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 ‘sensory’

Parents & Educators, Are You Ready for A New School Year?

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

A new school year is around the corner and about to emerge! Parents and educators are you ready? Here are some tips to help you get off on the right foot. Bear in mind, there are three main goals in raising and educating children with autism that we are working on: Independence Better Social Skills Stronger Communication

Things To Do During The Summer

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

Keeping your child engaged in doing useful activities is vital for her developmental growth. Wasting time watching TV for hours or playing video games all day long is not the best investment of summer time. Here are some ideas for activities to spend time on: Enroll your child in an art & crafts class. Enroll

A Dilemma: Where Does Asperger’s Syndrome Belong?

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

Asperger’s Syndrome used to be classified as a distinct disorder different from the ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). The new (DSM-5) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder has simply included the Asperger’s Syndrome within the ASD. By doing this the disorder loses its diagnosis and becomes part of the autism spectrum. A compromise would be

A New More Accurate Way to Diagnose and Treat Autism

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

The way ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) has always been diagnosed, is based on the professionals’ (pediatrians, psychologists, psychiatirics, specialized therapists…) social interaction with the child. Then, the professional’s opinion supported by parents observations are usually the traditional way to give a child a diagnosis. This novel technology can provide a more accurate, objective, and early

‘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

Temple Grandin Speaking on May 16

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

The world’s most famous autistics adult, Dr. Temple Grandin, will be speaking at the main branch of the Cambridge Public Library, Massachusetts, 449 Broadway, on May 16 at 6:30 pm. Dr. Temple Grandin is an animal science Professor at the Colorado State University. She also runs a her own business of designing live stock animal

Human-Animal Bond Enhances Social Interaction

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

A research done at habricentral.org has shown that kids with autism showed an increased social interaction in the presence of pets. They smiled, laughed, looked at human faces, and became more talkative in the presence of pets compared to toys. They also did less crying, whining, frowning, and became less self-focused in the presence of

“Everyday Life with Autism” Is Now on Sale $4.99

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

Today is the International Autism Awareness Day. I would like to seize the opportunity and share in raising awareness about autism. My book is now sold on iTunes, Kindle-Amazon, and Nook for $4.99 only. If you are interested in a hard copy its is also available for $14.99 instead of $19.99 from my webstore or

Awareness Day

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

Autsim Speaks published a great article to summerize the most important things about autism we didn’t know a year ago. Read the article here: www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/ten-important-things-we-know-about-autism-today-–-we-didn’t-know-year-ago As an educator working with kids with autism I feel obligated to tell the parents the following: 1- I have seen kids making a great progress over the years, and