Tag Archives: cognitive

Intro to NVC for Asperger’s Teens and Adults

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If you are a teen or adult on the Autism Spectrum or a parent or professional that engages with someone on the Autism spectrum, you may be interested in how the Social Skills practices of NVC can serve you.

My new friend Bob Yamtich is an Aspie adult who is trained in a social skills process called Nonviolent CommunicationSM (NVC). He has shared this process at Asperger’s support groups in the San Francisco Bay Area and many people shared how much it contributes to them in their communications.

He is visiting Atlanta and offering an introductory Tuesday, June 19, from 7 to 9 pm at the workshop space of local NVC trainers in Tucker. It will be will be a combination of mini-lessons, live modeling, and active practice will help participants get an introduction to Nonviolent CommunicationSM. Bob invites teens and adults on the autism spectrum, and professionals and parents who work with people on the spectrum.

Some great things included in this workshop:

  • Mini-lessons include distinctions between needs and strategies and between empathy and sympathy
  • What clues can we use, both cognitive and feelings-based, to connect to what we and others care about?
  • Learning self-connection, using logical abilities to hear what is important to somebody, and developing authentic self-expression

So what the heck is NVC?

I absolutely love the description on the site of local GaNVC trainers, Sacred Space:

What is unique about Nonviolent Communication (NVC), beyond other restorative and life-enriching tools, is that it gets us out of our stories — the stories that we’ve already told over and over to no avail to deaf or disinterested ears, without relief. NVC moves us beyond relating what’s happening to us via analysis, blame, criticism, evaluation, or judgment — beyond stories based on verbal violence. NVC helps us address what’s alive in us today … this moment … so that our histories don’t continue to overshadow and dictate our present.

The tools of Nonviolent Communication help us reach the frustrated needs behind strong feelings and the stories. NVC connects us with others through attention to the universal needs that we all share, thereby fostering empathy. NVC fosters understanding, genuine connection and the resulting opportunity to jointly co-create strategies for resolution that can address the needs of all concerned. This practice can help assure that all voices are valued and heard before strategies are formed.

I am very excited to learn more about the connection Bob has discovered between NVC and helping those on the Autism Spectrum be more in touch with their needs and feelings. I know this knowledge will help me in my training programs for Emergency Responders.

If you are local to Atlanta and wish to attend this workshop, please RSVP to Bob at bobyamtich@gmail.com.

Download the flyer here for more information, or to print and share.

I will be posting a follow up regarding what I learned, so look for that soon!

Product Review: The Kitchen Classroom

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I was recently sent The Kitchen Classroom: 32 Visual GFCF Recipes to Boost Developmental Skills by Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer and wanted to share how much my son and I love it!

Having tried unsuccessfully a few times to go 100% Gluten Free/Casein Free at home, this book offers refreshing solutions and delicious, fun recipes to help make this an achievable goal for us. One of the biggest problems I encounter is purchasing gluten free versions of Justin’s favorite foods: they are twice the price and after one bite he declares that he hates it. Boom – out $7.00 for a box of Lemur Puffs.

We excitedly welcomed the opportunity to make our own dishes that wouldn’t be compared to the handful of processed staples I’ve been gradually shedding from the household.

Not just a cookbook.

The Kitchen Classroom is divided into three convenient parts to help you prepare for the experience of cooking with your child. I love the breakdown of the social skills benefits from creating a shared experience between child and parent. The introductory chapters go on to offer extremely helpful and realistic tips on framing your child’s success during shopping, preparing and cooking. Specific activities are spelled out to help develop fine and gross motor skills, assist with cognitive abilities, speech and language, and address sensory input issues.

I especially enjoyed Ms. Kaplan-Meyer’s “Two Cents” chapter, where she discusses the importance of dropping the expectation to “cure” your child and focus on being present and keep growing and connecting your relationship through the challenges.

Our favorite recipes:

Funny Face Toast – who doesn’t love to play with their food? Your child gets to use fruit to make faces on GFCF bread spread with nut butter.

Mickey Pancakes – a little more challenging to create but offers a great source of essential amino acids and extra protein.

Almond Butter Muffins –  these delicious, rich muffins make a great breakfast, after school snack or dessert!

Better Than PB&J – an exciting twist to your traditional, boring lunch fare. Very gooey!

Mama’s Meatballs – my son doesn’t like getting his hands messy at all, but with medical gloves this recipe became a fun sensory experience! We did this one for restaurant night and it was a hit!

Nut Butter Noodles – a quick, delicious dinner with a sweet taste. Noodles have always been a favorite, and with the pungent flavor of the sauce he doesn’t even notice that they are gluten free!

Carrot Coins – cooked carrots mixed with honey, cinnamon and a bit of sea salt… need I say more?

Favorite French Fries – I have very fond memories of my own mother’s homemade fries deep-fried to perfection. It’s wonderful to have a healthy substitute without sacrificing the flavor.

Lemonade – what a pocketbook saver! Bye-bye endless boxes of Capri Sun and other sugary, dyed juices.

Crispy Rice Squares – a GF version of classic Rice Krispie Treats from my childhood! Yes!

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread – this recipe completely rid my previous perception of GFCF foods tasting “odd”, “boring”, or just plain icky. This is a very decadent dessert bread that doesn’t sit heavily on your stomach afterward. Delightful.

Final thoughts.

Overall, the simplicity, easy to follow visuals, categories, delicious recipes, and bonus CD-ROM make this book a winner in our house! You can order Gabrielle’s book here. Let me know what recipes are YOUR favorite by commenting below or posting them on the Spirit of Autism Facebook page – I’d love to hear your opinions!

