Horizons Developmental Remediation Center

We are Excited to Announce!

2010-10-19T10:18:00.001-05:00

Our New Site is Here!

We have been working hard for several months and we are live now at http://horizonsdrc.com . One of the fantastic features is an integrated blog.

Please continue to follow our blog on the new site http://horizonsdrc.com/blog . Don't forget to get you RSS feed from the new site to keep up on the lastest post.

Have a great day!

The Horizons Team

The Plane

2010-01-29T13:34:00.003-05:00

Jonathan and Phillip were shown a picture of a plane. They each created a story about the picture. They had to use 4 key words (plane, fly, high, clouds) in their story.

Plane fly high. The plane flys high in the clouds going fast.

By Jonathan

The plane is flying high in the sky. I can see the clouds. Dad is flying the plane to Florida and taking me, Rose, and mom to see my Grandma Miller.

By Phillip

Come to the Edge

2010-01-26T14:55:00.001-05:00

Come to the Edge
By: Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP

“Come to the edge.”
“We can't. We're afraid.”
“Come to the edge.”
“We can't. We will fall!”
“Come to the edge.”
And they came.
And he pushed them.
And they flew.

Guillaume Apollinaire, 1880-1918
French Poet, Philosopher

Every day, parents and teachers are coaxing children a little closer to the edge, until eventually they are ready to be pushed off. To build enough trust in another person to be willing to come to the edge, even when fearful, is the true foundation of a solid relationship. In the above quote, I think of the fearful responder as the child or apprentice, and the coaxer as the parent or guide.

The idea of guided participation or coaxing, is a foundation of the RDI® program. Each parent is equipped with the ability to guide, encourage, scaffold and eventually “push” their child over the edge into independence. The scenario that is described in the quote is a very common occurrence for the families and children we see on a daily basis in our clinic. The child with an autism spectrum disorder frequently communicates, “I can’t. I’m afraid. I’ll fail.” This may not be communicated verbally, but can be seen in the child’s behavior or demeanor. When parents or teachers are able to provide the right amount of guidance, encouragement and scaffolding, the child begins to trust that the guide will not push them over the edge until they are ready to fly solo.

How do guides help the apprentice prepare for flying solo? Scaffolding is the best technique I know for working toward independence. Scaffolding requires that the guide provide just the right amount of support to ensure that the apprentice does not fail, but not so much support that s/he does not learn anything new. Scaffolding can be provided in several different ways, and the amount of scaffolding varies from task to task. A child that requires complete physical hand-over-hand scaffolding in one task may only require an occasional nonverbal prompt in others. It can be difficult at times to determine how much scaffolding is appropriate for a give situation; but my general rule of thumb for guides is that if you feel like you are doing all of the work and the child is just a passive participant, then you have provided too much scaffolding. On the other hand, if you are having breakdown after breakdown and the child and you walk away from the activity feeling like failures, then you probably have not provided enough scaffolding. This can sometimes be a fine line to walk; but with some practice it gets easier to determine what type of support an apprentice will need in a given situation. The goal is to be able to reduce the amount of scaffolding over time until the apprentice is ready to “fly solo.”

This may take a few days, a few weeks, a few months, or even a few years. Take it slow, and make sure you are building competence along the way. Bring the apprentice to the edge without fear and uncertainty; help them want to fly. This may be one of the best gifts that guides can give: enough scaffolding to build the competence to go it alone.

Mad Libs Decorating the Tree By: Jonathan & Phillip

2009-12-18T09:58:00.001-05:00

Many people decorate their Christmas party on Christmas Eve. Last year, Phillip had a playing party and everyone helped color the tree. Jonathan brought tinsel and games. And Tracy brought lots of fresh snow cakes and candy cookies to put on the tree. The most important decoration, of course, is the string of colored electric lights. (Jonathan) A few dozen blinking lights make any tree look pretty. And most stores sell round, sparkly buttons and little climbing balls to hang on the branches. But the hardest decoration to pick is the one that goes right on top. Once that angel is up, you know that the high season has officially started. Of course, if you are too full to have a tree for Christmas, you can decorate your truck or hang buses on your barn. Then the neighbors will say, "Beautiful!" (Phillip)

Crystals Update

2009-12-18T09:54:00.002-05:00

2 weeks later...

Crystals

2009-12-04T14:31:00.005-05:00

Day 1: We put in pieces of sponge, and sprinkled salt on the sponge and water and blue stuff.

Day 2: We had to put 2 tablespoons of salt on the sponge. Phillip had a big flower on one of his and a baby one. Jonathan saw the salt turn blue after sprinkling it on.

Day 3: Jonathan - Put more salt, water, more blue, more green and yellow on top. We saw crystals growing. More, more, more!

Phillip - Today they bloomed alot. We added salt and food coloring, blue and "reakie" stuff.

By Phillip and Jonathan

Raising Responsible and Respectable Children

2009-12-04T13:38:00.002-05:00

Raising Responsible and Respectable Children
By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW

If anybody says that parenting is easy, they must not have kids! As a parent of three wonderful children, I have found that each one needs to be parented differently. One child needs to be held often, one needs opportunities to talk, and the other thrives on quality time. One is strong willed, another is a people pleaser, and the other is just busy! I’ve read many books, listened to several books on tape, and watched my fair share of DVD’s about different approaches to parenting; but a few things consistently resurface as important strategies when raising responsible and respectable children. These strategies work, because they’re not about the children, they’re about you – the parent. The first thing to do is write down the areas that you want to work on with your child. Speaking disrespectfully, hitting, potty training, walking off while you are talking, and homework issues are just a few of the problem areas you may be facing. Pick one thing to work on at a time, so as not to overwhelm yourself. I’ll use resistance to come in from outside as an example for this article. Once you’ve picked your battle, put your boxing gloves on and follow the guidelines below.

Remain Calm: One of the easiest parenting mistakes is allowing yourself to get upset. Once you are angry, you have given your child control and now need a parent to calm you down. The best way to have control is to remain calm; so take a deep breath, take a timeout for yourself if needed, then return to your child and talk calmly and respectfully to him/her – when you are both ready. Show your child that s/he deserves that respect. Demonstration is an important parenting tool; so if you scream at your child, chances are s/he’ll scream back. If you treat him/her with respect, that respect will be returned. Get down on your child’s level, or take seats next to each other to talk about the issue at hand.

Determine the Consequence: Each problem you face with your child(ren) will require different consequences. While you are calm, determine what an appropriate consequence will be for the problem area you are facing. Make sure the consequence is understandable to the child, that you are able to follow through on the consequence, and that the child will want to avoid that consequence. If you child is refusing to come in from outside “If you don’t come in right now, you can’t play outside for the rest of the week.” It sounds like a horrible threat; but is that one that you really want to follow through on? Instead, find a consequence that is easy to live with. “I’m going to go inside and set a timer for two minutes. If you are not inside by the time the timer goes off, you will not be able to play outside the rest of the evening.” The timer will put a specific amount of time that s/he has to respond and will hold you accountable for following through on your consequence.

Offer a Choice: By giving your child a choice, s/he is taking the responsibility for the discipline received.
“If you come inside in the next two minutes, you will have time to come back outside and play with your friends. If you choose not to come inside by the time the two minute timer goes off, you will not get to go back outside.”

Use the if/then sequence with all of the choices you give so that the consequences are well understood. Children learn the if/then series very early on in life, so this works for very young children as well as older children. For a younger child, for example, might work better with “inside, then snack.”

Consistency: You must stick with the above plan over time, or else it will not work. Does your child know that you will follow through on the consequence? If there a chance that you won’t, then it might be worth not doing what mom or dad is asking. All of the above points are invalid and ineffective if consistency with follow through is absent. If necessary, find another person to hold you accountable to ensure follow through of consequences.

Once children learn that you mean what you say, you will begin to earn more respect; and you will notice your child(ren) becoming more responsible. Just be prepared that it might get worse before it gets better. Children will push the limits until they know where the line has been drawn. So remember: Calm, Consequence, Choice, Consistency. The reward will be worth the effort!

Phillip, Jonathan, and Tracy Made a Pie

2009-10-16T12:57:00.004-05:00

Phillip thought we could make a pumpkin pie. We made the pie using tapioca and cinnamon. Miss Courtney thought the pie would be spicy but Phillip did not. This pie was special since it had no crust. When we put the pie in the oven it was in the shape of a circle. When Phillip ate his piece of pie it was in the shape of a triangle and it was squishy. The pie was brown. Phillip thought the pie was yummy! It tasted mushy and wet. We ate the pie quietly. The end.

Happy Birthday to You! How to Celebrate Your Child’s Special Day Appropriately

2009-10-14T08:30:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to You! How to Celebrate Your Child’s Special Day Appropriately
By: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.

Over the past few months, a few of my clients have asked “how should we celebrate our child’s birthday, taking into consideration his or her special needs.” This is an important question on many levels, since we all want to celebrate special occasions with family; however, this can sometimes be too much for many of our children with special needs. Here are a few ideas and strategies to use so that you can celebrate your child’s birthday without making the event too overwhelming for the child and yourself!

Limit the guest list! All too often, we find ourselves inviting to birthday parties family members whom we generally don’t see very often. Even though it may be uncomfortable for you not to invite them, think about how overwhelmed your child may feel if there are several people around whom he or she may not know. If you feel the need to invite all of your family and friends, then split the party up into a couple of different occasions. By limiting the number of guests, you can help to reduce the anxiety and fear of uncertainty that your child may be facing.

Keep it simple! When we begin to plan a child’s birthday, it is easy for us to get carried away with the games, food, treat bags, gifts, and many other things that go into having a birthday party. All of these things are wonderful; but for children who have a difficult time processing information effectively, these elements of a birthday party can be overwhelming. By simplifying things and keeping the party elements to a minimum, you can help to reduce your child’s anxiety and allow him or her to enjoy the party more thoroughly.

Be selective when choosing a party time. As you think about when to hold your party, keep in mind your child’s best time(s) of the day. Most children are more refreshed, relaxed, and less anxious overall in the morning after a good night’s rest. We don’t hear about parties being held in the morning that often; but for many children with special needs, this is their best time of the day. If you are going to have the party on a week night, then be sure to hold it after the dinner hour. This provides the child with an opportunity for some down time in between school and the party, and it allows them to have a healthy dinner to re-charge their batteries.

Decorate with the minimalist perspective. Balloons, streamers, tissue paper, and many other fun decorations are often used for parties. These types of decorations are not a problem for most individuals, but children with disabilities can become overwhelmed very easily. When having a party, there are already many factors that will contribute to his or her feelings of anxiety, especially changes to the environment. Keeping decorations to a minimum will help reduce the overwhelming feeling and anxiety that many children feel at parties.

Celebrating your child’s special day can be a fun and anxiety-free experience. By keeping the environment calm and using a minimalist perspective, you may find that you and your child both can enjoy the occasion. Happy birthday party planning to you!!!!!

Five Tips for Parents Making School-Related Decisions

2009-08-28T08:21:00.000-05:00

Five Tips for Parents Making School-Related Decisions
By: Nicole Beurkens, M.Ed.

School-related decisions seem to be an ever-present issue for all families, but especially for families with a child with unique learning needs. Here are some tips I find myself frequently providing parents in regards to their child’s education:

Just because a service or option is available doesn’t mean you have to take it. Go with your gut feeling and do what you believe is right for your child. If you don’t think the speech sessions are helping then stop them. If you don’t want the weekly home visit from the early intervention specialist then don’t do them. If you think your child needs to be home with you rather than at school for some of all of the day, then do it. Do not allow what “other people” say or do to steer you in the wrong direction with your child. Do not allow “the professionals” to over-ride your own good judgment about what your child needs. Don’t be afraid to go against the grain or make a different choice in the best interest of your child and family.

Don’t hem and haw over the next 15 years of your child’s school career when you only need to be making a decision about what to do for right now. I have met with too many parents who are paralyzed at the thought of pursuing something different from the status quo because they wonder what the ramifications will be 10 years down the road. Schools make decisions about placement and services one year at a time based on the current needs of the child and parents should do the same. You may feel that something is important for your child right now, and feel completely different about it a year from now. None of us can predict the future with certainty – no matter how hard we try! What is important is making the right decision for this point in time, and re-evaluating as you go along.

Do not buy into the idea that there is a certain place out there that is a perfect fit and if you just keep searching long enough you will find it. No setting is perfect and there will be flaws and problems that crop up wherever you go. What is important is finding the right people who are willing to customize things to work for the best interest of each child – people who will bring you as parents in as part of the team and will work with you to ensure progress.

Don’t get hung up on labels! I couldn’t care less what a certain classroom is called as long as the people are invested in setting high standards and helping each child reach his or her potential. Very often programs have the names they have for the purpose of paperwork and reporting – nothing more. Visit lots of places – meet the staff and watch them in action; get a feel for the environment; watch the other students. Those are the critical elements in determining whether a classroom is a good fit for your child – not whether the name of the classroom matches the label of the child.

Finally, keep the developmental level of your child and the amount in mind when making educational decisions. There is tremendous pressure to put children, particularly those with autism, into formal educational settings earlier and earlier, but that may not be the best decision for your child. If you know your child is not ready for a classroom-based program then don’t send them. There is a tremendous amount to be gained from allowing children to benefit from the guidance of their parents during the early stages of development – and that process can take longer in children with unique learning needs. The same goes for children who experience significant amounts of stress in school. Parents must carefully weigh the potential benefits of a school environment against the amount of stress that is caused and the detrimental impact of that stress over time. Each of us as parents needs to take a good hard look at our child and decide if they are ready to enter a school setting for some or all of the day, or if they need more time to be truly successful and derive benefit from that environment. Again, don’t be afraid to make a different choice; to say “thanks, but not now” to school-based options if your child is not ready.

Are You a Peacock or a Penguin?

2009-07-13T12:13:00.000-05:00

Are You a Peacock or a Penguin?
By: Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP

I found this great little movie on the internet at www.simpletruths.com, and was inspired to write about the message it conveyed. The story begins by talking about how the penguins were the leaders in many organizations. One day, a peacock comes along and begins spreading his creativity and ingenuity. At first, the penguins were excited by the new ideas; but as time went on they became uncomfortable with the changes, and decided to go back to their old ways. The peacock was disheartened until he met a seagull that took him to the “Land of Opportunity.” Here the peacock met birds of many different shapes, sizes, and abilities. Their shared knowledge of the world made them successful. The peacock discovered that to find opportunity, you must be open to new ideas, be willing to listen, be eager to learn, have a desire to grow, and be flexible enough to change. He found that we can all live in the “Land of Opportunity” if we choose to see beyond ourselves, open our hearts, and be who we are.

So, why did I choose to share this story? Too often, I think, we are the penguins stuck in our old ways, unable to see the opportunities around us. In our minds, it is easier and safer to stay in a place of comfort, and resist change. Let’s face it, the majority of people who have established a routine don’t like to mess it up by making changes! I know some families that take the same summer vacation year after year. They go to the same place, eat in the same restaurants, do the same activities - all at the same time of year. While I understand that this may be considered tradition, it leads to a lot of missed opportunities. There is a big world out there just waiting to be discovered.

When we get bogged down in the day to day “ho hum” of our lives, we can miss the little opportunities that present themselves. I will readily admit that I miss daily opportunities for making new discoveries when my eyes are closed and my heart is not open. On the days when I take the time to slow down, look beyond myself and open my heart, the opportunities seem endless. Sometimes the multitude of opportunities can feel daunting, and making a change can be scary; but it can be completely awesome as well.

Many of the families that we see at our center have done just this. They have sought out the opportunity to make a change and a difference in their child’s life. This is not an easy decision for any family, for a multitude of reasons. Having the courage to seek out change is the first step in finding new opportunities for the child and family. Many families come to us disheartened after trying many other things, but with an openness to new ideas, a willingness to listen, an eagerness to learn, a desire to grow, and enough flexibility to change. Having all of these tools allows them to open their eyes and heart to discover a whole new world of opportunities waiting for their child and family. This is one of the things that I truly love about RDI®: the vast array opportunities that are discovered every day. These families have all found a way to be peacocks, and discover the “Land of Opportunity.”

Will you be a peacock or a penguin? Will you discover the “Land of Opportunity?” It’s all up to you!

A Journey Through Infant Development: One Year!

2009-06-26T13:49:00.000-05:00

A Journey Through Infant Development: One Year!
By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW

It seems like only yesterday that I started this series on infant development, and now my baby boy has turned a year old. It’s fun to look back and reflect on how much has changed from one year ago. No year is like the first in the amount of growth and development a child makes, although the next several years are still critical and substantial in human development. Instead of writing about what I saw in his development over the past month, I’m going to reflect back and summarize my son’s development during the past year.

The first month:

The second month:

The third month:

The fourth month:

The fifth month:

The sixth month:

The seventh month:

The eighth month:

The ninth month:

The tenth month:

The eleventh month:

I have been so honored to have a neurotypically forming child to watch develop over the past twelve months. I have never understood or appreciated the complexities of development as I do now. So many critical and foundational milestones are met during this first year! If, while reading this year in review, you still have questions or wonder if you child is developing along a neurotypical pathway, we would love to sit down and talk with you about your concerns.

What Should I Do When My Child is Anxious?

2009-06-01T07:39:00.000-05:00

What Should I Do When My Child is Anxious?
By: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.

Anxiety can be debilitating for many individuals, especially those affected by autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. Last month, I shared specific symptoms and changes in behavior to consider when determining whether or not your child or student is anxious. Now that you know what to look for in relation to anxiety symptoms, the next step is to understand ways in which you can help your child or student work through and reduce that anxiety.

Individuals cope with anxiety in many different ways; and as parents and teachers, it is important for us to guide our children without exacerbating the level of anxiety the child is experiencing. The most important person in helping someone work through anxiety is you. You, as the guide, can make the difference in increasing or decreasing anxiety for your child or student just by the way that you interact with them. Here are several suggestions and ideas for you to keep in mind when your child or student becomes anxious.

Stay calm. As a parent or teacher, it is important for you to act confidently as a guide to your child or student. If you become anxious when your child or student becomes anxious, then their anxiety level is going to continue to increase. As guides, it is our job to remain calm and composed during stressful situations. It is important for you to model for your child or student how to behave calmly and not overreact.

Be quiet. During moments of anxiety, adults tend to cope with the stress by talking more; however, this is not helpful in relation to reducing anxiety for children, especially those with neurodevelopmental disorders. Language can take quite a bit of effort to process; and if someone is already anxious, it is going to take even longer and may exacerbate the situation. By remaining calm and using as few words as possible, you can support your child or student in a more effective manner.

Slow down. When a child is anxious, he or she may not be able to process information as effectively as normal. For children with neurodevelopmental disorders, processing can be significantly altered when feelings of anxiety are present. It is important for you to remember that as the guide, you need to slow down everything that you are doing and saying in order to give the child time to process. If you tend to wait 5 seconds for a response during typical interactions, then wait 20 to 30 seconds during moments when anxiety is high.

Be observant. When a child’s level of anxiety is increased, there is some reason for the mental state change. As the guide, it is your job to take a step back, look at the situation, and try to figure out what may be causing the anxiety. Is there a transition approaching? Does the child need more sensory input? If you can pinpoint the source(s) of anxiety, then you will be better equipped to help the child cope.

Know your child or student. As individuals, we all have different forms of relaxation that we enjoy. For some it is reading a book, and for others it may be bouncing on a trampoline. Whatever the preferences are, it is important to know what strategies help your child or student to relax and calm down. This may include deep breathing, quiet time, physical activities, deep pressure, swinging, or being left alone for a period of time. These are just a few examples of different strategies that can be used with children during anxious time periods; however, it is important for you as the guide to know what will work best for him or her.

Over the past few months, we have examined what anxiety is, the symptoms of anxiety, and suggestions for helping individuals cope with anxiety. As the guide for our children and students, it is our job to recognize moments when they may be facing high levels of anxiety and then guide them through it. The way we react and guide our children or students during such times can make a big difference in their level of anxiety.

