Weekly Autism Tips for Emergency Responders – Patient Assessment

Posted on May 31, 2015 by SpiritOfAutism

During a standard assessment in a conscious patient, we rely heavily on the patient’s communication – why EMS was called, what hurts, what happened, etc. This can become complicated when assessing a patient with Autism. Even a high-functioning, verbal Autistic patient may or may not physically feel pain. Sensory processing issues often include difficulty interpreting temperature and pain, and it’s hard to assess someone who can’t tell you what hurts!

Abnormal pain interpretation can sometimes mean a minor scrape or ache is perceived as a trauma or a major injury completely ignored. Traditional OPQRST surveys are not particularly reliable when someone has little sense of where their body ends and space begins and, most likely, what they ARE experiencing is not consistent with what you are observing on scene. Throw in communication deficits and sensory overwhelm of lights and sirens and being surrounded by strangers… patient assessment can be a sticky-wicket indeed.

The first thing you can do is try to remove sensory triggers if possible – remember that an ambulance setting can be extremely overwhelming for someone with Autism but so can the scene itself. Keep the scene as quiet and calm as you can.

Use the parent or caregiver and all the information they have to offer. Believe me when I tell you that most Autism parents have done their homework and know a great deal about their child’s challenges and medical issues. Establish a baseline behavior status to help in your assessment. I purposely did not say “baseline mental status” here because Autism is NOT a mental illness. While it is also not a behavioral issue, unfortunately we must rely on behaviors to help us identify Autism on a scene.

Remember that being touched may be perceived as pain, so do your best to engage the patient while triaging from distal to proximal. A Dollar Store slinky has done wonders for me – it distracts my patient while I get 85-90% of my assessment done before they realize what’s happening. (Don’t ever give a patient your cell phone or keys for this purpose, FYI!) Communicate what you are doing, whether they are verbal or not. A nonverbal patient can still hear and understand you. Bandages and adhesives may cause aggression due to sensory processing issues.

Assess thoroughly – look for less obvious injuries and DO expect the unexpected. Not long after I finished my first responder training, my son came running out of his room one evening screaming and raking his tongue. I quickly tried to figure out what was happening – did he bite it? Get stung or bitten by a bug he ate? Was there a toy in his mouth? In his other hand, I saw the glow-in-the-dark necklace from our earlier outing at Stone Mountain… bitten in half. The glowing liquid was all over his tongue and it was burning him. There was nothing about that in my first aid and responder manuals It was fine, by the way, Poison Control cleared him, but I never would have imagined looking for that kind of injury. Or the backward tumble out of the shopping cart at the grocery store, or the many times he’s wandered from school settings… but I digress.

Finally, during your assessment be aware of severe food and drug allergies as well as Pica Syndrome. Parents and caregivers are the best fountain of information, but in absence of that resource, there may be alternative IDs or apps that can provide you this valuable information in a snap.

Share your assessment tips and experiences – parents or responders – below. I love hearing from you!

How My Son Leveled Up in New York

Posted on January 10, 2015 by SpiritOfAutism

Happy New Year! A week ago we successfully and smoothly returned from a week in New York and New Jersey. Somehow we survived the 15-hour drive (no stops other than to gas up and stretch) each way with grace. And without killing each other.

So what do you get when you combine a single mom, a rental car, two special needs teens, a long-ass drive and a week of new experiences?

PROGRESS! That’s right, my (not so) little man leveled up in innumerable ways. This was my true Christmas gift and I am beyond astounded and grateful. Here are some of the awesome discoveries and moments of progress that occurred:

An Eye for Beauty

Our initial journey took us from Atlanta to New Jersey via I-77 and I-81. We were in the middle of Virginia at the PERFECT time of day and saw the most pristine and beautiful skies. I had never before heard my son describe things that were beautiful to him – I wasn’t even aware that he had an eye for such things. Not only could he not stop talking about the views and the heavenly cloud formations, but he took more than 200 photos with his iPhone! This interest grew exponentially as we traveled over various bridges from New Jersey into New York throughout our vacation. He captured scenes from a really unique perspective… perhaps a higher resolution camera is in his near future!

