Feeding tips

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Tips for children with feeding disorders, by Kathryn (Singing through the rain blog). She outlines 12 tips for helping children with feeding issues, using the SOS approach to feeding (Sequential Oral Sensory).

“The SOS Approach to Feeding is a developmental feeding therapy that allows a child to interact with and learn about foods in a playful, non-stressful way. It helps increase a child’s comfort level by exploring different properties of the foods, including the color, shape, texture, smell and taste. The child is encouraged to progress up a series of steps to eating using “play with purpose” activities. Parent education and involvement are an essential part of this feeding program.” – couragecenter.org

OCD

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Obsessive compulsive disorder- myths, causes and treatments, by Lynne Malcolm (ABC).  It’s not all about lining up the pens, or washing hands ten times, it’s about intrusive “stuck” thoughts.

‘Someone with OCD about cleaning could have a spotless bathroom. They clean it twice an hour, and yet the kitchen is stacked high with plates with mouldy food. Or someone could wash their hands 10 times an hour, and yet wear the same underpants for three weeks.’

I learned a lot from this article!

Love Ninja

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Glennon Doyle Melton wrote this article-with-impact on Momastery.  In conversation with her son’s teacher, she learned that every week, the teacher asked the students to write down and submit the names of four other students who they’d like to sit with the following week (they knew that these requests may or may not be honoured), and also which student whom they believe has been an exceptional classroom citizen that week. The teacher wasn’t interested in seating charts or exceptional citizens- she was looking for patterns showing lonely children, children who were struggling to connect with other children, those whose gifts were going unnoticed, and bullying situations- and helping those who need to be taught how to make friends, ask others to play, join a group, or share their gifts with others.

Advice to parents of newly-diagnosed

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Advice to parents after an autism diagnosis, by ASD Dad. A very positive list!  Includes tips like:

  • nothing about your child has changed- they can just access services and support,
  • presume competence,
  • get to know teens and adults who have autism- they have great insights,
  • let go of your expectations and live in the present,
  • remember that your love and acceptance for your child is what matters most.

When life sucks for kids

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When life sucks for kids, by Kirrilie Smout. Subtitled “Ideas and tips for when you feel mad, worried or sad- or life gets kind of messy”. While I haven’t read this entire book, I was impressed enough with the content of the sample chapters (link is just over halfway down the page, under the Buy Now button and cover images) to link to it here.  This book is suited for 8-13 year olds, and the author has a previously-published book called “When life sucks for teens”.  In the sample chapters, I particularly liked the SHOPS acronym for how to initiate conversations- ask questions about Screens, Hobbies, Other People and School- with half a dozen examples of each.

How many elopements?

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Is there an official number for autistic elopements?, by FlappinessIs.

We know how many traffic fatalities there are. We have data on stroke and cancer. We even have some numbers on dementia related wandering deaths. But in a diagnosis that affects 1 in 68 people – half of whom are at risk for wandering/elopement – we have little hard data on how many have died as a result. And nobody keeps track of how many children have wandered from schools. (Read that last sentence again.)

Autism, from an Autistic perspective

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Autism, from an Autistic perspective, by Chris Bonnello (of Autistic, Not Weird blog). I have posted a few of Chris Bonnello’s articles previously, and really enjoy reading/hearing his perspectives. This clip is just as good- the only problem with it is that it’s an excerpt of a longer presentation, called “An Autistic’s Top 20 tips for working with Autistic people”, and only shows the first four tips! I won’t include spoilers here, but he’s a very engaging and humorous presenter, and gives great examples to support his points.

Driving and AS

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Driving and Asperger Syndrome (The ASC Good Practice Guide). This article, which begins towards the bottom of page 7, is very thorough! Covers difficulties likely to arise (eg dyspraxia, multi-tasking, rule application etc) and tips to help overcome them, and some tips for instructors (eg being aware of the effect of using literal language, difficulties with generalisations etc).