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BBB AUTISM SUPPORT NETWORK/
AUTISM SOCIETY ONTARIO
(YORK REGION CHAPTER)
PRESENT
THE E-NEWS
http://www.bbbautism.com/about_bbb.htm

GIFTS FOR YOUR CHILD WITH ASD
Volume 2; Issue 4 October 31, 2001

Gifts for the Child with ASD

Shopping for the ASD/PDD child is a challenge in many ways. Two of the most prevalent issues are "what to buy" and "how to buy". I know no one wants to hear this, but commercials (and my daughter) assure me that Christmas/Hanukkah is ‘right around the corner’. With this in mind, please enjoy our latest e-news issue, packed with ideas and resources, many of them geared toward specific age groups.

Relatives are always asking me what to get my son for his birthday, and I generally answer clothes because toys almost always become broken or ignored. Anything to do with "Toy Story" or "A Bug's Life" has worked in the past, but these toys do not always encourage functional play – they tend to be more of a stim. In the past year, we implemented a program for functional play. We use a few different toys, such as a Fisher Price Dollhouse (garage sale ‘find’ including dolls and furniture - $20 Can), Little Tikes Garage, Lucky Ducks Game, Peg Board (Discovery Toys) and a few others. We are even starting to see some initiating on his part! J

When buying, be careful to keep developmental age in mind. Developmental age is not always consistent with chronological age, for example, when shopping for my 6 year old, I chose toys within the 2 to 3 year range. Even though he is not mouthing, I am careful that anything with small parts is only for strictly supervised play.

We have been having a terrible problem with him fast forwarding and rewinding his “Aladdin” tape over and over again, Shirley Sutton (OT extraordinaire and co-author of “Building Bridges Through Sensory Integration” http://www.buildingbridges.cjb.net/) suggested (while guest hosting our BBB Chat last September) getting him a Lite Brite toy. This is something we intend to try, hoping it will help the visual stimming.

"How to buy" is a real toughie. Time is limited and as a result, my children are usually with me during shopping hours. I have solved this by shopping online. This is a wonderful treat! (I have even purchased my groceries online during a particularly difficult meltdown weekend!)

Check out our “Links” section for some online stores that either cater to special needs kids, or sell toys geared toward developmental stages. Hope this helps you in some small way! We have also included (as always) hints from some wonderful contributors…thank you all so very much!

By the way…this issue is dedicated to my wonderful son who is turning 6 this week. Without him, there would be no BBB Autism Online Support Network!

Liz

Ideas for an 11 year old with AS
BBB Member Lynn in BC

My 11 year old with Asperger's loves to kick a soccer ball around so we make sure we keep them in stock for him. He also loves to play Nintendo 64 so we have given him some of those games and we have also given him gift certificates to rent them from the video store.

Math Bingo helps him with his math facts especially multiplication which he struggles with. I bought him a wonderful book called "Asperger's, Huh?" which he has spent a lot of time reading and rereading as he learns about His disorder and also figures out ways to help himself.

The only sensory thing that my son enjoys is his pillow so I keep him in cool pillowcases to cover it!

We love games here. We love word games: Boggle, Word Mastermind, etc. Disney Trivial Pursuit, Mystery Games like #13 Dead Man Alley and Clue, and Sorry and of course the card games!

He loves to read about the Titanic, and he loves to read humour so we buy books for him about these topics. It keeps him happy and it teaches him to read. He loves to draw "inventions" so we bought him a supply of art supplies and a book about Leonardo da Vinci another person in history who loved to draw his ideas as they came into his head!

These are very kid specific ideas. My advice is to know your child and their likes and dislikes and find out what is out there that peaks their interest. The sears wish book is a fantastic tool! My son grabs that book and points out to me all the things that interest him! Spends hours reading it!