Embracing His Goofiness

J-Bird developed another related camera skill during this time – taking unflattering selfies. He made some of the strangest faces and proceeded to take selfies and assign ridiculously appropriate and hilarious hashtags to accompany them. And they say people with Autism have no sense of humor. Incorrect. It was glorious to see him be unapologetically himself and make others genuinely laugh in the process.

Independence Day

This may seem like no big deal to many, but any little steps toward independence are celebrated heartily in our house (or hotel room, in this case). Perhaps it was the new surroundings that encouraged him, but for the first time my son was able to wash his own hair in the shower. This success seemed to feed his confidence and he began dressing himself as well! It can be so challenging as parents to watch our gifted children perform amazing and independent feats in other areas, such as computer programming, yet struggle with daily hygiene tasks. This was huge.

New Communication

The morning of our hotel check out, my son and I went down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast, as we did most mornings. However, on this day it was downright MOBBED. It was New Year’s Day and there was a huge Asian tour group there as well as in influx of new guests from the night before. People were swarming around like bees, many of the menu items he had grown accustomed to were sold out, and it was LOUD. I repeatedly asked him to grab a plate from the food bar so I could try and get the last two pieces of bread for him to toast and he wasn’t moving. Instead of his normal response to such an overwhelming environment (verbal stimming, complete shutdown, crashing into me, etc.) he simply looked at me and said, “I feel really uncomfortable around all these people.” WHAT? Who was this well-spoken young man before me? I was SO proud of him. I immediately told him that I understood and ushered him to a table. I plugged his headphones into his iPhone and told him to watch a video while I navigated around the food area and got him what he needed.

Why So Many Level Ups?

This is all great news for us, and I’m sure you can relate to some of them or have hope for similar types of progress in your home. But it wouldn’t be fair to just share our success… here’s what I think led up to them:

Time Away

This was our first family vacation in many, many years. Since we acquired our huskies. It was long overdue. Taking time away from the “chiseled in stone” daily rituals can sometimes provide a boost in new perspectives and abilities. I’m so glad I created this opportunity for us to get away. Keep in mind, though, that we quickly established some new routines while we were there, so it’s not like we went from the daily grind to complete spontaneity. Little things like going downstairs for breakfast together helped him stay focused and feel safe. The one morning I took the kids to the diner instead of just him and I having our normal breakfast created some real problems for him, so I had to really ascertain from his body language what should be routine and what can be free and spontaneous activity. Which leads us right into the next one…

Listening

I acknowledged that our quaint breakfast together was important to him each morning, so we went back to that for his sake. I was constantly watching for cues when it came to what he could handle and when he had enough of something. In one situation, he was in full meltdown mode and we were not in a place where we could leave, so I had to adapt and overcome! I created a small, quiet corner for him in the museum store and let the girls go off on their own for a bit while I stayed with him. These little things helped him feel heard and understood, and that made it easier for everyone.

Being Prepared and Being Flexible

I tried to think of all possible scenarios and issues when it came to planning this trip. I even planned to NOT plan some days so we could survey everyone’s mood and not be locked into an itinerary of sorts. So of course it was great for me to have familiar attachment items with us – even when he said he didn’t want to bring them – as well as many of the tools I mentioned in previous posts for travel. But some things just turn out differently no matter how much planning goes into it. For instance, I bought a travel charger for my laptop and brought several DVDs for him to watch in the car during our drive. Guess what. He wanted to watch live streams on YouTube. It’s a good thing I found out what he was doing when I did, because I had to call our wireless provider and purchase a wildly larger data plan so we didn’t have overage penalties!! But this kept him occupied when he wasn’t taking selfies and scenery photos. On the flip side, he didn’t want to bring his Mario plush but I ran back in the house and grabbed it at the last minute. This item was by far the most used throughout the entire week.

Encouragement

When I learned of his new photography skills I encouraged and complimented him. And they were really good, too! Sure, it was a bit much to get shown each of the 200+ photos every time he snapped one. Many of them were extremely similar. But I looked at them all and found something unique to say about each one. I also encouraged his independence but did not push him into something he was not ready to do or uncomfortable with.

