What Are YOU Looking At?

Here is another selection from a page on the new, soon to be published Autism Games Website from the Advanced Games Section: 



Cariboo Cranium is a game that  we have used in our clinic to integrates pointing into a more complex thinking game.  This game is meant for children who are able to understand a complex set of rules and it is often harder to teach than it appears on this video clip.  In this version of the game, I am looking at a card which tells me what door can be opened but the girls playing cannot see the card.  They ask if they can open a door and I nod yes or shake my head no.

The game is meant to help children understand a bit about something that is often called Theory of the Mind.  Theory of the Mind refers to the awareness that different people have different "minds".  Each person knows different things because he or she has had different experiences and has seen and heard different things in life.  A poorly developed Theory of Mind would lead a child to believe that everyone knows and feels the same thing.  It may be that children with autism do not naturally develop as sophisticated Theory of the mind and for this reason, we have tried to include some games that are designed to help children understand that no two people see, hear, or think the same things This Cariboo game has several elements that tend to interest young children with autism.  It has doors that open, balls, and a treasure box that opens at the end. The game is not longer sold by Cariboo but I find the game often at the Goodwill (and I buy them up to give away).

Thank You to the SLP's at Children's Hospital

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to spend several hours with a couple dozen wonderful Speech Language Pathologists and one lovely Occupational Therapist--most of whom work for Children's Hospital in the Minneapolis area. These women provided me with the most valuable feedback regarding my website, Autism Games, that I have had to date. In exchange for my sharing some of what I have learned about providing parent inclusive therapy to young children with autism, they studied my website, tried some of the games with their patients, and gave me suggestions for improvements. My Website To Do list is long but exciting. I think I will be busy all summer making changes that, I hope, will make the site more user friendly, accessible, and valuable to therapist who want to share some of the games and ideas with families. I want to send a public Thank You to these great therapists!

Dear Parents

I have been wondering where this boat is going? I don't exactly see myself as captain on this trip because you are the ones with your children and I am just along for the ride--with my opinions, as numerous as they are, as mere suggestions on where you might go together. I long for more information about you, your children, your journey.

I see the numbers going up and up on my blog and website visit counter, so I know that many of you are reading this blog and visiting the autismgames website. I am really quite astonished by the numbers of visitors and how long some of you are staying. What I don't know is, are you trying any of the ideas? What happens when you do? Am I giving you enough information for you to be successful? Are you able to pick out games that are the right developmental level for your child? Do you need to see longer demonstrations or need to see the same game made easier for one child and made more complex for another? Do I need to create games with more easily acquired toys or materials? Can you integrate the game ideas here into the various intervention methods that you are using with your child? Can you get help modifying games that you see here from professionals that you see each week? Are you having fun with your child as you play together? Is your child learning new words, new gestures, new ways to be with you as you play?

I hope to get a feature added to the games so that you can rate games or comment quickly on each game, but I have not figured out how to do this--let me know if you have the technical solution that would make sense for gathering immediate feed back.

But for now, I hope you will take a moment to drop me a line--either here as a comment or directly by emailing me at autism.game@gmail.com. Help me know where I should go next with the autismgames project.

Thank you, to those who have emailed or commented and thank you to those of you who do so now.

Tahirih

What Will The Future Hold for My Child?

"You have seen a lot of kids with autism...."

When I hear this, I know I am going to be asked to predict a child's future. As the parent actually knows, this is impossible. I try to be encouraging because I know I am being told that a parent is scared about the future--or at least wants to be better prepared. I sometimes can predict that, unless something unforeseen occurs, a particular child will learn to talk or that it is becoming less likely that the child will learn to talk. I can and do tell parents what I believe in these cases. But I realize that I am usually hiding behind my profession when I narrow the question to one about verbal communication. The parent asking will be distracted by the answer but will go away with the bigger question still burning.

I often say, when I know the question is larger, "There is every reason to believe that your child can enjoy life, contribute to humanity, and grow and develop a wonderful character through the joys and difficulties that will surely come."

Sometimes, because I believe this but don't want this answer to be understood as cynical, I gently say, " My advice is to just enjoy today if you can. All we really know for sure is that we have this moment with this precious child. Don't waste today trying to imagine the future because no matter what you imagine, the future will not be anything like what you think."

This second answer is one of the reasons that I believe in play. Play can prepare a child for a better future. But play is good right now, too. If you play today, this will be a good day.

Below is a You Tube clip of a count down game that you can show your child and then play together everyday until New Years. Or longer if your child likes the game. I think it is easier for children to engage in pretend play about a holiday after the holiday is past because, especially for a young child, the holiday does not make much sense until after it occurs. Start a simple calendar with your child if you don't already have one. Mark down the days until the New Year. More about making a calendar tomorrow...

Grandma's Books

Grandma Lillian did not have any income in her later years but lived with one or another of her children and they took care of her basic needs. She was a treasure in the family and the family knew it but she lived without many material things in her personal possession. In her seventies, she learned that she would qualify to receive social security money. So, after years of having no money, she was excited when she suddenly had a check for several hundred dollars. When she got her first check, she immediately ordered books, buying a whole stack of a book called Children the Challenge by Rudolf Dreikurs, MD. She then gave a copy of this book to many, many young parents that she knew. She thought that parenting children was so important and she was excited to be able to support this important work. Grandma, I have not come close in my lifetime to achieving your generosity of spirit but my website, autismgames, is my stack of books.