Autism Blog

Essay: The Librarian's Son

2009-07-07T16:25:00.001-07:00

Image: Maybe having a dad that is a reference librarian and mom that tends to look and act (sometimes) like one means that a child with ASD will want to avoid libraries. Who knows? (Actually, I was just having just a bit of fun with a stereotype of "Marion the Librarian", but it is possible that I try to hush him up too much whenever we attempt a library visit.)

Author's note: Here is a link for those of you interested in the efforts of librarians to make libraries more accessible for people with autism. I think it's fantastic that an effort is being made to help patrons with ASD and their families. (Thank you for the link, Joyce!)

The Librarian's Son

I should spend some time at the site I mentioned in the note, though I'm not sure it will help us. I'm beginning to think getting my son to be comfortable in a library is impossible. This is ironic because my husband has been a reference librarian at one academic library or another for fifteen years and counting. You'd think a librarian's son would either like or at least love libraries.

Alas, no. My ten year old with ASD gets louder, more anxious, and generally more "silly" in a library than in most places. It's not just one library. We've been in at least three different buildings housing books and the behavior has been not so great at any of them. I'm not so sure what it is. He does have sensory issues (with a loud intercom system and an emergency blinky and beepy system that went off at an unfortunate time during one vistit at the library where his dad works). But that is the only library that is known to emit harsh sounds.

My son was almost five when his dad started work at the current institution, but he's had difficulty with his behavior since I started taking him for library visits when he was three or four years old. It doesn't seem to matter whether it is a university library or a public library with a good children's section. He can behave and will behave in most public places. Just not the library.
I was hoping that we'd sign up for the summer reading program this year, but a dismal visit this summer sort of dashed those thoughts. Oh well. I intend to keep trying to take him as he gets older. He does love to read, and maybe someday he will learn to relax in the building where all the books (and more) are. There is always hope.

Photo: A Peaceful Moment.

2009-07-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

Photo: C1 on a carousel hare at Cedar Point Amusement Park. Sometimes my son and I argue in circles. He has starting to use the word "why?" as a counter argument. I much prefer going in circles this way. Am glad we can enjoy fun and relaxing moments such as this one.

Essay: My boy on rules

2009-06-26T05:39:00.000-07:00

Image: My guy loves signs and rules. He follows both, but is prone to make up his own rules!

My neighbor set up a pool and handed out a set of rules (yay) with an invitation. My boy with autism thrives on rules and for the most part follows them. Sometimes, though, he decides to make up his own rules. He's been hard at work typing up his own set for the pool. He even printed a copy out and "lamented it" with packing tape.

Some of the rules are reflective of the rules you see at most public swimming pools. However, C! did try to add in a few of his very own, such as "no pets in swimming area." I had to veto that one. The neighbors have a chocolate lab that stays in the fenced in area where the pool is at. My guy is scared of big dogs, but he'll have to deal with that if he want to swim. Anyway here are his rules, misspellings and all:

POOL RULES

1 NO DIVING OR JUMPING ALLOWED IN POOL
2 NO GLASS IN POOL
3 NO FOOD OR DRINKS IN POOL
4 NO FIGTING IN POOL
5 NO KEEP WATTER TO YOUR SELF AND KEEP WATTER IN POOL
6 NO GUNS IN POOL AREA OR POOL (water pistols)
7 NO HITING IN POOL
8 DO NOT TIP LADER IN OR OUT OF POOL
9 POOL CAPACITY 10 PEPPLE IN POOL
10 1 AT A TIME ON POOL LADER
11 WATCH CILDREN AT ALL TIMES AROUND POOL
12 LIFEGARD ON DUTY
31 OPEN ON 5 DAYS CLOSED ON WEEKENDS

My thoughts: The pool is "open" five afternoons a week, Monday thru Friday and both guys expect to go down there for all available "open" hours. That's 20 hours for a week--which is way too long to spend at the neighbor's place, especially since I need to help supervise. I think I need to add in a few rules of my own!!

We are in the midst of a two-week swimming lesson session at the university pool in the morning, so I'm getting my fair share of pool exposure. I need to find time to clean the house!! I could get a university swim pass to help with the neighbor situation, but then a whole new set of problems would arise. Argh. I need to set up a schedule along with some rules.

Update: Blue Cross Ordered to Pay for ABA in Michigan

2009-06-22T07:32:00.000-07:00

Author's Note: This is an update of a post I wrote back in May.

Thank goodness for Facebook and Talk Autism (Facebook), a group I get updates from on my home page. Having just arrived home from vacation after a week of no internet access, I would have taken longer to find this link, which is an update containing good news about the lawsuit against Blue Cross/Blue Shield. The only criticism I have with this article is that the reporter called autism a disease. I prefer to use the word condition because a negative message is attached to the d-word.

Otherwise, the reporter did a good job reporting that the insurance provider, Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BCBS), has been ordered to pay for Applied Behavioral Analysis, a treatment that many families with autistic individuals pursue. In the article, the reporter defines the therapy, summarizes why BCBS hasn't paid in the past and explains the difference between the lawsuit and the legislation that is going through Michigan's state legislature. This article goes into a little more detail than the ones I usually find in The Detroit News. However, the latter article does offer up quotes from Gerard Mantese, the attorney for Christopher John's, the father who pursued the lawsuit back in May 2008 through the U.S. District Court.

Here are the last two paragraphs from the first article mentioned as found on Consumeraffairs.com:

"As with many developmental and psychological disorders, autism isn't covered by most medical insurance plans. Depending on the severity of a child's autism — which varies greatly from case to case — intensive speech and developmental therapy can cost nearly $100,000 per year. In Michigan, where the instant suit was filed, the state House has introduced two bills mandating coverage for diagnosis and treatment of autism-spectrum disorders, including Asperger Syndrome and Rett Syndrome. HB 4776 applies specifically to plans issued by Blue Cross; HB 4183 applies to all other insurance companies.

"In the settlement, Blue Cross agreed to reimburse the families of more than 100 autistic children who paid for their own behavioral therapy over the past six years. Included in the settlement are families covered by a Blue Cross policy who never actually submitted a claim."

Looking into the future: I'm guessing that most of the families who pursue ABA live in urban areas like Detroit, Grand Rapids and Lansing. Those of us who live in rural areas have a difficult time finding a local provider of the therapy. Perhaps, if more people can pay (using insurance) than more providers will pop up in less populated areas of the state. One can only hope.

Essay: Transition Time for a Mom

2009-06-12T05:38:00.000-07:00

Image: Parks are a saving grace for many families during the summer, when school is out. This is the best one I could find on the web of Timbertown, which is at my son's favorite park. We'll go there more than a few times this summer! There are a lot of hidey holes in this structure, which my son with autism seems to really like.

Image: I recently spent four hours at Chippewaters Park on a field trip with my youngest son's Kindergarten class. My little guy had a ton of fun the whole time. My oldest one, with Autism Spectrum Disorder, would have lasted about twenty minutes at this park--his least favorite in town. It has a play structure, but the structure only has one hidey hole (seen above--my little guy at far left), which is probably a bit too popular for my guy with ASD's liking.)