As a result of these decisions or actions on my part, my son achieved some awesome new skills… something we may never have discovered if we didn’t take a crazy drive to New York.

Over to You…

In what ways can you shake up your routine a bit and see how your child responds? You just might be surprised at what’s possible with a little preparedness, flexibility, listening and encouragement!

Holidays and Autism: Help Your Child Stress Less

Posted on December 17, 2014 by SpiritOfAutism

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ~Norman Vincent Peale

As beautiful an image as this conjures up, this isn’t always the same Christmas experience felt by children on the Autism spectrum, especially those with sensory processing issues. Although the idea of gifts, snow and yummy treats sound exciting to your ASD child, the holiday experience can be extremely overwhelming. Rather than soft and beautiful, it could look and sound more like this to your child:

So what can you do to help alleviate your child’s holiday stress? Here are some common causes of holiday anxiety and what to do about them.

Over the top decorations. Flashing lights, musical wreaths, tinsel everywhere… it’s a Christmas wonderland to you but it could be a Christmas nightmare for your child.

Before choosing the blinky, flashy (stroke-inducing) light strings, you can first take your child to the store or to someone else’s home to see how they respond to similar decorations. Get them involved in the process, too! Allow them to interact with the decorations and help choose where they will go. It also helps to decorate in stages over the course of a week rather than having your house suddenly go from the safe haven your child knows to an overwhelming environment.

Family gatherings and routine disruptions. Whether you’re having company or going to a relative’s for holiday festivities, both involve a disruption to the schedule you worked so hard to keep with your child. Visual schedules and social stories can prepare for this disruption and help your child know what to expect.

If you’re having company, make sure your child has a quiet space to retreat to. Explain to relatives and other children that your child is in “quiet time” (not the same as time out!) and will come out when he or she is ready to play again. If the quiet space is your child’s room, consider having a special sign that can be hung on the doorknob that alerts visitors that “do not disturb time” is in progress.

If you’re going to someone else’s home, have an exit strategy! From personal experience I will tell you – DO NOT rely on anyone else for a ride home if your child has had enough for the day. Work with the host to establish a quiet space ahead of time and let the other guests know that regular breaks may be needed for your child. You also may want to pack some back up foods in case you have a picky eater or a child with food allergies. I’m about to experience this with a sibling I haven’t seen in almost a decade. He decided to have a big family ham dinner when we arrive in NY. I have one picky teen that eats four SPECIFIC foods only (none of which are on the menu), one with extreme food sensitivities, and then there’s me, who no longer eats meat or animal products. Should be an interesting gathering

Gift confusion. Does your family put gifts under the tree before the big day? If so, you may find a surprise – your child may open them early, and they may open everyone’s! Prepare your child for family gift traditions. Let your child play Santa and hand out the gifts to all the guests and family members – a busy mind and hands help keep temptation to open early at bay! Also, if your family takes turns opening (not everyone annihilating the packages at once), passing around a special ornament will help signal to your child whose turn it is.

Your child turns into a whirling dervish during travel. Yes, this has happened to me. In fact, before social media was popular, a certain airline actually asked us NEVER TO RETURN when we deboarded the plane. It was insane.

Driving has also been challenging. Although I am more in control of stops, breaks and other issues during a road trip, it can still go awry (and has). Here are some things that really saved my bacon:

Noise blocking headphones for the trip
Personal audio headphones for a handheld game system, portable DVD player, iPad or laptop
Approved snacks and drinks that didn’t contribute to hyperactivity and digestive issues
A visual schedule of what to expect once we arrived and during our stay
A few sensory “fidget” items for him to calm himself with
A nature app, DVD, or CD to play at the hotel at night for winding down
Frequent stops to get out and stretch

Next week I am driving my children to New York/New Jersey from Atlanta. That’s 12-14 hours, depending on food, bathroom and stretching breaks. You can bet your sweet bippy I’ll be packing all of these things and employing many of the tips I’m sharing with you!

