more playdoh recipes

OAT PLAY DOH: (textured!)




Note: This play doh is for tactile stimulation. Young children love it. It has a rough texture and is great for exercising hand muscles. You should use this dough the same day you make it, as it will get moldy within a day or two.

2 cups water

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup flour

cinnamon (optional)

Heat water until boiling. Combine boiling water and oatmeal in mixing bowl. Add enough flour to make it dough. Add cinnamon for smell if desired.

EASY SALT DOUGH:

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup salt

3/4 cup water

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, add more water if needed. Knead into soft ball of dough. Have fun playing with it.

FUN CLAY:

1 cup cornstarch

2 cups salt

1 1/3 cups cold water

paint

Put salt and 2/3 cup water in a pot and bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch and remaining 2/3 cup water in separate bowl and stir well. Add salt mixture to cornstarch mixture in bowl. Knead dough. Model or mold dough and let it dry for several hours. Paint when dry if desired. Keep unused clay in airtight container or Ziploc in refrigerator.

BASIC ART DOUGH:

4 cups flour

1 cup iodized salt

1 3/4 cups warm water

Mix all ingredients in bowl. Knead dough for 10 minutes. Model as with any clay. Bake sculptures at 300 degrees until hard. Let air dry for a few days.

MODELING CLAY:

1 box baking soda (16 oz.)

1 cup cornstarch

1 1/4 cups cold water

food coloring, if desired

microwave

In a large mixing bowl, combine baking soda and cornstarch. In a two cup measuring cup, combine water and food coloring. Pour colored water over baking soda mixture. Stir until smooth. Microwave on high for 4 to 8 minutes, stirring after every minute until mixture is firm. Cover with a damp towel until cool. Knead until smooth. Store in airtight containers or Ziploc bags.

SHAMPOO DOUGH:

3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup white glue

1/4 cup thick shampoo

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Knead dough. Add more flour as needed for right consistency. Model or roll and cut as desired. Let air dry. Paint as desired.

Warning: Could be toxic if ingested

PLAY CLAY:

1 cup baking soda

1/2 cup cornstarch

2/3 cup warm water

food coloring or poster paints

shellac or clear nail polish

Mix baking soda and cornstarch in saucepan. Add water and stir until smooth. Cook over medium heat, boil and stir until "mashed potato consistency". Pour onto board to cool. Knead when cool. For color, knead food coloring into clay (after cooled) until blended, or paint after finished molding. When your shapes are dry, you can brush with shellac or clear nail polish.

Notes:

hardens quickly

will store in airtight container for several weeks

PLAY CLAY (WITHOUT FLOUR):

1 cup baking soda

1/2 cup cornstarch

2/3 cup warm water

food coloring or poster paints

shellac or clear nail polish

Mix baking soda and cornstarch in pot. Add water and stir until smooth. Cook over medium heat, boil and stir until "mashed potato consistency". Pour onto board to cool. Knead when cool. For color, knead food coloring into clay (after cooled) until blended, or paint after finished molding. When your shapes are dry, you can brush with shellac or clear nail polish.

Notes:

hardens quickly

will store in airtight container for several weeks

CORNSTARCH DOUGH:

1/2 cup salt

1/2 cup hot water

1/2 cup cold water

1/2 cup cornstarch

Mix salt and hot water and boil in pot. Stir cold water and cornstarch in a separate bowl. Add cornstarch mixture to boiling water and stir. Cook over low heat, stirring until "pie dough consistency". Remove from heat and place dough on board. When cool, knead dough until smooth. Have fun playing!

Notes:


texture is grainy

hardens in 1-2 days

dough will be white



to speed dry, put in 200 degree oven for 1 hour


will keep for a long time if stored in a container

SNOW PLAY DOH:

1 cup Ivory Snow laundry detergent

2 cups warm water

food coloring

electric hand mixer or egg beater

Add food coloring to warm water, then add to laundry detergent. Mix well with beater until fluffy. Use just like regular play doh.

Warning: Could be toxic if ingested

SCENTED PLAY DOH: (smells awesome and the kids LOVE IT!)

1 package of sugar free gelatin; .3 oz size (use any flavor you want, as the dough will have that scent when done; I believe you can replace the gelatin with a Kool-Aid packet instead for even more scented varieties!)

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

4 tablespoons cream of tartar

2 cups boiling water

2 tablespoons cooking oil

Mix dry ingredients together in pot, add the boiling water and cooking oil. Stir over medium heat until it forms a ball. Let it cool. Keep in air tight container in refrigerator when not playing with it.

CHOCOLATE SCENTED PLAYDOH:

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup salt

1/2 tablespoon cream of tartar

1/2 tablespoon cooking oil

1 cup boiling water.

Mix flour, cocoa powder, salt, and cream of tartar together. Add cooking oil and boiling water to mixture. Stir quickly and mix well. Cook over low heat until dough forms a ball. When cool, mix with your hands. Store in airtight container.

Note: It smells good enough to eat, but tastes awful! Is NOT EDIBLE.

MICROWAVE PLAY DOH: (scented, if use Kool Aid)

6 tablespoons cream of tartar

3 cups plain flour

4 tablespoons cooking oil

1/2 cup salt

3 cups water

food coloring/powder paint/or Kool Aid packet

Combine all ingredients in microwave proof dish and beat until smooth. Cover with cling wrap and microwave on high for 7 minutes, stirring half way through cooking. If the mixture is still gooey, microwave for another minute.

(Since all microwaves are different, be sure to watch the dough while cooking). Cool and store in airtight container in the refrigerator.

Fun Playdoh Recipes And More: From Playdoh To "Gak", Fingerpaints To "Glop"

Here is a great collection of play doh recipes :















Not only is making and playing with these recipes fun, but they also provide the following benefits...















development of fine motor skills










stimulates sense of touch and smell












development of finger/hand strength










development of eye-hand coordination skills










an overall wonderful and necessary sensory experience














PLAY DOH RECIPES:














UNCOOKED PLAY DOH:















3/4 cups flour










3/4 cup salt










3/4 to 1 cup water with preferred color food coloring










1 tablespoon vegetable oil













Mix all ingredients. Knead until smooth consistency. Keep it covered and in refrigerator when not using it.













COOKED PLAY DOH:














1 cup flour










1/2 cup salt










2 teaspoons cream of tartar










1 cup water with preferred color food coloring










1 tablespoon oil














Mix all ingredients. Cook over medium hear until forms into a ball and becomes "translucent", not "milky". Knead dough. Store in plastic covered bowl in refrigerator when not using it.














SNOWMAN PLAY DOH:













1 1/3 cups salt










1 1/3 cups flour










1 tablespoon oil










water














Mix the salt, flour and oil together. Add a small amount of water at a time until you have a big ball of dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until very smooth and elastic. If too dry, add water; if too moist, add flour to the surface. On a floured surface sculpt the dough into a snowman... to join 2 pieces of dough together, moisten both edges of dough with water and press together.














Hardening the dough:












let them air dry for at least 48 hours

















OR, bake them in the oven at 325- 350 degrees on foil lined sheet, allow a 1/2 hour for each 1/2 each thickness or until surfaces turn golden brown. If the dough puffs up, turn your oven down and poke a hole in them to let the air out.














After drying, they can be painted with water colors, acrylics, enamels, or spray paints.














SAND PLAY DOH: (textured play doh!)















1 cup sand










1/2 cup cornstarch










3/4 cup water















Mix ingredients in saucepan and cook until thick. Allow to cool, knead and allow to harden enough for use. SAND MODELING DOUGH: (textured play doh!)















1 cup sand










1/2 cup cornstarch









1 teaspoon Alum










3/4 cup hot water










food coloring if desired















Mix sand, cornstarch and Alum in bowl. Add hot water and stir vigorously. Add food coloring if desired. Cook over medium heat until thick. Let dough cool. Mold into desired shapes and let dry in the sun for several days. Store any leftover dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

10 Most Effective Teaching Strategies for Students with Autism

Here are 10 of the most effective strategies for teaching students with autism spectrum disorders; they can be implemented in a variety of educational settings:

1) Visual SchedulesStudents with autism perform best when their daily routine is predictable, with clear expectations.

Establishing and following a visual schedule eliminates the unexpected and assists students in anticipating and preparing for transitions…………………….

2) Environmental ConsiderationsVisual and auditory stimulation in the classroom must be taken into consideration.

Many students with autism are sensitive to auditory input and have a more difficult time processing auditory stimulation. Their work stations should be placed away from excessive auditory stimulation and away from unnecessary movement.

Click here to download the classroom diagram.

3) Visual StructureThe environment needs to be structured visually to help the student clearly see and understand what is expected of him. Work stations must be clearly defined………………….



4) Alternatives to Verbal CommunicationMany students with autism have impairments in communication, particularly expressive communication. For those who are non-verbal, an augmentative communication system must be in place. The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) has been very effective……………

5) Direct Instruction of Social SkillsThe majority of students with autism need direct instruction in social skills. Most do not learn interaction skills by simply being placed in social environments. They need to learn social interaction skills in the same way they learn other academic skills……………………………

6) Literacy Instruction

Because many students with autism rely on some form of augmentative communication, even if it is only a backup, literacy instruction is very important. If a student is literate, s/he will be able to communicate at a much higher level than if the child is forced to depend on communications devices that are programmed with limited vocabulary……………………….

7) Sensory OpportunitiesMost students with autism have some sensory needs. Many find deep pressure very relaxing. Others need frequent opportunities for movement. All students should have a sensory profile completed by an occupational therapist or other professional trained in sensory integration…………………………

8) Consistency

All students do best when the daily program remains consistent with clear expectations. All staff working with students with autism need to be well-trained and must implement the daily program as consistently as possible.

9) Take advantage of student strengths and interestsMany students with autism have particular strengths and interests and these should be taken advantage of in the classroom……………………………….

10) Functional Curriculum

Students with autism have a great deal of potential to live and work independently as adults. The curriculum should place a strong emphasis on following a functional curriculum. Skills that emphasize daily living skills, community skills, recreation and leisure and employment need to be incorporated into the curriculum…………………………………….

Surfing and Autism: Floating on Glory

When Hal Rager took his 5-year-old autistic son, Ian, to see the animated film "Surf's Up," Ian's eyes lit up. "He cries, 'I want to go surfing,'" said Rager, "and we said, 'Really?'"

Directors Cut: Surfing and Autism

But six weeks later, when Rager brought Ian to the ocean, the movie, which shows elated penguins embracing the lucid Antarctic waves, was a far cry from the crowded California beaches.

"[He] was fine with everything, but then I think it was the sheer number of people, because crowds get him nervous," said Rager.

It may be surprising to learn that young Ian is not the first autistic child to take an interest in surfing. Many parents of autistic children have discovered surfing can be a valuable reprieve from a sometimes stressful life.

As they watch their children's rigid behavior and unyielding routines, the prospect of allowing them to experience surfing for the first time means a great deal. But as in most cases of autism, if there's one thing that's almost certain, it's that doing anything for the first time can prove traumatic.

'There's a Magic out There That Happens'

To be fair, serious surfing in serious waves -- who wouldn't hesitate the first time?
And so it happens. The children wail and flail as their parents place them into the arms of the volunteers who plan to take them out. No matter how gentle they are, it is nearly impossible to explain to autistic children that it will be all right. So at several points, the kids are physically forced onto the boards.

Episodes like this show the raw truth of living with an autistic child, and Paskowitz has no difficulty admitting it. The tantrums, the uncomfortable outbursts -- this was never part of his plans.

Nightline Webcast: Surfing and Autism

And as the volunteers begin to paddle the first unwilling child into the swelling sea, it's almost impossible not to ask whether this is really a good thing to do to these kids.

"Somehow, someway, there's a magic out there that happens," said Israel "Izzy" Paskowitz, the founder and president of Surfer's Healing, a surfing camp for autistic children. Paskowitz is also the parent of an autistic son, Isaiah. At 16, Isaiah can hardly speak, but at 250 pounds, he is enormously strong.

His size came into play one morning as "Nightline" witnessed an altercation between Isaiah and his father. Isaiah slugged his father twice, forcing Paskowitz to restrain his son on the tent floor.

'I Thought Isaiah Would Get Better'

Paskowitz was a former competitive surfer himself, and when his son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3, he found it hard to accept.

"He was my hopes, my dreams, my pro surfer who was supposed to be all that stuff when you were young," said Paskowitz. "And I just thought he would get better. I thought Isaiah would get better. And I did not like the fact that he never got better."

For a long time, Paskowitz simply walked away from it. When Isaiah was 13, Paskowitz admitted, he just didn't want to deal with it.

And then, by accident, Paskowitz discovered something he and his son had in common: the way the waves worked on them. They were at the beach one day when Isaiah was having one of his tantrums.

"[He] would resist going in the water," he said. "One fit on the beach led to me throwing him in the water, and led to 'Give me that … damn board' -- I put him on a board and we just paddled out, where we could be alone and have a cry."

And the tears didn't come only from Isaiah.

"I want to be the strong dad. I don't want to be crying in front of the kids or in front of my wife. So really, I just bawled my head off in the water with Isaiah and rode a few waves and I felt better, and he felt better. And that's it."

That's it: Those two words led to what occurred on the beach after Isaiah was forced out of the water by his father. He calmed down and off on the horizon, he and his father surfed in tandem. Something soothed Isaiah that day. Not a cure -- simply a good time, a respite.

Paskowitz has since began running events for kids with autism all over the United States and overseas. And in most cases, it ends with the kids exhilarated, triumphant and floating on glory.

Surfing's Soothing Powers

Ian Rager, who showed initial interest in surfing after seeing a movie, later became less willing to try it out. He is an only child, and he and his parents had traveled for five hours from their home in Las Vegas and checked into a Best Western, just so they could be in San Diego for the event.

"[I] want him to know that he could do things," said Rager. "Because a lot of times with being the way he is, being a … high functioning autistic, other kids aren't always kind to you, and especially if he's not able to do something at school because he's gotten emotionally overwrought or something."

The sight of other children smiling as they mounted their surfboards also had no effect on Ian. That's because for a child with autism, facial expressions are like a foreign language. For many, registering the emotions of others remains a mystery.

The other mystery -- why is surfing so soothing to these kids? A possible answer was discovered about 120 miles up the California coast, right off Santa Monica. "Nightline" met up with Steven Kotler, a surfing fanatic and a writer who has thought a lot about surfing's ability to heal.

Kotler said that when he was sick with Lyme disease a few years ago, he was hallucinating and confined to his house. Then a physical therapist friend called him one day and urged him to go surfing.

"And I just started laughing. At the time I couldn't even walk across a room," said Kotler of his persistent friend's call. "[She] dragged me out to the ocean, and ultimately what I was thinking was, 'You know what? I'm going to kill myself. I can't get any worse. I won't be able to surf, but I'll be able to see the ocean one more time,' and it drove me to the ocean."

