Before you ask a student to follow your directions and be compliant, you have to build a good relationship based on trust and respect between you. A child needs to know that in a case of emergency she/he can trust and rely on you to help her/him out. On a school site the child needs … Read more
In a child development class I learned that a newborn’s brain has a huge number of connections between the cells (neurons). Imagine these connections forming a network. If some connections are more used than others (due to a heavy traffic on these communication lines), these pathways become well-established. The connections that are less used, get … Read more
The answer to this question depends mainly on the child’s level of awareness of herself, both socially and cognitively. Some high-functioning children already know that they have autism. They know their condition very well, and are able to describe it precisely. This category of children knows its strengths as well as its weaknesses. Moreover, they … Read more
You can read my new article about meanstreaming in the online edition of the San José Mercury News or in the Cupertino Courier local news edition. Click here. nadia
Q: What does practicing art do to anybody? A: It expresses a person’s feelings, thinking, talents and wants. Children with autism are most of the time stuck inside their own mind. They have poor communication abilities, it is hard for them to initiate any conversation, therefore, they avoid talking to others. Their social skills are … Read more
Every person, whether on the autism spectrum or not, has got a set of deficits or weaknesses: mental capacities, physical capabilities or social skills, among many more. On the other hand, the set of strengths and talents a human being has been endowed with are endless. Why do most people focus on what’s not working so … Read more
TOBY playpad: TOBY Playpad is a unique, therapist-and-parent designed Early Intervention application for children with Autism. TOBY’s iPad tasks co-ordinate with off-iPad tasks to help your child learn skills in the real world. TOBY stands for Therapy Outcomes By You, because it aims to empower parents to commence early intervention to maximize your child’s development. … Read more
“Children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) choose to engage in play that provided strong sensory feedback, cause-and-effect results, and repetitive motions,” said Doody the assistant professor of exceptional education at SUNY Buffalo State. In a research conducted by Doody and Mertz, the most popular activity was “climbing stairs”. Children would through the ball and observe the … Read more
A recent research at Oregon State University showed a link between poor fine motor skills and autism. Autistic children with better motor skills also perform better at social skills and vice versa. Nobody really knows why. Studies and researches used to focus on social skills and communication, and giving little attention to motor skills deficiency. However, … Read more
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. … Read more
