Video Modeling Lego Duplo Truck

Good Books to hep you Autistic Child at Home

I'm always in the look for new books to help me at home. More and more I go to workshops or talk with parents I see there is a huge lack of education from the parents understanding not just the way Autistic kids learn but also understanding what ABA is, what Speech therapy is, how to deal with behavior and so on.
Something that many parents don't get is that kids with Autism learn different and have different approach to learning.

So with that in mind when we see books is not one fit all because of course even Autistic kids have different personalities. But the more  we can educate ourselves more we can help our children to succeed in their own way.

A good way to start is making a checking list of what your child knows and what he doesn't know.






To some people visuals are hard but there are books that help a lot with that with cds with  ready made materials for you. Specially to help getting reading started a topic that is really hard to autistic kids.




I read many books about ABA but this is a really good one that explains the steps of ABA easier than other ones.



I spend a lot of money on books but much of what I know is in part from these books. I think they are a  investment  not just for parents but for the child as well.


I also have a new file at Teachers Pay Teachers: Learning the Alphabet Basic Level Vol 1

Check it out HERE.

Thanks

Jana

FREE File Learning to Count Objects Basic

I did another free file on the series of learning to count objects. This is one is more basic level and more ABA style a better approach, is specially good for lower functioning kids.
There are many objects that can help us with that many that we have at home already.
The file come also with 2 pictures and some tutorial how can you use the file.

Some toys that are great for this,

Wood Blocks,

There are many option to vary the technique you don't want to use the same thing over and over they will get tired of the activity.

DOWNLOAD HERE 

Enjoy !

Road to Learn numbers with Number Sequence

 Something that is easy for kids to learn is to count, is pretty much a memorization thing. My son is doing a pretty good job at saying the numbers he got the memorization down, but once that part is done I think than starts the hard job, knowing the sequence of numbers and understanding numbers value.
I started to shop and create files to help to introduce him that concept. This goal by the way is on his EIP. EIP goals pretty much just talk about saying numbers but is equally important to make sure that your child understand the numbers.

So I created this file

Which is Vol 2 and you can see the Vol. 1 HERE. Which will be 28% off for two days with code TAD13 starting tomorrow.

I got this cookie jar very cute. You can find  many cookie jars toys but this one I liked for several reasons: it has 2 games and counts the cookies also the actual cookies has a number printed on one side and the other side the quantity. So it's a toy that can start with the basic level and last for more.

Counting bears is great for that as well and also working on matching colors with the 5 cups that come with it.

I hope that gives you some ideas.
Jana

Teaching the meaning of Numbers

We all want our kids to count with Autistic kids something they grab really fast is the memorization of speaking number sequence like 1,2,3...
But the real work is making them understand the value of numbers and also put the numbers in the correct order by themselves.
So many times they know how to count, but if you scramble numbers do they know to put the numbers in order?
I started to think about things we could do at home.
So I did 2 files and one of them free which is a great companion.
The first one is Learning Numbers 1-2 Basic Level vol 1 which first is matching numbers, matching the values of the numbers and more advanced the child creates the value herself.

You can check more samples  HERE.

I did a FREE File Learning to count Mats vol 1 FREE which is a great companion.
It's basically mats that you can use objects like buttons, beads, anything for the child to put the right
amount on the mats and as a bonus I've included 2 color match sorting mat.

I did as vol 1 because I hope to do some more. Download FREE HERE.

Blocks Video Modeling 1

Video modeling using Larsen Toylab Shape Match Blocks

Mega Bloks Learn and Build + Free Sequence Cards

I saw this on sale at Target and could not resist. I think it's a great way to start using sequence blocks and also for the kids that are on the first stages of knowing words and spelling. 

Of course with Autistic kids that have low play skills I think is good to start with blocks that are straight forward with directions and play, what I mean is that with this toy there is not a lot of pretend involved but rather is about getting used to letters and words.

But even better is to have sequence cards specially to low level play skills kids like my son.

Once they learn to use the sequence cards that can be one activity they can use on their independent activity schedule.

The only bad thing is that I wish we have enough blocks to not use two letters in one block and two designs together that can be confusing but I guess you can buy two sets. (I didn't know that would be that way).

I did sequence for all the 3 letter worlds: cat,dog,car,bus

Once you print them I used a simple picture album for target less than $2 

the important thing is when the word changes from cat to dog for example let a blank space between them to make it clear the activity stop and other start.

- At put just the letters you are using. Very simple than as the child gets better start putting together with other letter so the child can look for the correct ones.

- You have to use the same colors as in the pictures.

You can get all the pictures to do the sequence for cat, dog, car and bus HERE.

More to come later.

Thanks

Independent Activity Schedule

It's  a fact that independent activity schedule works for any kid, but specially for kids with Autism. As soon the child is in a program is the first thing they start to set up so the child can learn to do independent tasks and learn to play by themselves.
I believe a lot in this system even for typical children how often children get so dependent on us to play. Also for older kids you can include harder tasks that will help their concentration. I would start small here I started with 4 bins although in school he does more at home is always a  different scenario. Also
in the case of Autistic kids takes them off of that doing nothing because they don't know how to play.

There are many resources that can help I think the first and very detailed one on how to set up and use is

I think is great for you to set up the whole thing.
After that we need ideas on what kind of activities, I try to put activities that will improve all areas, so I use activities for fine motor skills, gross motor skills visual perception and so on.. We can talk more about this. But there is books that also have great ideas.

Another name people call activity schedule is shoe box activities because this containers kind of are the size of a shoe box

Many activities we can do ourselves doing file folder style activities

That we can laminate and do ourselves. Here is a great post with some ideas.

Activities:
Lacing beads. matching, color matching, pop beads, fine motor skills activities, puzzles, sequence, patterns and goes on depends on the level of the child more they learn more you can make it harder.

Here is another website with tons of ideas.
I think what I 've noticed is that more you have experience more you know what types of toys or activities work for IAS.


Jana