Good for the Brain and the Body?

As Kotler recounts in his book, "West of Jesus," his friend was right. Somehow he got better, and he believes it was the surfing; he believes the risk-taking involved in surfing does something good to the brain and the body.

"Dopamine is the brain's principle happy drug," said Kotler. "It is also pre-performance enhancing drug. So muscles move faster, as does the heart. Norpromine, another chemical produced while surfing offers a similar result."

"[It is] good to be a little scared, and even if it's not a real fear, really, really small waves, you know, they can actually produce reactions," said Kotler. "And just the act of paddling, if you do it long enough, like any other cardiovascular activity, will endorse endorphins. These are serious pleasure chemicals."

Maybe that's what was working on the beach in San Diego. It wasn't just the kids who were smiling. So were their parents.

"They get tears," said Isaiah's mother, Danielle. "They never thought their kid could do something like that, and they're thanking me profusely, and I'm like, 'God, don't thank me. Thank you.'"

It was also good for these parents just to be around so many people who understood. This extreme-seeming thing they were doing, letting strangers wrestle their kids into the sea, has a logic to it -- an autism kind of logic.

And parents like Paskowitz believe this logic is not understood by everyone.

"From the outside? [People think] they're retarded, that they're weird," he said. "That they're crazy. That the parents are sh---y parents and they let their kid run around on the cliff and dart away or steal someone's soda. All these things with autism, the way they look are all normal."

'After a Couple of Waves, He Got Calm'

And so, for little Ian Rager, who resisted getting into the water, his parents, like so many others, had no problem forcing him in. Why? "They lock down and they either retreat to a safe zone or push on through."

Ian was overruled and out he went, so far out that his parents lost sight of him. But what none of us on shore could see was captured by the cameras. He was with a volunteer named Josh.
"After a couple of waves, he got calm, he got really calm and just kind of kept paddling," said Josh. "So it was really cool, it was really neat."

Not that anyone could see that from shore, because they stayed out there a long time.
And what were Ian's thoughts as the waves pushed him back to shore? "Please take me to Best Western!"

So once was enough for Ian Rager. But he did it. And for a brief time, he rode the waves and floated on glory.

'Autism: The Musical'

This documentary takes a look at the intersection of theater and therapy for children afflicted with autismby joanne mosuela



Traditional therapists couldn't reach Elaine Hall's autistic son, Neal. The appearance of Neal's autism, a brain development disorder that causes impairments in the areas of social interaction and communication, was a devastating irony for Hall, a performer and professional acting coach by trade. But her greatest role was as a mother, and she was not going to let Neal retreat into his own world. So Hall brought in theater people to act as therapists.



"If Neal needed to do crazy things, they would be crazy with him," Hall said. "They would join his world until he emerged into ours."


Part two of Elaine Hall's revelation about the positive effects of acting and movement is told in Autism: The Musical, a documentary about the six months preceding the opening night of a musical that a group of autistic children from Los Angeles star and sing in, as well as help create.
Hall's "Miracle Project" is as much for the children's benefit as it is for the families and communities that surround them. It is at once therapy, recreation and activism. Autism is much more diverse and complex than the stereotypical image of a child rocking in the corner of a room suggests. Director Tricia Regan sheds light on the diversity of behavior and ability found within the disorder by letting five of the Project's participants speak out about their own condition. Regan follows them from scene rehearsals to family dinners and even to the most debated space for autistic children -- the classroom.



Descriptions of the science or history of the "Miracle Project" and even of its final product -- we only see snippets of the musical's scenes and musical numbers -- are secondary to the voices of the autistic children and their parents.



The five children include Hall's son Neal along with Adam, a fitful, cello-playing 9-year-old; Henry and Wyatt, two talkative boys with high-functioning yet still debilitating autism; and the constantly smiling 14-year-old Lexi, whose mother doesn't know if she should give her daughter a talk about boys, or rather, if Lexi will ever need one. It is Lexi, singing a Joni Mitchell song near the beginning of the film that sets up the film's foci: the tense present and unpredictable future of these children plus the fear and stress of their parents. In her angelic voice, Lexi prophetically sings, "I get the urge for going but I never seem to go."



Not one parent, least of all Hall, is of the opinion that the harmonies of music will somehow translate into peace instead of the chaos that comes with raising an autistic child. Half of the profiled parents, including Hall, have had marital troubles (divorce, separation, an affair).



Despite the uplifting -- therefore misleading -- title, Autism: The Musical, the documentary is altogether bleak. Regan's fair view into autism offers hope that these children can enter our world but is far from saying each of them can eventually hold their own in it. The few successes the film celebrates seem to ride on the film's limited time frame. Hall's son Neal can type-talk now but will he ever be able to use his own voice? Hope exists because there are days ahead.



Autism: The Musical is a chance to stare straight into the eyes of autistic children, if only for a moment.

Build the Autistic, Don't Tear Him Down

While most of the feedback I have gotten from this site has been quite positive, there have been a few letters (okay... two of them) from people that don't seem to get what I am saying. One letter is just a singular thing... two letters, even two letters among many times more letters saying the opposite, constitutes a pattern. I have to wonder how many others did not get it and did not write about it. Thus, I decided that I would address the issues directly right here. Now, certainly, I know that I cannot reach everyone, and that a good percentage of people that do "get it" will not agree with my opinions. That's fine, of course; I do not pretend to be the final word on anything. What you see on this site are my opinions, and while they seem to be pretty representative of those held by autistics, they are not intended to be interpreted to be anyone's opinions but my own.







The two letters of which I speak had a number of similarities. Both were from people who cared for an immediate family member (a brother and a son, respectively) that was profoundly autistic, and both questioned the relevance of my statements here on this site on the basis that I was obviously much higher functioning than the person they know. I suppose they think that because I am autistic and relatively capable, and their family members are autistic and relatively incapable, that I have nothing to offer them in terms of insight, that my views that we have a right to exist without being forced to be normal are just not relevant. While it is true that I am not as impaired as someone that is profoundly autistic, it is also true that, in each case, I am closer to being profoundly autistic than the person claiming that I am not autistic enough to write authoritatively on the matter. I would add that it is not about how autistic I am; I am not trying to get people to take what I say on my authority as an autistic person, and to believe it mindlessly because of my neurological configuration. I'm not... not by a long shot.







This site is offered to give people a glimpse into the perspective of one autistic person. I make no promises that other autistics will think as I do. That is so obvious to me that it seems silly to write it... one cannot expect all autistics to automatically agree on anything, any more than one would expect all neurotypicals to agree on something, just because they are all normal. This site is offered to provoke thought, to make people ponder whether curing their son's, their daughter's, their sibling's autism is really something that they should be trying to do. I do not expect people to swallow whole what I write, to accept it without skepticism because I have the right credentials (being autistic, of course). It has been a complaint of mine that NTs, the "big picture" folks that they are, tend to want their facts pre-chewed and served to them ready to accept, with no investigation or critical thought necessary. They tend to want you to tell them just the "gist" of what you are saying, and they will accept or reject that "gist" based on their perception of your credibility on that topic.







