Help Your Autistic Child Learn through Playing Editorial by Kamau Austin

I remember in college learning that children learn through playing. A leading writer on child development D.W. Winnicolt expressed how children developed a sense of self and reality through playing.

Perhaps not doing justice to his insights his basic premise goes something like the following. Since a child's every need is supplied by the mother (in most cases), a baby sees itself as part of the Mother Baby Unit.

In other words a baby can't really distinguish itself from its mother because the mother is supplying and meeting the baby's every need. In short the Baby sees his/her mother as an extension of itself.

However once a baby starts to play with and manipulate other objects it learns it is a separate being. It begins to understand it can shape the environment around it. The baby begins to understand true reality through playing.

Therefore playing is indispensable in the development of "the self" for all children. Playing of course is very important to autistic children for these and other reasons. See the article below about a great ecommerce site that specializes in creating toys for autistic children.

Play for Children with Autism by Lesley Burton

Kids with autism really benefit from learning through play but many of us are unsure about what we should do - but with Sensetoys to help, getting started is easy!

Most of us have limited time to spend looking for the kinds of toys and activities that will help to develop the children in our care. When my second son was diagnosed with autism I spent a lot of time looking for suitable toys for children with autism. I was looking for activities to entertain him and stimulate his development in particular his play and interactive skills but it was really hard to find them.

I worked hard and built up my collection of toys for autistic children and activities and my knowledge of how to employ them. I soon realised that I was not alone in finding it difficult and that other parents of autistic children would also benefit from a one-stop parent friendly shop or catalogue to get both advice and resources to help their children develop their language and play skills. This led to the launch of sensetoys.com a website packed with products and ideas for parents and carers of all young children but especially those with special educational needs.

The range of products includes thick wooden jigsaw puzzles with large chunky pieces and simple non-stylised pictures, lovely fabric shaped beanie bags to teach shapes and colours in a fun and tactile way, large chunky tactile shapes with big holes to encourage threading activities, cause and effect toys such as the wooden Jumping Shapes game, the Waggy Garden with its slanted posting panel so a child can see the shaped holes more easily and of course lots of tactile sensory balls such as the squirmy wormy ball.

Sensetoys helps parents find and choose which toys they need, explains how to use them and why they can work so that parents and children get the most from each product. So if you're looking for help to get started, visit: Sense Toys

How to Deal with Finding Out Your Child has Autism.

By Kamau Austin

The following article is from one of my favorite writers on Autism Rachel Evans. She makes some great points in the following article. I would just add that you should try to avoid denial if your child is diagnosed.

Being diagnosed with autism isn't the end of the world. When my wife and I received the news our child was autistic we were devastated.

We were mad at the people who diagnosed her. It felt as if the people who pointed out her condition were trying to label another African American child with learning disabilities.

In short we went through a period of morning. This was one of the most depressing things I had to deal with as an adult.

However, the more we learned about the condition the more we realized my daughter had many of the traits of the autism spectrum. It was good for us to overcome our denial and get early treatment.

This is because the earlier you get past your morning, depression or denial about being a parent of an autistic child the better. You can get early intervention to help your child along.

My child was very unaffectionate, ignored instructions, and couldn't say mommy up until 3 years of age. She didn't walk until about 18 months. Today my daughter is 6 years old in kindergarten.

We decided to do 2 years in kindergarten to mainstream her into the regular courses and out of special ed. My daughter is no longer in special ed although she does need the help of an aide to stay focused.

Today she can write, speak, and do some of her homework faster than her dad. She also is a budding computer prodigy getting very high marks in school for computer literacy.

I hope you are inspired by what I wrote and continue to strive for the best education for your children. Please read the great article below.

Bringing Up Bright And Happy Children With Autism
by Rachel Evans

Ask any parent and they'll tell you that parenting a child is the most difficult task they've ever encountered. They'll also tell you it's the most rewarding. Parenting a child with autism, however, can be a little more stressful. It can also be just as rewarding. The key to bringing up bright and happy children with Autism is to love and nurture them, as you would any child.