What the Heck is Sound Training?

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Sound Training can help address your child’s skills and abilities that you’d most like to see improved, from gifted development to specific learning challenges. How can something you listen to help learning challenges? Let me explain:

As Dr. Alfred Tomatis, the “Father” of Sound Training, discovered that 85 percent of the neural pathways to our brain are stimulated through the ear. Within the ear, there are two main nerves: the Auditory (Cochlear) Nerve, which carries hearing information between the inner ear and the brain and the Vestibular Integrator, which controls coordination, balance, and governs body functions.

If you are not processing certain frequencies of sound in an optimal way, it can greatly affect motor skills, balance, appetite, toileting, sleep, language (the voice can only produce what the ear can hear), cognitive abilities, understanding multi-step instructions, magnitude of a situation, the ability to put yourself in another’s shoes, energy, mood, sound sensitivity, transitioning from one activity to another, coping skills, anxiety, social skills, and focus and attention.

Whew! Did you ever imagine all those things were affected by the way you process sound?

In addition to frequency deficits, further complications arise when sound is processed through bone conduction instead of air conduction, which is often prevalent in children with Autism, Sensory Processing issues, ADHD, and Dyslexia.

Ideally, sound should be processed air over bone, where it goes through the middle ear (the “gatekeeper”), gets buffered, filtered, sorted, and served to the brain on a silver platter. Auditory processing through bone conduction means the sound goes in the ear and through bone straight to the nervous system. Unable to separate background noises, it is dense, fast, and loud, frequently causing auditory overload and throwing all the other senses into distress.

EnListen® uses custom-engineered music files to wake up the brain and help put the sensory system back in harmony. It uses a filter and delay, first sending the sound through bone conduction via a special headset and then through the ears the proper way. Eventually that gap is closed, like training a lazy eye, making lasting changes to the brain and could dramatically improve:
•    attention, focus and concentration
•    self-confidence
•    emerging language
•    cognition skills
•    reading and writing
•    comprehension and memory
•    eye contact
•    speech clarity
•    organization
•    body function

Done properly, Sound Training gets the foundation intact and strong (low frequency-body functions) and then not only works on deficits but helps build on strengths and develop your child’s natural gifts.

Would you like to learn more about how EnListen® could help you or your child? Schedule a NO-COST consultation here!

Regression or Progression?

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I recently did my mid-integration checklist and interview for Justin’s Listening Training. As he is getting ready for his next intensive, I wanted to share some amazing gains I observed – new behaviors that I attribute to his first round of EnListen® and additional supports from home, including:

  • Introduction of Chewelry to redirect chewing (I’ll be dedicating an entire blog post to this great product shortly!!)
  • Addition of digestive enzymes, probiotics, and Omega Fatty Acid oil to his diet
  • Increased yoga and fitness routines after school

Understand that every child is different and may or may not show the same gains or at the same rate, especially after only the first intensive. These are things that improved in my child:

  • He now understands and carries out multi-step instructions (e.g., “Put on your socks, brush your teeth, and meet me in the kitchen.”)
  • Bathroom experience: his body now signals that he has to go – no more accidents (thank you!); it is an easier experience – 15 minutes in the bathroom instead of 45!
  • He is aware of possible consequences before proprioceptive crashing – Justin will now run up to things and stop and think first about whether or not it might be a good idea. He redirects himself for the first time.
  • Empathy, remorse – he consciously apologizes after accidentally hurting someone and doesn’t repeat action!
  • Fine motor improvement – he is better able to dress himself; he even wore jeans for the first time and buttoned them with no assistance!
  • Initiating bedtime on his own – he’s getting tired earlier in the evenings, and bedtime is no longer a long and drawn out process (except when he’s being a typical kid!)
  • Aware of why he has certain behaviors – when asked why he is displaying a certain behavior he is able to provide a logical answer rather than tuning out or shrugging it off
  • Report card improvement
  • Little to no spinning – much less stimming (excluding the return of recent verbal outbursts)
  • Realizing where he is in space – there is much less holding the walls when walking and chair tipping when sitting
  • Coordination, balance improvement – squatting, skipping, hurdles and obstacle courses, jumping improvement
  • Tactile gains – introduction of new clothing materials that previously were not tolerated
  • Initiating affection – this is a biggie! He is equating more with people and less with things.
  • Showing more independent thought and less echolalia (and much less regurgitated TV speak!) when asked questions or engaged in a conversation

Less than desirable changes noticed:

  • Expressing more frustration – this is due to experiencing certain feelings for the first time. Listening Training has begun the process of allowing him to be receptive to and in touch with his emotions. Justin will need to now learn how process those appropriately.
  • More meltdowns
  • The return of noises, verbal outbursts and personal space issues
  • Less motivation to complete schoolwork

Although this may appear to be a regression in behavior, I realize that Justin is experiencing a reorganization of how he sees the world and processes information. It’s going to take time for these changes to be integrated into daily practice. I have to dig a little deeper. Some of these behaviors are not necessarily a regression, rather familiar ways of coping with new feelings and experiences.

He is also reflecting his new feelings of frustration through verbal stimming and needs to learn new and appropriate ways of expressing them.

The next intensive will continue to address sound sensitivity as well as introduce organizational skills and theory of mind.

It is easy to focus on the behaviors we don’t want from our child when we see them, and immediately assume things are headed south once again. I don’t know about you, but raising a child with Autism is a roller coaster ride full of gains and regressions. It’s part of the process and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Looking at this progress now on paper, he truly has made some incredible gains. It is imperative that the school and I continue to support him with reward systems, redirection, and behavior alternatives as he learns to integrate information in a new way.