That is not my thought process at all. I am a detail-oriented being; when I am attempting to communicate a concept of some sort, I tend to include all of the detail, and to all but ignore the "gist." My mother used to always accuse me of "using a thousand words when a few will do." Maybe a few would do for her, or for most NTs, but they do not for me. I need to know how someone arrived at a conclusion; I am more interested in the facts that support that conclusion than the conclusion itself. I will take those facts and analyze for myself whether they fit the conclusion or not. I have no concept of being able to separate the "gist" from the supporting facts; although people tell me it can be done, it seems rather silly to do so, and I have never really been able to do it. As such, when I make an argument for something, I tend to do so with logical supports and a virtual barrage of facts. This is how I think. The articles on this site are certainly no exception to that. When I write an article for this site, I expect my reader to consider the facts that I have presented, to ponder whether the premises fit the conclusion, and to apply that to their own existing knowledge base on the topics on which I write, and to see how it fits. This, for me, is how every word I read, every word I hear, is interpreted.








Apparently, though, this is not how some people read this site. Maybe they skip over my supporting statements and work to extract the "gist," and then consider whether or not I have the credentials to make that statement. Maybe the title of the article itself is sufficent to give them the "gist." For a person that is big-picture oriented rather than detail oriented, and who is more swayed by such social hierarchy concepts as credentials or fitness to write about a given subject, I can see how that would happen. People that use the gist extraction method are easily fooled by salesmen, scam artists, politicians, and others that are able to make themselves appear more credible than they are (usually with body language). This method relies on someone else's ability to come to a conclusion about a given topic, and to accept or reject the conclusion that person reached without knowing what their premises were. I can't imagine that people would do that, but I see evidence of this kind of thought on a daily basis. I find it amusing that I am considered "impaired" because I do not think that way.








Critical analysis does not come naturally to NTs, apparently... I can recall much emphasis being put on teaching critical thinking skills when I was in college. NTs are often able to get by in life almost by instinct... their NT ways are so well accepted by the populace in general that critical thought hardly ever becomes an issue. For people that have no such social instincts, and for whom the very act of interaction is, on some level, unnatural, every little tidbit of information encountered must be subjected to analysis.








By now, at 31 years of age, I have become quite good with critical analysis and logic; it is only because of my abilities with logic that I have been able to generate cognitive approximations of normal brain functions, like theory-of-mind. I had to learn theory-of-mind; I did not have it when I was five years old or so, but I do now. Normal kids possess inborn theory-of-mind; mine is a logic-based simulation, springing from an observation I had years ago that others' thoughts and motives were different than mine. Many of my more normal-like abilities (like the ability to understand abstract concepts) are cognitive simulations of normal function, and at the core, are composed entirely of a set of concrete and logical rules. I have no idea how obvious this is to others, but I am patently aware of the cognitive nature of those things, as it does require significant thought to maintain these abilities.








It is my hope that people will take what I have written here and consider it on the basis of the premises that I offer. I aim to make people think about what they are doing with regards to their autistic children.








Most disturbingly, both of the writers seemed to think that my statements that autism should not be "cured," that the goal should not be to "fix" the child, were the same as saying that we should just let autistic kids be, and not try to help them in any way. I just do not see how anyone who has read more than the table of contents of my page can really think that is representative of my views. Probably the most oft-repeated statement on this site is that I would like every autistic person to be the best, most capable autistic person he can be. Nowhere in that statement can I see where one might "read in," as NTs are prone to do, that I am not in favor of trying to help autistics become self-sufficient, to overcome the disabling components of their condition, to be adults that do nor require guardians or institutions to get them through the rigors of daily life. I have written in a number of articles about the ways that I suggest that autistic children can be educated and prepared for their future as an autistic adult.








What I argue against is an attitude. I argue against the idea that autism is an enemy, a child-stealing demonic disease that must be battled back, in order to free the normal child inside. I argue against the notion that teaching methods that are designed to work with autistic kids instead of normal kids are something heroic, something that deserves to be called "intervention," whereas teaching methods for normal kids are simply called "teaching." I argue that it is wrong to assume that any progress on the part of the autistic kid is a sign that the war on autism is working, that the child is becoming more normal. I argue that it is wrong to assume that the autistic person is static, that no progress is possible, that no self-care or communication skills can be learned, without "battling back" the autism. These are the things for which I argue.









Inherent in this misunderstanding is the false dichotomy that many NT parents of autistic kids share. To them, the only two choices are "autism, the way he is now" and "complete recovery." If I argue against trying for "complete recovery," the assumption is that I must, therefore, support the other choice in that false dichotomy, which is "autism, the way he is now." Any argument against trying to normalize the kid is seen as an argument that the kid should be left as he is now, for the rest of his life. This is what some people think, despite my many statements about the things that can and should be done to give autistic kids the foundation for life skills that will help them to become as independent as possible. It is ironic, but this scenario seems a lot like a theory-of-mind error on the part of the NT. They think that there are only two choices with regards to how to parent their autistic kid, and so they fail to realize that others, like me, see other choices than the two that they offer, even when plenty of evidence that there are other choices is presented.









I do not take a static view of autism. By that, I mean that I do not have an assumption that an autistic person, especially a child, will remain exactly the same as he is now, unless some of the autism is removed. Parents that have nonverbal autistic kids that show no interest in others, that have behavioral problems, et cetera, assume that this "autism" thing cements the kid forever at that developmental level, and that the only way to make any progress is to chip away some of the autism. For them, speech skills, behavioral skills, et cetera, are normal things, and to teach those normal things to an autistic means that some of the autism has to be deleted to make room for the normal stuff. That's nonsense. I'm sorry to burst your bubble if you think this, but you do not get to lay claim to communication skills, behavioral skills, self-care skills, as normal behaviors. The acquisition of those things, in time, is normal for a developing NT child, and they are normal for a developing autistic child, too. Surprise. The goal, with an autistic child, is to find out where the barriers are to such development, and to work to remove those barriers. That's not battling the autism... that is simply being a parent. That is what parents do... they help their children to learn, to develop skills for the future. Why would it be any different with an autistic kid? The fact that there are many more barriers in the case of the autistic child only means that you, the parent, will have to work much harder than if the child were normal. That much is obvious.








The goal for an autistic child, once again, should be for him to be the best, most successful autistic adult he can be. I've written that a lot of times on this site, and I have assumed that its meaning was self-evident. In case it is not, let me explain what I mean, and have always meant by that. I want autistic kids to be able to develop all the self-care skills they need to be independent adults. I want autistic kids to grow to be able to communicate their needs independently (in other words, with no facilitated communication), whether by speech, by use of assistive technology, or with sign language. I want autistic kids to grow into adults that are effective in their ability to self-advocate for their needs. I want autistic kids to grow into employable adults that can make a contribution to society, and who will enjoy doing so. I want autistic kids to grow into people that can consider whether they want to have children themselves, to be able to have social relationships IF they want them... to live as happy, successful, capable autistic adults. I think that is a nice vision.









What I do not want is for the parents, the therapists, the doctors, to push the autistic kid to be normal. That is a losing game for us. We're never going to be as good at being normal as you NTs are. Autism is a neurodevelopmental thing; you are not going to remove the autism by training the behaviors away. All you are going to do is make the autistic ashamed of who and what he is, to think that his innate, real self is horrible, and that it must be hidden from view to gain the love and acceptance of the family and of society. I read a story in a recent issue of Autism-Asperger's Digest, wherein a mother assumed that her autistic child was too impaired to even have a concept of self. Thus, she thought that he could not have a self-esteem problem. Imagine her surprise and horror when her child told her that he was not happy, and that he wanted to die. This, from a child. The mother looked at her parenting technique, and she realized that while she had been saying "no" a lot, she had not been doing anything to let him know when he was doing well. Trying to train away the autism is, in effect, saying NO to behaviors that are inherent to autistics, that are a part of who and what we are. If you do not think that the kid is going to realize that his true self is being hidden by a mask of rote-learned normal behaviors, think again. Even low-functioning kids understand this.








