Social Skills for kids on the spectrum

An interesting article on autism by Moira Lewis, MS, CCC-SLP, Speech-Language Pathologist, is worth a read.  She discusses how children with ASD (autism spectrum disorders) can be helped to develop social skills through therapy, peer mentors and social stories.

Please know that Discovery Toys is very interested in children on the spectrum, as you can see by the codes a - f on the toys listed in our catalog.  The 6 skills generally lacking in children with autism are shown here.  Once you identify the child's areas of weakness, you can use that code to find toys that will be helpful.  For example, a child who has difficulty talking about their play experiences, code "d," may benefit from Item #2240, Flip Flop Faces- Emotions in Motion. Playing with Flip Flop Faces, children begin to understand facial expressions while they develop gross motor skills and coordination. The game encourages cooperative play, color and word recognition, and social awareness. Includes 6 target bowls and 6 bean bags labeled with emotions that add up to one great party game. The DT Activity Guide is in English & French.  For French speakers, #2185 is the French version of the same game.

Is autism increasing?

There are many controversies over autism...is the prevalence increasing or the number of diagnoses; is it caused by vaccines, toxins in environment, age of father? Certainly, we are attempting to diagnose earlier (and more often) because we believe the sooner treatment can begin, the better the outcome. We also see a high percentage of children who have been previously diagnosed, but no longer have the disorder. That begs the question, "How good is the diagnosis?" Stanford neurobiologist and researcher Ricardo Dolmetsch talks about his own child and the research he and others are doing in this recorded interview.

Vaccines were initially suspected of causing autism. The world scientific community, however, has ruled out a relationship between thimerosol, the mercury-containing preservative used in many vaccines, and autism. We know that most children get vaccinated, but the incidence of autism is not uniform throughout our population. Researchers find clusters of incidence in certain geographic areas, leading us to believe that those families may simply have access to resources that will diagnose the disorder.

Dr. Dolmetsch talks about research in identical twins (where the chance of both having autism if one has it is 90%) vs. fraternal twins (where the chance is only 5% of both having autism if one has). Based on that research, scientists believe there is a strong genetic basis, not due to just one gene (because you share more than one gene with your sibling), but due to many genes. With each successive generation, humans have approximately 150 new gene mutations, and just one of those mutations could mean the difference between having autism or not.

Paternal age also seems to be a cause, because as men age, their sperm accumulate more of these genetic mutations. More affluent people are marrying later and having children later (mothers average age now is 29, fathers 38), 10-15 years later than 1 or 2 generations ago. Both paternal age and geography suggest you are more likely to get autism if you come from a high socio-economic family and live in a nice neighborhood.

Recent research has included re-programming skin cells from children with autism into stem cells. Those cells are used to make neurons (in a dish) that enable scientists to study the electrical signals and connections in the brain cells of those children. Fortunately, the influx of money and attention to autism research in the last few years is helping us move in the right direction of finding a cure.

If you know someone with a child who has autism, please point them to this page which suggests specific toys for use with autism.

Autism journey of Leslie & Joe

Leslie St. Jean had joined Discovery Toys as a consultant several years back. One year at the Discovery Toys convention she shared her story with us, which she gave me permission to share with you. I wanted you to hear it in her own words: Discovery Toys helped her child!

"Our Journey with autism began on June 24, 2004. My husband and I spent our 9 year wedding anniversary in a neurologist’s office looking for answers.

This is what we shared with the doctor:

'Our 2-year-old son Joseph is as cute as a button and a joy to be around, but we cannot overlook his odd behaviors. For example, when we call his name, he does NOT look at us. He does not seem to hear us. We had his hearing tested and the results were “normal”. Why does he walk on his toes? Why is he not aware of the world around him? For example, he does not acknowledge a new person walking into the room. Joe cannot play with toys appropriately no matter how many times we show him. Whether it is a ball, car, shape sorter or book, he does the same thing, spin them. When I sit down next to him to read a book, he immediately stands up and walks away. Why doesn’t he talk? Why does he not seem to understand me? He cannot follow any direction. Even simple ones like “Where’s Mommy?” Why does he jump up and down and flap his hands when he is excited? Why does he cover his ears to certain noises? Why does he make high pitched screams when he is “playing”? If kids are playing on the left side of the room, Joe moves to the right side of the room. Why does he laugh uncontrollably at nothing?'

The answer to all these questions and behaviors was AUTISM.

