Yesterday was World Autism Day and I took my Autistic son and his lil sis to an arts class where they got to paint in the Jackson Pollock style at 4 Cats Art Studio I thought what better way to celebrate Autism day then to have him get to do something very sensory and creative….
Tag: sensory integration
Magic Hands
Magic Hands Moment I was in the grocery store this morning before the storm picking up some groceries with the kids. While we were waiting in line at the deli another lady was waiting as well. She heard me order Hungarian salami and this led her to share with me that it was her favourite…
Turtle Trouble
“My turtle is not working. Fix it Daddy.” Its 1:30am in the middle of the night and Johnny is in our room. Like most parents the first thing that comes to our minds as parents is he’s having a nightmare or he’s feeling sick. Our minds race as we try to come out of a…
Conceal Don’t Feel..Anxiety
He doesn’t have to conceal anymore. He can feel. He can let it show.
It’s All In The Mess
I have this trick you see. I know how hard my son has worked at school by the state his clothes or in this case the state of his boots. When he was younger in kindergarten his hair would have paint or glue in it and his clothes would be stained with every art…
A Little Busy Processing
Its just hard for him to try and process everything happening around him because the world feels so very hard sometimes. It was especially hard to process when he was younger.
Personal Space Issues
Personal space issues Overcoming personal space issues is one of the biggest hurdles Johnny is facing right now. Because of the social challenges he doesn’t know when he’s crossing the line and why some of his friends are acting the way they are. They go to their teacher and myself when they see me and…
The Delayed After Effect or the Importance of Sensory Integration and Self Regulation
My son is like a bottle of champagne. As he goes through his day, anyone looking at him would think he’s just a little boy just like all the other little boys at school. He’s cute. He has a smile on his face and he seems to go effortlessly transitioning from class to class from…
Meltdown or Tantrum? Its Important to Understand the Difference
Is it just a tantrum or is it a meltdown? This is probably one of the most popular searches or hits for my blog. When it comes to Autism, self regulation and figuring out the triggers are major challenges for the whole family. The OT that works with my son and consults with the…
Being A Toddler and Autism… “Step Into My Shoes”
Its another day in Autism Awareness Month and I thought I’d share a post from that I’ve reblogged about Tantrums vs Meltdowns and how we experience it as a family. When I look at the stats page on WordPress, the most often search for terms that brings people to my blog is meltdowns and…
Just Help Him With Boots…please!!!
Two weeks ago I had that awkward moment when my child comes off the school bus and he’s not dressed appropriately. It’s absolute torrential rain outside, the wind is blowing, it’s busy, other kids are trying to get off the bus along with other children coming from other schools are crowding the sidewalk. I look up through my water drenched…
A Pile Of Leaves
I saw a big pile of leaves that just beckoned to the kids to run and jump in. It was Mother Nature’s version of a giant ball pit playroom that is in every Ikea. Johnny was having a challenging time after a very busy week and we thought what a great opportunity to throw…
Its All About the Hazelnuts
It was a crisp Fall Sunday morning and we optimistically thought it would be nice to visit this big city park that we had not been to with the kids since they were babies and have them wander around in the fresh air, hike through the woods, find the big pond, see the ducks, pick up lots of beautiful…
Mommy He Likes To Sniff My Hair
“Mommy…..Michael likes to sniff my hair.” We have a sniffer folks who takes pleasure more then the next person in lovely smells. “I know Michael gets so happy when you and your brother get on the school bus. Today I saw him turn around in his seat and smile at you and then keep peaking…
Anxiety Manifests Itself This Way….