I met, and got to know, an autistic male in his lower 20s. He still lived with his parents, who were overly protective of him. He was probably halfway between the upper limit for mental retardation and normal intelligence. His parents had done all they can to teach him to be normal. One day, after they had once again reprimanded him for some autistic behavior, he proclaimed, "I just want to be me!"








Unfortunately, the parents did not understand what he meant. I do, though, and I hope that the readers of this site will. The parents had been so busy teaching the kid to be normal that they inadvertently had engaged in a campaign to strip the youngster of his essence. He is autistic, and will always be so. In their efforts to help him live in this world, they assumed that only learning to be normal would really suffice. While they thought they were helping him, teaching him how to be as he should have been born, circumventing this nasty autism disease thing, the reality is that they were teaching him that he was unacceptable to them as he is, that he was unacceptable to the world as he is, and the only way to be acceptable is to be someone else. Even the lower-functioning people understand that the normal behaviors that we are supposed to learn are an act. We know that our innate selves are different, and that these rote-learned normality routines are not part of who we are. We "get it" when you tell us that our real selves are unacceptable, and that we must put on a mask and pretend to be one of you to be acceptable. This is not just a problem of the higher-functioning autistics like me... I have seen it in lots of autistics that are much lower functioning than I am. NTs underestimate autistics when they think that they are too impaired or low-functioning to form a concept of self.








The goal, as I have stated repeatedly in this article, should be to raise the best, most capable autistic person possible. The child should be helped to overcome the difficulties, the sensory issues, the anxiety that plagues all autistics, the barriers to communication. He should be helped to develop a set of skills that will help him live independently in this alien world. And he should have all of this done for him while his autistic self is preserved and celebrated. Teaching someone to talk, to care for himself, to live in the world, does not require an all-out campaign to make him normal. Educate the autistic kid, but don't try to destroy him and replace him with an NT. Teaching skills and coping mechanisms is a constructive process; trying to normalize and fight the autism is a destructive process. The autism is a part of the autistic, and fighting the autism is fighting a part of the person. You do not need to fight the autism itself to fight the disabling things that often come along with autism. Fight the disability, the dependence, the inability to communicate, but don't fight who and what the person is. Provide skills, but do not try to snuff out the essence of who someone is. Build up, don't tear down. Don't think that being normal is superior to being autistic... thinking that way leads to the illusion that forcing normality is building up rather than tearing down. It is not.







I hope that this clears things up.

Social Stories

What are Social Stories?

Social Stories are a tool for teaching social skills to children with autism and related disabilities. Social stories provide an individual with accurate information about those situations that he may find difficult or confusing. The situation is described in detail and focus is given to a few key points: the important social cues, the events and reactions the individual might expect to occur in the situation, the actions and reactions that might be expected of him, and why. The goal of the story is to increase the individual’s understanding of, make him more comfortable in, and possibly suggest some appropriate responses for the situation in question.

A sample Social Story

Before we go too far into the specifics of Social Stories, let's take a look a simple sample story.

Lining Up

At school, we sometimes line up.

We line up to go to the gym, to go to the library, and to go out to recess.

Sometimes my friends and I get excited when we line up, because we’re going someplace fun, like out to recess.

It is okay to get excited, but it is important to try to walk to the line. Running can cause accidents, and my friends or I could get hurt.

I will try to walk to the line.

As may be evident, Social Stories are relatively short, straightforward descriptions of social situations, specifically detailing what an individual might expect from the situation and what may be expected of him.

The need for social skills intervention

Qualitative impairment in social interaction is a defining quality for a diagnosis of autism (DSM-IV, 1994) and is thought by some to be the defining characteristic of autism: social dysfunction may be what makes autism something more than just a language delay, etc.

Theory of Mind

Recently, the notion that those with autism may lack a theory of mind has circulated among those who study social impairments in individuals with autism. This deficit is essentially a lack of understanding that others have their own thoughts, feelings, plans, and points of view result in in difficulty understanding the expectations of others and an inability to predict what others will say or do in social situations. This theory of mind phenomenon appears to be unique to those with autism and largely independent of intelligence. Regardless of where an individual may fall within the spectrum of autism-like disorders they seem to exhibit this deficit, though it seems to be slightly less prevalent in those with Asperger's syndrome.

The benefits of Social Stories

How, then, do Social Stories help to address these special social needs and the often unique learning styles of those with autism? Social Stories attempt to address the "theory of mind" impairment by giving individuals some perspective on the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors of others. They help the individual better predict the actions and assumptions of others. Social stories also present information on social situations in a structured and consistent manner, a particularly appropriate approach for kids with autism, especially when dealing with skills and behaviors which are so fluid as those involved in social interactions. Along that line, Social Stories also give individuals direct contact with social information, contact through pictures and text as opposed to speech or observation, notable areas of weakness for kids with autism. Finally, Social Stories provide a little distance between teaching and the possible stresses of the social situation itself; they give the child a chance to practice the skills often and on his terms.

Identifying student needs

Of course, before one begins writing a Social Story, it should be determined exactly which skill or situation one wishes to focus upon. Before even this, though, it is often helpful to look at how a child socializes overall and to determine the possible efficacy of Social Stories in addressing his needs.

There are three broad categories into which we can classify social impairments:

• Social avoidance -- Kids who would fall into the category of socially avoidant might be those who tantrum, shy away from, or attempt to escape from social situations. Often, kids that are this avoidant of social situations are doing so because they have some hypersensitivity to certain sensory stimuli. Consequently, those sensory needs must be addressed prior to attempts at teaching social skills. A kid who is constantly overwhelmed by his environment is likely not going to be successful in many interventions. Social stories may well prove to be useful tools with such children, but only after the sensory needs of those children have been met (through sensory integration, vision therapy, auditory integration, etc.).

• Social indifference -- Social indifference is the social impairment common to the majority of children with autism. Children who are socially indifferent are those who do not actively seek social interaction, but at the same time, do not aggressively avoid such interaction. Social Stories are often quite effective with socially avoidant kids: they can simplify and illustrate social interactions, with the hope that increased understanding of those situations will make them more attractive and reinforcing for the child.

• Social awkwardness -- Socially awkward children are typically higher functioning kids who may try very hard to gain and keep friends, but are hindered by a lack of reciprocity in conversation and interest -- they focus on their favorite topic or topics to the exclusion of most everything else -- and an inability to learn social skills and taboos by observing others. Social stories are often very effective with these individuals as they teach explicitly those skills and taboos that these children do not just pick up from their environment. Social stories provide them with a framework for successful social interaction: perspective on the thoughts, emotions, and beliefs of others in their environment, and suggestions of appropriate behaviors.

Having determined how a child socializes generally, one can now look to defining specific skills and situations to which focus will be given.

It is typically fairly evident to the child and whomever may be working with him which situations -- at home, at play, or at school -- are proving difficult. Even if the child has little language, careful observation can often determine difficult situations. Situations from which a child withdraws, from which he attempts to escape, or in which he tantrums, cries, or becomes frightened may be appropriate targets for a Social Story. As Social Stories primarily address problems of social cognition -- situations in which it is the child's misunderstanding of the expectations and intricacies of the situation which are driving the difficulty -- it should be determined that it is indeed that deficient cognition that is the root of the problem and not some other issue (a sensory processing problem, for example).

