asd Archives

The Top Reasons for ABA

June 29, 2018May 23, 20187 Comments

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a great tool for autistic kids. It really helps them get the help that they need in order to be successful and learn properly. It covers so many topics, ideas, and curriculum. At first, I was scared of this program because I was still in denial about my child being autistic. I am not certified in any of this, this is all my opinion from a parent standpoint.

This program takes some time before you see results. Nothing will happen overnight and for the longest time I had to keep telling myself that. Here are the top 4 reasons why I would recommend ABA for anyone who is autistic:

They still get social interaction: There are other kids in the program and they do circle time in addition to fun activities. Most of the time people claim the children don’t get the interaction they need, but that couldn’t be further from the truth!
Non-verbal communication: Before we started ABA, communicating was a complete mess. We tried sign language. We tried a lot of things. Now, we are able to actually communicate either with pictures or sign language. Obviously, our end goal is verbal communication but we were able to really gain a lot from this and not be as frustrated!
Celebrate small victories: You can see the progress that your child makes. The program keeps you updated and lets you know what they are working on. This way, when your kid does it at home you can celebrate and keep track of each accomplishment!
Get a break: This might sound kind of rude, but parents need breaks. Especially when you have a special needs child. When I send my kid to ABA, I know he is in excellent care and is receiving the 1 on 1 he needs that sometimes I am not able to provide.

I am not an expert when it comes to ABA, I am just a parent who has her own personal thoughts and feelings. I’d love to hear how you feel about ABA and what has worked for you!

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When Your Child is Ready For a Toddler Bed

April 23, 2018March 9, 2018Leave a comment

Lately I have been going back and forth about a toddler bed for Antonio. He is autistic and I don’t feel like he can communicate or listen well. So it worries me to put him a toddler bed all alone.

I wonder if he will get up or fall out etc. I mean it’s all new to us. We have put it off for so long because I didn’t think he was ready, but we have to do it sooner or later and the time might be now. I have to put my mama bear feelings behind me and accept he’s no longer a little boy.

Signs that he’s ready
sleeps through the night on his own and doesn’t get up. This is the first thing that we noticed. Even when he wakes up before us, he stays in his bed and occupies himself.
Can understand no. Whether he likes it or not is another story but for the most part he understands and usually stops.
– The room is 💯 baby proof. This was my biggest fear. I didn’t want him to open all the drawesr to his dresser or play with toys or get into trouble so we had to make sure this was taken care of.
Puts an interest info bigger beds whether it’s a toddler bed or just parents beds. He loves coming into our bed and loves being super comfy, so we knew he enjoyed this.

Here are some of our favorite items that we used to get his room ready for his new bed.
REGIONAL’S CLEAR CORNER PROTECTORS | High Resistant Adhesive Gel | Best Baby Proof Corner Guards | Stop Child Head Injuries
Excellents Baby Magnetic Cabinet Safety Locks. Pro 8 locks+ 2 Keys keep your child safe. Baby proofing Easy to install just Stick on – No drilling With Extra Strong 3M Tape!

Safety 1st Power Strip Cover

Jambini Self-Closing Outlet Covers – An Alternative To Socket Plugs – 3 pack

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The 5 Best Stem Toys For Kids  

April 22, 2018February 19, 20189 Comments

Whether your child is autistic or not, all kids love stem toys. What does the term stem even mean? Stem stands for Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This is typically used when addressing education policy and choices in schools, to improve competitiveness in science and technology development. These items will help them get the education they need with you right at home. They are all such great resources and tools for you to use.

http://amzn.to/2DKSNzV 7TECH 1000 Pcs Snowflake Building Blocks Stem Educational Toys for kids
http://amzn.to/2Bs8UNn Magnetic Blocks STEM Educational Toys Magnet Building Block Tiles Set for Boys and Girls by Coodoo-24pcs
http://amzn.to/2Ghnf2S Dinosaur Toys Take Apart Toys With Tools – Pack of 6 Dinosaurs – Construction Engineering STEM Learning Toy Building Play Set – Toy for Boys & Girls Age 3 – 12 years old
http://amzn.to/2Fg0zPq Build and Play STEM Learning 148 Pieces Playset, Educational Construction Engineering Toy Set for 5 models by Joyin Toy
http://amzn.to/2DFOpmz ETI Toys | STEM Learning | Original 101 Piece Educational Construction Engineering Building Blocks Set for 3, 4 and 5+ Year Old Boys & Girls | Creative Fun Kit | Best Toy Gift for Kids Ages 3yr – 6yr
BONUS http://amzn.to/2DQttIU Kidwerkz Dinosaur Toys, STEM Learning (106 pieces), Take Apart Fun (Pack of 3), Construction Engineering Building Play Set For Boys Girls Toddlers, Best Toy Gift Kids Ages 3yr – 6yr, 3 Years and Up

Which one is your favorite?