Over to you. What holiday tips keep the stress level down in your Autism household? Share by commenting below!

Autism Parenting: Are You Going to the Hardware Store for a Loaf of Bread?

Posted on December 2, 2014 by SpiritOfAutism

There is a really funny skit I remember from my childhood years of watching The Electric Company about sweet rolls. It was a simple conversation between a waitress and a customer:

“A cup of coffee and a sweet roll.”

“We’re out of sweet rolls.”

“Glass of milk and a sweet roll?”

“We are… out of sweet rolls.”

“Iced tea and a sweet roll.”

“We are OUT of sweet ROLLS.”

“Orange juice and a sweet roll?”

“WE ARE OUT OF SWEET ROLLS!!!!”

(silence)

“Okay, then I’ll just have a sweet roll.”

It still makes me giggle, probably because it describes most of the people I interact with daily

Here’s the video if you need a memory jogger:

If you look at it from a different angle, in relation to how your Autistic child processes information, it can lift another veil in understanding and diffusing some of those frustrating moments.

How many times have you had to repeat a command or request to your child for what you perceive to be a simple and obvious task? If your house is like mine, it can sometimes be seven or eight, and then my patience can surpass simmer and go straight to a rolling boil. While it’s true children make you repeat yourself in general, consider that your Autistic child simply and honestly may not understand what you’re asking, nor do they know how to ask for clarification. Many times, if a question or statement isn’t understood by my son he will simply bypass it and move on as if it were a “File Not Found” error that automatically redirected to a new website.

Multiple commands are difficult to process. It took me a while to realize this and stop perceiving my son as being defiant. Asking him to put on his socks and shoes, brush his teeth, and meet me in the car while I pour my morning coffee (the way I would process the morning’s rituals) would result in absolute shutdown. I would most likely finish my tasks, expecting him to be diligently checking off the list I assigned him, and then find him on his Nintendo DS with none of the items completed. Naturally at that point (after a minor litany of loud grumblings), I would also expect him to hurry through the list sharing my sense of urgency, understanding that we were now late.

It never happens that way.

Here’s the deal. He doesn’t process multiple commands. He doesn’t break his ritual or the order things should be done because I am yelling that we’re late. He doesn’t “just know” what comes next without being told. I can tell him we are out of sweet rolls until I’m shouting it, but he will still ask for them. Why? Because at this time, that is how his brain processes information. It is MY EXPECTATIONS of him that are causing the frustrations and meltdowns, not his behavior.

If I continue to repeat myself in these same fashions, doesn’t that mean I’m expecting him to do something he’s not capable of? Wouldn’t that be the same as going into a hardware store and asking for a loaf of bread? Would I keep asking the cashier over and over for bread, raising my voice and getting frustrated, or would I eventually figure out that I have to go to a different store to get what I need?

I learned the hard way that I can’t get mad at my child when I am expecting something from him based on the way I operate and think. Something he simply isn’t capable of. Boy do I love the mornings so much more now that I am looking for bread in the right store, and so does he!

BONUS tips for the morning:

Single commands (Put your socks on. Good. Now go brush your teeth. Great job!)
Predictable routines
Visual cues hanging in a central location that you can refer to
Laying out items the night before
Saving TV or games until after tasks are completed (still working on this one!)
Allowing extra time for zippers, buttons, etc.
Having races to see who finishes some of the tasks first
Using a timer – making it a fun game
Lots of positive reinforcement!

How often do your expectations cause communication breakdown with your child? Share your thoughts by commenting below!

Craptastrophes and Holiday Travel

Posted on November 12, 2014 by SpiritOfAutism

image courtesy of moodrush.de

And so it begins. The holiday season is landing in our laps, but that’s not always exciting when it comes to family members on the spectrum. Ever since an unnamed airline asked us NEVER to return when my son was three (NINE years ago, and pre-diagnosis) we haven’t done much holiday traveling. A small, manageable road trip here and there, but nothing to write to Reader’s Digest about.

