This Blog is part of the ‘Care Team’ series. Did you read our latest blog? An Occupational Therapist shares her thoughts on Autism A blank slate with unlimited possibilities. That’s the happy, warm feeling I get deep down inside my soul every time I have a new referral for a child on the spectrum. I see the misunderstood, the under-represented, the amazing human chomping at the bit to be seen by others, and those struggling to find a place in …
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Working with a care team is instrumental in the planning, early intervention, and progress of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. A team approach creates a better continuum of autism care for individuals. With younger children in the education system, the Planning and Placement Team works together to develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or a 504 plan if the child qualifies. Private service providers and physicians often work together in conjunction with schools to develop a comprehensive approach to care. Support …
The country and the world are increasingly tackling the difficult issues around bias – racial, gender, religious and otherwise. For the neurodiverse community, gender bias in the medical community has its own ramifications and can specifically lead to a late diagnosis of autism in girls or perhaps no diagnosis at all. While Autism as a scientific study seems to be evolving by the day, it is still represented as skewed heavily towards males. A surf around the internet and you’ll …
Why is hydration important? Ever felt like your brain was foggy and didn’t want to focus – your body sluggish and overall, you just simply felt like you were suffering from a general malaise? Hydration may just well have been the cause of your doldrums. When you are the caregiver of someone with autism spectrum disorder, monitoring hydration can be a particular challenge. Between gastrointestinal issues – a common symptom among people with autism – and potential communication barriers, hydration …
A new study examines the mental health of parents of a child with ASD. According to a study released this year “results indicated that the majority of the parents in our sample have reached clinical levels of psychiatric distress, in particular anxiety” Link This study addresses the reasons perfectly why ASD.ai came together as a team to build the Rootines app. Parents of children on the ASD spectrum are not only immersed in the day-to-day of caring for their child …
Caring for a child or an adult with special needs is a huge responsibility. We hear the term “self-care” a lot. When it comes to being a caregiver of an individual with autism, self-care often doesn’t happen. I remember a special education evaluator at my son’s preschool telling me to take time for myself and the social workers teaching parents in a workshop about meditation and mindfulness exercises. Caregivers often ignore the vital need for Self-care in their lives I …
Holidays can be one of the most special times of the year for all of us and our children. There’s something magical about reliving the wonder of this special time through our children’s eyes. I remember as a child, so excited to have time off school to enjoy the holidays and the traditions I looked forward to every year. However, for the autism community and their loved ones and caregivers, holidays can look very different. A mom in one of …
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “It takes a village.” For some reason, every time I heard someone say that, it made me cringe. I was do so much on my own, and I don’t have family nearby. As a single parent with no family near, where was my village? I changed my perspective when my son was diagnosed as developmentally delayed and then eventually with autism. So many people became involved in his education and therapy. Once I started …
Allen and I love going to the park. I should say that he loves going to the park more than me and I love it because he does. It became our “go-to” place since the pandemic dramatically shortened the list of places we could go safely, and living in an apartment doesn’t exactly give us a lot of outside access. While there, we often see an autistic young adult with his aide at the park. Allen loves to wave and …
The hot topic on everyone’s lips has been the return to school. It invades every news outlet, social media discussion/debate and almost every household some for multiple reasons. Covid-19 has caused immense disruption in the lives of children and their education and well-being and all could agree, special needs children have suffered far more than most. In my previous two blogs, I discussed the impact it has had on my own son, Allen. Now that school has resumed or is …
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