#autismtips

Getting Creative in My Home

by Theresa Yeager

I love that we have moved into a bigger space and have room to get creative with sensory toys at home. Everyone loves this swing! 🙂

It was super easy to do and cost very little. I know – a sensory item that doesn’t break the bank. That’s a shocker for sure! But here’s the thing, you really don’t need to purchase prepackaged, high priced sensory toys from a specialized company. The one time I did – the product didn’t last but a few months anyway. So I gave up. Oh I will continue to check things out. But really those companies don’t make things that can withstand the rigorous needs of my Boy without sending the price through the roof. Thankfully Hubby is handy.

How we made our swing

I wanted a round swing so that I didn’t need to worry about corners and my walls. Just my preference. Hubby cut a circle out of 3/4″ plywood in the diameter that we felt was big enough for the Boy to play on and lay on, but small enough to fit in our space without smashing into the walls.
We drilled 4 holes in the plywood for heavy duty rope to be thread through to hang the plywood platform.
Hardware we chose
Get yourself heavy duty hardware for the ceiling attachment and make sure you find a joist to attach everything to! This is not a place to cut corners. We found what we needed for under $50 on Amazon and our local hardware store that caters to the farming community. You would rather the load it can handle be too high than too low. We chose hardware that allowed for the swing to spin as well as swing.
Cover the platform with carpet or heavy duty material. Cut holes in your covering to match the holes in the plywood. We singed the edges of our material so they would not fray.
Thread your rope through your holes in the swing and attach it to the hardware in your ceiling making sure it is high enough not to scrape on the ground while swinging but not so high that it’s difficult to get on and off! The goal is for your child to use it independently so that he can self-regulate.

Done!

Who would have thought it could be that simple? I sure didn’t, but we are certainly loving the results ♥

Nonverbal Autism makes car rides tricky

by Theresa Yeager

I load the car and hope that everything goes as planned. A favorite snack is ready to go; drink and electronic device are positioned where they are easily accessible. His backpack is in the trunk with the coat, boots and socks he needs for school. Car diffuser is running with Grounding essential oil blend in it. What’s so tricky about that? How could this possibly go amiss? Because people with Autism like their routine, this setup brings the comfort of consistency to My Boy. The problem is that today some of my other kids are riding in the car with him too.

Thankfully, my Daughter and Teen know to stay completely silent for the entire trip. They know that they can not have an electronic device for the drive and they can not have anything to eat. They will sit in silence and read for the half hour we are on our journey together.

The most difficult part is that My Boy needs to sit in the front seat instead of his usual seat in the back. I can’t risk putting him next to my Daughter. In all honesty, My Boy does better riding in the front than riding in the back next to someone anyway – so the system seems to work.

After he’s done yelling at me.

I’ve said it before – every action, every behavior – is communication. So how does my nonverbal, 12 year old child with Autism tell me he doesn’t like to ride in the front seat? How will he express to me that he doesn’t like the change in routine?

Simple, he’ll hit me.

If he is mildly annoyed it will be a light tap on my arm while he bites his hand. The angrier he is, the harder he will hit me with his hand, his head, his device or even his food. He will also use hair pulling, pinching and biting if he feels that I am not listening to him.

What is an Autism Momma to do?

I am very sorry fellow Autism parents. I have no amazing words of wisdom to get your through tough car rides. I try to have a ‘special’ snack for him on days that I know the drive will be tough. I will also try my best to keep it as part of the routine – other kids are in the car on Tuesdays for example.

As he is yelling at me with his behavior, I tell him that I am listening to him. I will say over and over again that I know he is angry/upset. I think it is paramount for us as Autism parents to remember that our nonverbal children need to know that they are heard. That what they are saying through their actions is important. Since I know he is struggling and being stern with him is only going to escalate his behavior, I will gently remind him that he needs to talk nicely to me.

Above all, you need to stay safe. You can not safely drive if you are being pummeled. Pull over if you need to. Make an unexpected stop in a parking lot and get out and walk.

Getting to your destination is not more important than your life.

Child Lock

by Theresa Yeager

I must say this video shows a great idea for keeping kids from emptying their dresser. I do like the idea that my son will go into a drawer to grab himself a new shirt if he needs it. I don’t like the idea of having him empty ALL of his clothes onto the floor.

My added problem? He wets the bed, wakes, strips, and throws his wet clothes on the floor too. Then in the morning… or the middle of the night… he will empty his clothes onto the pile of wet stuff. Now everything is smelly. I think I would modify this and give him access to one drawer. In that drawer he would have just 1 change of clothes. Then he could be independent, and I could stay sane 😉

A Sensory Sock

by Theresa Yeager

I have a monstrous bag of white rice in the corner of my kitchen. I bought it for some project months ago that I never got around to. I can’t even remember what the project was now! I tried giving it away cause we don’t eat rice and I couldn’t find a taker. So there it sat, taking up space and reminding me of another idea that fell by the wayside.

With dad in the hospital, eating crappy hospital food – I had an ingenious idea. I would bring him a good home cooked meal to lift his spirits. So I made this great meal, and then realized that the hospital is an hour away. And it was 25 degrees outside. HA! I can use the rice!

So I filled an old sock with the rice. Just one of many in a box by the washer because it’s mate had mysteriously disappeared. I tied it closed and microwaved it for 5 minutes. Put the sock in a cooler bag with the meal and it stayed nice and warm until dad ate it almost 1 1/2 hours later. Man did that feel good!

What felt even better was when I got home that afternoon and The Boy discovered the sock. He thought it was the best thing EVER. He swung it around. He held it on his lap. He smashed it onto his back and his shoulders. He spun in circles holding it out to his side. He held it in his mouth and swung his head back and forth.

And he was calmer then I had seen him in weeks.

We have a winner!

So I made him another one. But my Teen grabbed it and asked if it could be his since it ‘was’ made from his sock. Surprised by his request, I agreed and went to get another sock. I mean, I have quite a few to choose from! Then my daughter wanted one. Then the baby. So now everyone has a sock filled with rice to play with. Several actually.

I even started adding essential oils to them so that they would smell amazing. Some are dressed as babies, some are used as fidgets and my Boy – well he is using it as an amazing Sensory Sock.

My hubby protected my TV!!

by Theresa Yeager

If you have a kiddo like my Boy, you know that electronics break way too easily. We have busted iPads, iPods, televisions, DVD players, telephones, clocks – you name it and it has been broken. Autism can affect a child’s ability to understand that when they throw something it will break. The whole ‘be gentle’ thing is not something they can do effectively. Not because they don’t want to, but because many times a kid has sensory issues and they don’t ‘get’ that they aren’t being careful. Or maybe the Autism is interfering with their ability to fully understand cause and effect. There are many reasons, but the bottom line is that things break often around kids who suffer with Autism.

My hubby has come up with a way to overcome ONE challenge.

The busted TV

Isn't it beautiful? A protected TV :) — Isn’t it beautiful? A protected TV 🙂

Now I purposely left the beat up wall in the picture. Why? To give you an idea of what we deal with. My boy is rough. He throws toys and bangs his head into the wall. Our house is beat up. And this setup is working wonders!! He has smashed and bashed his head and hands on the TV. He has his it with his iPod – yeah I know, Griffin cases rock 😉

This protective cover is a sheet of plexiglass with metal edging to protect the sharp edges attached to the wall with gutter screw spacers. They are a plastic tubes that enable you to screw the object tight to the wall while still being a certain space away from the wall. Worked like a charm 🙂

Can’t say enough about how well this is working for us 🙂 Let me know if you try it and how it is working for YOU!!