Charlotte Mason and Developmental vs Behavioral Autism Intervention

I watched some of Autism One from home via Ustream last week. I watched most of Dr Partington's presentation on Verbal Behavior out of curiosity and with some hope that he understands development better than he did 10 years ago when we were being misled directed by behaviorists following his protocol. I was disappointed.

The overwhelming error that grabs me is a foundational one. Dr. Partington implies that joint attention is a category on a list that includes expressive and receptive spoken language.

His implication, from what I've learned via RDI(r), is incorrect.

Expressive and receptive language fall UNDER a broader umbrella of joint attention, and joint attention grows in distinct developmental steps/stages. The predecessor to verbal behavior is NONverbal behavior, and NONverbal behavior involves early stages of joint attention.

Thanks to verbal behavior, we programed our daughter with hundreds of words. She could label and mand and answer questions but was not interactive verbally OR non-verbally. We completely missed joint attention when we addressed it as just another category within a verbal behavior approach. I know we are not the only ones.

Our switch to a developmental approach had us putting stages of joint attention front and center with communication (real communication, not limited to the verbal behaviors of labeling, manding, and answering questions) a goal. We learned to use ourselves in new ways that gave our girl experience and practice with people. Interacting. First at non-verbal levels.

A switch to a developmental approach made all the difference. I think had we used a developmental approach all along, we'd have had no need for verbal behavior. Words and talk would have happened naturally and in context.

Blogger Tammy Glaser thinks so, too. She dissected Dr Partington's lecture from both Charlotte Mason and RDI(r) approaches. Go HERE to read her thoughts.

New facebook page (sharing a resource)

If you are reading my blog, then you have some sort of access to the internet.

Today, I have a internet resource to share. It's a new facebook page called "Autism Discussion Page", begun by a Michigan psychologist, Bill Nason. Nason is a wealth of information. Not only does he have a heart of gold, he has an incredible background with experience in both developmental and behavioral approaches and he knows when to use each.

Here's Nason's list of discussion topics:

Helping Your Child Feel "safe"

Satisfy Physical Needs Page
Tool 1 Meet nutritional needs 6
Tool 2 Treat medical/psychiatric needs 6
Tool 3 Reducing sensory overload 6
Tool 4 Calming meltdowns 8
Tool 5 Sensory diet 8
Tool 6 Physical activity 9

Reduce Confusion
Tool 7 Structured Daily Routines 10
Tool 8 Visual strategies 11
Tool 9 Slow it down, break it down 13
Tool 10 Clarify, verify, preview and review 13
Tool 11 Clear Boundaries & expectations 13

Respect Comfort Zones
Tool 12 Define and respect comfort zones 14

Helping Your Child Feel "Accepted"

Communicating Love and Acceptance
Tool #13 Understanding, acceptance 15
Tool #14 I love you rituals 15

Teaching Emotional Relating
Tool #15 Emotion sharing 16
Tool #16 Reciprocal interaction 17
Tool #17 Celebrating 17
Tool #18 Soothing 17

Teaching Nonverbal Communication
Tool #19 Facial referencing and nonverbal 17
Language
Declarative Language
Tool #20 Increasing acceptance with 19
declarative language

Acceptance at School
Tool #21 Advocate and collaborate 20
Tool#22 Peer mentoring 20

Helping Your Child Feel "Competent"

Learning Through Others Page
Tool #23 Don't do for, do with 21
Tool #24 Apprentice Learning 21
Tool #25 We-Do Activities 21

Effective Training Tools
Tool #26 Basic Principles 23
Tool #27 Framing 24
Tool #28 Guided Participation 24
Tool #29 Stretching & Fading 24
Tool #30 Instilling Motivation 24

Teaching Apprentice Skills
Tool #31 Social Referencing 27
Tool #32 Co-regulation 28
Tool #33 Coordinating Roles 28
Teaching Emotional Regulation
Tool #34 Emotional Regulation 30
Tool #35 Stretching Comfort Zones 31
Tool #36 Tackling Fears 33

Increase Flexible Thinking Skills
Tool #37 Flexible Thinking 35
Tool #38 Dynamic Thinking 36
Tool #39 Problem Solving 36
Tool #40 Memory Books 37

Competence Over The Years
Tool #41 Building on Strengths 37
Tool #42 Start Early, Think Ahead 37
Tool #43 Transition Planning 37
Tool #44 Self Empowerment 37
Tool #45 Adult Supports 38

Autism One Simple Strategies for Improving Information Processing in ASD

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Autism One
Simple Strategies for Improving Information Processing in ASD

Friends

Li'l Bit and I met out-of-town friends at a nearby attraction last week. We had a FABulous time, and I was delighted to watch my girl enjoy the company of the other children in a big way. (Note to self: We have to find a group of friends to hang out with here on a regular basis.)

