by admin on February 20, 2012
My son has high functioning autism. Some days are much better than others. Last week we had a string of really bad days. His communication was terrible, his OCD was in high gear and the yelling and fits was constant. Just when I thought I was going to lose my mind I remembered reading about Sensory Needs on Autism United.
I was willing to do anything to bring peace to my little boy so I searched the house for anything that would satisfy his sensory needs. I found a box of rice in the kitchen. It was raining and cold outside so I knew this would be an inside activity that would get messy, but I did not care! So I found a large bowl and poured in the rice. I grabbed a few of his favorite small cars that where perfectly lined up on the floor. I put them in the rice. He watched very closely what I was doing and I could tell he was interested. I didn’t push or encourage anything. Instead I set the bowl on the ground and let him slowly explore it himself. Within about a minute he was on the floor and for the first time in days he was smiling!! THE JOY FILLED MY HEART!
He played with that rice for TWO HOURS! Yes! This was what he needed! He didn’t say a word while he played. He just enjoyed the rice falling between his fingers and watching as he covered and uncovered the cars. It did get very messy as I had thought it might. He would get so excited about the rice in him hands that he would throw it up in the air or dump it out beside him. He liked the feel of moving it around on the hard floor. Honestly I was so happy that I didn’t care! When he was done he lined his cars back up perfectly in a row and he was much more at peace.
Next time I will do a large container of rice. I may try other objects as well. And next time the large container will be outside so that there is no major clean up. I have to tell you that 2 hours was the happiest that both he and I had been in days! This is definitely worth a try for all moms dealing with the same thing!
Featured Guest Post: Written and Provided by Heather Brummett – Author Of Living On Love And Cents
by Katherine on February 18, 2012
Forming a relationship with a sibling who is affected by autism does not always come easy. Due to the nature of autism, it is not unusual for a typical child to have some difficulty relating with an autistic sibling especially when both the typical child and the autistic child are still young and still unable to completely understand what autism is.
From a typical child’s perspective, it can sometimes be very discouraging when his autistic brother or sister ignores him as he tries to play with him/her. When they do play, it can get pretty frustrating for the typical child when his autistic brother or sister does not play by the rules or does not understand the concept of taking turns. It can also get pretty scary for the typical child when his brother or sister suddenly ends the play by throwing a tantrum. With all these, it is not surprising for the typical child to feel discouraged and to distance himself from his sibling.
Thankfully, through proper guidance, you can help your typical child get past this hurdle. The first thing you need to do is to explain to your typical child why his brother or sister is different and special. Do not be afraid to introduce him to the concept of autism. It is never too early to start and you can never do it often enough.
One thing you need to remember though is to always use words that he will understand. Keep it simple and do not introduce him to concepts which will only confuse him. You need to explain it to him in words that is appropriate for his age level. For example, if your typical child is three years old, a simple explanation that his brother or sister cannot talk is often times enough.
You can also let him know what his brother or sister likes and does not like. If your autistic child does not like to be touched, you need to let your typical child know about this. This way, your typical child knows what to expect and can avoid doing things that could potentially cause some conflict between the two of them.
As your typical child gets older, you can provide him more information about autism so he can continuously develop a better understanding of what autism is and in the process, grow to understand his brother or sister better.
