April is Autism Awareness Month

Here are some resources for Autism Awareness Month.  Please feel free to contact us or talk to your service provider if you have concerns about Autism.  We do not diagnose, but we are able to provide feedback and share concerns we may have noticed as well.

New Resources Focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder

https://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=9985&id=17

The MCH Library at Georgetown University, with support from the Health Resources and Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau, released a new knowledge path and set of resource briefs about autism spectrum disorder. Released in time for Autism Awareness Month in April, the knowledge path directs readers to a selection of resources about ASD screening, diagnosis, treatment, care, and impact on family life. The knowledge path includes tools for health care practices; training; improving state systems and services; research; and finding data and statistics, journal articles, reports, and other materials. The knowledge path aims to help health professionals, program administrators, policymakers, and researchers learn more about ASD; to integrate what they know into their work in new ways to improve screening, diagnosis, treatment, and care; for program development; and to locate information to answer specific questions. The knowledge path is available at http://www.mchlibrary.org/KnowledgePaths/kp_autism.html.

Autism Spectrum Disorder and Children's Mental Health

http://www.aucd.org/template/event.cfm?event_id=7761&id=16

Monday, April 27, 2015, 2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

The Autism SIG will host a webinar which focuses on autism and co-morbid mental health conditions in children. We will focus on the challenges families face in accessing comprehensive services, as well as community and school based interventions.

WEBINAR ON THE EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF AUTISM

Dr. Ami Klin, director of the Marcus Autism Center, is one of the top researchers studying the first signs of autism in infants and toddlers. In this recorded webinar, Dr. Klin discusses the challenges and solutions for the early diagnosis of ASD and the critical role of early diagnosis and intervention in improving the symptoms of autism.

View a recording of the webinar:   http://iancommunity.org/ssc/webinar-early-diagnosis-autism

Know the Signs: Act Early
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html
This link will take you to links to milestones and red flags to watch for.

A Baby's Job is Play

Great information about what play does for a child's development from Kids Activity Blog!

50+ Ways for Babies to Play

FEBRUARY 27, 2015 BY RACHEL

Babies learn about the world by touching, tasting and moving in their worlds.

Here are some ideas of ways that you can be intentional in engaging and purposeful in interacting with your tot, to help them develop and gain confidence.

Engaging your Infant:

Treasure Baskets.  Fill a basket with objects from around the house for your kids to explore and discover.

Create color coordinated baskets of toys.  Watch your kids discover the color similarities.

Montessori and Mirrors.  Help your baby’s brain develop as they interact with a mirrored image of themselves.

Teething Necklaces.  These are easy to make and your baby will enjoy having something to chew on – perfect for a diaper bag!

Ways Babies Play

Play with Ice.  Babies are enthralled with different textures and temperatures.

All you need is ice and a bucket!

Muffin Tins Play.  Give your child objects for them to sort and put into muffin tin.

Kids love sorting colored balls in muffin tins.

Colored Bottles.  Seal colored water in bottles for your child to shake and explore.

Kids Learn their Colors

Matching Colors.  Young children can begin to recognize similarities and differences in objects with this color activity.

Snack and paint – use baby food as finger paint with your new eater.

Practice stacking.  Use chunks of food as building blocks with your baby.  They can put food on top of each other while they eat.

For older tots who are beginning to enjoy pretend play, consider creating an edible sandbox for them to explore.

Paint for babies to play.  Be daring, watch the kids smear and create.

Foster Independence in your Child

Fine Motor Bottle Toy.  Your tot can thread toothpicks or other small objects into a bottle.

Grab a pitcher.  Practice hand-eye-coordination as your tot pours.  As soon as they are able to hold a container, they will love seeing/feeling water pouring.

Baby Obstacle Course.  Use pillows and cushions to create an obstacle course for your child to navigate.

Grab a Bowl and a Ball.  Play a game of roly bowly as your kids swish the balls in the bowl.

Dumping.  As soon as babies learn to drop objects, they will love placing objects into tins and in-time, pouring.

