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...

Posts Tagged ‘occupational therapy’

Mainstreaming Children with Autism

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

Dear Parents, Here comes another school year along with lots of hopes and loads of goals for your child’s future! Over the summer break you have probably set some goals for your child and pictured her in a certain setting that would rather satisfy your dreams. Good job! This exactly what parents are here for.

iPads May Help Kids with Autism

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

It is an ongoing debate whether iPads and touch devices in general are benefitial or harmful for kids with autism. From my own experience working with children on the autism spectrum, whether with poor verbal skills or high-functioning, they all love the iPad. It is a magical device that we in schools now use it

Important Fact Sheet

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

As I mentioned in the previous post, schools are going to welcome their precious students very soon. Parents, please read the fact sheet and make sure to share it with your child’s teacher(s). Co-operation between home and school is major key to your child’s success. Communication facilitates the mission of raising and educating our children.

12th Annual Morgan Autism Conference 2013

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

Morgan Autism Center Announces 12th Annual Autism Conference: “Transitions: Bridges to Success” Saturday, September 28, 2013 7:00 am – 5:00 pm Mayer Theatre, Santa Clara University 500 El Camino Real Santa Clara, CA … SCHEDULED SPEAKERS: Jed Baker Director of The Social Skills Training Project Jill Escher, Parent & Autism Activist What Causes Autism? How

A Special Interest Is Power

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

Individuals with autism might not be doing very well academically, but they might have hidden talents and capabilities. Some of them are real artists playing musical instruments, dancing, painting, drawing, here is an example…Others are very good with mechanics and manual work like Temple Grandin the amazing designer of live stock facilities. Some of them

Home-Schooling

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

Communication and social interaction are  one of the major goals in raising and educating a child with autism. To enable and encourage communication and social interaction to be practiced successfully, kids within the same setting or environment should have some interests in common. For some children, SDC (Special Day Classes) are not the best match for their

‘Sensory-Focused’ Autism Therapy

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

This is an environmental enrichment therapy that parents can provide/perform with their children at home. It improves sensory issues of smell, sight, texture, temperature, and movement. It has a significant positive effect on children with autism. The auther of this research is Michael Leon, a professor of neurobiology and behavior at the Center for Autism

Summer Continued Education

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

Summer is around the corner. Many parents are wondering what to do with their children’s day once school is out? Should they just take it easy and have children enjoy a non-scheduled routine? Or should they send them to summer school or summer camps and keep them busy? In the US the number of days

An Early Intervention Program for 12 Months Old Children with ASD

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

The Early Start Denver Model (DSDM) is a comprehensive behavioral program that reduces cost of special education services throughout the schooling years. When joining this program many services and therapies will be reduced. The program is clinically controlled. Social skills and interaction showed great improvement following this program. Even if the first two years in

The New Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM 5)

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

The new DSM 5 is due this month (May 2013). It is published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Three diagnosis will be removed: Aspergers Syndrome, PDD-NOS, and CDD. They will go under one diagnosis, autism. How is that going to affect parents, cliniacians, educators, advocates, and the children themselves with these conditions? Read the