The place we chose to meet was the perfect opportunity for her to practice and experience interaction at the place where she is now and the place she's growing to. We were outdoors at a venue where we could move about without a tour guide (no lecture to try to tune out or process) and we could move at our own pace.

It's the perfect place for both a nature study or an art study, too.

And the cidacas were EVERYwhere.

Here are a few photos from the day:

I really enjoyed Li'l Bit's connection to her my friend Marcia's Li'l Bit. Tessa was the perfect partner for my 'Rella and they explored everything together. My mind wanders over all of the practice and experience it took to get my 'Rella to this point. Wow.

More cupcakes

I made more cupcakes today.

This time, from a Pure Pantry GF mix

that I bought from QVC.

Dark chocolate.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

'Rella likes the pink.

I tried to cram lots of icing on them for her.

I bought her brother's cupcakes.

My twins are 12 today.

Next time, I would like to add a layer of marshmallow creme between the cupcake and the chocolate frosting, for a nutless Mississippi Mud version:

If I had not waited to the last second, I would have made more hydrangea colors for a plate of hydrangea cupcakes. Wouldn't that be pretty?

Self-help Skills: Showering

Over the years, I have often heard from parents of tweens, teens, and adults with disabilities who say they're still helping their children bathe and shower. And I understand. These individuals are not able to manage all of the details involved in bathing or showering without help.

Sometimes, bathing and showering is painful, I think. There are times when my girl resists a bath or shower with such force that my best guess is that her tactile system is on over-drive. Brushing her hair is painful and she avoids it with all of her might. However, the more often we wash her hair, the easier her hair is to brush and comb. So, I am motivated to get her hair washed more often rather than less often. And her goal is to never . ever . wash her hair.

I made a discovery about showering and hair washing.

Our 'new' house (new-to-us) has a stand-alone shower. It's the first time we've had a shower not attached to a bathtub. And it seems to have a lot of the right features to make showering easier for a kid with sensory sensitivities combined with developmental delays.

First of all, the shower head is taller than in a bathtub. Second, the stall is shaped differently from the oblong, oval bathtub, creating more places to stand out of the way of the spray, giving the shower-ee space to move in and out of the spray slowly, gently. There is no shower curtain. No shower curtain to monitor to make sure you're not wetting the bathroom floor, no shower curtain to dodge, to avoid touching you, sticking to your body.

We are using a mix of behavioral and relationship approaches to practice showering and hair-washing. Behavior techniques work for the discreet skills; relationship intervention works for the dynamic pieces. I've decided to work backwards, and we'll work on turning on faucets and adjusting the water pressure and temp last. I'll do that for her, for the short term. There is a lot to learn about bathing and showering. There are lots of steps.

We had no access to a shower stall before our move. It wasn't something we could do, logistically or financially, and I know that a lot of folks reading this are in that same situation. However, if you have had problems in a tub/shower combo (with a curtain in particular), and you have access to a shower stall, you might give it a try. It's a piece I had not considered before. I wonder if installing shower doors instead of the curtain at our former home would have made a difference?

As always, I appreciate your tips and hints. Leave me a comment if you have a success story to share.

Autism One is FREE - Livestream

I have a number of blog readers outside the United States. I doubt many of them are traveling to Chicago for Autism One.

I live in the United States, and I am not traveling to Chicago for Autism One this year.

You can bring Autism One to you, online.

Autism One begins Wednesday, May 25th, 2011.

Go HERE for more information.

Opportunities and Ruined Surprises

I went shopping over the weekend and I found a Wii game set at a fantastic price. My girl loves the Wii. We have birthdays coming up; I thought it would make a great birthday present.