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The best activities for autism kids without any toys!

April 2, 2018February 27, 2018Leave a comment

My kid has sensory issues, but we never really understood what this all meant until we went to some counseling and therapy sessions. I knew he had something going on and I heard others talk about it but I didn’t understand it through my son. People told me about it but I was like what does this even mean? How do I change it and the truth is you can’t really change it especially over night. You have to continue to work and allow him to get the sensory input he needs.

One of the biggest things that I hated was that my son would hold my ear all the time especially when drinking milk or cuddling at night. It drove me nuts, but it was part of his sensory that he needed; it gave him calm feelings that he needed. I couldn’t stop it and. I learned that I shouldn’t ever try to stop it, he needed it and this shall pass someday.

The other big sensory item was that he was always climbing on me, he wanted cuddles and kisses, etc. Believe me I was okay with this too, but I hated it sometimes when I wanted to just chill. I learned that this too is also sensory. He LOVES pressure.. we learned this and I needed to keep fulfilling that in order to make him happy and move forward, otherwise it would end in a tantrum.

So let’s first talk about what sensory really is. It is the difficult processing everyday sensory such as any of our senses; they can be over or under-sensitive at anytime. They love to explore all their senses.. They see things differently than all of us and they love getting simulated with certain senses.

How can we help with sensory issues/ It really depends on the sensory items that they might need, so you need to adjust accordingly, here are some items that work for my son who loves movement, music and the pressure. So we had to incorporate all of these ideas in our daily life and activities:

Ring around the Rosie – He would start spinning whenever he wanted it and we would sing the song. He loves it and it caught his attention and would keep doing it several times.

Patty cake – This is another one where we would sing and exaggerate the “roll” and he would love it! He would giggle everyday we said roll AND did it with our arms! He would start to roll on his own in his brain whenever to get his fulfillment.

Lots of climbing and jumping on momma – We love “rough playing” we throw him on the couch (gently) or cover him with pillow and blankets playing peek a boo, and he loves it. This is one of the best things we can do, he can’t ever seem to get enough of it!

How can you tell if they like it? Well … they really giggle and give you the eye contact that they want! They ask for more in non verbal communication by showing eye contact, or giggles. They will grow out of these and will want something else as time goes on, but for now these have all worked so well with us!

View some of our favorite items for autistic kids.

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Autism Progress Weekly

February 2, 2018December 5, 2017Leave a comment

Each week, I like to share information about Antonio and his autism. This week I want to sort of take a step back and tell you about some of Antonio’s weekly accomplishments! Autism diagnosis not with standing, it’s always important to notice the small baby steps and victories you see each day.

Antonio points now. This is a constant pointing he thinks it’s cool. I can see him smiling when he is pointing, feeling a sense of self-fulfillment. He points for small thing like a drink or toy and expects them when he does it. This is a good thing, a skill we have worked on for many weeks. My kid can be stubborn sometimes but this really showed a breakthrough!
He likes to take someone’s hand and walk with them to what he wants. There was a balloon on the table that he wanted, so he took his daddy’s hand brought him to the table and pointed. It’s tough that he still isn’t talking, but the fact that he has found other ways to communicate is incredible. As he is doing these things I make sure to talk and give him words of encouragement so that it sticks with him.
He loves playing hide and seek. Not that he didn’t before but he is totally loving opening a door and closing it then making us ask “Where’s Antonio?” and when we find him he giggles so hard. And then he quickly runs to the next door. It is the cutest thing ever and this is a new development.
We are slowing breaking bad habits. One of the habits we are trying to break is biting on his sippy cup. He used to chew through so many nipples and refused to use other cups. It’s been frustrating, because even if we watch him closely and remind him to stop chewing on it, he still ended up damaging it. We have encouraged him “put down” the sippy cup when he is done using it.
Playing with balls. He has loved balls for a little while now. But he loves to throw it and watch it bounce. This is one of the greatest things ever, for him. He will be amused with this for quite a lengthy period of time. We are currently working on helping him roll the ball, to show there are other ways to use a ball.
His eye contact has gotten better. He doesn’t look when we call him yet, but he definitely looks at us when we play together and I am in his face.
He sits for longer periods. When he is playing with a toy he likes, it can hold his attention for five minutes. I know it may not seem like a long time, but five minutes is a huge improvement. We want to make sure that we are continuing to reward him when he accomplishes new things, reinforce good habits and continue striving for more improvement.

