Discover why children with autism may roll their eyes upward, exploring potential causes and management strategies.
Research suggests dance movement therapy may help children with autism to improve social skills, self-regulation, and body awareness.
5 great gift ideas for autistic kids: get equipped with a gift guide for toys that engage the different senses of autistic children!
From the graceful arc of a thrown ball to the intricate dance of a leaf in the wind, movement captivates us all. For children, especially those on the autism spectrum, this fascination with movement can be particularly pronounced, often manifesting as a deep interest in throwing objects, exploring force and motion, or engaging in repetitive movements. This fascination is often linked to the development of the trajectory schema, a cognitive framework that helps us understand and predict the path of moving objects.
Help your students learn to self regulate their emotions with these movement and sensory break visuals, created using Smarty Symbols this listing is perfect for students with autism. Sensory and movement breaks can be used for both alerting and calming students in your classroom. Suitable for special education, early Intervention, classrooms or home use. Use these visuals throughout the day to teach your students to self regulate in addition to helping students deal with big emotions. This listing Includes: 1) Movement + Sensory Break Visuals: -15 Movement Break visuals -15 Sensory Break visuals -13 Oral Motor Activities visuals -15 Emotion Visuals 3 Versions of each page included: 1x color round edge, 1x color square edge for quick prep, 1x black and white version for saving ink SENSORY: Deep breaths, Body sock, Squeeze toy, light toy, liquid toy, music, book, therapy band, sensory box, blanket, squeezes, sensory toy, deep pressure, beanbag, sensory swing. MOVEMENT: Slither like a snake, Crab walk, Bear walk, Frog jumps, Gallop, Army crawl, Stretch, Wall pushups, March on spot, Walk, Stepping stones, Jumping Jacks, Bounce on a ball, Roll on a ball, Trampoline. ORAL MOTOR: Chewy tube, blow bubbles, kazoo, vibrating chewy, whistle, crunchy snack, gum, blow pinwheel, drink with a straw, oral motor exercises, make faces in mirror, harmonica, blow up a balloon. FEELINGS: Frustrated, angry, silly, tired, bored, anxious, fidgety, worried, scared, happy, interested, pleased, proud, thankful. (Note: 5 positive emotions have been included as you may find them useful for other purposes) Visuals are 4.5cm x 4.5cm 2) Choice Boards: Great for whole class use/ sensory/ take a break corner -Relax and take a break board (attach 8 break visuals using Velcro) -Feelings and Emotions board (attach 8 emotion visuals using Velcro) Great for individual student use -Take a break choice board (attach 8 visuals, students choice an emotion and a break card and attach it to the boxes at the bottom) - Small break choices board (attach 4 visuals, purple and blue included) -I feel...I can...to get myself ready to learn (student choices a feeling and a break visual, B/W, purple and blue versions). 3) Simple everyday use visuals -6x Break Visuals For students who are not yet able to choose a specific break. -6x Help Visuals To allow students to request for help from an adult. Visuals can be cut, laminated and be stored on the black and white version of the visuals using Velcro. Alternativly you may like to stick the visuals onto popsticks for students to choose from. Please see preview before making a purchase :) ***************************************************************************** Related Products: Seasonal Movement Break Cards ***************************************************************************** Customer Tips: How to get TPT credit to use on future purchases: Please go to your My Purchases page (you may need to login). Beside each purchase you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Simply click it and you will be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a short comment for the product. Each time you give feedback, TPT gives you feedback credits that you use to lower the cost of your future purchases. I value your feedback greatly as it helps me determine which products are most valuable for your classroom so I can create more for you. ☺ ***************************************************************************** Click here to Follow me and be the first to know about my new discounts, freebies and product launches. *****************************************************************************
This simple, 8-minute morning workout for kids helps improve focus and learning. Includes printer friendly instructions & poster.
What Is Stimming? Stimming refers to self-stimulatory behaviors that involve repetitive movements and sounds. Although stimming is most commonly associated with autism, it can also be found in non-autistic individuals. For instance, tapping your feet when nervous is an example of stimming. However, when talking about stimming in
Discover the 50 Best Questions about Autism! Get the Answers, from basics such as ‘What is Autism?’ to more detailed ones about diagnosis, treatments and more.
