Hopefully not too long before I can post again. A very close family member was involved in a car accident. Everything's pretty much okay... some whiplash... no hospitals stays.
But it means I'm going to need to be away from the computer for a couple of weeks to help out this family member.
So...
I'll be back in mid-December with more info. Until then, Happy Holidays, Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas... wait...
:)
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Ritalin of no long term benefit
That's what the headline to this article says.
To sum up, the study this article is talking about says that, although drugs like Ritalin may work well in the short-term, in the long-term (3 years by this study), they "brought about no demonstrable improvement in children's behaviour". The drugs also "could stunt growth".
Why am I putting this in a blog devoted to autism spectrum disorders? Several reasons.
First, ADHD runs in my family, and I know some people reading this blog might be affected by this.
More importantly, this study raises questions about the concept of drugging our children to improve behavior, something that very much effects the autism spectrum community. I didn't know autistic children were being put on anti-psychotic medications until recently, mostly due to the story of Krissy, the inspiration for Timberdoodle's autism center.
I guess I don't need to say it, but I will. This strikes me as very wrong. I mean wrong in the Forced-Hugs and Electrical-Shocks-Until-You-Say-The-Right-Word kind of wrong.
And what will happen if it turns out that these drugs do more harm than good? Those who pushed them will shrug and say, "We only wanted the best for your kids." Then they'll go on that lovely cruise they've been meaning to take.
To sum up, the study this article is talking about says that, although drugs like Ritalin may work well in the short-term, in the long-term (3 years by this study), they "brought about no demonstrable improvement in children's behaviour". The drugs also "could stunt growth".
Why am I putting this in a blog devoted to autism spectrum disorders? Several reasons.
First, ADHD runs in my family, and I know some people reading this blog might be affected by this.
More importantly, this study raises questions about the concept of drugging our children to improve behavior, something that very much effects the autism spectrum community. I didn't know autistic children were being put on anti-psychotic medications until recently, mostly due to the story of Krissy, the inspiration for Timberdoodle's autism center.
I guess I don't need to say it, but I will. This strikes me as very wrong. I mean wrong in the Forced-Hugs and Electrical-Shocks-Until-You-Say-The-Right-Word kind of wrong.
And what will happen if it turns out that these drugs do more harm than good? Those who pushed them will shrug and say, "We only wanted the best for your kids." Then they'll go on that lovely cruise they've been meaning to take.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Where are we now?
It's been a busy weekend and it's a busy day today as well. This week our focus is on fine motor skills and finding a way for me to do therapy during the day. One option is hiring a babysitter for a couple hours, twice a week, in the afternoon. Has anyone out there had any experience with this? Any thoughts?
No daycare. I've heard too many stories. I'd rather bully my husband into working from home twice a week for the next six months.
Also, has anyone heard anything about equine therapy? I'm considering it as a supplement to our main therapy. I will Google it, but I'd also like personal anecdotes if anyone has them.
A final note: the Autism Treatment Center has come out with a new developmental model... and I love it! It is so much better than the first edition. The first one, though helpful, was a bit difficult to understand at times and not very user-friendly. This one is much better, and seems designed to easily fit in with whatever paperwork you've created for your child's program. Makes creating a curriculum much easier. I'm printing out two copies of the addendum for our girls. In a few months, I'll write about how it's worked out in practice.
No daycare. I've heard too many stories. I'd rather bully my husband into working from home twice a week for the next six months.
Also, has anyone heard anything about equine therapy? I'm considering it as a supplement to our main therapy. I will Google it, but I'd also like personal anecdotes if anyone has them.
A final note: the Autism Treatment Center has come out with a new developmental model... and I love it! It is so much better than the first edition. The first one, though helpful, was a bit difficult to understand at times and not very user-friendly. This one is much better, and seems designed to easily fit in with whatever paperwork you've created for your child's program. Makes creating a curriculum much easier. I'm printing out two copies of the addendum for our girls. In a few months, I'll write about how it's worked out in practice.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
apple seeds and language
We've been using Saxon Math 1 for our math curriculum this year. So far, I'm highly impressed with the approach and the teaching materials. Each and every lesson builds on what's come before, even more than most public school texts. For example, in Math 1, they teach the idea of "balance" inside an equation through apple seeds. It's done almost as a side note to the main lesson... at first. The main lesson is about graphing. However, in the illustration within the graph, you're always dividing the apple down the middle, recording the amount of seeds you found in each side. It's a great introduction to addition and has really helped more than I would have imagined.
