ButterflyEffects.com Feed

Social Skills/Pragmatics Materials - Link to Great Resource/Music Therapy

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:50:20 GMT

I recently shared this with a teacher who asked that I post it in the forums for reference. This is a wonderful resource for teachers/therapists/or even parents who may running play dates and are trying to teach social skills.

Tuned Into Learning - (appropirate for PreK to 7)

The songs are very catchy and is accompanied by wonderful visuals. You can order it from Super Duper Learning - http://www.superduperinc.com/TUV_Pages/tnl01.htm

It might be a great gift for a teacher at the beginning of the year to use during circle times to focus on friendship development and appropriate classroom behaviors (I should ask super duper for a job!)

Anyway, great resource...

Autism Votes... It's time for lawmakers to listen.

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:26:53 GMT

By cfudge on Apr 16 4:26 pm

Autism Votes... It's time for lawmakers to listen.

Dear Florida Autism Advocate,

The autism insurance reform bill sponsored by Representative Ari Porth, HB 1291, needs your attention once more. To date, only 44 out of 120 Representatives have stepped up to the plate to cosponsor this legislation for your families and your children. We made significant gains yesterday in gathering cosponsors for this bill, but still have a ways to go to reach our goal of 61 cosponsors!

HB 1291 is a fiscally responsible, common-sense approach to providing families with children with autism with financial relief and the ability to provide the medically necessary, evidence based treatments that their child's doctors have prescribed.

WE NEED 17 MORE REPRESENTATIVES TO SIGN ON BY THE END OF THE DAY TODAY. THAT'S ONLY 3 PER HOUR! LET'S GO Get 'EM!

ACTION NEEDED: What can you do to help?

1. Pick up the phone and CALL, CALL, CALL! All day today. Ask your neighbors, coworkers, and anyone else you know to call their representatives to urge them to sign onto HB 1291. We are very close and with enough noise at the Capitol, this could become a reality, soon.

Go to the Autism Votes, Resources page to find the name and phone number for YOUR FL State Representative.
Check out this list of State Representatives that HAVE NOT YET cosponsored HB 1291. If you see your Representative on this list, MAKE A CALL TO HIM/HER TODAY!

2. Follow up with an EMAIL to the FL State Representatives not yet cosponsors of HB 1291.

3. To find out more information on HB 1291 go to www.autismvotes.org/florida.

Again, we only need 17 more sponsors for the bill to be able to pass so please take five minutes to make those calls and send those emails. Spread the word.

Autism Votes - It's time for Lawmakers to listen!

Thanks!

Shelley Hendrix
Director of State Advocacy Relations
Autism Speaks

Aspergers Quiz

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:22:17 GMT

By mlopez on Apr 4 11:22 am

Here is an interesting quiz for anyone to take! The goal of this test is to provide reliable predictions for six key neurodiversity diagnoses. In this version the diagnostic predictions build upon almost 90,000 answers to 30 versions.

http://www.rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php

Reaching His Behavior Goals

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:49:39 GMT

By mlopez on Mar 25 4:49 pm

So, I am slowly but surely learning how to handle the special education needs of my son who was diagnosed with Asperger's. The school he is attending is very attentive to his needs and also is helping me with addressing those needs. Some of his behavior goals have been difficult to reach (sometimes seemingly impossible!) but there has been definite progress in the past few months. The following goals are the ones we have been working on:

development of age appropriate behavior
social skills
anger management
developing appropriate verbal communication

I just am so thankful that there is so much helpful information out there, I can't afford much therapy but the little I get goes a long way. My son went from an angry, reclusive child, to a much more out-going social "butterfly".

Anger Management Strategies for kids with Aspergers

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:29:33 GMT

By mlopez on Mar 19 2:29 pm

I have been having a hard time controlling my son who was diagnosed with aspergers. He has a nasty anger streak in him sometimes, and it has just become so difficult dealing with it in a constructive way. He doesn't take 'no' for an answer and sometimes becomes aggressive if he doesn't get his way. Do you have any suggestions? What is the best way to handle this?

Social Skills Summer Camp

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 22:51:44 GMT

By mmejia on Feb 29 10:51 pm

Social Skills Summer Camp

An 8 week program starting June 11 - August 3, 2007

Therapy SPOT Inc. has designed a summer camp program that addresses social pragmatics, provides peer socialization, and academic skill maintenance within a fun and safe environment. Our program is geared towards meeting the social needs of children with High Functioning Autism, PDD, and Asperger's Syndrome.