Guess what! This year I’m taking my kiddos to New York/New Jersey for the holidays! Crazy, yes? I haven’t been home since right after 9/11 and boy have I been craving good pizza and bagels. Also, my kids’ two internet besties live in the area and they want to meet them in person. Yes, I’ve seen them on Skype video chats, they’re actually real

What’s this have to do with poop? Ha, you may regret you asked. OR, you may be in a similar situation and now you will know that you’re not alone. We’ll see…

If you’ve been following the Blog for a while you may recall that my son suffered four months of diarrhea with “unknown” cause. After some extensive (out-of-pocket expenses!) testing, some genius finally figured out that he had a bowel obstruction. That poor child went through so much when it came to all the tests he was subjected to as well as the final cleaning of the pipes. I, too, became a changed woman in regard to the things I’ve seen and handled.

Since that experience, he’s been TERRIFIED to go. He exhibits avoidance behavior to the max when it comes to this topic. His muscles hold it in by default until the body takes over and results in light “elimination notification” that he’s holding a lot more. He holds it because he knows it will be a difficult and painful experience, which is self-perpetuating, of course – it’s a difficult and painful experience because he holds it. That coupled with the fact that if I’m not home to handle the “paperwork” he feels he has no option but to keep it in.

You can imagine the devastating implications this problem has on any kind of social life (thank goodness Skype doesn’t have smellevision capacity). We have tried every supplement and over the counter medication known to mankind. We have practiced sitting and pushing and routine and ritual and social stories and tricks and negotiations and rewards and punishments. We’ve tried “we can’t go to New York unless you learn how to poop.” But that’s not really fair.

As hard as this is for me, I can only imagine it’s tenfold for him. He knows it’s not the most desirable behavior, because he avoids coming out of his room every time he first has an issue. Or he walks backward (like I don’t know!) away from me to hide his bottom.

Overall, I’m not giving up! I will do what I do – research, experiment, keep soldiering on to make this a much better experience for him. BUT we are traveling for the holidays… so what do I need to consider as far as tools and resources for this situation?

You see, when he does finally go (which takes an Act of Congress and a lot of bribing), it involves a lot of bleach, a lot of wipes, medical gloves, several pair of boxer briefs, a shower, and a lot of, um… compacted product that isn’t willing to go where it belongs when the toilet is flushed. Yeah, it ain’t pretty. Between my poop scavenger hunts from the huskies in the back yard and my poor child’s digestive issues, I sometimes feel like Pyle in Full Metal Jacket (I AM in a world of S**T!).

What do we need to pack for out of town potential craptastrophes? Do they make travel-sized plungers? Should we re-invest in Men’s Depends just in case? There are no “how to potty train your teenager” resources available, unfortunately. I’m not sure what lies ahead (and you probably don’t care to be updated, ha ha) but I want very badly for this to be a fun and successful trip for my son, not to be remembered with any kind of embarrassment or troubles. I imagine I will focus on getting the desired result for him while we’re at base camp each night (the hotel).

Have any of you had craptastrophes after an appropriate age? What helped? How did it affect travel plans? I love hearing from you, so share the poop… I mean SCOOP by commenting below!

Spirit of Autism Web TV Episode 3 – Sensory Processing Issues

Posted on September 21, 2014 by SpiritOfAutism

On the last episode of Spirit of Autism TV, I had planned on presenting a fantastic interview with Elisa from Adventure to Fitness, but the technology gods were not shining down upon me favorably that week Look for that coming in October – you’re going to love it!

My good friend and teaching partner Austin agreed to come in and save my bacon at the last minute and we talked about just how much sensory processing issues affect people with Autism in their day to day lives, and provided some great tips for coping! Tune in to the replay below:

What are some of your favorite ways to help your child deal with sensory overwhelm? Share by commenting below!

Using Emotional Stage Index Cards for Sensory Processing Issues

Posted on September 11, 2014 by SpiritOfAutism

When speaking about Emotion Cards, there are two different types of uses and benefits: helping the child identify others’ unspoken emotional cues and helping identify the child’s own stages before a potential meltdown.

