iPads are everywhere. They are generally popular, and for many children, iPads aren’t just used as toys but as learning tools in schools as well. Families of children with autism seem particularly drawn to owning iPads. Why are they so popular? And how are they helpful for people with autism? People with autism often have difficulties learning and communicating, because […]
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Rosanne Papadopoulos is an occupational therapist and RDI consultant in Winnipeg. You can read more and find her contact information at her website, Discoveries in Therapy. It’s Saturday morning and I am feeling self-regulated! After a long week of work, I had a great sleep, am sitting next to the warmth of a fall fire in the woodstove on my soft […]
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I’m a graduate student in inclusive education, and I love books and reading. When my kids were born one of the first things I dreamed about was reading with them. So I was very excited to come across this book by Paula Kluth and Kelly Chandler-Olcott. It’s about helping kids on the autism spectrum grow in literacy. And it’s definitely […]
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I work with a child who’s hard to connect with. Why is it so hard? What can I do to make it easier? Great question! Relationships are one of the things that make life worth living. For children with autism, differences in communication skills, sensory processing, interests and behaviour may all contribute to problems developing and nurturing relationships. Whether you’re […]
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Manitoba schools are in the process of changing from one special needs funding model to another, and many parents are asking questions. Every change is an answer to a problem. The following is an explanation of what is happening, why it was thought necessary, and what parents should expect from their child’s school. Many thanks to Karen Fraser, who wrote […]
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Should your child’s peers know what autism is, and that your child has it? The answer depends on the child and the situation. Our family decided early on that it would be more helpful than harmful, and so every year, when our children enter school, we have made sure that there is an opportunity for our children’s new classmates to […]
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Individual Education Plans (IEPs) usually focus on behaviour – what we want kids to be able to do. In order to know what a child has learned, they have to list goals that are specific and measurable. A Developmental perspective, on the other hand, thinks about how a child relates to others, and how they think. Developmental goals tend to […]
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Do you think that every child in Manitoba has access to an education that meets their needs and equips them for a satisfying and useful life in their community? As a result of a recent forum on accessible education in Manitoba, there was a call to action to draft a letter to go to Minister Scott Fielding and his colleagues […]
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“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” -O. Fred Donaldson What would you think if your school told you that they had a plan to help your child with autism make friends and enjoy playing with them? Most of us have fond memories of times we enjoyed stretching our imaginations with our friends. […]
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Credit for these ideas goes to Marlaine Willborn, a speech therapist in Winnipeg. This post is based on ideas she had compiled and shared with me when I was trying to get better at engaging my children in play. Her resource came primarily from ‘Giggle Time: Establishing a social connection’ by Susan Aud Somers. One of the most daunting […]
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