A few of our upcoming goals include using verbal commands without the gestures he has been used to and getting him to use another sip cup, one that doesn’t have a nipple.
He is super smart and knows what he can get away with. It’s been quite fun and entertaining to see him change each day!

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The Autism Truth From A Mother’s Perspective

December 20, 2017October 25, 2017Leave a comment

We have been down this road before the regression stage. I get excited when he does something then its not consistent. I am his cheerleader and get So freaking excited, but then go back to being down because we weren’t 100% successful. I beat myself up. I constantly wonder what the heck is going on and what is wrong? I hate not knowing those truths! I mean lets be honest here.

I wonder is it me? Is it him? Why can’t we just be consistent? Then I read and talk to others; it takes a kid 1,000 times before they are consistent with anything. So with a special needs kid, it takes at least double that. So keep doing, and don’t get frustrated, is what I tell myself..

Sometimes it doesnt matter if you are helping him learn because everything you do is. So sitting there stressing about everything isnt efficient. You need to have learning times and then breaks; it is too much for both of you.

I remember this day so good. I was doing some work from my phone and was in his room. I was just watching him play and letting him be that independent boy that he is! I then stopped and said okay it’s learning time. I have to get through to him it’s my goal. I started to worry because those thoughts are crazy hard for me and I just want the outcome to happen already!

So I thought about what to do to get through to him. Then I realized lets be natural together. He loves tickling and being silly so why not?! I kept tickling and making him go a little backwards and his giggles made me feel the warmth and happiness inside. I said “more”, something that we have been working on for decades… He said more back and it was clear as day I got super excited and kept going with the play.

We have been enforcing “more” since he as about a year old with sign language for food, milk, toys, play, etc. So this isnt a surprise to me, but it felt so good to be able to hear that and have that happiness feeling inside of me!

The hardest part is that he is a toddler, two to be exact, and I feel we are in the terrible twos AND autistic so its double the trouble and patience. He tests me a lot, what kid doesn’t and lately he is laughing when I tell him “no.” Before he was two, I swear he listened much better and stopped when I said no. So enter terrible two’s lets do this.

You see that sometimes the play and learning is the way you want it to be. We all need to be more natural and relaxed; our kids can feel it too. Laugh a little and enjoy those moments for what they are worth, it goes too fast.

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Being A Parent To An Autism Child

December 18, 2017October 19, 2017Leave a comment

Lately I have been so hard on myself since Antonio is dealing with autism much more. I can’t help but feel like a bad mother even though I am far from it. I feel bad that I have to enforce and wait for him to let me know that he understands things. What does that even mean? It got me thinking why do we beat ourselves up as parents?

So since he got diagnosed with autism, we have been working with some great speech therapists. We have had to learn how to be more patient. Whenever he wants something he has to point to it or make a noise. This is hard because I need to have time and patience for myself and him, but it is also hard because sometimes he gets mad and frustrated which causes him to cry. I don’t like seeing my kid unhappy and having a meltdown. Which in turns causes me to break down.

The even harder part is when we are out in public and I have to discipline him and not give in. I know this sounds like a duh moment as a parent, but the truth is it’s harder than you think. We went to the playground with friends who have kids and the minute we got there he through a tantrum. He had some major social anxiety and separate anxiety. He was super whining the whole time and didnt want to be a normal kid. Instead of just giving into him and letting him leave the playground I worked with him and kept re directing him to the playground. Some might say this is normal for a two year old but he was showing signs of autism by not wanting to play with the kids and covering his ears etc. I kept encouraging him and talking to him. I stood by his side for every single step. This is how I dealt with autism. I literally came home and cried. I cried because I felt like a mother who couldn’t help her son. I couldn’t understand what he was upset about.

Another scenario .. My kid sometimes just stops in the middle of a store, sits down, and laughs, or screams; he even tries to lick the floor. Which is when I lose it and scream because in public like no the floor is NOT OKAY! He likes to lay down and not get up! People stop and stare and then look at me. I get it, but I am doing the best I can. At the end of the day I see his smile and it makes me know I must be doing something right! So I beat myself up because I get frustrated and wish my kid could communicate and understand better, but the reality is he can’t and this is acceptance. I have to work with him slowly and be patient.

