person without the ball is the listener.  Have each person pick his or her favorite character, like Cinderella or SpongeBob SquarePants.  Next, take turns asking and answering wh-questions (i.e.  Where does SpongeBob SquarePants live?  What does Cinderella’s dress look like?) while tossing the ball.  These activities target asking and answering questions and can build conversational

Order Matters!  Have you ever forgotten an ingredient when following a recipe?  Maybe the cupcakes didn’t rise or the recipe turned out slightly different.  Something just wasn’t quite right.  Well, there are many activities to help your child be an active participant as he or she is learning sequencing skills.  Here are a few ideas!  The Exerciser…build an obstacle course with your child in the house or outside.  Crawl over those pillows, go under the bridge made out of chairs, and shoot a basket.  The Chef…find a recipe with pictures to make a yummy dessert.  The Gardener…teach your child how to pot a plant.  The Organizer…make a visual schedule of your child’s day highlighting big events (i.e.  getting dressed, breakfast,

  Non-verbal communication can reveal a great deal about what another person is thinking or feeling.  Have you ever gotten a text or an email, but had difficulty reading the emotion behind the words?  Facial expressions, such as smiling or crying are examples of non-verbal communication.  Reading facial expressions can be difficult for a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs).  Here are some ideas to help improve facial recognition.  Activities that visually draw attention to the face, such as making faces in a mirror, will help increase awareness of emotions and facial expression.  Sorting tasks, such as sorting faces from non faces or sorting faces by emotions are great activities to help increase awareness of this form of non-verbal

Learning your child has special needs impacts all family members, especially siblings.  The Sibling Support Project’s purpose is to educate parents on sibling issues and connect siblings with other peers who have a brother or sister with special needs. Below you will find the link to the Sibling Support Project. http://siblingsupport.org/

What is a sensory friendly film?  A sensory friendly film is a theater in which the lights are turned on and the music is turned down.  A day at a movie may become a sensory overload for a person with autism.  Local AMC theaters once a month offer sensory friendly films.  Check out the link below for upcoming showings in your area.  Occasionally, dates and films change, so call ahead to confirm. http://www.amctheatres.com/programs/sensory-friendly-films

For Students with ASD, the high school scene can be a daunting experience.  Having strong school based support through the IEP is a great way to address this.  Check out this link from the American Speech Language Hearing Association which lists some suggested goals. http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2013/130301/School-Matters–What-Happens-in-High-School-Goes-Beyond-High-School.htm

April is autism awareness month.  One in eighty-eighty children are affected by autism in America.  Here is a list of resources.    Websites: http://www.autism-society.org/  http://www.autismspeaks.org/ https://www.thegraycenter.org/ http://www.amctheatres.com/programs/sensory-friendly-films Books: The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder, Revised Edition by Carol Kranowitz and Lucy Jane Miller Your Life is Not a Label: A Guide to Living Fully with Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome byJerry Newport My Friend with Autism: A Coloring Book for Peers and Siblings by Beverly Bishop The Autism Acceptance Book: Being a Friend to Someone With Autism by Ellen Sabin  

CRICKET is a company that promotes reading materials for children.  The magazine targets different age groups incorporating a variety of topics such as science, archeology, and history.  The Kids’ Sites offers interesting reading material and fun educational activities for kids (i.e. recipes, experiments). Below you will find two links on the CRICKET website.  The first link provides information about each magazine and the second link takes you directly to Kids’ Sites. Link #1- http://www.cricketmag.com/ProductList.aspx?type=M Link #2- http://www.cricketmag.com/kids_home.asp

Have you ever read a book, but stopped because the book didn’t capture your attention?  As an adult, we can choose what we want to read. Unfortunately for a child, the choice is not always his or hers to make.  For a child with language difficulties, reading can become a difficult task because of deficits in vocabulary, reading comprehension, etc.  Finding engaging materials relevant to the individual child becomes important.  As a parent, informing your child’s therapist of his or her favorite reading materials will help the therapist develop activities that better capture your child’s attention.  This can be related to classroom material, a book chosen by your child, a book the family is reading at home, a favorite magazine,