How 2 b Friends
Social Skills for 5 to 7 year olds with High Functioning Autism or Aspergers
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders have difficulty developing social skills, and many benefit from a Social Skills Group that targets development of skills within a peer group. In this group we can build on strengths that kids already have to develop more advanced skills, like initiating and maintaining conversations, playing cooperatively and resolving conflicts. This group will be run by social worker and Autism Program Coordinator Valerie Lentz, LSCW and Alex Bradley, MSW student. The group will meet on Mondays from 4:00 – 5:00 from Monday January 7th to February 11th at our pediatric rehab center at 212 Barney Dr. in Joliet. Many private insurance plans cover this service, which our billing department can help you with. The private pay cost is $150 for all six weeks. Please contact Alex Bradley for more information at 815-725-2195 x 210 or [email protected] to register.
Sibshops!
Let’s have one more day of fun before Christmas Break is over! Sibshops are fun, fast paced, interactive workshops for children that have siblings with special needs. This group gives them space to meet other sibs, get some special attention and just have fun! It is an action packed afternoon that explores all of the great and not so great things about being a sib. Through unique crafts, silly games and discussion activities we let every kid know that Sibs R Special 2! Sibshops are for children in 1st grade through 8th grade. The day will incorporate large group activities and small groups broken apart by age. The cost of the workshop is $20 per child, which includes lunch and take-home activities. High School aged sibs are welcome to volunteer as junior facilitators. Easter Seals will be hosting a Sibshop on Friday January 4th from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. For more information or to get your registration packet, please call Alex Bradley at 815-725-2194 ext 210 or email [email protected].
Parents Raising Children with ASDs
Our parent support group continues to meet the second Monday of every month from 6:00 – 7:30. This program is very well attended and it is a wonderful way to meet other parents, get information and get connected to resources in your community. This month we will meet on Monday January 14th and as always, childcare will be provided for those who sign up ahead of time by Easter Seals staff. Both the group and childcare are free of charge. Please call Valerie with any questions or to register for childcare at 815-927-5465.
Medical Consult Clinic and Autism Follow Ups
Easter Seals Joliet Region is proud to be offering medical consultation appointments with our Medical Director, Dr. Douglas Bierma and follow up appointments for children that have been evaluated through the Regional Autism Diagnostic Clinic. Many families that have children with autism spectrum disorders run into medical questions during the course of their child’s treatment and would like to consult with a doctor and therapists that specialize in working with children with ASDs. Some issues that may be covered during a consult are:
·
Dr. Doug Bierma
Concerns about sleep, diet, allergies, chronic infections and other medical factors that may be influencing a child’s development or behavior
· Questions about attention and focus
· Consultations about current medication
· Questions as to why a child may be at a plateau or not responding to therapy
· Guidance about complex medical cases or unusual presentation of symptoms
· Follow up questions after receiving an evaluation through the Autism Diagnostic Clinic
· Any other questions that a therapist or family has related to medical concerns or ASDs
Please contact Valerie Lentz at 815-927-5465 to set up an appointment – the next Clinic is on Friday January 25, 2013. Visits are often covered by private insurance or Medicaid.
Preschool Play Group (3 & 4 year olds)
This is a group for children three and four years old who have an autism spectrum disorder or social/communication delay. The group will provide socialization opportunities for children during structured play activities. The group will be blended with children from the Easter Seals Lovable Lilies Daycare three year old classroom. It will be co-facilitated by a developmental therapist and a social worker, who will provide group activities that foster social development as well as structured pre-academic activities. This is an ongoing group that meets on Tuesdays from 2:30 to 3:30. The cost of the group is $50 per month; financial assistance is available to families that can demonstrate financial need. Please contact Keri Jaworski, DT at 815-725-2194 for more information or to register.