Toys/Gifts – 4-1/2 years old
by BBB Member Lynn D

I had to really look around my house and yard to figure out what to suggest for others that has worked for us so far. D tends to favor gross motor toys, most take up some space but as crowded as it can get, he needs the sensory input. We have an indoor swing, comes with a net swing, sling swing and a trapeze bar. It costs about $160.00 (U.S.) but it has been money well spent. So have family and friends donate to your indoor swing fund. If you are crafty enough I am sure you could make your own though. (The net holds up to 150 lbs)

I also suggest one of those big bouncy balls that your child can sit on and bounce. If they sit on it and you hold on to their ankles, they have to use more upper body muscles. Dylan has low muscle tone in his upper body so this has been good exercise and he loves it.
A good friend of mine cleared out a closet in her house and made a ball pit inside it. She put netting in front in the doorway so the balls won't fall out. So have someone buy a bag of those plastic balls for your child (ren).

Play huts are good too. Dylan was given one by a friend of ours and he loves it. He sometimes needs his own space and he likes the "enclosed" feeling he gets. Sometimes he will bring a book in the hut and just sit and look at the pictures. (Okay, sometimes he goes in the hut to go poop too!) A guy needs privacy sometimes too! LOL.
I am not sure about the development ages on my suggestions, so I apologize. Dylan is 4 1/2 years and these all seem appropriate for his age group.
Hope these help!

My Four-Year-Old

By BBB Member Bernie

Giant Floor puzzles. For his birthday he received a giant Clifford floor puzzle. You can buy different characters. The pieces are big and chunky and they help with problem solving skills.

Ravensburger makes a number of nice puzzles and games. He has a nice matching dominos game in which you have to match the animal pics. You can find these at zany brainy or at the hammet learning centers.

For shape sorting. His therapist brought him these plastic Oreo cookies that when you open them you can see the shapes inside. All the shapes are included and color-coded so that he has to snap the cookie back with the proper shape.

Fisher Price tape recorder. He especially likes this and carries it all around the house. He's big time into music. It also has a mic attached in which he can record himself. His therapist also uses this to get him to mimic sounds and phrases.

Magna Doodle Again we use this at home. It's a great way to get him to practice writing his name and/or letters, numbers...

Books are a big plus especially the ones that have the flaps that can be opened and he especially loves the ones that have the buttons that make sounds on the side of it.

Toys for 5-year-old
by BBB Member Juli

This is my wish list:
• mini tramp
• a good beanbag chair (last one sprung a leak!)
• marble run game (every OT has one!)
• leap pad - I may buy and just ask people for the "books"
• more wooden track for Thomas

C's interests don't really involve toys, but we always try to find something that is associated with his interest of the moment.

For example, he has always been interested in signs so we went searching on the Internet and found a book that has over 3,000 signs and symbols. This has provided him with hours and hours of enjoyment. The fringe benefit of this one is that we can take him any where in the world and he will be able to tell us what the signs mean. LOL

For sensory gadgets, a favorite of Christopher's has been Koosh ball type toys. He seems to enjoy the feel of them.

Hope this helps.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Pound a Ball, Ball Party (Tomy) or any toy that involves inserting a ball and watching it go. There's one by Tomy that has balls in a dome and you pull the handle for a ball to come out. My son really enjoys it.
2. Any toy that has a car that rolls along a sloping track - Little Tikes has some good ones.
3. The big Foam squares that can be used to make a path to walk along or into big blocks to stack.
4. The V Tech toys that play music or say a word when buttons or animals are pressed. Actually any toy that makes music. This is his all time favorite.
We use the musical snail as a reinforcer.
5. Stacking rings - the best one (by Fisher Price) actually has stacking stars and a smiley face that goes on top. It plays a song when the round face is put on top and some short music when each ring is added so the reinforcer is built in.
6. There is a musical snail shape sorter (Fisher Price) that we've used as well. It plays music when it is rocked.
7. Kooshies has two - one is a very simple shape puzzle with knobs. When the correct shape is inserted and the knob pressed, there is a sound. The other is a plastic see-thru container that has slits on top. The child inserts rings into the slits. The really nice thing is that the rings are textured. This toy be used for putting in (without the cover), dumping out, sensory play with the rings and then also as described above.
8. Books - texture, musical buttons, flap and foam books (Soft Shapes). Gymboree puts a really nice one for infants that has cloth flaps in different materials.
9. A baby bathtub with water, sponges for squeezing, cups for pouring, etc We also use a bucket of dry lentils mixed with rice, cups, little toys for hiding etc.
10. Remember Sleep and Snore Elmo? I still had one from when my other two were little and my son likes its talking, singing and snoring. He'll even almost hold it. There's also rock and roll Ernie.
11. There are a few games that can be adapted for turn taking - Lucky Ducks is one example that we've tried. There's another one with walking penguins that we've tried at the OT's.
12. Videos of course!!!!!!
13. My son won't touch play dough but he doesn't mind goop or gooze to squish. Also you can put the play dough in a plastic bag.
14. Battat has lots of good toys - a sturdy top with balls inside that spin, and for older kids a 'Count and Match' game with shapes that are pegs as well. They can be sorted by colour and shape and can be stacked.
15. Also for older kids is the pegs by Lauri (?) that come with large pegs that go into a five-hole peg board made of that leathery sponge stuff. There are also shapes that then slide onto the pegs.
16. Other suggestions include a small slide, bubbles, a beach ball for kicking, a small trampoline, a tunnel, wooden blocks, push-and-go cars and trucks, a magnetic board with letters and numbers, a small upright chalk board easel, bingo markers for dabbing, bean bags (large and small), rain sticks and other musical instruments.

The best stores that I've gone to are the usual Toys R Us, Mastermind and Scholar's Choice. The other ones are My Gifted Child at Hillcrest Mall, there's a great store (forgot it's name) at avenue road a few blocks south of the 401 and there's a good one on Bloor st at Jane (also forgotten the name). A good web site is for Dragonfly toys (I think its dftoys.com). It's Canadian so there is no worry about conversions and it has a very extensive list of toys and aids, given by developmental level and type of disability.

1. The Fisher price farm with animals. The animals can be positioned and if placed properly and pushed down, the appropriate sound comes. M likes opening and closing the doors. Once in a while he likes to hold the animals.

2. The Fisher Price musical symphony. It has different animals on various sized bases. If animals are placed properly and the button pushed, a beautiful classical song is played and lights flash. It is really cute and has several learning opportunities. It is much better priced than the Nuerosmith music blocks (same idea) $40 vs. $100 and there are more songs that play for a fairly long time. The Nuerosmith music blocks play for only a few seconds. I heard about the music blocks from an autism site and bought them and was very disappointed.

4. The Fisher Price kick and play piano, it's meant for infants but we use it still. It plays nursery rhymes for 9 minutes straight!!

5. Any infant activity centre that has buttons to push, things to spin, a mirror, etc. It can help develop fine motor skills.

6. One of those small plush animals that if you pull the string it vibrates. We stick it in his sleeve and pull it so he can tell it's there. His job is to pull it out with his other hand (works on hand crossover).

7. Balls that make noise when rolled (giggle ball), balls with little bumps all over, jelly filled balls for squishing (Scholar's Choice has a neat selection).

8. A toddler basketball net, ours has Goofy and makes a comment when the ball goes in.

Also it might be a good idea to remind people that our kids don't need a lot of expensive toys for fun and learning. There are often unique ways to play with toys and everyday objects that our kids are gifted in discovering. The most important thing is to make it interactive even if all you're doing is looking out the window and knocking on it (great imitation) or rolling around on the bed while tickling him or as M likes to do, looking between the open stairs of our staircase and seeing every little thread up close. His first initiations have been to get our attention by turning our face to him, raising his arms to get picked up and now, to play ring around the rosy.

o SmarterKids.com (http://www.smarterkids.com/)
-Special offer for FREE CD-ROMS (http://www.smarterkids.com/free1/acq/choose1of10/default.asp) at smarterkids etoys (check out their clearance sale of up to 75% off) http://www.etoys.com/etoys/index.html?style=home&place=ajqs&_e=d051&_v=3D051107uqAK46B2D51BEEB3

o Discovery Toys http://www.discoverytoysinc.com/- purchase toys at home - demonstrations by experts!

o Laureate Learning Systems http://www.laureatelearning.com/- Special Needs and Language Development Software

o Play Steps http://www.playsteps.com/ps_home.html - teaching kids with special needs how to play functionally
Smart Laces http://www.smartlaces.com/prod_kids.html (not really a gift, but a helpful idea)

o Dimensions: Speech and Language Therapy Software http://www.dimensionsspeech.com/

o Mastermind http://www.mastermindtoys.com/store/default.asp?currency=CDN&mscssid=VGQQ09KKR1S92G2M00AJT2WFW0AC25WE

o Gather Stars for our Children - Music for kids on the spectrum, their teachers, caregivers, therapists, etc. http://www.bitlink.com/jeannelyons/

o Dr. Pearson's Wonderful Toy Company; offers dolls with interchangeable faces to help teach expressions and emotions. http://www.wondertoy.com/home.htm

o ParentBooks http://www.parentbookstore.com/ Located in Toronto, this store stocks a vast amount of books on special needs. You can also order online.

o Autism and Developmental Disabilities Resource Catalog http://www.frs-inc.com/

Free (or inexpensive) Autism Awareness Cards

Holiday time is exciting for all children, and children with disabilities are no different. There are nearly 6 million children with disabilities (including 12.7% of school children) who will receive holiday gifts this season. Yet because gift givers are afraid of selecting the "wrong" toy, many children with disabilities find pajamas and socks wrapped up in those brightly colored boxes. Not the toy of their dreams.

The National Lekotek Center recommends the following Top Ten Things to Consider When Buying Toys for Children with Disabilities:

1. Multi-sensory appeal: Does the toy respond with lights, sounds, or movement? Are there contrasting colors? Does it have a scent? Is there texture?
2. Method of activation: Will the toy provide a challenge without frustration? What is the force required to activate? What are the number and complexity of steps required to activate?
3. Where toy will be used: Can the toy be used in a variety of positions such as side lying or on wheelchair tray? Will the toy be easy to store? Is there space in the home?
4. Opportunities for success: Can play be open-ended with no definite right or wrong way? Is it adaptable to the child's individual style, ability and pace?
5. Current popularity: Is it a toy most any child would like? Does it tie-in with other activities like T.V., movies, books, clothing, etc?
6. Self-expression: Does the toy allow for creativity, uniqueness, and choice making? Will it give the child experience with a variety of media?
7. Adjustability: Does it have adjustable height, sound volume, speed, and level of difficulty?
8. Child's individual characteristics: Does the toy provide activities that reflect both developmental and chronological ages? Does it reflect the child's interests and age?
9. Safety and durability: Consider the child's size and strength in relation to the toy's durability. Is the toy and its parts sized appropriately? Does the toy have moisture resistance? Can it be washed and cleaned?
10. Potential for interaction: Will the child be an active participant during use? Will the toy encourage social engagement with others?

"With thousands of toys on the market, it is hard for parents to know which types of toys are good matches for their children," says Beth Boosalis Davis, Executive Director of the National Lekotek Center. "We have received thousands of requests from parents asking us to help them identify those toys that will bring success rather than a sense of frustration to their children. This Top Ten List should give parents and their family members more confidence when they go to the stores to make their toy purchases."

Games List
from Kathy and Calvin’s Homepage http://www.kathyandcalvin.com/
from the ME-LIST

I'm a little tea pot (Fisher Price) Shape matching Color and shape matching (adv)

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Volume 1; Issue 1 WELCOME ISSUE!
Volume 1; Issue 2 SUMMER CRISIS ISSUE
Volume 1; Issue 3 SPOUSAL CONCERNS ISSUE
Volume 1; Issue 4 SENSORY INTEGRATION
Volume 1; Issue 5 CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS
Volume 1; Issue 6 BACK TO SCHOOL
Volume 2; Issue 1 IEP
Volume 2; Issue 2 KEEPING YOUR COOL - WHEN YOUR EMOTIONS ARE ON FIRE
Volume 2; Issue 3 DEALING WITH STRESS

HOW TO SET UP A HOME PROGRAM - Guest hosted by Kathy Lear, creator of Help Us Learn; A Self Paced Training Program for ABA. Date and time to be announced...

SOCIAL SKILLS FOR THE ASD CHILD WHEN RELATING TO A SIBLING, SOCIAL SKILLS IN GENERAL AND KEEPING YOUR COOL...BEHAVIORAL CHATS

Guest hosted by Deanna Pietramala of Leaps and Bounds (Specialized Programming Service in Ontario) - Thursday, November 1 from 1:30 to 2:30 pm eastern time.

Tuesday, November 13 from 1:30pm to 2:10pm est
Tuesday, November 27 from 1:30pm to 2:30pm est
Tuesday, December 11 from 1:30pm to 2:30pm est

Convert to your time zone here. http://www.timezoneconverter.com/cgi-bin/tzc.tzc

PLEASE NOTE: TRANSCRIPTS FROM APRAXIA, CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS, EVERYDAY SENSORY STRATEGIES AND AUTISM, DEANNA PIETRAMALA (CHAT #1) AND ENZYMES CHATS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST liz@deaknet.com

coming soon: "Autism and Essential Fatty Acids", "Central Auditory Processing Disorders", "Siblings of Children with ASD", "ADHD/ADD and ASD", "Autism and Nutrition", "Acceptance and Denial", “One Child’s Story”.

Regular chats take place Mon-Fri at 1pm and 9 pm daily. If no one is in the chat room when you get there...give it a chance. You never know who might drop in!

INSTRUCTIONS ON ACCESSING ABOUT.COM CHAT

Hi! Adelle Vance Tilton of About.Com’s autism/pdd community has generously invited us to borrow their wonderful chat room to use for our chats. The following is a detailed description of how to access this room.

1. Copy/Paste this URL into your browser: http://autism.about.com/index.htm?rnk=c1&terms=autism

4. On this page: (a) Under "nickname", delete "guest" and type in a name for yourself. (b) Choose your preferred "font size".

5. Click on "Connect" and after a very short time, your chat screen will come up.

6. Move your screen by clicking the icon at the top left hand side of the window. Then drag the window to centre of your screen.

NOW AVAILABLE: "BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO AUTISM IN PRESCHOOLERS IN YORK REGION" - A step-by-step approach. You've got a diagnosis, NOW what do you do? Also includes resources, links, recommended reading and guidelines for funding forms.

"GENERAL BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO AUTISM" Includes a dictionary, short guide to communication, sensory integrations, autism and diet, ABA/IBI and a list of other therapies, recommended reading, links and more. Designed as a companion to the York Region Guide, it is also a stand-alone and can be used for any area.

New on the BBB website: Newsletter Archives, Parent Empowerment Resources, Newsletter Archives. Look for new sections every time a workshop is presented. Now available: Communication as Behavior, Effective Advocacy, and Writing Effective Needs Statements

Financial Concerns & Taxes presented by Morty Cohen, Chartered Accountant
Tuesday November 6^th, Room B13 Cost: Members $ 5.00, Non-Members $ 15.00

Sensory Integration Make ‘n Take Workshop Instructor Shirley Sutton, Occupational Therapist Saturday, November 17^th Room B 13 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Shirley’s specialty training areas include early intervention and sensory integration. She brings more than 20 years’ extensive clinical experience from a wide variety of settings, including consulting work with Geneva Centre, two private therapy centres, several community living associations and early intervention programs. Shirley co-authored the book ‘Building Bridges Through Sensory Integration’ and the workbook ‘Learn to Print and Draw: A Tactile-Kinesthetic Approach’. Cost: includes lunch, materials, and handouts. Members $ 25.00 Non-Members $ 40.00

P.E.C.S. Picture Exchange Communication System presented by Shana Ellman, SLP, Bloorview MacMillan, Tuesday November 20^th, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Shana Elman, Speech & Language Pathologist with Bloorview MacMillan Centre. Visual communication materials to aid and facilitate learning and leisure by ‘Graduate Beginnings’ will be available for sale, and custom orders can be taken. Cost: Members $ 5.00, Non-Members $ 15.00

Dental Care and Autism with Dr. David Isen AT HIS OFFICE – 4800 LESLIE STREET SUITE 111, NORTH YORK Tuesday December 11^th, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm , Cost: Members $ 5.00, Non-Members $ 15.00

Living With Asperger’s Syndrome. Gary Waleski, An Adult With Asperger’s Talks About His Experiences Tuesday, December 18^th, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm, 2^nd Floor Boardroom
Understanding how the disorder affects the child and tips on how to effectively deal with children in your care. To help parents, teacher and EAs better understand and help facilitate the child’s growth in school. Gary is totally independent, works fulltime, has further career goals, does frequent public speaking presentations on autism/PDD, and is newsletter editor for Autism Society Ontario – Halton Chapter. He has a large circle of friends, many hobbies & interests and leads a well-balanced and fulfilling life. Cost: Members $ 5.00, Non-Members $ 15.00

...Proudly Presented by Autism Society Ontario ~ York Region Chapter and BBB Autism Support Network

Registration Required, Limited Enrollment. Email asoyork@axxent.ca Location: 11181 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill

1A New Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder; A Time-Line Continuum ~ Margo Allen, Early Intervention Services and Liz Cohen, BBB Autism/ASO York Region

Get ready to email the Oprah Winfrey show on November 1st, requesting she do a show on autism. Her email can be found at: http://www.oprah.com/email/email_landing.jhtml. Simply write about how autism affects you personally and ask everyone you know to write as well. We are hoping to get an answer this time! Please join us!

CONTAINS PRACTICAL INFORMATION BY PARENTS FOR PARENTS Available on request, e-mail liz@deaknet.com and ask for: (now available in PDF format)

The founders of this newsletter and the BBB Autism support club are not physicians.

This newsletter references books and other web sites that may be of interest to the reader. The editor makes no presentation or warranty with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained on any of these web sites or in the books, and specifically disclaims any liability for any information contained on, or omissions from, these books or web sites. Reference to these web sites or books herein shall not be construed to be an endorsement of these web sites or books or of the information contained thereon, by the editor.

The editor reserves the right to make decisions as to whether contributions are appropriate with respect to content, length, etc. We will not publish offensive material using foul language, or contributions that are inflammatory or disrespectful to decisions by other parents (i.e. therapies). We do not generally accept contributions if they are ads for private service agencies/clinics. We are also unable to accept contributions after an issue has been completed. We reserve the right to edit content, but will inform you in advance if we are going to do this. J

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GIFTS FOR YOUR CHILD WITH ASD Volume 2; Issue 4 October 31, 2001

By BBB Member Bernie

Free (or inexpensive) Autism Awareness Cards

Games List from Kathy and Calvin’s Homepage http://www.kathyandcalvin.com/ from the ME-LIST

INSTRUCTIONS ON ACCESSING ABOUT.COM CHAT

GIFTS FOR YOUR CHILD WITH ASD
Volume 2; Issue 4 October 31, 2001

Games List
from Kathy and Calvin’s Homepage http://www.kathyandcalvin.com/
from the ME-LIST