I walk by Johnny’s room and he has an arm load of stuffed animals and his closet door is open. He is trying to shove all of his stuffies onto a shelf in his closet. He has a lot of stuffed animals that he likes to sleep with it because “I don’t want to…
Looking Back At Speech Therapy
I’ve been reading about other parent’s journeys with their children and navigating the system to access help for their child who they suspect has developmental delays. I became reflective about the beginnings of our journey with Johnny. Looking back at when Johnny was assessed for his speech delay at 2-1/2 he was not a happy…
I Want To Be In My Green Zone
“Mommy I feel scared. I am in my yellow zone.” “Mommy is in her red zone. I shouldn’t have done that because now Mommy is upset.” “Princess is in her blue zone. She is sad. I don’t want her to be sad.” What does this mean? It is a means of helping a child identify…
What We Did In The Kindergarten Years
A few weeks ago I was asked to be part of a workshop for parents of special needs children specifically Autism regarding the transition from preschool to kindergarden at Johnny’s former preschool. I wrote about it here http://wp.me/p1KVmo-1xT and here http://wp.me/p1KVmo-1y5 I’ve had a few questions over the last 2 years about this on my blog…
If you have met a child with Autism then you have only met ONE child with Autism.
Originally posted on Everything Under the Sun:
Since Johnny’s ASD diagnosis we have been trying to understand how he learns and how sensory affects Johnny so that frustrations don’t become bigger issues that turn into meltdowns. I have learned that a lot of people on the Autism Spectrum could have sensory processing issues which means…
We Need To Buy More…..
“We need to buy more toilet paper Mommy.” “The toilet is broken. We need to fix it.” “We need to buy more white soap.” Those three sentences now mean to me that I need to keep a closer eye on Johnny when he goes to the bathroom and that he is feeling VERY anxious right…
Characteristics of Autism
I found this very informative chart about Autism that may help answer some questions. Please share this information chart in order to help spread awareness about developmental delays and what Autism can look like. My son has many of these characteristics: Inappropriate laughing or giggling: YES No real fear of dangers: YES Apparent insensitivity to…
Riding The Emotional Rollercoaster
There is an element of control when there are schedules and routines in place and its the unexpected surprises that bring a feeling of “out of control” that leads to anxiety. A series of moments that seem unconnected and nonsensical on the surface that lead to a rollercoaster of emotions that I find myself having…
Autism & Learning ~ A Handy Reference
I discovered this online credit to Online College.org *Please share* to spread awareness and acceptance
His Own Bag of Sensory Tricks
Johnny has always been my sensory seeker. He loves to run his hands over things and enjoy the different textures and how they feel. He loves colours and how some things sparkle as well. He has a sensory table at school that was created by his Autism Support Teacher last year that has bins of…
There is no such thing as can’t.
There is no such thing as can’t only won’t. That is what I grew up hearing from my Dad whenever something happened that frustrated me or someone said that I couldn’t do something that I wanted to do. I get a call today from the OT Consultant for the school board who is filling…
IEP meeting and the unexpected
We had our IEP meeting nearly two weeks ago and we left with the realization that our work has only just begun and it is onging. Johnny is doing well being integrated into a regular Senior Kindergarten classroom. He transitions well between activities, follows the lead of the other children, tries to do all…
A Funny Thing Happened At The OT
I have started taking Johnny to an Occupational Therapist to help with sensory integration, self-regulation, motor planning, body awareness and increase his gross and fine motor skills. Two weeks ago we did the assessment and right away Johnny bonded with the therapist and even gave her a hug at the end when I said…
Dentist
A year ago we began taking Johnny to a dentist at a hospital that specializes in caring for people with disabilities. He really liked the hospital, the gigantic waiting area with the enormous fish tank for him to gaze at and he seemed to like the intern dentist and hygienist. He had been doing some…
Summer Camp ~ Let the Fun Begin
Johnny started going to summer camp this past week for the second summer in row. He loved his experience last year so much that we thought we wouldn’t change things up. A nursery/preschool offers an integrated camp 5 mornings a week with a ratio of camper to teacher 4:1. Then on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursday…
Tantrum vs Autism Meltdown
Now that I have a second child that is “neuro-typical” and is entering the “terrible twos” I really see the difference between having a tantrum and an Autism Meltdown. Johnny was a happy even-tempered baby so it came as a big surprise to us that after he turned two he would get REALLY upset so easily….