When I returned home from shopping, my Rella (Li'l Bit) came out to the car to help us bring in groceries and stuff. And I sent her back in b/c I didn't want her to see what I'd bought. She asked why - I told her - there is a birthday surprise in the car that I don't want you to see.

And I didn't remove it from the car to hide it. Big mistake on my part.

She couldn't stand it. She went out to the garage for a bottle of water as a disguise for peeking in the car.

She kept it to herself for a little while, maybe two or three hours, I'm not sure, and then came to me and asked if she could play the new game.

I have really over-acted this one, letting my face fall, lots of long, dramatic pauses. I told her I may take it back since she ruined the surprise.

For 24+ hours, she keeps asking me if I'm going to let her have it and when. She really needs to know when. And I keep telling her that I have not decided yet what I will do with the game.

And intermittently, she will find me and apologize for having to go look in the car. I can hear her talking to herself about it, too. She's even using "next time" in her self-talk, too, imagining what she might do if this situation happens again, and how to stop herself from peeking.

She's really thinking about the whole thing.

I am cracking up. ;) The whole thing is both delightful and full of humor for me. I have refused to engage in her attempts to negotiate her way into keeping the game and getting it as a gift on her timetable. I've been consistent with simple statements that give her an opportunity to think and process. She is making multiple discoveries because of this event. I am watching her process in an awe that I'd never have had without the benefit of a regression into autism. I'm witnessing development in action and I have a front row seat. It's really interesting.

I am trying to decide what to do w/ the game. I may save it for hubby for Father's Day. ;)

Cupcakes

I made yellow cupcakes from Anne Byrn's The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten Free with my version of Wilton's chocolate buttercream from the basic cake decorating class.

No gooey, gummy, playdoughy center!!!



There are a few recipes from the cookbook HERE.

Nicknames (flexibility)

Hubby and I often give our kids a temporary nickname. "Sleeping Beauty" goes to the daughter who slept late. "Are you ready, Freddie?" when we're leaving to go.

Li'l Bit used to correct us every time. She can be very literal, which is a characteristic that is common in autisms.

She went through a princess phase, and I began sticking "Rella" (as in "Cinderella")to the end of her given name. She used to correct me, reminding me her full given name.

Lately, though, when I call her simply "Rella", she responds to whatever I said without correcting my name choice for her. Or when I say, "Are you ready, Freddie?" she comes along without correcting me.

Thank you Relationship Development Intervention, Communicating Partners, thank you teachers for helping me use myself in new ways to give my Rella experience and practice to enjoy a fun nickname.

Wordy Querty

We gave Read, Write, and Type a test drive last fall. For spring, we had the opportunity to use the next step, Wordy Querty, an online, at-the-keyboard program to help children age 7-9 with spelling (and as a by-product, strengthens reading and keyboarding as well).

I deliberately stepped back from actively choosing review items during the big move that happened much more quickly than any of us anticipated. I volunteered for Wordy Querty (and was happy to have been chosen to review it) for a couple of reasons. One, we liked Read, Write, and Type. Two, I hoped we could use this one during our transition time on the road, in the hotel, and while we were unpacking and settling in.

And we did. Well, Li'l Bit did. I'm not a huge fan of having her doing a lot of independent work. She needs practice at interaction and reciprocity and I very intentionally choose products that she and I can use together, resources with the relationship in the forefront and academics as a background activity.

HowEVER, at this time in our school year, with this move, I really needed, wanted some items she could do independently so that I could take care of business, getting utilities connected, getting the sibs in school, to and from school, and ultimately unpacking and beginning to try to cook at home again.

I let Li'l Bit loose on Wordy Querty while I worked near her. She sat down for it willingly and worked through lessons with very little complaining (that is huge). The activities are familiar; they repeat themselves throughout the letter patterns. She popped balloons with individual words that created phrases, having to discriminate among homonyms and words that look similar; she typed words and sorted them by category; she filled in the blank; she completed game after game after game without my help.

She completed them all. All 20 lessons.

And as I quiz her by repeating games and using words from the online program, she is able to spell quite a long list of words that I did not realize she is able to spell.

She also knows spelling rules that she didn't know before. "I before e except after c" is one of them.

