People like to say that our autistic brains don’t come with an owner’s manual. I’m going to share what I have learned about my weird and wonderful brain, and we’ll have a good working outline for our autistic brains when we’re done. *These lessons will also help people with SPD, ADD/ADHD, many sorts of learning disabilities, and other neurodivergences that center in the prefrontal cortex.* Attention is the golden ticket to language, self-regulation, and functioning. Joint attention can be hard to develop at first until we learn the skills to engage it and the bravery to follow it to broaden our worlds. But there’s great news for our unusual brains. We don’t have a lack of attention. We have an [over]abundance of it! What…
writing, autism, & theology as a mother of joy
Posts tagged “adhd”
Autistic Brain Owner’s Manual 1: Make Yourself At Home
Feature article
Summer Kinard
Posted on May 15, 2018
When we think of physical impairments and disabilities, we assume that the home environment needs to be altered to remove handicaps for daily living. The same is true for neurodivergences like autism. You will be able to self-regulate best when your home environment supports the sensory input you need for balance. That’s why the first section of your brain’s owner’s manual is to Make Yourself at Home. I’ve written before about sensory diets, and I will post a fuller guide to an Autism Accessible Home soon. But for the purposes of getting a handle on your brain’s needs, here are the most important areas to address to give yourself (and/or your family members) the best opportunities for self-regulation: Movement. Whether you choose to have…
Over the past couple of years, I have had the joy of seeing the visual schedule I made for the Orthodox Liturgy in use. Since I made the original version with the goal of avoiding the standard visual schedule need for cutting out squares, laminating, and using velcro, it lacked the flexibility to work perfectly across local customs. Taking into account my experience and conversations, I have made a new, flexible version of the visual schedule for the Orthodox Liturgy. To use this schedule, print out the blank, numbered pages where you will attach the squares you need. You will find that the schedule works best when printed on cardstock or on paper that is laminated. If you choose to laminate, you will need…
Categories: autism, christian, concrete thinking, encouragement, faith, family, free giveaway, Orthodox Faith, special needs child, spiritual formation, Uncategorized
Tagged: AAC, accessible, adhd, american orthodoxy, ancient Christianity, antiochian orthodox, asd, attention in liturgy, autism, concrete thinking, focus, free printable, Greek Orthodox, intervention, learning disability, Make your church accessible, oca, occupational therapy, orthodox church, rocor, self regulation, trouble with transitions, visual schedule
Starting any homeschool is a matter of looking up your state’s requirements and setting up your school. But once you have a homeschool registered, how do you teach your autistic child at home? School has different goals for kids with autism than for neurotypical kids. A regular school will seek to inform children with academic skills, with some coping skills added as supplement. An autism school will be first and foremost therapeutic, with academics supplementing an autism-specific curriculum. Neurotypical kids will focus on acquiring a set of academic knowledge. Autistic kids will focus on healing their brains and connecting to the world around them. They will also pick up the academic knowledge they need, but taking care of that special brain and body comes…
For the next 40 days, I’m posting on my Facebook page a brief word of encouragement for people living with autism (in themselves or their families). Because our God is with us, concrete thinking is not a barrier to faith. Because our God is with us, we can ask God for help. But how do we teach these truths? Like all lasting things, as simply and as concretely as possible. That’s why I’m offering these free printables for you to download and use this Advent (and hereafter) to encourage prayers. Using the simplified prayer board is easy. Print out the cards. Cut them out. Use them to pray. The raised hand is “help.” The ear is “listen” or “hear.” The two hands together are…
Categories: autism, christian, concrete thinking, encouragement, faith, free giveaway, holidays, special needs child, spiritual formation, Uncategorized
Tagged: adhd, Advent, apraxia, asd, autism, Catholic, cerebral palsy, Christian, church, Down Syndrome, free printable, how to pray, Orthodox, prayer, simple, special needs
The fidget spinners are all the rage…everywhere but in my house. I prefer quieter fidgets that engage more of the senses and make the person do more of the work for the input. Here are some QUIET sensory toys that you can pack in a church or school bag: Mermaid Sequins. These sequins show different colors depending on which direction you brush them. You can probably find notebook covers or pillow covers in your local Walmart or other discount stores, but for maximum portability, try this {Mermaid Sequin Bracelet}. Silicone Slap Bracelets. These are great for a variety of sensory input. My kids have very different sensory styles, and they use these to snap onto wrists, rub over fingers, and even touch to their mouths.…
We start our homeschool year in September here at St. Nektarios Academy (our school name), but a lot of people have asked me what we use and how we use it. This is a brief overview of some of the most helpful tools we use in our homeschool, with affilate links to Amazon where they are available. Curricula Our curriculum is not typical. We teach in a project/interest-based pattern, with a few core focuses. Much of what we teach is by means of the white boards in our kitchen rather than from books, but here are some of the books or series we use: Social Thinking books. In our house, covering academic areas is not very difficult. We spend a lot of time focusing…
Categories: autism, curriculum, faith, family, homeschool, instruction manual for my family, life lessons, Uncategorized