Autism impacts 1 in 166 children. 4 out 5 children diagnosed are boys. There is no known cause or cure for autism. It is, in my opinion, a silent epidemic. Maybe Discovery Toys can help, not just by supporting parents of children with autism like me, and children with autism like our Joe with wonderful products, tips and testimonials, but by helping us to feel able to talk about it. That’s why the foundation, Autism Speaks, must have selected its name, to bring autism out into the open.

From the moment DISCOVERY TOYS® products began arriving at my door, the door to my son’s mind began to open. But these products mean more to my family than most would ever understand.

Did Joe immediately begin to use the products like they were meant to be used? No, not even close, but at least he was interested. And interest goes a LONG way for children on the Spectrum. Because he was interested in the products, he was motivated to learn how to use them. A BIG positive!

Whenever I meet a parent who has child on the Spectrum I recommend the following products, BUSY BUGS, ROLL & PLAY and IT’S A MATCH!

BUSY BUGS was the first DISCOVERY TOY® product I opened from my Rocket Start Kit. Every child with autism has their little quirks or “stims”. Joe’s is picking up items that are the same and dropping them one by one. It actually is very impressive. Even his Occupational Therapist (OT ) has marveled at how many objects Joe can fit into his cute little hands. As I opened up the box for the first time, he screamed in excitement. His hands literally dove into the box as he picked up bugs and began running around the house dropping them. I brought him back to the table, this time only giving him 6 red bugs and the all red square card. With my hand over his, (known in the autism world as “full manual guidance”, or “hand-over-hand”), I showed him how to match the red bug to the red square. For 3 months I worked with Joe on this skill and one day he just did it; independently. He can now independently complete up to card 3!

In my opinion, ROLL & PLAY is the best “floor time” therapeutic product for children on the Spectrum. Most young children with autism are unable to talk and have audio processing issues. This means they are unable to decipher or decode what we are saying. However, many are successful at understanding and interpreting a picture. For this reason, many children on the Spectrum begin communicating through PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System). When my son was younger and wanted a drink, he was unable to verbally express his need in the form of the spoken word, “drink”, “cup” or “juice”. Instead he removed a wallet sized picture of a sippy cup from our refrigerator door and handed it to me. He was “exchanging” a picture for the item. He was communicating through pictures. ROLL & PLAY is “PECS in a box”. We have used ROLL & PLAY to teach Joe the parts of the body, gross motor skills imitation and how to follow directions, (“find something yellow”). Gross Motor Imitation is a prerequisite to expressive language (spoken words). This is also a game Joe’s big sister Renee (age 5) can play with him. Imagine having a brother very close to your age (they are 17 months apart) who has no idea how to “play”. With this product it is bridging that gap and providing a means for my children to interact!

I recommend to EVERY FAMILY of autism IT’S A MATCH! When Joseph was completely non-verbal and we had no idea what he was capable of in an academic sense. Well, through IT’S A MATCH! we found out he knows his letters, numbers, shapes, colors, and animals. It also reinforces matching, which is a HUGE educational program for children on the Spectrum. From that moment on, we changed the programs in Joe’s therapy, we kicked it up a notch and that has made all the difference. He has progressed more in the last 18 months than I thought was possible. Joe not only can identify his letters, numbers, shapes, colors and animals through matching, but he can SAY THEM!

SPLASH ROCKET has become Joe’s favorite DISCOVERY TOY® product. Therefore, it has become Joe’s “most preferred reinforcer”. What is a reinforcer? A reinforcer is the reward that Joe earns for doing what is asked. Most of this summer you could find me in my back yard with flashcards and a SPLASH ROCKET. I would show Joe a flashcard, if he was able to identity the object and say the word, (“expressive label”), I would blast off the rocket. It is his reward for doing something he finds very difficult to do. Through the efforts of Joe’s dedicated teachers and SPLASH ROCKET as a reinforcer, he is able to identify and verbally express close to 200 words!

I share my stories today to give you an opportunity to learn how autism can affect a child and how important it is to support the child and their FAMILY. [If you sell Discovery Toys] you are making a difference! You are providing these families with affordable educational products, potential reinforcers, and fantastic therapeutic tools.

Are you providing the families with a cure? No. But we are showing them that we care and we want to make a difference in their lives. And this means more to the Autism Community than you will ever know!

