Posts Tagged ‘developmental disabilities’
Tuesday, June 4th, 2013
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Summer is coming and many of you are wondering if travel is an option for your family. Those long lines, the cramped spaces, the hustle and bustle of way too many stressed out people, and those looks you get from strangers…
How can you take your child with Autism on a family trip and make it a positive experience for all?
After talking with many parents about traveling with their child with Autism, we have collected some ideas that will help you become travel- savvy for vacations with your child with Autism.
Pack your gadgets:
- Noise canceling headphones are great for when the environment gets loud and crazy on the plane, in an amusement park, a restaurant, etc. Bring them with you everywhere and train your child to ask for them. If you haven’t used headphones before, have your child practice wearing them before your trip.
- Airplane travel harnesses are like a car seat and can provide stability and safety for a child on an airplane. There are also travel harnesses for the car that act as a car seat. You can use this lighter and packable harness for jumping into cabs or for an older child with autism who is not ready to travel without a car seat.
- Bring your child’s favorite reinforcers, both electronic and not electronic. During landing and take off in a plane, you will not be able to use your electronic devices, so bring along some other toys as back up.
Practice:
- Almost all airports are now offering mock-security and boarding practice for people who find the airport travel experience too stressful. Call your nearby airport and set up a time to do this with your family. You can practice this multiple times and with your gadgets. Bring everything you would need for the actual experience!
- Create a visual schedule and bring it with you wherever you go, including the airport and the amusement parks. You could have a schedule for every day of your vacation and for every airplane or vehicle you board. A schedule could include leaving and returning to a hotel room, when to eat, when to get ready for bed, when to stand in line, how many activities you plan to do and which places you plan to go, relaxation time, etc! The possibilities are countless! Refer back to your schedule with your child often so that your child is reminded of what to expect.
Plan ahead:
- Call the airline ahead of time and make sure to let them know you are traveling with a child with Autism. Ask them how they can make your experience easier. You never know what resources they’ll provide you with.
- Call ahead and make sure your family can sit together. One family we spoke to had a family member sit on both sides of their child and in front in case their child needed to kick or move around more in their seat.
- Call or visit ‘guest relations’ at each amusement park or activity you do. Most places will provide your family with passes to skip lines.
- Chances are you will have to wait in at least one long line, regardless of how many passes you can get. Plan ahead and have something for your child to do in these lines, whether it is a book, listening to music, wearing the noise canceling headphones, playing a game on an iPad, etc.
- Choose activities and vacations that incorporate a topic your child enjoys. One mother said her child loved sea animals, so she took him to Sea World.
Orient yourself:
- Get your family excited about your adventure while at the same time orienting your child with Autism with what to expect. Watch movies about your target destination or an activity you will do while there. If you’re going to Disney Land, watch Disney movies and play Disney games. One mother, who brought her child to Sea World, spent a couple months having her child play with aquarium toys and watch sea-life videos.
Safety & Awareness:
- There are a lot of people who still do not know what Autism is or how to identify it. Chances are you will encounter a stranger who does not understand your child’s behaviors and needs. It is okay to educate and bring awareness to these people. If you find yourself in a situation where it is necessary to do so, explain clearly to the person that your child has Autism. Maybe even pack a few brochures about what Autism is and let them research Autism on their own. Several parents have suggested dressing their children in vibrant t-shirts that say “I have Autism.” Bright t-shirts would also help to identify your child if you become separated from each other.
- Anything can happen on vacation so make sure that your child has identification and contact info for you in case you get separated.
Relax:
- Even the traveler experts know that making room for relaxation time makes vacation much better! Don’t ware yourself out. Allow your family time to sit in the hotel and relax while you gear up for the next adventure.
