A Troubled Child

Today, I read this note from a parent in a group on Facebook. It is such a gem I asked that parent if I could share it here on my blog. The parent graciously said yes. And if you have not yet read "Lost At School" by Ross Greene, PhD, I highly recommend it, as it is about the skills mentioned below.

Last night my child told the therapist "I am a 'troubled' child." And the therapist looked at my child and said "You are not "troubled", you are here to learn skills, there is nothing wrong with you." And my child said "Other kids already have these skills." And she said "some kids need help learning to read, or with math, and everyone learns at a different pace and gets help when and where they need it."

 So much better than the old therapist who told me my child was just being manipulative and needed harsher consequences.

Under The Sea Holy Bible Review & Giveaway

Even though it is marketed to children ages 6-10, my teenage homeschooler with ASD and I are enjoying the Under The Sea Holy Bible from Zondervan (list price $24.99). You never know about Bibles for kids. Will it be cheesy? Silly? Inviting? You never know until you get to open it and use it.

As soon as I opened the package, I find a sensory perk. The front cover and book spine illustrations are textured. I like to run my fingers over them. I suspect sensory kiddos will enjoy that feature.

The New International Reader's Version is attractive to my daughter, who can be a reluctant reader. Too much text on a page and she sometimes shuts down. The NIrV is designed to be very easy to understand. I gave my daughter the Under The Sea Holy Bible and told her we get to review it and the next thing I knew (same evening) she came to me and told me she read the first 12 chapters and she narrated aloud what she'd read. I am impressed.

A lot of stories and concepts about religion and from the Bible are difficult for children and sometimes for individuals on the autism spectrum. I continue to search for resources that are inviting and fun for my daughter with ASD. One feature of the Under the Sea Holy Bible is that it makes some difficult concepts easier to understand. See the Ten Commandments to the left as one example.

I like the page that spotlights children in the Bible in a sort of scavenger hunt style where the clue peaks curiosity and sends the child looking for the answer if she doesn't already know the answer.

The Under The Sea Bible has six of these colorful, illustrated pages that outline a topic or concept. There's even a page that outlines the ABCs of becoming a Christian. (Admit Believe Confess).

The NIrV is easy to understand and I suspect it may become my daughter's preferred version. We have enjoyed having this item to review

The hardback is available at Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and Family Christian Stores.

You can follow Zondervan on Facebook and Twitter.

"Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

I have a copy to give away to U.S. and Canadian readers. Just comment for an entry. I will choose a winner, Monday, April 11th, 2016. Please comment to enter!
 

Icing On The Cake

Last night, at a high school away game, in the baseball park where our boys were playing, we found an empty dugout and settled our teenager with autism in there to play video games. Her brother was playing with his team on a neighboring field.

I saw a young coach approach the field where our child was hiding from the noise in the dugout. I went to talk to him. This coach arrived to lead his team of 11 yr olds in practice on the field where my teen w asd was using the dugout as a retreat from the noise. I asked if he attends the high school whose fields we were using. He told me he is a freshman at the nearby university majoring in business. He said to leave our teen w/ autism in the dugout, that he'd have his kids put their gear just outside the dugout during practice. And he mentioned he has a brother on the autism spectrum, too.

I blinked back tears. Away games are a big challenge because of the unknowns and uncertainty. Will there be a quiet place for her to retreat if the noise is overwhelming? Last night, the answer was a warm and welcoming "yes". And the icing on the cake: our boys won both games, too!