Since kids on the autism spectrum usually need assistance in determining how to act in many social situations, and since they also need visual prompts, Rebecca Moyes created activities using everyday items to help them understand why a social skill is needed, and then how to perform it. She also gives parents and educators just the right words for explanation, without being overly verbose so that you lose the child.

The activity “Using a Colander [Strainer] to Teach Filtering of Thoughts to Avoid Inappropriate Language” pays for the book, in my humble opinion. In this one activity, Rebecca helps children visualize different kinds of words, names them green/red (go/stop) words, and discusses a variety of each kind to help the child understand that there is a need to filter what we want to say.

Here’s what I love about Visual Techniques for Developing Social Skills:

• Immediately practical
• A substitute teacher could pick it up, read it verbatim, and lead a social skills group
• IEP goals included
• Step-by-step instructions for each activity
• Verbiage included! Even if you’re not leading a group, you can use Rebecca’s words over and over again as you practice a skill set with your child.
• Materials list for each activity–and they’re already in your home or easy to get
• Resource list at the end

Future Horizons priced Visual Techniques for Developing Social Skills so that parents could get the help they need–$14.95! However, if you use my affiliate code, HATS, you can get 15% off! If you live in the continental US, you also receive FREE SHIPPING! Read more about the book here.You can also use that code for anything on the site, including conferences, so you may want to grab a cup of coffee and go browsing.

Now, if you aren’t familiar with a S’more, it’s usually made at campfires. You roast some marshmallows, and then grab two graham crackers. You make a sandwich out of the marshmallows, a chunk of chocolate, and the graham crackers.

We didn’t have a campfire. We used a microwave, mini chocolate chips from Enjoy Life, mini marshmallows, and our on-sale graham crackers. It became a practice in dexterity as the boys tried to get the mini chips and marshmallows to stay on top. Then the big question was, would Mommy explode the marshmallows in the microwave, instead of just melt them? (No!)

However, the ultimate question was, would Dr. J actually EAT them? Why, you may ask?

They are new.

They are sticky. He does not like sticky things.

He likes to eat one thing at a time, not mixed.

Here you can see him trying to figure out how to eat it without getting messy:

Here you can see Meatball enjoying his first S’more:

And, here you can see two brothers enjoying a childhood rite of passage of sorts:

The verdict? Dr. J said, “They’re a bit too sweet.”

That’s ok! He ATE it! He ate it WITHOUT crying or arguing!

That’s an accomplishment in my book!

And yes, do you see that box in the background behind Meatball’s chair? Read about my love-hate relationship with boxes here!

What is your child’s latest accomplishment? Brag in the comments below!

But I digress.

Once on Twitter I made a comment that I missed Cheetos, that I wanted a crunchy cheesy snack. Enjoy Life Foods’ Chief Marketing Officer Joel replied, “Just wait, we’re working on something new.”

Oh, the suspense!

Then I got The Email…”Would you like to test these for us?” Are you kidding? Of course!

When the Enjoy Life Foods box arrived (which Dr. J has been able to identify and read for over a year), I opened it in the leasing office where I picked it up. I thought, why not have a taste test with folks who don’t HAVE to eat gluten free (or some other special diet). Enjoy Life Foods sent me one bag of each of the four flavors–Light Sea Salt, Garlic & Parmesan, Margherita Pizza, and Dill & Sour Cream. Three non-food allergy adults tried them, and they all liked them! Margherita Pizza and Garlic & Parmesan were the winners of that taste test.

My favorite is Margherita Pizza, and it was really hard to share the bag. It’s the closest to a Dorito. My least favorite is Light Sea Salt because there is a slight after taste and you can tell that it’s made from lentils.

So, what are Plentils anyway? They are a crunchy snack made from lentils. They are free of the top eight food allergens. Yes, you read that right. There is NO DAIRY in any of them, even though they taste like there is! The texture reminds me of a Muncho, if you have had those before. And guess what?! Because they’re made from lentils, there’s even some protein and fiber in there.

And now, the big test. My “I’m not picky” husband. Would he like them? Yes, he did! I also put some Dill & Sour Cream out at a gathering where both g-free and non g-free friends were present. Everyone liked them, and a non g-free friend finished off the bowl. That’s telling.

When my husband tried the Garlic & Parmesan, he commented, “Those taste like croutons.” Well, that inspired a cooking experiment. One night I crushed up a bunch of Garlic & Parmesan Plentils and used them instead of bread crumbs on chicken. Yummmm.

If your child is sensitive to textures, he may be like my Dr. J who didn’t like the Plentils because they’re not exactly like regular potato chips. However, then you don’t have to share! To learn more about Plentils and find out where you can purchase them, you can visit Enjoy Life Foods’ website.

Now, if Enjoy Life Foods could just create a gluten free Bavarian cream donut…

Enjoy Life Foods sent me the Plentils to review. All opinions are my own and I receive no other compensation, other than the joy of knowing that now there is a gluten free cheesy snack out there that I can enjoy.