FRIENDS WHO CARE®
Disability Awareness Curriculum
Easter Seals is sharing our free FRIENDS WHO CARE® disability awareness program -- it helps parents and elementary school educators teach kids about children and adults with disabilities. Sponsored by long-time Easter Seals partner, the Friendly Ice Cream Corporation, FRIENDS WHO CARE is a fun, interactive program that helps students learn how kids with disabilities go to school, make friends and play. It encourages kids to accept their peers with disabilities as people first, and to find ways to include everyone in school and after-school activities.
FRIENDS WHO CARE® is designed in seven units of 45 minutes. It can be taught during one week, or over several. These lessons can be printed out for free at our Family Center for Autism Resources and are available to the public. We can also email them. We have had multiple schools in the area contact us about implementing our curriculum into their students schedule; let your child’s school know about this great resource! Please contact Valerie Lentz at 815-927-5465 if you are interested.
What’s Going On In Your Community....
Community Resource Fair: Healing Minds & Hearts
Valley View School District 365U & the Plainfield School District 202 presents the 2013 Community Resource Fair. This event will focus on services available to children and families within the community. Organizations that offer the following services will be present: counseling services, treatment for depression or addiction, financial challenges, emergency services, recreational opportunities, parenting services, childcare and elder services. The fair will be on Friday February 15th from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Romeoville Recreation Center located at 900 West Romeo Road, Romeoville. This event is FREE!
Assistive Technology Grant
The Will-Grundy Center for Independent Living will purchase an assistive technology device for children with disabilities up to age 23, and up to $500. A letter is required from a physical, occupational, or speech therapist that explains how the device will benefit the child, where to purchase the device, and the cost. The Center will purchase the device and contact the parent once the device is delivered. For more information, contact Debbie Tarrant at 815-729-0162 or 815-416-6460 or [email protected].
Edgewood Presents: Project Connect!
Project Connect is a co-ed group for children in 3rd grade through 6th grade and diagnosed with High Functioning Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and Nonverbal Learning Disabilities. This group will assist children with their communication with others and build friendships. This group will meet on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 9:50 am. This group will start the week of January 14th and will end the week of March 11th. To sign up please call Edgewood at 630-428-7890, select option 1 to enroll or ask any questions you may have.
Firefly Nights Photography – Autism Photo Sessions
Firefly Nights Photography, fireflynightsphotography.com is a premier special needs photographer. One of Megan Drane's passions is working with children who have special needs, especially children on the Autism spectrum. In recognition of Autism Awareness Month, Firefly Nights Photography is offering photo sessions for special needs children and their families - with no session fee or minimum order. Sessions fill up fast - so sign up today! Autism Day Mini-Sessions will be held on April 13th. Sign up now! Sign up for a 20 minute session in studio - NO session fee and NO minimum order requirement.
Special Needs Mini-Sessions: sign up for these 20 minute April 21st sessions before they fill up. Sign up for this day to get family, child, or sibling pictures with your special needs child. If the Autism Day sessions are filled, feel free to sign up here, too. Again, NO session fee, and NO minimum order requirement. Studio is at 120 S. Webster Ave. Naperville, IL 60540. Contact Megan at 630.585.7959 or [email protected]
GKSN: Grandparents of Kids with Special Needs
The Sibling Support Project and Kindering Center are pleased to present the GKSN website! The sibling Support Project and Kindering Center believe that no one understands a grandparent’s unique joys and concerns better than another grandparent of a child with special needs. The GKSN website will provide grandparents an opportunity to meet other grandparents through a Yahoogroup or Facebook groups, share ideas for supporting their kids and grandkids, and even post pictures of their grandkids. The website to visit is www.gksn.org. Help spread the word!
Exploration Station Special Needs Nights
Exploration Station is a wonderful children’s museum in Bourbonnais. They host a special needs night on the First Thursday of every month from 5:30 – 7:00. The staff at Exploration Station have taken special care to adapt the environment and provide an opportunity for children with special needs to explore their exhibits so they can learn through hands on interaction. The museum is only open to families with special needs children during this time, which provides a safe and accepting environment. The fee is $2 for residents and $3 for non-residents. Exploration Station is located at Perry Farm Park on 459 N Kennedy Drive in Bourbonnais. Call 815-933-9905 ext. 351 for more information or visit them online at www.exploration-station.org.
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Sensory Friendly Films at AMC
Once a month AMC Theatres presents the Sensory Friendly Film program, which provides a special opportunity for families to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment. The auditoriums dedicated to the program have their lights up, the sound turned down and audience members are invited to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing! The next showing is Saturday January 5th at 10:00 am of Monsters Inc. 2-D . Go to http://www.amctheatres.com/programs/sensory-friendly-films for more information and to find a theater that is participating in this great program!
Article of the Month
Fun on Snow Days!
Article retrieved from “Circle for Mom’s” – referencing “The Out of Sync Child has Fun”
1. Go Fishing
A variation on a popular carnival game, this activity has you create construction paper "fish," with a paper clip attached to each fish's head, and then "Go fishing" with a magnet attached to the end of a string on your "fishing pole." Gross motor control is practiced as the child steadies the pole and magnet to catch each fish. A variation we've tried with this game is to use the pole to catch other small metal objects (such as his Thomas the Train engines).
2. Box Sweet Box
Every parent who has ever had a large appliance box in the house knows the fascination that it holds for children. Next time, store it somewhere in anticipation of a snow day. Sometimes when we hit a run of bad weather, a giant box is the only thing between me and total insanity. "Box Sweet Box" plays on the fact that many autistic kids, and Billy is one of them, are "nesters" who appreciate a quiet place to go. And when they help decorate the box, it feels even more like home. Some great ideas that Kranowitz adds include opening the ends and attaching several boxes together to make a tunnel; uses a flashlight to explore and decorate the inside of the box; and depending upon your confidence in your art skills, turning the box into a puppet theater, store, castle or rocket ship to encourage make-believe play.
Pre-writing and writing skills can be practiced on the surface of the box, as vertical surfaces (like easels) are often easier writing surfaces for kids with sensory issues. Crawling in and through the box works gross motor coordination, and of course, a quiet place to nest and rest is a handy tool for any child on the spectrum. (Obviously, this activity doesn't help a child with a fear of small places.)
3. Jack and Jill
Most kids like to crash and bang. Sensory seekers, like my Billy, need to do it. Kranowitz' "Jack and Jill" activity is good for inside or outside. Outside, you would construct a "hill" with a board elevated on one end, followed by a "crash pad," or soft place to land. Indoors, we use my inclined aerobic step (I have the Transfirmer, which is secure in an inclined position), followed by a folded up mattress topper that Billy uses as his crash pad. A bean bag also works. He carries a plastic pail "up the hill" as we recite the rhyme, stomping in rhythm and then delightfully crashes on the floor when Jack "falls down and breaks his crown" with Jill (played by Mama) tumbling after. He can do this 5,000 times without tiring of it. (My personal limit is about 12.)
4. Puffin Stuff
At its most basic, this one is super-simple. You just need a straw and a cotton ball and, as Kranowitz explains, and by blowing the cotton ball across a table, you can exercise the muscles in the face that strengthen the respiratory system and speech articulators. But you can make "Puffin Stuff" as complicated as you like, including different objects to move with the straw, like empty plastic bottles, Ping-Pong balls, feathers, golf balls, tissue, marbles -- and even some things you know will be difficult to move, so that you can discuss why certain things move and others don't. You can have races, create obstacle courses for your objects -- the sky's the limit.
5. Hammer and Nails
Also fairly easy to set up (hammer + nails in log = hours of fun), this one should obviously be closely supervised to ensure that objects other than the log don't get nailed. You'll need to start the nails for your child until they get the hang of it, but if you have a "busy beaver" in your house, this one is a winner. The impact of it really seems to be a great stress reliever. I think adults could get a lot out of this one as well.
If you aren't comfortable with the idea of nails, Kranowitz suggests an alternative: toy hammer, golf tees and an inverted egg carton or a pumpkin into which to pound them.
There are a lot of ideas in the Out of Sync Child Has Fun, complete with recommended supply lists and easy-to-follow illustrations.
Enjoy!
Social Skills for 5 to 7 year olds with High Functioning Autism or Aspergers
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders have difficulty developing social skills, and many benefit from a Social Skills Group that targets development of skills within a peer group. In this group we can build on strengths that kids already have to develop more advanced skills, like initiating and maintaining conversations, playing cooperatively and resolving conflicts. This group will be run by social worker and Autism Program Coordinator Valerie Lentz, LSCW and Alex Bradley, MSW student. The group will meet on Mondays from 4:00 – 5:00 from Monday January 7th to February 11th at our pediatric rehab center at 212 Barney Dr. in Joliet. Many private insurance plans cover this service, which our billing department can help you with. The private pay cost is $150 for all six weeks. Please contact Alex Bradley for more information at 815-725-2195 x 210 or [email protected] to register.
Sibshops!
Let’s have one more day of fun before Christmas Break is over! Sibshops are fun, fast paced, interactive workshops for children that have siblings with special needs. This group gives them space to meet other sibs, get some special attention and just have fun! It is an action packed afternoon that explores all of the great and not so great things about being a sib. Through unique crafts, silly games and discussion activities we let every kid know that Sibs R Special 2! Sibshops are for children in 1st grade through 8th grade. The day will incorporate large group activities and small groups broken apart by age. The cost of the workshop is $20 per child, which includes lunch and take-home activities. High School aged sibs are welcome to volunteer as junior facilitators. Easter Seals will be hosting a Sibshop on Friday January 4th from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. For more information or to get your registration packet, please call Alex Bradley at 815-725-2194 ext 210 or email [email protected].
Parents Raising Children with ASDs
Our parent support group continues to meet the second Monday of every month from 6:00 – 7:30. This program is very well attended and it is a wonderful way to meet other parents, get information and get connected to resources in your community. This month we will meet on Monday January 14th and as always, childcare will be provided for those who sign up ahead of time by Easter Seals staff. Both the group and childcare are free of charge. Please call Valerie with any questions or to register for childcare at 815-927-5465.
Medical Consult Clinic and Autism Follow Ups
Easter Seals Joliet Region is proud to be offering medical consultation appointments with our Medical Director, Dr. Douglas Bierma and follow up appointments for children that have been evaluated through the Regional Autism Diagnostic Clinic. Many families that have children with autism spectrum disorders run into medical questions during the course of their child’s treatment and would like to consult with a doctor and therapists that specialize in working with children with ASDs. Some issues that may be covered during a consult are:
·
Dr. Doug Bierma
Concerns about sleep, diet, allergies, chronic infections and other medical factors that may be influencing a child’s development or behavior
· Questions about attention and focus
· Consultations about current medication
· Questions as to why a child may be at a plateau or not responding to therapy
· Guidance about complex medical cases or unusual presentation of symptoms
· Follow up questions after receiving an evaluation through the Autism Diagnostic Clinic
· Any other questions that a therapist or family has related to medical concerns or ASDs
Please contact Valerie Lentz at 815-927-5465 to set up an appointment – the next Clinic is on Friday January 25, 2013. Visits are often covered by private insurance or Medicaid.
Preschool Play Group (3 & 4 year olds)
This is a group for children three and four years old who have an autism spectrum disorder or social/communication delay. The group will provide socialization opportunities for children during structured play activities. The group will be blended with children from the Easter Seals Lovable Lilies Daycare three year old classroom. It will be co-facilitated by a developmental therapist and a social worker, who will provide group activities that foster social development as well as structured pre-academic activities. This is an ongoing group that meets on Tuesdays from 2:30 to 3:30. The cost of the group is $50 per month; financial assistance is available to families that can demonstrate financial need. Please contact Keri Jaworski, DT at 815-725-2194 for more information or to register.
FRIENDS WHO CARE®
Disability Awareness Curriculum
Easter Seals is sharing our free FRIENDS WHO CARE® disability awareness program -- it helps parents and elementary school educators teach kids about children and adults with disabilities. Sponsored by long-time Easter Seals partner, the Friendly Ice Cream Corporation, FRIENDS WHO CARE is a fun, interactive program that helps students learn how kids with disabilities go to school, make friends and play. It encourages kids to accept their peers with disabilities as people first, and to find ways to include everyone in school and after-school activities.
FRIENDS WHO CARE® is designed in seven units of 45 minutes. It can be taught during one week, or over several. These lessons can be printed out for free at our Family Center for Autism Resources and are available to the public. We can also email them. We have had multiple schools in the area contact us about implementing our curriculum into their students schedule; let your child’s school know about this great resource! Please contact Valerie Lentz at 815-927-5465 if you are interested.
What’s Going On In Your Community....
Community Resource Fair: Healing Minds & Hearts
Valley View School District 365U & the Plainfield School District 202 presents the 2013 Community Resource Fair. This event will focus on services available to children and families within the community. Organizations that offer the following services will be present: counseling services, treatment for depression or addiction, financial challenges, emergency services, recreational opportunities, parenting services, childcare and elder services. The fair will be on Friday February 15th from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Romeoville Recreation Center located at 900 West Romeo Road, Romeoville. This event is FREE!
Assistive Technology Grant
The Will-Grundy Center for Independent Living will purchase an assistive technology device for children with disabilities up to age 23, and up to $500. A letter is required from a physical, occupational, or speech therapist that explains how the device will benefit the child, where to purchase the device, and the cost. The Center will purchase the device and contact the parent once the device is delivered. For more information, contact Debbie Tarrant at 815-729-0162 or 815-416-6460 or [email protected].
Edgewood Presents: Project Connect!
Project Connect is a co-ed group for children in 3rd grade through 6th grade and diagnosed with High Functioning Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and Nonverbal Learning Disabilities. This group will assist children with their communication with others and build friendships. This group will meet on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 9:50 am. This group will start the week of January 14th and will end the week of March 11th. To sign up please call Edgewood at 630-428-7890, select option 1 to enroll or ask any questions you may have.
Firefly Nights Photography – Autism Photo Sessions
Firefly Nights Photography, fireflynightsphotography.com is a premier special needs photographer. One of Megan Drane's passions is working with children who have special needs, especially children on the Autism spectrum. In recognition of Autism Awareness Month, Firefly Nights Photography is offering photo sessions for special needs children and their families - with no session fee or minimum order. Sessions fill up fast - so sign up today! Autism Day Mini-Sessions will be held on April 13th. Sign up now! Sign up for a 20 minute session in studio - NO session fee and NO minimum order requirement.
Special Needs Mini-Sessions: sign up for these 20 minute April 21st sessions before they fill up. Sign up for this day to get family, child, or sibling pictures with your special needs child. If the Autism Day sessions are filled, feel free to sign up here, too. Again, NO session fee, and NO minimum order requirement. Studio is at 120 S. Webster Ave. Naperville, IL 60540. Contact Megan at 630.585.7959 or [email protected]
GKSN: Grandparents of Kids with Special Needs
The Sibling Support Project and Kindering Center are pleased to present the GKSN website! The sibling Support Project and Kindering Center believe that no one understands a grandparent’s unique joys and concerns better than another grandparent of a child with special needs. The GKSN website will provide grandparents an opportunity to meet other grandparents through a Yahoogroup or Facebook groups, share ideas for supporting their kids and grandkids, and even post pictures of their grandkids. The website to visit is www.gksn.org. Help spread the word!
Exploration Station Special Needs Nights
Exploration Station is a wonderful children’s museum in Bourbonnais. They host a special needs night on the First Thursday of every month from 5:30 – 7:00. The staff at Exploration Station have taken special care to adapt the environment and provide an opportunity for children with special needs to explore their exhibits so they can learn through hands on interaction. The museum is only open to families with special needs children during this time, which provides a safe and accepting environment. The fee is $2 for residents and $3 for non-residents. Exploration Station is located at Perry Farm Park on 459 N Kennedy Drive in Bourbonnais. Call 815-933-9905 ext. 351 for more information or visit them online at www.exploration-station.org.
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Sensory Friendly Films at AMC
Once a month AMC Theatres presents the Sensory Friendly Film program, which provides a special opportunity for families to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment. The auditoriums dedicated to the program have their lights up, the sound turned down and audience members are invited to get up and dance, walk, shout or sing! The next showing is Saturday January 5th at 10:00 am of Monsters Inc. 2-D . Go to http://www.amctheatres.com/programs/sensory-friendly-films for more information and to find a theater that is participating in this great program!
Article of the Month
Fun on Snow Days!
Article retrieved from “Circle for Mom’s” – referencing “The Out of Sync Child has Fun”
1. Go Fishing
A variation on a popular carnival game, this activity has you create construction paper "fish," with a paper clip attached to each fish's head, and then "Go fishing" with a magnet attached to the end of a string on your "fishing pole." Gross motor control is practiced as the child steadies the pole and magnet to catch each fish. A variation we've tried with this game is to use the pole to catch other small metal objects (such as his Thomas the Train engines).
2. Box Sweet Box
Every parent who has ever had a large appliance box in the house knows the fascination that it holds for children. Next time, store it somewhere in anticipation of a snow day. Sometimes when we hit a run of bad weather, a giant box is the only thing between me and total insanity. "Box Sweet Box" plays on the fact that many autistic kids, and Billy is one of them, are "nesters" who appreciate a quiet place to go. And when they help decorate the box, it feels even more like home. Some great ideas that Kranowitz adds include opening the ends and attaching several boxes together to make a tunnel; uses a flashlight to explore and decorate the inside of the box; and depending upon your confidence in your art skills, turning the box into a puppet theater, store, castle or rocket ship to encourage make-believe play.
Pre-writing and writing skills can be practiced on the surface of the box, as vertical surfaces (like easels) are often easier writing surfaces for kids with sensory issues. Crawling in and through the box works gross motor coordination, and of course, a quiet place to nest and rest is a handy tool for any child on the spectrum. (Obviously, this activity doesn't help a child with a fear of small places.)
3. Jack and Jill
Most kids like to crash and bang. Sensory seekers, like my Billy, need to do it. Kranowitz' "Jack and Jill" activity is good for inside or outside. Outside, you would construct a "hill" with a board elevated on one end, followed by a "crash pad," or soft place to land. Indoors, we use my inclined aerobic step (I have the Transfirmer, which is secure in an inclined position), followed by a folded up mattress topper that Billy uses as his crash pad. A bean bag also works. He carries a plastic pail "up the hill" as we recite the rhyme, stomping in rhythm and then delightfully crashes on the floor when Jack "falls down and breaks his crown" with Jill (played by Mama) tumbling after. He can do this 5,000 times without tiring of it. (My personal limit is about 12.)
4. Puffin Stuff
At its most basic, this one is super-simple. You just need a straw and a cotton ball and, as Kranowitz explains, and by blowing the cotton ball across a table, you can exercise the muscles in the face that strengthen the respiratory system and speech articulators. But you can make "Puffin Stuff" as complicated as you like, including different objects to move with the straw, like empty plastic bottles, Ping-Pong balls, feathers, golf balls, tissue, marbles -- and even some things you know will be difficult to move, so that you can discuss why certain things move and others don't. You can have races, create obstacle courses for your objects -- the sky's the limit.
5. Hammer and Nails
Also fairly easy to set up (hammer + nails in log = hours of fun), this one should obviously be closely supervised to ensure that objects other than the log don't get nailed. You'll need to start the nails for your child until they get the hang of it, but if you have a "busy beaver" in your house, this one is a winner. The impact of it really seems to be a great stress reliever. I think adults could get a lot out of this one as well.
If you aren't comfortable with the idea of nails, Kranowitz suggests an alternative: toy hammer, golf tees and an inverted egg carton or a pumpkin into which to pound them.
There are a lot of ideas in the Out of Sync Child Has Fun, complete with recommended supply lists and easy-to-follow illustrations.
Enjoy!