Toilet training

Toilet training can be really challenging for children with autism and their parents.  Some children get confused with all the steps involved in using the toilet and some may have a fear of using the toilet.  I used to work with one child that was scared that he would fall down the toilet.

If you need some help making a visual schedule for a toilet routine then Do2Learn has some really clear and useful images for all the steps of the process:

http://www.dotolearn.com/picturecards/printcards/selfhelp_toileting.htm

I can also recommend the book Toilet Training for Individuals with Autism or Other Developmental Issues

Good luck!

Zac Browser (Zone for Autistic Children)

I came across this free internet browser that has been especially designed for children with autistic spectrum conditions.

http://www.zacbrowser.com/

It has lots of games and videos that have been carefully selected with autistic children in mind.  It's also very secure so your child can't access parts of the internet that may not be suitable for them.   I'd be really interested to hear what you think of the browser?

Lets-Connect Autism Conference 2011

I will be speaking at the Lets-Connect autism conference 2011, Cork, Ireland.


http://letsconnectautismconference2011.weebly.com/index.html

Fun free computer games especially for children with autism

I came across this great website at the weekend:

http://www.whizkidgames.com

It has some fun computer games designed especially for children with autism.  I really like 'Rufus goes to School'.

Communication breakthrough

I work with a lovely three year girl with autism.  Her parents got her a great chair hammock from IKEA (€26.98).  The chair is great as this little girl is under sensitive to movement.  In her hammock chair she can swing and spin.

Since using the hammock chair, the girl will now initiate an interaction (she takes an adult by the hand and leads them to the hammock chair and taps it to indicate that she would like a turn).  She also said her first two words 'again' and 'go'.  She uses these two words to indicate that she wants another swing or spin.

I think this is a wonderful example of the possibilities of developing a child's skills once their sensory needs are met.  This example also shows that once you have found what motivates a child then the likelihood of the child developing speech is increased.

Child ear protectors. Ideal for kids with noise sensitivity

These ear protectors are great for children who have noise sensitivity.  A friend's kids have them for when they go to music festivals.  They come in a range of colours and kids enjoy wearing them.  There is also another range called Edz Kidz  that does the same job.

1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism and Asperger's

This is a well written and practical book with lots of useful ideas.  Ideal for both parents and professionals.  I use this book regularly and I especially like the advice for managing trips to the hairdressers.