This summer, add some fun to your child’s outdoor play with ice.  Add a shoestring to connect your ice cubes for more fun!

Stacking Up and Down.  Stack blocks on top of each other and watch your baby topple them over.

Play Ideas for Youngest Babies:

Finger Play - these are several different ways you can engage your baby, with only your fingers.

Explore Textures and Prints with a sensory mat made of a variety of animal themed fabrics.

Create a Texture wall.  Use embroidery hoops for a variety of textures – hang them low enough for your child to roll to and reach easily.

Create a Play Space.  Use mirrors and other brightly colored toys for your child to roll to and reach.

Toys to make for Babies:

Collection of Baby Buckets.  These are simple toys you can make for your toddler from recycled items.

Tugging Toy.  Make holes in a box and have strings with different textures and things tied to them for your child to pull.

Clipping Toy – toddlers love to clip buckles.

I Spy Bottle.  Talk to your baby about the objects they an see inside the bottle as they shake it.

Make a squishy bag.  Tape it to the tray on their seat for your kids to explore.

Alphabet matching puzzle.  Use foam letters to create a game for your young children.

Create a fabric game for your child to pull and play with a variety of textures.

http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/51125/50-ways-babies-play

Raise Your Kids Happy

I came across this post on Bless This Mess about Secrets to Raising Happy Kids a few weeks ago and it resonated with me.  Are we doing the things we need to so that our kids experience happy enough? You can find the whole article at the link below, I just want to share the main points.

http://www.blessthismessplease.com/2013/10/10-secrets-to-raising-happy-kids-2.html

Secret #1:
Find adventure together.  The unexpected adventures are the best and allow for great teaching moments.  Instead of getting upset about a difficult situation, help your child to see it as an adventure. This will help to decrease your child's stress as well as your stress.

Secret #2:
Date your kids.  What better way is there to help your child feel special than to give them one-on-one time with a parent?  You can plan a special "date" or just a trip to the grocery store or the library.  The important part is the time you give to each child.

Secret #3:
Don't fear dirt.  I attended a training a few years ago that pointed out that children today don't have the same opportunities to play outside as I did when I was young.  This situation was referred to as a "Nature Deficit".  There are so many opportunities to learn, play and de-stress by spending time outside and not worrying about the dirt.

Secret #4:
Don't be their only love.  If you have family close then you have lucky children!  If you don't, then help your children get to know other people in their neighborhood.  This will help them to feel safe and connected.  Some of my best friends when I was growing up were the retired couple who lived behind us and the elderly widow next door.  If anything good happened to me, they were some of the first people I would visit to tell them all about it and they were always willing to listen and celebrate with me.

Secret #5:
Let them create.  Children can be creative in so many ways: artistically, verbally, dramatically, and individually.  This is how children can find their passion, so encourage them to create and cheer them on.

Secret #6:
Let them be silly.  There are times when we don't want our children to be silly, but for the most part, silliness is a child's right.  Most adults understand a child's need to be silly and accept that, so let them be silly.  Don't worry about what other people think more than you worry about what your child thinks.  They need your acceptance to be themselves.

Secret #7:
Let them take the reins.  Children are constantly learning from us and seeing what we are interested in.  Sometimes we need to let them be in charge of a simple activity (making cookies, creating a fort, or leading story time).  This will teach them to be in charge of themselves in the future.

Secret #8:
Don't underestimate the little things.  The little things are those things that take hardly any energy, money or effort but mean so much to little ones.  Incorporate those things generously to help your child feel special.

Secret #9:
Let them be little.  It's okay if our children get tired or need help (again) with a task.  They are young and they are learning and sometimes that takes a lot of energy!

Secret #10:
Teach by example.  This one isn't really something we have to put extra effort into - it happens whether we want it to or not.  The secret is teaching by good example.  Are you doing what you want your child to learn?

Be sure to read the blog post for more information and for Melissa's perspective on these secrets.