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How to Get Started with PECS for Your Autistic Child

If you are looking to create a functional communication system for your autistic child at home, why not make a homemade PECS binder? You can use picture cards for autism printables to make a binder that your child take can with them and use at home. How to a develop a communication system at home If your child has a speech or language delay, their speech therapist may have several suggestions for developing a functional communication system. One that can be used at home or at school, and independently or with assistance. One that is more familiar in the autism and special needs community is PECS. But just how do you get started with PECS? And are they really that beneficial? When it comes to…

Parenting an Autistic Child

9 Tips from Moms for How to Plan a Birthday Party for an Autistic Child

ByKori

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Are in need of birthday party ideas for your autistic child? I’ll be the first to admit that planning a birthday party was never my strong suit. Sure, I love to plan, but a birthday party was just a little bit out of my league. I can remember the birthday parties my mom planned for me and it struck me- I would likely never plan an autism birthday party. Part of it has to do with when my daughter’s birthday is, but then there are other factors like friends and locations. Turns out that I wasn’t alone in this struggle. The autism birthday party Sweet B’s birthday is in July, so I attribute that to one reason why I never really planned a big birthday party…

Parenting an Autistic Child

How to Recognize Signs of Autism in Preschoolers

ByKori

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Over the years, medical professionals and parents have come to realize that the earlier autism is diagnosed, the better. As parents, we need to know what those initial signs of autism are and how to look for them. But what about after the toddler years? What about learning to recognize the signs of autism in preschoolers? How do we best support preschoolers on the autism spectrum? How are the signs of autism in preschoolers different? Honestly, the signs of autism in preschoolers are very similar to the signs of autism in toddlers. In fact, there are what you could call “universal signs” or “universal signals” of autism in early childhood. And, it usually starts the same way. You, as a parent, are concerned about your…

Kids Printables

Freebie Friday: Free Printable ASL Alphabet Flashcards Pack

ByKori

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For myself and my nonverbal autistic daughter, American Sign Language was one of the first ways that we communicated at home. I was familiar with some basic ASL and thought, why not teach it to her? It worked out so well. The repetition of sign language was right up her learning alley and we learned quickly that it was so much easier on both of us. I hope that these free printable ASL flashcards will help you and your child as well. Please note that the flashcard featured in the below image is not the same set that you will receive. Why teach ASL to kids? I have touched on the benefits of teaching babies sign language and we are still working on basic sign language with…

Money Matters

How to Reduce the Stress of Buying a Car

ByKori

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Do you remember your first car buying experience? What was it like? How did you prepare for it ahead of time? Sometimes, even with all of the preparation and research beforehand, buying a car can be incredibly stressful. For our family, however, this is something that we need to face in the near future. We’re hoping that the experience will be as stress free as possible. We are bringing you a few tips for how to reduce the stress of buying a car. At this point in time, we are a one car family. It suits our needs perfectly fine and we don’t really have the need (yet) for another vehicle. But, the car that we do have could use some love. We have also…

Parenting an Autistic Child | Autism Calming Strategies

Autism Calming Strategies for Teenagers and Tweens

ByKori

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Some calming strategies for autism are usually going to work throughout a child’s lifetime. Some will not. This is to be expected for anyone, really. What works for us as a child, may not work when we’re an adult. What works when we’re a teenager may not work when we’re in our fifties. Puberty does a number on any child, and our autistic children are no exception. Here are a few autism calming strategies for teenagers that can be modified from calming strategies for children. Calming Strategies for Teens on the Autism Spectrum When your autistic child starts to go through puberty, so many things start to change. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure who was more unprepared for this — me or my daughter. But, it…