Resources:
Tags:ABA therapy, Analysis International Services, applications, Applied Behavior Analysis, Asperger Syndrome, autism, Autism ABA, Autism ABA Coppell, Autism ABA Dallas, Autism ABA DFW, Autism ABA Fort Worth, Autism ABA Irving, Autism ABA Southlake, Autism Applied Behavior, Autism Applied Behavior Analysis Dallas, Autism Applied Behavior Analysis International Services, autism coppell, autism Dallas, autism fort worth, autism intervention, autism intervention coppell, autism intervention dallas, autism intervention for worth, autism intervention irving, autism irving, autism research, autism resources, Autism Services Coppell, Autism Services Dallas, Autism Services DFW, autism services fort worth, Autism Services Irving, Autism Services Southlake, autism spectrum, autism spectrum disorder, autism texas, autism therapeutic center, autism treatment, autistic, autistic behaviors, autistic child, autistic diagnosis, behavior, brent woodall foundation, children with autism, communication devices, communication skills, coppell autism, dallas autism, developmental disabilities, developmental disability, DFW autism, down syndrome, early autism, early child intervention, early intervention, education, feedback, flying, flying with a child with autism, fort worth autism, home therapy, interactive learning, irving autism, language, learning, mental-health, non-verbal, parent, parent involvement, parent resources, parent workshops, parents, PPCD, South Lake Autism, summer autism, Tracy Pierce Bender, travel autism, traveling with autism
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Sunday, June 2nd, 2013
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Read about one parent’s personal experience traveling to Disney Land with her autistic child:
My family went to DisneyLand in California during Spring Break and my son, Thomas, had a wonderful time! We were nervous about the trip as Los Angeles and Disneyland are very crowded places with many unexpected events, and we knew Thomas did not like to get on airplanes. But Thomas handled everything better than we thought! I would like to share with you what I think is very helpful for kids like Thomas to have a great time at Disneyland or any theme park.
We called American Airline ahead of time to reserve our seats to make sure we all were seated together. Our flights were full both ways and the agent said they could not assign seats until the day of the trip and that there was still no guarantee we would be together. I told the agent that Thomas was autistic and we really needed to sit together. Right away the agent transferred me to the ‘Special Assistance’ department that was able to assign seating for us.
At the gate I requested we be pre-boarded to reduce Thomas’s anxiety. Then we were able to board the plane earlier than most of the passengers to get Thomas settled down.
On the plane Thomas requested our noise-reducing Bose headphones and wore them the entire flight. The headphones really reduced the noise on the plane and made him feel secure. I also had his favorite toys, an iPhone and iPad, to keep him occupied. During take off and landing when we were not allowed to use electronic devices, I had back up toys.
When we entered Disneyland, Lego Land, and Universal Studios, we went to ‘Guest Relations’, which is normally right inside the entrance. All of these parks normally will give you ‘guest with special assistance’ passes, which will reduce the time you have to wait in line to enter certain rides and attractions. This was a huge help, especially at Disneyland where the wait time could be one to two hours long. The less time Thomas had to wait in line, the less anxiety he had. He ended up getting on more rides than I ever expected. For the first time, he also got on some of the rides all by himself! He has never done that before. We use to always have to be with him on the ride or he would not go. During this trip, there were still some rides he would not go on, but that was completely okay!
We loaded all of his favorite games on an iPhone so he had something to do while waiting in lines and for special events (i.e. parades and a firework show). This kept his anxiety level down. We also had the noise reduction earphones with us at all times. Thomas used the headphones on most of the rides, during parades, and the fireworks show, when the environment got really loud.
Overall, this was a very positive experience for us!
— Thomas’s Mom
Related Posts:
Travel Ready
Oh, the Places You’ll Go… With Autism!
Tags:ABA therapy, Analysis International Services, applications, Applied Behavior Analysis, Asperger Syndrome, autism, Autism ABA, Autism ABA Coppell, Autism ABA Dallas, Autism ABA DFW, Autism ABA Fort Worth, Autism ABA Irving, Autism ABA Southlake, Autism Applied Behavior, Autism Applied Behavior Analysis Dallas, Autism Applied Behavior Analysis International Services, autism coppell, autism Dallas, autism fort worth, autism intervention, autism intervention coppell, autism intervention dallas, autism intervention for worth, autism intervention irving, autism irving, autism research, Autism Services Coppell, Autism Services Dallas, Autism Services DFW, autism services fort worth, Autism Services Irving, Autism Services Southlake, autism spectrum, autism spectrum disorder, autism texas, autism treatment, autistic, autistic child, autistic diagnosis, behavior, brent woodall foundation, children with autism, communication devices, communication skills, coppell autism, dallas autism, developmental disabilities, developmental disability, DFW autism, down syndrome, early autism, early child intervention, early intervention, education, feedback, flying with autism, fort worth autism, home therapy, interactive learning, irving autism, language, learning, mental-health, non-verbal, parent, parent involvement, parent resources, parent workshops, parents, PPCD, South Lake Autism, summer autism, summer plans, Tracy Pierce Bender, travel autism, traveling with autism, vacation autism
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Wednesday, May 29th, 2013
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One parent shared an article by Autism Speaks, Seven Ways to Help a Picky Eater with Autism, and asked if the Brent Woodall Foundation had any other tips to add to this list.