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Eleventh Month

2009-05-21T09:09:00.002-05:00

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Eleventh Month
By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW

“I’m looking for fun and adventure! I’m looking for more!!!” As children develop on a neuro-typical pathway, they begin to look for activities to be more elaborate and exciting. The same old games become boring – it’s time for adventures and more challenges. This becomes especially true as a baby transforms from an infant to a toddler. As parents, we naturally begin to add these challenges as our children begin to show readiness. My son continues to enjoy the exciting new things of life, but one monotonous thing he loves is his grandma!

You love your grandma! We took a vacation to Florida, and had a ball! It became extremely evident to me that you know what you want! You were attached to grandma like glue. You’d be playing nicely on the living room floor, and if grandma entered the room you’d scream and go crawling over to her (screaming the entire way). Once you were in her arms, there was no putting you down! When we returned home from Florida, you didn’t see her for nearly 3 days (eternity to you). When you saw her again, you did the same screaming approach that you did earlier – but held on even tighter! When you were sitting in your chair eating, you actually had to have her right there by you. When she waved like she was going to leave, you reached out and grabbed her arm and pulled her to you – all while shrieking. Although I’m a little jealous, I’m happy to see that you are forming a special bond with her, and that relationships are important to you.

There’s excitement in moving While crawling is still the preferred method of movement, you notice that this isn’t the way the rest of the family gets around. If there is a couch or table to hold on to, you are walking. It shouldn’t be long before you are walking on your own. I hope it’s sooner than later, simply because crawling outdoors is hard on the clothes!

Extreme Peek-a-boo You love playing peek-a-boo; but if I run off and hide while the blanket is over your head, you laugh even harder. The challenge of finding me is so fun, and the reward in finding me is priceless. I like this game better, too, because it gives me more exercise running from you and a bigger reward when you find me – there’s always a big laugh and gigantic hug!

Adding humor You are so funny. You are beginning to do things intentionally to make me laugh. The other day, you and I were picking up some Easter eggs off the floor. Initially you were putting them away with me; then suddenly you grabbed one, looked at me to make sure I was watching, and then crawled away with it. You then “hid” it under the couch, looked back at me, and laughed. You thought you were so funny. It’s amazing to me how much you understand about human interaction already, and how to enhance it.

If a child has fallen off this neuro-typical path of development, these activity changes can be overwhelming. The dynamic, fast moving, adventurous life is then too much, and there is a tendency to become trapped in the monotonous way of doing things – just to feel safe! This is another reason that I love Relationship Development Intervention (RDI): nothing new was created, just slowed down enough so that what happens naturally in neuro-typically developing children can happen for those who missed it the first time. Through a very careful approach, challenges are added to every day life in a supportive and trusting environment. Because of this, kids who normally fear change, challenges, and other dynamic attributes can slowly become successful in adapting to our fast changing world. The transformations are amazing!

Building a Foundation

2009-05-13T09:48:00.002-05:00

Building a Foundation
By: Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP

Now that spring has arrived here in Michigan, many construction projects are once again underway. Land is being cleared, holes are being dug, and foundations are being laid. Each time I see a foundation being poured for a new home, school or business, it makes me think of the foundations we must lay in our own lives in order to be successful.

Children begin right after birth developing the foundations that they will need to be successful in life. Babies quickly learn, “When I cry, my caregiver comes to comfort me; when I drop something, someone picks it up; and when I make noises, someone responds.” These back and forth exchanges lay the foundation for long-lasting relationships. Foundations continue to be laid throughout the time children are growing and developing in a variety of areas.

For some children, solid foundations are not laid in the early years. Reasons for this may be due to internal disregulation (ex. reflux or sensory difficulties), some type of trauma, or an environmental influence (e.g. living conditions). Whatever the reason, trying to build upon a less than solid foundation is very difficult. Children who are missing solid foundations will need a chance to go back and build those foundations. That is where the concept of remediation is critical.

Many of the children I see in my job are missing foundational pieces needed for developing long-lasting relationships and a quality of life. For this reason, their parents have sought out a remediation program. What we tell parents is that building a solid foundation for their child first begins with them.

I spend a lot of time talking with parents about building the foundation that will support the rest of their remediation program. We talk a lot about the fact that without a solid foundation, the treatment process is doomed to fail from the start. For the consultants at Horizons, a solid foundation is built on a well established master/apprentice relationship and a commitment to experience sharing communication within the family. Without this foundation, the house will eventually crumble.

Once parents have built their own foundations, the job of building a more solid foundation for their child doesn’t seem so daunting. The process of laying the foundation can be done one step at a time, and with each individual child in mind. Some children might be missing the left cornerstone, while others might be missing a piece here and a piece there. Wherever the pieces are missing, parents can be guided to support their children in shoring up the foundation that support to a stronger structure in the long run.

I found this quote, that I think speaks to the topic of foundations in relation to remediation, and what we at Horizons are striving to achieve with the parents and families with whom we work.
“The loftier the building, the deeper must the foundation be laid.” (Thomas Kempis)

To me, this quote says it all. The greater the quality of life each parent wants for their child, the more solid the foundation will need to be. As far as I’m concerned, the sky’s the limit! Now that spring has arrived and warmer weather is upon us and many new construction projects are springing up, it might be an excellent time for you to think about the foundation you are building for your child. Is your foundation solid enough to support your lofty building? If not, what can be done to firm up that foundation? Are there things that we at Horizons can do to help you establish a firmer foundation? Let us know how we can help!

Finding Peace

2009-05-13T09:48:00.001-05:00

Finding Peace
By: Nicole Beurkens, M.Ed.

As I was wandering around the Minneapolis airport recently, I found a store with a variety of posters, cards, and wall hangings with quotes and sayings on them. As I perused the options, I found one that I had to purchase and bring back to the office. Here is the quote:

Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. (Author unknown)

This conceptualization of peace resonates with me in all aspects of my life. As a parent to four children under the age of 9, there are many times when there is noise, trouble, and hard work all at once! Yet, I am still able to be at peace, knowing that this is part of the process of parenting, and that this too shall pass. Parenting is generally far from an easy or trouble-free process, but knowing in my heart that I am doing the right things for my kids allows me to be at peace during the messiest parts of the journey.

In my life as a professional there are also many times of noise, trouble, and hard work. Yet, even in the midst of those times I am able to be at peace knowing that I am doing what I was meant to do, and that everyone involved will grow through the problems we are facing. Feeling confident about my abilities to manage and overcome the obstacles that present themselves allows me to feel at peace amidst the challenges that arise.

Life wouldn’t be very interesting if everything was quiet, trouble-free, and effortless. We may wish at times that this were the case! However, there is much growth and triumph to be gained through the more chaotic and difficult times. The problem comes when we are unable to be at peace with the process as we are living through it. When noise, trouble, and hard work fall upon us, how we perceive it and react to it makes all the difference. I find this to be especially the case when these situations come along and we feel ill-prepared or incompetent to face them. These are the times when we fail to grow and develop increased strength and perseverance through the process. The challenge is to learn how to be at peace inside ourselves, even when things around us are far from peaceful.

For parents of children with autism or other disabilities, moments of noise, trouble, and hard work come more frequently. There are inherent challenges that go along with raising a child with developmental disabilities, and these challenges can easily result in a lack of peace both internally and externally. These disabilities tend to rob parents of their sense of competence in raising their children. While parenting other children may seem intuitive and an internally-peaceful process, the challenges of a disability can make even the most self-assured parents feel unsettled.

How do we get to the point where we can appreciate the process and be at peace with it, despite all the noise, trouble, and hard work?

It’s okay not to have all the answers Sometimes parents think they should automatically have all the answers to the issues that arise with their children. No one ever has all the answers, and we cannot live believing that we are supposed to – or that someone else does. We cannot allow a lack of definitive answers or solutions make us feel incompetent as parents. The important thing is that we don’t give up trying until we find a solution that works.

View life with children as a process, not an endpoint We must be careful to view parenting and the development of our children as an ever-evolving process. If we continually live with the goal of “getting through” the trying times with our kids, we will be perpetually frustrated and disappointed. There will be a constant sense of “we’re not there yet,” as opposed to expecting that there will always be challenges in one way or another.

Stop and take a deep breath Sometimes when we are facing challenges with our kids, the best thing to do in the troublesome moment is nothing at all. Many parents think that they are supposed to jump up and “do something” when problems arise with their children. Obviously this is the case if a child is going to do something to harm himself or others. However, a lot of the time the problems are not life-or-death, but we act as if they are. Taking a moment to just stop, breath, and think before you rush off to do something allows a sense of peace to prevail in otherwise un-peaceful moments.

Seek out supports for building competence as a parent If we aren’t feeling calm in our heart despite the noise, trouble, and hard work of raising children, it is important to access support. If we find that we feel guilty not having all the answers; or we are living with a vision of our problems having an endpoint rather than being a process; or we struggle with allowing ourselves to stop and think amidst the chaos, then it’s time to reach out to someone who can help address those areas and develop a feeling of peace as a parent. This can be a family member, friend, or professional, but it must be someone who can provide insight and guidance, and create a plan for achieving peace despite the messiness of life with kids.

As we go about day-to-day life with our children, we should keep in mind that “Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.” For our children to thrive, we need to be able to be peaceful in the midst of the challenges of parenthood. We should strive daily for this sense of calm in our heart.

How Do I Know if My Child is Anxious?

2009-05-08T07:57:00.000-05:00

How Do I Know if My Child is Anxious?
By: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.

When thinking about autism and all that is involved with it and other similar neurodevelopmental disorders, we sometimes overlook the possibility of co-occurring conditions like anxiety. All too often I hear responses about a child’s odd behaviors in relation to him or her “being naughty,” or that “it is just his or her autism”; but, in many instances, that is not the case. Anxiety is a complex disorder that can manifest itself in many different ways, especially in children and adults affected by autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. My goal over the next couple of months is to share with you information related to anxiety, and how you can help your child or student who may be affected by it.

Neurotypical individuals affected by anxiety on a day to day basis have varying symptoms. We often see individuals who perspire or use avoidance techniques to escape or withdraw from what makes them anxious, like social settings and large events. Others deal with their anxiety in different ways, and can become excessively chatty or extremely quiet. Whether it be withdrawing, perspiration, or becoming excessively talkative, many individuals are able to cope somewhat with their anxiety. Children and adults with neurodevelopmental disorders also have ways of expressing their anxiety and attempting to cope with it. When thinking about your child or student, here are a few ways that they may express their anxiety:

Increased self-stimulatory behaviors. Many individuals affected by autism and other neurological disorders will use self-stimulatory behaviors like rocking, flapping, hand flicking, and talking to themselves from time to time. Self-stimulatory behaviors are often static in nature, and are used by individuals to avoid situations that are too difficult for them to process and understand, as well as to deal with anxiety. When you see an individual begin using self-stimulatory behaviors or an increase in the behavior intensity, it may be helpful to ask yourself if this person is anxious and why.

Odd intensity of verbalizations. Most individuals within society today use talking as a way to deal with anxiety. Individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders who have the ability to express themselves verbally often use talking as a way of dealing with anxiety, too. When you notice a drastic increase or decrease in communication, or an individual talking about odd sorts of things for a lengthy period of time, it may be a good indication that the individual is anxious.

Acting out behaviors. When thinking about behaviors, it is important to look at “why” the behavior is occurring instead of just examining what the behavior is. When individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders become increasingly anxious internally, they often attempt to find ways to decrease their anxiety externally. A good analogy is to think about a pot of water that you are heating to the boiling point on the stove. An individual becoming increasingly more anxious is like the water getting hotter; and we are going to start to see things happening externally as well like increased talking, perspiration, and agitation that are like the bubbles in the heated water. At some point, the individual can no longer handle the level of anxiety that they are feeling, and thus acting out behaviors occur. We would consider this to be the “boiling point.” If you can examine your child or student’s behaviors and begin to notice when they are feeling anxious, you can often prevent the “boiling point” from happening by helping the individual reduce his or her anxiety.

A need for control. Individuals affected by autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders often attempt to control the actions of others as well as materials in their surrounding environments. When we see an increase in the need for control, it may be a good indicator that the individual has become anxious. Is there a change coming up of which they are fearful? What other sorts of things in the environment could be causing the anxiety?

When examining the behaviors and actions of individuals affected by autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, it is important to examine whether or not the individual is affected by co-occurring conditions as well. All too often, we come across individuals who are affected by co-occurring anxiety issues that go undiagnosed. By examining the behaviors and actions of our children and students, we may find that the acting out behaviors are not because of his or her autism or neurodevelopmental disorder, but rather because the individual is extremely anxious and has reached the “boiling point.”

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Tenth Month

2009-04-23T10:22:00.000-05:00

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Tenth Month
By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW

Curiosity is something that is developed very early in life and becomes very evident once a child starts to move. Although it can be very annoying to pull babies out of cupboards, dishwashers, refrigerators and toilets, curiosity is an extremely important foundation to a child’s neurotypical development. Curiosity allows discoveries – it offers children those “ah ha” moments in life. If a child doesn’t explore his/her environment ¬– in safe circumstances only of course – the opportunity to make discoveries is lost!

I can’t seem to get anything done while you are awake! Anytime I try to work in the kitchen, you are immediately into what I’m doing. I open the refrigerator, and there you are pulling something out of the door. I try to prepare food, and you empty every cupboard. I empty the dishwasher, and YIKES – you’re going for a sharp knife!

You’re not only into my stuff all the time, but your sisters’ as well. If they are doing a puzzle, you sit on it. If they are playing in their room, it isn’t long before I hear, “Mom!!!!” We all love you, but your sisters have appropriately changed your name from little brother to little bother.

Balls are so intriguing! If there is a ball or anything that resembles a ball, you crawl quickly to it. Once you pass it to me, you’ll look right at me and throw your arms in the air and scream. It’s so fun! If there isn’t anybody available to play, you’ll accept that and play catch with yourself. You’ll throw it; go and get it; and then throw it again. It keeps you busy for a long time! That lasted for about a week, and now you’re onto new things. You get bored easily.

Brushing teeth is a very interesting event as well. Dad will hold you while he brushes his teeth, and gives you a toothbrush as well. You’ll look at him so intently while he brushes, and then put your toothbrush in your mouth. You think you are so cool brushing your teeth like dad. The look of accomplishment on your face is priceless.

You are really getting into playing games, and find it so funny when the game changes. I handed you the top to a jar, and you handed it right back. I handed it to you, and you handed it right back (much like how we play ball). I then put it on your knee. You thought that was so funny, you grabbed it and handed it back. I put it on my knee, and the game continued. When I put it on my head, you got up, grabbed it, and tried to put it on your head – all while cracking up.

I can no longer leave the room without you getting upset. It seems as though separation anxiety has kicked in. It’s very apparent that your awareness of your surroundings has gotten much better!

You are beginning to cruise around now. Your crawling has gotten faster, and you can pull yourself up to stand with ease. It allows you to feed your curiosity about what’s going on in the rest of the world, and you love it! Now that you can do that much, let’s just get to walking.

If your child is always fixated on one thing when entering an environment, s/he is being robbed of making daily discoveries: How does my mom greet people? Do I greet grandma the same way I greet a cashier? How am I supposed to act in a gym as opposed to church? These sorts of skills are often taught if a child lacks it; but when not discovered in a natural environment, these skills can look very awkward or be inappropriate in different settings! Even in a gym, the expectation of how we’d behave changes according to what is happening in the gym. We are constantly appraising our surroundings to determine the appropriate way to act. Through the use of RDI strategies, these discoveries can be made for a child who wouldn’t otherwise make them on his/her own. Give us a call if you want to know how!

Optimism versus Pessimism

2009-04-17T09:21:00.001-05:00

Optimism versus Pessimism
By: Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP

Is Your Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

Are you a glass half full or a glass half empty kind of person? Does it really make a difference? I think it makes a huge difference in your overall functioning, and the quality of your life.

Optimism can lead to accomplishment. If you think something is possible, you will generally work harder to achieve it. Believing in the positive allows you to feel good about life in general. Being optimistic can lead to an overall mood of happiness, and enjoyment in life. While most optimists understand that not everything works out as planned, they recognize that some good can come from the unexpected.

Pessimism can lead to defeat and despair. When you are doubtful that things will happen or be accomplished, you tend not to try as hard - which then leads to failure. Approaching everyday tasks with a negative attitude quickly leads to a negative outlook on life.

I see optimism in the faces of those with whom I work each day. I think it is this positive upbeat attitude that allows us to be productive and love the work we do with families. Oh, we feel frustrated and concerned from time to time; but we have been in this profession long enough to know that if we just stay positive and wait it out, we will either find a solution or the difficulty will pass. I truly believe that our optimistic attitude is what provides us with our sense of fulfillment, and improves our overall quality of life.

Unfortunately, I encounter many pessimistic people in a variety of settings. It may be that some of those people are just having a bad day; but so often it is a way of life for people. We can become pessimistic about things we have no control over - like the economy and the weather. We do not have control of either; but we can determine what it is about those two things that we do have control over, and take action there. I can manage my own finances, for example, and make sure that I am spending within my means. I can also make sure that I am putting money aside in the event that something unexpected happens. In terms of the weather, I cannot control the temperature or even precipitation; but I can decide how I will dress each day based on what is happening outside. If I spend all of my time focusing on and worrying about all of the things that I cannot change and do not have control over, I create an even bleaker picture; and other parts of my life begin to suffer.

We all have moments of optimism and pessimism; what it comes down to is how the scale is tipped. Is your cup half full or half empty? If you feel that you are more of a pessimist than an optimist, are you able to pin point ways you could make a change? Whether you are feeling pessimistic about many things or even just a few, try the steps below to see if you can tip the scales back in the favor of optimism.

Make a list of all the things that you are concerned or worried about.

Determine which of the things on your list you have control over. Cross out the items that are truthfully out of your control.

Of the remaining items, take some time to think about what you can do to change those situations.

Choose one or two items from the list, and begin working to improve those situations.

Take some time every so often to reflect back on your list. Have you been able to make some changes? Are you feeling more optimistic about the items that are left? Are you ready to begin working on another item?

Taking it one step at a time, taking charge of the things you can control, and making changes can lead to a more optimistic attitude. Often times we try to take on too much at one time, which leads to failure and more pessimism. Taking it slow, and working only on the things that we have control over, brings success that leads to more optimism and a willingness to keep moving forward.

I am thankful for the many things I have, and am hopeful that the problems of today will no longer be problems tomorrow. As I sit here gazing out the window at the beautiful sunshine and lack of snow, I am hopeful that this is a sign that spring is just around the corner. It is with this optimism that I can tolerate the endless cold weather that seems to have plagued Michigan for longer than usual this year. It is this optimism that improves my mood, and gives me the hope that strengthens my overall quality of life.

Are you a glass half full or a glass half empty type of person? To find out more about how optimism can propel you forward and improve your overall quality of life, please visit our website at www.horizonsdrc.com.

Prioritizing Needs and Treatment for Children with Autism

2009-04-03T12:43:00.003-05:00

Prioritizing Needs and Treatment for Children with Autism
By: Nicole Beurkens, M.Ed.

I recently had a parent refer to the many needs of her daughter in this way: “It’s like there are three floors of the house burning! Where do we start and which level do we fight the fire on first?” This provides an excellent visual metaphor for determining priorities in treatment.

When a child has autism, or another neurodevelopmental disorder, there are many areas of need to consider. The pervasive nature of the diagnosis leaves little unscathed in terms of development and functioning. The extent to which each area of functioning is impacted varies, but it’s safe to say that all children on the spectrum are affected by their autism in numerous areas. There are communication problems, social interaction problems, restricted behaviors, rigid thinking, and other issues that come from having the core deficits of autism. Then, for many kids on the spectrum, there are the co-occurring problems to address such as impulsivity, feeding problems, sensory processing problems, motor deficits, academic problems, and more. The list can go on and on depending on the child and it can, indeed, feel like all three floors of the house are burning.

Once you have carefully and thoroughly identified the conditions and areas of functioning that require treatment, the question becomes what to treat, when to treat it, and how to treat it. The pervasive nature of these disorders is the equivalent of a house that burning from a fire that started in the foundation. There are a few options to consider when making these decisions:

If all three floors are burning, there may be a tendency to decide to try to throw a lot of water on everything in an effort to put the entire fire out at once. I have seen parents do this and the result is generally unfortunate for everyone involved. Parents can become completely overwhelmed trying to address everything at once; comprehending multiple therapies, driving to get to therapies, having many people in your home, paying for services, and trying to stay emotionally stable in the midst of it all. Trying to treat everything at once can lead to burned out parents and burned out kids. It can also lead to the house burning down, because by throwing water at the whole fire at once you will not be able to concentrate enough in one area to make a real dent in the fire. You might keep the fire from spreading, and you might reduce the flames a little on each level, but the fire itself will keep on burning on every level.

