Communication and literacy are important goals for improving quality of life for autistic children. However, parents and teachers may need more strategies for supporting these goals. A Land We Can Share: Teaching Literacy to Students with Autism by Paula Kluth and Kelly Chandler-Olcott is an excellent and practical resource for helping kids on the autism spectrum read and communicate. The […]
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Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism By Dr. Barry Prizant Published by Simon & Shuster When parents first hear their child has autism, they may experience grief, confusion, or fear. These emotions are accompanied by questions – about who their child will be, and how to parent them in a way that helps them be successful. What […]
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There are many reasons to read picture books with children. Exploring new ways to communicate, enjoying a shared joke, learning about feelings, learning about the world, and finding ideas to expand play are all wonderful reasons to read. Two excellent criteria for choosing books are: The following books might fit those criteria for your child! Pete’s a Pizza Pete’s a […]
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“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” -O. Fred Donaldson Many people have happy childhood memories of playing with friends, when they imagined being and doing all kinds of things. Play is an important part of how children develop and explore imagination, problem solving, communication and friendship. “Autistic play is authentic play.” Cari […]
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After our first child was diagnosed with autism, I started looking for resources that would help me understand my child’s diagnosis and what I could do. I read dozens of books about autism, and “More Than Words by Fern Sussman is one of the most helpful. It is an easy to read and practical book that can help parents and […]
Read moreEveryone you know and everyone you will ever meet is special and different in some way. The world would be a boring place if people were all the same. It’s our differences that make us all unique and interesting. These are the first words in The Autism Acceptance Book. Ellen Sabin wrote this affirming and positive book to help elementary […]
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While there are many books about parenting children with special needs, few offer information or ideas about what parents need to take care of themselves. In order to care well for our children, we need to make time for our own well-being. Not What I Expected: Help and Hope for Parents of Atypical Children by Rita Eichenstein helps parents understand […]
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 […]
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In a perfect world, if our children needed help, we would know where to go, have an immediate opening in the right program, and our children would thrive. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple for a lot of parents with children newly diagnosed with autism. Perhaps you have decided a developmental approach such as Autism Outreach (Floortime) or RDI is your […]
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