Transitions into Adulthood- Part 2: Socialization

As I continue into the four part series on helping our young adults prepare for their transition into adulthood, socialization is the next topic that I will touch on. As many of you may have experienced while working with children who are on the Autism Spectrum, sometimes socializing can be a very difficult and/or scary thing for our kiddos! But, just as it is important to each of us to have friends and family who we can do fun things with and enjoy spending our time with, it is equally as important for each of our kiddos to have these opportunities as well. Hopefully in your child's school placement, they are receiving instruction in social skills to help grow in this area. However, there are things that we can do at home as well to help our kiddos through this part of their lives. Here are some tips & ideas to help you help your kiddo as they learn to navigate this part of their lives.

• Check your local community for activities that your child can become involved in. Obviously our larger cities will have many more activities and outings available but small towns usually have activities for our children also. Examples of activities that you can look for are: 
• Church groups
• Local support groups for families of children who are on the Autism Spectrum and/or who have disabilities
• Meetup groups
• City Management 
• Most cities and towns, no matter what size or where you are in the US, provide groups for our kiddos. They actually keep pretty busy with monthly and weekly calendars. Some of the activities I have heard of are: weekly movie nights, bowling, participating in a play, skating nights, cooking nights and much more. It is worth checking into this wherever you are located!
• School organizations 
• Ask about organizations that are available at your child's school. Think about areas of interest and how they might be able to be involved. Most high schools have a large variety of groups and activities so chances are there could be a group in an area of interest to your child.
• If your child's school doesn't have a peer group, talk to the teachers about the possibility of setting one up. This can be done fairly simply and many students are eager to get involved. Some ideas for peer groups are: 
• Lunch groups
• Peer helpers in class
• Monthly/quarterly social events like a dance, cookout, movie, etc.
• Pen Pals....electronically. Most of us use technology to stay in touch/communicate with our friends and families--- have your kiddo do this too!
• Set up an email account and have students get names and email addresses of friends at school or family members who they can communicate with regularly.
• I found it easiest to use a structured format for my students to follow when teaching them how to use email. 
• Talk with your child about how to appropriately ask someone for their contact information. Practice this at home before they set out to do this at school. 
• Please see below for an example: 
  
• Set up a Facebook account--what a great way for them to learn to stay in touch and communicate with others. 
• Teach your child how to send and receive text messages. This is an easy way for us to send easy messages like "Mom, I made it home safely" or "Mom, I did my chores can I have computer time now?"
• Again, when using a structured format to teach a child to text they catch on much more quickly. 
• See example below: 
  
• Set up a Skype account and make connections with family, friends and peers who you would like to communicate with. 
• If your kiddo has difficulty with maintaining back-and-forth conversation have them stick to a script until they become more comfortable with this. 
• See below for an example: 
  
• *Please note this is a very short example but it gives you an idea of how to help structure a scripted conversation for someone who may need it.
• Plan monthly friend outings with your child and your network. If you have established a local network through support groups, church, school, etc. plan age-appropriate activities for your child and their friends to get to do. 
• Give your child the opportunity to pick an activity they want to do with their friends. The more opportunity they have to make choices in their lives the better. Often, our kiddos don't get a lot of choice about what goes on in their lives. By giving them the opportunity to choose social activities they want to do with their friends, you are providing them with a great thing!

Hopefully some, or all of these ideas are things will be of help to your family! It is a long list so don't be overwhelmed. If your child has a very difficult time with socializing then take it in small steps. This is a pretty difficult area for most kiddos who are on the Spectrum or have a disability. Start with finding a local support group. It helps to know that there are other families who are dealing with some of the same struggles as your family is. Once you start there that gives you the opportunity to establish a network and support system to begin exploring some of the other socialization parts of life. Good luck & happy socializing!

*Here is the link to download and print the resources listed: Email tips, How to send a text message & scripted conversation

Transitions into Adulthood Part 1

As we think about our children on the spectrum, a lot of focus goes into the little ones who are going through elementary or middle school. While it is important to focus on these years, it is also important to think about the future and how that might look for our young adults who are on the spectrum. There are some major areas to consider during your child's transition into adulthood. These areas include:

• Work
• Recreation and Leisure Activities
• Including Socialization
• Independent Living
• Education

Typically, as children continue through school these areas should all be addressed. However, there are activities you can do at home to help your child with their transition into the adult world. Throughout the next couple of months, I will touch on each of the major thinking points that were listed. I will discuss activities that you could consider doing at home to help with this transition. 

Work:

There are many skills that go into helping a young adult be ready for their first job. Some of these skills include personal hygiene, appropriate social skills, staying on task, and working. Below are a few ideas to use at home to help your child get ready for their first job.

