Halloween!

                                             http://www.autismsupport.org/halloween.html

Halloween is a holiday that I have always enjoyed. The thing I do not like about it though is as you age it is almost as if you shouldn't go trick or treating. Last year I went with my best friend and her two cousins. Her one cousin, Logan, has autism and his younger brother, Connor, does not. We all dressed up and went trick or treating. I dressed up as a graduate and Logan was dressed up as Wall-E. Logan loves Wall-e; the video games, the movie, and the character. He loves quoting lines from the movie or explaining plays that happen in the video game. Logan has a mind of his own and is interesting no matter where you are or who you are with. When we went trick or treating I stayed with Logan and my best friend was with Connor. Logan and I moved a little bit slower than Chelsey and Connor but we enjoyed the entire night. He had a great time studying every one's costumes and all the different types of candy. He is very similar to other kids in many ways, he loves candy but does not quite understand or like when people give out things like apples or pop corn. They all just want candy. Logan also liked looking at the pets that people took with them. He loves looking at dogs and explaining how they are similar to the dogs that he has. This link may help you understand how it can be different with a child with special needs but how it is still important for them to be able to enjoy the holiday.

Parenting

                                              http://www.lucasworks.org/parenting-autistic-child.html

     Parenting someone who has autism is definitely not the easiest thing in the world. It takes a huge amount of patience and a lot of support. The most important thing to remember in my eyes is to treat a child with autism as equal as you would a child without autism. It is definitely not easy because it takes different methods and the children do act different but you can not favor one child over another.
     When the child is younger is when it is the hardest. Autistic children around the age of 5-10 is probably the most difficult. When they are mad they might scream until you can find a way to calm them or they might do something as crazy as hit themselves in the head with objects because they do not know any other way to express their anger. Young autistic children seem to be more violent when under stress than any other child. In a way it seems that children with autism can be very selfish but it is not something that is intentional.

     A boy that I know, named Logan with autism is 10 years old and has a 6 year old brother, named Connor who does not have autism. I really like the way that they are parented because both their mother and their father treat both children equally. If Logan is bad and deserves punishment even if it was because of his autism his parents will give him punishment because they would do the same thing if Connor did something that he should not have. Logan may have different methods of controlling his anger but his parents to not give him any special treats that they would not for Connor. One thing to keep in mind is that children with autism may need more attention that children without autism but that can not be changed. This should not mean that you like one child over the other because they should all be treated equal.
     Something that many people have trouble with is understanding children with autism and this is because a lot of times these children have trouble expressing their feelings. You find this more when the children are lower functioning but you may also find it occasionally with higher functioning autistics. If you tell a joke that most people would find funny, a lot of times someone with autism would not understand the punch line. There has also been arguments that people with autism can not love because some can not speak. Everyone has the ability to love and everyone does it in their own way. Every child is different and it is important to keep the same sense of parenting for every child, no matter the condition.

What is a Sensory Room?

     http://fingerprintglasses.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/sensory-rooms-for-children-with-adhd-aspergers-syndrome-or-autism/

                                                                                  

     Sensory rooms are something that most people with Autism have seen before. A simple run down of what a sensory room is would be a place where someone with Autism can be themselves and relax. A good way of describing it to a human would be like getting a massage. It calms you down and relaxes you.
     Last year was the first time I saw a sensory room and it was located at Arrowwood School. When you walk in the room, whether you have autism or not, you automatically feel relaxed. The lighting is low and definitely puts you in a calming mood. There were swings or what is called a 'floating bed' hanging from the ceiling and all kinds of games. A lot of the games involve a  lot of colors to help the children think. There is one game that was especially cool to me and that was a screen that had different colors on them but the trick is that the colors would go on into infinity and never end. You could change the colors by pressing one button and each time I pressed it it would manage to amaze me. There are swings that hang from the ceiling for the children to sit in and be lightly pushed. There was a bed that was also hanging from a ceiling and when you sit in it you actually feel like you are floating. These rooms help autistic children because it shows their creative side. There are also things that involve touching and feeling. They enjoy playing with Play-doh, textures balls, textured walls, materials such as satin, silk, or wool, and even vibrating toys. One thing I have found is that most autistic children do like music but a lot of them like it to be very low and a very calming. In a sensory room you may find music like a nature sound or classical music. Another thing that most sensory rooms have a bean bags, squishy beds, or blankets. This allows the children to feel hugged and calms them down. A lot of times they do not like to be touched by others that are not family but they do enjoy things like bean bags.
   Sensory rooms give children a break from the outside world and let them be alone. Most often 20 to 30 minutes is enough for these children to become relaxed but of course, anyone would want to spend more time in a room full of games and relaxation.

                                                                       

Autism Unemployment

                                                 http://kidcompanions.com/archives/5896
    Today I went to the Walk for Autism at the Freeland Sports Zone center. As I was making laps with a friend of mine who had autism I noticed that he was walking slower than everyone else and that he wasn't really sure why we were walking. Then I looked to another friend of mind who is autistic and noticed that he knew exactly what was going on. He was practically racing around the track compared to everyone else. In fact, he was on lap 30 when my friends and I were only on lap 10. I also noticed some of the children with Autism who could barely do one lap around the gym. This does not make anyone of these children on less value. This just made me realize how every child with autism really is different in their own way.
   When walking around each lap there were signs of sponsors on the side or the track with facts about autism. One sign that especially caught my eye was the one that said "Unemployment rate for individuals with Aspergers Syndrome is 88%" I never really thought about how difficult it would be for one with Autism to become employed. Is it because they can't do things that others might be able to do, or because they don't want to be looked at or treated differently, or is it even because the owner of the business would not accept someone with special needs? Any of these reasons are ob sured. Although some people with autism may act different there is always a job that they are capable of doing, whether it is organizing tables at a restaurant, or even fixing a computer. I believe everyone is capable of having a job it just takes the time to look for one that might be right for you. This process may not be easy but it is definitely worth the shot. I think that all these children need is motivation and hope because with a little bit of it the world becomes a better and happier place. Where could you go wrong in being friendly and caring towards another? You can't.

Erin Gruwell

     The movie Freedom Writers was an amazing movie before meeting Erin, but after meeting Erin I had a whole different perspective on the movie. It seemed so real. I couldn't believe that it was actually her and she actually went through all of that. Watching the movie you just wonder why Erin didn't give up and after hearing her speak you see how much she loves those kids and how much they changed her life. What I really liked about her also was that she was just an average person who had an extraordinary experience and instead of giving up she kept her determination and chose to find the side of these kids that she knew they had. Erin knew these kids didn't have to be gang members and drug addicts. She saw the positive side and them and worked until she got what she wanted. She never expected to become famous from her experience and that is what makes it so special. I noticed that everytime someone mentioned how she was different, right away she would correct them and say "i'm just like you, you could have done the same thing I did." Erin showed everyone that we all can do what she did. You just have to take the time to care about everyone else. Even after this movie Erin kept giving to others. Even when she spoke at Delta you could tell that she cared about every single person in the audience. When a girl broke down and told her story Erin felt her pain and told her that she could email or call her at anytime, just to talk. Erin also gave her a book so that the struggling young lady could have motivation to change and the strive to never give up. Erin truly is amazing and I am more than glad that I got to see her in person. It was so hard for me not to cry when she was speaking. I think Erin gave everyone an emotion that not most people can give and that is what makes her so special in everyone's eyes.

Curable or not?

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2587947/what_is_autism_and_is_it_treatable_pg2.html?cat=72

     "Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs normal functioning of neural development." Autism generally makes humans slower than others. Autism is not known to be curable but you can recover from it with work and time. Most of the people with autism that I know are young so it is hard to tell how much they have really progressed over time. Something that I have noticed though, is that if you treat a child with autism as much like a normal child as possible that they will make progress. For instance, just because autistic children do no do well in groups that does not mean that you should keep them away from groups to just play alone. It is important that you open them up to things that any average child would do.
     Another thing that autistic people may find uncomfortable is using eye contact when talking to people. It is important that you do not make them feel uncomfortable by yelling at them for something that is hard for them but it is good to push them to learn to use eye contact as much as possible. Also, not all techniques work the same on all children. Just like a child without autism, everyone learns at there own pace. I've found that a kid with autism may find memorizing songs easier than a child without autism. This is a perfect example of how everyone is different and learns in their own way. I've also found that is it easier to keep attention from a child without autism than it is with a child who has autism. This is not because the child is stupid, it is just the way that this child may learn. We are all different in our own way, some people it just may be more noticeable on.