Ideally, anyone who works with a child at school or at home -- parents, teachers, instructional assistants, specialists, etc. -- should be consulted prior to the writing of a story. Each may have some unique insight into the situation.

As a Social Story is intended to be written from the perspective of the child, it is paramount that the author is able to obtain that perspective. With higher functioning children, they can assist in the writing of the story, discussing those areas where they are having difficulty and helping the educator or parent to write from that perspective. With nonverbal or lower functioning children this task will require more careful observation on the part of the author. Focus of the story should typically be given to the motivation of current behaviors and not necessarily to the behaviors themselves. For example, if a child begins to tantrum or cry when his assistant leaves the classroom, your first instinct might be to write a story about crying, when and where it might not be appropriate, etc. However, a more effective approach might be to write a Social Story about being scared or frustrated (if indeed you have determined that fear or frustration are the underlying motivation for the behavior), and what things might make him scared, and how he might go about dealing with that.

It is also very important that the expected response is clearly defined. To continue the above example, again one may be tempted to define the expected response as "Kevin will reduce the number of incidences of crying each day," or something similar. A better expectation might be "We will attempt to make Kevin feel more comfortable when his assistant is out of the room.

Writing a Social Story

Having determined those areas on which one wishes to focus, the writing of the Social Story can begin. Again, a Social Story is usually a first-person, present-tense story used to provide a student with as much information about a social situation as possible, so he is better prepared to face, and act appropriately in, that situation.

There are four types of sentences used to present this information in a Social Story:

• Descriptive sentences objectively address the “wh” questions: where the situation takes place, who is involved, what they are doing, and why they may be doing it.

• Perspective sentences give a peek into the minds of those involved in the story; they provide details about the emotions and thoughts of others.
• Directive sentences suggest desired responses tailored to the individual.
• Control sentences are authored by the student himself as something of a mnemonic device -- a sentence to help him remember the story or deal with the situation. These are not used in every story and are typically used only with fairly high functioning children.

Below is another sample social story. Each of the sentences in this story has been labeled to illustrate each of the above sentences (except for the control sentence -- I've not yet had a child that has opted to use them, so I'm not going to even pretend to be able to dream up a good one yet).

Sitting on the Carpet

Sometimes our class sits on the carpet. (descriptive) We sit on the carpet to listen to stories and for group lessons. (descriptive) My friends are trying hard to listen so they can enjoy the story or learn from the lessons. (perspective) It can be hard for them to listen is someone is noisy or not sitting still. (descriptive) I will try to sit still and stay quiet during our time on the carpet. (descriptive)

Carol Gray, the developer of Social Stories, has edited two books on Social Stories. Each contain dozens of sample stories and a very helpful kit on writing social stories. In those kits Ms. Gray recommends that a ratio of at least three to five descriptive or perspective sentences for every directive sentence be used for each story. As a child becomes more and more successful with Social Stories, those stories can eventually be written with no directive sentences at all, leaving it up to the child to determine an appropriate and successful response (which is of course, the eventual goal of any social skills intervention). Remember, Social Stories are not scripts detailing appropriate behaviors, rather, they are descriptions of social situations which set the stage for the child to design successful, positive interactions. Along that line, you should avoid the use of absolute, inflexible sentences in your stories. Replace phrases like "I can" and "I will" with "I will try" or "I will work on" in directive sentences. "Usually" and "sometimes" should be used instead of "always" in perspective and descriptive sentences.

When writing your stories, ensure that you are writing with the child in mind: use an appropriate vocabulary and an appropriate type size. Try to make each story resemble as closely as possible the other literature the child may be encountering at home and school. If you are working with a Kindergartner this may mean a single idea on each page, with an accompanying illustration. A middle school student might require a much longer story, maybe resembling a newspaper or magazine article: multiple columns, small type size, etc.

Presentation and authoring styles

While text on paper is likely the easiest presentation to prepare and use, it may not be the most appropriate for every child (non-readers, etc.). There are, however, a variety of presentation styles and options that can be used to meet the needs of a variety of children.

• Illustrations -- The child (or parent/teacher) can illustrate each page of the story, or photographs can be taken of the child and his peers in the social situation. These pictures can add interest and visual support for the presented ideas. Be wary, though, of images that are too complex. Children with autism do not always focus on pictures as we would expect (they sometimes fail to focus on a prominent object in the foreground in favor of some other item in the background), so the pictures (photographs, especially) should be as visual uncluttered as possible.

• Symbols -- The text of the story can be augmented with pictures representing various words or ideas. The Mayer-Johnson Picture Exchange symbols (often generated through their Boardmaker computer program) are typically good choices for this use. For beginning readers, PECS symbols or simple blackline drawings can be substitutes for written words not yet mastered. Or a single, large symbol can represent a complete idea on a particular page.

• Social Stories on tape -- A reading of a particular story can be recorded on audio tape with a tone or verbal cue for the child to turn the page.

• Video -- A film could be made of the student and peers acting out applicable scenes from the story. The text of the story should be edited in before the applicable scene, and the written story presented along with the video when it is presented to the child, however, with the hope of eventually fading the video for the written text (as the text is much less labor intensive to create and use than a video).

• Story boxes -- The child and an adult can act out scenes from the stories with small figures, rooms made of shoeboxes, etc. This too, can add interest and increase understanding of the concepts for children who are not strong readers.

Implementation, monitoring, and fading out

Prior to the introduction of a story, the story should be shared with as many people who are involved in the child's program as possible. Accessing this variety of viewpoints can call attention to finer points that may have been overlooked or misstated in the initial authoring of a story. Before, or shortly after, the introduction of the story to the child, those who may be involved in the situation or with the skill targeted should be presented with a copy of the story. It is often helpful to actually have the child present the story to these other students, staff, or family members, and then to have those people read back or discuss the story with the child. These can help the child understand that everyone is on the same page, operating with similar assumptions and expectations. These other students, staff, or family members should be encouraged to refer to the stories when the appropriate social situations arise. As an example, if a child were currently working with a story about raising his hand before he speaks out at school, the classroom teacher might want to refer back to that story prior to circle time. But, as the child has to use this skill in other locations as well, the story should probably be introduced to his speech teacher, his music teacher, the librarian, and so on. Each of these individuals can refer the child back to elements of the story as the need arises.

A consistent schedule for reviewing each story should be maintained. At first this is typically once a day, usually right before the targeted situation (e.g. right before the bell dismissing the class to recess, if the story is about the need to take turns on the monkey bars). However, for some kids, especially during the first few readings of the story, the time just prior to the situation may be too exciting or busy to completely hold their attention for the story. For those kids, consequently, it may be helpful to read the story early in the day and then simply review the highlights prior to the activity.

The effectiveness of the story should be monitored consistently. If after a week or two of working with a particular story, there is little noticeable change, the story should be reworked. Elements that may be vague or confusing should be removed or rewritten. The motivation behind the behavior may need to be re-evaluated. Is the story truly addressing the reasons why the child may be confused or misreading a situation? Is the problem in the situation really one of cognition, or could something else be affecting the child (environmental stimuli, etc.).