One could also decide to concentrate water on the area that seems to be the most obvious – the top of the house where the flames are shooting out. This can be thought of as the approach of treating the most obvious problems first – my child isn’t talking, doesn’t look at me, doesn’t know how to make friends, and/or doesn’t behave normally; so we’re going to treat those things right away. That seems like a logical plan on the surface, but the problem is that it is the equivalent of putting out the fire from the top floor first. You might save the top floor, but there is no foundation to hold it up. What you end up with is part of a house that is salvaged, but can’t support itself. This is what happens when we choose a skill-based approach to treatment that does not focus on core developmental issues that need to be addressed.

A third approach is to concentrate efforts on the base of the house first by putting out the fire there, and then working your way up to the higher levels of the house. This approach is the equivalent of working on the foundational developmental skills, abilities, and milestones that must be achieved in order for a child to make long-term developmental progress. It can be a difficult choice to make because it feels like the things that are most obvious are not being treated right away. It can feel like too much of the fire is allowed to burn while efforts are concentrated on one area at the base. However, this is the choice that must be made for long-term gain. It is in focusing on the core deficit areas of autism in developmentally appropriate and specifically targeted ways that we move forward.

As parents and professionals we have to recognize that there is only so much “water” to go around – only so many hours in the day, energy to expend, knowledge that can be absorbed, money that can be spent; the list goes on. We need to consider the idea that it is not necessarily about getting more water, it is about how that water is used. It is about:

Understanding exactly what needs to be treated and prioritizing those needs so that a treatment plan is developed to work in everyone’s best interest, without extending beyond resources that are not there.

Understanding that by treating foundational developmental issues, many other problems begin to fall away. By taking a bottom-up approach we address areas of development that snowball and create change across the board in the way a child thinks, communicates, and behaves.

Prioritizing family health above all else. We must recognize that if the needs of everyone in the family unit are sacrificed in the name of doing “more” to treat autism, then in the end everything can be lost.

Knowing how to make the most of the time, energy, and finances you can in targeting the core issues of the child’s disability.

Refusing to run around trying anything and everything; making yourself, your child, and everyone around you irritable, tired, frustrated, and financially drained in the process.

Think about how you are prioritizing the needs of your child. Are you able to rest assured that you are targeting what needs to be targeted for now, and that everything else needs to be left for later? Do you have a strategy that is allowing you to put out the fire from the source instead of blindly aiming water at the obvious flames? Do you have a good balance in your family where autism is one part of what you focus on as a family, and not the thing that takes up everyone’s time, energy, and finances? These issues are critical to consider when initially making treatment decisions, and must be revisited frequently along the journey of providing for the needs of your child and family.

Spring Break is Back

2009-03-27T14:40:00.000-05:00

Spring Break is Back
By: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.

The weather is warming up here in Michigan, and it is hard to believe that spring break is right around the corner. Spring time can be a season of change for many children, and it is important to try and maintain some consistency and routine. Whether you are going away for spring break or staying home, here are a few fun ideas to help you and your family maintain consistency as well as to enjoy the time off.

Set up an indoor treasure hunt. We all know that the weather during the spring season can be somewhat unpredictable, which means that you may find yourselves stuck indoors whether you are at home or on vacation. Wherever you are, you and your family can have a great time with an indoor treasure hunt. Each family member can take turns hiding their own personal items, and giving clues to the other family members about where the “treasures” are hiding.

Camp out! Whether you sleep on the floor in your living room or outside in a tent, camping out can be fun for everyone. You can set up your own campsite indoors or outside with a tent, sleeping bags, and snacks. As a family, you could sit around a real or pretend fire and take turns telling stories to one another. You can even make smores over a fire or in the microwave.

Do some spring cleaning! We all could take a day or two to get ourselves and our households organized and thoroughly cleaned. Here are several spring cleaning ideas that may help you and your family get organized: clean the refrigerator, organize the junk drawer, put away winter gear and bring out the spring clothes, wash your window coverings, dust your ceiling fans, change the batteries in your smoke detector, dust your light fixtures, clean out your flower beds, organize your garage, and rake your yard.

Write your family story. Each year, families grow, change, and make new discoveries. Spring break is a great time to either start or continue writing your family story. You can do this by keeping a photo album with pictures and comments to which each member contributes, or you can use many of the new photo book computer programs that are available online. It is so neat to look back at previous years to see how family members have grown or changed, as well as to see the fun adventures that your family had together.

Besides planning fun activities to do together, it is also important to keep in mind the importance of consistency and routine during this vacation time. Even though you are on vacation, it will be helpful to try and keep similar wake, sleep, and meal time routines. You may also want to consider planning only one or two activities for you and your family to do each day. If you try to pack too many things in, spring break can become stressful for everyone instead of restful.

By using the activities and ideas listed above, you and your family can make plans together to enjoy the spring break vacation!

Phillips flower Amy Allie

2009-03-25T12:24:00.005-05:00

Amy Allie is an Amaryllis. We planted the bulb before Christmas. We watered it and put it in the window and waited for it to grow and waited and waited. It got kind of stinky. We were going to throw it in the garbage but we didn't because it had mostly Stinky roots but it still had 2 good roots, so we watered it and waited for it to grow. All of a sudden on February 18 it started to grow and it grew and grew. We measured about 2 to 3 inches each week. Now on March 23 its beautiful and it has bloomed!
The end

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Ninth Month

2009-03-20T12:17:00.001-05:00

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Ninth Month
By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW

It is the dance of life, the basis of human interaction. It’s about moving fluidly through our interactions. It’s not about an outcome, but the process in which we get there. It’s about doing it together. It’s the give and take. It’s the responses given to our actions and/or words. It’s co-regulation. By 9 months of age, a child spends a majority of the day engaged in co-regulation. My son is now 9 months old, and our interactive dance is becoming more fluid as we continue this journey.

You are the joy of our lives, the spark in our day. The joy you bring to our family is indescribable. Unlike when your sisters were babies, we are trying to slow down how fast you are growing. We want you to remain a baby forever, as you are the final baby of the family; and yet you seem to be growing twice as fast as your sisters.

You have so many games that you love to play. You’ll crawl (yes, you are crawling now!) behind a chair, and then peak your head out when you see that I’m looking. I smile, then you smile back and hide again. It’s only a moment later when you slowly peak your head back out, and start to giggle as I give you a funny face.

You are eating more and more foods! You make so many people laugh as you take a bite, and then quickly open your mouth for another bite. You’ll sit there with your mouth open staring at me until I get that spoon filled with more food back to your mouth. It can’t come fast enough! If I stand up to go get something, you scream like you are going to starve. I know you are about done eating when you grab at the spoon as though it’s a toy and not a shoveling device.

If there is a ball around, you will find it. You love playing with balls! I’ll hand it to you, and you’ll throw it back. Sometimes it comes to me, but your hands don’t always throw in the same direction you’re looking. Then as I hold the ball you look at me with anticipation, wondering if and when I’ll throw it back; often times your hands and feet are moving with your excitement. Once I roll it back to you, you smile and scream in delight! If it bounces off you, you’ll race after it. You already know that we both have a responsibility in keeping the ball in play.

Your sisters still love to torment you. They’ll climb in your face, and try to tickle you or tackle you. You are learning to defend yourself by clawing them in the face or pulling their hair. They get upset; but I defend you, and tell them that they deserved it.

There is nothing better than coming home after not seeing you all day. When you see me, you light right up and come crawling to me as fast as you can. If you can’t get to me or I don’t pick you up right away, you’ll sit there and scream until I give you attention. It can be a bit annoying, but I love the attention and the immediate hugs!

The interactive dance of life is established, and relationships are beginning to flourish. Isn’t it amazing how early on in life this begins to happen? This is a topic I discuss early and often with families who have a child with autism: What does co-regulation look like; when is it established; when does it break down; and how is it repaired? Co-regulation is the basis for all human interaction, essential for developing relationships. Watching this form between the parents and children I work with is an amazing experience. What are you doing to initiate this dance?

Building Competence

2009-03-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

Building Competence
By: Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP

Competence is a word I use a lot in my day to day work with families as an RDI® consultant. Not many sessions go by in which we don’t talk about their child’s feelings of competence or incompetence. Many people do not stop to think about feelings of competence in themselves, let alone in their children.

I never used to think about competency/incompetency, at least not in personal terms. I just knew that there were times when I felt really good about my ability to do something. At other times I didn’t want to do something, because I didn’t think I was very good at it. We all have areas in which we feel really competent, and other areas where we feel incompetent. Put me in a room with a child for an hour, and I feel competent to build rapport at some point. We may even establish some co-regulation and a shared experience. I thrive in this type of situation. On the other hand, put me in a room with ten adults that I don’t know very well, and all I want to do is leave. I don’t feel very competent in my abilities to socialize with groups of people outside of my family, close friends, or profession. I avoid those types of situations when possible.

The funny thing about competence/incompetence is that you can see it manifested in people’s behavior. When people are feeling competent about their skills or abilities in a given activity, they are relaxed, happy, and more willing to participate. Things seem to go smoother, and the result is usually positive. When moments of competence are spotlighted, those memories are stored and can be used later to build new areas of competence.

When a person is feeling incompetent about their abilities in a given area, they may appear tense, sad, angry, or defiant. They may also have a more difficult time performing, or even refuse to participate. Many times when we see a negative behavior in a child, we think that s/he is just being defiant or naughty. In reality, what the child might be trying to communicate are feelings of incompetence. The child who complains about a task or says things like “This is so dumb” or “I hate this” may really be saying, “I feel incompetent. I need help.” It is much harder to engage a person who is feeling incompetent, and this can lead to negative outcomes. Unfortunately, a negative outcome creates negative memories that lead to even more feelings of incompetence, perpetuating the cycle.

So, what can be done to break the cycle of incompetence? The first thing I have parents work on with their child is to ensure that a guided participation relationship has been established between the adult and child. When the child has developed this type of relationship, s/he will trust that the parents will be there to guide and give support when s/he is feeling incompetent. How is this done? By starting with activities that are short, incorporating activities in which the child is already showing some competence and taking him/her to the next step all while providing enough support to make the child successful. Building new levels of competence, in areas where the child has already shown some competency builds a trusting guided participation relationship. Once this relationship is established, the guide can begin to introduce new activities; and the child will be more willing to attempt these tasks, knowing his guide will be there to support him. Recognizing the behavior that communicates feelings of incompetence can be the key in knowing how to support the child and break the cycle.

For more information on how you can begin building competence in your child, please visit our website at www.horizonsdrc.com.

12 Things Parents and Professionals Must Understand About Educating Students with Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders

2009-03-05T11:42:00.002-05:00

12 Things Parents and Professionals Must Understand About Educating Students with Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders
By: Nicole Beurkens, M.Ed.

Working with parents and educators for over a decade has taught me some important lessons about what it means to provide a meaningful education to students with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. It is easy to get bogged down in the moment-to-moment challenges and lose perspective on what we are trying to accomplish. Too often we employ strategies that address an immediate problem, without figuring out how to build the foundations that are required for addressing the challenge over the long-term. In searching for the elusive “quick fix” we fail to implement some basic but powerful concepts that support learning for all students.

Here are 12 important concepts every parent and professional should consider when designing appropriate educational opportunities for students with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders:

Attitude: Your attitude is the most important tool you bring to your work with students. You do not need to have experience teaching students with neurodevelopmental disorders in order to be successful with them, but you do need to build trust through acceptance, patience, mutual respect, and a willingness to learn.

Remediation and Compensation: Solutions that solve a problem in the short term may not create foundational change in the long term. A balance of short-term and long-term strategies is needed for students to be truly successful.

Relationships are Essential for Growth and Development: We learn and grow through our relationships with others. Behavioral and emotional self-regulation begins with being able to regulate with others.

Our Communication is a Powerful Tool: Speaking and communicating are two very different things. The ways in which we use verbal and nonverbal communication has a significant impact on our students’ communication development.

Processing: Neurological disorders impact students’ abilities to take in, make sense of, and respond to information. We need to learn to slow down in order to speed up in order to support and improve their processing.

Promoting Independence, Thinking, and Problem Solving: The most important outcome of the educational process is to teach students to think. We need to create daily opportunities for students to think about and flexibly respond to what is happening around them.

Environments Make a Difference: The physical environment plays a significant role in student success. We need to take the time to observe and understand how the physical environment is impacting student functioning.

Promoting Competence: Students who feel incompetent do not learn and thrive. It is crucial to find ways to help all students have meaningful roles in the classroom, help them know they are supported, and send the message that we know they are capable.

Labels: The names we give students, classrooms, and programs are far less important than understanding their unique characteristics. It is easy to give children labels, and much more challenging to understand what really makes them tick so as to best support them. Labels should be viewed as a beginning, not an endpoint.

Obstacles: Everyone has obstacles—challenges that impact their ability to function at their best. The responsibility for identifying and resolving behavior obstacles and challenges lies much more with adults than it does with children.

Families as Partners: Parents are the primary players in the growth and development of their children. Professionals and families must be more than a team for the purpose of completing required paperwork. A working relationship based on trust and mutual respect is required for students to reach their highest potential.

Collective Visions: Having a vision of what constitutes a satisfying quality of life for students and their families allows us to create educational plans that accomplish meaningful outcomes. Shared visions created by parents and professionals provide a powerful map for moving forward.

Approaching the education of students with neurodevelopmental disorders with these 12 powerful concepts in mind provides a more meaningful and successful experience for everyone involved. Application of these principles allows us to best guide students to reach their highest potential in school and beyond.

Indoor Sensory Ideas and Activities

2009-02-27T11:52:00.001-05:00

Indoor Sensory Ideas and Activities
By: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.

The snow continues to fall here in Michigan, and it seems like forever since my family and I were able to enjoy the outdoors without worrying about frostbite. Cabin fever is really beginning to set in. I cannot wait for the warm sunny spring days to arrive, and to go for a bike ride with my family!

The cabin fever that my family and I have been experiencing lately seems to be a common theme among many of the families with whom I have been working. This time of year seems to be difficult for all of us, and especially for children who have sensory processing difficulties. During the mid-winter months, we typically see an increase in sensory seeking behaviors due to the limited amount of play time outside or elsewhere. The holidays are now over as well, which means that the lights and intense sensory input of the holiday season has past. It is still important to make sure that the sensory needs of our kids are being met. Here are a few simple sensory ideas that you can use during the indoor times of the year.

Set-up a sensory course. Children always seem to enjoy making and playing on indoor sensory courses. You can set-up a simple course in your living room, bedroom, or basement using household materials. Couch cushions, pillows, flat sheets, and other items are wonderful materials that you can use to create a sensory course. Your children will have a blast jumping into a pile of cushions, or crawling under a sheet!

Increase tactile input. Many children enjoy touching or manipulating sticky or textured surfaces that provide them with great tactile input as well. Playing with shaving cream on a table surface can be very enjoyable, and it is also a great cleaning activity! You can make sensory stress balls by filling balloons with flour or sugar. Finally, finger painting with pudding or jell-o can be enjoyable, too.

Take part in physical activities. Even when the weather is cold outside, you can still participate in physical activities. Playing hide and seek, doing the crab walk, or log rolling are great for sensory input as well as increasing physical activity. You can even do a 3-legged race indoors! If the weather is tolerable, then shoveling snow, ice skating, sledding, making snow angels, and building snowmen are great outdoor physical activities.

Turn daily chores into the Winter Olympics. Playing games while doing chores always seems to make them more enjoyable for everyone. You can use those chores to help meet sensory needs as well. Shooting baskets with dirty clothes, playing pretend hockey with brooms and dust pans, and being a figure skater while picking up toys can be great fun!

We can all beat winter cabin fever by including more sensory activities in our daily routines. For children with sensory processing difficulties, it is even more important to make sure that they are getting the input they so desperately need. By following these simple sensory ideas, I hope everyone will be able to get the input they need during this time of year. Just keep in mind that spring really is right around the corner!

Climb All the Way to the Top By: PHILLIP

2009-02-19T14:49:00.004-05:00

I did climb to the green hammock. I was in the striped one and climbed all the way to the top. I never gave up and made it to the very top. It was hard and my arms got tired.
THE END

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Eighth Month

2009-02-18T14:39:00.001-05:00

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Eighth Month
By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW

Guided Participation is a concept that is not new, it’s the way we have always learned: parents supporting an infant as she learns to walk, a chemistry teacher demonstrating how to carefully mix chemicals, a college student observing through an internship, and a teenager in driver’s education learning the rules and steps to driving. Without guided participation, we’d have to learn everything on our own, rather than through others’ experiences; and we’d all feel lost and scared. Our world would be a mess! When I look at my 8 month old son, I’m amazed by all the things he has already accomplished through his ability to observe others.

You are such a blessing in my life! Daily I am amazed at how much you’ve grown. Sometimes I look at you in bed and think, where has my little baby gone? Where have those opportunities of lying on the couch with you and getting cuddle time gone? I miss those times when you’d just sleep on my chest; yet I am so thankful that you have grown into the rambunctious little boy that you are.

You know that you aren’t alone, and that if you are uncertain or confused about something you can look to me for help. The other day you were playing with a ball – like you often do – and it rolled under the couch. Instead of getting upset, you rolled your way over there and started reaching under the couch. You were unable to reach the ball, so you sat up and looked right at me. You had that look of “help me mom” on your face. I was happy to move the ball a little closer to you so you could successfully pull it out.

You are getting places pretty quickly with your army crawl, but you are intrigued by integrating your legs at the same time. On the one hand, I’d love for you to do a full crawl; but I don’t mind you helping to keep the floors clean either. When your sisters are crawling around on the floor, you are watching them carefully. It won’t be long now and you’ll get it! You also like to pull yourself up to see what’s on the table or couch. You try hard to stand, but you haven’t quite got it yet. You get up to your knees, and we can just see your beautiful blue eyes peering over the top of the coffee table. It’s so cute.

You initiate play all the time now. You often start to clap so we’ll play patty cake with you. You start clapping (both hands open now) and look at me with a big smile. If I say “patty cake” you start smiling even bigger, and start clapping again. You think you are so funny. You watch all the hand actions closely, and you pretty much have every move down now. Once we get through the whole routine, you start it over again.

Every time I play a game or do a puzzle with one of your sisters, you want to be right in the middle of it all. You scoot over and get mad if you can’t play, too. You notice that you aren’t getting all of the attention. The other day grandma was holding your younger cousin, and you didn’t like that at all. You squealed while scooting all the way over to grandma’s legs. You pulled at her pant legs, trying to get your way back to her arms. You are so spoiled and so loved! It’s amazing to me how observant of your surrounding you are.

A new trick you picked up is waving “goodbye.” You watch me closely while I show you how to wave. Sometimes you choose to join in the waving, other times you just smile. It’s like you are playing a game – “I know how to do that, but I’m getting a lot of attention; so I’ll just let them keep waving at me.” When you do wave, you wave like you are Miss America, with the fancy back and forth wave. Very silly coming from a baby, but so unique to you. I think it’s beautiful.

As a neuro-typical child, my son continues to reach new milestones on a regular basis. He is able to watch others and learn from them. The dynamic world is fascinating to him; yet when he is confused or uncomfortable, he is able to look to me for support. This just goes to show the importance of developing a solid master apprentice relationship, where the child learns from the parent and is given support when uncertain. If things are moving too quickly for your child, s/he will be unable to learn from other’s experience, robbing him/her of the opportunity to grow. If you notice that your child is missing some of the above milestones, it may be because s/he is unable to learn in fast moving, dynamic settings. RDI has many strategies to help children with autism or other developmental disabilities learn the same way children have always learned - through and with a trusted guide. It’s worked all over the world since the beginning of time; and it can work for your child, too!