Just today, Sarah, for the first time without my assistance or prodding, used different approaches to the same answer.
One of the things about autism is the intense need for structure. This is found in things always being a certain way, or events always following a certain path. One of the things Saxon Math 1 has been stressing in our math lessons is the idea that there are different ways to get to the same answer. There are rules you have to follow, of course, but the idea that there is more than one way to look at things is something we've had a hard time learning in this house. I'm so thrilled that Sarah has joyfully (and without any prodding from me) learned that concept when it comes to numbers sentences.
I'm so impressed by Saxon Math for our kids that I think I'm going to invest in the Kindergarten program and switch Rachel to that.
More tomorrow.
Just today, Sarah, for the first time without my assistance or prodding, used different approaches to the same answer.
One of the things about autism is the intense need for structure. This is found in things always being a certain way, or events always following a certain path. One of the things Saxon Math 1 has been stressing in our math lessons is the idea that there are different ways to get to the same answer. There are rules you have to follow, of course, but the idea that there is more than one way to look at things is something we've had a hard time learning in this house. I'm so thrilled that Sarah has joyfully (and without any prodding from me) learned that concept when it comes to numbers sentences.
I'm so impressed by Saxon Math for our kids that I think I'm going to invest in the Kindergarten program and switch Rachel to that.
More tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
The First Post
A long time ago, I said I'd create a blog so that others could keep up with what we're currently doing in our home-based therapy for our two children, Rachel and Sarah.
Here it is. :)
My goal is to write something in this every day, even if it's fairly small and apparently insignificant. I've been learning that the small things matter more than we think they do. Topics will include the current status of our program (so that I will feel a greater sense of accountability), books on autism as well as other media, websites and blogs related to autism spectrum disorders, and general news and info regarding autism spectrum disorders.
So, that's the dry organizational stuff. Now, a brief overview of who we are.
I am Amy, sometimes known as cavamil. I have two daughters, named Rachel and Sarah, who are both in the autistic spectrum. They are both pretty high-functioning now, though we still struggle at times. Self-stimulating behaviors (like flapping hands and spinning) are still there; however, there's a lot more eye contact and interaction than there was even a year ago. We've come a long way, though we still have a long way to go.
We've chosen to use the Son-Rise Method™ for our developmental program. It resonates with a lot of our values and it makes more sense to us than ABA. We've chosen SR over Floortime or RDI™ for several reasons: cost, support, intensity, and because this therapy, more than the others, emphasizes the role of parents in helping their children. I don't want to get into what we have gone through with "experts": it will just depress me. There are a few doctors and therapists out there (I've met them) who know what they're doing, but the best results we've found have been when we've taken things into our own hands.
For the past year, our program has been struggling. We've been using the principles on an informal basis and that's helped immensely. Time in the playroom (where therapy occurs) has been extremely limited due to many factors. We've been advertising for volunteers to help and have gotten a couple responses.
That's all the time I have for now. More tomorrow. :)
Here it is. :)
My goal is to write something in this every day, even if it's fairly small and apparently insignificant. I've been learning that the small things matter more than we think they do. Topics will include the current status of our program (so that I will feel a greater sense of accountability), books on autism as well as other media, websites and blogs related to autism spectrum disorders, and general news and info regarding autism spectrum disorders.
So, that's the dry organizational stuff. Now, a brief overview of who we are.
I am Amy, sometimes known as cavamil. I have two daughters, named Rachel and Sarah, who are both in the autistic spectrum. They are both pretty high-functioning now, though we still struggle at times. Self-stimulating behaviors (like flapping hands and spinning) are still there; however, there's a lot more eye contact and interaction than there was even a year ago. We've come a long way, though we still have a long way to go.
We've chosen to use the Son-Rise Method™ for our developmental program. It resonates with a lot of our values and it makes more sense to us than ABA. We've chosen SR over Floortime or RDI™ for several reasons: cost, support, intensity, and because this therapy, more than the others, emphasizes the role of parents in helping their children. I don't want to get into what we have gone through with "experts": it will just depress me. There are a few doctors and therapists out there (I've met them) who know what they're doing, but the best results we've found have been when we've taken things into our own hands.
For the past year, our program has been struggling. We've been using the principles on an informal basis and that's helped immensely. Time in the playroom (where therapy occurs) has been extremely limited due to many factors. We've been advertising for volunteers to help and have gotten a couple responses.
That's all the time I have for now. More tomorrow. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)