The Cost of Clumsiness

Clumsy adj. Done awkwardly or without skill.

It was shaping up to be one of those mornings. I crawled out of bed after only a few hours sleep and drowsily made the boys some hot cocoa. In my sedated state I made the first big mistake of the morning - I put the mug on the computer desk.

The Great DIY Weighted Blanket Experiment

Attie doing a puppet show for me while I wrote this post.

I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to consider a weighted blanket for my kids.

Maybe because they’ve always been good at settling in at night... until we moved house last year and Attie had a room of his own for the first time. He doesn’t like this one little bit, and it’s been a nightly struggle to get him to conquer his fear of being alone. Finding the right kind of night light, leaving a fan on for white noise, letting the dog sleep in his room. Letting the dog sleep on his bed. Letting the dog sleep on the floor when they argued over who got the pillow.

Repost: How To Include Autistic Kids in Field Sports Day

It's that time of year again! The post-winter/summer school field sports day. I have to say, apart from photo day this was probably the most dreaded event on the whole school calendar for me.

Here's a post I wrote last year that will come in handy if you've got kids or students who might struggle with events like these.

How To Include Autistic Kids in Field Sports Day

Anybody Can Have A Meltdown

If you’ve ever experienced the overwhelming stress and confusion of a meltdown you’ll understand why they’re often considered to be one of the most challenging of all autistic behaviours.

But did you know that meltdowns are not unique to autism?

The Super Useful Guide To Managing Meltdowns

Are you a parent, teacher or caregiver who is struggling to cope with meltdowns?

You're not alone. Meltdowns are common amongst kids with autism or sensory processing disorders, and can be a frightening, confusing, frustrating and exhausting experience for everybody involved.

The key to managing meltdowns is not only understanding why they happen and how to intervene, it's being able to remember what to do when you're smack dab in the middle of all that stress and chaos.

And that's exactly what The Super Useful Guide To Managing Meltdowns is all about - a proactive approach to taking control ahead of time so you can help everyone make it through, including yourself.

How To Help a Selective Eater

If you have autistic kids you probably know the location of every McDonalds within a twenty mile radius of your house.

Maybe you’re an expert at making a meal out of only white foods or your pantry is stocked high with a particular type of cracker. You’re tired of throwing away uneaten meals, and if you see one more article about how many serves of vegetables your kids need in a day you’re going to scream.

More Sensory Cocoons!

Where's Attie?

Since this post where I describe how to make a quick sensory cocoon out of a fitted sheet was so popular, here are a few more ideas for making an easy sensory time-out zone.

Autism Preparation Kit For Teachers

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

Fidget Toy Ideas For The Classroom

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.

How To Include Autistic Kids in Field Sports Day

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!

Hugs For Hypersensitive Kids

Everyone knows hugs are awesome, right? They make you feel safe and loved, and as a parent it's natural to want to wrap your kids up in those big loving arms of yours.

But for some kids hugs can be scary and painful...

18 Tips To Make Transitions Easier

In part one we looked at some of the reasons why transitions are difficult for autistic kids, now let's figure out how to help.

Why Are Transitions So Hard?

For autistic kids, heading back to school after the winter or summer break means one thing... transitions.
Big ones.

Transitions are a big source of stress for these kids, so let's take a look at some of the reasons why and what you can do to help make them easier.

Choosing a Sensory-Friendly Hotel

When holidaying with kids who have sensory issues, a little pre-trip planning will go a long way towards helping you to cater for their needs while you're on the road.

Choosing a hotel is one of the biggest decisions you'll need to make, so here's some things to think about.

Theme Parks... Must Do or Sensory Nightmare?

Many kids (and adults) would jump at the chance to visit a theme park and while certainly not cheap, there’s no disputing the fact that they can be hard to top when it comes to sheer entertainment and fun.

But all that excitement comes at a cost when you’ve got kids with sensory issues, so before you take your autistic kids on that roller coaster let's weigh up the pros and cons.

6 Tips For Surviving Meltdowns

Helping your child through a meltdown can be one of the hardest parts of parenting autistic kids.

Amidst all the noise and chaos you have to somehow figure out what's causing it, and that can be tricky (if not downright impossible) if they're having trouble communicating.

At those times finding a reason takes a back seat to keeping everyone safe and just getting through it in one piece.  So here are some tips for how to do that.

Make A Sensory Cocoon in 30 Seconds

The world can be a pretty overwhelming place for kids with hypersensitive sensory systems. Lights, sound, colours, smells, the touch of clothes against their skin, the flickering of the TV screen... it all gets in and can be hard to shut off.

When things get to be too much they need an escape from all the stimulation. That's not always easy to manage though, especially when bedrooms are shared with siblings or you're visiting at someone else's house.

So here's a quick solution using something everyone has lying around at home!

How To Make Clothes Shopping Less Sucky For Autistic Kids

Last time we looked at some reasons why shopping for clothes might be unpleasant for your kids - it's hard, scary, painful and pointless. So here's how to make it better.

Clothes Shopping Can Be Uncomfortable For Some Autistic Kids

The weather's changing and that means one thing - time for new clothes. Moving between the seasons can be a difficult transition for some autistic kids, and shopping for new stuff makes it all the more sucky. Here's why: