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3 Myths That Cause Special Needs Children To Struggle In School

With kids returning to school soon, do you find yourself having sleepless nights worrying about how they’ll handle it?

And do you worry that they are going to fall behind their classmates further?

Lots of parents go through these emotions.

But it’s often much worse for parents of children with special needs.

And it can be a lonely time too.

Because as a parent of a child with special needs, it’s hard to find people who truly understand what you’re going through.

And that’s before we even consider how your kid is feeling…

Special needs children have to deal with the normal challenges every child faces in school, plus the additional challenges their conditions create.

Perhaps they struggle to concentrate in class, which means that they find it difficult to learn at the same pace as the other students.

Or they might have a hard time coping with the busy corridors, packed cafeterias, and hectic playgrounds.

And it can leave your child feeling isolated, getting upset, or unable to learn.

One reason that kids struggle for longer than they need to is our first myth…

Your Kid Will Grow Out Of It

This “wait and see” approach is incredibly frustrating for both parents and children because it’s so passive.

Even if your child will improve if left to their own devices, wouldn’t it be better to support them to accelerate their development, and help them become independent sooner?

For a lot of children with special needs, unless they get the right support, they will remain stuck.

Unable to progress.

And this is why the myth that your kid will grow out of it, or improve on their own is so harmful and misguided.

Getting Your Kid To Play Sports And With Other Kids Will Help

This is a damaging myth because alone, this won’t work for many children with special needs.

While it is great to have your child enjoy a sport, play with the neighbors’ kids, and get outdoors, it’s unlikely to be everything they need.

A child with special needs deserves special care, and a unique approach is where the real progress happens.

So if your child is struggling in school, forcing them to join a sports team or packing your calendar with playdates isn’t the answer.

Get Your Child to Try Harder

The final myth is another frustrating one because it’s so unfair.

Most children are trying as hard as they can, using their all energy, and failing.

And over time this really wrecks their confidence and self-esteem.

I’ve heard so many stories about parents and teachers motivating children by giving them rewards and pushing them to try harder, and not seeing any progress.

But what you want to do instead is start to focus on what your child can do.

And working on their strengths, as opposed to focusing on their weaknesses.

When we do this in our clinic, progress is often surprisingly quick because we take an approach that your child hasn’t experienced before.

And this also helps to rebuild your kids’ confidence if they’ve spent years being told that they need to try harder.

Help Your Child Catch Up In School, Be More Independent, And Rebuild Their Confidence

At our specialist clinic, we have a proven track record of helping children with special needs and a team of leading experts to help your family.

But we appreciate parents want to find out more before deciding on visiting us.

That’s why we offer Free Telephone Consultations where you can speak to our friendly team and share your story.

From this point, we can give you personalized advice, and let you know about the best options available to support your child’s development.

So if you’re child is struggling in school or having tantrums on the way to school, we can help!

And because this is a telephone consultation, you can speak to us from the comfort of your own home!

What are you waiting for?

Simply click HERE to arrange your free telephone consultation now, or call us on (908) 543 4390

More Free Expert Advice For Parents Of Kids With Special Needs

Read our blog – Why The School-Based Therapy Your Child Receives Doesn’t Seem To Be Helping

Read our blog – Struggling To Focus In The Classroom? 6 Tips To Help Kids Stay Focused

On social media? Then Like Our Facebook Page or Follow Us On Instagram for more helpful tips and advice.

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Young Child At The Airport

Social Stories For Kids With Autism – What Are They, And How They Can Help Your Autistic Child?

Vacations are incredibly important for families, and allow the opportunity to create fun, happy, loving memories with your children.

But as a parent of an autistic child, traveling and being on vacation can often be very stressful, lead to anxiety, and result in tantrums and meltdowns.

You may have heard, or read about, social stories for kids with autism in the past.

And this blog will help you understand what social stories are, how they can help autistic children handle unfamiliar situations, and specifically how you can use them to make vacations much more enjoyable for your entire family!

What Are Social Stories?

Social stories tell a tale of a particular event or activity and include specific details and information about what to expect, and why.

Social stories are great for a wide variety of things and aren’t only beneficial for children with special needs.

A few ways you can use social stories are:

  • Teaching children how to brush their teeth or wash their hands independently
  • Developing a child’s ability to understand how others behave, or respond in particular situations
  • Learning how to interact socially through sharing toys, or saying please and thank you

How Can Social Stories Help Children With Autism

As a parent of an autistic child, you’ll know that a big thing that can really help them is having a consistent routine.

However, following the same routine isn’t always possible.

Other people and external factors can get in the way.

And there will always be occasions when your family needs to do things outside of the normal daily routine you often follow – such as going on vacation.

This is where social stories can help autistic children – by helping them prepare for these unfamiliar situations, and cope with scenarios that fall outside of their normal routine.

How To Use Social Stories To Make Traveling With Your Autistic Child Much Less Stressful

If you are going on vacation soon, then creating and going through some social stories about the experience can really help your child handle the stress of travel.

It’s also worth remembering that traveling can be stressful for everyone – even us, so consider how challenging it can be for a young child, and then how it can be even more challenging for a young child with autism.

The social stories you create can focus on the areas that your child most struggled with last time – whether that’s getting through security, boarding the plane, or landing.

If you’ve never traveled with your child before – we know many parents with autistic children are terrified to travel and avoid it because they don’t feel like they can handle the pressure and stress – then pick the situations you think are most likely to challenge your child.

Once you’ve picked the specific situation, create short sentences with clear information about what happens.

It is best to include pictures too, which represent actions and provide a visual aid to learning.

The aim is to keep it as clear, easy-to-follow and focused so the stories don’t get lost or become too complex or confusing.

If you have a lot of scenarios, it’s best to break these up into multiple social stories, rather than one long, complicated social story.

Want To Take Your Autistic Child On Vacation But Too Anxious Or Worried?

If you don’t feel like you or your autistic child can cope with traveling and going on vacation, we can help.

Our expert team has worked with thousands of autistic children with a huge range of developmental challenges and has helped them become much more independent, capable, and confident.

This means much more fun on vacation for them.

And much less stress, pressure, and fear for you!

To find out more about how we can help, there are 2 free options you can choose from…

If you want to speak to an expert over the phone, from the comfort of your own home, and to save the travel, you can arrange a Free Telephone Consultation.

On this call, you can share your child’s story, and get personalized recommendations and advice from our team.

Or if you would like to get the full experience and visit our clinic, we would love to meet you and your child.

You can do this in a Free Discovery Session where you can see for yourself how specialized care can accelerate your child’s development and allow them to catch up with their peers, play on their own with friends at the park, and communicate better with you.

Simply click HERE to arrange your free discovery session now, or call us on (908) 543 4390

More Free Expert Advice For Parents Of Kids With Special Needs

Read our blog – 10 Fun Occupational Therapy Activities To Try At Home

Read our blog – Why The School-Based Therapy Your Child Receives Doesn’t Seem To Be Helping

Like Our Facebook Page or Follow Us On Instagram for more helpful tips on your favorite social media apps.

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Mom ALWAYS knows best:

Trusting Your GUT when your child is ill

What happens when your child is ill?

Have you ever thought you were going crazy when it came to your kids? Sure, we all get stressed out by the demands parenting requires of us whether they be mundane, daily happenings (“No you can’t have another cookie!”, “Stop teasing your brother!”) or extreme, unlikely circumstances (Hello pandemic-looking at you!)

But, what if there was something wrong with your child, (who also happens to have neurodevelopmental delays or another neurodivergent diagnosis)  and no experts had any answers for you? What if you took your kiddo to all the “BEST” doctors out there and they either had no answers, their diagnosis conflicted with one another, or worst of all, they just didn’t believe your child had a problem?

Mom gives daughter medicine

Misdiagnosis happens.

I am here to tell you that it happens.  And when it is your child who is struggling and suffering, it is exquisitely painful. You feel like you are living in a nightmare that you simply cannot wake from and that somehow, those around you are seeing a distorted view of reality.  A 2019 article* states that, “the mindset that young children are rarely seriously ill is one of the main reasons that they are more likely to be misdiagnosed than adults are. That’s on top of all of the ways that approximately 10 percent of American adults are misdiagnosed every year. When doctors and nurses expect to see a healthy child with a common short-lived illness, they may miss the uncommon ones.”  

The article goes on to list the main reasons for children receiving a diagnosis that’s wrong or delayed:

  1. Attitude: Since most children are healthy, and most illnesses resolve on their own, doctors may tend to reassure parents rather than accept concerns are real
  2. Biology: Young children’s bodies and systems are radically different than adults, so they present and respond in unexpected ways
  3. Unequipped: Most children’s emergency room visits are to community or adult hospitals that often don’t have needed kid-sized equipment or pediatric experts. Urgent care centers have similar issues.
  4. Communication: Young children don’t understand or know what is wrong so they’re dependent on parents or caregivers to recognize and then interpret their symptoms

Experts may give you the brush off.

However, there are cases where a parent’s concerns are dismissed, as I was when my daughter presented with a long, puzzling, seemingly unrelated laundry list of symptoms that spanned years, nearly a decade by the time a diagnosis was finally rendered.  During that time period, I was given advice from some well-meaning individuals who said things like:

  • “Just accept her as she is and stop looking for answers that aren’t there.”
  • “Doctors are the experts and you have to trust them when they tell you something, even when treatments don’t work or something seems to be missing in their answer.”
  • “You want her to be sick so that you get attention or sympathy”
lab test machine

Did any of this help my daughter get better or me find answers? That would be a resounding no.  Oh, and by the way, that last piece of “advice” above was given to me, in front of my child, by a supposedly well-respected doctor. He dismissed all the hundreds of pages of tests, scans, medical records and prior diagnosis, didn’t help my daughter, and charged for it!

So what DO YOU DO?  You don’t give up- you trust your gut! Parents know their children best and what their “normal” looks like, even if it doesn’t match the textbook image. Remember to believe in yourself and your ability to help your child. Make a bulleted list of every symptom, even if it does not seem totally related, and the date the symptom started. Research the heck out of your child’s symptoms and any test results you have, using the best and most trusted resources you can find.  Become well acquainted with clinical research papers, societies for various branches of disease types ( think brain, stomach, nervous system, etc.)  Join an online group for other parents who may be seeking answers for their child or who may have information to share.

The Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine says not to get overwhelmed by the risks of misdiagnosis. Rather, recognize there are a few key things to do, to assist in getting an accurate and (hopefully) prompt diagnosis. These tips also help if your child is in the middle of a diagnostic journey today.

  1. Sign up for the doctors’ or hospitals’ patient portal and check the records thoroughly. “Is the information correct? Are the medications and medical history correct? Read it, correct it, and tell the doctor” or the staff.
  2. Important test results can slip through the cracks and that may lead to misdiagnosis and lack of treatment. Keep track of any tests that are done on your child. That includes blood tests, urine tests, x-rays, and any other type of scan. If your child has a test, simply ask when the results are expected and note it in your calendar. If you don’t get called or emailed with results, call and ask about them. Remember, “No News is No News.” Don’t accept being told, “We will call you if there’s a problem.”
  3. Trust your gut. You’re the people who know and care about your child the most. All of the experts encourage parents to speak up if they feel their child’s symptoms aren’t getting enough attention or if there’s any confusion between what the family is saying and the medical professional is hearing.
  4. If your child isn’t showing signs of improvement, get a second opinion. Ask friends and family members in town for a recommendation of a pediatrician in a different practice, or ask your current pediatrician for a specialist to give a second opinion.
  5. Be prepared before you bring your child to the doctor or an emergency room. While your child is healthy, check if there’s a pediatric urgent care or emergency room close to where you live. If you have a planned appointment, there is a valuable tool you can start using today. The SIDM Patient Toolkit is a handy step-by-step workbook with sections to fill out before, during and after your doctor’s appointment.
  6. If you’re using the internet to look for more information, be sure to use reliable and trusted sources. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) Healthy Children section is a great place to begin. 

In closing, you, as a parent, are the most trusted authority on your child.  If you feel that something is wrong with your child and it is not getting resolved, don’t be afraid to speak up.  Your child and your family deserve answers and the best possible care.  Be brave and know that what your GUT is telling you, may be right. (If you have a question for Melanie (author/Kid PT Marketing) email her at info@kidpt.com)

*References

https://www.improvediagnosis.org/dxiq-column/why-your-child-is-more-likely-to-be-misdiagnosed-than-you-are/

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Top Tips for the Sensory Savvy Parent

Savvy parents know that every child has their own sensory preferences and things they avoid. Whether it is picky eating, not liking the seams in socks, or having a hard time sitting still because the child’s body has the wiggles, every child has their own sensory world. Every adult has their sensory preferences too, but we learn to manage our needs by taking walks when we need to wake up a bit, chewing gum to stay focussed, or shaking our foot while listening to a speech.

Every child will have their own personal sensory profile, but when is it time to get help. When sensory preferences are impacting daily life, that’s a good time to seek help from an occupational therapist or a physical therapist.

Below we’re going to introduce the difference sensory systems and give you some tips to start figuring out what sensory strategies will help your child.

Proprioceptive System

Kids who seek out rough play, jumping and/or crashing, or our kids who like to lie down on the ground a lot may need more input to this system.  It helps us to sense movement and organizes our bodies to help with coordination, body awareness and spatial awareness.

TRY activities that involve:

Vestibular System

Kids who appear to seek constant movement, are risk takers and like to be upside down may need more input to this system.  Some kids may look more sedentary or lethargic and may also need some vestibular activation! This is another movement sense, it is related to our head position in space, and gives our bodies information about balance and is closely related to our visual system. 

TRY activities that involve: 

Tactile Input

Kids who are constantly touching and fidgeting may need more input in this area.  Kids who are extra sensitive to seams or clothing, or avoid getting messy might be on the opposite side of  tactile processing.  It refers to our sense of touch, and can impact all areas of function from eating to walking to feeling the  nuances of toys and materials during self-care and play.

TRY activities that involve: 

Auditory Input

Kids who are constantly humming, yelling, and making other noises, they may need more auditory input than other children. Kids who zone out, seem to ignore you, or struggle to shift from one listening to another listening cue/instruction (or for example, respond to their name). 

TRY activities that involve: 

Visual Input

Kids who require more visual input may look closely at objects. They may seek out moving or spinning objects. They may have difficulty focusing on information presented visually.   On the other end, lights might be too bright or the child may struggle to adjust to lighting changes, or become overwhelmed incertain lighting, like fluorescents. 

TRY activities that involve: 

Olfactory and Oral Sensory Systems

Kids seeking out input to these systems may lick or smell objects like crayons or toys. Chewing also provides proprioceptive input, so kids may bite or chew on objects (think pencils or shirt collars).  May be averse to tastes or smell, picky eaters tend to be sensitive in this area. 

Links to some of our favorite sensory products:

Need some more help finding sensory savvy solutions for your child! Reach out to us at info@kidpt.com and schedule a FREE Discovery Visit with one of our therapists to learn more.