Once your child has been diagnosed with autism, you may at first go through a typical sort of panic mode. One of the first things you may want to do is set up counseling for yourself to help you deal with any negative feelings you are having about your child. This can help you in this overwhelming time. You may also want to do some research on your own regarding Autism,
as it will help you to understand what you may expect with your child.

When you start researching, you'll, of course, want to start with your child's pediatrician. They can certainly help to point you in the right direction. There also may be support groups in your area and you'll find that parents of children with autism can help you deal with this initial period, as well as being a great source for information.

When you are choosing a program for your child with autism, you'll want to seek the advice from professionals, such as your pediatrician and other autism professionals. Research the program to make sure it will deal with all aspects of autism, as well as make sure they are qualified to assist your child.

Once you've come to terms with your child being diagnosed with autism, there are certain things you'll need to take care of in the home. You want to bring your autistic child up in a home that is safe, as well as comfortable for your child. One of the first things you should do is a safety check. For example, if you worry because your child likes to sneak outside, you may
want to install security locks on the doors. Make sure, however, the child can get out in case of an emergency. You may also want to consider fencing in the yard where your child can play safely.

Some autistic children are very sensitive to touch and even bathing them becomes a struggle. You want your child to be clean however, you also want them to be happy. If this means foregoing a daily bath for one every other day, then by all means, do it. You can also help them to overcome their
sensitivity to water by scheduling regular playtimes in water, such as playing with lawn sprinklers and squirt guns. You can make it a fun time and they may come to enjoy bathing.

Most importantly, provide your child with activities at home, as well as outside the home. They may not want to participate in all of them, but it is important for your child to be treated as if they are included. Don't leave your child home when going out for dinner. Take your autistic child with you
and just make sure you go to a family type restaurant so if your child does misbehave in public, it is not such a big deal.

Provide your child with an environment filled with different colors and textures. This will help to keep their attention on certain activities and if you provide them with the opportunity for social interaction, this can certainly help them in the long run.

Most importantly, however, provide your child with love. Even if your mautistic child does not like to be touched, there are other things you can do to let them know you love them. Talking with your child, even when you don't feel they are listening is important to their development. Tell them how much you love them, whether they respond in turn or not. A child that is
loved will feel this love, even if they have autism.


About The Author: By Rachel Evans. You can get more info & signup for a Free Autism Newsletter at: The Essential Guide to Autism or for articles click here: Essential Autism Articles

How We Discovered Our Child Has Autism by Kamau Austin. Post 2.

In my first post in this series I discussed the hindsight is 20/20 revelation that my daughter is autistic. It was when she was first born how she was hypersensitive to light, and responded really harshly to her first rough washing from a nurse.

You can read the first post in this series here: First Autism Post

After my daughter was brought home from the hospital she seemed very mellow for an hour or two. Then as I remember it -- all hell broke loose.

My wife's efforts to feed her naturally and console her didn't calm her constant crying. Actually it was like my daughter was yelling at the top of her lungs. And she wouldn't stop.

Not only wouldn't she go to sleep on a regular schedule - she really had no normal sleep pattern at all. My daughter would sleep 30 minutes and then stay up at 6 hours at a time. Then go to sleep another 30 minutes and stay up 6 or 7 more hours.

At first we thought lack of sleep was something normal for most parents. It took a while, we had heard, for babies to sleep through the night. But my wife said "there is no way this can be normal"! It can't be humanly possible for a baby to only sleep 30 minutes to an hour at a time then stay up 6 to 8 hours to paraphrase her concerns.

I told my wife that she was already starting in with her negativity and dismissed her concerns. However, we now know that autistic children many times sleep much less than the average child.

This type of behavior went on for about 15 - 18 months. It turned me and my wife into zombies who couldn't function. I had to let go of my business at the time and try to learn Internet design and marketing skills. Needless to say this was on of the most challenging things in my life, becoming a parent and later a caretaker of an autistic child.

In my next post we will discover more early indications that my daughter is autistic.

Kamau Austin is a stay-at-home dad and Internet marketer who is the parent of an autistic daughter.