August 2012~snagglebox

Social Scripting Using Minecraft

I discovered a really cool way to use Minecraft for teaching social scripts.

You can read the original post on my other blog...

Welcome To The Jungle

Today my kids watched a current affairs program in which they heard the word cure attached to autism for the first time.

This is their reaction.

It's no secret that I hate the term high functioning autism, I've mentioned it before.

But here's why.

Do your autistic kids have a new teacher this semester? Are you a teacher who has an autistic student for the first time? Then this guide can help!

This downloadable ebook is designed to help teachers get a feel for what to expect and how to make their new student comfortable in the classroom. It includes sections on making schedules and visual supports, getting to know your new student and understanding common autistic behaviours.

You can download a sample of the kit below, or get the full version using the Buy Now button which will take you via the PayPal* checkout to the download link.

PDF ebook - 77 pages - 12MB

$5.00

Do you have kids in your class who like to wriggle, move around, bite their nails or doodle when you need them to concentrate?
Then they might benefit from the use of a fidget toy.

This free booklet explains what fidget toys are all about, with lots of ideas for stuff you can find around the home or classroom.

Field day, sports day, athletics carnival... no matter what it's called where you live, these annual school sporting events can be hard for kids with autism or sensory processing disorders.

Often held in the spring or autumn, these day-long events require kids to compete in different sports or activities (athletics, egg and spoon or sack races) set up at stations around a playing field.

While a lot of kids enjoy the break from being in the classroom, others find it noisy, chaotic and confusing. So let's take a look at why, and some things you can do to make the day more fun for them...
so everyone can join in!

There Are No Autistic Behaviours

Let me tell you about my day.

This morning I had a cup of tea like I do every day, and cut the burnt bits off my toast while swearing at the stupid toaster. At the park I ran a mile out of my way to avoid a scary-looking dog.

I jogged until my muscles burned, but man did it feel good.

It’s easy to find advice about how to manage the occasional bad day. Take it easy, eat a good breakfast, hang in there. Scream.

But what if most of your days are like that? What if the bad days are your life? What happens when a good day comes along?

Dear teachers,

Sometimes the challenges of having autistic kids can make it hard for us to do all of the things that you might expect from parents... making sure homework gets done, listening to reading, bringing in supplies, volunteering our help or making it to meetings on time.

We know this must be frustrating for you. It might even seem that we're not trying or don't care. But please know that we might have some really good reasons...

I've been looking for an app which makes simple schedules that the kids can manage themselves.
After trying out a few, I finally settled on Errands.

It's an easy way to use the iPod or iPad to add some structure to their day and prompt them to do their
self-care things each morning. For free!

I've written a review on my homeschooling blog, so if you're looking for one too then pop on over and check it out. If you do try it out, leave me a comment on the review because I'd love to hear if it works for you!

Congratulations, It's a Blog!

The good thing about insomnia is you get stuff done.

Yep, I've finally set up my homeschooling blog!
Cue the trumpets and alert the dancing girls.

So if homeschooling's your thing or you want to make it your thing or even if you've just flirted with it across a crowded room, come on over and check it out at...

42 Squeeze

What does it mean? Well you'll have to go look :)

And unlike this blog, I have comments over there! So please drop by and say hi. Autism is something that I've been doing so long I can talk about it in my sleep (if I ever actually slept),
but homeschooling is new and scary for me. Wanna do new and scary stuff together?