1. Have your child complete work tasks at home. Give them a list of jobs to complete per day. They should check off each item on the list as they go. Let them decide what they are working for. Here is an example: 
   
   
   
2. Have your child complete a "Daily Hygiene" routine to help them understand appropriate work place etiquette. Here is another example:  
   
3. Use a timer to help your child understand when something is over or that it is time to change activities. Once your child understands how to respond to a timer, or that the activity is over this skill can be carried over into their jobs. A timer can be used to indicate that a work break is over, it is time to move onto their next duty, etc.
4. Have your child learn to tell time and wear a watch. Not only is this an important life skill, but it will also help them as they learn to read and follow schedules.  
5. Think about jobs they be interested in when it is time for them to enter the work force. Talk about what skills they have that would help a certain job be a good fit for them. Also talk about what skill(s) they might need to have to be able to perform the duties of different jobs. 
6. Have students practice filling out job applications online. You could even create a document that contains all of the common information that is asked for when filling out an application (i.e.- name, address, SS#, etc.) Your child can then reuse this document as they go through the application process.  
7. Let students earn money or a "paycheck" at home to help them understand the concept of working for a paycheck. 
8. Begin to think about what transportation will look like for your child once they do start work. Ask teachers and other professionals for information about the types of transportation services that are provided and/or available in your local community.
9. Have a weekly and/or monthly schedule at home for children to follow. List the activities you will be doing throughout the week. Once again, this will help them to understand how to read and follow a schedule.
10. Use schedules consistently. You may not realize how many schedules we have to follow daily. As your child gets ready to start their new jobs they may have to read transportation schedules (depending on how they will get to and from work,) job duty schedules and weekly work schedules, but the list can go on and on. 

There are many skills and activities that are important in helping anyone get ready to enter the working world, let alone someone who is dealing with life on the spectrum. The more we can do to help ease this huge life development, the better! It is with hope that these few tips help you as you assist your child going through this stage of life! Happy Working!!

Social Skills & Playing Games

Most people might think that playing games is a lot of fun for kids. As some of you probably know, this isn't always the case when dealing with our kiddos on the spectrum. Playing games can bring up a lot of different issues that you might never realize could be an issue until you are in the middle of dealing with a full on melt-down because someone didn't get to pick their favorite color, they didn't win the game or they don't want to let others take a turn. I have noticed in multiple settings and with many different children there were some major areas that needed to focused on to help them learn how to play games and have fun while doing so. For this reason, I created a few tools that have been helpful in teaching my students learn how to play games. By implementing these resources into my social skills lessons, it helped students learn how to play games by creating structure for them and by teaching them what to do during game playing. After introducing these tools into our game playing time I noticed an improvement in their ability to play games. I even noticed  my students started really enjoying the games and having fun playing games. They became excited about our "game time" and relied on the structure that was put into place to help them be successful at playing games. Obviously, this doesn't mean they each win every time. It does mean though that they have tools to help them know what to do if they don't win or don't get their favorite color. I have listed some tips that I hope are helpful, as well as other resources below. I hope that you will find them as helpful as I did! Happy Game Playing!!

Helpful tips: 

• Use icons for children who are nonverbal to indicate "my turn is finished" OR "now it's your turn!"
• This can help with teaching turn-taking as well
• Examples:  





My turn is FINISHED!




• Use a script for children who might not know what to say when their turn is finished, or to keep the game going
• Role-play before you play games to help children understand how to implement the "Game Rules" themselves and even how to play the game
• example- Show them how to appropriately respond if you don't win the game, how to take turns or how to congratulate the winner of the game
• Set a timer for those children who need that structure so they know exactly how long they will be playing the game for
• Read the rules ahead of time to figure out how you might need to make changes to the game to help your kiddo play (i.e.- adapted pieces, find only the colors instead of the colors and numbers, make sure all of the pieces are in the game before sitting children down to play)
• Have children pick a different color or piece every time you play a game (to avoid future meltdowns for not getting their favorite color or piece) 

Playing the game Rules 

• I created these rules to give structure to my students while playing games. I focused on the areas I noticed were causing the most issues while playing games. I suggest reviewing these rules before the game and leaving them out during the game. I also suggest referencing the rules if you notice that an issue might arise.
• Click here for "Playing a Game Rules" downloadable version

My Introduction!

Hello & thank you for taking the time to visit our blog! Before we go any further, I would like to take this time to introduce myself. My name is Olivia Newbold and I am happy to have the opportunity to share some of my gifts and passions with your families. I am a special education teacher for students who have mild, moderate and/or severe cognitive disabilities, including students who are on the spectrum. I have been working with individuals who have disabilities since I was about ten years old, when I started the first of my volunteer work in this area. I consider myself blessed for having been able to go to Illinois State University for my undergraduate and part of my graduate studies. I give them credit for a lot of what I am able to do.  I am originally from Illinois, but have recently relocated to the San Diego area to be with my fiancé who has been stationed here for work with the United States Marine Corps. I jumped at the opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors for the Autism Society, especially to try to help the military families who have a child on the spectrum. The military and individuals who have disabilities are two things that are very near to my heart so anything I can do to help make a positive difference in these lives is important to me!