Image: This least favorite park has some wide open spaces that encourages both structured and unstructured play. My oldest really does like to blow bubbles, but I don't think he would blow bubbles for more than an hour straight like my little one did. At times, C2, pictured above, would be surrounded by children popping his bubbles. He thought it was great fun.

Image: This is the second favorite park in town that we usually only visit when their dad can come with us. This park has trails, from which the river can be accessed (some safety concerns here). It features some of the the most beautiful scenery in town, but it only has a small play structure at the trail head.

Transition Time for a Mom

We are currently transitioning from a school to home schedule now that school has let out for the summer. Out of the four of us in my family, guess who is having the hardest time adjusting? Ok, I'll make it easy for you. It's me. I'm a stay at home mom that got a little used to having extra free time to finish up projects, etc. while both boys were in school. The new schedule doesn't affect my husband much since he works during the day and the two boys are pleased about being able to stay home all day during the summer.

At the writing of the post, it's twenty minutes until 9 a.m. and both of my boys are still in bed. They like to sleep in. (I know I'm one of the lucky ones, because my guy with ASD has no trouble sleeping!) I'm having no trouble adjusting to the morning routine. It's kind of nice. The mornings fly by. It's the afternoons that can be difficult. As Dr. Tsai (a retired developmental pediatrician who has an adult son with ASD) pointed out during a conference he spoke at, it's the unstructured time that can be the most problematic for people with ASD. (Well, some kids can have trouble during a structured school day, but for the most part, the doctor's point made sense.)

We have a basic routine for morning and evenings, but afternoons are wide open. In the past this time of day has dragged by for me. I'm most likely to have a conflict with my son during this time of day. Although it's not always possible, it helps to schedule an activity like going to the park.

Even when he was a baby, my son with ASD would get cranky if we stayed in the house too many days in a row. It's not as big of deal as it used to be because my son can go out for a short period unsupervised as long as I leave my windows and ears open! He likes to ride his bike or play with the neighbor kids (which is a little bit nerve-wracking for me!)

I think my son needs the stimulation that going outside or to a different indoor location provides. The trick is to go somewhere where he doesn't get a sensory overload. We also have to work around some of his other quirks. For example, the three of us can only go to one of the three parks because that is where my guy behaves the best. A visit to one park nearly always leads to meltdowns. The meltdowns at that park haven't been due to sensory difficulties rather than a matter of his expectations. There isn't a whole lot to do there, and he likes to take his shoes off and wade in the river. This isn't always feasible.

The favorite park has a humongous play structure with quiet places to hide if desired. There is also a slide park nearby with seven or eight different slides to go down. I can usually take both boys there by myself with little difficulty. On Aug 11, a spray park will open at the favorite park. My town doesn't have a swim pool, so I'm hoping this will be a welcome addition rather than "an attractive nuisance" that inspires behavior issues... We'll see.

If my husband is with us we can go to the second favorite park. This one has a lot of trails, some of which run right along the Chippewa River. So with two boys it's easier to have dad. I've tried going to this park with other adults, but my son tends to listen to his dad (who also has a calming effect on our boy) best.

Max's place, a summer arts day camp for children with Asperger Syndrome or mild autism, has been cancelled this year, so there are two more weeks to fill than we had the last two years. Our options in my hometown are a little bit limited, but we'll manage somehow. In Michigan there is a state law that requires schools to open after Labor Day, which falls on Monday September 7 this year. (This law was passed to encourage tourism in our upper peninusla).

We have three vacations planned and my guy will go to a summer camp for special needs kids for one week. So minus the camp, the vacations, weekends, and one planned outing, I have approximately 40 afternoons (from today, June 12)to muddle through. Hopefully we'll have more good days than not.

Essay: Growing things upside down

2009-06-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

Image: The green cylinder hanging from our flowering Crab tree over our back patio is a Topsy Turvy planter, which contains a tomato plant.

Everything I knew about children and development went all Topsy Turvy when I had my oldest son with autism almost eleven years ago. At the age of six C1 was diagnosed with Autism/pervasive development disorder/not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). He's part Aspie (short for Asperger) and part Autie (short for autistic).

Image: my son could recognize all these logos by age 4!

I'm learning more about autism and how to help my son all the time. One thing I learned long ago is that many children on the spectrum appreciate logos, slogans and television advertisements. As a tot, when C1 communicated, it was usually in regards to logos, in particular fast food logos.

I remember he cried at age two when I passed a McDonalds. I was driving, but a friend looked back at him and discovered what was wrong. He was pointing at the Golden Arches! He wasn't talking much at the time, but in time I took comfort that he could utter Burger King in the appropriate context. Later, I discovered that an unusual love of logos and television ads can be (but not always) and indicator of autism.

Image: Billy Mays

It shouldn't be surprising then that my son (actually both sons and the husband) really likes Billy Mays, a TV advertising guru. What is surprising is that we only own one of the items he has pitched. It's the Topsy Turvy, of course. And of course, it was the husband who went out with the two boys and came back with the goofy planter.

Image: Clip Art depicting photo tropism. Our topsy turvy plant is doing OK. Due to a desire to keep the plant in a deer-free zone combined with a lack of hooks and tech skills, we hung it from a tree. It's a bit shady there and the plant is growing a bit crooked as it bends and twists to get more light (photo tropism).

I'm continuing to learn how to connect with and enjoy being with my son. Now that growing season is here in Mid-Michigan, I've discovered that he really enjoys gardening. When his little brother wasn't around to "help" and (aggressively try to nudge his way into doing all the fun planting tasks), we had a great time planting tomato plants (most of them right side up!), begonias, broccoli, egg plant, and pumpkins.

Planting things with the two around was fun, but it was even more fun with just the older guy. I can find all sorts of ways to relate to C2, but it is more difficult to find activities C1 enjoys. I have found that the smaller the group, the easier it is for him to participate. A group of two is just perfect for C1. He gets the encouragement he needs without the distractions caused by another child.

C1 and I can only find the time to do one-on-one activities together occasionally because his brother is a "me too" kind of guy. I guess that is OK, because the social world operates with group cooperation. Social skills like turn taking and sharing are best learned when there is more than one child in the group. It also helps when the group is mixed with special needs children like C1 and typically developing children like C2.

That is one of the reasons why I allowed C2 to join in after C1 and I planted a few vegetables and flowers. I also pointed out to C1 that we didn't want to hurt C2's feelings. We've been sharing and taking turns since C2 (now age 6) was old enough to join our activities, so it wasn't too difficult for C1 to share the planting duties and my attention. Actually those two things were a little harder for C2!

Image: C1 gets pulled up to the Fowler Center's Tree House. This photo was taken almost two years ago. He can now use the rope ladder that can be seen behind him.

As far as C1 goes, I plan to keep nurturing him (along with C2). Nature put him in the shade a bit, but I will help clear the way so that the sun can reach him. My husband and I plan to keep giving him all the "water" and "food" he needs (both literally and figuratively) so that he can keep growing.

This summer he'll get opportunities to go swimming, go to a special needs summer camp, ride his bike (a newly acquired skill), ride a horse (proud equestrian program), go to an amusement park (a planned trip to Cedar Point), a county fair, and maybe a zoo or two.