It is a 5.5 hour program (8:45am to 2:15pm) Monday through Friday for 8 weeks. The camp is run by 2 or more therapists (OT/ST) at all times, making our camp uniquely fun, yet therapeutic. These occupational and speech therapists are trained in pragmatic language and social skill development. This social skills camp is limited 10-12 campers, ages 5-8. A smaller group size is to ensure individualized attention and to allow for successful peer interaction.

Daily Social Skills Camp Schedule

8:45-9:15 drop off/unstructured play

9:15-9:45 yoga/stretching

9:45-10:15 arts and crafts

10:15-11:00 group games

11:00-11:30 sensory free play in gym

11:30-12:00 lunch

12:00-12:20 quiet book reading

12:20-1:00 social story and language development

1:00-1:30 gross motor games/sports

1:30-2:00 small group academic work stations

2:00-2:15 clean up and pick up

The camp fee is $300 per week and includes all camp materials, except lunch. Campers must register for all 8 weeks. Space is limited, so register now!!!

Contact Ellen at 561-859-2010 or Monica at 561-859-2100 to register or

with any questions.

Camper Criteria

Campers must be 5-8 years of age
Campers must be independent with bathroom use
No display of behaviors (tantrums, aggression...)
Campers must display learning readiness skills (attend to task at a table, follow directions...)
Campers must display functional visual motor skills
Campers must have age level or above academic skills
Campers must have intelligible verbal skills with adults and peers
Campers must show interest in peer socialization

Therapy SPOT Inc. is a new and unique occupational and speech therapy clinic opening this May in the Camino Real Centre in Boca Raton. At Therapy SPOT Inc., we specialize in treating the whole chi ld in a positive, therapeutic environment.

Therapy SPOT Inc. offers a variety of services, including free OT/ST screenings in the clini c or at your child's school, OT/ST evaluations, treatment and consultations,

in-servicing, and classroom education/training to ensure successful integration of children with special needs into typical classrooms. We offer many innovative programs including, Interactive Metronome, Therapeutic Listening Program, Brain Train Program, Handwriting Without Tears, and so much more...

Monica M. Weller M.S.

561-859-2100 561-859-2010

Please note: This is not affiliated with Butterfly Effects.

Aspergers

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:58:02 GMT

By susanhepburn on Feb 29 11:58 am

We are located in Sydney Australia. Behavior services are minimal here. I have noticed through my online research that many people are recommending behavior therapy for children with Aspergers. We have a 4 yr old daughter with aspergers as well as some ADHD and I was interested in finding out what type of behavior programs are available either online or in our area as well as what type of programs you think are appropriate to our situation.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Aspergers and Potty Training

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 01:20:00 GMT

By marksmith on Feb 24 1:20 am

Our son is almost 3 years old and he has been 'diagnosed' with mild aspergers. My wife and I are trying everything that we know to get him potty trained, but he absolutely refuses to use the bathroom unless we physically take him there ourselves. Besides the diaper costs, we would like to get him properly potty trained. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks,

Mark Smith

Daughter Acting Up

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 13:38:41 GMT

By vollyball28 on Feb 10 1:38 pm

One of my daughter has been acting up lately and when speaking to one of her teachers she felt that she may have some slight aspergers. Are there any common test online that I could use before I take her to see her doctor. Has anyone experienced defiant behavior come up out of the blue in a 10 year old?

"An Asperger's view of friendship"

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:44:24 GMT

By nacosta on Feb 7 9:44 pm

"An Asperger's View of Friendship" is a BEAUTIFUL story written by Scott Goldfarb, a high school student who shares his own story about living with Asperger's Syndrome, and his perception of friendship. His grandfather submitted the story to Autism Speaks "In their own words" section, with Scott's permission. Here's just an excerpt:

"I do recognize that I have a long way to go to feel completely great about myself, assuming that there is a point where I'll ever fully accept myself as being the way I want to be. Yet, I know it is foolish and stupid of me to just constantly dwell on what could've and what should've been. After all, it's not as if everyone in high school, or even beyond high school and into being an adult, is ever fully adjusted and happy and only those with Asperger's Syndrome are left with problems. As the R.E.M tune goes, everybody hurts. However, implicit in this message is that everyone, or hopefully everyone, heals. With this knowledge at hand, and with my striving to want to better myself day by day, moment by moment, I know that the chains of Asperger's and all the other little annoyances will prove to be just an illusion".

Follow this link to read more: http://www.autismspeaks.org/community/intheirownwords_scott.php. IT'S SPECTACULAR! Everyone should read it.

Sibling Relations

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:30:55 GMT

By cfudge on Feb 1 8:30 pm

Interested in learning if anyone has experience in working with sibling relations with one challanged by Aspergers. Specifically, I would love to hear what tips/recommendations you have for siblings age 7 to 12 to help them learn to communicate better.