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Autistic Voices: In Their Own Words

When learning about any topic, you can only learn so much from studying the academic literature. For example, if I want to understand Italy I can only learn so much from a textbook. In order to truly better understand Italy, It is vital that I actually go to Italy and experience first hand the climate, the weather, the people, the food, and the culture in varied settings and at different times of the year. Some things can’t be taught, they need to be experienced.

Why don’t we also do this with people with special needs and specifically autistic individuals? 

We may learn the physiology, the outward signs and symptoms, and theories on how to address and “treat” autistic people, but we will never truly understand autism by only relying on an outsider’s perspective. It is vital to listen to autistic voices in order to better understand, support them, and create an inclusive environment.

As autism is a spectrum and no two autistic people are the same, it is important to experience the perspective of a variety of people; from those who are non-verbal to those who have more asperger-like symptoms, those who have more physical limitations to those with more cognitive impairments,  and from the young to the old. With that in mind, we will be discussing two books: “Fall Down 7 Times and Get up 8” by Naoki Higashida and  “Look Me in the Eye: My life with Asperger’s” by John Elder Robison. 

Naoki Higashida wrote the book “The Reason I jump” at age 13 which has been translated from Japanese to over 30 languages. Through his works he has provided the world with the inner voice of a nonverbal child and now adult with severe autism. “Fall Down 7 Times, and Get Up 8” is an incredible book in which he shares wise insight, in depth descriptions of his thought processes, and also clever, creative writing. Naoki has a refreshing and enlightened outlook on life and his autistic diagnosis. He covers topics ranging from inexpressible gratitude for his family to the thought processes he uses to register what the sound of rain means to empathizing with his grandfather’s dementia. Despite the obstacles he faces as a nonverbal autistic individual, Naoki is determined to live with purpose and self love.   

John Elder Robison is an autistic man born in the late 1950’s who was undiagnosed until much later in life. His book is a captivating memoir of his extraordinary life as he makes it to the big time in the music industry, the corporate world, and then owning his own car service and dealership company while finding his niche in the world as a neurodiverse individual. He discusses the challenges of not knowing why he was different from other people and repeatedly claims that his childhood and early adulthood would have benefitted from a knowledge of his diagnosis. 

3 Takeaways from Both Books:

Autistics prefer to be alone: Debunked

Although it is a common trend for those with autism to isolate, that is more of a response to frustration than a desire to be alone. We all have experienced the pain of not fitting in and feeling uncomfortable in our skin and how all we wanted to do in that moment was run away. Those with autism, in self-preservation can do the same. The heart-breaking reality is that neurotypical people often grow out of this phase as they have more social tools available to them, while those on the autism spectrum, if not properly socialized and made welcome in a community, can find themselves isolated. Communication is a tool most people take for granted and underestimate. At the deepest levels of who we are, we crave to be known and to know others. It really is what life is about and autistic people are no exception. Communication is what makes that possible. John Elder says that he can’t speak for other autistics, but that he never wanted to be alone. He explains that due to repeated failure with attempts to connect with people, autistics are at risk to turn inwards and withdraw from others. Naoki describes wordlessness as a “soul crushing condition” and the loneliness is agony. But this loneliness can be interrupted as he goes on to explain that “if there is a single person who understands what it’s like for us, that’s solace enough to give us hope.” Naoki describes that just being in the presence of his family brings him comfort. He describes, “and from my face and reactions you wouldn’t know that I’m enjoying myself, but just watching my family being a family brings me great pleasure.”

Autistics want acceptance 

Naoki believes that he has his positive outlook on his autism because his parents were neither in denial of his autism or limited his potential because of it. They allowed him to dream, make choices, and respected his feelings. They treated him with the expectation that he was capable of more and provided him with relevant resources. They loved, dreamed with, and accepted him. It is natural to want the best for someone with autism and try to help them or even fix them. Naoki and John Elder agree that the deeper need is not to be fixed, it is to be loved and accepted for who they are, as they are. Naoki said, ““Love and only love makes whole the heart of those made desperate by loneliness.” Naoki’s advice is simple. Do as his parents did: “please lend us that support as we strive to live in society.” 

Autism is a communication disorder

Although someone with severe autism may not be able to show typical outward signs of understanding, it does not mean that they do not listen or have an inner voice that wants to communicate. Autism “may look like a severe cognitive impairment” but “it is a sensory processing and communicative impairment.” The old adage, don’t judge a book by its cover, is an important lesson to remember when spending time with someone with autism. Naoki gives us a sober insight that, “we are listening to everyone around us, & we hear you, you know.” He describes how demoralizing it can be when people speak about him as though he is not in the room. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. 

Likewise, John Elder provides insight into why interactions and conversations with neurotypical people can be challenging and why his responses and actions can often be misinterpreted as socially inappropriate. He has a gifted way of describing his logical thought process which contributes to his difficulty reading social cues, engaging in small talk, and interpreting the intention behind the words of others. He explains that sometimes people have less compassion for him because there is no outward sign of his conversational handicap, but instead see him as arrogant or psychologically unstable. He suggests that with a deeper and broader understanding of the autism spectrum, the general public will be able to create a better and more inclusive environment for the neurodiverse.