And as the student plays games, she wins points that give her more spheres in a visually appealing music machine that is really fun to watch. (It is kind of way-cool stimmy for those of you who understand that term.)

I like this program. The lessons are short. They're well presented, simple enough to spotlight the lesson of the moment without being too babyish. The pace is excellent for a child like mine who needs processing time. The instructions do not drag, but they don't move too quickly, either. The patterns quickly create something the child recognizes - I've played this game before, only with different words or letters. Variations on a theme. Same but different, different but same. I look for that in a product. It's here.

The program gives the student the correct answer when the student makes a mistake. The correction is given in a no-nonsense, no judgement tone. "Type 'this'" the voice tells my girl. And she does. And she gets it. I love love love the fact that there's no "uh-oh" or other word or sound to spotlight when the child presses a key that is incorrect.

We get the opportunity to re-do any lesson, so we are not done, yet, as I choose skill practice for my girl to repeat. I can ask her to do another "wh" lesson or the one that works on double consonants, to keep the repeated lessons varied.

I do think we created some splinter skills, particularly with the spelling rules, and we'll have to fill in some foundations now. We'll see how that goes.

The process of accessing the program online has been simple. We had a few freeze-ups in the hotel during our transition time, but have been fine here at home.

The price is right (I cannot believe this price): $25 for one year online access. Interested families can take advantage of a free demo.

I would not limit this one to children in the 7-9 age range. If you have a child with unique learning needs like mine, one who is academically delayed, you may like Wordy Querty as much as we have. Take a demo for a test drive. You may find this as helpful as we have.

We were given an online subscription to Wordy Querty for review purposes. I received no payment for this review. I am not obligated to provide a positive review.

Have it your way

Today Only: FREE Weather Radio App for iPhones

I wish I had an iPhone.

I'd download this app for free today if I did:

iMapWeatherRadio

Disaster Preparedness

I wrote about disaster preparedness not long ago here.

Here are a couple more articles to share:

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/318412/disaster-preparedness-persons-with-autism

http://www.momlifetoday.com/2011/05/tornados-severe-weather-and-autism/

Tastes Like Chicken

Invasion of the Cicadas

The Celiac Kid book for children

The idea that wheat could cause problems for my child sounded absolutely crazy to me. Crazy, even though I knew a family with a child who has celiac disease. Removing gluten from my daughter's diet when she was a toddler was way out there for me, and no one was more amazed than I at the differences in her attention.

We don't know many others on a GFCFSF diet. Other children don't understand. Teachers, parents of the kids' friends, people at church, even family members don't understand it, because they don't live with it.

Now, we have a book that helps explain the gluten-free part of my child's special diet.

Illustrator Anneliesse Bennion sent me a review copy of, "The Celiac Kid" a book for children written by Stephanie Skolmoski. (I was not paid for this review, do not benefit financially should you choose to purchase the book, and am not obligated to provide a positive review.)

Even though my daughter is more than simply gluten-free, this book is useful for us. Li'l Bit was able to make self-to-text comparisons to the child in the story. She understands not being able to eat anything she wants to at a picnic. She even related a story to me about an experience she had in kindergarten. We were able to compare and contrast, too, as the child in the story is able to eat a longer list of foods than Li'l Bit is.

The text is simple; the illustrations are engaging. The child in the story is a kindergartner. Children are introduced to vocabulary words, too. We were able to talk about nutrients, villi & intestines, and nutrition labels.

In addition to being a child-friendly introduction to a child with a new celiac diagnosis, this book would be great to read to school groups, to Sunday School classes, to any group of children who need to understand why a peer can't enjoy the same birthday treats they get. The Celiac Kid would be a welcome book in the lobby of the OT/PT/speech therapy clinic and gastroenterologist's office, too.

The Celiac Kid is a 40-page paperback (the pages are not numbered; I counted them) regularly priced $7.95 and is currently discounted to $6.50, available from DesignAbility Books.

Role-Modeling vs Prompting-&-Reinforcing

I've had modeling on my mind. Role-modeling. There's great power in it, you guys.

I am a Southerner by birth. If you've ever spoken with me, you know I carry quite a twang. My college voice and diction teacher taught me that I have a Southern dialect. I also speak and translate Left Coast and Midwest dialects of the United States.