Hot Wheels Track

2009-02-13T15:32:00.002-05:00

Jonathan put together a Hot Wheels track. There were many of pieces. Jonathan put a bright red car on the track first. The car goes and races around. He likes to line cars up on the track but be careful of your fingers, the cars go very fast. He likes to try different cars to see which ones work the best. Jonathan cheers, "Go! Go! Go! You can do it!" as his favorite cars race around the track.

Apprenticeship

2009-02-12T16:49:00.002-05:00

Apprenticeship
By: Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP

According to the American Heritage Desk Dictionary, the word apprentice is defined as “one learning a trade under a skilled master; or a beginner.” I find both of these definitions to be relevant to the work I do each day, as well as the way I think about apprenticeship in relation to the remediation of autism spectrum disorders or related neurological disorders.

Apprenticeship in job training has been around for hundreds of years, dating back to the middle ages. The idea of apprenticeship itself has been around much longer than that, since the dawn of history. Humans have been learning from “masters” forever, and it is what allows the human race to survive. Parents apprentice their children who apprentice their children, and so on. This passing on of basic survival skills is not what we may traditionally think of as a master/apprentice relationship; but in reality, it is apprenticeship in its most basic and necessary form.

We tend to think of apprentices in relation to job training, or within education, or the work force. While this form of training is the backbone of most occupations, apprenticeship is used in many places, and for many purposes. If you go back to the definition at the beginning of this article, it states that an apprentice is one who is learning a trade under a master. When I think of this, I take the meaning of the word “trade” loosely. Trade could mean skill, task, or concept. When thought of in this way, apprenticeship applies to almost everything we learn throughout our lives.

When was the last time you were an apprentice or a master? I often find myself in both positions. Sometimes I am even caught as a master and an apprentice of the same task. As I continue to learn, I begin passing my knowledge and discoveries on to someone else. I’m sure you have all had this experience as well. Let’s face it, there are some things we will never completely master, but we know enough to take on an apprentice and begin guiding him or her to a new level of understanding.

In my profession, I am in the unique position to be both a master and apprentice. I spend most of my days guiding parents to carry out the process of remediation with their children with an autism spectrum disorder or related neurological disorder. But I often find myself making new discoveries as well, and expanding my abilities even though I am in the master role. This guidance and learning is all based on the master/apprentice relationship that is not unique to parents of children with disabilities, but is inherent in the act of parenting. So, I guide parents who are also in the position of being both master and apprentice.

When parents are in the master role, they spend their time guiding their child to make new discoveries within the safety of their trusting relationship. Parents support their children in learning new things, taking their teaching one step at a time until the child feels competent and ready to take on more independence. So what does this master/apprentice relationship look like between a parent and a child? The following is an example of how a parent would guide their child in learning to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, steps s/he would use to foster competence and independence.

The parent has all necessary materials ready, and begins by having the child be responsible for helping get the bread out of the bag onto the plate. The parent fosters the discovery of needing the bread first by talking the child through what the first step would be. The parent may then have the child choose the next item, and help to open the peanut butter or jelly. At this stage, the parent may just have the child watch as s/he spreads each ingredient.

As the child becomes competent with the steps above, the parent then adds the step of spreading the ingredients. The parent might begin by using hand-over-hand to assist the child, and gradually remove their hand as the child feels competent.

Next the parent allows the child to make his or her own sandwich, but stands by to offer needed assistance or reminders.

The final stage sees the child able to make his or her own sandwich independently, without the support or supervision of a parent.

Each of the above stages may be broken down into even smaller steps, depending on the ability of the child; but the idea is for the child to build competence, make discoveries, and develop independence under the guidance of a trusted parent. It should also be noted that each stage should be practiced multiple times before moving on to the next step. Guides want to build competence in their apprentice before expanding the level of independence.

Many parents do this type of guiding on a daily basis, without even realizing what they are doing. Each of these master/apprentice experiences is what fosters independence and a quality of life in our children. This same type of master/apprentice relationship is what we use in the remediation of autism spectrum disorders through the RDI® program. The only difference may be the amount of support and/or time it takes to master a task.

For more information on how you can begin building a master/apprentice relationship with your child, please visit our website at www.horizonsdrc.com.

Trash day

2009-02-09T14:01:00.003-05:00

On Mondays we collect all of the trashes and put them in one or two bags and put them in the big black trash can. Then we collect the recycling and bring it to the bin. Then we take it out to the curb. Sometimes we play rock hockey on the way back. The end.

PHILLIP

One Step Back, Three Steps Forward: Dysregulation and Development

2009-02-05T15:08:00.001-05:00

One Step Back, Three Steps Forward: Dysregulation and Development
By: Nicole Beurkens, M.Ed.

I’ve been thinking about dysregulation and developmental “growth spurts” lately, as my 9-month old daughter has had a weeklong stretch of frustrating behavior. Normally she is a very easy baby; content to hang out with us and do whatever. She generally likes to be held, likes to play with toys on the floor, sleeps through the night, etc. Two weeks ago she learned to crawl —that funny army crawl where babies kind of use their elbow and knee to propel themselves forward as they move across the floor (OT’s in the audience-yes I know the importance of doing a cross-crawl but for now she is doing it this way!). She wants to get everywhere and she is FAST! There is now a lot of time spent telling her “no you can’t go there,” and picking her up to move her back to a space where she can be. She has also started to wake up quite a bit in the night; crying out and banging on her crib rails. I’ll go into her room to see her trying to pull herself up in the bed. Then she gets mad when she falls down onto the mattress. During the day she seems to be is frustrated and upset about everything! She doesn’t want to be on the floor unless she is allowed to crawl wherever she wants to. She doesn’t want to be in her jumper or her exersaucer; but she doesn’t really want to be held either. Basically she just wants to be on the go and exploring her newfound mobility, and if she can’t then she is MAD!

I remember this happening with my three boys as well when they were this age. It seems like my kids go through a period of falling apart around the time they make a developmental leap forward, and even for some time after that as they settle in to their newfound abilities. It’s obvious to me with my daughter that this is what is going on right now because she is my fourth child, but I remember with my first one thinking that he had turned into a nightmare overnight! Now I’m able to ride it out knowing that they all go through periods of time like this and it will end.

In the Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) work I do with families who have children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, I see this same phenomenon occur. Sometimes parents will call or email to say that their child is suddenly going through a very dysregulated time period. When we look at it closer, they have either just developed a new skill or way of thinking about things, or they are about to go through a developmental spurt. It seems to be the brain’s way of reorganizing itself, which can be a dysregulating process. Obviously not all dysregulation in children with these disorders can be attributed to cognitive reorganization and developmental growth spurts, but it is something worth considering if you see it happening with your child. Looking at it from this perspective allows us as parents to slow down and wait to see what happens, without immediately worrying that our child has regressed or become permanently dysregulated. Sometimes in development we take a step back to take a few steps forward; and that is good to remember for all kids!

Phillips hamster of dough

2009-02-02T15:47:00.002-05:00

Phillips hamster is complete.

"I wanted my hamster to have blue eyes and teeth and be yellow. His name is Hammy".

Marble race game

2009-02-02T15:36:00.003-05:00

Here is a picture of Jonathan racing marbles on the run he built next to mine.

Jonathan's response was "marble race game, Jonathan's marble faster!" (and it was).

Jonathan did a terrific job using all of the colors in his run and sharing them with me.

New Year Resolutions for Teachers

2009-01-30T13:41:00.001-05:00

New Year Resolutions for Teachers
By: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.

It is hard to believe that 2009 is already here! The holidays came and went so quickly, and now we are on to bigger and better things in the New Year. As a teacher and consultant, I believe that starting a new year is always a great time to put into action our personal New Year’s resolutions. Now, many of us typically think about and plan our personal resolutions; but have you ever thought about making resolutions for yourself professionally as well? Making changes for the better in our professional lives is just as important as in our personal lives.

As teachers, we know there are so many things that we need to do day in and day out to keep our classrooms working efficiently and effectively. Planning lessons, managing schedules, and keeping up with grading are just a few of the daily activities that we are required to do. As you move through the rigmarole of our professional lives, do you ever stop and think about what you are learning or gaining from your professional experience? Have you learned a new strategy and implemented it in the classroom? Is teaching still fun, or have you fallen into the rut of the day in and day out routine? Here are a few simple suggestions and ideas for New Year’s resolutions for teachers that will help keep you fresh and moving forward in your professional career.

Read a new strategy book or article for teachers. It is important for teachers to keep up on their reading and understanding of educational practices and procedures. Every month, new strategy books and research articles that share research based best practices come out for teachers. You can find these materials online through your preferred search engine or database. It is amazing to see all of the materials that are available today!

Subscribe to a teacher friendly website. The internet holds thousands of teacher websites that are available to assist you with learning new methods, gaining lesson ideas, and managing your schedule and routines. It is important for you to take the time to find a site that can benefit you and use it frequently throughout the week.

Take a college class. Universities and local intermediate school districts frequently offer classes for teachers. Attending a class or college course is a great way to freshen up on best practices, as well as meet and socialize with fellow teachers.

Visit a fellow teacher’s classroom. It is really amazing to see all of the different ideas that teachers use in their classrooms. By visiting fellow teacher’s classrooms, you can gain some wonderful insight and ideas to use with your students as well.

Read an inspirational quote every morning. At the beginning of everyday, it can be very inspirational to read a quote to yourself or to your class as a whole. Quotes can be a great tool to keep you fresh and ready for the day ahead. You can find calendars with daily quotes on them, as well as a many quote resources online.

Take care of yourself. Lastly and most importantly, teachers need to take care of themselves personally and professionally. Try to leave your work at school, at least a few nights a week, so you can rest and relax once you get home. Plan a date night with your spouse or significant other, and plan not to talk about work. Find things that you enjoy, and be sure to participate in them frequently.

As teachers, it is important for us to make positive changes in ourselves personally and professionally. Our student success will depend on the best practices we are using, and our enthusiasm for teaching. Make 2009 the best year yet for yourself, your family, and your love of teaching!

Phillips hamster of dough

2009-01-26T15:26:00.002-05:00

We made dough last week with salt, flour, oil and water. Today I made a hamster with it. First I drew the shape with a marker on paper then I filled it in with the dough. We cooked it and it got hard. I am going to paint it on Wednesday.
Phillip

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Seventh Month

2009-01-22T15:34:00.002-05:00

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Seventh Month
By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW

It’s been another wonderful month with my son. Each month I see him increasing his desire for independence. There is already an instinctive attitude of “I can do it!” With this attitude comes frustration, perseverance, and ultimately a sense of growing competence. Allowing him to go through the times of frustration helps to build the perseverance, which is all worth it when I see that look of “I did it!” Many of the milestones written to him below are a direct result of allowing him to fail, persevere (with or without a little support), and succeed.

You are so busy discovering new things. Your old toys are no longer fun, and you find so much more enjoyment out of strings, boxes, spoons, and other non-toy items. I love sitting back and watching you find something you want and go after.

Because of your increased curiosity, you have found new ways to move around to get where you want to go. You started off rolling everywhere, but that wasn’t always such an effective method. At church one morning, I watched you eyeing a little girl your age as she crawled around and pulled herself up to stand. You watched intently. It wasn’t but a few days later that you began to move forward and try to pull yourself up. Although you are only making small strides, you are beginning to get where you want in a forward but awkward motion. It’s really cute. Your left arm reaches out, and then you pull yourself forward over that arm. The right arm offers little assistance. Grandma found that to be very funny, as you are taking on the same strange crawling patterns that your daddy used.

You know your name now. We have lots of little nicknames for you too, and you respond to all of them. I’ll be sitting on the couch watching you play, and I’ll call your name. You stop what you are doing, and turn with the most beautiful smile. It melts my heart, so I interrupt your play a lot just so I can see that precious face.

Patterns are becoming more and more evident to you. Playing Patty Cake is one of your favorite games. I like to be that annoying mother who wants to show off your cool tricks, so I’ll say “Patty Cake.” You look right at me with a smile, and start clapping. Your little clap is so cute. Your right hand will be wide open, but your left hand will be in a ball. As the month went on you got better and better at the motions that go with this little chant. We always end it with a “so big.” Your little arms shoot right above your head. It’s funny to see, because your hands barely reach the top of your head. One day you’ll only do the clapping, the next day you’ll only do the “so big”; but I know it won’t be long before you put it all together. It makes grandma so proud to watch you do the little game she teaches all her grandchildren.

You are beginning to initiate play a lot more now. Sometimes when nobody is paying attention to you, you’ll throw your sweet little arms straight up in the air until one of us looks at you. All we have to say is “so big,” and you start giggling. Once you have our attention, you’ll stop playing the game. You think it’s funny to tease us by getting it started and then refusing to do it again. I love your little sense of humor already!

Solid foods are becoming more common for you. Cheerios are the best thing ever; and if half of them make it in your mouth, you are doing pretty well. I usually find most of them in your bib, on the high chair, or on the ground. You’re getting the hang of it though, and each week it becomes easier and easier. I can’t believe you are just around the corner from feeding yourself. You don’t even need me to hold your bottle all the time anymore, but we both prefer it when I do. This is the only cuddle time we get.

Getting kisses from you is a new favorite for me. I’ll pick you up and say “kisses,” and you’ll lean in with your mouth wide open. I can’t ever get enough kisses; although with your little teeth coming in, I’m beginning to get bitten instead of kissed. I guess we’ll have to work on hugs.

It can be very difficult to watch a child struggle with something, and not just step in and do it for him/her. I often watch my son try to eat a Cheerio, and I just want to grab it and put it in his mouth for him. I watch him scooting, and I can tell where he is trying to go – I want to pick him up and move him there, but I resist. I let him try, I let him fail, but I’m always ready to support him to ensure that he’ll be successful. It’s from very early on that infants learn to persevere through their failures to come out ahead. There is a tough balance, though, between overcompensating and under-compensating – especially if you have a child with special needs. If you do too much for your child (overcompensating), perseverance will not be established, and a desire to try new things will seldom occur. If you don’t offer enough support (under-compensating), a constant feeling of incompetence will be built, ending with the same result. The RDI program helps to find that right balance, giving your child the necessary amount of support to become confident with an increased desire to try new things. Through RDI, we can help you help your child fail successfully!

The Reading Game

2009-01-20T15:38:00.003-05:00

Today, Miss Courtney and I played a fun reading game. It had a train and I had to sound out words. It was a lot of fun.

From Phillip

Slowing Down to Speed Up

2009-01-15T11:15:00.000-05:00

Slowing Down to Speed Up
By: Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP

Why does it seem that everything has to be done at warp speed these days? Everyone is in a rush to get where they are going and to do what needs to be done. It seems the older a person gets, the faster the years fly by. Is it because we get so busy and are in such a hurry that we miss whole periods of time, caught up in meaningless tasks? Why, when we were children, did it seem like there was so much time and it went so slowly? Think back to when you were a child, and summer vacation seemed to stretch on forever. Was that because our lives weren’t packed with things to do from the time we got up until the time we went to bed? Was it because we had the whole day just to play, have fun, and be creative? No schedules, no responsibilities, no worries all seem to have played a part in the “time” we then had.

In a previous article I wrote about slowing down to assist in processing communication; but in this article I want to talk about the broader concept of slowing down our lives in general. I will admit right from the start I am guilty of being one of those fast paced people that needs to take some of my own advice, and slow down. I have been working on this very hard over the past few months, and feel like I have made some progress; but it has been difficult. When you find yourself thinking, “I can’t even sit and watch a 30 minute TV show without doing something else at the same time,” you need to stop and assess the pace of your life.

I know we are all busy, and there is so much to be done every day; but sometimes the key to speeding up and getting things done is to slow down. So many parents tell me that they find themselves running here, there, and everywhere transporting their children to any number of sporting events, therapies, hobbies and other outings that they feel like they live in their car. How can this be a healthy way to function; and what kind of relationships are we establishing by rushing around all the time?

In thinking about this e-zine article, I decided I would just take a minute and Google the concept of slowing down. Wow, was I amazed at all the things that I found! So if there is a movement out there to slow our lives down, why have I not heard of it? I actually found two websites where I spent a period of time looking at and reading the content. All of what was said made a lot of sense to me. One of the best things I found there was the idea that by slowing down we can actually improve our communication and relationships with other people. By taking the time to stop and actually listen, we can have such a deeper level of understanding with the other person, and possibly establish a great bond with that person. I know that when I am in a hurry or have many things on my mind, I don’t do a very good job of communicating with others or giving my all to the relationship. Usually what happens in these instances is that I listen just enough to answer when it is my turn; and when the conversation is over it is out of my head. I have noticed that when I slow down and give my full attention to the conversation, I have a much easier time recalling what was discussed and leave the interaction feeling like a true connection was made.

Many children with autism spectrum disorders have difficulty with communication, social exchanges, and building relationships with others. They also struggle with the ability to appraise situations, and be flexible. When we think about this in relation to our fast paced world, is it any wonder people with autism spectrum disorders struggle with those areas? It’s like they were wired for optimal performance at a slower pace, but find themselves in the whirlwind that is our current society.

So, what if we tried slowing down to speed up? What if when we were engaging, or guiding our children with autism spectrum disorders, for example we slowed down and allowed for thinking time? Amazing things start to happen when the pace slows. I have had this experience time and again. The child who was disregulated and not connected suddenly begins to regulate and connect with you just by virtue of the fact that you slowed things down enough so that s/he could process what was happening. So if this can happen during planned activities, what would happen if we made a concerted effort to slow down the pace of our entire life?

I can tell you what I have seen happen with the families I work with who do make an effort to slow down their lives. Their children begin to establish meaningful bonded relationships with their parents and significant others in their world. They begin communicating to share experiences and make new discoveries. They discover new ways to see the world and become more flexible. The great thing is that this doesn’t only happen for children with an autism spectrum disorder; but we all expand our horizons and speed up new discoveries when we take time to slow down, and really process our world.

Parenting Thoughts For the New Year: Changing “I Should” to “I Could”

2009-01-07T15:12:00.001-05:00

Parenting Thoughts For the New Year: Changing “I Should” to “I Could”
By: Nicole Beurkens, M.Ed.

The start of a new calendar year tends to be a time for us to reflect on the past year, and also make plans for what we envision in the 12 months ahead. Some people make resolutions, write to-do lists, or set goals for themselves. What often happens with these lists and resolutions, however, is that they fall by the wayside shortly after they’ve been written. One of the reasons for this is the pressure we put on ourselves to accomplish these things; and that pressure and level of expectation leads to stress, resentment, and ultimately giving up on what we originally set out to do.

I recently heard someone talk about changing our “I should” to “I coulds.” That really resonated with me on a personal and professional level, as it seems so easy to get caught in the trap of stressing about everything I “should” do. When we think of things in terms of “I should,” we exist in a pressured state of feeling forced to do something. Thinking about what I “could” do shifts us into a mindset of choice—I am deciding in this moment whether to do this thing. It not only sounds different, but it feels different to phrase options from the perspective of “I could” instead of “I should.” There is an internal mindset shift that occurs when we do this; and it allows us to move forward with trying to do the things we could, instead of getting stuck in the mode of pressuring ourselves to do what we should.

Since we are at the start of a new year, we have the opportunity to think about the year ahead in terms of “I coulds.” Instead of making lists of all the things we “should” do, why not think about all we could do and accomplish this year? Here are some simple ways we can apply this thinking to our parenting and the relationships we have with our children:

I could spend a few minutes of 1-1 time with my child each day.

I could have my child help me with a chore I need to get done.

I could plan a simple activity that our family can all do together each week.

I could get the playroom/bedroom/office/garage organized.

I could be more consistent with my response to the negative/inappropriate behavior my child exhibits.

I could read that book/journal/blog I find interesting.

I could be more patient with my children.

I could set limits for how much time my children spend watching television and playing video games.

How about you? What are some of the “I shoulds” that have been hovering over you and your life? Take a few moments to write down all the “shoulds” that come to mind – just jot them down in whatever order you think of them. Your list might include household chores or projects, such as doing the laundry or repairing something that’s broken; personal ideals such as losing weight; activities with your children, etc. Once you have your list, go through and read each one using the phrasing “I could…”. Notice how you respond mentally and physically to thinking about each item on your list as a “could” versus a “should.” When these things arise for you on a daily basis, focus on shifting into the choice mode of “I could” instead of the pressure mode of “I should.” Let’s make the coming year a year of “coulds!”