As the child becomes more and more successful with the situations presented in a particular story, that story can begin to be faded out or changed to meet the new needs of the child. The number of review sessions can be lessened from once a day, to every other day, to once a week, to twice a month, and so on until they are no longer needed. Or the directive sentences in the story can be reduced or eliminated,

As each story is mastered, it should be kept visible in the child's environment for review when needed. Because the stories are so personalized, so much about the child, they can often be favorites, something the child might want to look through on his own, even when not working on them specifically. A special basket or notebook of mastered stories are good to keep around.

Activities with Fine Motor Manipulatives

Pre-kindergartners benefit from experiences that support the development of fine motor skills in the hands and fingers. Children should have strength and dexterity in their hands and fingers before being asked to manipulate a pencil on paper. Working on dexterity and strength first can eliminate the development of an inappropriate pencil grasp, which is becoming more commonplace as young children are engaged in writing experiences before their hands are ready. The following activities involve the use of manipulatives which will support young children's fine motor development, and will help to build the strength and dexterity necessary to hold a pencil appropriately.

Fine Motor Activities

• Molding and rolling play dough into balls - using the palms of the hands facing each other and with fingers curled slightly towards the palm

• Rolling play dough into tiny balls (peas) using only the finger tips.

• Using pegs or toothpicks to make designs in play dough

• Cutting play dough with a plastic knife or with a pizza wheel by holding the implement in a diagonal volar grasp. (see attached diagram)

• Tearing newspaper into strips and then crumpling them into balls. Use to stuff scarecrow or other art creation.

• Scrunching up 1 sheet of newspaper in one hand. This is a super strength builder.

• Using a plant sprayer to spray plants, (indoors, outdoors) to spray snow (mix food coloring with water so that the snow can be painted), or melt "monsters". (Draw monster pictures with markers and the colors will run when sprayed.)

• Picking up objects using large tweezers such as those found in the "Bedbugs" game. This can be adapted by picking up Cheerios, small cubes, small marshmallows, pennies, etc., in counting games.

• Shaking dice by cupping the hands together, forming an empty air space between the palms.

• Using small-sized screwdrivers like those found in an erector set.

• Lacing and sewing activities such as stringing beads, Cheerios, macaroni, etc.

• Using eye droppers to "pick up" colored water for color mixing or to make artistic designs on paper.

• Rolling small balls out of tissue paper, then gluing the balls onto construction paper to form pictures or designs.

• Turning over cards, coins, checkers, or buttons, without bringing them to the edge of the table.

• Making pictures using stickers or self-sticking paper reinforcements.

• Playing games with the "puppet fingers" -the thumb, index, and middle fingers. At circle time have each child's puppet fingers tell about what happened over the weekend, or use them in songs and finger plays.

Scissor Activities

When scissors are held correctly, and when they fit a child's hand well, cutting activities will exercise the very same muscles which are needed to manipulate a pencil in a mature tripod grasp. The correct scissor position is with the thumb and middle finger in the handles of the scissors, the index finger on the outside of the handle to stabilize, with fingers four and five curled into the palm.

• Cutting junk mail, particularly the kind of paper used in magazine subscription cards.

• Making fringe on the edge of a piece of construction paper.

• Cutting play dough with scissors.

• Cutting straws or shredded paper.

Sensory Activities

The following activities ought to be done frequently to increase postural muscle strength and endurance. These activities also strengthen the child's awareness of his/her hands.

• Wheelbarrow walking, crab walking.

• Clapping games (loud/quiet, on knees together, etc.)

• Catching (clapping) bubbles between hands

• Pulling off pieces of thera-putty with individual fingers and thumb

• Drawing in a tactile medium such as wet sand, salt, rice, or "goop". Make "goop" by adding water to cornstarch until you have a mixture similar in consistency to toothpaste. The "drag" of this mixture provides feedback to the muscle and joint receptors, thus facilitating visual motor control.

• Picking out small objects like pegs, beads, coins, etc., from a tray of salt, sand, rice, or putty. Try it with eyes closed too. This helps develop sensory awareness in the hands.

Midline Crossing

Establishment of hand dominance is still developing at this point. The following activities will facilitate midline crossing:

• Encourage reaching across the body for materials with each hand. It may be necessary to engage the other hand in an activity to prevent switching hands at midline.

• Refrain specifically from discouraging a child from using the left hand for any activity. Allow for the natural development of hand dominance by presenting activities at midline, and allowing the child to choose freely.

• Start making the child aware of the left and right sides of his body through spontaneous comments like, "kick the ball with your right leg." Play imitation posture games like "Simon Says" with across the body movements.

• When painting at easel, encourage the child to paint a continuous line across the entire paper- also from diagonal to diagonal.

Activities To Develop Handwriting Skills

There are significant prerequisites for printing skills that begin in infancy and continue to emerge through the preschool years. The following activities support and promote fine motor and visual motor development:

Body Stability

The joints of the body need to be stable before the hands can be free to focus on specific skilled fine motor tasks.

• Wheelbarrow walking, crab walking, and wall push-ups.

• Toys: Orbiter, silly putty, and monkey bars on the playground.

Fine Motor Skills

When a certain amount of body stability has developed, the hands and fingers begin to work on movements of dexterity and isolation as well as different kinds of grasps. Children will develop fine motor skills best when they work on a VERTICAL or near vertical surface as much as possible. In particular, the wrist must be in extension. (Bent back in the direction of the hand)

• Attach a large piece of drawing paper to the wall. Have the child use a large marker and try the following exercises to develop visual motor skills:Make an outline of a one at a time. Have the child trace over your line from left to right, or from top to bottom. Trace each figure at least 10 times . Then have the child draw the figure next to your model several times.

• Play connect the dots. Again make sure the child's strokes connect dots fromleft to right, and from top to bottom.

• Trace around stencils - the non-dominant hand should hold the stencil flat and stable against the paper, while the dominant hand pushes the pencil firmly against the edge of the stencil. The stencil must be held firmly.

• Attach a large piece of felt to the wall, or use a felt board. The child can use felt shapes to make pictures. Magnetic boards can be used the same way.

• Have the child work on a chalkboard, using chalk instead of a marker. Do the same kinds of tracing and modeling activities as suggested above.

• Paint at an easel. Some of the modeling activities as suggested above can be done at the easel.

• Magna Doodle- turn it upside down so that the erasing lever is on the top. Experiment making vertical, horizontal, and parallel lines.

Ocular Motor Control

This refers to the ability of the eyes to work together to follow and hold an object in the line of vision as needed.

• Use a flashlight against the ceiling. Have the child lie on his/her back or tummy and visually follow the moving light from left to right, top to bottom, and diagonally.

• Find hidden pictures in books. (There are special books for this.)

• Maze activities. (You can buy these in bookstores, and Spags.)

Eye-hand Coordination

This involves accuracy in placement, direction, and spatial awareness.

• Throw bean bags/koosh balls into a hula hoop placed flat on the floor. Gradually increase the distance.

• Play throw and catch with a ball . Start with a large ball and work toward a smaller ball. (Koosh balls are easier to catch than a tennis ball.)

• Practice hitting bowling pins with a ball. (You can purchase these games or make your own with soda bottles and a small ball.)

• Play "Hit the Balloon" with a medium-sized balloon.

A Sample Sensory Diet

An Occupational therapist or a SPED teacher can make this sensory diet or anybody in the field of Autism who is knowledgeable in the topic.

The following guidelines represent a kind of sensory diet for one particular child. Keep in mind that every child has a different regulatory and sensory profile, and that these activities are not appropriate or useful for every child. You should get guidance from an occupational therapist or other individual who is experienced with sensory integration.

