Tag Archives: autism

Getting the Most From OT

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I personally reached out to Meg and invited her to share with us because I was so impressed with her when I first met her in January and then again, when she was our guest at Jackson Autism Center, to speak about picky eating. She is a great resource and is currently accepting new families in Mississippi and North Carolina to work with. Make sure you check out her new website also!             ~Dr. Becca

Getting the Most from OT

As a parent, sometimes occupational therapy can be confusing. What is it exactly? Sensory therapy? Fine motor? What’s a child’s occupation, anyway? To make matters even more confusing, what OT looks like from one therapist to another can be totally different! Here are some things to look for during OT no matter who your therapist is or where you see them.

  1. THEY SHOW YOU WHAT TO DO AT HOME

What might be happening. Let’s say you see your child’s OT in a sensory gym. You child loves playing on the swings and big exercise balls. He’s in a good mood for about an hour after therapy….and then everything goes back how it was.  You wonder if this is really helping. But he likes it, so you keep going.

How to get more. Next time you go to the clinic you ask, “How can I use this at home?” The therapist mentions that your child is better at doing his homework after he swings for a bit. The two of you talk and decide that he can go to the park and swing after school before you go home to do homework.

  1. THEY LET YOU TRY

What might be happening. You go to therapy and either watch the therapist or wait in the waiting room to hear about what happened. You try to do the same thing the therapist did later at home, but it doesn’t work the same when you try it.

How to get more.  Next time you go to therapy you ask, “Can I try that while you watch?” The therapist talks you through how you can help your child, and gives you feedback on what you can try differently when things don’t go well. When you get home, you feel confident that you know how to use the new strategies, and your child isn’t surprised when you try these new approaches at home. Your child makes progress so much faster because you are doing therapy all week rather than just for one hour.

  1. THEY WORK ON THINGS THAT MATTER TO YOU

What might be happening. You may not have gotten a chance to tell your therapist what your goals are for your child, or they may have changed since you started therapy. So your therapist helps her with some activities, but they aren’t the things you are really struggling with.

How to get more. An occupational therapist helps with a child’s daily occupations, meaning any activity they need and want to do. When you are having difficulty with your child’s daily activities like play, self-care, homework, or following a schedule, you ask your therapist to show you what you can do.  They revise the plan of care to make sure they are addressing the most important goals for your child, or they refer you to someone who can help.

  1. THEY UNDERSTAND AUTISM

What might be happening. Therapy just isn’t working. You really like your therapist, but she doesn’t seem to get your child. Everyone is frustrated, and after months and months he isn’t making any progress.

How to get more. You ask your therapist for a referral to someone else. You have to try out a few different new therapists, but eventually you land on someone who works well with you and your child. Your therapist isn’t surprised or hurt by this, because all therapists know that even the best therapist is not the right fit for every child.

Choosing a new therapist? If you aren’t in occupational therapy, these scenarios can help guide you in choosing a therapist who will be a good fit. When talking to a potential new therapist, consider asking questions like:

“How will you help me learn what to do at home?”

“During therapy, can you teach me to use the strategies?”

“I’d like to work on x, y, z, is that something you can help with?”

It can feel uncomfortable at first, but everyone benefits when your child gets more out of his or her time in therapy!

See more tips on getting more from therapy at learnplaythrive.com

Meg Proctor is an occupational therapist and autism specialist. She offers online occupational therapy for families in Mississippi and North Carolina, and free ebooks and video tutorials for parents. You can find her at learnplaythrive.com.

Why am I so Emotional?

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Recently, I have had the joy and honor to speak to others through a few different venues about autism spectrum disorders…and I tear up each time. I ask myself- why is something I do every day having such an emotional reaction when talking to others? Let me answer that…after much contemplation…I am so passionate about autism and making a difference not only for kids, but for families also, that speaking to others about it just makes me cry. I love making a difference for kids every day…and more importantly, for their families too! I do not take the work I do lightly and each moment and each accomplishment means so much to everyone involved. When a child says mama for the first time, we swell with pride…and the accomplishments my kiddos are making are just as phenomenal. It’s amazing when you look at the world with rose colored glasses because every single thing means the world to you and you just can’t wait for the next “little” thing. So, to my life of “little-not-so-little accomplishments,” I’m so happy to be a part of your child’s daily, weekly, monthly accomplishments.

A Sentence Can be a Labor of Love

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One of the most exciting moments for me as well as a family I work with recently was a journal that included a picture and a sentence. What may you ask is so special about a sentence a first grade child wrote? Because this sentence, my friends, was composed completely independently and written quickly and fluently, with requests to spell a word when needed by a child who has written very few independent thoughts/sentences. So, this was a day we rejoiced!

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“The whale is whooshing.”

A Different Perspective on Autism Awareness Month

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As April began, I was filled with anxiety, excitement, and eagerness to start and complete all the things I wanted to do. When April 2 came, I read a few blogs parents of children with autism posted. I have to say, a few stuck with me that I wanted to share, regardless of if you, as the reader, are a parent or professional, in the autism world. The one today may seem a bit harsh as you begin to read it, but I think by the end, you will see her perspective.

Kim Stagliano is raising three young ladies with autism spectrum disorders, between the ages of 15-21. She talks about the reality of autism that is mostly not mentioned in the feel-good stories that are reported most of the time that point to autism breakthroughs or special things individuals with autism can do. As the author of “All I can Handle: I’m No Mother Teresa,” she talks about life raising her three daughters. I have this book and am looking forward to reading it cover to cover in the near future.

The best advice Kim gives in her article is to make a difference in someone’s life who has autism…whether that is inviting a child to a play date, birthday party, volunteering your time or energy to help at a local center that works with children with autism, or being a friend to a parent who has a child with autism…there are no little jobs in the autism field. Each and every one make a difference.

In a Different Key: The Story of Autism Book Summary

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In January, I had the opportunity to go to a book signing at Millsaps College for In A Different Key: The Story of Autism. I met the authors of the book, John Donvan and Caren Zucker, but the highlight for me was meeting Donald Triplett from Forest, Mississippi. Donald was the first person in the world to receive an autism diagnosis. He was diagnosed by Leo Kanner at Johns Hopkins in 1942, becoming “Case 1” in Kanner’s research. Donald grew up in Forest, under the protection of his family and community. He is now 82 years old. When I met Donald at Millsaps College in Jackson, his brother and a number of his church members had made the trip for the book signing in support of Donald.

In A Different Key describes the life of Donald Triplett but it also does much more than that. It outlines a comprehensive history of autism as a diagnosis. All of the well known names in autism and their stories are there: Hans Asperger, Ovar Lovaas, Eric Schopler (founder of TEACCH), Temple Grandin, Lorna Wing, etc. The field of autism has a complex and divisive history. In A Different Key explains how these differences came about, from professionals to grassroots efforts by parents desperate for services for their children to theories about vaccines, causes of autism, and treatment successes and failures.

In 1942 and for a long time after, most children diagnosed with autism or childhood schizophrenia lived out their lives in institutions. Donald Triplett’s life was unique in that he was raised in the small town of Forest, Mississippi by well-connected parents and a community that came together to look out for him. His story is interesting for anyone touched by autism. I’m so excited that I got to meet Donald and get him to sign my copy of In A Different Key. While I was waiting to get my book signed, I heard someone say that they would get “Uncle Donald’s” autograph at church on Sunday back in Forest.

*This post has been written by a guest author, Lisa Gerard. Lisa Gerard has been a special education teacher at Madison Avenue Elementary in Madison, MS for the past nine years. During this time she has been awarded Madison Avenue Teacher of the Year (2011), Jackson Metro Area Teacher of the Year (2015) and the Arts Advocacy Award from the Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education (2015) for her efforts at integrating the arts into the special education curriculum at Madison Avenue. Lisa is currently finishing her Master’s degree in Special Education with a focus in Autism. She has done contract work in the past for Jackson Autism Center.

Autism Signs to Look For…

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JAC is approached a lot to help the community in the greater Jackson area and throughout Mississippi know what to look for in an autism spectrum disorder. Because autism does not always present itself the same way and is purely diagnosed behaviorally, it can be a hard and messy thing to diagnose. We currently do not diagnose autism, but occasionally provide consultations to families who suspect their child may have autism.

It is important to have a professional observe your child and interview you if you think your child may be on the autism spectrum.

Here is an important information sheet that provides helpful insight into autism.