I have used the term, "y'all" most of my life. After several years of living in the Midwest, though, I heard myself dropping "y'all" and saying, "you guys" in place of it. The first few times, I looked around to see who said "you guys". Surely it did not come from my mouth. I do not say "you guys". I say "y'all".

How did this switch in my vernacular happen? Shocking as it may be, it happened outside of my will and effort.

No one prompted or reinforced "you guys".

At the same time, I was removed from everyone and anyone who used "y'all".

And, you guys, slowly but surely, all that role-modeling around me affected a change in me.

I remember little moments in our RDI(r) journey after years of behavioral therapy. We were told (nicely) to shut up, to turn off all the talking and prompting, and to communicate richly in other ways. Slow down to allow her to respond, to take her own physical, non-verbal action, in interactions with me.

We videotaped quite a bit of interaction at the time, watching the tapes, learning from them, seeing where I went too fast, where I didn't allow her the opportunity to be active with me, where I did.

And, in reviewing the tapes, I remember seeing my girl gesturing with her "talk". She wanted "that one". "Over there." And I had to follow her gesture. She began using facial expressions and using the direction of her face and head to communicate alongside her words. And she did all of that without our directly teaching her by prompting and rewarding her. I was astounded.

Flashback: When she was two, we taught her to point as a mand. First she pointed to her juice to request it, then we paired pointing with the "j" sound, and eventually, we shaped that into, "juice please" and "I want juice please". And we checked the box for pointing on the ABLLS. Pointing. check.

But pointing isn't simply a mand. It's a piece of rich joint attention. And we missed that.

And I believed that she could not learn anything that we did not directly teach her via the behavioral technique of prompting and rewarding.

I was wrong.

Role-modeling works, you guys.

PS: We're among people who use "y'all" now. I wonder how long it will take for us to make the switch to "y'all" with all the role-modeling around us? I predict that I will be the first one we'll hear come out with "y'all" instead of "you guys". ;) My children have known nothing but "you guys". It will be funny to hear them make the switch, and I believe it will happen at some point.

GLUTEN-FREE KIDS

Amazing Resource Alert

I always feel a lot of pressure when I talk to a parent who has been referred to me to get help with the GFCF diet. There is so much information to relate, so many things to watch out for, so many hints and tips to remember. I feel pressure not to forget anything while at the same time not overwhelming the parent. There's too much to talk about, and a parent new to a diet or diagnosis can absorb only so much. It's a lose-lose situation.

Now, I have a resource to recommend, one that parents can pore over, refer to, return to again and again.

GLUTEN-FREE KIDS, Raising Happy, Healthy Children with Celiac Disease, Autism, and Other Conditions, by Danna Korn is an introduction to all things gluten-free.

While it is not a book about all things gluten/casein/soy free, the book does touch on GFCFSF, and, for families about to remove gluten for the first time, is a solid resource, even if these families plan to remove other foods as well.

Korn covers everything. Parent emotions and grief. What to do (when going gluten free). What to say to your child and to others. How to read labels. Celiac sprue. Gluten intolerance. Wheat allergy. School. Birthday parties. Camp. Restaurants. Cheating and accidental infractions. It's all there.

Gluten-Free Kids is not a cookbook. Korn does provide recipes for play-dough. She provides product lists of brand name items and meal suggestions here.

I wish I'd had this resource when my daughter went gluten free just over 10 years ago. (We removed gluten, first, as a trial, and removed casein and soy later.)

Gluten-Free Kids is a 228-page paperback an is regularly priced at $21.95. Woodbine House is offering a May, 2011, discount and this month you can purchase the book for $16.46.

Author Danna Korn's web site is here.

Gluten-Free Kids is packed with helpful informaton from a mother with years of experience with a child on a gluten-free diet. This book would be a wonderful new-member gift for celiac groups to include in membership packets. The book is a good resource for parents to give to family members or teachers, too. Gasterenterologists need a lobby copy; so do many autism consultants. It is a resource very library should have. Parents should have easy access to this resource.

Woodbine House sent me a review copy of GLUTEN FREE KIDS. I was not paid for this review. I do not benefit should you choose to purchase the book. I am not obligated to provide a positive review.

What's Eating Your Child?