To those of you reading this who communicate often with someone with autism, I want to encourage you. Yes, this is difficult, yes we will make mistakes, and yes, at times our frustration can get the best of us. But we need to remember that even if we don’t say or do the right thing all the time, the important thing is we love, respect, and accept autistic people for who they are. 

Referenced below are the books covered and others like it. 

References:

“Fall Down 7 Times, and Get Up 8.” Naoki Higashida, KA Yoshida, and David Mitchell

“Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Aspergers.” John Elder Robeson’s Book, 

Further Reading: 

“The Reason I Jump.” Naoki Higashida, David Mitchell, and Keiko Yoshida

“Carly’s Voice: Breaking through Autism.” Arthur and Carly Fleischmann

“How Can I talk if My Lips Don’t Move? Inside My Autistic Mind.” Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay

“Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant.” Daniel Tammer

“Pretending to be Normal: Living with Asperger’s Syndrome.” Liane Holliday Willey

“Thinking in Pictures.” Temple Grandin

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What Does Movement Have to Do with Autism?

What does movement have to do with Autism, you ask? In short, EVERYTHING! Movement is the way we interact with our environment, one of the ways we make sense of all the information around us, and the way we turn our will into action! Even something that seems so based in the brain, like writing or typing our thoughts down, involves movement to actually get those thoughts onto paper or into a computer. 

But what if the wiring in your brain telling your body to move a certain way wasn’t communicating that information effectively?

Or what if the information you were getting from your environment, like the sights or feelings around you were coming in as too bright, too sharp, or not clear enough?

What if you couldn’t necessarily tell where your body was in relation to your environment or where your legs and arms were while walking around?

It would be so much harder for you to get around without knocking into things, to react to your environment in the safest way, move the way you wanted, and keep your stress level down while doing all of these things, right?!

These are just some of the small or large mountains that a person with Autism needs to climb on a daily basis to feel like their normal selves and to engage with our crazy world. Movement can be overwhelming and difficult to coordinate or extra movements may be necessary to feel where their bodies are in space. With the many lenses we can look through from a therapy perspective, we often land on the tie between Autism and movement and want to discuss the connection and why children with Autism may be inclined to move more and to move in their own individual way.

Movement to meet sensory needs: 

  • Often, neurotypical people take the ordered processing of environmental sensory input for granted. There are many ways that valuable information from the environment can be altered as the brain and body perceive it. It can not be perceived enough or perceived too intensely by the body and the brain. Below we are going to talk about multiple sensory systems that can be affected and how that may cause changes in movement.
  • Our vestibular system senses movement and contributes to our sense of balance. When someone does not perceive vestibular input strongly enough, they may partake in a lot of extra rocking or spinning movements. This may help them get a better sense of where their body is and how gravity is affecting them, so they don’t just feel like they are floating when they move.
  • Our proprioceptive system tells us where our joints and limbs are, like how bent your knee is when you are going to climb a stair or that your arms are resting by your sides when sitting on the couch. If this system is not giving enough information, it may take extra effort OR over reliance on another system, like the visual system, for someone to know where their legs are while climbing the stairs, while balancing, and while walking, to name a few examples. Not perceiving enough proprioceptive input can make someone confused about where their body is at all times. To help decrease their confusion, they may seek and need extra deep pressure input from their environment. This can come in the form of pressing on things, like desks, walls, unsteadiness during movement, looking for tight squeezes and hugs, and enjoying weighted items like weighted blankets.

Movement that is Difficult to Coordinate:

  • Neurotypical people often take the ability to produce clear, coordinated movement for granted too. For some people, kicking a ball is not as simple as the brain saying “okay kick” and then their leg executing that action. Sometimes the signals get misconstrued and there is extra movement of body parts, body parts do things together when they aren’t supposed to, or balance suddenly becomes more difficult. Some people have to think about what their standing leg is doing separate from what their kicking leg is doing, separate from what their upper body is doing. And oh yeah don’t forget about coordinating the movements of your eyeballs so you can see too! It’s not always as easy as one, two, three, and sometimes can feel like one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and so on!
  • Movement can become especially tricky to coordinate when the sensory information from the environment is perceived in a disordered way too. For example, you dodge a ball flying your way based on the fact that you see or hear that ball. You walk forward to get your cup of water from a table and know how far to walk, where the table is, how far to reach your arm, how wide the cup is, and how heavy the cup is once you pick it up. Now, Imagine if you couldn’t get your eyes to work together to see the ball coming your way… you might not move out of the way in time! OR imagine if you couldn’t feel how heavy the cup of water was and it was heavier than it felt to you… you might drop the cup! Putting all of these things together takes a lot of extra energy and effort and all the errors in perception often lead to errors in the execution of movement, even if the mover is trying their very best to do the right thing.
  • Not moving or moving slowly requires even more precise control of your movement! Many autistic children move fast and the observer may think that child has great movement control. Learn more about how that may not be true here.

Now add extra distractions of daily life to the Mix!

