Take two: Don't treat her like she's autistic...

I continue to be surprised by professionals who have low expectations for my child. I wrote about one experience here.

Last week, I took my child to an appointment with a Ph.D. who works with children with special needs. The Ph.D. evaluated my child using interactive testing. I was invited to watch.

My daughter has a tendency to speak really fast. I suspect that she fears she'll forget what she is going to say if she doesn't rush it out of her thoughts quickly. Her anxiety plays a role in it, too. Sometimes I am unable to understand her.

The Ph.D. asked her a question and in her answer she spoke so quickly that the Ph.D could not understand her. I knew what she said. Her back was to me, but she was turned toward the Ph.D.  And The Ph.D. looked at ME with questions in his expression, waiting for ME to interpret what she'd said in such a hurry.

All the researcher needed to say was, "Wow, you said that so fast, I didn't understand all of it." to let her know there was a breakdown, to put her into an active thinking position and to allow her to be an active participant and take her own action to slow down.
 
Looking to ME for interpretation when she spoke to fast is making her even more passive than just flat out demanding/prompting her to slow down, which is still putting her into a passive position:  "I don't have to monitor communication for breakdown and repair because my mom does that for me."

Um, no. 

My daughter is capable of repairing a breakdown if you let her know there is one.

Free: GF Baking for the Bread Machine

Gluten-Free Baking Classics for the Bread Machine is free for Kindle at the moment. Go HERE to see if it is still free.

If you don't own a Kindle, you may download Kindle for PC, free.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/kindle/pc/download

The Autism and ADHD Diet is just $2.51 for Kindle as I type. Go HERE to see if it is still a bargain price.

Teaching the Concept of Balance

My latest Homeschool Mosaics column is up:

Teaching the Concept of Balance

 

On the ice

Homeschool learn-to-skate has begun. My girl has requested time on the ice again. We went almost two years off the ice, too long. I love to watch her skate. I love to watch all of my children do the things they love. My skater's desire to return to the ice prompted me to write about the importance of movement and gross motor work and my post will be featured in my Unexpected Detour column at Homeschool Mosaics in February.

I searched the internet for autism and ice skating and found a blog post that gives me insight into perhaps why my girl is drawn to it:  http://theautisticme.blogspot.com/2012/09/skating-in-peace.html

How My Autistic Son Got Lost in the Public School System

the Atlantic features an article by Amy Macklin about a child on the spectrum in public school.

Here is an excerpt:


The autism spectrum is wide and varied, and every autistic person is unique. People like Henry need someone looking out for them, particularly in overwhelming environments like school. The problem is that public schools are mostly worried about academics and test scores. They have to be—their success in those areas dictates the percentage of state and federal funding they get. Few schools have designated psychologists (most often, multiple schools share the same one). Teachers aren't psychologists, and asking them to be is not fair. 

Homeschooling IS the LRE for many children on the autism spectrum. It is for mine.

In many areas of the United States, the homeschool community is active and vibrant and provides social, academic, and extra-curricular classes in small-group settings that are a good fit.

The full article is HERE.

Back on the Ice

After close to two years off the ice, I finally got the girl back on it again today in preparation for a homeschool learn-to-skate class. She remembered everything her coach taught her before we moved. ;)

Read The Bible in a Year, Chronologially

My resolution is more of a theme or concept: balance. We are out of balance in many areas of our days at the moment.

Here's my start. I found a daily calendar that looks like planner pages and has a puzzle on every page.

Our church is reading through the Bible together (plan below) and I happen to own a Bible that is arranged according to the plan the church is using.

Here's the plan.

Merry Christmas!

It's a BOY! Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas Musings and Random Thoughts:

I enjoyed my morning coffee from a Christmas cup that belonged to my mother-in-law. I remember how she loved Christmas, how she loved family, how she enjoyed serving December meals in her Christmas dishes. We lost her too soon. My kids didn't get to meet her. She had the most marvelous tradition of decorating the whole house, top to bottom, inside and out, at Christmastime.

Christmas always meant lots of sweets. My mother made a chocolate fudge that I could probably adapt with coconut milk, but that is the only recipe I can think of that is easily adapted to our food challenges here. I've never tried to make it. It involves the stove top, lots of stirring, and a candy thermometer. My grandmother on my dad's side made the best divinity fudge. My mother-in-law made chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge, and peanut brittle. When the kids were little and before the food allergies and intolerances, I made the sweets of my mother-in law to carry on her traditions, but now I can't bring myself to make those recipes when one of my kids can't enjoy them with us.

The girls and I made delicious gluten free, dairy free Christmas sugar cookies from a cake mix using Ann Byrn's The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten Free.

We have not yet seen any family. Some family members have the flu and we will wait to celebrate Christmas with them until they are feeling better. Makes Christmas last longer.

Meanwhile, I'm browsing my newest cookbook. The editors for the "Southern Living 2012 Annual Recipes" apparently love pimento cheese and bourbon. Who knew pimento cheese has so many uses in recipes? Does everyone keep bourbon in the pantry? (I don't.) If you put several tablespoons of bourbon in a salad dressing, can you serve it to minors?

This edition seems to use a lot more cheese, sour cream, sweetened condensed milk, cream of something soup in recipes than in past editions, pretty much impossible for me to substitute.  :(  

On page 118, chef Andrea Reusing says, her kids "...always like anything with eggs and cheese".  She's lucky. A lot of kids are allergic to them (I have one).

I'd like to see a cooking challenge series on TV that features allergen free food items. Can you imagine an Iron Chef or Chopped that has chefs creating allergen free meals again and again? I would love it!

There's a tailgate section in the September chapter that focuses on recipes from Southern colleges. Maybe they have no idea that marching band boosters feed the band by tailgating, and we have some of the best recipes under the sun.

The January recipe for Slow-cooked Barbecued Chicken makes me want to run out and get a whole chicken, cut-up, so I can try the recipe - but stores are closed today. (I have a day to think this one over. It calls for - yep, you guessed it - two tablespoons of bourbon - would we miss that if I left it out?)

and I really want to make some pimento cheese, but I don't have all the ingredients. That'll have to wait a day, too. All these recipes have me thinking about my grandmother's pimento cheese stuffed into celery.

 What are you doing on this Christmas day?

Navigating the Holidays with ASD

I have a new column up over at Homeschool Mosaics with lots of ideas on how to navigate the holidays with a child with autism or other special need. 

Go HERE to read it.

Essential Oils and Aromatherapy

I have been slowly educating myself about essential oils. I've discovered that lavender is quite calming to my child w/ an ASD. Last week, I used a blend that I mixed to calm coughs and open nasal passages at night, diffused with reeds in two kids' rooms.

I want to know more about them. 

You too?

J&M Botanicals is offering a FREE eight-week e-course in aromatherapy. Go HERE for more information.