He'll get to play with some neighborhood children (I'm always nervously holding my breath when he's outside with other kids--most of the time he does OK.) Later this summer we'll be picking tomatoes, cucumbers and other veggies. If we find the time and energy (mom's energy), we'll also go blueberry picking. We also have a couple of mini vacations dotted throughout the summer. My guy loves to go on trips and does pretty well riding long distances as he loves to read road signs and spot familiar landmarks.

Image: This cover photo isn't from the set of books I ordered (it was the Magic Tree house series). However, books from Roger Hargreaves might be able to help children on the spectrum as his series focuses on topics like being noisy versus being quiet or messy vs being neat. Mr. Topsy-Turvy is one of my favorites--probably because I can identify with him as my son used to speak in a backwards (wardsback) sort of way, just like the character.

As far as academic development during this most unstructured of seasons goes, I did buy a few challenging chapter books and I might sign both boys up for the reading program at the local library. I'm also hoping to help them both with math and fine motor skills. I have the best intentions in the world. I just hope my "teaching" plans don't all go Topsy Turvy!!

An Idea for Making Colorful Musical Shakers

2009-05-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

Image: (picture from freewebs.com) You can buy duct tape in fluorescent colors as pictured above or in regular shades from this site. Price as of May 2009 is $3.25 (U.S.) per roll.

Wonderful Tape: Use duck tape or electrical tape. They come in bright colors. The only thing is that tape is sticky and can cause frustration when two ends get stuck together before the tape goes into the correct spot. To avoid meltdowns, I surprised my kids with the instruments already constructed and then let them add stickers, etc as decorations. I used to make drums out of coffee cans but that is rather difficult now that Maxwell House and Folgers has switched to plastic containers in unfriendly drum shapes.

How to Make a Musical Shaker:

1. Wash out a tin soup can and lid. (preferably) a lid that doesn't have a pull tab)

2. Dry, then fill with uncooked rice, pasta, unpopped popcorn kernels, etc.

3. Tape lid back on can.

4. Use as many different colored tapes as you'd like to decorate the can. Make rainbow stripes or use just one or two colors.

5. Have child put finishing touch on with stickers or foam shapes (one can glam the shapes up with glitter or other fancy materials).

6. See here for more ideas and warnings (please take care when using materials that could be choking hazards!). Here is an idea for making a tambourine using paper plates.

Other container ideas: Pringles cans (great for duct tape stripes), 64 oz plastic peanut butter jars with lid, plastic containers made to hold pre-made icing, peanut cans with lids (be aware of allergies of guests as skin contact can be harmful too!)

For More Music: See my sidebar for information about getting a free Kids Bop CD. We have extras to share from Happy Meals. I have #4 or #7 to send out. Each CD has five songs. I have three or four (approx. two of each) to give. Will send to the first people in the U.S. or Canada to request them.

Summer Activities: Occupational Therapy Activities for the Home

2009-05-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

Author's Note: There is a terrific occupational therapist in my school district that offers parents, especially parents with newly diagnosed kids, a list of activities to do over the summer. This week I'm going to share some of that information with you at this blog. Hopefully this will be helpful to those of you who are as jittery as I am about school letting out for the summer. I've included a few links. They are high lighted in blue.

Fine Motor and Hand Strengthening Activities

Play dough: Make play dough at home and assist child in mixing, measuring and kneading dough to desired consistency. (Opt. Add Kool Aid for color and scent.) Use pegs or toothpicks to make designs. Use kid scissors (that is if you can find any; they always seem to disappear at my house!) to cut dough that is rolled into snakes. Use plastic knife to cut play dough (for extra fun use cookie cutter to make an imprint to cut around. Create a treasure hunt by hiding pennies, pegs, and beads in play dough.

Paper: Tear or cut newspaper/scrap paper into strips. Roll paper into a ball using one hand and repeat with the other hand. (Opt. Make a paste out of flour and water, dip paper strips in paste and put on an inflated balloon. Let strips dry, then paint or glue crate paper on the "sculpture." Keep as sculpture or turn it into a pinata.) Attach sheet of paper to wall, door or easel as drawing on a vertical surface is a helpful activity.

Household items and materials: Use a squirt bottle, plant sprayer, squirt guns to water plans or for outdoor squirting fun. Draw letters, shapes in shaving cream. Make building sculptures by poking toothpicks into marshmallows.

Tactile Games: Play in water, wet sand, salt, rice or goop (make goop by adding water to cornstarch until it is toothpaste consistency) Another option: buy a sand and water table. Spread cards, coins, buttons, or checkers out and then turn them over.

Toys: Memory game for visual scanning, puzzles, Legos (stacking blocks and building towers), Magna Doodle, beanbag toss (or water balloon toss), activity books that include coloring activities, mazes and connect the dots, Connect Four (dropping in checkers to make patterns rather than playing the game is a popular activity at my house. Drop pennies into a favorite piggy bank.

Memorial Day Special: "Lock Down My Ears!"

2009-05-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

Image: (from andrews.af.mil) A firing squad performs the three volley salute at some unknown location. The salute is a ceremonial act performed at military and police funerals. It is also performed in memory of fallen soldiers during Memorial Day Events. During the salute, three blanks are fired in rapid succession. It's not a popular ceremony in our family because my son is sensitive to sound and/or has anxiety at the thought of shots being fired.

C1 (my ten year old with autism): "Lock Down my Ears! Lock Down my Ears!"

He was rocking back and forth a little, a sign of anxiety. We were at the ceremony that followed the Memorial Day parade in the quaint downtown of our small city. Watching the parade went smoothly and I felt like a typical American Family. (The typical feeling changed as soon as the ceremony started.)

Me: (thinking to myself): What?

C1: "Lock down My ears!"

Me: (thinking to myself again): Oh, he wants me to put my hands over his hands as he covers his ears.

So I handed my small flag (that was given out to parade goers by members of the VFW auxiliary), and my sunglasses to my husband and "locked down" my child's ears. It didn't help much. The anxiety heightened to the point it was becoming noticeable to the crowd around us, so we had to go on to our next planned activity. A picnic was next on our daily agenda. That part didn't go so well because ceremony moved on to the bridge parallel to our picnic spot where they spoke for several minutes before the squad performed another salute.

The lock down demand started as soon as my son saw all the people on the bridge. While my husband and other son, C2, ate chicken salad, potato salad, etc., I had my hands on C1's hands, which were over his ears, for ten minutes before all the speakers had their turn and the guns finally went off. This time it was evident the anxiety was worse than the actual event. I'm sure the light popping sound was a bit louder to him than it was to me, but I suspect that noise was tolerable. I'm thinking he just let his anxiety get the better of him.

Next Year: My son does love everything American. He is quite the little patriot as you can see in this photo from last year. We don't want to avoid our annual trip downtown to see the Memorial Day parade because C1 has difficulty with some of the traditions. Instead I will do my best (to remember to) accommodate his needs. I plan on (if I remember a year from now) having a social story about the three volley salute on hand. I'm also hoping to remember to bring ear plugs or head phones!

National Front: Autism Treatment Acceleration Act

2009-05-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

Author's note: Since my last post was about health insurance for autism therapies and coverage in Michigan, I thought I'd pass along this article that was emailed to me by the Autism Society of America (I am a member). As the wheel has just started to roll, I'm sure I'll have more than a few posts about State and National level autism-related legislation in the future.

