Autism and the Holidays: Tips for a Happy and Stress-Free Season

Autism and the Holidays: Tips for a Happy and Stress-Free Season

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The holidays can be a difficult time for individuals with autism and their families. There are so many changes in routine, new people to meet, and sensory overload from all of the holiday decorations and activities. However, with a little bit of preparation, you can make the holidays a happy and stress-free time for everyone. In this blog post, we will provide some tips for making the holiday season enjoyable for individuals with autism.

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Calming Strategies for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Calming Strategies for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: How to Reduce Anxiety and Promote Relaxation

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Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder can often experience high levels of anxiety and stress. In this blog post, we will discuss some calming strategies that can help reduce anxiety and promote relaxation in children on the autism spectrum. These strategies include breathing exercises, visualization techniques, and mindfulness practices. Read more

Skills for Children with Autism

Teaching Empathy Skills to Children with Autism: How to Help Them Understand and Cope with Social Situations

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Children with autism often have difficulty understanding and coping with social situations. This can be very frustrating for them and their parents. Fortunately, there are ways to help them develop empathy skills. 

Children affected by ASD’s may not understand the emotions that other people are feeling, or they may not know how to react in certain social scenarios. This can lead to a lot of frustration for both the child with autism and their parents or caregivers. Teaching empathy skills is an important step that will help them navigate social situations more effectively and feel more connected to the people around them! 

In this article, we will discuss what empathy is, how it can be taught to children with autism, and some of the benefits of doing so. We will also provide a few tips for parents on how to help their children learn these important skills.

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Burnout as a Parent or Caregiver of a Child on the Autism Spectrum 6

How To Prevent Burnout as a Parent or Caregiver of a Child on the Autism Spectrum

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The importance of self-care cannot be overstated. Self-care gives you time for yourself and can help you relieve stress from your day to improve your mental health and well-being – all things that are important in life! But what is it? A term used often but not always related to the word “self” is in treating our own needs first before helping others. As a parent or caregiver of a child on the Autism spectrum, you may have already gone through a few bouts of burnout but recognizing your limits may help you to prevent that from happening in the future. Read on to find out how even we, as therapists can be affected by burnout, and how you can help prevent this from happening in your life. 

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Sensory Toys for Children with Autism

Sensory Toys for Children with Autism

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If you have a child with Autism, it is important to provide them with opportunities for sensory play. Some kids are more sensitive than others and may find certain textures or sounds too intense. You can help your little one adjust by giving them toys that involve touch (like sand), sound (bells), and sight( pictures).

People with autism often struggle to process information, but the way they receive it is just as important. Sensory issues can make things difficult for someone who has this condition and may need extra support in order to keep up with everything going on around them.

The five senses are experienced through play. Sensory toys stimulate a child’s sight, sound, and more to encourage their natural curiosity about the world around them in an environment where safety and comfort is top priority!

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Empathy For Kids With Autism

5 Ways To Help Your Child With Autism Show Empathy

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Empathy is a complex social skill involving verbal and non-verbal cues. For a person with Autism, this skill does not come naturally. These skills start to develop with typically developing children in their toddler years. Children with autism may need extra training and reinforcement to show empathetic behavior.

What is empathy and why is it important? Read more

Is It Bribery or Reinforcement? Why Should I Care?

Bribery Vs Positive Reinforcement – Practical, Behavioral Help for Autism

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Positive reinforcement is often confused with bribery. But, is it important for parents (especially for those with children on the autism spectrum) to distinguish the difference between bribery and reinforcement. Equally important is the knowledge of HOW to practically use positive reinforcement to help everyday behaviors.

Does This Behavioral Scenario Sound Familiar?

After working all day, cleaning up after your kids, you’ve spent the past hour cooking an amazing meal for your family, and you put it in front of your toddler and tell him to take a bite. He immediately starts to cry and demand chicken nuggets. Thinking quickly, you say “Hey, I’ll make you a deal, you stop crying and I’ll go make you some chicken nuggets.” Your sigh of relief is palpable as the crying stops, and it’s quiet once more. For many parents, this is a common occurrence, and most of us don’t pause to analyze what we may be teaching at that moment. Read more

Develop independent living skills in your child with autism

How to Build Independent Living Skills in Your Child With Autism

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Daily, independent living skills or self-care skills are those skills that people use every day to maintain their appearance, health, and hygiene. These small tasks include brushing teeth, showering, chores, and getting dressed. These are arguably some of the most important skills in a person’s repertoire. These skills provide a person with the autonomy to live on their own or with minimal support.

Many of our learners with autism may need extra support to learn these important skills. For some families, caregivers have to complete these tasks for their child, adding to additional stress on the family. By their children with autism learning these skills, stress can be reduced for the caregivers. Read more

Trick or Treat Tips & Tricks for Children with Autism

Trick or Treat Safety Tips

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Halloween Trick or Treat Tips for Children with Autism

Trick or treat time can be a memorable, fun experience for any child. Our top suggestions for making trick or treating a positive experience for your child with autism involve focusing on SAFETY and STRATEGY. Read more