The resources that you are finding have been developed in hopes that they can possibly help you and your families as you deal with everyday life and having a child on the spectrum. It is my sincerest desire that you will find some of these resources helpful to your family!!

Winston (my beloved Boston Terrier& I)

Thanksgiving Celebrations

Hi all! As the holidays are fast approaching, so may be some of the anxieties that come into play for our kiddos on the spectrum during this time of year. As most of us look forward to spending time with families and friends we may not always get to, having time off of work and a lot of extra food- these very things can be the cause of a great amount of stress and anxiety for some of our children who want consistency in their schedules and routines. I have once again created a couple of different resources that I hope will be helpful to you and your families during this fabulous time of year. I might also suggest creating a schedule for your children that tells them when you are going where. For example, if you have multiple Thanksgiving celebrations to attend maybe write out the days you will attend what houses. It could also be helpful to give your kiddo a time frame for when they will be at each of these new places to help give them some structure. I truly wish each of you and your families a wonderful Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving celebrations!!

Thanksgiving Social Story Link

Thanksgiving Tips Link

Thanksgiving Break Schedule Link

The Picture Communication Symbols ©1981–2011 by Mayer-Johnson LLC. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.

Boardmaker® is a trademark of Mayer-Johnson LLC

DynaVox Mayer-Johnson
2100 Wharton Street
Suite 400
Pittsburgh, PA 15203

Phone: 1 (800) 588-4548
Fax: 1 (866) 585-6260

Email: mayer-johnson.usa@dynavoxtech.com
Web site: www.mayer-johnson.com

Halloween & Trick-or-Treating

As you get your families ready for Halloween and Trick-or-Treating, some of you (including parents or kiddos) my face anxieties about all that goes into this fun activity. I have created a Halloween social story to help children understand what is going on with Trick-or-Treating. Additionally, I have created a mini schedule to help put structure to what can be an overwhelming activity for some of our kiddos on the spectrum. I hope that these resources can help ease anxieties and assist your families in having a fun and successful Halloween night. Happy Halloween and Trick-or-Treating!!! 

If you are interested in downloading these resources here is the link for the free, downloadable resources:
Halloween  story

And

Schedule & rules

Link for Halloween story: http://www.mediafire.com/view/p54xokvkasc35po/Halloween_Social_Story.jpg

Link for Rules and Schedule: http://www.mediafire.com/view/6iacbnfwxcfzfqx/Trick_or_Treating_schedule.jpg

The Picture Communication Symbols ©1981–2011 by Mayer-Johnson LLC. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.

Boardmaker® is a trademark of Mayer-Johnson LLC.

Autism Spectrum Disorder and Military Life

Structure, repetition, routines, consistency, schedules for everything (from a morning routine to daily chores to bedtime procedures.) These are all different examples of what life might when dealing with someone on the Autism Spectrum. 

Change, moving, last minute trainings, new people, new houses, new schools, new teachers…these are all examples of what military life is like for most of us.

So, for those of us who are trying to figure out how to balance and mesh two completely opposite life styles into one cohesive family unit, below are some ideas that might be of help to you.   As I often heard one of my greatest college professors say, (and as you may have heard the saying in reference to Autism,) “When you have met one person with Autism, you have met one person with Autism.” With that said, please note that what may work for one kiddo may not work the same way for another. However, I do hope that some of these will help your family.

Since military life might cause frequent moving, one way to help a child on the spectrum maintain a sense of consistency and routine would be to use schedules throughout their daily life. You could make a visual schedule for morning routine, getting ready for school, what to do when they get home from school or what to do after dinner. The more structure in place the better! Having schedules that you are able to transfer from place to place, from home to home could be very helpful.  Different examples of schedules are:

•     Visual schedules with pictures to represent a different activity for the child to complete as part of their routine(s)
•     Checklists to help a child understand exactly what they need to do to complete a process
•     Written schedules, with specific information about what to do to fulfill the schedule
•     Weekly and monthly schedules
•      Include doctor’s appointments, therapies, upcoming training's, etc.
•      Include possible weekend activities
• 
  
•     These schedules can be put in bathrooms to help a child understand the steps for brushing their teeth or washing their hands, in the kitchen to help them remember what their daily chores are, in their bedroom so when they wake up in the morning they know their routine
•     Flip schedules so as they complete a routine, they flip down each part of their schedule until all tabs are flipped over

Below are examples of some of these schedules:

The Picture Communication Symbols ©1981–2011 by Mayer-Johnson LLC. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission.

Boardmaker® is a trademark of Mayer-Johnson LLC.