JAC_Autism Spectrum Disorders Information Sheet_April 14

News at Jackson Autism Center April 2016

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During April, as it is autism awareness month, it is my goal for you guys, my readers, to bring something to you each day of April! This is a pretty big challenge as I am the executive director and only interventionist at Jackson Autism Center currently, mom, student pursuing my BCBA, and recently began my supervision towards my BCBA…as overwhelmed as I am with life right now, I know you are too. I know you are tired when you come in and your child is pitching a fit about the ipad or getting up early or didn’t sleep last night…or has tummy problems. I see it as you fake a smile and say things are going well or you sit down as your sweet little (or not so little) boy or girl walks towards me to start our session.

But, I also see you light up when I tell you the awesome thing your son or daughter just did…or how well they sat to work or listened to directions…or looked at me. We are here for every single thing your child does- from the tiny glance my way to the “Hi Beka” or explanation about Easter weekend. No matter what skills your child is working on, we are thrilled to be a part of it. Even on the tired days. Even on the hard days. We. Are. A. Team! That is what makes it worth doing.

So this April, we may not have as many events as usual. And I hate that. I want to provide those fun things, lots of them, but can’t always do it. But here are some pretty cool things going on at JAC in April. And I hope to see you there!

April 23- 9:30 am Grandview Malco Theatre, Madison MS Sensory Friendly Showing of The Jungle Book. Tickets available for purchase.

April 30- 10 am-12 pm Premier Tumble and Cheer, BOUNCE FOR AUTISM. This event is $10 per child with concessions for sale. Come bounce and watch your child light up. Open to the general public.

Our first ever fundraiser t shirts! T shirts to promote autism awareness will be available for purchase through April 8, 2016. Find out more.

We have a support group meeting open to families affected by autism which typically meets the first Sat. of the month at 10 am, with child care available if signing up by the Wednesday prior to the meeting. This is open to all families affected by autism in the Jackson and surrounding areas.

Success with a Speech Generating Device

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On April 1 and 2, 2016, LAMP Words for Life will be half off…that is, $150 instead of $300. What can a speech generating device mean to an individual with autism? I want to share a story of a student a friend of mine works with who used a speech generating device…until he didn’t need it anymore! He became so verbal that he passed it along.

This is not to say that verbal speech is always the result of using a speech generating device (SGD), but it can be a possibility! Research has not shown that kids who utilize speech generating devices are any less likely to become verbal than any other children. SGDs can only help speech development, not hinder it.

“Party” Says a Teenager using His Speech Generating Device

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One of the most joyous moments recently was with a teenager I have been working with for 2 years. We have been using LAMP Words for Life for over a year now and he will request where he wants to go eat and tell me step by step what to draw, including what color to use, but no completely spontaneous language beyond that. He reads using WFL and loves to spell.

Recently, he was hanging out before our session started and I was getting another student to tell about his birthday party and how old he was, what he ate, etc. My teenager was standing still or pacing during this conversation.

When we started our session, he kept going to different things on Words for Life, but not settling on saying anything. I could tell there was something he wanted to say and continued to wait and encourage him. After a few minutes, he said “party.” He wanted to talk about the other little boy’s party or perhaps have one of his own. He didn’t give anymore details. This was so exciting for him to take what we talked about as a group, when he seemed to possibly not be paying attention and want to talk about it again with me. This was a huge moment for us!

LAMP Words for Life celebrates April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day and puts WFL, which is only available through Apple, half off for April 1 and 2, 2016 only. This makes such an impact for so many families who are waiting and watching for their child to ask for “popcorn” or “tickles”…or “party.” Party on, Wayne!

New Intervention Service Being Offered through Jackson Autism Center

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I am very excited to share a new opportunity that is in the works for 2013! It is geared towards children who are 3-6 years old and are being homeschooled, are not yet in a preschool program, or thrive with small group intervention for learning. Other children may be considered if deemed appropriate. This program, “Stay and Play,” is two days a week for two hours and consists of typical school activities such as circle time, one-on-one work, small group work, social play skills, and snack. It is developed for a small group learning environment, with a maximum of 2-3 children per group. Children participating will be learning new academic, social/personal, and fine motor skills through thematic units. “Stay and Play” meets the sensory needs of children with special needs as well as academic and social/personal needs. This program is offered on a first-come, first-serve basis so please inquire if you are interested. Children participating will be required to complete an academic evaluation through Jackson Autism Center.

More information is available here: Jackson Autism Center Stay and Play March to May 2013.