  • Another piece to the puzzle is the trickiness of dual tasking! Again, a neurotypical individual often takes dual tasking for granted. Dual tasking is what happens when someone walks and talks at the same time, or eats and watches a television show with ease. It gives us our ability to put one of the things we are doing on autopilot while focusing on something that takes a little bit more brain power.
  • When someone with Autism is trying to coordinate their movements as described above, it may take a decent amount of brain power. But then, a lot of the things in their environment demand a lot of attention, like the people around them or the sights, smells, sounds, and etc. So all of the thought energy that is needed to go toward their movement gets divided between movement and other things. This can create even more difficulty coordinating movement and may lead to overall disordered movement patterns as your child or adult moves through their everyday life. 

These are just some of the big reasons why movement can be tricky and discoordinated in autistic children and how it can impact os many areas of daily life, from getting dressed in the morning to social interaction. We know this is A LOT of information to take in, but this connection is an important one to make because when movement is hard, it makes coping with everyday life hard and stressful! If you feel like coordinating movement or movement with other daily tasks is sometimes tricky for your child, call (908) 543-4390 or visit our website at www.kidpt.com to schedule a FREE Discovery Visit today!

Extra reads:

Autism in motion
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Top 7 Reasons to Supercharge Your Child’s Physical Therapy with the Spider Cage

There are so many reasons why the Spider Cage is a powerful therapeutic tool to integrate into your child’s physical therapy program. If you worry about your child not having all possible opportunities to develop new movement skills, you should try out the Spider Cage during a trial session at our office to see firsthand what your child can do!

Why is the Spider Cage so powerful? Let’s look at 7 reasons that the Spider Cage gives children access to developing new skills and abilities, by supporting them to increase strength, balance, motor control, endurance and sensory processing, all while having sooooo much fun. Remember, fun is really important when it comes to children- if they’re having fun, then they’re LEARNING! Let’s get into those 7 reasons now.

  1. Exploration of New Skills

The Spider Cage is setup where the child wears a belt and the bungees connect to the belt. There are 8 bungees that can be attached to the belt with 2 on each corner.The child can be sitting, on hands and knees, standing, walking on a treadmill or moving between positions. The bungees in the Spider Cage provide support, but they’re also dynamic, so it is a different experience for a child that has been in a stander or a gait trainer. It is also different than having a parent or therapist helping. The child can try out new skills with just enough assist, but they are initiating the movement and responding to what worked and what didn’t work to learn from the experience.

In the video below, you can see the boy practicing standing up by himself without using his hands, which he can’t do outside of the Spider Cage. Over time the bungees can be lowered or only 4 bungees can be used to build more independence, which can then generalize to outside of the Spider Cage.

2. Confidence Building

Many children with movement delays or disabilities develop a learned helplessness from frequently experiencing things being difficult or impossible. Learned helplessness is when you have learned that you can’t do something, so you stop trying. It is an understandable reaction, but one we have to mindful of when guiding children to develop new skills and abilities. The Spider Cage is a fantastic tool for children to experience that they are capable of doing, with just the right support. This can be basic gross motor skills like sitting, standing and walking, or it can be more advanced skills, like hopping and balancing on dynamic surfaces.

The boy in the video initially needed hands on help to perform this motion. He didn’t try to initiate it on his own and needed help to complete the motion. After several times in the Spider Cage, he learned how to transition from hands and knees to standing with the help of the bungees alone. He was so proud of himself and this transferred to him helping more with transitions off the floor outside of the Spider Cage.

3. Safety to Try Higher Level Balance Skills

Children will limit attempts at new skills if they know their body isn’t going to be able to do it reliably and safely. Knowing they can’t fall, the Spider Cage gives the opportunity to try all sorts of challenging balance tasks without the risk of falling and hurting yourself. This way, the kids can work on those advanced skills, flood their brains with novelty and develop more advanced movement control.

In the video below, she challenges herself to move from standing to half kneel while standing on a bolster that rolls side to side. What a challenging task! This would be a risky thing to try holding maybe a trapeze overhead and would have allowed her to rely mostly on her arms, instead of her hips. Doing this activity in the Spider Cage let her work on a high level of hip and balance control and no rely on her arms for help.

4. Sensational Sensations

As we said before, the Spider Cage is a DYNAMIC place to be! The bungees provide resistance and assist to movement, giving intense proprioceptive/deep pressure input to the children’s bodies. All of the movement is very stimulating to the vestibular system in the inner ear as well. The Spider Cage is a great place to put together the postural system with the eyes, vestibular (inner ear), and proprioceptive (information from joints and muscles) to work on improving body awareness and regulation skills.

In this video you will see a boy doing intense jumping, having a BLAST, and regulating his system to do focussed work afterwards!

5. Hands Free Movement

Children who use crutches or walkers for mobility are always using their hands to help manage the rest of their bodies. The problem is that they then become limited in using their hands for other activities, such as carrying something, and they rely on using their arms to initiate movement, rather than using the pelvis, the cornerstone and powerhouse of our bodies.

In this video you’ll se a boy playing basketball where he typically needs a person to help or his hands on an assistive device to be able to do an activity like this.

6. Speed & Power

The Spider Cage gives the support a child needs to be able to work on moving at increased speeds than they could do outside of the cage. It also lets them work on their power with jumping and leaping. The dynamic assist on the bungees give greater access to new skills while decreasing risk of falls at the same time. This allows motor control, strength and endurance to build to support the use of increased power and speed outside of the cage in the future.

