By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting
				
				
				
					The tip in this article helps modify the undesired behavior by modifying the child’s emotional state. All you need is a mirror. I rely here on the child’s visual skills. I tried out this technique and it worked out pretty well with a student with autism. Inspired by “The Two-Factor Theory of Emotions” that I 
				
 
				Tags: autism, cognition, communication, emotions, environmental awareness, facilitators, mirror, modify behavior, moods, parenting, physical awareness, physiology, two-factor theory, visual aids
 Posted in autism, general advice, parenting |   3 Comments »
			 
				
								
								
				
				
				By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting, tips
				
				
				
					I simply call this tool “the cards system”. It is a disciplinary tool that can be made at home and it doesn’t cost a penny. I spend maximum 10 minutes to make it. For consistency reasons, it would be great if both, parents and school used the same tool. Parents, who implemented the idea and applied it 
				
 
				Tags: autism, communication, consequences, discipline, parenting, techniques, tips, tools, visual aids
 Posted in autism, general advice, parenting, tips |   5 Comments »
			 
				
								
								
				
				
				By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting
				
				
				
					In the previous article “Symptoms or Signs of Autism“, I provided some checklists and descriptions for parents who suspect that their children might have ADS (Autism Spectrum Disorder). In this article I’ll try to re-introduce the subject in a simpler way. *Autism cannot be diagnosed or identified medically. *The screening tools are based on the 
				
 
				Tags: autism, communication, denial, signs of autism, symptoms of autism
 Posted in autism, general advice, parenting |   10 Comments »
			 
				
								
								
				
				
				By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting
				
				
				
					Initially, the blog’s main mission was to provide tips to help parents and educators handle some autism-related problems. But some readers are asking for more information about symptoms or signs of autism, so I decided to incorporate this subject in my blog. I am leaning toward using the word “signs” rather than “symptoms”, since autism 
				
 
				Tags: autism, communication, parenting, problems, symptoms of autism, tips
 Posted in autism, general advice, parenting |   24 Comments »
			 
				
								
								
				
				
				By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting
				
				
				
					I am going to talk about a very common mistake many parents of children with autism get caught/trapped into. If the siblings of a child with autism happen to be typically developed (neuro-typical), they usually grow up in an atmosphere different than their peers with typically developed siblings. Having a member of the family with autism, 
				
 
				Tags: autism, communication, legal rights, organization, parenting, personal time off
 Posted in autism, general advice, parenting |   4 Comments »
			 
				
								
								
				
				
				By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting
				
				
				
					As a child, I always loved this time of the year. Nevertheless, it always came with some apprehension and some stress. The idea of being in a new class, having new teachers, new classmates, or even going to a new school, was a little bit unsettling. I didn’t know what to expect. In particular, the 
				
 
				Tags: autism, back to school preparation, communication, discipline, independence, parenting, rewards, schedule, techniques, tips, visual timer
 Posted in autism, general advice, parenting |   1 Comment »
			 
				
								
								
				
				
				By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting
				
				
				
					The ultimate goal, both, parents and educators are working for, is to render children with autism as independent as possible. We look far ahead, and picture them as adults, living independently, without the need of having us around. The best thing to do is to start the process as early as possible. Early intervention assures 
				
 
				Tags: autism, communication, discipline, independence, organization, parenting, rewards, rules, visual aids
 Posted in autism, general advice, parenting |   7 Comments »
			 
				
								
								
				
				
				By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting, tips
				
				
				
					What is temper tantrum? It is a negative attention seeking that the child resorts to, in order to communicate his frustration in a socially inappropriate way. Usually the child’s frustration arises when a need or a desire hasn’t been met. Temper tantrum is a form of meltdown among many, like aggression, running off, screaming, and 
				
 
				Tags: autism, communication, parenting, rules, schedule, sensory, techniques, temper tantrum, tips, visual aids, visual timer
 Posted in autism, general advice, parenting, tips |   15 Comments »
			 
				
								
								
				
				
				By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting
				
				
				
					We all know how tiring, exhausting, and sometimes draining life can be, if you have a child or more than one on the autism spectrum. In this post I would like to suggest some ideas for parents that might help them have a better-balanced life. Your daily schedule is so busy, and your child always 
				
 
				Tags: ADHD, autism, books, communication, parenting, personal time off, schedule, social interaction
 Posted in autism, general advice, parenting |   2 Comments »
			 
				
								
								
				
				
				By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting
				
				
				
					Some parents are e-mailing me some questions and I would like to share the answers with everyone. Question 1: About Echolalia How can I stop my child from repeating after me word to word? Answer to question 1 Echolalia is one of the most common signs of autism. The child repeats after a person whatever 
				
 
				Tags: autism, communication, hearing, questions and answers, rewards, sensory, speech, tips, vision
 Posted in autism, general advice, parenting |   1 Comment »