From Autism Society of America:

"Autism Treatment Acceleration Act (ATAA) Introduced in U.S. House

On May 14, the Co-Chairs of the Coalition on Autism Research and Education, Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), along with Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) introduced the Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009 (ATAA). This is a companion to the bill of the same name introduced in the Senate in April. The Autism Society applauds this comprehensive autism legislation focused around enhancing the quality of life for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families.

The Autism Society especially applauds the inclusion of support services for adults on the autism spectrum in this bill. Currently, the federal government provides for educational services until age 21; however, autism is a lifelong disorder, and when the school bus stops coming, individuals and families are often left to fend for themselves.

ATAA creates a demonstration project to provide an array of services to adults with autism spectrum disorders, including: postsecondary education; vocational and self-advocacy skills; employment; residential services, supports and housing; nutrition, health and wellness; recreational and social activities; and transportation and personal safety.

The legislation also would provide for the establishment of a national network in order to
strengthen linkages between research and service initiatives at the federal, regional, state and local levels, and facilitate the translation of research on autism into services and treatments that will improve the quality of life for individuals with autism and their families. A national data repository would be created to share emerging data, findings and treatment models."

Two other key aspects of the bill are:

1. setting up a national training initiative on autism and a technical assistance center to develop and expand training and education on autism spectrum disorders; and

2. requiring health insurers to cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders, including Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, assistive communication devices and other effective treatments.

My thoughts: It is good news that bills addressing autism are being introduced at the state and national levels. I just now discovered that Colorado now has a great possibility of being the eleventh state to have legislation addressing autism and health insurance coverage. A bill is on the way to the governor's desk. Other good news is the state government in New Jersey is also working on similar legislation.

However, there are many such bills such as those in Michigan, that have not passed yet. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Here is a link to commentary that was written last month by State Senator Tupac Hunter regarding coverage in Michigan.

May 25 update: Here is a link to an article about legislation that just passed in Nevada.

Covering Autism Therapies: the ongoing process in Michigan

2009-05-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

We've had a minor break though in Michigan regarding health insurance and covering the various expensive therapies for autism. Up until Monday, most health insurance companies in our state declined to pay for therapies such as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) or Play Therapy.

Finally, according to this Detroit News article, Blue Cross Blue Shield is going to start paying for ABA for children between the ages of 2-5. This is great news for parents of young children as early intervention is found to be beneficial for most individuals. This is not so great news for everyone else who has children with autism older than the age of five.

As you will see if you click on the link above, the insurance company is under the threat of being sued. A seven-year-old autistic child's dad, Christopher Johns, filed suit in federal court in May 2008. According to the article he filed the law suit on behalf of "the more than 7,000 children" in Michigan who have autism.

One of the reasons insurance companies have declined to pay is because "long-term studies on autism educational therapies have been inconclusive and the treatments are experimental." Another reason is that although my state lawmakers are working on it, Michigan is not yet amongst the ten or eleven states in the U.S. where state law mandates coverage for therapies that parents seek out for their children with autism spectrum disorder.

I find it ironic that autism is classified as a health issue in the United States, yet it seems to be the school systems that help people the most. Unfortunately, even schools are limited in the amount of services they can provide due to budget restraints. Often, the special education division does not start the Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) process until a diagnosis is issued from a physician.

This is a concern because physicians, especially general family practitioners, are still learning how to spot the symptoms of ASD. Sometimes, as in the case with my child, autism isn't diagnosed until the age of six. This may mean a missed opportunity for early intervention, and, now, coverage from insurance companies.

So you see, it may be awhile before people with ASD in Michigan have access to the (often very expensive) services that may help them. There could be years of fighting before things start to improve. I will be watching the lawsuit while also monitoring the progress of state lawmakers in Michigan while they contemplate passing legislation that will be helpful to this cause. I'm not holding my breath just yet...

Mother's Day Special: My Son's Mother's Day Booklet

2009-05-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

Image: (as featured on rusticgirls.com) the marigold presented to me today looked a lot like this one.

On Friday my son ten year old son's school bus driver handed my boy (who has autism) a purple paper sack before C1 stepped off the special education bus. (It had been given to the bus driver for safe keeping!!) Standing at my front door, I was curious. 'What is in that bag? ' I thought.

But C1 wouldn't let me look. "It's for Mother's Day," he said, tossing the bag into our coat closet. I knew he wouldn't be handing me the bag until Sunday. I also knew he wouldn't forget as he happens to love holidays--any holiday.

So, this morning, being the big day and all, the first thing my son did when he got up was to retrieve that lovely purple bag with a card, made by him, attached. I opened the bag and found a potted marigold inside. (It looked great despite the fact it was in a dark bag in a dark closet for a day and a half.) I noticed that C1 had decorated the terra cotta pot using his favorite color--green. What I didn't notice was the card attached. (I know, how rude of me, not looking at the card before the gift!!) Both my boys were up and C2, my youngest son, reminded me that there was a card.

"It's a book!" C1, the gift giver, said. So I picked the card up (oops, it was on the floor!! I really am like a kid sometimes...) and found a gift as beautiful as the orange and red flowers on the plant. It was a mother's day book--written (with prompts) and illustrated (no help necessary there) by my son. The cover had three (non-colored) hearts hand drawn with a #2 pencil. One heart had an arrow going through, one had ruffles drawn around it, and the third was just your standard issue heart. Each page started with a prompt and ended with my son's own words. I don't have the tech ability to put the drawings up, but below are the words--misspellings and all!

Title: mother's Day Story book by C...

Prompt: Dear Mom,

C1's words: Happy mothers day i will Love you forever p.s. i know you'el love me for ever to.

Prompt: Love,

C1: [wrote his name].

Prompt: If I could give my mom something special, it would be

C1: takeing my mom to red Lobster.

Prompt: My favorite thing about my mom is

C1: When she gets of the computer and Let's me on.

Prompt: I like being with my mother most when

C1: She takes me out. (he even drew a picture of our mini-van with him and I looking out our respective windows!)

Prompt: Things I've learned from my mother are

C1: that i have t be good.

Prompt: The funniest thing I remember about my mom is

C1: She teases when we do and she says i know (I'll often say "I know! You're teasing me!" He's pleased at his fairly new skill of teasing. However, he is still somewhat limited when it comes to the skill...)

Back cover page: A picture of C1 taken at school, with a box noting it was Mother's Day 2009.

Other gifts: Note: C2, 6, brought me a sheet of paper with his hand print and a poem about little hand prints--that I did get to see on Friday. Not to be outdone by his big brother this morning, C2 handed me a big chocolate bar (more than a 1,000 calories worth!!), and a handmade (by an older lady) card with pressed pansies on the front that his dad bought for him (actually both sons) to give. Their dad had brought me a dozen roses and gave them to me the previous evening before we went out on a dinner/movie date. Yep, I am one lucky lady.

I hope all moms out there are having a great Mother's Day!!!

P.S. There was a time, six years ago or so, when I thought he'd never be able to write so well or draw detailed pictures. But here we are! The day has arrived...

One Very Personal Essay: Why controversial issues bother me

2009-05-07T06:33:00.000-07:00

Image: (from cedarfencesiding.com) Not a fence you'll see too many people balancing on, though I'm willing to give it a try. Read on to see what I mean...

