cute sensory balloon balls

Samantha came home from school with cute balloon balls filled with flour from her teacher...she decided it would be a great thing for boy to use to help calm himself down...I love how intuitive they are!!

We are going to make some if these...take a balloon, fit it with a funnel, fill it with flour or sugar and tie it.  Experiment with different dry ingredients for different sensory effects.

Voila!

interactive metronome

Today in sensory therapy the therapist tested boy using a metronome based on the "Interactive Metronome" technique. Phew...he scored so low.

Interactive Metronome is a tool used to assess and improve the neurological process of motor planning, sequencing and processing; basically the user has to coordinate a set of hand/foot maneuvers set to a specific beat heard through headphones.

Ms. Sue said it was very difficult for him to listen to the cues through the headphones and apply the correct hand/foot exercises to the beat.

Typically, for his age, he should have scored around an 80---the lower the better. He scored between 300 and 400 for the different exercises, which classifies him between severely and extremely deficient...it's always so upsetting and difficult to hear this. His score was severely deficient even for the 6 year old range.

Ugh.

Of course learning the struggles is the first step to improving the behavior, but I just wish for once something would be easy for him.

So we are starting a new program at therapy to work on the Interactive Metronome, which is said to help improve: (from the website: www.interactivemetronome.com)

• Focus and attend for longer periods of time
• Increase physical endurance and stamina
• Filter out internal and external distractions
• Improve ability to monitor mental and physical actions as they are occurring
• Progressively improve coordinated performance.

It's always something....

...shows how little we know

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42385056/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/

Interesting article and alarming! What are the long term affects of using these drugs on children? When will we better understand the complexities of autism?

Happy World Autism Awareness Day

With 1 in 110 children diagnosed somewhere on the spectrum, chances are you know someone with Autism. If you know us then you know boy who has Asperger's...this also means you know what a kind, fun, and amazing boy he is!

Show your support by wearing blue today...do it to support awareness, understanding and kindness, support more research, support legislative changes around Autism...support the children who are uniquely amazing!

gotta love those Aspies!

Here is an amazing story of an amazing 12 year old!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110329/ts_yblog_thelookout/for-12-year-old-astrophysics-prodigy-the-skys-the-limit

April - Autism Awareness Month

"A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love." ~ St. Basil

Did you know that April is Autism Awareness month? April 2nd is World Autism Awareness day -- wear blue on this day to help bring awareness! Based on the stats below, I am sure you know someone on the spectrum.


Don't forget....

The most amazing video

One of the most astounding facts from the video...

1980 1 in 5000 children
1990 1 in 1000 children
2000 1 in 500 children
2007 1 in 150 children
2010 1 in 110 children

wow - how inspiring!!

What an inspiring story!!

American Idol finalist battles Aspergers and Tourette Syndrome.

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/american-idol-finalist-james-durbin-defies-tourette-syndrome-aspergers