The Holidays are Here! How to Thrive During this Busy Time of Year!

2008-12-18T10:24:00.001-05:00

The Holidays are Here! How to Thrive During this Busy Time of Year!
By: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.

The snow is falling here in Michigan, and the winter season has begun to set in. Neighborhoods are buzzing with children sledding down snow covered hills, and families are busily decorating their homes. It really is “beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!”

Before we know it, school winter breaks will be here and our children will be home for a couple of weeks. With the holidays right around the corner, I thought it might be helpful to share some tips and activity ideas that will help you and your family thrive during this busy time of the year.

Keep a consistent schedule. During this busy time of the year, it is very easy for families to get away from their regular routine. Before you know it, the kids are eating breakfast at noon and staying up until all hours of the night. It is important for families to keep a fairly consistent schedule even through the holidays. Keeping regular bed, wake, and meal times will be important to maintain your routine.
Have some jolly holiday fun. There are so many fun activities that you can undertake during this holiday season. Making holiday cookies and snacks, having a red and green meal, going sledding or caroling, decorating the house, and making holiday ornaments for friends and relatives are just a few of the fun activities that you and your family can enjoy.
Don’t overdo it! The holidays tend to be an extremely busy and stressful time of the year. When you are looking at your calendar and scheduling activities, be sure that you are limiting them so that you are also including time for just your family.
Make a family new year resolution. The new year is a great time to start a new endeavor. Are there things that you would like to work toward in the new year? Keeping the house clean, sharing chores among family members, and saving as a family for a desired trip are all great things to work toward. As a family, sit down and create a family resolution for the new year. Be sure it is something reasonable to which all family members will be able to contribute.
Enjoy the season. Even though the holidays can be a busy and stressful time of the year, it is important for everyone to sit back, relax, and enjoy the season. Be sure to take time for yourself to get some well deserved rest and relaxation.

By following these simple suggestions, your holiday season will be merry and bright. I wish you all a wonderful holiday season, and look forward to sharing more with you in the new year!

Help for the Holiday Hmm’s

2008-12-15T11:37:00.001-05:00

Help for the Holiday Hmm’s
By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW

If your life is anything like mine near the holidays, it’ll probably sound a little like this: “Mom, can I get that for Christmas?” “I’ll put it on your wish list honey.” As the next commercial comes on, “Mom can I get that for Christmas?” “That does look like fun. I’ll put it on your wish list.” The television, newspapers, and billboards are inundated with advertisements for all the hot toys and gadgets for this year. As parents, aunts or uncles, and grandparents, it can be very overwhelming to know what gifts to buy that will be both fun and “educational.” Knowing what gifts will be best for our children – that they’ll enjoy – leave many of us going “hmmm.”

Here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for all children:

Television, movies, and video games can be nice for some relaxing times, but should be limited. I read in a recent study that the average child watches 50-60 hours of television a week! As a result, children are being negatively impacted, including increased aggression and decreased attention; plus other negative side affects such as robbing the mind of important things like reading, writing, creative play and story telling, friendship development and so much more.

Board games can be a wonderful way to help children learn important lessons such as taking turns, graciously winning and losing, and team work. This is also a great way to encourage family time. One of my greatest memories as a child is sitting downstairs with my family, by the wood burner, playing the game of LIFE.

Arts and Crafts are a great way to encourage creativity. It also develops fine motor skills, building of competence, and doing things for others. My children love to make things for other people and feel great about doing it!

Building sets of blocks, WEDGiTS, or LEGO’s are also great gifts that encourage creativity, playing with others, or self play. There are so many things you can do with these sorts of things. Kids love to build fences for their animals, castles, or event cities with any building materials they can find.

We’ve been creating a list at Horizons of both family and consultant favorites. Here’s my top ten list for this holiday season:

WEDGiTS – These have been suggested by a couple of Horizon’s families, and have very good online ratings. They are wonderful for kids of all ages: even small children can easily use them, and older children love to build with them.

Ned’s Head – This is a fun and grotesque game that boys especially will love. Reach into Ned’s Head and see what you pull out! This is a great opportunity to build anticipation, and share what you’ve found. A nice variation to this game is Gassy Gus. As I was searching the Internet on these two games, I found Alfredo’s Food Fight. If your child is resistant to new foods, this may be a fun way to decrease the anxiety of food by using it to fling at “Alfredo.”

Model Cars – Building a model car or other item can be a lot of fun. It’s something that you can work on together, and what a great accomplishment when its all done!

Stickers – There are so many kinds of stickers these days including my favorite – foam shapes. Kids have fun creating all kinds of original pictures, or just sticking them on paper. Use them to decorate hats, identify your cup at holiday parties, or make your own Christmas cards.
UNO – This is a wonderful card game for kids of all ages with several different game options available. If you already own the basic game of UNO, try UNO Attack or UNO Spin. These are nice variations to a great family game!

Cranium Fort – I have enjoyed playing with this at work so much that I bought it for my kids and they love it. We have built rocket ships, cars, and forts of all different shapes and sizes. My kids enjoy coming up with their own creations, and then play in it for a very long time! We’ve had a great time pretending to take a trip to Colorado, fly to the moon, or just seeing how many different things we can build.

Jenga – This is a more challenging game in which you have a tower of long flat blocks from which you take turns pulling one block out at a time, until it falls over. This is a great game to build anticipation, work as a team to see how high you can get the tower, or to work on taking turns.

Doodle Dice – This is a simple yet entertaining game that is similar to Yahtzee. The rules are easy to learn, and the game is fun for the whole family.

Power Balls – Create and make your own bouncing balls. This is a great activity to do with children who will feel proud that they made it! There are several options of Power Ball kits available.

Digital Camera – Although not as cheap, this is a fun toy for kids. They can take the pictures, download them, and edit them. This is a wonderful way to take pictures during the holidays to capture those special moments! This also provides a great opportunity to help your child think about what they might want to remember about the holidays. Once the pictures are downloaded, you can work together to make an album.

Happy holiday shopping!

Language Processing

2008-12-05T13:33:00.000-05:00

Language Processing
By: Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP

Over the course of the last month, I have been doing some renewed thinking on language processing. With this reflection, I have come to realize that I take processing for granted so often that I wonder just how much gets missed on a day to day basis. If we really stop and think about processing and the great deal of effort it takes, it is a wonder that we are able to have so many rapid fire exchanges.

Earlier this year, a few of us in the office tested out a processing exercise that one of my colleagues had created for some of the families with whom she works. She wanted to be sure it would work, so we were the guinea pigs. She gave one of the staff members the easy version, and I was stuck with the harder rendition of the task. Of course, the other person finished within minutes, while I took at least 15 minutes to finish mine. For me it was not a matter of if I would finish, but only when. The task took a tremendous amount of brain power, and I commented when finished that I was tired and my brain felt like it needed a rest.

Having that experience made me think about how important it is to remember that many children on the autism spectrum have language processing delays that must, in some way, make them feel just how I was feeling. The other thing I thought about was my determination and resilience to keep going, even though it was hard. How many of our children on the spectrum have this resilience when we first start remediation in the RDI process? Not many.

That is why it is so important to slow down and allow for processing time, take away as many distractions as possible, and work for a while on one mode of communication at a time.

Can children on the autism spectrum become better processors? You bet they can! I've seen it with my own eyes on numerous occasions; but it requires that the adults in the environment be aware of the need to allow time for the child to process. Once your brain gets experience in processing information so as to make sense of it, the better it gets at doing this. Just like the processing task in my example above, I was very slow at first; but once I had processed through a few of the problems, I got faster.

Our children on the autism spectrum can become faster as well; but only if we start giving them the opportunity to process information rather than just accepting any old answer from them, giving them the answer, or prompting all the time.

What would take a neuro-typical child 5 seconds to process might take a child on the spectrum upwards of 30-60 seconds; and then they may not even process the whole message. For others, it may take as many as 5 minutes; and for those in the extreme, it may be as long as 20 minutes. Now think about that in the context of our ever changing world, especially in the context of school.

I’m not putting down schools, as there is a ton of information that needs to be taught in a day; but would a little processing time hurt anyone? Have you ever been in a classroom when the teacher is asking questions? The scenario usually goes something like this: The teacher asks a question, and within 5-10 seconds he/she is calling on a student to answer. Now if you are a slow processor, will you ever get a chance to answer; or will your answer most often be wrong if you by some chance just randomly get called upon? Interestingly enough, it isn’t just our students on the spectrum that need more processing time. Even the children who are quick to answer may actually come up with more thoughtful answers given a little more time to think and process. I read a book about creative intelligence not that long ago claiming that processing time is directly tied to a person’s ability to respond creatively. The thing is, people who are slow processors may actually have some of the most creative answers/solutions to questions/problems if given the chance to respond.

Think about how frustrating it must be always to be several steps behind. It is no wonder that our children’s responses often don’t make sense to us or are echolalic – repeating what was said. Children on the autism spectrum quickly learn the rule that when someone asks me a question, I need to give a response whether it makes sense or not; and I need to hurry, because they aren’t going to wait. They have also learned that if they just use echolalia, people will quickly give up and stop asking questions.

There is, however, what I would call “good” echolalia - and we all do it from time to time. We all use “good” echolalia to help us process, but we might not do it out loud. You can tell the difference between “good” echolalia and meaningless echolalia. The difference is that good echolalia, is being used to help process what has just been said. You don’t have to admit it to anyone but yourself, but you know you do this. We often call this self-talk, and it is our brains way of making sense of the world. The amazing thing is that I see children with autism spectrum disorder’s processing speed increase as they begin to use this type of processing. So modeling self-talk not only helps with self awareness, but also with processing.

So how do we help our children with processing? Slow down, slow down, slow down. Give your child time to process. A good way to do this is to count to ten slowly in your head after making a comment, to give your child time to process what you have said. If they don’t respond after this, you can try a prompt. Modeling self-talk as a way of processing information is another great strategy that can assist your child in understanding how we process information. Processing is a difficult task, and it takes time and effort to improve the speed at which an individual processes information it can however, be learned and improved!

Holiday Tips (and a few great excuses) for Families

2008-11-25T13:05:00.002-05:00

Holiday Tips (and a few great excuses) for Families
By: Nicole Beurkens, M.Ed.

The holidays can be both a joyful and stressful time for all families. This can especially be the case for families of individuals with autism or other neuro-developmental disabilities. If you’re racking your brain to come up with some excuses you can use to avoid a holiday event you dread, here are a few you can try out this year:

Top 10 Great Excuses to Use at the Holidays

There is a Sponge Bob marathon on TV, and we have to be home to tape it…all 24 hours of it.

The neighbors have had the flu, and I’m pretty sure we’re going to come down with it.

The kids hid the car keys—both sets.

Oh, was that today? I thought you said NEXT week!

The dog ate the green bean casserole we were supposed to bring, and we’d hate to show up empty handed.

I’ve gained a bunch of weight this year, and just won’t fit with 7 other people at a card table made for 4.

We’ve all developed a rare turkey allergy—can’t even be in the same room with it!

Sure, we’d be glad to come. Of course, we’ll have to bring our set of 3 new not-yet-house-trained puppies with us so they don’t get lonely.

We’ll be celebrating with the other side of the family this year.

We’re boycotting the holidays due to over-commercialization.

Don’t think any of those excuses will fly? Here are some real tips for reducing the hectic-ness and increasing the happiness in your holiday season:

It’s okay to say “No!”

Sometimes we feel compelled to say “yes” to every holiday invitation that comes our way. This can especially be the case with family events. You know your child’s limits and need to take those into consideration when setting up your holiday social calendar. You can say no while still being polite, and save yourself and your child a ton of grief in the process. Attend the events that are meaningful and important to you, and make other arrangements for your child if necessary. If you’re dreading it, then that’s a good sign you should gracefully opt out this year!

Arrange small quiet gatherings with family and friends.

One family I know celebrates the holidays with family extended family members in “shifts.” They invite a few over at a time in the weeks surrounding the holiday. This way they get to see everyone without overwhelming their children. They stay in their comfortable familiar environment, while family members take turns coming to visit them. No one is left out, and the experience is much more enjoyable for everyone involved.

Provide gift ideas.

If you’re worried about some of the gifts your child might receive this year, try to avoid the problem by providing family members with gift ideas. Don’t want a bunch of electronic games and toys? Make a list of games, craft supplies, books, and other things you would prefer for your kids. I also know some families who ask for gift cards that can be used toward things like therapy, therapeutic supplies, restaurants, or some of the favorite places their children like to visit.

Plan ahead.

When going to someone else’s home for the holidays, make sure you think about your children’s needs ahead of time. Bring plenty of activities, snacks, books, clothing, etc. that will help them feel comfortable and keep them occupied. It can also be helpful to find a quiet place at the location you will be visiting where you and your child can get away from the group. This way you have somewhere to go when you notice that your child is getting over-stimulated or just needs a break.

Don’t be afraid to communicate your needs.

While there will always be some people, family members included, who don’t understand the need for accommodations, most people want to be supportive. If there are things that will help make the experience more enjoyable and tolerable for your child then let others know that. This can include making requests that people not wear perfume, that others not give your child food you didn’t bring with you, or that they allow your child some time to “warm up” before trying to talk to him/her or give hugs. Think about the things you know cause your child to feel uncomfortable or react negatively, and communicate some simple things others can do to accommodate him/her.

The holidays are supposed to be a time of peace, joy, and happiness. Don’t sacrifice those things for yourself and your child by accommodating everyone else. Plan ahead, trust your instincts, and when all else fails—come up with a great excuse!

Learning to Think: Part Three - Continuing Mindfulness Throughout the Day

2008-11-20T09:05:00.003-05:00

Learning to Think: Part Three - Continuing Mindfulness Throughout the Day
By: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.

Fall is well underway here in Michigan, and the beautiful fall colors can be seen for miles around. It is such a wonderful sight to see children, young and old, out and about enjoying the wonderful scenery. My young son has become increasingly aware of the seasons, and it has been amazing for me to watch him make discoveries about the changes in his world. During this time of change, I continue to think about the mindfulness that is so important for every child. Watching my son think, learn, and process information related to the changing seasons has brought me more joy than I could have ever imagined.

In my last article, I discussed two strategies to increase students’ mindfulness throughout the school day. It is so important for our students to be learning to think independently, and not just learning rote skills that they cannot apply. Here are a few more strategies that I would like to share with you that will help increase the mindfulness of your students.

Play “I Spy” with your students. Students at any age love to play games. The “I Spy” game can be adapted for any age of students. This game consists of one person visually locating an item within a room, and then providing clues to his or her peers about the item. You could spy a small plant growing on the teacher’s desk, for example, and then provide clues like “this is green” and “it continues to grow”. The audience then guesses what the person is spying, and whoever guesses correctly gets to be the “spy” next. This game provides students with opportunities to practice basic problem solving skills and information processing.

Rearrange the daily schedule. As teachers, we often get into a rut of doing the same thing at the same time each day. Consistent schedules are often positive elements of an effective classroom; however, the same thing day in and day out can become monotonous, static, and even boring for the students and the teachers. Providing simple variations to your classroom schedule can be an effective tool for increasing the flexibility and mindfulness of your students. For example, if you consistently have a snack before doing math, try having the snack during or after your math lesson. By providing a schedule that is fairly consistent yet flexible, you will be providing your students with opportunities to increase their abilities as well.

Vary the way you teach lessons. Often as teachers, we have a favorite spot of two from which we prefer to teach. These may be in front of the class, by the white board or projector, or walking amongst our students. There are, however, many different places within the classroom where you can teach from. For example, you could teach while sitting at a student’s desk, sitting in the back of the room, or sitting on the floor together as a group. By providing variations to the way you deliver instruction, you can provide students with variations and opportunities to do think independently as well as get a glimpse of what may be happening in other portions of your classroom.

By providing your students, and yourself, with some simple variations and opportunities to be mindful individuals, you will be setting the stage for a community of lifelong thinkers. I look forward to sharing more thoughts with you regarding learning and thinking in the months to come!

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Sixth Month

2008-11-13T16:47:00.002-05:00

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Sixth Month
By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW

Development is a complex process, and truly amazing when you break it down. Each little gain that a child makes is a miracle, especially when you begin to look at the complexity of the brain. The ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) is the part of the brain used to read and understand emotions. This is one small part of the brain; but what if this part of the brain isn’t firing at the same time as the part that comprehends the words coming in with the facial expressions? A lot of meaning within communication would be missed. Research shows that the brains of children with autism do not fire as quickly as children who are developing neuro-typically. It’s not because of anything the parents have done (or not done) while raising their child with autism that caused their child to develop this neurological disorder. Instead, for whatever reason, the child’s brain is not firing as quickly as a child on a neuro-typical pathway. As a result, a child with autism can miss many of the vital points of development.

Over the past several months, I have written about observations I’ve made about my son. With each child that develops neuro-typically, you will see common goals being reached. Are these things you have noticed in each of your children as they developed? Are you or other people the most important thing in your child’s environment? Below are more things that I have observed about my son, now 6 months old:

You continue to become more aware of your surroundings. I can no longer lay you down in bed and simply walk out. You know whether or not I’m in the room and you scream the second I walk away. If I come back, you stop screaming once you see me and give me a huge smile, like saying “I just won!”
A month ago, you were just starting to roll over; but now you roll over and over and over again. You find yourself in many interesting places around the house, such as getting stuck under a blanket, under the coffee table, or you’ve rolled away from your toys and can’t seem to get back. You look to me for help, and I’m always happy to come and pull you out of the trouble you’ve gotten into.
I took you out for coffee with me the other day to meet a girlfriend of mine and her 8-month old son. The two of you found each other immediately, and began to communicate instantly. You’d scream, and then he’d scream back. You’d hit the table with your hand, and then he’d do the same thing. The two of you also began to fight over the same “toys” – you both seemed to like the crinkly paper best!
You are so interested in everything around you! You love to explore new things, and I can’t keep up with your grabby hands. I’ll be changing your diaper, and you’ll pull a blanket over your head. If you are sitting on my lap at the table, everything within reach is in your mouth or on the floor. You are also grabbing at my face, jewelry, or hair all the time. I know we are going to be in trouble when you start crawling!
It’s clear that you recognize people who are familiar to you. You always give daddy the biggest welcome when he comes home. You also give a scream when your sisters are coming toward you. The other day we visited grandma in the hospital, and she looked different than normal. You looked at her and studied her, but would not let her give you the hugs and kisses you normally receive. Once grandpa took you, you settled right down; but you wouldn’t take your eyes off grandma. The amount of time you study and observe things is fascinating. You did eventually warm up to her.
You played peek-a-boo with daddy, and laughed harder than I’ve ever seen before. Daddy started pulling the blanket off his own head, and almost immediately you were reaching for the blanket to pull it off. Daddy would make a funny face or say “boo,” and you would crack up. Then daddy put the blanket over your head, and you figured out immediately to pull it off and laugh even harder. Soon daddy would run off and hide after he put the blanket over you, and you would immediately look around to find him. Once you found him, you would laugh harder yet. We all were in tears laughing with you. I noticed later that if I walked into a different room, you would keep looking at the door waiting for me to walk back out. What an awesome and fun development!
You love listening to the sound of your voice. I hear you practicing all kinds of sounds now: “aaaaaa, dadadadada, phthththth” - as spit flies! You think that’s really funny!

If you find that some or all of the developmental goals that my son is making have been missed by your child, consider the RDI® approach to bring your child back to the neuro-typical pathway of development. This is a great quote to keep in mind as we forge through the journey of development, which at times can be very trying: “Forget the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey instead!” (Dove® PROMISES® Message) The RDI® journey may be hard, but the outcome won’t disappoint!

Experience Sharing Communication

2008-11-06T09:39:00.001-05:00

Experience Sharing Communication
By: Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP

Take a moment to read this short conversation between a mother and son. As you read, think about what is being communicated. Are you able to get a picture in your head?

