A Message to Parents

Dear Parents, I am finally back after a long silence for almost two years. It is very hard to disengage myself from thinking and writing about...

Archive for the ‘autism’ Category

Consistency

By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting

Consistency plays a key role in any success. Applying rules consistently takes determination and effort, but it pays off in the long term. It helps the child form and build her own learning schemes in a structured way. Consistency doesn’t leave room for confusion. It is an excellent way to model conformity and discipline. If a

Discipline/Compliance

Discipline/Compliance

By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting

People tend to perceive noncompliance as stubbornness or misbehavior. Autistic kids do not always perceive our directions the way neurotypical kids do. Why? Because of their sensory integration issues or their condition in general. They see, hear, smell, feel and process (think) differently. When the child doesn’t comply or conform, she/he is trying to communicate

13 Highly Recommended Books

By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting

The following are books that I have read and learned a lot from. They helped me in my job working with autistic kids. Non-fiction: Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin – An autistic adult telling her own struggling and suffering with her condition as an Asperger, and how she became a huge success 10 Things

Tips for Educators, Aides or Instructional Assistants

Tips for Educators, Aides or Instructional Assistants

By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting

Here are 31 tips for teachers, aides and instructional assistants to work more effectively with autistic children. General tips Think SAFETY, SAFETY, SAFETY! This is the number one priority when working with children, especially special education kids. Greet the student by saying her/his name first when she/he comes in. “Johnny! Good morning!” instead of just

The Importance of a Daily Schedule

By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting

We all need some organization and planning to be efficient, productive and relaxed throughout the day. Autistic children, in particular, need a daily schedule in order to picture in their mind how the day will go for them. Their notion of time is different, what appears for “normal” people to be slow might appear to

Improving Handwriting

Improving Handwriting

By Nadia Shanab | autism, parenting, tips

Autistic children often have poor handwriting. Here are 5 tips to help improve their handwriting. Poor handwriting can be attributed to one of the following reasons or a combination thereof: Lack of eye-hand coordination (very common in kids on the autism spectrum, including the highest functioning with Asperger) Poor peripheral vision Poor fine motor skills

Communication

By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting

Humans are social beings. We need to communicate in order to function as a society. Without communication we cannot have peace, harmony and support for each other. Parents of children with special needs are particularly required to be active and proactive communicators. Why? From my experience, parents who lock themselves up in their shells tend to aggravate

How are you doing today?

How are you doing today?

By Nadia Shanab | autism, parenting, tips

Here is a practical tip for both educators and parents, which can be used both at school and at home everyday. This tip will help autistic kids with poor verbal skills develop their communication abilities. This practice, if done on regular basis, can jump-start their communication. I have seen this work in several cases. It works

Parents in Denial

By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting

To parents of kids on the autism spectrum (AS) Please don’t live in denial! It’s a waste of time. You are not doing your child any favor. Accept the fact and move on towards the process of helping your child to have a better life. Let me tell you about what happens if you do

Welcome

By Nadia Shanab | autism

Hi Everyone, This is my first blog entry. I am an educator who specializes in working with autistic kids. I have dealt with kids that form a wide range on the autism spectrum over the past 9 years. I hope to share simple and effective tips to help parents and educators work with autistic kids.