Raising children is not cheap and raising a child with autism can be particularly expensive. I’m sharing some of my favorite free resources for families with autism in hopes to alleviate some of that financial strain.
Next up in our Autism A to Z series is the letter F. And as I was trying to come up with a theme for today, I realized F could stand for a few things. Free and families stood out the most to me after brainstorming a list so there you have it. Today, I’m bringing you a few of my favorite free resources for families with autism.
Some of these I’ve used myself, a few I’ve created, but all of the ones listed are definitely recommended for any number of reasons. I’m going to try and sort them by category/use. I’m hoping to have a few more book recommendations coming up soon as well. But if you are looking for books, I have shared my Top 10 Books for Parents previously here on the blog.
This post was originally published on April 7, 2015 as part of my Autism A to Z series. The most recent update to this post was made on February 9, 2016.
Free Resources for Families with Autistic Children
Some of the resources are geared specifically towards individuals with autism and their families though others are learning based printable packs to help reinforce various concepts, themes, and skills at home.
Free Resources from Kori at Home
Autism and Grief (how to handle the initial grief of the diagnosis)
Autism and Guilt (how to handle the ongoing guilt)
Basics of Special Education Terminology
Surviving The Initial Diagnosis
Recognizing the Signs of Autism in Toddlers
Five Calming Strategies For Meltdowns
Easing Anxiety in Autistic Children
Sensory Friendly Birthday Party Activities
10 Things That You Can Do For A Parent of a Child with Autism
Life Skills and Tool Kits
AWAARE shares two free resources for supporting families with a child that may elope/wander. This is a very scary thing and happens more often than we think. If you’d like to read it, we’ve shared our own story here on the blog. At various times during the year, and while supplies last, AAWARE also sells the Big Red Safety Box which includes the free material in addition to several useful and helpful items for children who wander.
Dyan at Next Comes L offers a wonderful Weekly Autism Planner just by subscribing to her e-mail list.
Stephanie at Parenting Chaos created an awesome IEP Toolkit for parents.
Educational Concepts
While these may be homeschooling based (and as a matter of fact, I initially discovered these blogs when I was looking for materials to start Tot School and home preschool about a year and a half ago) I think that you can also easily adapt them for a child with autism. You can use these to introduce or reinforce concepts (shapes, letters, etc.) in an afterschooling program at home.
Many of the packs include things such as tracing, cutting, and puzzles so you can also work on pre-writing and fine motor skills.
Heather at Growing Hands On Kids is a certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. Her printable packs cover a wide variety of topics including sensory needs, fine motor skills, and educational concepts.
Tabitha at Meet Penny is a homeschooling mom with a child on the autism spectrum. She offers free homeschooling printable packs as well as household management printable packs.
Beth at 123 Homeschool for Me offers numerous educational based printable packs that are great for reinforcing concepts and skills.
Jolanthe at Homeschool Creations also shares educational based printable packs which are ideal for reinforcing or introducing concepts and skills.
Katie at Gift of Curiosity shares several printable packs though some are only for subscribers. But don’t worry, subscribing is free.
Cassie at 3 Dinosaurs has a treasure trove of printable packs for almost every topic and concept that you could think of.
Erin at Royal Baloo offers numerous printable packs with various themes and concepts.
Carisa at 1+1+1=1 was one of the first homeschool blogs that I visited when I was looking for printable packs. She is the brain child behind Tot School and she has also created several printable packs.
Dyan of And Next Comes L offers several free resources
Renee of Every Star is Different has several free Montessori style printables.
Do you know of a resource that should be in this post? Please let me know about it in a comment!
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Thanks for this amazing list, Kori! I’m going to check all of them out.
What a super helpful series – came just in time for our family!
You’re very welcome, Jenn 🙂 Even if Autism awareness is every day for us- I’m going to make the most of this month!
DO YOU HAVE ANY THING FOR OLDER PEOPLE, MY TWINS ARE 24 YRS OLD. HAS FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL, HAS SOME COLLEGE. THEY DO WELL WITH HOUSEHOLD THINGS, NEED TO TEACH MONEY SKILLS//
I will look through my links and see what I can find. Can I e-mail you?
This is a great resource, Kori! I have an autistic brother and I saw how difficult it was for my mom to find resources and support. I know other families will find this very useful, so I’ll be sharing it on my Facebook page.