hide-n-(sensory)-seeking

Kit does not do well with abstract ideas. She never has. This lack of abstract thinking is not limited only to Autistic minds. The concept of time is a good example. Toddlers and preschoolers in general have a very limited understanding of time, and that is part of what makes waiting so hard. Waiting is scary when you can't tell the difference between five minutes and forty, so everything feels like forty! But what about an even scarier abstract concept? One where people go away and never come back no matter how long you wait? You might not think death to be an abstract concept. To most adults the concept seems quite factual and concrete, at least the understanding that the person is no longer there with us and that they are not going to be back. But to young children, it might just be the most abstract concept they have ever encountered. To many young kids, death can seem scary. To some, their only exposure to the concept is in terms of technology. Our cell phone "died...

I found these two articles a few months back, and they were really really helpful in validating some of what I already knew about my kiddos, as well as reinforcing the path we were on with them. And they turned some new lights on for me as well. Just like it's important to know our child's best learning style, we should also get to know how they best understand rules. This may seem straightforward, and in many ways it is. Rules are rules right?  But when working (and especially, living) with individuals on the Autism Spectrum, rules and rule following can get a little bit more complicated. For example we have some hard and fast rules in areas where many families probably get by with fairly simple reminders. Such as? Here are a few of areas I never envisioned having to "lay down the law" in: You WILL shower at minimum on Tuesdays and Saturdays, no later than 4:30 pm. (Zak still pushes this rule nearly every week! Just this past Tuesday, he ended up owin...

Welcome back for a few more tidbits about Play Therapy! I love good ideas, and some of the best sources for good ideas come from other family's trial and errors. I can't even count how many inspirations I've gotten from reading blogs by other moms, from experiences of friends, and many other nifty suggestions from different ones. Often we tweak these and tailor them specifically to our own family's needs. Sometimes they work awesome, sometimes only so so, others not so well, or we put it on our maybe later list. Below is an idea I got from another mom, whose daughter is autistic, from  her post  about using our kids stims to help them learn new skills. Kitty Bitty loves things that spin so I loved this idea as soon as I saw it. I liked the simplicity of this set, and figured it might be a good way to encourage her to let the big kids help, and eventually she might enjoy it more independently. She has fun telling me which gears to add, though she...

A year ago I sat in my living room with a team from Early Intervention trying to explain my concerns for my then 18-month old. One of the things I expressed several times was that I was especially concerned about her regular disinterest in play. They seemed to not quite understand what I meant. Especially since she seemed plenty interested, even borderline obsessive about a couple of the toys they had brought to use in their analysis. It was challenging for me to explain. It still is. As an infant, she had intense interest in only about three particular toys, for months. After that, she had no interest in playing with toys at all. The only things she would hold, examine, and of course chew on were not technically toys. They were usually household items, and her favorites were the metal lids from jars (the start of her love for circles?), her baby hair brush, and toilet paper rolls. This is not surprising to me now that I better understand her sensory seeking tendencies. The metal...

It's not an epidemic. It's not a disease. It's not a death sentence. Nor even necessary a life sentence. It is hard. It is different. It can even be scary at times. But if you look deeper, there is amazing beauty. I choose to focus on the beauty!

Me: Ewww! What is that white thing on the plant? Zak: It's a tissue. Victor: (sarcastically teasing) Yeah, Mommy, of course it's a tissue! What I said: Well then, get another tissue and throw it (the one on the plant) away. What they heard: Well then, get another tissue and throw it (the new tissue) away. (As in instead of the one on the plant) Zak: Uh...okay?? You want me to get another tissue and throw it away? Victor: (knowing what I meant, but only after first thinking exactly what Zak was still thinking, and still in a sassy mood) Well, of course! Because it makes perfect sense to get another tissue and throw it away, because nobody wants to throw away the mystery tissue on the plant! Me: Right, sorry,  I forgot I live in literal land. Please use another tissue to pick up the tissue already on the plant, so that you don't have to touch it with your fingers, and then throw them both away. Right? Right. Good.  Thank you...This is why I'm insane. I'm sur...

I'm trying very hard to find the silver lining in my baby not napping. She still desperately needs one. Her mind and body are completely dysregulated. She's litterally fighting a battle inside her body. When she can't nap, the entire afternoon and evening feels hijacked. Nothing happens the way its supposed to. None of our goals for the day get met. She doesn't get happier and calmer, but rather continuously more tightly wound, more oversensitive, and looses not only all emotional control but her words and ability to verbalize her needs as well. Yesterday, the entire afternoon and evening I spent either trying to get her to sleep, or engaging her in soothing activities trying to prepare her body and settle her brain to be receptive to sleep later. She had a terrible time falling asleep last night. And she woke up at least five times in the first three hours of the night after she  fell asleep. The big kids need my help and attention, but they can't get it when...

When I  look at my baby girl, I see a crazy, adorable, busy, growing, affectionate, smart, funny little girl. Other people can see that, too. She is a whirlwind toddler that does very toddler-y things, like throwing things, whining, fighting with her siblings,  playing with toys, and sharing her snacks with the dog.  But what you can't see is how much work has gone into teaching her body and brain to do many things that other toddlers "just know" how to do. Like how to "play" with toys. Or tolerate clothes. Or sleep with a blanket. What doesn't "show" is how overwhelmed she gets by being in new places or around a lot of people all talking and laughing. She seems fine. But all of those people don't come home with us.  They don't have to physically wrestle her into her car seat as she screams because she wants to run in circles longer. They don't see the bite marks on her hand from her chewing on it. And they don't hear ...