In this video, the boy walks 2mph, when he usually walks at a slow pace with crutches, he’s able to explore increased speed. You can see how proud he is at his acomplishment!

7. Play

Play is how babies and children learn! Play in the Spider Cage gives access to children with a limited play repertoire to develop more advanced play skills. Children can jump, kick a ball, throw a ball, and knock down towers. There are so many games children with limited play skills can try out in the Spider Cage!

In the first video below, the boy initially needed assistance from the therapist to stop on the target. With practice he was doing it all on his own and laughing so hard each time!

In the second video, we used the Spider Cage in a completely different way to make a ninja obstacle course with the bungees! The boy is working on his midrange postural control to move over and under while trying not to touch the bungees.

In the 3rd video the boy is playing t-ball! He has the opportunity to be hands free using the support of the bungees to play the game!

Blast off!!!
The ninja avoids the obstacles at all cost!!!
Baseball time!!!
Every kid deserves to knock over their therapist once in a while!!!

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Arts for All!

Participation in the arts are a way for someone to express themselves. It creates a window into the soul and an escape all in one. Some turn to painting, drawing, music, drama, or dancing to find their sense of self or to relieve stress after a long day, and this is no different for kids and adults with Cerebral Palsy (CP). Taking part in the arts is a wonderful thing for children with CP to do, no matter their level of disability, and here’s why!


Self Expression Without Limits

The arts allow for a place to explore what you are thinking or feeling. Whether you are verbal or non-verbal, participation in an art form is a way to get your feelings out! Society often tries to put us in boxes that may make us feel limited. But when you are creating art, you get to make the rules. Bend the rules to work for you

Adaptability

With the free form nature of many arts programs there are no rules that have to be adjusted to make it work for your body. If your dancing includes, moving your head side to side to make your wheelchair turn to the right and the left, do it! If you need something to secure a paint brush to one of your hands or to your head to paint your beautiful picture, why not! It’s your masterpiece, so the environment can be set up to make creating your art that much easier.

Community OR Solitary Art

Many arts are performed in a group setting for those who love being social, like Drama. You can find your Drama, Dance, or Visual Arts community if that floats your boat. BUT the cool thing about the arts is many forms don’t have to be done in a group, they can be done alone too if you’d prefer to work that way.

Confidence Booster

For many kids and adults, taking part in the creation of something beautiful, or something they made themselves, is a huge confidence booster. When the right adaptations are in place to support each child or adult, either with motor or intellectual considerations, the child can make something by themselves (or with a little bit of teamwork if needed) and feel proud of themselves for doing so!

Types of Art

Visual Arts

  • Visual arts include painting, drawing, sculpture and photography, are likely to be the most common of all arts programs designed for people with disabilities.
  • The visual arts are easily modified. A child’s pointer finger, pencils, and brushes can all be adapted to fit their needs by instructors or parents. The most common forms of modifications are handles and grips on paint brushes, pencils and pens; easels that can be attached to a wheelchair or placed on a table. There are even attachments designed for the head in which the artist can manipulate the brush, just as is used on a pointer for the computer.
  • Photography can also be modified to meet various physical needs. Cameras can be attached to wheelchairs so they can remain stable while a person is shooting a photo. It might require some creative thinking, but if the photographer cannot use their fingers, cameras can be placed in such a way that a student can use their tongue to release the shutter.

Dance

  • When many people think of dance, they picture the ballerina trope, but that’s not all dance is, in fact, there are so many styles of dance! This includes modern, ballet, tap, and jazz. In the past years, dance has become so much more freeform than people think. With the dawn of modern dance and creative movement, movement can be whatever you want! The creation of movement is often left up to the dancer OR to the choreographer
  • Movement can be created in many ways. Students in wheelchairs can be pushed by a fellow dancer while they dance in their chair or other times can push themselves in a pattern as part of the choreography. Students can use their crutches or walkers to move, participate in floor mobility, and show off their specific mobility strengths. Choreographers can play into this as well, creating routines that maximize each dancer’s strengths.
  • As Dance is very aerobic, it also provides an outlet to work on mobility, strength, and develop flexibility. It can help those moving to stay fit and healthy. It can also help children with CP work on coordination and balance!

Drama

  • Theater programs for disabled actors provide opportunities to show off their talent. Often, modifications are made to shows that make the performance accessible to actors with disabilities. There are troupes of performers with disabilities as well as productions who participate in inclusive casting. 
  • Theater is often all about building community and putting yourself out there, and for many regardless of mobility status, gives actors the chance to put on a second skin. When you are acting as another person, you get to leave your own troubles behind and step into that person’s life and mind for a few hours. This can be a great escape for anyone, including children and adults with a disability.

Music

  • Music is another way that children and adults with CP can creatively express themselves and can be a great stress reliever. Music, like the other artistic forms discussed above, can be followed, but it can also be created! A child with CP can participate in a piece of music though percussive instruments, can learn to strum the strings of a guitar, and others too. 
  • Music therapy is a great outlet to explore as it not only allows for creative expression but also works on rhythm and timing, social skills, language, and mobility!