My past few posts have been about the angst I've felt toward controversial issues in our autism community. The top three issues that bother me are vaccines, vaccines, and vaccines. Oh yeah, I'm also a little bit bothered by the arguments over the puzzle piece as a logo (may tackle this one eventually) and the disparity between neurodiversity versus biomedical beliefs.

It's hard to sum up the views of both sides without oversimplifying things or argh, getting something wrong, but I'll do my best. Though they too, love people (and often unconditionally) on the autism spectrum, people embracing biomedical beliefs think that autism can be cured and embrace the ideology of people recovering from autism. As I understand it, this is the side that tends to believe that vaccines cause autism.

On the other side, are people from the neurodiversity realm who would like to see scientists, advocates and parents steer away from curing autism. They focus on embracing people with autism for who they are. Most (but maybe not all) of people in the neurodiversity realm tend to steer away from speculating about the possible causes of autism, such as vaccines.

Someone dear to me, who is more on the neurodiversity side of the fence, believes that autism exists to help humanity advance civilization. The same person believes that autism has been around for eons and that geniuses like Archimedes would have easily been diagnosed with the condition, had it been known in his time. And, as we know, Archimedes lived centuries before we, as a species, started to use vaccines to knock out polio, measles, and even influenza.

I, however, can see both sides of the vaccine issue. As far as the biomedical side of things, I've seen big improvements after removing milk and ice cream from my own son's diet (we haven't removed gluten). I do believe there are some biomedical things that can be done to alleviate discomfort and improve behavior and cognition. However, I also believe that we must remember to embrace the person on the spectrum. It's important not to so focused on the cure/and or certain improvements that you forget to appreciate the loved one for who they are.

That said, I fall somewhere in the middle of the field. There are two sides parallel to white picket fence that separates the autism community. As for that fence, I sometimes feel like I'm balancing on top of it. That's why I don't like controversial issues. I am one who wants to be friends with those in the autism community regardless as to which side of the fence they reside.

Unfortunately, picket fences, as you can see from the picture above, are pretty difficult to balance upon. If I lose my balance and fall, it will hurt. Falling means alienating someone I love from either one of the sides to the point that they'll disappear from my life. The truth is I can't emotionally afford to lose anyone.

All of my grandparents, both parents, and all my aunts and uncles have died. I live more than a three hour drive away from my remaining family members. Further, in the distant past (before I learned some very valuable social skills) some of my own aspie-like traits (have not been diagnosed as being on spectrum though have my suspicions...) have surfaced to the point where "friends" have stopped talking to me for reasons I could not fathom. So that makes everyone of my friends, regardless of belief, extremely valuable to me.

My social past has made me hesitant to reach out to people. Luckily I do have some close friends and I value every single one of them. A few of them are from the autism community. Most friends in my community seem to embrace the biomedical side of things, but my best friend (my husband) and at least one of my closest friends in the blogger world are more in the realm of neurodiversity.

So you see, if I choose to blog about controversial issues, it could be politically and/or socially disastrous. So that's why I will mostly address social and educational issues on this blog. That means, I guess, that I've decided to hush my Scarlett side for a while and remain to be, for the time being, the dreamer who thinks she can maintain a graceful balance on one heck of a fence...

Future post: Prioritizing Autism Issues

P.S. Here is the link to the opening post of this sequence on controversial issues for those of you who haven't visited here for awhile or for those of you who are new here.

Same Building, Different Beliefs

2009-04-29T11:40:00.000-07:00

Image: the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

I think of the autism community as being in one building, but with many different beliefs. I almost see the autism community as a whole almost being as divided as the people controlling the Holy Sepulchre. It's a holy site in Jerusalem that is controlled by six churches: Eastern Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Roman Catholic, Ethiopian Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox and Coptic Orthodox. As you well may know, it's not all peace and love in Jerusalem, despite the fact the city is known to be amongst the holiest of holy places. Fights at the Holy Sepulchre happen occasionally and it is often pointed out that while these fights occur the building itself falls into disrepair.

Fortunately, in the world of autism the fights tend to be more verbal than anything but as we all know words can hurt a lot. The good news is that most people in our community have the similar interest of being concerned for the well being of a person with autism. The bad news is that is often the only similarity.

Unfortunately some people (especially in my part of the world where the word about autism is just getting out) are quite unaware as to what the different ideologies are. Hence, unknowingly, they can inadvertently offend and thus step on a 'virtual' landmine by making a comment or expressing an opinion about the following topics (that include, but are not exclusive to): vaccines, high or low functioning autism, puzzle pieces as a symbol for autism, and certain biomedical treatments.

I've seen people argue or post views about all these topics. Some people merely state their opinions, while others fully intend to be provocative. Mostly I think blogs are safe places to air personal views. Some blogs, more than others, generate comments from people who disagree with the main point(s).

Recently I've been a witness as to just how much a unsolicited personal opinion can offend. This opinion caused some distress amongst some recipients because of an adherence to an opposing point of view. During the said recent occurrence, I left one bristling at some statements made in a mass email.

Being born into an era where we are taught to accept multi-diversity and multi-culturalism, I believe in respecting most beliefs despite the religion. I also want people to respect my own thoughts, opinions and beliefs. I feel as long as the belief doesn't cause harm to others, then there is no point in being biased against someone embracing a different philosophy than one's own.

However, being human, I cannot avoid bias--either being biased or being confronted with the bias of other people. The challenge with bias arises, I suppose, when a person or group gets a little too loud while preaching certain beliefs. When this happens someone on the other side is bound to get offended and then you find "the game" beginning. The offended goes into offence mode and in response, the offending party often goes into defense mode and so on.

Oftentimes there is no winner and thus no positive outcome. One negative outcome that can occur is that a great deal of time can go into the fighting and not so much into helping the community of families who face the challenges or even the person in your home who may need help in facing a certain obstacle. The offender and/or defender may also find themselves with one less friend at the end of the battle and that is something that just seems sad and avoidable.

As some of you know, I've been writing from the perspective of something that happened on the home front. I was among a small group of people that was offended by a strongly worded message about both vaccines and high functioning autism. I tried my best to behave but had some not-so-pretty human moments behind the scenes. My wounds are now healing and the offenses are behind me. I'm also glad to say that the message writer is still a friend, despite having a different belief.

Essay: On Taking a Side

2009-04-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

Scarlett (O'Hara) Butler: "Oh, Ashley, when will you stop seeing both sides of questions?" she asked. But she did not speak impatiently as she once would have done. "No one ever gets anywhere seeing both sides."

Ashley Wilkes: "That's true but-- Scarlett, just where do you want to get? I've often wondered. You see, I never wanted to get anywhere at all. I've only wanted to be myself."

My thoughts: Margaret Mitchell's fictional character Scarlett, the main character of Gone with the Wind, can be admired for her feisty spirit, her determination and her grit. Like Scarlett, there are a lot of bloggers in the autism community out there who are feisty. They aren't afraid to take a side on the vaccine issue, or another controversial topic that exists withing the world of autism. They've chosen their side and it would take quite the suavy tongue or pen to persuade them to change their views.

On the other side there are bloggers a bit like Ashley Wilkes; dreamers like me who just want to be themselves and maybe ignore the larger concerns. In the early days of my blog I did touch on the vaccine issue some, but turned away from the topic out of dismay and disgust of the controversy that existed.