In this particular example, the child would become disorganized on a regular basis. Although this has meant different things at different times, this child shows disorganization primarily by:

• being extremely silly and unresponsive
• laughing uncontrollably
• losing control of his body--getting extremely limp and/or clumsy
• becoming either hyper- or hypo-sensitive to pain and other physical stimuli
• getting aggressive--pinching or spitting, usually in a taunting, almost maniacal way
• humming and clicking while wandering around aimlessly

Engaging this child in sensory activities on a frequent, regular basis seemed to help him to remain engaged, focused, and in control more often. When this child does get disorganized, these activities help him to find himself again.

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At the critical times during the day, plan on activating the child with these activities.

NOTE: Spin the child at every activation phase. Spin him in the swing 10 complete revolutions each direction, with a 20-30 second pause in between. Spin firmly and quickly. Do not repeat.

Warning: For some children, spinning is not useful, and can be overstimulating and dangerous. Before engaging in any of these activities (and spinning in particular), please consult a professional who has a solid understanding of sensory integration principles.

Chase Games

• Tag
• Follow-the-Leader
• Obstacle Courses
• Red Light/Green Light
• Running Races

Exercise Games

• Simon Says
• Obstacle Course
• "If You're Happy & You Know It"

Incorporate:

Jumping Jacks
Stretching
Situps and Pullups
Tumbling/Head Stands
Balance Beam
Standing on one leg
Wheelbarrow

Swinging/Bouncing

• Inside swings
• Trampoline
• Hang-bar
• Tire Swing
• Outside swings
• Outside trolley
• Exercise ball

Squeezables

• Nerf balls
• Gak, floam, flubber, silly putty
• Play catch with any ball

Incorporate those activities plus others listed in the box below into as many of your games as possible. Be sure to work in a sensory activity at least every half hour.

EVERY HALF HOUR AND ANYTIME

Other Sensory Stimulation

Everything on the other list plus:

• Smelling Scents Game
• Rubbing/Brushing (brush firmly and consistently--avoid stomach)
• Rolling Up In Blanket
• Crawling through a "caterpillar" (long tube of stretchy fabric)
• Dragging/Sliding Around Room
• Silly Walks (e.g., crab walk)
• Ball and Bat
• Imitating Songs
• Hand Games
• Stilts/Roller Skates
• Jump Rope

CALMING ACTIVITIES

8:30AM Bath, Brushing, Deep Pressure

3:15PM Child's choice (e.g., biking)

6:30PM Supper, Bath, Deep Pressure, Free Play, Stories, Bed

Heavy work Acitvities That Parents Can Use for their Children

1. Carry heavy items (baskets with cardboard blocks, groceries for Mom, etc.)

2. Mop the floors

3. Allow child to chew gum, eat chewy or crunchy foods, or sip water from a water bottle with a straw while doing homework

4. Push or pull boxes with toys or a few books in it

5. Pillow cases with a few stuffed animals in it for weight, pushing or pulling up a ramp, incline or stairs

6. Take the cushions off the sofas, vacuum under them, then put them back. Can also climb on them, hide under them, jump and "crash" into them, play sandwich games with them

7. Pull other kids around on a sheet or blanket

8. Roller skate uphill

9. Pull a heavy trash can

10. Yard work, including mowing the lawn, raking grass/leaves, pushing wheelbarrow

11. Housework including vacuuming and mopping, carrying buckets of water to clean with or to
water flowers/plants/trees

12. Shovel sand into a wheelbarrow, wheel the wheelbarrow to a spot, dump out sand and use a rake to level it out. (functional for filling in low spots in backyard)

13. Pull a friend or heavy items in a wagon

14. Push a friend in a wheelbarrow

15. Milkshake rewards sipped through a narrow straw

16. Suck applesauce through a straw

17. Scrub rough surfaces with a brush

18. Carrying heavy cushions

19. Pillow fights

20. Playing in sandbox with damp heavy sand

21. Have the child "help" by pushing in chairs to a table or push chairs into table after a meal

22. Push a child's cart filled with cans and then put the cans away on a low shelf where the child needs to be in a weight bearing quadruped (on hands and knees) position

23. After a bath, parents can squeeze child and rub him/her briskly with a towel

24. Use heavy quilts at night and tight flannel pajamas

25. Swimming. Also, have child dive after weighted sticks thrown in pool

26. Dancing

27. Activities such as gymnastics, horseback riding, wrestling, karate

28. Bathe the dog

29. Wash the car

30. Carry the laundry basket

31. Sweep, mop, vacuum the floors

32. Jump or climb in inner tubes

33. Fill up a child's suitcase with heavy items (such as books) and push/pull the suitcase across the room

34. When travelling, let child pull own small suitcase on wheels

35. Go "shopping" with a child's shopping cart filled with items

36. Child can help change the sheets on the bed, then toss the linens down the stairs

37. Go "camping" with a heavy blanket pulled across a few chairs. Child can help set up and take down the blanket

38. Child can help rearrange his/her bedroom furniture

39. Have child put large toys and equipment away

40. Wipe off the table after dinner

41. Help dust the furniture

42. Climbing activities (such as playground equipment)

43. Swing from the trapeze bar

44. Push against a wall

45. Fill up big toy trucks with heavy blocks, push with both hands to knock things down

46. Sports activities involving running and jumping

47. Two adults can swing child in a sheet. Watch child's face carefully to note when child has had enough

48. Have the child color a "rainbow" with large paper on the floor or with sidewalk chalk outside while child is on his/her hands and knees

49. Play "cars" under the kitchen table (or table in classroom) where the child pushes the car with one hand while creeping and weight bearing on the other hand

50. Hot dog" game where child lies across end of a blanket and is rolled (ends up inside the rolled up blanket with head outside)

51. Walk up a ramp or incline

52. Use theraband or tubing attached to a door and pull it then let it snap. Supervision necessary.

53. Wood projects requiring sanding and hammering

54. Play wrestling: pushing game where two people lock hands facing each other and try to see who can push and make the other person step back first. Use other body parts also, but be sure to have rules (no hitting, no biting, no scratching, one person says stop then both stop)

55. Open doors for people

56. Quiet squeeze toys such as the cow, fondly named by everyone as "Moo" . Kids can be taught to squeeze Moo or the likes of him on their laps under their desks so as not to disturb the class

57. Chew on fish tank (aquarium) tubing, theratubing, or refrigerator tubing, if appropriate. One therapist stated that "refrigeration tubing (the kind the water runs through to the ice maker in your freezer) is (FDA?) approved while aquarium tubing is not. I cut the tubing into 2-3 inch strips and put it on the end of the elementary school age child's pencil to be an appropriate 'chewy' when food is not allowed"

58. Chair push ups

59. Fall into a beanbag chair

60. Jumping and rolling games

61. Slowly roll a ball or bolster over the child, applying pressure

62. Bounce on a Hippity Hop ball

63. Sandwich games (child is place between beanbags, sofa cushions,

mattresses and light pressure is applied to top layer)

64. Play catch with a heavy ball. Bounce and roll a heavy ball

65. Push weighted carts or boxes across carpeted floor

66. Animal walks (crab walk, bear walk, army crawl)

67. Play "row, row, row your boat" both sitting on the floor, pushing and pulling each other

68. Rice play, koosh balls, water play, jello play, theraputty

69. Mini trampoline

70. Stack chairs

71. Two children can play "tug of war" with jump rope or heavy theraband. (If you use the theraband, children need supervision so they don't purposely let go of theraband and "snap" the other child)

72. Isometric exercise breaks