Both are extremely helpful in introducing emotional identification, understanding, and regulation. During tonight’s Web TV show, Austin and I talked about Emotional Stages index cards that my son and I created. During his first grade year I believe they were responsible for a real quantum shift toward our goal of helping him identify and self-correct some of his pre-meltdown behaviors.

The challenge

What we were finding in school was that during certain transitions throughout the day he would start exhibiting behaviors that indicated his difficulty adjusting in some capacity. Handled incorrectly or ignored, these behaviors would quickly spiral toward loss of control.

My idea was that I wanted him to start to recognize when his body or senses started feeling a little squirrelly so that he could either self-correct if able, or ask for help appropriately (e.g., a sensory break or a walk around the school with the special ed professional). By teaching him to identify the signs and stages of losing control, he could hopefully have access to the support he needed and decrease the number of incidents where his behavior did reach that point of no return.

The cards

Justin and I took five index cards and numbered them one through five. He then drew a Mario face on each one, with number one being calm and happy. These faces progressed with two and three – feeling a little uncomfortable and weird – and on to four and five, which represented needing help and finally a complete meltdown.

We then laminated them, punched holes in the upper left corners and put them on a key ring for him to carry with him. Each morning I walked into class with him, did some sensory exercises, and asked him to identify how he felt with one of the number cards. In most cases, the amount of exercises done would directly correspond to his number, and our goal was to have him at a one or two before I would leave the classroom for the day.

The result

This number system quickly became a simple means to have him check in with himself throughout the day. For numbers three and four he had a set list of appropriate suggestions to help him get back to a one or two. Even when we experienced days where a five was reached, the stage was at least identified quickly, allowing the teachers to activate an “emergency plan” we wrote into his IEP.

I honestly feel that having Justin create these cards with me and begin to use them really helped him get to know himself in a systematic and linear way that he could clearly understand. They helped him with his feelings, they helped take the guesswork out of the picture for the teachers, and they helped our family both at home and any public outings.

What have you used in your house that helps identify emotions and stages of behaviors? I’d love for you to share!

A Different Kind of Social Story

Posted on September 6, 2014 by SpiritOfAutism

Butch trying to hide from my son. He doesn’t quite fit in his safe place anymore!

I have a serious problem at home right now. My son spends a lot of time on his computer (no surprise there to any of you, I’m sure!). During these times of programming, learning, chatting, and playing games a lot of energy builds up inside of him. His current way of releasing the energy and handling “boredom” during breaks is to constantly tease one of our Huskies.

His favorite thing to do is to immediately corner the pup (and by “pup” I mean our 100-pound boy who was the runt of the pack!) and start grabbing his fur or poking him until he starts snarling. Justin loves the snarl face. But he doesn’t stop there. He perpetually snaps at him with his hands until the puppy snaps back with his mouth. Getting his hand away just in time is a game for my son. Unfortunately, it’s a dangerous one.

While Butch, being more Malamute than Husky and more laid back, would never intentionally hurt my son or be aggressive toward him, dogs have a threshold for teasing. In my county, if a dog bites someone they are immediately removed from the home and euthanized without question. Of course, Butch has never hurt my son to date, but I know as a parent and a dog owner that the possibility of my son going too far lives in the back of my mind and it could have a very bad outcome.

I have tried explaining to Justin that Butch would get taken away and put to sleep (and to someone with Autism that means literally what it sounds like – someone making him take a nap). I have warned him numerous times that he could get hurt very badly. No amount of punishing, yelling, bargaining, or social stories have persuaded my son to stop teasing the dog.

Then I remembered a recent video blog by Carla Butorac about an app called My Talking Pet. This gave me an idea!

Using a communication style called NVC, I wrote a short script as if Butch were telling Justin how it makes him feel when he is constantly teased. NVC is best explained this way from NonViolentCommunication.com:

Most of us have been educated from birth to compete, judge, demand and diagnose — to think and communicate in terms of what is “right“ and “wrong“ with people.

We express our feelings in terms of what another person has “done to us.” We struggle to understand what we want or need in the moment, and how to effectively ask for what we want without using unhealthy demands, threats or coercion.

