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 »
By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting
In previous articles I talked about the effectiveness of the reward system. First, I prefer to be positive and apply the reward (positive reinforcement) system as much as I can, and seize every opportunity to praise and encourage the children. Most kids work for rewards, and love to be praised and encouraged. But sometimes, the reward
Tags: autism, communication, consequences, discipline, incentive sticker sheet, parenting, rewards, rules, techniques, tips, visual timer
Posted in autism, general advice, parenting | 5 Comments »
By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting
The story today is about a first grade child with autism who hated to go on the play structure or the equipments on the playground (slides, monkey bars, ladder, spinning wheel, the firemen pole, spiral pole and so on). He used to run all over the place and I couldn’t bring him to go on
Tags: autism, communication, incentive sticker sheet, occupational therapy, parenting, reward, sensory, stickers, tips
Posted in autism, general advice, parenting | 12 Comments »