Unlike Ashely, however, I did choose a direction, a positive one. I wished to stay away from most negative topics. I started to write about family life and offer up book reviews and tips about handling meltdowns, etc.

Generally I consider myself open minded regarding most of the controversial issues, but do at times get riled up when I feel like someone is trying to cram their personal belief down my throat. If I try to see things from another person's point of view, I expect the other person to try to see things from my own perspective. As you may well know, it doesn't always work that way and it can be frustrating when a person is so stuck on their own views that they just don't try to listen.

Scarlett saw seeing both sides of a story or issue as a futile endeavor. I, however, see it as potentially helpful. It's good to know where someone is coming from as the knowledge can help one be more diplomatic during disputes. It's also good to know both sides of an issue in order to make an educated decision about what side of an issue to take.

I find that it is definitely easier to see both sides of an issue than to try to change the mind of someone who already firmly believes something. So maybe that's why I haven't written about the da*m vaccine issue recently. Unlike Scarlett I see the futility in taking a side. Most people reading about vaccines already know the issue pretty well, so what I'd have to offer would not be that new to them. I imagine the only thing that would happen is that people who agreed with me would offer positive comments while those who didn't would offer up negative ones.

Of course, seeing the other side of things as I tend to do, it could be interesting to return to the topic of vaccines. It has been quiet around at this blog lately. I wondering about the possibility of potential readers prefering to hang around a opinionated Scarlett rather than a feminine version of Ashley Wilkes. I do have a little bit of Scarlett buried in me way down deep. Should I bring her to the surface? Would it make this blog more interesting? What do you think?

Essay: On Stepping off of the Autism Soapbox

2009-04-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

Image: This is what the phones at WCMU in Mt. Pleasant looked like except the one I answered was dark brown and had a large red light covered with a white cage that stuck out on the right side of the telephone. The flashing light indicated when someone was on the other end of the line.

Autism is a topic near and dear to my heart. I have a ten year old son with ASD and and over the years have formed various opinions about nearly every sub-topic regarding this subject. No, I'm not going to quit blogging! This post is about how I temporarily and with great difficulty jumped off the soapbox last Thursday.

During that evening, I was one of three volunteers answering the telephones for our local public television station's program "Ask the Specialist." The topic of the evening was autism. Two guests appeared with a professional moderator who asked the questions.

The primary guest was a female 40-something psychologist with a doctorate degree from Midland, a Michigan city three dozen or so miles east of Mt. Pleasant. I had never met her before that night.

The second guest was a good friend of mine, the vice president of Autism Society of Michigan, the founder of an Asperger support group that meets in Ithaca, Michigan, and the treasurer of my group, Central Michigan Autism Society of America. (Yes, she really does all that all while having a full time job, and running a family which includes a teenage son with Asperger Syndrome.)

My experience volunteering at the television station was both fun and unfun at the same time. The fun part was being behind the scenes of a live television show. I liked seeing the female college students behind the cameras while knowing the older, male producer was actually in a gadget filled bus next to the building.

I liked checking out my surroundings. The set was simple, but professional looking with a dark blue background imprinted with the WCMU logo, a chair for the moderator, a coffee table with lamp, and a leather love seat for the two guests.

The unfun part was having to witness once again at how divided the autism community is about certain issues. It was also not fun not being able to argue against some of ideas that came forth. I disagreed with a few.

My job was not to spout opinions or beliefs, but to follow a provided script and write down the questions coming in from callers living in the Central and Northwest part of Michigan. I was also supposed to ask if callers were interested in an information packet and then write down their addresses. I don't know how I did it, but I did and yes, I am feeling relieved that I don't have to berate myself for offering up my unwelcome opinions.

Anyway, the need to stay away from my beloved soapbox was there the moment I stepped into the door of the television station. We met in a small conference room a half hour before the thirty-minute show began at 8 p.m. Since it was a professional setting, I dressed up a little bit, hoping to make a good impression as a representative of CMASA. The two guests sat closest to the female moderator while us telephone volunteers sat further down.

The moderator asked what the most relevant topics regarding autism were. After I few minutes I realized I was leaning forward ready to air my opinions. Once I was conscious of what I was doing (thankfully before I said anything) it occurred to me that the moderator really only wanted the opinions of her two guests. So I sat back in my chair and listened, pretty much in agreement with everything that was said at that time. I was being a good little volunteer, remembering exactly what I was supposed to do at that time.

Being a good volunteer, however, became somewhat difficult while listening to the questions being answered on air. When the psychologist answered a certain question that I thought deserved a much better answer, it was all I could do to avoid leaping out of my seat and onto the set. I noticed my friend, the ASM vice president, had also tensed up a bit in response to the answer, but unfortunately she didn't really get the opportunity to provide a better answer.

'No', I thought. 'It really isn't good to send a mom concerned about her two year old to a family doctor. The schools, or at least community mental health are the best places to go.' In Michigan there are still doctors that are not up to date and are more or less incapable of identifying autism. But there was nothing I could do. So I sat there waiting for the light of my phone to start blinking red.

I was at the third phone (the least busiest) so I only had about three or four calls. All but one of my requests were easy enough to handle. The real challenge for me came at the very end of the show when I had to grit my teeth and stay focused on the job. When the most irritating of the calls came, I realized there was a only minute left to go on the show (there was a guy holding up a placard), though I don't think the caller knew that.

The voice on the phone sounded like a young adult female, perhaps another mom. Despite sounding youthful, she also sounded pretty opinionated. "Please have them address the concern," she asked me , "that the mom concerned about her two year old should contact Wic and Early On " Because I agreed with her, I was more than happy to write that down despite the time issue. However, my feeling about her call changed when she requested that I relate another concern of hers. This was the concern that irritated me. Actually I think it was the tone she used (that of an expert) while she aired her concern that irritated me.

I cannot remember how she phrased it, but her tone was authoritative. She wanted me to let the specialists know that a study "proved" that vaccines caused autism. I wanted to tell her that not only was she calling too late, but that I read plenty of other studies "proving' both sides of the controversy. Instead I had to clinch my teeth shut and focus. I suppose I sounded strained, but am hoping I was polite enough--as should be expected from a volunteer. I wrote down her concern, assured her it would be handed over, and then asked her where she was from and if she wanted the information packet. She politely told me no she did not wish to receive a packet.

The runner from WCMU who was supposed to sift through the questions handed to her and give them to the moderator took my paper from me, looked at it but did not hand it to the questionner. So, if I weren't so diligently blogging about this now, this incident would have only been known by the two of us besides the actual caller.

I'm not sure why I was so irritated by the caller. It was probably the expert tone she used. But maybe, it was also because I was jealous that she was so obviously on the soapbox that I was trying so hard to stay away from. My point of this post is that, whether I liked it or not, this caller had a large part of influencing me to not feel good while completing my brief volunteer position. Instead, I left the television station feeling like the controversies (especially the vaccine issue) surrounding autism were and are choking the air--even here in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.