At the third or fourth shower, Dr. J seemed to have it down. I listened carefully while he showered, and was so glad and thankful he was doing so well and enjoying it so much. Then this happened.

I went in the bathroom to tell him he had a few minutes left, and stepped into a huge puddle before I got in the shower area. I started screaming, “Turn it off! Turn it off!” Of course that didn’t do any good. When I opened the door, Dr. J was in a tub that was overflowing, water running out of the shower head to add to the deluge. (Yes, in a bathroom our size, that is a deluge.)

I thought, “Oh, boy. They’re going to evict us.”

Dr. J was just staring at the water. “Dr. J, why didn’t you turn off the water or yell for Mommy?” It just didn’t occur to him.

And I never taught him what to do if the plug accidentally went down and the tub filled up.

You can bet I did then!

This reminded me yet again that as autism parents, no matter how much progress our child has made, or how old they become, we must always think ahead. We have to imagine how our child might see any situation. What they will figure out on their own, and what they won’t. We have to think of every. single. step.

Like, “If the plug goes down, pull it up and call for Mom or Dad to come check it.”

This can be exhausting. And sometimes, if we don’t think ahead in just the right way, the results can be devastating. More damage than water leaking through a ceiling and covering your floor. More damage than embarrassment when the (ever gracious) maintenance man knocks on your door to see if everything’s alright because the tenant below you called to make sure no one had a heart attack in the apartment above him.

Once my dear friend Bobbi Sheahan told me two things that lifted a huge weight of guilt off my shoulders. (Yes, sometimes I let it come back…) First, she made the statement that autism parents never leave that heightened state of being on watch when children are toddlers. We always have to be at that hyper-vigilant awareness level. Second, she explained that once she was telling her co-author Dr. DeOrnellas that her autistic daughter was as much work as two children. Dr. DeOrnellas replied, “It’s more like eight.”

Wow. Did I feel better.

I don’t even know why I’m babbling on about this, other than I hope it saves someone else from a mess in their bathroom when they teach their child how to shower, and I hope it encourages you parents who are weary. It is not imagined, it is real. You are not alone.

This momma lion is tired!

So, what’s an autism mom to do when she doesn’t have energy to create a new post? Invite her friends to share, of course! If you have written a post for Autism Awareness Month, feel free to leave a comment about it and include the link to your post.

I had the pleasure of taking Instrumental Dreamland for a test drive. Here’s part of my review:

Have you ever had a crazy night right before bedtime? A night when the kids are wound up, and hoping they’ll go to sleep seems futile? Ok, you don’t have to raise your hand. I know you’re out there. Instrumental Dreamland is here to help!

With eleven songs in an acoustical style, Instrumental Dreamland will calm your children for sleep. It would also be great for an afternoon break time or background music at dinner. As I was writing this, both my sons were running and stomping around. I asked my six-year-old to put the CD on so we could time it. They both calmed down before the first song was over! That, my friends, is magic that is worth more than $14.98!

You can find the rest of the review over at Home Educating Family Reviews. There’s a giveaway, too, so click over to see how many stars I gave the CD, and enter to win it! (The giveaway widget is on the top right of the review.)

I expected “no”. I got “Sure!”

Wow. 

My goal: to have my son stay in the tub, whatever corner it may be, while the water sprayed out of the shower head. That’s all I was hoping for. Oh, and that he didn’t hurt himself as he jumped out in terror. [Remember this haircut post?]

I told him to stand at the back. I prepped him. “When you take a shower, the water comes out top [yes, he already knew that, but I had to remind him, get him ready]. You turn on the water into the tub first so you can test the temperature. [We test the temperature. He likes it quite warm.] Ok, stand back. Now I’m going to turn it on to the top.”

I turn it on, and my son does not run out of the tub! Woohoo! “Can you put your hand out and see what it feels like?” I expect that this is as far as we’ll go.

He puts his hand in. He likes it! He walks closer, and backs into the stream of water. My son, the sensory avoider, is STANDING UNDER A SPRAY OF WATER, AND HE LIKES IT!

He stayed in there for fifteen minutes, and asked for another shower a half hour later! And the next day, in which he also put his head under the stream and let it get completely wet.

Now, let me tell you, I was SO EXCITED! If you’re on Facebook and see my stream, you heard about it. I couldn’t believe it. I completely expected it to take us months to get to that point!

However, dear Reader, my jubilation was not done. Tonight, yes, March 6, 2012, my son asked to take another shower. Yippee! Of course you can!

While he was in there, Meatball had to use the facilities. Of course, being the relational little man he is, he checked on Dr. J while he was in there. As he left, he started humming the theme song to Fireman Sam. Dr. J started humming, too. And kept humming. And then started singing.

Did you read that? MY ASPIE WAS SINGING IN THE SHOWER! My son, who wouldn’t sing at all at home four or five months ago was in the shower AND singing!

I just sat at the table and soaked it in. Then I found my husband who was behind closed doors with sports radio on. “Do you hear this? Our son is singing in the shower!”

We were both in awe.

Thank you, God, for helping our son make such progress!