"Hey mom, you’ll never believe this! I saw a baby turtle in the road."
“Really, I wonder how big it was.”
“Very small, only this big (indicates the size of a half dollar with hands).”
“Wow, I’ll bet he was scared being in the middle of the road. Maybe he was lost.”
“I didn’t think about him being scared; maybe I should move him out of the road. Do you think he was trying to get to the lake?”
“I think it would be very nice if we go back down and move him out of the road. I bet he was trying to get to the lake to take a swim. It’s a hot day, and I think turtles like to swim just as much as little boys.”

Vignettes like this are very common place among parents and children. This is an example of experience sharing communication at its best. The majority of the communicating we do is for experience sharing purposes.

Now read the following conversation between a mother and her son. Do you notice a difference?

"Hi Jimmy, how was your day?"
"Fine."
"What did you do at school today?"
"Nothing."
"You didn’t do anything?"
"No."
"Did you read any books or do any math?"
"Yes."
"What book did you read?"
"I don’t know."
"Did you go to gym today?"
"Yep."
"What did you do in gym?"
. . . And on and on it goes.

Does this exchange sound familiar? This dialogue is an example of imperative communication. Were this mother and son conversing? Yes. Were they communicating? No. Is the son in this vignette even really listening to what his mom is asking? He doesn’t need to put a lot of thought into his answers, especially since these are probably the same types of questions he is asked every day. He understands the format for this type of conversation: someone asks a question, I answer; another question is asked, I answer; and so on. The parent in this scenario isn’t inviting responses; rather, she is expecting them. She is looking for information, but is only receiving one and two word responses that hold little or no meaning.

Imperative communication is made up of questions and demands. In general, people use this type of communication approximately 20% of the time in their day to day interactions. Imperative communication is a necessary part of daily life, but it should not make up the majority of our communication experiences.

On the other hand, we use experience sharing communication approximately 80% of the time in our daily interactions with others. The ability to share our experiences with someone is a uniquely human characteristic. No other species has the capability of sharing thoughts and feelings. Sharing experiences allows us to communicate about not only our external world, but our internal world as well. It provides us with the opportunity to talk about our past, present, and future. Not only are we able to share our experiences, but we are able to learn about others’ experiences. We can determine what thought processes they are using, and how they may be feeling about a shared experience.

The percentages listed above for experience sharing and imperative communication relate to the average person. For parents and others who live or work with children with autism spectrum disorders, those percentages tend to be reversed. It is not uncommon for parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder to have 80% of the communication with their child be imperative, and 20% be experience sharing. This generally happens because parents want to talk with their child, they want information, or they want their child to do something; and asking questions or making a demand seems to be the only way to do this. Often, parents feel that if they don’t ask the child a question, they will never know what they are thinking. It’s not just parents who communicate in this way; but other people in the child’s environment, such as school staff, do so as well. What tends to happen for children whose environment is filled with imperative communication is that they learn to talk in this way. Much of what they communicate is related to getting needs met, or sharing the same information over and over. Children in these environments learn that when someone asks a question, they need to answer; but they do not necessarily learn how to think and provide a thoughtful answer. They also tend to learn that many people ask the same types of questions, so that they can give the same response over and over without needing to think about it.

What are some ways that you can begin to change the way you communicate with children on the autism spectrum? Begin slowly, by deciding on a particular time of day that you will practice using experience sharing communication. Try to make comments about the things you are currently doing. If you find that you are having difficulty not asking questions, try just being quiet or talking about yourself. Spend some time listening to snippets of other people’s conversations in a coffee shop or mall, or even while watching TV. Think about what you hear, and how people are communicating with each other. Chances are, they will be using experience sharing communication.

While imperative communication is necessary at times, to make requests and gather information, we need to think about how much we use it. Striving to use experience sharing communication at least 80% of the time will bring about a much richer experience for everyone involved. Helping children with autism spectrum disorders begin sharing experiences, in a meaningful way, works to improve the core deficits of autism and the quality of life.

Taking Care of Ruby

2008-10-31T13:29:00.003-05:00

By: Phillip K. and Heather

Once a week we clean Ruby’s cage. We clean her cage because we want to keep her clean and keep the smell down. Every now and then we clip her toe nails and brush her hair. Every day we check Ruby’s food and water. When she is out of food or water, we fill up her containers. From time to time we get Ruby out to play with her. Ruby enjoys when she gets treats especially carrots. I enjoy helping take care of Ruby.

A Brief Description of the RDI® Program

2008-10-23T09:29:00.002-05:00

A Brief Description of the RDI® Program
By Nicole Beurkens, M.Ed.

I often get questions from parents interested in knowing how my colleagues and I approach the treatment of autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. I thought it would be helpful to start answering those inquiries in this format, as some of you may have similar questions. Here I will address:

What is the Relationship Development Intervention (RDI)® Program?

When beginning to understand RDI®, it is helpful to set aside any previous information you have about treatment programs. My rationale for this suggestion stems from the fact that it is difficult to fit a new concept into something we have already established in our minds. RDI® is a unique and different model, and I encourage you to explore the information outside the boundaries of what you currently conceptualize as “treatment.”

The RDI® Program is based on a large body of research from the fields of human development, neurology, and neurodevelopmental disorders (including autism). Dr. Steven Gutstein and Dr. Rachelle Sheely, the founders of RDI®, have spent years studying and organizing the research literature in those areas to develop a comprehensive, research-based approach to neurodevelopmental disabilities that is based on what we know about how humans develop. By incorporating an understanding of how the brain functions, the typical sequence of development from birth through the lifespan, and the neurological and developmental problems that occur in autism and other related disabilities, they have been able to design an approach that addresses the core deficits of these disorders in ways that promote more typical pathways of development. Because it is based on the most current research in these areas, the RDI® model evolves over time as research sheds new light on our understanding of these issues. This is critical, because it means that RDI® as a treatment approach remains on the cutting edge of what we know about these disorders.

RDI® is about restoring the guided participation relationship between parent and child in order to promote the development of thinking and relating. Guided participation describes the relationship that is established between parent and child early in infancy and continues throughout childhood and adolescence. The basic essence of guided participation is that the parent is in a continual role of guiding the child to learn about and understand themselves, others, and the world around them. The child is in the role of soaking up the parental guidance, thereby learning to think, communicate, and relate to others. RDI® helps parents learn how to establish a solid guided participation relationship with their child, which is the foundation from which all future learning and development occurs. This begins with a thorough assessment of the parent-child relationship in order to determine where breakdowns are occurring in the guided participation relationship. A plan is developed to strengthen the relationship, and give parents the tools to repair breakdowns that occur.

Once the guided participation relationship is well established between parents and child, the focus turns to the child’s specific developmental deficits. RDI® utilizes a comprehensive set of developmentally sequenced objectives that represent all aspects of human development from birth through adolescence. The objectives encompass areas of development such as abstract thinking, self-awareness, communication, behavioral and emotional regulation, friendships, problem solving, collaboration, academic learning, and many others. A thorough assessment process identifies the developmental gaps for each particular child, and a plan is developed for addressing the objectives for each specific area that requires attention. This often entails going back to early developmental stages in order to address core issues that are impeding a child’s ability to function.

The RDI® approach focuses on remediation of deficits, rather than compensating for them. This means that we tackle the underlying deficits that prevent individuals from thinking, communicating, and relating in meaningful ways. [For more information on the concept of remediation, refer to this article (LINK) specifically focused on that topic.] Another way to think about this is that we are focused on developing dynamic intelligence, which includes the thought processes and abilities needed to engage with the constantly changing world in which we live. We address the obstacles to development so that they no longer create barriers for the individual and family. This stands in stark contrast to treatment approaches that focus on acquisition of rote skills, academic learning, and other areas that correlate to the strengths of people on the spectrum but fail to impact their deficits.

RDI® Program Certified Consultants are the professionals trained to guide families through the remediation process of RDI®. Consultants conduct periodic assessments to determine starting points, measure progress, and identify obstacles along the way. They also work closely with parents by providing education, strategies, and feedback as the guided participation relationship is developed and child objectives are addressed. Just as the child is in a guided participation role with parents, the parents are in a guided participation role with their consultant. The goal of the consultant is to help parents reclaim their role as the most important guide in the child’s life, and to assist them in developing the skills and mindset necessary to make the most of moments with their child throughout the day. RDI® does not comprise a specific set of activities, done in a specific place, and for a specific amount of time. It is a way of life that permeates every interaction with the child, and typically with other family members as well. Parents learn how to approach their child and provide opportunities for thinking, communicating, and relating in ways that promote optimal growth and development.

There is much more to say about RDI® as a treatment approach, but the purpose of this article is to give you a basic overview. You now have an initial framework for understanding the main elements of RDI® and the innovative approach to treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders it provides. Perhaps the most concise way to summarize RDI® is to say it is a research-based, parent led program to correct the core problems that create obstacles in the lives of individuals with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Parents interested in this approach are encouraged to contact an RDI® Program Certified Consultant to get more information and discuss specific family needs.

"Autism Inspiration"

2008-10-21T07:58:00.001-05:00

"To me, success means effectiveness in the world, that I am able to carry my
ideas and values into the world, that I am able to change it in positive ways."

--Maxine Hong Kingston, American novelist

Learning to Think: Part Two - Mindfulness Throughout the Day

2008-10-16T09:29:00.002-05:00

Learning to Think: Part Two - Mindfulness Throughout the Day
By: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.

School has been in session for over a month now, and students are busily working on their studies. Teachers have dug into the content of their curriculum for the year, and everyone has had time to adjust to the new routine. As a former teacher, curriculum was an integral part of my day; and working with students with special needs could be very challenging, especially when trying to pull from so many different pieces of curriculum. I did my best to look at each child’s unique needs, and best match their capabilities with the curriculum options I had available; however, I still found myself struggling with what I had. My students needed extra practice and a slower pace, which most curricula today do not allow. I also wanted to see my students learning to think and process information instead of learning static skills.

While pondering this issue about mindfulness and curricula, I found myself creating opportunities during the day for thinking and problem solving. I continued to use modified forms of curriculum with my students in order to meet their academic goals; but, I found that providing my students with opportunities to think and do problem solving made a tremendous impact in all aspects of their education and livelihood. Here are a few suggestions for adding moments of “mindfulness” to your day with students.

Allow your students to get the materials they need instead of doing it for them. For many teachers, it is easier to get the materials that we need before inviting our students to join us. However, asking our students to get the materials themselves gets them thinking ahead to what it is that you will be doing, and to prepare for the activity themselves. This allows for a great deal of thinking on the student’s part, which is very important. You are not only teaching them how to think but also how to plan, which is a necessary life skill that every child should have.
Include a “Surprise Bag” in your daily routines. I have used a “Surprise Bag” for many years now, and all of my students have enjoyed it. When undertaking this activity, you need to have a fabric bag that closes and that cannot be seen through. Each day, pick a student to help you put into the surprise bag something that no one else knows about. They can pick an item from the classroom, or take the bag home and put an item into it. Have the child stand up with you and share three clues about what is inside. You can also pass the bag around and let your students feel the item without looking into the bag. Once the clues have been shared or everyone has felt the bag, you can allow your other students to guess what is inside. This activity is a lot of fun for everyone, and fosters great cognitive thinking and problem solving skills.
Make mistakes intentionally in front of your students, and have them correct you. It is important for children to see adults in their lives making mistakes, and even more important to discover how adults handle mistakes. As you are teaching, feel free to make simple mistakes that you know your students will catch. When looking at the number 3, for example, you could refer to it as “the number 5” and then wait for a response. When your students correct you, it will be important for you to model how to handle the mistake. For example, you could respond by saying, “Thank you, John, for correcting me. I made a mistake, but that is okay. I am so glad I have a friend like you to help me.”

By providing my students with more opportunities to be mindful and do problem solving on their own, I saw a dramatic change in their academic skills as well as in their functional skills. It is very exciting to see children begin to think and problem solve on their own. The possibilities are endless! I look forward to sharing more about “Mindfulness in the Classroom” next month.

What Fall Means to Me

2008-10-15T13:29:00.003-05:00

By: Matt F.

Matt was asked to draw a picture of what fall means to him. The picture below was the end result. Here is Matt explanation of the picture he drew.

“I drew the school bus because fall means going back to school. The sign is for Halloween. The cloud shaped like a fish was drawn because I like fish as pets but not to eat. Pumpkins remind me of Halloween. And the fat squirrel in the corner, the scarecrow and the wheat all remind me of fall.”

"Autism Inspiration"

2008-10-14T08:52:00.002-05:00

Someone has well said: “Success is a journey, not a destination.” Happiness is to be found along the way, not at the end of the road, for then the journey is over and it is too late. Today, this hour, this minute is the day, the hour, the minute for each of us to sense the fact that life is good, with all of its trials and troubles, and perhaps more interesting because of them.

– Robert R. Updegraff

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Fifth Month

2008-10-09T07:36:00.002-05:00

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Fifth Month
By: Michelle VanderHeide

This has been an amazing journey, and I thank all who have joined me in it! The feedback has been great, and I’m so glad to have you share this amazing adventure. This past month has proven to be a time of even more milestones in my infant son’s development. How is it that infants can grow so much in such little time?

You continue to grow so quickly. The thing that amazes me most about your last month of development is your ability to notice everything around you, and then grab for any and everything! What once used to be an easy trip to a restaurant now proves to be much more of a challenge. Your ability to seek something out and then grab it in an instant is amazing! My beverage, plate of food etc. must be on the other side of the table, or you are diving forward to grab it.
You are much more intrigued by things now, and are beginning to explore more. For instance, my earrings and grandma’s glasses are easily captured, and must be removed before holding on to you. If you do get a hold of them, they go instantly to your mouth.
Rolling over has become much easier, and you’ve almost reached the goal of rolling from your back to your front. Several times now, I’ve seen you roll to the side to grab something. If it weren’t for your arm getting in the way, you would have found your way over to your stomach by now. It won’t be long!
I thought that feeding you last month was difficult, but has it ever become more of a challenge now. Both your grandma and aunt made note of that as well when they were taking care of you and trying to give you a bottle. They both asked me, “How on earth do you feed this boy? He is so nosey!” I just simply agree, and say that I do the best I can. It’s quite a trick to hold the bottle and move it along with your constantly moving head.
You are beginning to pick up on social routines now. When you are holding on to something, you like to put both hands up over your head. When you do that, we say “So big!” You then smile, and put your hands back down. Seconds later those little arms are stretching up high again. I haven’t yet seen you put your arms up because we say “So big,” but that should come soon as well. Another little game you like to play is “peek-a-boo.” We are at a very early stage of it, but you think you are hilarious. When you are under a blanket and I pull it off, you look around like “Here I am world” with a glowing face, making sure that everybody is watching.
The mornings are much better now. When you wake up, you lay in bed and practice talking. This happens after your naps now, too. It’s so nice to be at the stage where you don’t need to eat the second you get up.
You have eaten your first solids. That process is so amazing to me as well. The first spoonful that went into your mouth immediately came out, as you had no idea how to use your tongue for swallowing. You pulled the funniest face, and your sisters got a big kick out of that. Now you are able to get about half the food down while the rest goes all over your bib, which you like to pick up and smear all over your face. It’s quite a messy process. You have no idea how to drink from a sippy cup yet, but we occasionally put one in front of you just to keep trying.

I continue to look at the gains my little boy is making each month, and am blown away by how quickly this stuff really develops. As an RDI® consultant, I have come to understand and cherish each one of these foundational gains in his development. Has your baby missed any of these critical steps in development? Does your child with autism lack any of these abilities? RDI® is a development-based program that evaluates these early foundations in development, and fills any missed ones through age appropriate approaches. The gains we have seen children make have been fascinating. If you see these as gaps in the development of your child(ren), I hope you come to join us as we revisit this journey through remedial development with our RDI® families.

"Autism Inspiration"

2008-10-07T07:43:00.002-05:00

We can accomplish almost anything within our ability if we but think that we can! Every great achievement in this world was carefully thought out…Think – but to a purpose. Think constructively. Think as you read. Think as you listen. Think as you travel and your eyes reveal new situations. Think as you work daily at your desk, or in the field while strolling. Think to rise and improve your place in life. There can be no advancement or success without serious thought.

– George Matthew Adams

Making Pizza

2008-10-03T12:58:00.003-05:00

By: Phillip Kuperus & Heather

We made pizza today. It was delicious! We put cheese, pepperoni, and oil on the pizza crust, and baked it for 12 minutes. We decided to take the pizza out before the timer went off because all of the cheese had melted. I really really love pizza.

Nonverbal Communication: What's it all about?

2008-10-02T09:03:00.002-05:00

Nonverbal Communication: What’s it all about?
By: Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP

Communication is critical to continued human development throughout our life span. It is what allows us to share thoughts, feelings, wonderings, and knowledge with others. Whether you are a verbal or nonverbal communicator, the vast majority of communication we do is through nonverbal channels.

So if nonverbal communication makes up a substantial portion of our communicative experience, what does it involve? Many of us associate facial expression and gestures with nonverbal communication, but these are not the only two types involved. There are, in fact, eight different types of nonverbal communication:

Facial Expression: This makes up the largest proportion of nonverbal communication. Large amounts of information can be conveyed through a smile or frown. The facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, and fear are similar across cultures throughout the world.
Gestures: Common gestures include pointing, waving, and using fingers to indicate number amounts.
Paralinguistics: This includes factors such as tone of voice, loudness, inflection, and pitch. Tone of voice can be powerful. The same sentence said in different tones can convey different messages. A strong tone of voice may indicate approval or enthusiasm, whereas the same sentence said with a hesitant tone of voice may convey disapproval or lack of interest.
Body Language and Posture: A person’s posture and movement can also convey a great deal of information. Arm crossing or leg-crossing conveys different meanings depending on the context and the person interpreting them. Body language is very subtle, and may not be very definitive.
Proxemics: This refers to personal space. The amount of space a person requires depends on each individual’s preference, but also depends on the situation and other people involved in the situation.
Eye Gaze: Looking, staring, and blinking are all considered types of eye gaze. Looking at another person can indicate a range of emotions including hostility, interest, or attraction.
Haptics This refers to communicating through touch. Haptics is especially important in infancy and early childhood.
Appearance: Our choice of color, clothing, hairstyles, and other factors affecting our appearance are considered a means of nonverbal communication.

By the time most children are one year old, they are experts in nonverbal communication. They have spent the whole first year of their lives making their wants and needs known, as well as sharing their experiences through nonverbal channels. Around the time of their first birthday, they add the next layer to their dynamic communication repertoire with the verbal piece. Even with the addition of verbal communication, nonverbal expression continues to be the main mode of communication for children as they add more and more words to their vocabulary. Even after children are talking in sentences, nonverbal communication continues to add meaning and structure to the messages being sent and received.

This use and understanding of nonverbal communication becomes automatic for ‘neuro-typical’ children. It is so automatic that many of us are completely unaware that we employ facial expressions and gestures, or that we are using this information to enhance the words we are hearing from our communication partner. We continue to use this mode of communication throughout life.

Think about the word “no,” which can be interpreted in many different ways depending on the nonverbal communication that is being conveyed along with the word. If we say “noooo” with a wrinkled nose and a questioning tone or funny voice, this could convey that we are unsure or don’t really believe what we are hearing. If we hear someone say “NO!” with a loud, or harsh voice, we can interpret that they person is angry or wants an action to be terminated. If someone asks you if you would like a drink, you may answer with “no”; but your tone of voice will most likely be even with little inflection, and your face may just be neutral. In each of these examples the person was saying “no,” but there were three different meanings being conveyed. Without nonverbal communication, it would be difficult to know how to interpret the word.

Many children with autism spectrum disorders have difficulty interpreting multiple modes of communication, and because of this they often miss the nonverbal communication piece that allows accurate interpretation of what is said. In the examples provided above, most children with autism spectrum disorders would only hear the word “no” but miss the nonverbal pieces which help to interpret which “no” is being communicated. This misinterpretation can lead to frustration on the part of both the communicator and the child who is struggling to understand what is happening. At other times, the child may interpret a facial expression, tone of voice, or gesture but not hear the words that went with the nonverbal, which again results in miscommunication. These breakdowns make it difficult for the child to make sense of his/her world.

Working to improve the use and understanding of nonverbal communication is essential for a person with an autism spectrum or neurological disorder. In most cases, working to improve nonverbal communication is the best place to begin improving communication abilities. Expanding the ability to use and understand nonverbal communication provides the necessary foundation for building meaningful dynamic communication. Just as a neuro-typical infant begins by communicating nonverbally, going back and teaching this mode of communication for children who may have missed this step is the foundation for productive communication throughout life.