Activists argue that rather than trying to 'cure' or treat the neurodivergent, society should learn to accept, appreciate, and accommodate their needs.
What Is Stimming? Stimming refers to self-stimulatory behaviors that involve repetitive movements and sounds. Although stimming is most commonly associated with autism, it can also be found in non-autistic individuals. For instance, tapping your feet when nervous is an example of stimming. However, when talking about stimming in
Diagnosis rates for autism continue to rise, as parents and professionals become more familiar with the symptoms of high-functioning autism.
In 2018 as we got closer to National Autism Awareness month, a new movement began. #RedInstead is a movement to support Autistic individuals, not Autism Speaks. Today we answer the question of What is #RedInstead.
A brain region responsible for processing visual observations of others' movements then mapping those movements upon one's own body schema is significantly less activated in children with autism spectrum disorder, compared to typically-developing children and to children with another developmental motor disorder, according to a new study by a team of USC and UCLA researchers.
Teaching imitation to children with autism is critical but yet challenging. Here are some tips to help teaching imitation to learners with ASD.
Understand the different types of stimming, including visual, auditory, tactile to verbal and some examples of stimming behavior. Read more.
Children on the autism spectrum may not always process bodily movements correctly, especially if they are distracted by something else.
Do you need to increase eye contact in a child with autism? Try these fun and engaging ways to increase eye contact for better communication.
A new method diagnosing autism re-analyzes MRI scans via AI to detect the movements of proteins, nutrients and other processes in the brain that may indicate the condition
This 7 minute animal themed HIIT workout for kids improves emotional regulation and reduces meltdowns. Loved by OTs, teachers, and parents alike!
Join us in April to celebrate World Autism Awareness Month! Discover Autism Awareness Month Activities, resources and tips to help spread awareness autism!
Did you watch the series God Friended me where there was this non-verbal autistic boy who wandered away from home and went to a piano-playing event to play
Constipation is infrequent or difficult bowel movements that can cause discomfort, often due to factors like low fiber intake or dehydration. Treatment typically involves increasing fiber and water intake or using prescribed laxatives.
Also known as ‘brain breaks’ & ‘movement breaks’, these sensory break activities develop gross motor skills, improve self-regulation & help with behavior management in the classroom while also helping kids focus & learn!
Research suggests dance movement therapy may help children with autism to improve social skills, self-regulation, and body awareness.
Teaching kids with autism may mean working with nonverbal students. Here are 9 strategies for effectively working with students with severe nonverbal autism.
Need help putting research about combining motor movement & math skills into practice? Here are 3 ideas ways to implement motor math activities.
Join us in April to celebrate World Autism Awareness Month! Discover Autism Awareness Month Activities, resources and tips to help spread awareness autism!
Our birth injury lawyers have experience winning clients compensation for spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy cases. Call us: 1-800-535-1797.
The COVID-19 Pandemic has led to significant changes in daily life for children, youth, and their families.