I don’t know if I can explain how it felt to sit at my computer and see Temple Grandin’s book on my screen BEFORE it went to print! I still get goosebumps thinking about it! I must start my review by thanking Future Horizons for such an amazing opportunity! Thank you to my readers, too, for giving me an audience! I wouldn’t have reviews and posts to write if it weren’t for you. Please read all the way to the end, Future Horizons has a really special treat for you!

Different, Not Less is Temple Grandin’s newest book–not even on store shelves yet! Dr. Grandin collected stories from adults on the spectrum. They share stories from growing up–from young childhood to college. These folks tell what their challenges and triumphs were. They boldly and bravely let us peek into their personal lives.

Different, Not Less  is beneficial for parents of children with autism. Why?

• We can see “inside” autism. Yes, autism is a spectrum. No, our children are not exactly like the folks who share their stories. BUT, we can see glimpses. I can imagine my son studying books on nonverbal communication as a young adult so he can understand his peers. I can also see him quite happy working in his beloved local museum, sharing all of his knowledge with visitors.
• We can see others’ success. Days with autism are hard, for not only us, but also our children. By reading these stories, we can see how others coped. We can benefit from their experiences. We can even share their stories with our children, giving them something to work for–if someone else can do it, so can I!
• We can learn ways to help our children overcome their challenges. There is a very common theme throughout the entire book that it is very important to find a job that fits with your strengths and interests. Temple includes an entire epilogue that addresses how to help people with autism find jobs that fit them well.

Additionally, I imagine adults who are on the spectrum will find a sense of camaraderie in this book. It may even allow some adults who have wondered “what’s wrong with them” find some help!

Now, here’s the great part. Future Horizons is offering a pre-release special on Dr. Grandin’s book! When you use my affiliate code HATS, you get a special pre-release price of $16.96! Plus, if you’re in the continental US, you also get free shipping! That code is also good for 15% off conferences, so you may want to look at the conference list here and see if there are any you’d like to take advantage of.

If you don’t remember “Where’s the beef?”, don’t tell me I’m old. How about, “Can you hear me now?” And, recently, folks have grabbed onto “There’s an app for that!”

Did you know there’s an app [computer application] for autism? Actually, there are hundreds of apps for autism, and author/speech therapist Lois Jean Brady, M.A., CCC-SLP has spent three years researching apps that benefit folks with autism and compiled her findings in Apps for Autism, a fantastic guide.

Here’s what I love about Apps for Autism:

• Lois tells you how to get started, assuming you are a complete beginner. If you’ve never held an iPhone, iPad, or iPod in your hand, it’s ok!
• Lois explains why Apple’s technology has become so useful to the autism community. The foreword by Samuel Sennott, co-creator of Proloquo2Go, and the introduction are compelling reads. How often can you say that about a book?
• The book is divided into categories so you can quickly find apps to meet your needs. Does your child need to strengthen auditory skills? Hit that section. Want to encourage creativity? There’s a section for that! There’s also a handy index.
• Each app listed has an information page telling you the name, creator, price, information from the developer, and reviews. Lois also adds notes at the bottom of things she thinks you need to know–like if the app doesn’t have audio, or she wishes it had more phrases.
• Lois sprinkles success stories throughout her book–stories that, though brief, are very powerful. Be warned, you may need a tissue! You will cheer for these kids as they order a meal by themselves for the first time, and you will see what is possible for your child.

Apps for Autism is both practical and powerful. Folks who work with special needs kids, whether or not on the autism spectrum, and parents can benefit greatly from the information Lois has gathered. It’s going to help a lot of families.

To learn more about Apps for Autism, you can visit its home on the web at Future Horizons. You can use my affiliate code HATS to receive 15%off, no minimum order. That puts the cost of Apps for Autism just over $25. If you’re in the continental US, you also get free shipping with that code!

I just felt a need to stop in and say “hi” to the best readers in the world! I don’t want you to think I’m ignoring you. Since I have started as Social Media Coordinator at Home Educating Family, my time for my blog has almost disappeared, along with personal time on Twitter!

I miss my friends.

But, please know that I am still busy advocating for autism and special needs! I have incorporated a special needs post over at Home Educating Family’s blog. You can find a post just for you every Saturday! I’ve lined up Paula Kluth, Amalia Starr, and Lisa Lewis to visit our blog! AND, I introduced the World Famous Bobbi Sheahan to my friends over there, and she recorded an episode of Life Plus Homeschooling for the FREE 24/7 online convention they are debuting in the Spring!

I miss chatting with you on Twitter and Facebook, but I believe God has brought this opportunity my way so I can help a mainstream company address the needs of the special needs community. Home Educating Family is excited about helping your families! Even if you are not a homeschooling family, you can still benefit from their blog, magazine, and soon-coming convention.

I am also working on a book with the aforementioned World Famous Bobbi Sheahan. So, dear readers, please know that as soon as I figure out the best way to schedule everything, I will be back to tweeting with you more!

In the meantime, I thank you for your patience and invite you over to Home Educating Family’s blog where you’ll find a very wide variety of topics being discussed!