I'm not sure I've mentioned this recently, but as a volunteer for the cause of autism I've become burned out. To keep my stress down, up until this point, I've avoided blogging about controversial topics such as vaccines. After last Thursday, however, I can no longer hold back and keep quiet. I'm running back to that soap box with a fury and a fire that seems to have re lit within me. That said, some of my future posts may be a little bit edgier than they have in the past although I still hope to bring critical thinking skills and the ability to look at issues from both sides to autism-blog.net. I also am intending to continue to write the neutral, friendly posts that have made up the bulk of my posts to date.

P.S. For those of you who are not quite sure what a soap box is, please check out this link. The two people answering the question at the Yahoo website did a great job explaining the meaning of the expression.

Active Minds' National Stress Out Day Perfect for autism families

2009-04-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, April 19, the local chapter of Active Minds, a university student group dedicated to educating and advocating about mental health, is hosting National Stress out Day. A member of the group assured me that families in the autism community are welcome to attend.

The event will be held on the mall in front of Warriner hall (pictured above) at Central Michigan University from 1-3 p.m. Hopefully the day will be as beautiful as the day the above photo was taken. We could use some great weather about now!

About the Day as Advertised by Active Minds:

Stressed out??? This is the perfect event to help you relax, chill out, and enjoy the beautiful Spring weather!There will be fun stress relieving activities such as: massages, stress ball making (aka fidgets), bubbles, NIA dancing, caricatures drawings, sidewalk chalk, refreshments, and stress relief goody bags! Everything is FREE!! Feel free to bring friends and family!

A Concert, A Walk, and a Movie

2009-04-14T05:58:00.000-07:00

While my chapter is directly involved with two events this month, there are other events going on in the Central Michigan area. The good news is there are two great events on one day. The bad news is that there are two events on the same day, April 25.

On that day, April 25, Everyone Together, a group advocating for inclusion in schools will host the Celebrating Diverse Abilities Walk and Concert. The Walk will start at 3 p.m. by Alma's Public Library and wind its way downtown and return along the Riverwalk to the amphitheater outside the Library. (Rain location is the Library's Community Room.) Around 4:00, hotdogs and drinks will be served.

At that time there will be a concert by Peter Leidy (a musician from Wisconsin who sings about disabilities and inclusion) and warm-up band All Spectrums are Circles (from Canada). As well as the concert, there will be a dance performance by the Everyone Together Kids, who are looking for dancers (of any ability) to join them for a dance called "Together" (music by Kaleidoscope, choreography by event chairperson Sheryle Dixon).

Everyone Together Gratiot County will also be hosting another movie night on May 8 at Winding Brook Conference Center from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. The featured film will be Autism: The Musical followed by a discussion with parents of children with autism.

About musician Peter Leidi (from his website): "Peter Leidy has been learning from people with developmental disabilities since 1983. He worked for Options in Community Living, a supported living agency in Madison, Wisconsin, from 1985 - 2004. He believes community is for everyone."

Two Easter Books, One Story

2009-04-12T06:13:00.000-07:00

I thought I might have fell into a meltdown trap when I asked my older son (the one with Autism Spectrum Disorder) to choose Happy Easter by Kurt Wiese for his bedtime story choice. It was the only Easter book in sight and I was in the mood to read it to my guys. It is a cute little story about the eggs the Easter Bunny's children collect so that the E.B. can color and deliver them in time for Easter Morning.

Anyway my little guy (the one without ASD) protested and hurriedly chose that book while his big brother was brushing his teeth. I expected a fight with screams and demands coming from both boys.

What I received was cooperation and respect. The little one helped me dig through our book reserves to find another book. He came up with The Little Golden Egg Book by Margaret Wise Brown. It's about a little bunny who becomes best buddies with a little chick which hatches from an egg he found.

To my utmost relief the brothers in my own home were also in buddy mode. They both agreed that The Golden Egg Book was a good second book to read the night before Easter.

Note: I didn't think that The Golden Egg Book, while very spring-like with a hatched egg and a bunny, could be counted as an Easter book. Imagine my surprise when I found it was #7 on a list of ten for best Easter Books. When I told my little one about my discovery he used the ole 'mom line' of "I told you so!!" This list, by the way, has some selections worth checking out. It has Easter books based on the biblical story as well as books about the Easter Bunny, etc.

Central Michigan's 2009 April Awareness Calendar

2009-04-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

Family Fun Night, Friday April 17, 6-7:30 pm, Lake Michigan Room (on the upper level of the University Center at CMU). The Student Council for Exceptional Children (SCEC) will be organizing activities and helping out with the children for this event.

Mini Resource Fair, Saturday, April 25, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Veteran’s Memorial Library, Mt. Pleasant, MI, sponsored by the Autism Society of Michigan (ASM) and Central Michigan Autism Society of America (CMASA). Exhibitors to be represented are recreational, educational, community providers, state agencies, advocacy groups, therapists, adult resources, camps, schools, transitional programs, consultants and food including allergen free. There will also be an IEP Help Desk and a Rummage Sale which will include home items, books, and resources on sale for reduced prices.

Note: We still need volunteers for the April 25 resource fair. If there is anyone out there in the Central Michigan area who would like to help out us out, please email me at julielorenzen[put in at sign here]hotmail.com and I will give you a list of possible duties. Thanks!

My Thoughts: Last April I was 'sprinting' to help with the Central Michigan Autism Society of America's (CMASA) chapter autism awareness month activities. We had a whopping nine events on our 2008 calendar. By the end of the month the rest of the committee and I were burned out on autism advocacy.

This year I'm just 'jogging' at a comfortable pace because we scaled back to a more sensible calendar of two events. We also teamed up with two different groups--each of which has been responsible for organizing their respective event. So here is a huge thank you from the secretary of CMASA to the CMU chapter of the Student Council of Exceptional Children for helping us out with family fun night and to ASM for helping us with the mini-resource fair.

For World Autism Day: Autism in China

2009-04-02T06:47:00.000-07:00

Today is the 2nd annual World Autism Day. I found an article that focuses on autism in China. As we know, autism is a worldwide phenomenon. Families with autism face similar difficulties no matter where they live. These difficulties include, a lack of adequate resources (especially in rural areas), a lack of opportunities for adults, acceptance, and a lack of support for parents.

Here is an excerpt of the article:

"For decades, autism went largely undiagnosed in China even as in the West awareness was growing of the condition. China only recognised autism as a disability in 2006.

"Autism is very unknown in China. If you ask people on the street, 90 percent of them have never heard of it," said Tian Huiping, the founder of China's pioneering school for autism, Stars and Rain, in the suburbs of Beijing.

My thoughts: If you read to the end of the article you will find that the founder of the said pioneering school for autism is the mother of a son with autism. I find that interesting, because I'm finding it common that a mother of a child with autism will create a much needed resource in her community. See here for an example.

Also, I also was interested in China's cultural aspect of the younger generation caring for aging parents. In families with a child with autism this is not probable (especially with China's infamous one-child rule). Instead these parents face the world-wide problem of not being able to find good homes/opportunities for their adult children with autism and may have to care for their offspring as they become elderly.

P.S. Here is my World Autism Day post from last year.

Essay: To Fool, be Fooled or not to be Fooled?

2009-04-01T05:43:00.000-07:00

Happy(?) April Fools Day?