We at the BWF are big proponents of schedules. Offering a visual schedule to show your child there is a beginning and end to the challenge of tasting new foods will help take the responsibility off of you, the parent, and put that responsibility onto the schedule. The schedule will show your child what is expected and what their hard work will earn in the end.
The shared article kind of touches on this, but another suggestion is to find reinforcers that are similar to the new food your child is trying out. For example, if you’re trying to teach your child to eat raspberries and you know your child just loves strawberries, offer a bowl of strawberries that have similar texture and sweetness as the reinforcer.
And while we agree that overloading unhealthy reinforcers such as candy can be harmful if given too much for too long, we understand that in the BEGINNING it is very important to make the reinforcer really GREAT. So for one raspberry, give a big bowl of strawberries. Eventually you can increase the expectation and lower the reinforcer.
Related posts:
Serious Schedulers
The Opposite Kids
Tags:ABA therapy, Analysis International Services, applications, Applied Behavior Analysis, apps, autism, Autism ABA, Autism ABA Coppell, Autism ABA Dallas, Autism ABA DFW, Autism ABA Fort Worth, Autism ABA Irving, Autism ABA Southlake, Autism Applied Behavior, Autism Applied Behavior Analysis Dallas, Autism Applied Behavior Analysis International Services, autism coppell, autism Dallas, autism fort worth, autism irving, autism research, Autism Services Coppell, Autism Services Dallas, Autism Services DFW, autism services fort worth, Autism Services Irving, Autism Services Southlake, autism texas, autism treatment, behavior, brent woodall foundation, children with autism, communication devices, communication skills, developmental disabilities, developmental disability, early autism, early child intervention, early intervention, education, feedback, food training, grants, home therapy, interactive learning, irving autism, language, learning, mental-health, non-verbal, parent, parent involvement, parent resources, parent workshops, parents, picky eater autism, picky eaters, recommendation, tasting, testimonial, Tracy Pierce Bender, training palate
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2013
Dear Parents,
We have recently come across a couple of grants and upcoming parent workshops you might be interested in. Here are the details!
Grants
AutismCares is a group of leading autism organizations who have come together to support individuals with Autism and their families during natural disasters and other catastrophic life events. The organization offers Financial Support Awards that provide financial relief up to $1,000 for individuals with ASD and their families to help cover costs associated with critical living expenses such as housing, utilities, car repair, funeral expenses, and other essential items on a case-by-case basis. Download an application form here.
ACT Today is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission is to raise awareness and provide treatment services and support to families to help their children with Autism achieve their full potential. The organization provides financial assistance to help with the cost of ABA, Speech, and Occupational therapy. View open application periods here.
Free Parent Workshops by PEAS:
While we have not been to these workshops ourselves, here is a list of free parent workshops you might want to check out. PEAS is an organization dedicated to creating a network of support for families of children who experience life with a disability label. Its website can be found here. Let us know what you learn!
PEAS Meetup: Classroom Accommodations and Modifications: What Parents Needs To Know
Read more. >>
Facilitators: Kelly Mastin and Cindi Paschall
Thursday, May 2, 2013 from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
The Arc of Northeast Tarrant County (Arc House)
1806 Haltom Road, Haltom City, Texas 76117
PEAS Meetup: How Was School Today? When “fine” and “okay” are not enough!
