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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,

Open your eyes and you will be surprised to stumble across adjectives in unusual places.   You can find adjectives in the kitchen (i.e. mushy oatmeal), on the playground (i.e. bumpy slide), in a classroom (i.e. sharp pencil), or in the car (i.e. loud music).  An adjective is a word used to describe a noun.   Adjectives describe our five senses, such as sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste.  Using and discussing adjectives can easily be added to everyday routines.  During mealtimes, have each person describe his or her food using an adjective (i.e.  I am eating sticky pancakes.).  Ask questions to increase awareness of adjectives (i.e. What does it taste like?  What does it look like?).  You can then ask your

Spring is a time of year to declutter our homes and enjoy the upcoming longer days and warmer weather.  We can venture outside again without our oversized winter coats, mittens, hats, and chunky boots making adventures near and around our home much more enjoyable.   As you clean out your closet you may stumble upon books that are collecting dust, pass these neglected books on to a good friend or donate to a used bookstore.  Help your child participate in a book exchange this spring with a friend.  Give a book away and receive a new book.  Share the joy of reading with your child.   Make the moment memorable…by picking a special place in your home…reading in a fort made by

The holiday crowds have dispersed and so once again, several Chicago museums are offering free admission days.  Typically you will need to show proof of IL residency with your driver’s license or other ID.  Check out the list below to visit a new or favorite museum! Adler Planetarium February 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28 March 5, 6 The Art Institute (kids 13 and under are always free) Every weekday from January 7th through February 13th. The Brookfield Zoo Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays through February 28th.  Admission to the Hamill Family Play Zoo is free through February 28th. Chicago History Museum (always free for kids 12 and younger) February 4-28 March 4

As we slowly slide into wintertime and colder weather, it’s easy to let our little ones slide onto the couch to watch a little too much television. As my own boys are not much into sitting down for arts and crafts, I’ve compiled a list of active winter activities that I hope you can benefit from as well! Things to do on a cold and wintery day: 1. Ice skating…there are several places to skate in the winter, both inside and outside. Most indoor rinks have skate rentals while only a few outdoor areas do. Indoors: check out The Skatium in Skokie. Outdoors: Check out Flick Park (3600 Glenview Rd. in Glenview) or Warren Park (6601 N. Western, Chicago, skate

This is the best time of the year? It can be. So much to do, so much to see, so much excitement for everyone. Lots of hustle, many parties, family visits and maybe a long awaited vacation. This all seems to be so much fun! Except if you’re a young child who may be reactive to stress. Yes, this is stress! Young children may experience stuttering (dysfluent speech) as part of typical development. Your 3-5 year old may be working hard to formulate lengthier sentences and convey more information. However, holiday time can excacerbate these dysfluencies resulting in several weeks of heightened repetitions of words and phrases. Be aware of your child’s level of stress during the holidays. Try to

We have many children in the clinic who need help using past tense verbs.  Here’s a fun way to address this issue!  Using a child’s favorite action figures or dolls (Lego men, Transformers, Polly Pockets etc.), have the figures perform the actions.  Start with the carrier phase “Yesterday………” as in “Yesterday, Spiderman jumped over the building” or “Yesterday, Barbie rode her bike to school”.  This activity strengthens use of past tense as well as giving your child practice in formulating novel sentences!