Autism Parent to Parent

I was so worried that I wouldn't find a good place for our asperger's child to spend his time in the summer. He is terrified of overnight camps, and some day camps are overstimulating and too crowded. I let him have some input on choosing ways to spend his time. For June, he will be attending a Parks and Recreation camp with 50 other children from 7:30 to 5:30. In July, he will be attending a theatre camp as well as attending guitar lessons.

All of those things will be great for him. BUT, there are still challenges.. I had to camp out at 4:30 am outside the Wichita Falls Parks and Rec center downtown to get him a spot in day camp. In the past, he has had trouble getting along with peers - and being bullied by his nero-typical peers during camp. Sometimes, kids on the spectrum need a little extra guidance and redirection. Sometimes, the staff knows nothing about asperger's or autism, and they think your child's growling, tantrum, or talk is "disrespectful" or "them being bad", when alot of times it is a manifistation of their disability.

I can only go through this for so many summers.. and it stresses me to no end that I have to work while my child is dealing with a bully or a camp counselor that may not understand. Don't get me wrong, our kids have had AWESOME camp counselors in the past, and things have gone great more often than not, but I still wish there was a better solution for kiddos with asperger's or high functioning autism.

My future goal is to work toward developing a "summer day camp" for children with asperger's and high functioning autism. If I had funds and if "Autism" was my full-time job, I would have tried to implement something this summer. I think it would be awesome for younger kids to get input and some modeling from older students on the spectrum that have been in their shoes and know what it feels like to have a meltdown. I would like to see a summer program that includes coping skills, social skills training, and life skills training that the kids will need when they go out to live on their own... (how a checkbook works, personal hygeine, going shopping at a store and paying for things themselves, loading a dishwasher, etc.) I would love for all of that to be incorporated into a day with activities they are "in to" like video games and computers, and group activities like swimming, hiking, playing games (which is personally really hard for my son - and another great time to teach coping skills!!!) and other fun activities!

That is in my "Autism Dream World" stage though. As most of you know I work full-time and raise 2 kids on the spectrum, and somehow manage to pay some attention to my husband, and volunteer as much as possible..... so, my dream is on "hold" until some major things get shaken up - or someone wants to fund the program! Call me if you have a big spender that wants to donate! :) Have a blessed summer!

Summer is just around the corner. Some of our kids will receive ESY, and some of our kids won't. What do you do if you have to work all summer and your child doesn't receive ESY, and is afraid to stay at an overnight camp? Most day camps have a really inappropriate child/staff ratio - and if they don't then they cost an arm and a leg! I have been thinking that IF I had a job where I was off all summer. I would do whatever it took to create a day camp for kids with autism spectrum disorders. A place where kids can get social skills and life skills training, a place where they can relate to their peers, and a place where they feel safe because the workers are trained in working w/ kids with ASDs.

I know that panic set in for Tara and I both when we got ESY schedules and had to try to figure out what to do with the rest of our kids' time. If you all have any ideas on summer programs for kids with ASDs, PLEASE COMMENT TO THIS POST!!! Have a wonderful week!!! - Tiff

A big THANKS to all of you who came to the FAST meeting tonight! I appreciate all of you being willing to listen and learn about food aversions, and I hoped the information was helpful! It is so great to see you all and I can't wait to see you all again at Miracle League games and FAST meetings - and especially at the AUTISM Conference!!!! For those of you who couldn't be there tonight, Michelle Hicks (one of the co-chairs of the conference) said that there are already about 100 people signed up! That is AWESOME! And if you haven't signed up already, you better get to it!!! The deadline is April 17th!!! There is no reason that we all can't be there supporting this cause. I truly feel like year by year this conference will grow. I am so thankful that we have a community that will band together for autism! Hugs and Blessings to you all! - Tiffany

How many of you have Spring ARDs for your kids coming up? I know I do, and I am sure many of you are very organized and plan out every detail! I try to be like that as much as possible, but it just seems like this year, I am EXHAUSTED!!! It also seems like the stricter ESY rules are making it pretty hard for all of us that know our kids need ESY, but are almost too tired to fight for it.. Just know that we are all in the same boat, and we all have to sit through ARDs, and most of the time we all have hear d "no". Remember that YOU are your child's advocate and NUMBER ONE FAN!!!! My kids' well-being drives me, and even though ARDs are rough, and tiring, and can wear you down, it is what we must go through to make sure our kids are getting what they need.  I want to give you all some encouragement to stand strong, smile sweetly, and think about the angelic face of your child while you are talking to the ARD about your child! Hang in there parents!!!!  Good luck with your up-coming ARDs!!! Here are a few ARD tips:

1. Be prepared. Make yourself an "agenda" of things you want to discuss with the ARD committee (if possible, get the members of the committee a copy of this before the ARD so they will be ready to answer your questions and address your issues.) Also, if there is specific data or work samples you need to share, take that in too.

2. Breathe, and be calm. I have cried in WAY to many ARDs... especially when Mason was 3, 4, 5, 6... and I skipped a couple, then cried in 3rd and even this year in 4th.. so I guess I am preaching to the choir about being calm. LOL

3. Go in with a positive attitude. Going in mad, demanding or bossy is probably not going to get you too far, it stresses you out and nothing gets accomplished through anger. You will get much more accomplished for your child if you can remain calm. (No one is perfect though... I have lost my cool before.. and it didn't help my child ONE BIT..) If someone ticks you off, squeeze your hands together under the table or start taking deep breaths to calm down. Try to be calm before speaking. Ask for a break if you need one.

4. Always ask questions if you don't understand something. Always stop someone if you are "lost", because you will be signing off on everything when the ARD is finished, and you want to be able to truly understand what you are signing.

5. If you need to have a staffing meeting about your student to follow-up, be sure you ask during the ARD, alot of times, while everyone is there together, they can go ahead and set it then.

6. SMILE!!! :) You are advocating and helping the committee get the best possible services and goals for your child. You are on the same team, even if you feel defeated sometimes Hold your head up and speak up for your child.

Hi! I wanted to start this website for parents to network with other parents, and to gain information from each other on topics such as toilet training, GFCF Diet, supplements, travel tips, activities, education, and much more!

Give us a quick introduction to yourself, and leave some feedback on the website and what you would like to see! If you need help or have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!  - Tiff