Read more. >>
Presenter: Jeanine Pinner. Texas Parent-to-Parent
Thursday, May 9, 2013 from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
The Arc of Northeast Tarrant County (Arc House)
1806 Haltom Road, Haltom City, Texas 76117
Learning Together Workshop Series Session: Making the Best Use of the iPad and Other Cutting-Edge Technolody Tools to Enhance Learning
Read more. >>
Presenter: Susan Fitzell, M. Ed, CSP
Saturday, May 11, 2013 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
University Christian Church – Room 207
2720 S. University Drive
Ft. Worth, Texas 76109
PEAS Coffee Talk: Resources Every Parent Should Know About: Helping Our Children with Disabilities Live Safe and Enriched Lives
Read more. >>
Presenter: Jeanine Pinner, Texas Parent-to-Parent
Friday, May 10, 2013 from 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
The Arc of Northeast Tarrant County (Arc House)
1806 Haltom Road, Haltom City, Texas 76117
Best wishes,
The Brent Woodall Foundation
Tags:ABA therapy, Analysis International Services, applications, Applied Behavior Analysis, apps, autism, Autism ABA, Autism ABA Coppell, Autism ABA Dallas, Autism ABA DFW, Autism ABA Fort Worth, Autism ABA Irving, Autism ABA Southlake, Autism Applied Behavior, Autism Applied Behavior Analysis Dallas, Autism Applied Behavior Analysis International Services, autism research, Autism Services Coppell, Autism Services Dallas, Autism Services DFW, autism services fort worth, Autism Services Irving, Autism Services Southlake, autism treatment, behavior, brent woodall foundation, children with autism, communication devices, communication skills, developmental disabilities, developmental disability, early autism, early intervention, education, feedback, grants, home therapy, interactive learning, language, learning, mental-health, non-verbal, parent, parent involvement, parent resources, parent workshops, parents, recommendation, testimonial, Tracy Pierce Bender
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Tuesday, April 9th, 2013
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Written by Kerri, a Woodallkid’s mom
The Brent Woodall Foundation came into our lives at a time when we were scared, searching, and feeling quite hopeless. Our 2 year old son at the time had just been diagnosed with autism and we were quickly discovering that the price to help our little boy was very much out of our reach. We were lost and heartbroken.
We were so fortunate to meet Tracy Pierce Bender and the Brent Woodall Foundation. What an amazing non-profit organization with a mission to help children with autism and their families. From all I have seen in the past 4 years, they go above and beyond to do exactly that. My son loves his therapists that he spends time with every day and he has learned and grown so much. We have learned to teach our child at home and communicate with him and owe all of this to the Brent Woodall Foundation.
When our son started there he was a very withdrawn little toddler who did not even make eye contact or acknowledge us. He has come a long way and I am so excited to see where he can go. The Brent Woodall Foundation designs and adapts his programs to work for him, because every child is different. If something does not work for him, they change it. They are easy to talk to and work with and they clearly care about my child. I drop off my little boy every day into loving, capable hands and pick him up with the feeling that my child is understood and respected. They are his “team” and like family. We celebrate his successes together. What more could I ask for?
Through parent training and other support, the Brent Woodall Foundation has also given us the skills and confidence to be better parents to our son, to teach him and learn from him. Thanks to Tracy Pierce Bender and the Brent Woodall Foundation we have found the qualified, loving, and dedicated therapy that our child so needs and which has brought us so much comfort and happiness. The thought brings me to tears regularly. I am beyond grateful to them and always will be.
Tags:ABA therapy, Analysis International Services, applications, Applied Behavior Analysis, apps, autism, Autism ABA, Autism ABA Coppell, Autism ABA Dallas, Autism ABA DFW, Autism ABA Fort Worth, Autism ABA Irving, Autism ABA Southlake, Autism Applied Behavior, Autism Applied Behavior Analysis Dallas, Autism Applied Behavior Analysis International Services, autism research, Autism Services Coppell, Autism Services Dallas, Autism Services DFW, autism services fort worth, Autism Services Irving, Autism Services Southlake, autism treatment, behavior, brent woodall foundation, children with autism, communication devices, communication skills, developmental disabilities, developmental disability, early autism, early intervention, education, feedback, home therapy, interactive learning, language, learning, mental-health, non-verbal, parent, parent involvement, parents, recommendation, testimonial, Tracy Pierce Bender
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Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013
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In honor of Autism Awareness Month, several apps for kids are being offered at discounted prices or for FREE. Here are four sites featuring apps you should look into! Email Erin@woodallkids.org to give a shout out to your favorite apps- tell us why you like them! Also, look back at the Brent Woodall Foundation’s “Apps to Go!” blog post for information on other apps we like!
The I Teach Hub offers a comprehensive list of applications, organized into relevant categories, including Early Intervention and Curriculum, Social Skills, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Daily Living, and Speech and Language Development.
The iMums website features several apps that are now FREE for Autism Awareness Month. It won’t hurt to try at least some of them!
Smart Apps for Kids features more discounted or free applications and has included the dates for these limited time offers!
Let us know what you find by emailing Erin@woodallkids.org!
Related blog post: Apps to Go!