But where is there to go in NJ for my child with CP to participate in the arts? Check out these links to find out more!

Dance:

http://kayelynndance.com/chance-to-dance/

http://www.danceinnovations.org/dipf

http://kayelynndance.com/chance-to-dance/

http://www.danceinnovations.org/dipf

Theater:

https://papermill.org/access-for-all

Art: 

https://www.tasoc.org/

Music:

https://www.theconnectiononline.org/com

https://jamminjenn.com

References:

https://www.cerebralpalsy.org/information/activities/arts

https://www.cerebral-palsy-faq.org/art-exhibit-highlights-skills-of-children-with-cerebral-palsy.html#:~:text=Art%20therapy%20stimulates%20expression%20and,intelligibility%20due%20to%20cerebral%20palsy.

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Sleep Tips for Children with Autism

The autism spectrum refers to a set of neurodevelopmental disorders assessed by a scale of social, communication, and behavioral impairments. Children experiencing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face many challenges, including issues with their sleep which are particularly challenging.

Anywhere from 44 to 83 percent of children with ASD experience some form of significant sleep disturbance. The biggest challenges are falling asleep, staying asleep, sleep quality, and maintaining a consistent sleep routine.

Infants and preschoolers experience the highest rates of sleep disturbance, which can manifest through settling issues, nightmares, confusional arousals, insomnia, sleep apnea, bedtime resistance, sleepwalking, restless leg syndrome, and night terrors.

Why Children with Autism Suffer in Sleep Quality

There are a number of autistic characteristics that contribute to sleep disturbances in small children with ASD, according to several theories:

Theory one is that children with ASD lack discernment with social cues to tell when everyone else in the household is preparing for bed.

Theory two relates to melatonin and an amino acid called tryptophan. Levels of tryptophan, which helps produce melatonin, the ‘sleep hormone,’ can show up in lower and higher levels in children with ASD. Research also shows that melatonin is not released at the same time of day for children with ASD as with children without ASD.

Theory three is that children with ASD have a heightened sensitivity and awareness to external stimuli, meaning that more sounds and other stimuli can keep them up at night or wake them up at night.

Theory four is that anxiety can keep children with ASD up at night, since research shows that children with ASD tend to have higher levels of anxiety.

Theory five is that children with ASD can have neurotransmitter abnormalities in the brain that can cause disruptions in REM sleep.

How to Help Your Child with Autism Sleep Better

Regardless of the reason behind sleep disturbance, sleep deprivation can cause aggression, depression, hyperactivity, increased behavioral problems, irritability, learning deficits, and poor cognitive performance.

The good news is that there is research and advice on what can be done to alleviate symptoms of ASD based on these proposed root causes that contribute to sleep disturbance. See these five tips on what you can do as a parent to help your child get the sleep he or she deserves:

Instill Relaxation Techniques

Based on the anxiety theory, teaching your child how to self-soothe through anxiety-reducing techniques is paramount for quality sleep. If your child suffers from anxiety, some conventional techniques may work like reading a bedtime story or giving him or her a soothing bath. However, if typical remedies don’t work, consider relaxation techniques like deep breathing, muscle relaxation, and music therapy.

Teach your Child How to Sleep Alone

It can be tough but important to train your child how to sleep by him or herself. A child’s being able to self-soothe and fall asleep without a parent lying beside him or her is an independence milestone that gives the parent more freedom at night as well. See sleep guidelines that every parent should know.

Consider Melatonin Treatments

Remember that according to the melatonin theory, melatonin is either not released at the right time of day and/or not enough is produced due to a lack of tryptophan. The use of melatonin supplements is on the rise, but be aware of all the benefits and risks involved before trying melatonin therapy.

Create a Bedtime Routine

It’s important to make bedtime a positive experience, instead of a time of day met with dread. Create a bedtime routine for your child that he or she will look forward to. Take at least 20 minutes prior to bedtime for your child to unwind, where they know in advance it is bedtime. As with any child, regular bedtimes and wake times are key, and consistency with upholding the routine you create is everything. You can even create a picture book where you include visual cues and the sequence involved in your nighttime routine to educate your child and reinforce the bedtime routine.

Minimize External Stimuli

For children with ASD who experience a heightened awareness and sensitivity to external stimuli, it is essential that you minimize household noises and carefully monitor the thermostat to make sure your child’s bedroom remains cool. Also minimize the amount of light exposure to the room, even if that means installing blackout blinds.

Remember that each child, regardless of an ASD diagnosis, develops in his or her own time, where any differences will show up in time. Based on information available through kidpt.com, know when not to worry and when to seek extra help.

Bio: Ashley Little is a writer for the MA Sleep Institute, an organization dedicated to helping others get their best sleep each night.

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Movement Magic of Tree Fu Tom

A new interactive tv show on Sprout called Tree Fu Tom has made its way over the pond from the UK. It is aimed at children ages 3-7 and my 4 year old has been asking to watch it again and again.

The show is about a boy named Tom who shrinks and turns into a cartoon to enter the world of his garden. Tom and his friends encounter challenges and have to problem solve solutions. This is where the magic comes in. Read more

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