Teaching nonverbal communication should be done in a natural way that makes sense for each individual child. Telling a child, “look at my face,” or showing a child several pictures of people’s faces and having him/her identify the emotions he sees is not a natural way to work on nonverbal communication. Spending time doing activities with the child where the adult uses very little verbal communication, but is communicating through nonverbal channels, is an effective way to begin introducing nonverbal communication. Playing games where you have changed the rules slightly so as to use only nonverbal communication can also be a fun and more natural way of working on nonverbal communication. For example, you might play Simon Says, using a made up signal for when Simon says to do something. Playing charades can also be a fun way to work on nonverbal communication in a natural context. Take a walk with your child; but instead of saying, “hey look at that dog,” you might pause, point and vocalize, “oh” with a rising inflection to draw attention. There are many ways to work on nonverbal communication that can be explored and used to build this critical foundational piece of communication.

"Autism Inspiration"

2008-09-29T14:37:00.002-05:00

"Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brake. In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life."

- Mary Manin Morrissey

Painting with Shaving Cream

2008-09-26T13:33:00.006-05:00

Painting with Shaving Cream

By: Phillip and Ms. Heather

I made letters in the shaving cream. It smells good and feels goopy on my hands. I used paint brushes and my fingers to paint with. It was a lot of fun. For fun I added color to the shaving cream. My two favorite colors are green (John Deere green) and blue.

What is Remediation?

2008-09-25T07:43:00.003-05:00

What is Remediation?
By: Nicole Beurkens, M.Ed.

The word “remediation” is very important in the work my colleagues and I do with families affected by autism and other neuro-developmental disabilities, but it is a word that is unfamiliar to many people. I thought I would take a moment this week to talk about what remediation means in general, and specifically in the realm of autism.

Let’s start with some basic dictionary definitions:

Remediate (verb) - To remedy a problem
Remedial (adjective) - Intended to correct or improve one’s skill in a specific field; therapeutic, corrective, restorative
Remediation (noun) - Use of remedial methods to improve skills; the act or process of correcting a deficiency
Dr. Steven Gutstein’s definition of remediation: Correcting a deficit to the point where it no longer constitutes and obstacle
My definition: Work ON something, not just around it

Whether you are a parent or professional, it is critical to understand what remediation is, and the distinction between remediation and compensation. Perhaps the most common application of this distinction is in the area of reading problems. If a child is diagnosed with a reading disability, we typically apply remediation approaches to help them learn to read. At various points we may use compensations, such as books on tape, to support them. However, our goal is to remediate, or correct, the problem that is preventing them from reading so they can become functional readers. In my professional experience, I have yet to come across a situation where adults believe that if an 8 year old child is not yet reading, that we should just compensate for that and give them books on tape to listen to for the rest of their lives. Remedial efforts are taken to get to the root of the problem and overcome the issues that are preventing successful reading.

Now take this same concept and apply it to individuals on the autism spectrum. By definition they are struggling in many areas: socialization, communication, thinking flexibly, and the list goes on depending on the person. What approach do we usually take to these deficits? By and large, we take a compensation approach. We find ways to work around these problems so that the students fit into the mold of what we do at home and in school everyday. Our main motivation becomes applying strategies that help them exhibit what we consider to be “typical” behaviors —sit appropriately in the classroom or at church, learn academic skills, play on the playground equipment, wait in line without becoming upset, greet others when we see them, etc. While we may also look for ways to support their communication and to improve their relationships with others, we do this on a very surface level without really understanding the obstacles that create those problems in the first place. And, because we don’t really understand the root issues that create these problems, we resort to compensation techniques rather than remediating the root causes.

When you look at the history of treatments in the field of autism, it has been primarily about compensation. While research on the brain and autism has continued to move forward and provide us new information, our treatment approaches have stagnated. The methods we were using 30 years ago are still the methods being used today, despite the fact that we have a whole host of new information available to us. We now have the capacity to take what we know about the disorder of autism and how it impacts brain function, and develop new techniques and approaches that move beyond compensation and actually work to remediate (correct) the primary features of the disorder. This is one of the exciting things about newer approaches such as the Relationship Development Intervention (RDI)® Program, which focuses on remediating, rather than just working around, the core deficits we see in individuals with autism and other neuro-developmental disorders.

It is time to move beyond thinking about treatment as merely capitalizing on strengths, and begin thinking about how to strengthen areas of weakness. Research has shown us that autism is primarily a disorder of connectivity in the brain—with some portions over connected and others under connected. What is so exciting about this is that we know that neural connectivity can change throughout the lifespan. The human brain has an enormous capacity for developing new connections and changing the patterns of connectivity when given the right types of stimulation. This is what allows us to look at autism treatment in a new light. It cannot be merely about strengthening the areas that are already strong. Effective education and treatment must be focused on building new connections in the areas where connectivity is deficient. This is the essence of remediation.

"Autism Inspiration"

2008-09-22T12:42:00.001-05:00

"Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be."

--Charles "Tremendous" Jones

Learning to Think: Part One - All Students Can Learn to be Mindful

2008-09-18T09:32:00.003-05:00

Learning to Think: Part One - All Students Can Learn to be Mindful
By: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.

Summer is quickly coming to an end, and school has begun for many children. School buses are busily picking up students and dropping them off during the morning and evening commutes. With the beginning of a new school year, I thought it would be helpful to look into the realm of education and the way our students think and learn.

For most students in the general education population today, the focus of education is on their ability to think and use problem solving skills. We are seeing more and more schools moved towards integrated curricula that teach children math, reading, and writing skills in a more dynamic fashion. A majority of these curricula pose real world problems that students work through and solve as they learn concepts along the way. For many children, this type of curricula proves to be beneficial; for others however, it can be very challenging. For example, children who struggle with reading typically have greater difficulty using curricula formatted in this fashion, since most of it is comprised of written language that needs to be read, dissected, and understood in order to progress through the problem at hand. For these individuals, accommodations to the curricula are usually made to make it easier for the child to understand and process.

When thinking about children with more significant disabilities like cognitive impairments, neurological issues, or Autism, we typically see educators using curricula of a more static nature. These types of curricula tend to be more repetitive. I wonder though: How are these types of materials preparing children for the real world, given that these students typically have the greatest amount of difficulty in the realm of problem solving and creative thinking?

As a teacher of children with severe multiple disabilities, I found myself in an interesting predicament several years back. How was I going to prepare my students to be active participants in the community? Reading books and doing worksheets was not going to cut it. My students needed to learn how to think and be mindful of their surroundings. I decided to take a developmental approach to their learning, and to provide as many opportunities during the day for my students to think and process information. I threw out all of the extras I had plugged into our day, and gave myself and my staff the time that was needed to help our students become mindful. One of the greatest challenges that I faced was getting out of the rut of doing the same thing day in and day out. I had to do so much more thinking in order to plan activities that would allow my students the opportunity to do their own thinking as well. Here are the first few of several modifications and suggestions that I will be sharing with you over the next few months:

Stop asking so many questions! I found myself constantly asking my students questions like “What color is this?” I used such questions to gauge their understanding of what I was teaching; but, I found that they were responding to my static questions in their own static way. Static questions, do not offer opportunities for idea sharing or comparing and contrasting. With this knowledge in mind, think about the questions that you ask. Can you change those questions to more open-ended statements? Instead of “What color is this?”, you could say to a student “I forget the name of this color.” With a more open-ended statement like this, you will be opening the door for more dynamic dialogue and social interaction.
Slow down and let your students think! With the demands on today’s teachers, it is tough to consider slowing down—especially when you have so much to cover in such a short period of time. I must say, however, that they old saying is true: “Slow down to speed up”. By giving your students time to process information, you allow them to think and problem solve on their own. If they can make their own discovery about a topic area, it will be so much more meaningful to them than if they had been told what to do or how to fix the problem. All children have the ability to think and conduct problem solving on their own at their appropriate learning level; but they need to be allowed to have the time to do it, and they need to feel supported in the learning process.

By allowing my students to think about the topic we were studying and providing them more opportunities for open-ended dialogue, I found that my students were learning and thinking about so many different things in their environment. It was wonderful to discover how much of an impact I could make on the learning process of my students and their quality of life now and in the future. See what amazing things can happen when you make little changes like these!

"Autism Inspiration"

2008-09-15T14:12:00.002-05:00

I'm hoping this quote inspires some of you to get motivated to stop doing NOTHING. Please be involved with your child and do something, but better yet would be to do the right thing.

"In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing."

Making Salsa

2008-09-12T13:45:00.000-05:00

By: Raul and Phillip

We put some tomatoes, peppers, green onion, white onion, and lime juice in a large bowl. Cutting up all the vegetables was a lot of fun. Afterwards, we cleaned the table so we could eat the salsa. The salsa is very good. It was a lot of fun.

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Fourth Month

2008-09-11T09:49:00.003-05:00

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Fourth Month
By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW

It’s already been four months since our little man joined our family, and I can’t remember life without him. He has been such a joy to have in our family. When I was pregnant and thought about what it would be like, I couldn’t imagine a baby being added to our already busy lives. I look back now and wonder how it was that I found as much joy in life as I do now with another wonderful child. It kind of makes me wonder what other beautiful characteristics could be added to our family with yet another. What am I missing? I won’t go there, though; three children are plenty! Here continue my reflections for my baby boy:

You are so funny! You already know what gets a reaction out of us. You started coughing the other day and I responded with “Oh, you’ve got a bad cough,” in that annoying motherly voice that we adults all use with babies. You found that to be quite hilarious, so you began this silly fake cough that then made me laugh. We had some good laughs about that. The next day I was laying you down for a nap when you looked right up at me and coughed, and then gave me a big smile. You remembered that it made me laugh before, and you threw it out there again.
On the same note, you are now becoming quite opinionated. If you don’t like something, you let us know – this horrifying scream comes out of your mouth! It’s not a cry, but a “I’m being attacked” kind of scream. It’s usually for good reason though; like when your sisters are on the attack or when I’m trying to clean out your ears or nose. I guess I don’t blame you – I’d probably scream too.
At the beginning of the month, I held you up in front of a mirror and you saw me. You kicked your legs and smiled at me through the mirror. I even saw some gaze shifting as you were looking between me and my image in the mirror. You looked at yourself and didn’t know what you were looking at, so you quickly shifted your gaze back to me. Just a few weeks later I did the same thing, and you looked at me first; but when you caught yourself in the mirror you were quite impressed by the handsome little thing you were looking at, which was evident in your kicks and squeals.
This was a big month for strengthening motor skills. Your sense of balance and ability to hold yourself up is getting much better. You can sit with much less assistance now, but not independently. You fold in half once your start to reach for something, and get stuck in that position. I find it quite hysterical, but you aren’t so fond of it. You also rolled over from your stomach to your back for the first time. When it first happened you had a look of shock on your face, as you had no idea what just happened to you. You settled down quickly, though, as you saw the toys that were once behind you were now right above you. The next time you rolled over, there were no toys to stare at; so you cried until your oldest sister was in your face, and you realized you were fine. Then the scream returned.
Your reach is getting much better. You are so cute when you are focused on trying to grab something. Your lips round out and your eyes get all buggy. You are concentrating so hard on being able to reach and open those precious little fingers. When you grab on, the look on your face is priceless. You are so proud of yourself! Just achieving this goal is a reward in itself!
Feeding you is getting much more difficult. As you are drinking your milk, you will turn to see what is going on around you and forget that you are eating. Once you turn back, you see me, then smile. I of course have to smile back. This then turns into a game. You suck once and then smile. This is fun for about three or four times; but I eventually have to look away so you’ll eat, or we’d be there all day!
You love to play with your voice. You are making so many sounds, and playing with the intonations while you make your “oohs” and “ahhs”. Watching these early forms of communication already developing in you is so amazing.

Isn’t it amazing how much develops in an infant in one short month? The best part about having infant development at home is that I can take the early objectives in the Relationship Development Intervention (RDI®) program and see how perfectly they fit into infant development. What seem like such small achievements are so critical to human development. Can you imagine speech without the use of intonations? It would be boring. Can you imagine communication without the feedback of facial expressions? It would be meaningless. Through RDI®, we start with such foundational objectives so that kids who missed this the first time can have a second chance at developing these critical components of development. I had a family describe these foundational objectives to me this way: “I tell people that my son is a building, and that there are several gaps in the building that are missing. If we don’t do something now, as the building continues to get taller it will become even more unsteady. We need to go back and fill in the gaps so he can have a solid foundation.” This is a great way to look at it, and a wonderful way to summarize the RDI® program.

Autism Inspiration

2008-09-08T08:20:00.002-05:00

With the school year just starting I came across this quote and thought it was appropriate for not only our kids with autism but a lot of kids in general. It can be both applicable in the school setting and in what we do with children at home.

“If a child cannot learn in the way we teach … we must teach in a way the child can learn.”

Tomatoes to Pasta Sauce

2008-09-05T14:30:00.002-05:00

By: Raul and Phillip

This week good and moldy tomatoes were found in the garden. The moldy tomatoes were thrown away in the garbage. The good tomatoes were washed and put in a bowl. We made pasta sauce with the good tomatoes to put on our pasta. Yum!

Communication is Dynamic

2008-09-03T12:45:00.004-05:00

Communication is Dynamic

By: Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP

Communication is a dynamic process. It goes way beyond the words we say. Many people interchange the words communication, language, and speech; but these terms are not synonymous. Speech refers to the actual words or sounds that are coming from your mouth. Language is the grammar, meaning and ability to use the words you have. When people talk about language, they are referring to both verbal and non-verbal language. Communication encompasses both language and speech, but it is more than that. It is the ability to share thoughts and experiences in a meaningful way while taking in, processing, and responding to the person you are talking with.

When you stop to think about all the elements of communication, it is a wonder that we don’t have more miscommunication. It is such a multi-level skill! The ability to hear the words someone else is saying is only one small part of dynamic communication that involves the ability to read facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, and body posture at the same time as listening to what the person has to say. Once you’ve taken in all of this information, then you need to process it and decide how to respond.
Communication is a broadband process made up of many single band processes. Speech, language, and each different type of non-verbal language are the single bands that make up the broadband process of communication. If a person has difficulty processing any one of these bands, pieces of communication will be lost and will be difficult to interpret correctly and respond appropriately to the message being sent. The ability to take in and simultaneously process these multiple modes of communication is an automatic process for most of us. It happens rapidly and without thought. Often times we do not even need to hear all of what is being said before we have begun to formulate our response! When we lose focus or are unable to process a particular band of communication, this can lead to breakdowns and misinterpretations. Think about how easy it is to misinterpret what is being communicated when you are talking on the telephone or reading an e-mail. It becomes increasingly difficult to process accurately the message being sent as you take away pieces of the broadband experience that is known as dynamic communication. When talking on the phone, you have lost the ability to gather information from your speaking partner’s facial expressions, gestures, and body language. You are still able to hear the words they are saying, as well as use cues from their tone of voice and loudness to aid in processing the information being presented; but it can be a challenge. This becomes even more difficult with e-mail. You are unable to use any of the non-verbal cues that are crucial for accurate interpretation of messages. How often do you read an e-mail and begin thinking about it in one way, only to find out that isn’t how the sender intended the message at all. This can be a very frustrating experience.

I compare the communication abilities of children with autism spectrum disorders to the process of trying to communicate through e-mail. You can be fairly successful at this form of communication when you know someone well, which is also true when communicating with people with autism spectrum disorders. When you are unfamiliar with the person on the other end of the e-mail, it is easier to have miscommunication unless you are talking about factual information or have the same frame of reference. Children with autism spectrum disorders have difficulty in processing and using broadband communication. As a matter of fact, this difficulty is one of the core deficits of autism: known as experience sharing communication. While they can be very effective at talking about special interest areas or presenting factual information, they often miss the social aspect of communicating. They have not learned the process by which we share our experiences in a dynamic back and forth exchange; this is the essence of experience sharing communication. Often times, they miss the non-verbal cues that let us know when our listener is not understanding or no longer interested. Children on the autism spectrum have difficulty in interpreting more than one mode of communication at a time. They are single band processors. This means that if they are hearing the words you are saying, they are not able simultaneously to read facial expressions and gestures, or interpret the tone of your voice. Without the ability to process multiple bands of communication, it becomes increasingly hard to respond in a meaningful way.

Helping children on the autism spectrum to begin using experience sharing communication and become broadband communication processors must be a top priority in treatment. This is one of the ways that the Relationship Development Intervention® Program works to remediate this core deficit of autism. Improving the ability to communicate meaningfully is a necessary component of improving a person’s quality of life.

Building Competence

2008-08-13T09:12:00.001-05:00

The topic of competency has come up several times with many different families over the past few weeks. This has made me pause to think more about how it is we build competency in children. Feelings of incompetency manifest themselves in many different ways depending on the person, but in general there is some telling sign that a person is not feeling competent.

Building moments of competency is a key to success for children and families working on remediating autism through RDI®. Over the past few weeks I have seen this lack of competency show up as passivity, frustration, refusal, and even meltdown. After exploring the root of what is causing the child to feel incompetent it tends to come down to the adults needing to slow down, scaffold, reduce the amount of talking and establish regulation. For some children building competence can begin by finding something that they are good at and having them teach the adult. This allows the adult to spotlight all the moments of competence. Sometimes starting with nice easy activities and really spotlighting the child’s ability to stay regulated or accomplish small pieces of the task can really boost their feelings of competence. This might be something like taking a walk with your child and spotlighting for them the ability to stay with you during the walk. It might be carrying a basket of laundry together and spotlighting along the way how strong he is or how much it helps to have two people carrying the basket. By spotlighting all of the little ways your child is competent you are building a bank of moments that he can draw on in the future.

Finding ways to spotlight moments of competence can sometimes seem difficult, but if you start thinking about competence as being anything your child does well (even smiling at you can be spotlighted) it may not be so hard. I encourage you to find a few small moments each day to spotlight your child’s competence.

Talk to you soon,
Erin

Busy Work

2008-08-08T10:21:00.004-05:00

What a busy week of work around here - our Collaborate & Create group put together some flower boxes that turned out great and they also cleaned up some yard debris from a storm earlier this summer! I had my office assistants visit me again and our Summer CAMPS group had a theme of Pirates of the Great Seas!

Clean Up Work

Office Assistants Hard At Work

Making Flower Boxes

More Summer Fun!

2008-08-01T14:40:00.004-05:00

What a Busy Week! Our theme this week was Let's Experiment - well I don't have any pictures of the kids doing their experiments - I do know they were busy being scientists all week and had a lot of fun. Here are some other pictures though of our kids having fun.

This past spring some of our kids planted a garden, and we picked our first yieldings of produce this week!
Also, we've had the privilege of having the Horizons Cafe open up this summer. I finally got some pictures of some of the staff hard at work preparing our lunch. We sure do enjoy the days that the Cafe is open for lunch - it's delicious and the staff is excellent!

The annual conference

2008-07-24T22:57:00.002-05:00

Greetings from the annual conference. Nicole, Courtney and I spent our first day at the annual conference hearing an update from Dr. Gutstein, a great presentation from two of our colleagues and presenting two sessions.

We have also had fun meeting up with some of our old pals and meeting some new ones. We miss Michelle being here with us this year, but know she'll be back with us next year.

We were able to enjoy a nice dinner and a do a little retail therapy this evening as well.

Of course our great minds are hard at work on new product and program ideas as well (which tends to happen when you get a few of us alone in a room together for longer periods of time). Keep checking the website for the launch of some of these new items.

We are enjoying our time, but will be glad to be home in a few days.

Talk to you soon,
Erin

Adventures in the Great Outdoors

2008-07-22T15:04:00.004-05:00

Here are some pictures from the Great Outdoors week from Summer CAMPS...

And our time outside...

Down on the Farm

2008-07-22T14:56:00.004-05:00

Here are some pictures from our Summer CAMPS week from Down on the Farm...

The older boys also added a rope net to our outdoor adventure course...

My Office Assistants

2008-07-22T14:51:00.003-05:00

I had the privilege of having 2 great office assistants one morning. It was excellent. The made some copies for me that I needed to get done so I could get some other things done at my desk. They really enjoyed doing this for me and they did a great job. I think I'll have to have them come back again some more when I have more work that they can help me with.

Collaborate and Create Success

2008-07-21T14:27:00.004-05:00

Over the past several weeks, a small group of teenagers and young adults have been working on a collaborative project here at Horizons as part of our summer program. As a group, the teens worked together to solve a problem we have been faced with recently as to where we should keep extra supplies and yard tools when they are not in use, as well as how to keep them secure. With support, the group decided to build a shed in an optimal location. After 3 weeks of hard work, planning, and constructing, the shed project is complete. Thank you to all of those who participated in our first session of Collaborate and Create!

Courtney

Co-regulation

2008-07-17T13:51:00.002-05:00

Isn't it amazing how sometimes patterns just emerge? This has happened to me a lot lately over the past few weeks. I have spent time during many of my consultations the past few weeks really thinking about regulatory patterns/co-regulation.

Sometimes I think we get so wrapped up in the process of being or really focused on one particular objective that we forget about the patterns or co-regulation that is so important to the underlying success of the relationship that is being built. Or for those who are just starting out the co-regulation is so important. I just love it when I am sitting down with a set of parents and they say to me, "you know I think I just need to take some time to just be with my child or I need to think about building the trust and strengthening the relationship." Ah, it's about the being together and just taking a walk or swinging on the swing or tickling or snuggling. It doesn't have to be about any one thing just the rhythm of being can be enough to establish the co-regulation.

I have spent considerable time thinking about the families with whom I work and how this co-regulation happens or needs to happen. I think it is such an amazing and critical piece in developing a truly solid relationship.

This might be the moment where you take a step back and think about co-regulation and how that is happening for you these days. Maybe it is time to just pause, grab your child's hand and just go for a walk.

Talk to you soon,
Erin

CAMPS--Fun on the Farm

2008-07-14T18:50:00.002-05:00

Whoa!!! Yee-Ha!! The farm was in full gear last week at Horizons during our CAMPS programs. All of our campers had fun learning about all kinds of different animals. We even had 2 animal friends who joined us for the day! Everyone especially enjoyed Bear, a large chocolate lab dog. He did all kinds of fun tricks for our campers and he really liked participating in the outdoor sensory course. As part of our CAMPS program, we integrate many different sensory, oral, fine, and gross motor experiences into our daily activities. Seeing, touching, and playing with the animals was a terrific way to experience life on the farm as well as to receive different forms of sensory input. I can't wait to see what is in store for us this week as we adventure into the great outdoors!

Courtney

Strengthening Relationships

2008-07-10T07:29:00.001-05:00

I have had the pleasure of spending the past 3 days with one of my out of town families. It has been such fun working with them and seeing all of the progress that has been made over the past six months. I really enjoy taking a moment to pause to do an RDA as it gives everyone involved a chance to stop and reflect.

With this particular family I saw some really amazing things during this assessment period. I really felt like the guided participation relationship is strongly cemented at this point. Parents commented that their son is now wants to be with them more and more and will even tell them that he misses them. He stayed engaged with them throughout the entire first portion of the assessment and was easily guided. What I watched was a true collaboration between parent and child. This doesn’t mean that we still don’t have work to do and that he isn’t still in need of scaffolding and guidance from his parents, but he is also ready to begin taking on more responsibility for the co-regulation.

I saw a true strength in the bond that these parents and their son now have and I think the future is just a bit brighter for them at this point. For any of you who are interested in strengthening your bond and haven’t looked into RDI® yet I encourage you to do so. You can check out our website for more information at www.horizonsdrc.com. Let us help you find this relationship with your child.

Talk to you soon,
Erin

Sibshop

2008-07-08T10:50:00.005-05:00

We held our 2nd Sibshop on Saturday, June 28. We had a great day as we were able to spend some of the time outdoors and do some activities. We had a lot of new kids attend this session and it was great to be able to get to know these kids. Here are some pictures from our day!

Stand Up!

Triangle Tag

Balloon Duo

Water Balloon Toss

Being Goofy

Under the Big Top

2008-07-08T10:32:00.004-05:00

Under the Big Top was our theme for Summer CAMPS last week - what a fun time the kids had! At the end of the week they put on a show. The shed that the older kids started building last week is almost complete. Here are some more great pictures...

Under the Big Top

Outside

The Shed

Time to Rejuvenate

2008-07-03T10:05:00.004-05:00

Taking time to rejuvenate is extremely important for all of us. I just recently returned from 10 days in beautiful Hawaii. I didn't take my cell phone or laptop on vacation with me (something I haven't done in a long time) and it was wondeful. I really had the opportunity to just get away from it all and relax.

I found myself a few times during that ten days actually losing track of what day it was. I did my best to not think about work, but to just enjoy the moment and make some great memories. The islands were beautiful and it wasn't hard to do.

I was able to come back to work relaxed and rejuvenated (except for the jet lag of course). Ready to begin again.

I hope that all of you find a little time this summer to take a break. Whether it is a night in a hotel or a two week vacation everyone needs time to recharge.

Talk to you soon,
Erin

Journal Entry from Camp Horizons

2008-06-30T17:05:00.003-05:00

Summer is well under way here at Horizons! Our summer CAMPS programs "Blasted Off" last week with a space theme. The kids were able to complete activities wearing space suits and even built their own rocket ships! For several years now, Horizons has offered summer programming for children with disabilities from 3 years of age into early adulthood. It has been wonderful to have all of our old friends around again as well as some new faces! I am very excited to see what our "Under the Big Top" circus theme has to bring this week. Our Activity Center has been transformed into a circus arena and is awaiting circus goers. Please check out our website and blog for further summer programs information and updates.

Courtney

Blast Off Into Summer!

2008-06-26T14:50:00.012-05:00

What a great first week of Summer Programming we had! The kids sure did enjoy themselves. Check out what we did...

Painting our Planets

Playing Outside

Building a Shed

Summer Begins

2008-06-20T10:58:00.002-05:00

Well, since today is officially the fist day of summer and we begin our summer programs on Monday, I thought it would be appropriate to post about the beginning of summer. Yesterday we had a meet & greet for those who will be attending our summer program and are new to our program. We were able to meet them and the kids were able to meet the staff and see where they are going to come for summer CAMPS. Everyone is so excited for CAMPS to begin. Our first day is Monday and I'll be taking lots of pictures of each week so check back each Friday to find out what the kids did each week.

Slave to the past

2008-06-19T08:17:00.000-05:00

“Be not the slave of your own past – plunge into the sublime seas, dive deep, and swim far, so you shall come back with self-respect, with new power, with an advanced experience, that shall explain and overlook the old.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

This quote was on a card I received this week and I have been pondering it for a few days now as it sits on my desk. I have been thinking about what it means to me and my life. I think what it is really saying is that we need to be willing to take risks and try new things. We should not be afraid to have new experiences. That by experiencing new things we can find a new sense of ourselves. Trying new things and finding new ways to look at the world can help us to further understand our past experiences and possibly change our outlook. Allowing yourself the chance to move beyond what you have always known provides the opportunity to find a new sense of yourself.

This has been particularly poignant for me this past month and I think that as I continue on this journey of swimming in a new sea I will find new self-respect and an advanced experience that will allow me to find a new understanding of many of my past adventures and how they led me to this new place. It is always touch to release the bonds of slavery, but once that is done a new peace can be found.

The next time I post I will talk about how I think this quote relates to RDI® and the core deficits of autism that we talk so much about. I would love to hear your interpretation of the quote or what it means to you personally or in terms of RDI®. Feel free to leave me a comment if you would like.

Talk to you soon,
Erin

What Kind of Thinker are You?

2008-06-12T14:34:00.000-05:00

What kind of thinker are you? Do like to think about concepts from the top down or from the bottom up? We have been having a lot of discussion about this in our office lately. The majority of us like to see the big picture first and then break it down into smaller parts. What is the theme is the question we have all been asking lately.

So what stemmed this discussion of different types of thinking? Now that we as consultants are becoming more and more familiar and comfortable using the new RDIos® we have come to the conclusion that it is easier for many of us to find the themes within each stage and begin to think about each theme as a whole first. We can then take each of the individual parts (objectives) and work on those as they relate to the theme. This has been tremendously helpful to us as consultants and to many of our families alike as we have shifted to thinking in this way. I feel like I can make sense of where I am headed now instead of driving one mile at a time with no real sense of where I am headed except to the end of the road.

I’m curious about what kind of thinkers all of you are? Maybe you are one or the other or perhaps a combination of the two. I’d love to hear from some of you. I think I can become a better guide by knowing what type of thinker my apprentices are so I intend to explore this with my families over the next month as I continue to meet with them.

Talk to you soon,
Erin

Why did you choose RDI?

2008-06-11T09:06:00.004-05:00

As many of you know, we offer a weekly e-zine. If you click on this link you can scroll down to the bottom of the page and enter your e-mail address to begin receiving this wonderful free resource (also notice many other available resources), filled with even more of our wonderful insights. I know you can't get enough of us! In my upcoming articles, I plan to start writing about why you should choose RDI® as your treatment plan. While I have many reasons why you should, I'd like to hear what you think. If you are already doing RDI®, why do you think others should choose this as their family's treatment plan?

Closure

2008-06-05T07:44:00.000-05:00

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be.” – Douglas Noel Adams

I was looking for a quote to go along with my blog for this week and came across this one that I think says it all. Do any of us ever really end up going where we intended, but somehow end up where we were meant to be? That is what happened to me 8 years ago when a student with autism ended up on my caseload and I fell in love with a whole new population of students that I didn’t know anything about. Then Nicole came into my life and changed it even more when she introduced me to RDI®. That was it the end to my old way of thinking and the beginning of the new.

So it is at this time with great joy and sadness that I say goodbye to one part of my life. Yesterday was my last day working for the public school system. I am now a full time RDI® consultant, speech/language pathologist and feeding therapist in the private sector. I can believe how great it feels to follow my passion and know that this is where I intended to be all along it just took me a little time to find my way here.

This past week has one of closure for me. I have said goodbye to the many students, staff and parents that I have worked with over the past 13 years. It has been an amazing journey where I have learned so much and it led me to find my passion for this I will always be grateful. Although it has been sad I have also felt a sense of rightness in knowing that this is the right decision for me.

So as I close this chapter of my life and begin a new one I am looking to the Horizon and anticipating all of the great things to come in the place where I intended to be!

Talk to you soon,
Erin

Happy Memorial Day!

2008-05-26T18:54:00.001-05:00

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Memorial Day!

How common is it?

2008-05-22T14:29:00.002-05:00

I sat in on three IEPs today here at school and in each of those three meetings when the parents were asked about concerns for their child on the autism spectrum guess what each of them said? Feeding! Everyone of them talked about their child being a picky eater and only like certain things.

Hmm, is it just me or is there a connection here? I've been saying this for the last year, but as each day passes and I talk with more and more parents I am convinced that a vast majority of our children on the autism spectrum have feeding difficulties. Hence the many e-zine articles that I have written over the past two months, but this is a real issue.

I haven't quite figured out what to do other than assessing and working with children in my area to improve thier difficulties, but for those of you who live at a distance I am still pondering how to best help you.

I will think of something it just might take me a bit longer. For now if you have a chance take some time to check out my archived e-zine articles. I am going to start keeping data in this area just for my own knowledge and maybe I'll come up with something I want to do with it in the future. If you have thoughts or suggestions I'd love to hear them.

Talk to you soon,
Erin

Is it enough?

2008-05-15T08:24:00.001-05:00

Recently I had a mom ask me “Am I doing enough for my son?” She then went on to say that she didn’t feel like she could ever do enough. I am sure many parents feel that way. I had another parent say to me that even though she felt that her child was making progress she can still see all of the areas that need improvement and that can feel overwhelming.

Is there always more that could be done? Absolutely, but this is true in many aspects of our life. I truly believe that as parents we make choices about what we do for our children and our family and it should be about the quality of those choices not the quantity. I also know that sometimes the choices we make can seem overwhelming especially if the choice involves a lot of work or will take an extended amount of time to accomplish.

I think that is one of the great things about the mission previews we have families write as part of their RDI® program. It allows the parent and consultant to get a big picture while taking the baby steps to get there. It is the final destination with some pit stops along the way while the objectives in RDI® program is road families travel to get to that end point. Sometimes I think that we get lost on the road and then begin to question whether we are doing enough or we become overwhelmed. This the point at which we need to pull over and look again at the stops we want to make along the way our final destination and ask ourselves if we are still on the right path. What we may be surprised to find is that we have already passed some of our pit stops without realizing it or that we have made some stops that we were not expecting. If we have veered off the road then this is a great time to examine how we get back on the right path.

The only way to know if we are doing enough is to know where we want to end up and then decide what we need to do to get to that ending destination. If you haven’t taken time to think about what you would like for your child in the future I encourage you to do that. Once you have done this take some time to decide if you are on the right road or if a course correction is needed.

Talk to you soon,
Erin

Safe Cleaning With Kids

2008-05-13T15:23:00.003-05:00

I hate to clean. There, I've admitted it. I love to organize and straighten and get a great sense of accomplishment from those activities. But, when it comes to really cleaning stuff, like with a scrub brush and cleaner, I hate it. Over the past couple of years I've read many magazine articles and seen things on TV about the dangers of most cleansers we use in our homes and workplaces. There are many nasty chemicals in them that have the potential to create all sorts of health problems. I felt vindicated in my hatred of cleaning because I could tell myself, "See - it can make a person sick!" Well, I can no longer use that as an excuse. With the new wave of environmentally-friendly everything has come a new generation of cleaning products. And they are completely non-toxic, leaving me to come up with another excuse for why I don't like to clean.

On a recent Target outing (the place you run into for a "few necessities" and leave with $80 worth of assorted items you never knew you needed but suddenly do) I found a newer brand of cleaners called Method. I recognized them, as I'd seen them advertised on the Today show and in some magazines. What struck me initially was the interesting scents listed on the bottles - pink grapefruit, eucalyptus mint, and cucumber. Hmmm...sounds more like a spa than a bathroom cleaner...we may be onto something here. As I read the containers I found that all the products were made of natural ingredients, and the containers are all made from 100% recycled materials. The cleaning clothes are particularly interesting as they are made from bamboo (a renewable resource) and are flushable. They had an assortment of cleaners in many different scents. Since they were on sale 3 for $8 I decided to throw a few in my cart to see how they worked.

I've been using the products in my kitchen and bathrooms for the past week, and I have to say I love them! Don't get that confused with the actual cleaning - that I still hate. Yet, I somehow find it a bit easier to tolerate now that I get to smell things like ylang ylang while doing it. And, my house smells great when I'm done. I also don't have to inhale all kinds of nasty chemicals while cleaning or worry about getting everything off my hands, keeping the stuff away from the kids, etc. I know that many of you are like us and have your kids help you with chores around the house. These cleaners are great for involving the kids because you don't have to worry about exposing them to toxic chemicals. And they actually work, which is, of course, not a minor detail when you're putting the effort into scrubbing stuff!

I went online and found the Method website here. Hopefully you can find some places near you that carry these items and check them out for yourself. Let me know what you think, and if you have any other fabulous cleaning products or strategies feel free to share! If you need cleaning ideas to inspire you and your kiddos, check out our Do Something Daily calendar.

Until next week,
Nicole

Time Well Spent or Time Well Wasted?

2008-05-12T16:19:00.003-05:00

As I sat waiting for an appointment today, I realized all of the short increments of time that we have each day to either use wisely or waste. As I jotted a list of things that I needed to do, I realized that I could accomplish several of those items in the few minutes that I had to myself. It became apparent to me how effective small moments of time can be during the day. It would have been easy for me to take a break or chit chat, but instead I chose to be productive and complete a few quick items. As I pondered this, I thought about all of those times I have during the day with my son and how I choose to spend them. Sure, some I waste by talking on the phone or watching TV, but others I choose to spend playing with him. Every parent in today's society is crunched for time, but I assure you, there are times in the day when you can spend a few quality moments with your child. How will you choose to spend your time today? What will you do with those few short moments? Will it be time well spent or time well wasted?

Have a great week!

Courtney

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-08T07:35:00.001-05:00

Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible. ~Marion C. Garretty, quoted in A Little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul

On this mother’s day let me take a moment to thank my mom for being such a wonderful person. She is the inspiration in my life and I wouldn’t be the person I am today without her. She definitely embodies the quote I chose for this week.

On this Mother’s Day here’s to all of the mothers out there. To new mothers, old mothers, mothers to be and all of the mothers yet to come. Thank you for loving your children so much that they are able to achieve their “impossibilities.”

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Talk to you soon,
Erin

Parenting

2008-05-05T19:11:00.002-05:00

As parents, we have the greatest and yet most difficult jobs of all. We are role models, caregivers, and friends to our children. But of utmost importance, we are their guides. I came across this quotation this week and found it inspiring. I would dare to change the last word to "guide," as I feel it is our most important role. Enjoy!

"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend." - Albert Camus (also attributed to Maimonidies).

Foundations

2008-05-01T10:54:00.000-05:00

As I walked past the fence surrounding the construction zone outside of the elementary school where I spend part of my time each week I noticed they were working to dig the holes for laying the new foundation today. This started me thinking about foundations in general.

I spend a lot of time talking with new parents about building the foundation that will support the rest of their RDI® program. We talk a lot about the fact that without a solid foundation the treatment process is doomed to fail from the start. For the consultants at Horizons a solid foundation is built on a well established master/apprentice relationship and a commitment to experience sharing communication as the main mode of communicating within the family. These principles make up a majority of our parent readiness and cluster coaching sessions. Without this foundation the house will eventually crumble.

I found this quote which I think speaks to the topic of foundations in relation to the RDI® program and what we at Horizons are striving to achieve with the parents and families we work with.
“The loftier the building, the deeper must the foundation be laid.” Thomas Kempis

To me this quote says it all. Depending on the quality of life each parent wants for their child the more solid the foundation will need to be. As far as I’m concerned the sky’s the limit! Now that spring has arrived and warmer weather is upon us and many new construction projects are springing up it might be an excellent time for you to think about the foundation you are building for your child. Is your foundation solid enough to support your lofty building? If not what can be done to firm up that foundation? Are there things that we at Horizons can do to help you establish a firmer foundation? Let us know how we can help.

Talk to you soon,
Erin

Horizons Sibling Network (Sibshop)

2008-04-29T13:42:00.005-05:00

This past Saturday we held a Sibshop here at Horizons.

What is a Sibshop you ask?

Sibshops are events for siblings of kids with special needs to be able to have the opportunity to meet other kids with special needs siblings, form new friendships, and have a lot of fun.

Heather & I had the opportunity to spend 4 hours with 7 kids this past Saturday getting to know these kids, playing games with them, and having lunch with them. We had a great time! We hold our Sibshops every other month on Saturdays, so we hope that others will plan on joining us next time after they see some of the great pictures.

KNOTS

LAP GAME

STAND UP

TRIANGLE TAG

BLOB TAG

The Importance of Framing and Remediation

2008-04-28T17:00:00.003-05:00

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, framing is the process of planning/setting-up an activity to work on a remediation goal. Many of us use portions of this technique day in and day out to plan our days and our interactions with others. Whether you are a veteran RDI parent or are new to the process, framing is a very important component to think about before working with your child with a disability. Here are a few key ideas to think about when planning a remediation activity:

-What do you want to do together?
-What is your goal or objective?
-How will your activity look? What is it about?
-What will each partner be doing?
-How close of a proximity to each other do you need in order to be successful?
-What distractions will be around? How can you eliminate them?
-How much support will your child need?

Whether you are beginning to work on remediation strategies or have moved on to a new objective, thinking about the framing process is essential for the success of your interactions!

Until next week...

Courtney

Outside Fun & Friends

2008-04-25T08:31:00.003-05:00

This past week we've had wonderful weather so we've had the opportunity to spend a lot of time outdoors. We've even had some new friends join us on campus - a family of bunnies! They are the cutest things. They made a nice home right in our garden - good thing they did it before we planted anything. So, enjoy these pictures of the boys exploring the adventure course and a little baby bunny we're watching grow each day!