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Freebie Friday: Free Printable ASL Alphabet Flashcards Pack

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…

Parenting an Autistic Child | New Autism Diagnosis

How to Find the Brighter Side of the Autism Diagnosis

ByKori

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The days that surround the initial autism diagnosis process can be difficult. Some days are easier than others though and eventually, yes, you will find the brighter side of the autism diagnosis. Just hang in there. You’ll get there soon enough. How to Find the Brighter Side to the Autism Diagnosis If you had said to me, when my daughter was diagnosed, to look for a brighter side? I would have laughed in your face. Or, I would have been inclined to punch you, depending on my mood at the time. How could I possibly consider a brighter side of the autism diagnosis? What was I supposed to be thankful for? Honestly, at the time, I was hard pressed to find anything positive about this diagnosis. …

Self Care for Moms

Why You Need to Take a Break

ByKori

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Dear mom: Let’s talk about why you need to take a break. This is something that’s especially important for me to keep in mind, and any work at home parent or stay at home parent. If you were working at an office, you would get breaks. Perhaps a paid shorter break and a lunch break, but you would have a break. So why should working at home or being a stay at home parent be any different? It shouldn’t but in reality, we usually don’t take a break- even when we should. This is an important mental health issue for moms (and dads) to be aware of. Yes, you can take a break. What does it mean to “take a break”? Many of us are…

Parenting an Autistic Child | Autism Calming Strategies

Sensory Calming Strategies for Autism Meltdowns (with free printable!)

ByKori

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Often, when it comes to autism meltdown strategies, we are addressing a sensory overload. So it would make sense to address like-with-like, wouldn’t it? Here are a few sensory calming strategies for autism meltdowns. Why use sensory calming strategies for autism meltdowns? Autism meltdowns are often the result of a sensory overload. And while we have already discussed our favorite calming strategies for meltdowns, I wanted to specifically address sensory calming strategies. It makes sense when you think about it, you know? Sensory calming for sensory meltdowns. We want to look at the triggers and causes behind these meltdowns, so let’s address that sensory deficit or overload. Different Types of Sensory Calming Strategies Many of the self-calming strategies for autism are already sensory based. Extra touch,…