I requested this book to review because I wanted to share it with you. Kelly Dorfman has been instrumental in teaching me how to be a detective with my daughter's ups and downs. I was fortunate to attend several presentations when different organizations brought Dorfman to workshops and conferences near me. (Somewhere, among all the boxes as we are in various stages of unpacking, is a Dorfman presentation on disc on the topic of the relationship between sensory issues and nutrition.) I even know one family (in real life) who consulted with Dorfman for their child and were impressed with her knowledge.

This is one VIR. Very Important Resource.

"What's Eating Your Child?" (with the longest subtitle I've ever seen, "The Hidden Connections Between Food and Childhood Ailments: Anxiety, Recurrent Ear Infections, Stomachaches, Picky Eating, Rashes, ADHD, and More. And What Every Parent Can Do About It") gives parents, and perhaps teachers, doctors, and other professionals, too, an education into what illnesses and behaviors can sometimes be food and nutrition related.

Shortly before my daughter's second birthday, I had the courage to peek diagnostic criteria for autism in the DSM-IV, and realized in just a few moments that yes, my child is on the autism spectrum. I called the early intervention coordinator in our county and asked her, "What do I do, now?" And she told me about a conference. A biomedical conference. Coming in less than a fortnight. And I went. And between the tears (I cried a lot during that two days), I heard people, not just the professionals who were presenting that weekend, but also parents, describe the differences in their children when diets were changed, when nutrition was addressed, when dyes, preservatives, gluten, dairy were removed, when probiotics were given. I'd never even heard of a lot of this stuff.

Red, flaming cheeks, a sign of yeast in the gut? What? Head banging a sign of a calcium deficiency? Excessive ear wax = a possible need for essential fatty acids? (What's an essential fatty acid?) There seemed to be a never ending list of often familiar symptoms and what might be causing them. I thought these people were nuts, but I heard the same stories over and over from different people, parents who seemed really serious (and not nutty otherwise).

Slowly, I realized that we (society) are often medicating children when we need to look at their nutrition and make changes there, first. (I'm not saying meds aren't necessary; sometimes they absolutely are.)

When I became a believer in what I originally thought were nutty theories, when I began to make connections between foods and my daughter's behavior, I wanted a book, a guide, a reference. (Part of our experience is described here.) Outside of what I thought was a rather old book by Doris Rapp, MD about allergies (which is quite good), there wasn't one.

Now there is.

Dorfman walks the reader through the process of being a nutrition detective in What's Eating Your Child?. She uses case studies from her own practice to describe challenges and behaviors in children, and to illustrate her thinking process. She tackles an interesting mix of challengings, including ADD/ADHD, chicken skin, allergies, hives, constipation, diarrhea, lack of growth, tummy aches, spitting up, picky eaters, insomnia, anxiety, tantrums and meltdowns, acid reflux, learning disabilities, speech delays, depression, eczema, a bi-polar misdiagnosis, ear infections, and worriers.

Check it out for yourself: Chapter one is here. A bonus chapter that did not make it into the book is here. Mrs. Dorfman blogs here. Her web site is here. Some of her articles are here.

What's Eating Your Child? is a 334 page paperback priced at $13.95 and is published by Workman Publishing.

If I had the funds or a magic wand, I'd put this one in the pediatrician's lobby, in the gasteroenterologist's waiting room, in early intervention libraries, in autism clinics, in ASA chapter offices, Down Syndrome groups, etc., across the country. I wish I'd had it to give my daughter's teachers and school staff when she was in school and to her ABA staff when we did that. I often felt like I was swimming against a current at school and with behaviorsts, when I was the only parent at school who was making dietary changes and when the behaviorists wouldn't look at anything that didn't have the right kind of scientific study behind it. Some of you are going to want this one to share with your parents and in-laws (sometimes they're the last ones to join families in their efforts to help children).

This one is another library must-have. Parents, teachers, professionals who work with kids need easy access to this resource.

Workman Publishing sent me a review copy of "What's Eating Your Child?". I am not paid for this review, I do not benefit should you purchase a copy based upon this blog post, and am not obligated to provide a positive review.

Kentucky Derby Word Search

abcteach has a free Kentucky Derby word search available for download HERE.

First Dance

On the clearance table at Staples

I had no idea that Mead made these titles.

They were $1.50 each.