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Free Autism Classes for 2013

by Katherine on May 1, 2013

The Seattle Children’s Hospital is offering free classes to the families of children who are diagnosed with autism. These classes are open to the general public and no advanced registration is required. These classes are also available through the Seattle Children’s video and teleconferencing outreach program and can be viewed at various locations.

Below are the free classes being offered this year –

Autism 101

Thursday, Apr. 25, 2013
7 to 8:30 p.m.
Presenters: Amy Bohlander, PhD, and Lindsey Miller, ARNP

Thursday, Jul. 25, 2013
7 to 8:30 p.m.
Presenters: Karen Burner, PhD, and Karen Sporn, ARNP

Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013
7 to 8:30 p.m.
Presenters: Rosalind Oti, PhD, and David Eaton, ARNP

Autism 200 Series

Autism 205: Legal Planning for Individuals with Disabilities: Guardianship, Public Benefits and Estate Planning
Thursday, May 16, 2013
7 to 8:30 p.m.
Instructors: Joshua L. Brothers, JD, and Christopher Henderson, JD

This lecture will include topics on legal guardianship and power of attorney, public benefits that are available and estate planning, trusts and wills for individuals with disabilities.

Autism 206: Anxiety
Thursday, Jun. 20, 2013
7 to 8:30 p.m.
Instructor: Felice Orlich, PhD

This lecture will explore the issues associated with anxiety as observed in children with autism. This lecture will discuss how to identify the signs of anxiety as well as the strategies that you can do to help support your child.

Autism 207: The Transition to Adulthood
Thursday, Jul. 18, 2013
7 to 8:30 p.m.
Instructor: Gary Stobbe, MD

This lecture will be very beneficial to parents whose child is approaching adulthood as it will discuss the common issues and obstacles that families face as their child transitions from being a child to being an adult. The focus of this lecture will be on children aged 16 and above.

Autism 208: Social Communication
Thursday, Aug. 15, 2013
7 to 8:30 p.m.
Instructor: Jim Mancini, MS, CCC-SLP

This lecture will focus on the early social communication abilities such as engagement, joint attention, nonverbal communication abilities and early reciprocal conversational abilities. A model of social communication will be presented and strategies to facilitate development of social communication will be discussed.

Autism 209: Relationships, Puberty and Sexual Health
Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013
7 to 8:30 p.m.
Instructors: Karen Toth, PhD, and Katrina Davis, BA

This lecture will discuss the common issues surrounding puberty and sexuality as well as sexual health and hygiene. Parents will be given an insight into how these issues should be addressed.

Autism 210: Highway to Hell or Stairway to Heaven? – Parenting a Child with Autism
Thursday, Oct. 17, 2013
7 to 8:30 p.m.
Instructor: Greg Schell, MEd, Director, Fathers Network

This lecture will discuss the issues and challenges that the parents of autistic children experience. Lessons learned from other parents with special needs will be discussed as well. A discussion of “resilience” which is deemed to be a powerful tool will also be discussed.

Autism 211: Panel Discussion – Developing and Advocating for Services in Local Communities
Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013
7 to 8:30 p.m.
Facilitator: Amy Carlsen, RN, LEND Parent Professional Partnership Leader

This lecture will focus on the Community Asset Mapping project in which rural communities have developed organizations to be able to provide better services to the children diagnosed with autism. Personal stories and insights on the successes and challenges of this project will be discussed.

For more information regarding these free classes, please contact the Seattle Children’s Hospital at (206) 987-8080.

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Autistic Children Who Do Not Want To Be Touched

by Katherine on April 25, 2013

Having an autistic child who does not want to be touched or hugged can be very frustrating to a parent. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to hold your own child. Some parents who are faced with this challenge often resort to waiting until their child has fallen asleep before they actually hold him.

No Touching AutismChildren who do not want to be touched or held often have Sensory Integration Disorder which makes the child oversensitive to touch. Due to this, your child will avoid physical contact not just from you but from everyone else because he does not like the overwhelming sensation he feels when he is held or touched.

When this happens, do not take it personally. Many people are quick to think that their child’s avoidance means that their child does not like them. This is simply not true. Your child is not avoiding you. But rather, he is avoiding the overwhelming feeling that he feels whenever he is touched. Keep in mind that your child’s avoidance is not a reflection of your parenting style nor is it a reflection of your child’s feeling towards you.

With that thought in mind, it is best that you do not force the issue. Do not get mad when he does not want to hug you nor should you make him feel bad for not wanting to be touched. Do understand that this does not have anything to do with you.

While all this may seem frustrating and challenging, always remember that all hope is not lost. As long as you are patient and are willing to explore and discover ways to connect with your child, there will always be hope that you can one day be able to engage in some sort of physical contact no matter how brief and small it may seem like.

When trying to connect with your child, always remember to observe and follow your child’s signals. Do not over impose yourself on him and do not get in his way. You do not want to intrude nor to disturb him. What you want to do is to slowly and carefully enter his world until such time that your child has made the association that you are part of the activity that he is doing. Just be patient and continuously explore ways by which you can be physically closer to your child. It will take a lot of time but you will eventually get there.

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Struggling Gracefully

April 16, 2013

Prepare your child for the path not the path for your child, and he will find his way. ~ Unknown, Native American I don’t hate anything or anyone quite the way I hate math.  As a teenager, algebra was the bane of my existence.  While sitting through math class was rough enough, algebra homework was pure [...]

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Let’s Light It Up Blue

April 14, 2013

To celebrate World Autism Awareness Day, iconic landmarks around the world were lit blue last April 2nd and will remain lit for the rest of April. This movement called Light It Up Blue aims to shine a light on autism by making people aware of what autism is and how it affects the people who [...]

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Home Based Daycare For Your Autistic Child

April 6, 2013

Looking for someone to take care of your child with autism while you are at work is often a very challenging task. It is something that takes a lot of time and effort and something that cannot be taken lightly. After all, you do not want to leave your child with just anyone. You want [...]

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National Autism Awareness April Month 2013

April 1, 2013

A recent government survey indicates that 1 in every 50 children are affected by autism. While the past number was 1 in 88 and many still sticking with it, there is a clear sign that the numbers are going to continue to grow! With this high ratio amount, the chances of knowing someone who is [...]

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Choosing a Group Daycare For Your Autistic Child

March 27, 2013

Finding a daycare for your autistic child can sometimes be challenging. It is important to do your research to make sure that the daycare you are going to select will be the right fit for your child. It is important that the daycare staff is knowledgeable and experienced in handling children who are diagnosed with [...]

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Government Survey Indicates That 1 Out Of 50 Children Have Autism

March 22, 2013

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced that 1 out of every 50 school children have autism. This is quite a jump from the previous government estimate which indicates that 1 in every 88 school children have autism. The study was conducted through a survey and the increase is from parent diagnosed cases. [...]

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Tips On Teaching Autistic Children To Read

March 17, 2013

When teaching your child to read, keep in mind that every child is different. What works for another child may not work for your child. What you need to do is to focus on your child’s interest, strengths and weaknesses. What does he like? What helps him focus? What will encourage him to read? What [...]

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Developing Your Autistic Child’s Gross Motor Skills

March 12, 2013

Developing your autistic child’s gross motor skills is important as it can hinder his daily movements when it is not developed properly. For some children on the autism spectrum, movement activities may even be a source of stress. Below are some activities that you can do with your child to develop his gross motor skills. [...]

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