NVC provides a “template”, or a four-part process to an empathetic and compassionate communication style. I’ve been told by Autistic adults that NVC’s template really helps solve some communication riddles for them, as it’s like a linear formula that can help express feelings and needs in a safe way.

The four-part process starts with Observations: “When I (see, hear, notice)…” followed by your Feelings about the observation: “I feel…”. Next you state your Needs: “… because I need/value…” and finally presenting a clear, doable Request without demanding: “Would you be willing to…?”

I decided to give it a shot. Here is the video that Butch made, asking Justin to stop teasing him using this clear and compassionate communication style.

Keep in mind that we continue to experiment with physical ways for Justin to release energy and get more exercise. One way is using Adventure to Fitness videos (also found on Carla’s wonderfully resourceful Blog), which I’ll be talking more about on my Web TV show this week. Stay tuned for more about this great fitness program for your kids!

In the meantime, are there ways you are demanding a behavior from your child that they keep resisting? Could you reframe it with the NVC template and try again? Let me know your thoughts by commenting below!

Best Buddies Program

Posted on July 27, 2014 by SpiritOfAutism

I recently heard about a great program that has my son’s name written all over it! (Naturally, when I told him this, he literally looked for his name written all over the program page. It wasn’t there :))

Contrary to popular belief, my son can be very social. By social, I mean friendly and open-hearted when meeting new people. However, if after an introduction the conversation doesn’t revolve around computer code or video games, there is an awkward disconnect.

He has friends all over the world that he Skypes with. Yes, I’ve seen the video chats and know 100% that his friends are real kids his age and not some creepy 50 year-old man pretending to like Minecraft! J has been hacked before and that was super scary!

Anyway, our problem is that my kids homeschool and I work outside of the home part of the time. We miss a lot of homeschool gatherings due to my hours, leaving my kids little opportunities to meet peers. Additionally, being a single parent, I tried to apply for Big Brothers Big Sisters for my son so he has a positive male role model in his life. I was told there was a 4+ year-long waiting list. Whoa! Seriously?

That’s why I was absolutely THRILLED to see this come across my inbox. Although this post refers to the Atlanta chapter, you can go to their website to see if there are programs in your area, as it is an international organization.

The Best Buddies program connects individuals that have intellectual or development disabilities with students from Emory. Each participant will be matched with either one or two Emory students to form a “buddy pair/trio.” The program encourages buddies to contact each other several times a month in addition to hanging out at chapter events. You can also request that your son or daughter to be matched in a same-gender pair.

Once paired with a Buddy, they meet as a chapter once a month during the school year for activities such as movie screenings, arts and crafts, field days and more. Events are typically held on Sunday afternoons on or near Emory’s campus, located in Druid Hills. These usually last for two hours. The first event will likely be in mid-September.

As a result of their involvement with Best Buddies, people with IDD secure rewarding jobs, live on their own, become inspirational leaders, and make lifelong friendships.

Online registration for the 2014-2015 school year is now open. If you are interested, you may register your son or daughter to participate by clicking this here (select Emory University as the chapter).

If you are interested in volunteering, click here.

I will be reporting back on J’s progress once the program is in full swing! Perhaps I will see you there.

Spirit of Autism Web TV Episode 1 – Summer Safety

Posted on July 20, 2014 by SpiritOfAutism

As parents and caregivers of someone with Autism, you know as well as I do that safety is a concern year-round. However, it is heightened during the summer. This premier episode of Spirit of Autism Web TV focuses on two vital aspects of summer safety: wandering and emergency preparedness. Join me as I interview Erin and Bruce Wilson of QR Code ID and my friend, Austin Harris, about how to prepare your 72-hour kit to be prepared for what this crazy severe weather may bring to your neighborhood!

Thanks for tuning in! Look for the next episode on Wednesday, August 13 at 9:45 pm on AmericanHeartsRadio.com. We’ll be talking about transitioning back to school among other great topics!

Spirit of Autism, LLC

Autism Training for Emergency Responders • Emergency Preparedness

Category Archives: Tips & Tools