Today I almost wish I lived in some far off place instead of the Midwestern part of the United States because in some parts of the world April Fools Day (today, April 1) is not practiced. In other parts of the world, tricks are only traditionally practiced before noon, and anyone playing tricks after that time is considered to be the fool. I can handle a morning of trickery. I am not sure I'm up for a day of it as I'm typing this up in the morning of April 1.

My husband, dear one as he is, started early by playing little tricks on both our boys (one autistic, one not) last night. It's all good for him because he won't be home all day with two little tricksters who are home from school on Spring Break. (Hmm. Maybe I should plan a really good prank on him to get even...)

I suppose April Fools Day is both good and bad for a person with autism. The pranks and jokes expose them to humor, which is a good social mechanism. Being fooled can also help them learn from experience. I'm sure the benefits of humor is what my husband thinking when he filled my sons' minds with April Fool Day jokes. Surely, he didn't mean to set up a little prank on me...

The bad news is that April Fools Day can be a hey day for bullies, who may opt for cruel pranks rather than merely funny ones. People with autism or Asperger's Syndrome (AS) could be easy targets. Fortunately I do not have any horror stories to share. Unfortunately, I'm sure there is someone out there who does.

On the other hand, someone with autism or AS might have to learn the hard way by playing a socially unacceptable joke on someone. I can see this happening rather easily and can only hope the consequences will not be too dire.

My advice to those on the spectrum is not to be too personal with the jokes. (It may not be a good idea to tell someone they stink when they don't) and to go for simple rather than elaborate. (The more complicated the joke, the more likely you are to get in trouble.) Also, stay away from the dangerous stuff that might hurt someone. (When I was young I got into a bit of trouble by putting a lot of soap in someone's drink thinking it would be funny, not realizing that I was potentially poisoning that person. Fortunately the drink tasted awful, so not much was consumed.)

April Fools Day can be fun and I hope everyone out there enjoys this funky day. That said, just remember not to believe any wild stories on the web or elsewhere because they are most likely to be hoaxes.

In the meantime, does anyone have a good prank to play on one's spouse, friend or family member? I need ideas!! Of course my husband will not be looking at my comments today...
Oh well, please share them with me anyway. Horror stories or links to good April Fools Day hoaxes are welcome too. Have a fun and safe day.

P.S. Don't forget to check out my profile today! ; )

Update: I changed my profile back to normal on April 2.

Part III: School Transition Stategies

2009-03-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

Image: My son at his 'graduation party' on his last day at his former elementary school. It was held in the school school cafeteria. Five professionals, two classrooms and a couple of guests (me and a aide's teenage daughter) attended for a total of approximately 40 people. We had one or two pieces of cake left!

What the child's current teacher/team can do:

1. Put a positive spin on the move. As my child's most recent move was due to his being unhappy with being in a younger classroom, he was told he was graduating from the old school to the new one with a classroom of older children. It worked beautifully for my son (who is outgoing and loves attention, which may not be the case with other, more shy children.) He was so proud!

2. If you know the new teacher, help bridge the gap between the parent/child and the educator.

3. Plan a going away party and encourage the parent to help. If the child also attends a regular education room, be sure to include his other teacher and classroom.

4. Give a going away gift. These can be certificates of completion (in our case a 'diploma' signed by the teacher and principal, or books about the child's favorite topic or special interest area.)

5. Have each child in your classroom make a card. My son's third grade teacher did this and my son received 23 cards (most with frogs on them!) as well as two books about "froggies."

6. Social stories can help immensely. Either write one about the impending school switch on your own or ask the speech therapist to help if appropriate.

Note: This was the third and final part of my series on school transition strategies. Part I was about what parents can do to help their child with ASD transition to a new school. Part II was about what new (to the student) teachers can do to help incoming children with ASD adjust to the new classroom.

Part II: School Transition Strategies

2009-03-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

This is Part II of a three-part series. For Part I, please go here.

What the child's 'new' teacher can do to help a child with ASD transition to a new classroom and/school:

1. If a homemade book has been made about each student in the room ( a really wonderful idea, by the way), let the family with the new student borrow it. This allows the student to get a idea of who will be in there new classroom while in a comfortable setting.

2. Allow the parent an opportunity to ask questions.

3. Give the parent as much contact information about yourself as you are willing to provide. My son's new teacher gave us a laminated copy with a magnet on the back with her contact information.

4. If you know in advance when your new student will be visiting, have his or her desk and locker set up so that they'll have an idea where to go on their first day.

5. Schedule the classroom visit so that the child can easily participate in a classroom activity. My child listened to a book being read, participated in a question/answer session and then did a related art project.

Next up is Part III. In that post, I'll write about how a current teacher can help a student prepare to leave the classroom and move into another one.

Part I: School Transition Strategies

2009-03-25T07:15:00.000-07:00

Image: Recently My child has made the successful transformation from being a Vowles Viking to a Pullen Panther (Yes, I know that is quite the metamorphosis!) and has adjusted to attending a new school. Part of the success, was due to the implementation of the strategies listed near the end of this post.

My oldest son with a mild form of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has finally done it. As of March 9 he's attended all four K-4 elementary schools in our district--and we have not moved one single time. Over the last five years that we've lived in the same house, my son has attended four different schools. It's not that he's been kicked out. It's not that any of the schools do not want him as a student.

It is that he started attending the Mildly Cognitive Impaired (MiCI) classroom (with half days in a regular ed room) at the wrong time, thus getting caught in a stream of organizational shifts. That said, he's been a Ganiard Gator (1 year), A Rosebush Rocket (two years) a Vowles Viking (1.5 years) and a Pullen Panther (all of two weeks and running).

The bad news is that I became a bit irritated with all the school changes. The good news is that I and the rest of my family have become pretty good at transitional strategies when it comes to getting a person with ASD to switch schools. I have a small list of strategies to share. Today I will share Parent strategies. Tomorrow I will share strategies for teachers of new students, and the next day I'll post about what what current teachers can do to help their student transition to a new school.

What Parents Can Do:

1. The easiest place to start might be taking the child to visit the playground at the new school. Usually, the playgrounds can be visited at anytime.

2. Next, schedule a visit alone to observe the teacher with her/his students in the classroom.

3. Make a one page resume about your child to give to the new teacher when you go to your visit. Put a small photo at the top of the page along with the basic info (name, age, etc). Add in likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. Limiting the 'resume' to one page will help to ensure that the new teacher will not become overwhelmed with too much information.

4. Schedule a 'field trip' to take child to see the new school. Use a social story or visual aids so that they know that the field trip is just a visit and not a permanent situation yet. Along with asking for some time in the new classroom, also ask to meet the principal and take a tour of the school.

5. Make sure your child knows exactly what day they will start attending the new school. Visual schedules or merely putting a note on the family calendar might help.

6. Communicate on a regular basis with both the new and the current teacher.

7. Look up the new school on the web. Show the child any appropriate pictures of the school, teachers, etc. and read a little bit from the website if there is something that might interest your child.

8. Keep a positive attitude. As a parent, I know that it is easy to become overwhelmed and even a little depressed about a new school switch. However, negative feelings and attitudes are usually non-productive. A positive attitude will be more helpful to your child than a negative one.

9. Keep in mind that morning and afternoon routines might change at home due to a change in transportation to and from school (going from riding in the family car to riding a bus, for example). Communicate with your child about the transportation and resulting schedule changes.