I want to be able to get through to him more than anything in the world! All in time I keep telling myself! What are some struggles that you face with being a parent?

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How to Deal With an Autism Child in Your Family

November 27, 2017October 14, 2017Leave a comment

It’s hard to keep your cool and stick to your regular schedule and development behavior when family is in town. I mean you know the saying grandmas spoil kids. However when you have an autism kid and are really trying to enforce things and no one wants to listen to you it’s frustrating.

Parents just brush it off instead of understanding how important the schedule and behavior is. They think that one little time wont hurt nothing, but it does.

I know that I get really mad and upset when my parents can’t enforce the way we do because they are grandparents and want to spoil them. I have a hard time communicating so I get it all, but I also know what needs to be done. Instead of yelling or arguing, here are some helpful tips for you as a parent that will help you remain calm during a time like this:

walk away: whenever I get really overwhelmed or frustrated, I walk away and let myself cool down. I think about what upset me and allow myself to take it all in. I want to be able to understand why I was upset and how to not regret saying something that I don’t mean.
ask politely not to do that: explain the importance behind the reasoning and ask to not do it that way. Show/tell what you didnt like and be upfront with them.
take a deep breath: This goes hand in hand with whenever you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, take a few deep breaths and then let them out through your mouth. This is a great way to release that stress and frustration.
take the child in the other room and work one on one away from family: When you have an autistic kid, or toddler, they get really distraction and frustrated. Allow yourself to walk away and work with your child away from everyone. This will help calm both of you!

What you can do if you are on the other side .. the family aka grandma. I know that grandparents don’t always understand things but yet want the best for their grand child. So here is what I got from my parents when I was trying to enforce certain things and we got into an argument.

ask questions: Allow them to ask questions and be open about things. This can be a new topic to them and they don’t quite understand. Write the schedule down so that way everyone knows it and can understand it better.
follow schedules and directions: Make sure to follow the parents schedule for their child and not let it slide. They have a schedule in place for a reason, so enforce it with them.
communicate: Allow both of you to chat about what makes your child sad, unhappy, and what his bad habits might be. This can help the grandparents understand more.

What are some things that you have to enforce to your parents (grandparents) for your children?

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Regression & Pointing with Autism Kids

November 8, 2017September 26, 2017Leave a comment

Everyday is a learning experience now with an autistic kid. This is the truth and the new normal now. It seems to hurt me somedays since I feel like my kid should he “farther” and different than the rest. But I have to remember that is incredibly unique, happy, healthy, and smart.

It seems that today people put so much pressure on us to leave this “ happy life” You know that picture perfect that you envisioned when you found you were younger. I tell myself that God wouldn’t give me anything that I can’t handle and that is the truth.

Let’s put all those “picture perfect” visions and thoughts away because they wont ever be true; that is just reality. Its the same feelings you get when you are about to get married, you think your life will forever change and be perfect. Then you have that first fight and the second and you realize it isnt what you envisioned because society makes us think this stuff!

So now back to the autism… I can’t expect things to happen overnight. I can’t expect my kid to be like others. I can’t compare my kid to other autistic kids. The only thing that I can do is be a parent to my son. I have to accept all of this for what it is worth and realize nothing is perfect and wont ever be.

Being a parent is the hardest freakin thing, ever. If someone would of told me this years ago, I wouldn’t of believed them! So what does all this even mean? There is going to be times for me as a parent when things are rough with an autism kid. I can’t help it when he throws a tantrum, I want to give in.

I get upset when he can’t communicate to me and he doesnt understand me… I get anxiety thinking what should I do to make this easier for us? He is incredibly freaking smart, don’t get me wrong. I get so excited when he accomplishes the simplest tasks, but it just hard to communicate to one another!

Helping your kid point his or her finger is the number one thing we have learned, and are working on, since it is a form of communication. I literally have to get in his face to try to communicate and get across to him.

Regression sucks! There isnt any consistency in anything that we do and its hard. We will point to our nose, work on all day, then the next day, he just doesnt remember it. We have to go over it all again. Its the same thing with speech and so much more. So it is really tough guys. I have no really ideas to help get through to him as of right now since we are still in the beginning stages, but I promise you I am working HARD on this!