April 2 is on the calendar as World Autism Awareness Day. Lots of people are doing lots of things to mark the occasion, and everyone has their own perspective on the meaning of the day. There is a vibrant and active community of adults with autism and parents of children with autism in the blogging world, many of whom would […]
Read moreUpdate: school funding is undergoing a significant change. Applications for funding is no longer on a child by child basis, unless you are in an independent school. It remains important to collaborate and to share information to help the school staff fully support your child’s growth. I have to go to a school meeting for my son re: support as […]
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Adapted with permission from an article by Caitlin Wray, originally shared in the Facebook group Autism Manitoba – For Parents and Caregivers. There are many reasons why families decide to home school. There are also many misconceptions about homeschooling as well. What follows is meant to be a starting point for parents thinking about home schooling their children.
Read moreWhat is Floortime all about anyway? This post (the first in a series) is about explaining what DIR/Floortime is, in ordinary parent language. How does this approach to autism intervention help us understand our kids better, and what strategies does it offer? I write this as a parent who has gone through training in our local program, taken one online […]
Read moreFor parents, having a school experience that works for our kids is the equivalent of “winning.” That’s especially true for parents of children with disabilities – we are aware of their vulnerability, and we often feel pressure to help them grow as quickly as possible. There’s been lots of great advice about preparing our children (and our schools) for a […]
Read moreHere’s a big question: if all children learn best through play, why would our children with autism be any different? At the World Conference of Early Childhood and Education held in Moscow, Russian in 2010, the Council of Ministers of Education Canada (CMEC) published a statement (available here) on play-based learning. They underscored the enormous importance of purposeful play based […]
Read moreUpdate: The Family Resource Centre library is now located on the main floor of the SSCY Building at 1155 Notre Dame Avenue. If you go into the Rehabilitation Centre for Children and head down the hallway, you’ll find yourself in a large, welcoming room. At one end there is a well-equipped play area with lots of toys, and to one side […]
Read moreUpdate: Making Waves is now known as Swimmingly. Information can be found at www.swimminglymb.org. Our kids love water play. Especially at the lake. In fact, our daughter won’t come out – she so enjoys the feel of the water as she bounces and splashes. Two summers ago, we noticed she really had no fear. If we weren’t nearby, she would […]
Read moreOur family belongs to a church. And in all honesty, without the support of our church community, I don’t know how we would have survived the last five years. Having a community to stand alongside you is important for any family, and all the more so for a family of children with autism or other special needs. Last weekend I […]
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The book by America X Gonzalez, Lois Jean Brady and Jim Elliot, Speech in Action: Interactive Activities Combining Speech Language Pathology and Adaptive Physical Education gives parents and support staff plenty of activities which compliment nicely with Floortime fundamentals to bring together language and movement. What is Speech in Action? Speech in Action is a combination of speech therapy and […]
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