Tags:ABA therapy, Analysis International Services, applications, Applied Behavior Analysis, apps, autism, Autism ABA, Autism ABA Coppell, Autism ABA Dallas, Autism ABA DFW, Autism ABA Fort Worth, Autism ABA Irving, Autism ABA Southlake, Autism Applied Behavior, Autism Applied Behavior Analysis Dallas, Autism Applied Behavior Analysis International Services, autism awareness day, autism research, Autism Services Coppell, Autism Services Dallas, Autism Services DFW, autism services fort worth, Autism Services Irving, autism services irving texas, Autism Services Southlake, autism services texas, autism treatment, behavior, brent woodall foundation, communication devices, communication skills, computer games, developmental disabilities, developmental disability, early autism, early intervention, education, games, Guided Access, home therapy, interactive learning, ipad, ipod, language, learning, non-verbal, parent involvement, parents, pre-school, speech, speech therapy, speech tools, three-year-olds, Tracy Pierce Bender
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Monday, March 4th, 2013
So a lot of you have been asking about popular iPod, iPhone, and computer applications for kids with autism and developmental disabilities. Here are several educational apps suggested by our Woodallkids parents!
Before you get started, here is an awesome tip from a very special Woodallkid mom on how to lock your child out of specific apps. In devices that have iOS 6 software, there is an option called Guided Access. Go to your Settings app- General- Accessibility- Turn Guided Access ON- Set a Passcode. Then you can go into each app that you want to lock and turn the passcode on! Here’s a How To manual.
Learning your ABCs:
Alpha Tots Pocket ($1.99) is one of our favorite apps that provides an interactive activity for every letter of the alphabet. Whether they are *H*ammering nails, *K*icking soccer balls, or *Z*apping spaceships, kids play, problem solve, and learn to this 2012 Parent’s Choice Award game. Here’s a sneak peak of the Alpha Tot activities for H and K.
Reading & Writing:
Duck Duck Moose Kindergarten ($1.99) provides many great apps for all subject matters; however, we particularly like their Reading and Writing programs. Your child can follow different animal characters around and earn Sticker Awards and Stars for completing activities. Most of Duck Duck Moose’s programs offer levels for pre-school through grade 1. Check out a sneak peak of Duck Duck Moose’s Word Wagon and Reading.
iWriteWords ($2.99) is another great app for learning to write. Your child can help Mr. Crab gather numbers in sequence by dragging him with your finger and drawing the letter at the same time. Once all the letters in the word are drawn, a drawing appears. You can download the iWriteWords Lite for FREE to preview iWriteWords. According to iTunes, iWriteWords Lite has all of the same features as iWriteWords, but it is limited to only 3 letters and 3 words.
Also see:
Spell Write Read
Starfall Learn to Read
Math & Numbers:
Tally Tots Pocket ($1.99) is another favorite of ours. It has a lot of awesome features, including: a sing-a-long number song; 20 activities for 20 numbers; audio and visual cues that help kids associate numbers with sounds; kid friendly navigation; frequent repetition that teaches young kids how to count; positive verbal reinforcement for completed tasks; and fun surprises for motivation. Click here for a quick look.
Monkey Math School Sunshine ($0.99) is hosted by a monkey, who leads your child through 8 interactive games that teach sequencing, patterning, counting, adding, and subtracting. Your child can collect prizes to fill their own aquarium. Here’s a sneak peak!
Also see:
Park Math
Bugs and Numbers
Language:
Word SLapPs ($4.99) is one the more expensive apps on this list; however, it is a really awesome app because you can customize it for your own child. This app was developed and designed by a speech pathologist to teach your child nouns, actions, sight words, “where” questions, etc. You can use your own images and pair your own voice to words, as well as teach vocabulary from a second language! There is a LOT to this app and well worth the money. Take a look here!
Also see:
Baby Bumblebee Vocabulary
Enjoy! Let us know your favorite apps by commenting on this post! Or email erin@woodallkids.org.
Tags:ABA therapy, Analysis International Services, applications, apps, autism, Autism ABA, Autism ABA Coppell, Autism ABA Dallas, Autism ABA DFW, Autism ABA Fort Worth, Autism ABA Irving, Autism ABA Southlake, Autism Applied Behavior, Autism Applied Behavior Analysis Dallas, Autism Applied Behavior Analysis International Services, Autism Services Coppell, Autism Services Dallas, Autism Services DFW, autism services fort worth, Autism Services Irving, Autism Services Southlake, brent woodall foundation, children with autism, communication devices, communication skills, computer games, developmental disabilities, early autism, early intervention, education, games, Guided Access, interactive learning, ipad, ipod, language, learning, locking apps, math, pretend play, reading, speech, speech therapy, speech tools, Tracy Pierce Bender, writing
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