Apps for iPhones and iPads
We all know that iPhones and iPads are not just for wireless communication. You can use their technology for just about anything. Best of all, iPhones and iPads are great tools to work on pre-literacy, language and social skills. We also know that not all apps are great and many times, when you are trying to decide which ones to download, the descriptions end up being more confusing then helpful.

With all the new fangled gadgets and gizmos, iPhones and iPads and Legos galore, we thought we’d go back to the basics and share with you some of our favorite toys for little ones. The list is endless but we narrowed ours down to a few things that not only we love, but that kiddos love as well. You can facilitate some great communication interactions and also work on some other important skills and your child won’t even realize that they are “working” on their development. Here are a few of our favs and why we love them:
1. Bubbles

With so many books on autism on the market, it can be a challenge to figure out what’s worth purchasing and reading. There are books by celebrities, books by doctors, books by teachers, books by therapists, books by parents and so much more. I can’t tell you how many books I have on my shelf that I thought were going to be great but ended up being not so great. Way too many! We thought we would share our top 12 favorite books and why we love them so much. These books are great for everyone involved in the treatment of your child like parents, grandparents, teachers and therapists.

Leprechauns! Shamrocks! Rainbows! Pots of gold! Green drinks! Green parades! St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner. St. Patrick’s Day is a different holiday from what most of our kids are used to. It’s harder to understand but is still a lot of fun! You don’t typically get or give presents. You don’t have an egg hunt. You probably don’t have a big family dinner. As we get older it becomes a more important social holiday. So how do we work on St. Patrick’s Day now so that our kids are ready for all the social implications of St. Patrick’s Day when they are older?

Protesting “no” is a skill that sometimes can be difficult for children with language disorders. Instead of using their words they may:
1. Push objects or people away
2. Throw objects
3. Cry/scream
Here are a few steps you can follow to help your child protest “no”:
Step one: You will need a visual of “no”.

With the new school year it is likely that your mailbox or your child’s backpack is being filled with birthday party invitations from their classmates. Fun, yes. But this doesn’t always mean smooth sailing for our children. Birthday parties can be challenging for our kids as they are held at all sorts of different locations, have different activities at each party, can be filled with loud unfamiliar sounds, unfamiliar routines, some of our not so favorite foods and have specific social expectations.

KidSpeak is taking a break from blogging to wrap up the rest of the summer semester, to prepare for the new school year and to spend some time with family and friends. We will be back in September with lots of new material to help you prepare for the holidays and for keeping your child social during the fall!

We made this flag mural this week in our Social Schoolers Group and the kids loved it. They were able to work together, take turns, encourage each other, problem solve together, come up with ideas together, practice giving compliments and more. They couldn’t wait for us to hang it up so they could admire their work and comment about the art throughout the whole week. It was also a very calming activity which our kids may need amongst all the holiday fun and excitement. It’s also simple and easy, the main reason WE loved it!

There seems to be so many answers and guidance when your child with an ASD is younger but as they age its scary because the support dwindles away. I read a great article in Autism Digest by Chantal Sicile-Kira about creating Independence and want to share some of my favorite highlights.
The first is self-regulation- this is something that is taught and does not always come easy to a child on the spectrum. Some key points to remember in developing this skill: