Fostering strong sibling relationships

Having a brother or a sister on the autism spectrum can affect a child in any number of ways. The special attention often required of children on the autism spectrum could cause the sibling to foster resentment towards their brother or sister.

On the other hand, children may become overly defensive of their loved one, protecting their special needs sibling from bullies and individuals who don’t understand the disorder. They may embrace their sibling’s diagnosis and work to assist them in their daily tasks.

Fortunately, there are ways to help shape this sibling relationship into one of love and support.

Educate Your Child

One of the most important things you can do to nurture the love between siblings affected by autism is to help your neuro-typical child to understand the disorder.

Before explaining the intricacies of the disorder, ask your child to divulge what they know about the disorder such as: What their brother’s or sister’s strengths and weaknesses are; why they require special attention; and how the disorder may cause his or her mental growth to be stunted through the years.

Read more here.

Archived Webinars

The Interactive Autism Network and the Simons Foundation sponsor online presentations, called webinars, on topics of interest to the autism community. Click on the videos below to hear important information from physicians and researchers on topics such as parenting, wandering and meltdowns, among others.

View the webinars here.

PARENTING WEBINAR WITH DR. FIONA MILLER

VIDEO ON WANDERING AND ELOPEMENT WITH DR. PAUL LAW

VIDEO ON MELTDOWNS AND AGGRESSION IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

WEBINAR ON RESEARCH ON AUTISM INTERVENTIONS

PSA: PARENTS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE IAN PROJECT

Archived Webinar - Supporting the Sexual and Social Development of Individuals with Intellectual Disability

Sexual development is a natural part of the life course of any individual but can cause particular fear and misunderstanding among parents and staff of people with intellectual disability who often feel responsible for the development of knowledge and healthy attitudes in this area but do not always feel equipped with the proper tools to support meaningful education. This webinar is intended to provide useful information and tips for parents, caregivers, and staff on engaging people with intellectual disability around their social and sexual development.

Enter your email, then your name and email and you will find the link to the archived webinar.

Archived Webinars from Seattle Children's Autism Center

Autism 201: State of Autism in 2014

Autism 202: Navigating Insurance Benefits – What You Need to Know About Health Insurance Benefits for Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment of Autism

Autism 201: State of Autism in 2013

Autism 202: Addressing Challenging Behaviors – Strategies for Families


Autism 204: Supporting Speech, Language and Communication with Mobile Technology

Autism 205: Legal Planning for Individuals with Disabilities – Guardianship, Public Benefits and Estate Planning

Autism 206: Anxiety

Autism 207: The Transition to Adulthood


Autism 208: Social Communication

 

Autism 209: Relationships, Puberty and Sexual Health

 

Autism 210: Highway to Hell or Stairway to Heaven? – Parenting a Child with Autism

Autism 211: Panel Discussion – Developing and Advocating for Services in Local Communities
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What Not To Say to a Parent of an Autistic Child

As the prevalence of autism increases, many are finding themselves in conversations with parents of children with autism and not knowing what to say. People are good. They want to say the right thing. They want to encourage. They want to offer hope. My son was diagnosed with autism seven years ago and it has taught me how wonderful people truly can be. In their efforts, though, sometimes the things they say have the opposite effect of their intentions…

1. “He can’t be autistic because…” I heard a million reasons why Casey couldn’t be autistic when we were in the process of getting him diagnosed. They ranged from “He just looked me in the eyes!” to “He’s nothing like Rainman!” Parents have a hard enough time coming to terms with their child’s diagnosis all on their own. We spend months saying those very same things to ourselves. Then we get to a point where we know that what we are doing is right and seek out help. Having to constantly defend what we are seeing is taxing during a time where we don’t have much left to give. Autism comes in all shapes in sizes. It’s a spectrum of abilities and disabilities. It’s never the same in two children with the same diagnosis.

Instead, say:
- See more at: http://www.scarymommy.com/what-not-to-say-to-a-parent-of-an-autistic-child/#sthash.ggQIFuix.dpuf

Regression in Children with ASD: Associations with Parents' Beliefs about Causes of ASD

Background: Parent-reported developmental regression occurs in an average of one-third of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While prospective, clinician-rated studies detect higher rates of skill losses, understanding parent perception of this phenomenon is valuable, as it may subsequently color parents’ thoughts about ASD and decisions they make on behalf of their families. Limited data suggest that parents who observed regression in their children were significantly more likely to believe that external factors—most often vaccines—caused ASD

The five causes that families most frequently endorsed were genetics (75.8%), child’s brain structure (59.7%), will of God (46.3%), toxins found in vaccines (41.8%), and environmental pollution (37.4%).

Read more here.

The Language of Autism: Disease or Difference?

“Our desire not to be rhetorically dehumanized is not a type of hatred or guilt or stone-throwing,” wrote Ibby Anderson-Grace, an autistic scholar and advocate. “It is a natural reaction to hearing the type of person you are, or the type of person your kid is, talked about in ways that seem to suggest not being or counting as a human person. How do you know Finn won’t read that the way you and your wife claw at each other is all his fault because he is not really a person?”

Finn read? The thought had scarcely occurred to me. Not long before, we had been told that Finn, now 6, had the cognitive age of an 11-month-old child. But things have changed since I first wrote about Finn; he used to point to an object he desired, his one concrete method of communication. Now he uses American Sign Language for music and movie and dog and shoe and food and drink and up and help and stop and wait and candy. He is beginning to shake his head for no and nod for yes, and when I look into his eyes I see now that he loves us as fiercely as we love him. He only rarely bites us anymore, or wraps an angry hand around his sister’s hair.

So who knows what’s in store?

Strategies to Handle Anxiety with Your Child During the Summer

Although there is no easy season for families of kids with Autism, summer can be particularly challenging. The supports and team of professionals typically surrounding the child throughout the school year dwindle over summer break. The parent is forced to become not only the primary caregiver, but also the teacher, therapist, playmate, and more.
Children are very perceptive and they can feel the stress this places on their loved ones. It’s important to remember, that even if you feel overwhelmed and frustrated, you must try to remain calm, composed, and organized. This is no easy task. Your Mendability coach is here to help!

#1: Take a step back and observe

Before you can strategize how to combat anxiety it helps to know the triggers.

Read more here.

Survey for parents and adults with ASD

Survey: What Would Help You Take Part in Autism Research?

Dear IAN families, If you are the parent of someone with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or if you are an adult with ASD, the Interactive Autism Network (IAN) is interested in your opinions about autism research and what researchers can do to make research more accessible and appealing to the autism community. Please take a brief, anonymous survey about research. No personal information will be associated with the survey results. Thank you.

Parent Survey Adults with ASD Survey

To Take the Online Research Survey Parents: Click here or paste into your browser: https://coral.ianresearch.org/Research-Participation-Survey-for-Parents-of-Individuals-with-ASD.aspx  Adults with ASD: Click here or paste into your browser: https://coral.ianresearch.org/Research-Participation-Survey-For-Adults-With-ASD.aspx