No....this mini series isn't about getting married....in the special ed world, we know that elopement is just a fancy word for running away. This is one of the most challenging behaviors to deal with in a school setting as it is disruptive and can be very dangerous. As a consultant in a school district, this is one of the most common issues I get called in to help with. As some of you may already know from reading my blog, I do not like to be put in a position where I have to be re-active on the fly to challenging behavior. I would rather PREVENT the behavior from occurring in the first place...and then if the behavior still occurs (which it most likely will), I want a specific plan laid out so everyone in my classroom knows what to do. This mini series of posts will cover identifying function/replacement behavior for elopement, simple to implement prevention strategies, and creating a safety plan. As we discussed in my last post, identifying the function of the behavior and teaching a replacement behavior are key ways to reduce elopement, but today we will talk about some simple strategies you can implement to prevent the behavior from occurring in the first place. 1) Arranging the environment. The student who elopes should be seated away from the door. Use furniture to make the door slightly harder to get to (not saying you should block the door with furniture, but if you use furniture to define the different spaces in your room, you most likely will avoid having a straight shot pathway to the door). You may want to consider placing some window chimes on the door so you can hear when it opens as well...this may not prevent elopement, but will at least speed up your reaction time if it does occur. 2) Visuals. As I mentioned in my last post, keeping visuals by the door or easily accessible around the room can help your student communicate their wants/needs. This may help to increase functional communication and also decrease running. Two visuals I always keep by my door are one for "water" and "bathroom." I have had a few students who don't run often, but when they do, it is for one of these two reasons. Having these visuals by the door is a prompt for them to grab one and bring it over to me or another adult before leaving the classroom. If your student seems to be running out of the room to visit a certain person/classroom or to get access to something, put a picture of the person or object right by the door. Then, when they pick this up and give it to you (you may need to teach them to do this), make sure to honor their request and at least go look for the person or object they are requesting. It may also be helpful to have visuals on the door such as a stop sign or a visual reminder to ask a teacher before leaving the classroom. 3) Increase engagement in the classroom. You want your classroom to have it going on and be the place all your students WANT to be. Find activities that are motivating and related to your students' interests. If your student loves Pokemon or angry birds, make their handwriting worksheets with pictures of these characters and have them write words related to these topics. Find ways to incorporate academics into hands-on activities or games (my kids always loved cooking!). If the function of your student's elopement seems to be for escape, try reducing the amount of demands that are placed on him or her during the day or reducing the amount of work he/she has to complete (these can always be faded back in later...but for now, let's just see if it makes a difference in reducing this dangerous behavior). 4) Always reinforce the appropriate replacement behavior. I know I mentioned this earlier, but it is that important. We can't expect our students to change their patterns of behavior unless their requests are honored. Remember, if it is easier to get what they want by running, they will continue to run. We need to make the replacement behavior the easier option in order to get them to decrease running. 5) Schedules. Have a visual schedule to increase the predictability of the day for your student. If you think running needs to be a part of their day, schedule it into their day at regular times. 6) Schedule in attention. If your student seems to be running to gain attention, try giving them attention regularly to prevent them from needing to run in order to get some face time with you. You can download apps on your phone for interval training or use a Motivaider to provide you with reminders. For instance, if you set your interval app to go off every 10 minutes, when you feel the vibration, you can simply walk over to the student, give them a little attention, and then go back about your business. In ABA, we call this noncontingent attention which basically means the student doesn't have to do anything to get the attention...you are just giving out some freebies to try and prevent them from needing to engage in an inappropriate behavior in order to get it. 7) Communication within your building. Talk to your administrator as well as staff that your student comes in contact with when running. For example, make sure the cafeteria staff know not to give him snacks when he comes in without an adult (yes...this happened) or tell staff who encounter him in the hallway to call for back up, but avoid interacting or chasing the student (especially if you think the function of the behavior is for attention). If the severity of the behavior warrants it, you may want to send an email to staff within the building letting them know what to do if they see the student without an adult present. 8) Staff coverage. Any students who elope should be accounted for by a staff member at all times of the day. Make sure that on your staff schedules they know not only what activities they are doing during the day, but also what students they are assigned to. As much as I love my Fitbit steps, I would prefer NOT to get them from running after students. Let me know if you have any other tips that worked for you in your classroom. Email me [email protected] with pictures and I would love to add them to this post!
Research suggests dance movement therapy may help children with autism to improve social skills, self-regulation, and body awareness.
INTEROCEPTION: THE EIGHTH SENSORY SYSTEM by Kelley Mahler Sit back and close your eyes. What do you feel inside your body? Is your heart beating fast or slow? Are you breathing deeply or shallowly? Do you have to go to the bathroom? Are your muscles tense or loose? How does your stomach feel? Most of us are able to feel…
Does EMDR Help with Anxiety? And does it help neurodivergent people? EMDR therapy supports people with a trauma-informed lens.
Understanding “autism” as a sensory-movement disability, rather than as a social disability, might help autistic people to not only better understand ourselves, but to better understand other autis…
A Jar Full of Feelings is a visual sensory regulation activity to help children recognize and respond appropriately to their feelings.