So how is Joe today, 2 years after his diagnosis? Well, he is a different kid. He is a child that all the preschool girls and teachers fight over. He is a quiet cute, kid with the “all teeth showing” smile. He is no longer considered to be non-verbal. My son has words, however, he is still considered non-conversational. He is just starting to put 2 words together. My favorite is “Luv Ya.” His favorite is “Sit Down!” And why is he asking me to “sit down”? …to play. And what do we play with… DISCOVERY TOY® products. Because playing with Joe everyday is the best investment I have ever made in my son’s life."

Today, Leslie is the Director of Finance of Huge Possibilities, Inc. a 501(c)(3) charity that helps teach parents and caregivers of children with autism about the huge possibilities for their child who's been diagnosed on the spectrum. Visit their site to donate.

Asperger's conference in NY set for 10/19/2009

The YAI/NIPD Network will be holding a full-day conference in October featuring Dr. Tony Atwood, entitled, “The Complete Guide to High Functioning Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome: Making Friends and Managing Feelings”

Attendees will have the rare opportunity to hear one of the top minds on Asperger’s Syndrome and High Functioning Autism.

This conference will be on Monday, October 19, 2009 from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m at the McGraw Hill Auditorium located at 1221 Avenue of the Americas in New York City (entrance on 49th Street, close to 6th Ave.)

Visit the Conference Website to register on-line. Please note: There will be no on-site registration and seating is limited.

Where the candidates stand on Autism

From Barack Obama's site: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/
Support Americans with Autism. More than one million Americans have autism, a complex neurobiological condition that has a range of impacts on thinking, feeling, language, and the ability to relate to others. As diagnostic criteria broaden and awareness increases, more cases of autism have been recognized across the country. Barack Obama believes that we can do more to help autistic Americans and their families understand and live with autism. He has been a strong supporter of more than $1 billion in federal funding for autism research on the root causes and treatments, and he believes that we should increase funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to truly ensure that no child is left behind.

More than anything, autism remains a profound mystery with a broad spectrum of effects on autistic individuals, their families, loved ones, the community, and education and health care systems. Obama believes that the government and our communities should work together to provide a helping hand to autistic individuals and their families.

From John McCain's site:
John McCain is very concerned about the rising incidence of autism among America's children and has continually supported research into its causes and treatment. He has heard countless stories about families' hardships obtaining a diagnosis for their children's autism and accessing quality medical treatment. He believes that federal research efforts should support broad approaches to understanding the factors that may play a role in the incidence of autism, including factors in our environment, for both prevention and treatment purposes.

John McCain was proud to lend his support to the Combating Autism Act of 2006, which he cosponsored, and worked to ensure its enactment. This law is helping to increase public awareness and screening of autism spectrum disorder, promote the use of evidence-based interventions, and create autism Centers of Excellence for Autism Spectrum Disorder Research and Epidemiology. John McCain understands that despite the federal and scientific research efforts to date, the exact causes of autism are not yet known and greater research is needed to understand this disorder. That is why in November 2007, he joined with Senator Lieberman in requesting the leadership of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal research into autism, to hold a hearing on federal research efforts regarding factors affecting incidence and treatment in order to help determine where research efforts can best be directed. As President, John McCain will work to advance federal research into autism, promote early screening, and identify better treatment options, while providing support for children with autism so that they may reach their full potential.

The Importance of Touch

We have all heard the debate of "nature vs. nurture." Scientists are now seeing actual chemical changes in the body from environmental factors, such as touch. Dr. Frances Champagne, of Columbia University, has conducted research which demonstrates that maternal touch or tactile stimulation (in rats, rhesus monkeys and humans) causes proteins to be created. Those proteins lie on top of the genetic material causing an epigenetic mechanism to switch the DNA from "off" to "on", in turn causing production of additional proteins that improve the ability to handle stress and increase sociability. Scientists don't fully understand the biochemical pathways, nor do they see a classically inherited gene. The structure of the DNA remains unchanged, but the behavior is passed down to the next generation. Nurtured offspring become nurturing parents to their own offspring.

Epigenetic applications have been shown to help reduce repetitive behavior in studies of people with autism.

Pharmaceutical companies are trying to reproduce what nature already does. So, be sure to hug your child often!

Meet Discovery Toys

Do you know Discovery Toys? Since being founded by Lane Nemeth in 1978, their products have won numerous awards from Dr. Toy, the Oppenheim Toy portfolio and other highly recognized educators and parenting organizations.

These developmentally appropriate toys (for birth to age 10) build self-esteem, cooperative play, social and emotional intelligence, while being wholesome and fun. Many of the toys are not language specific (e.g., a Hispanic child derives the same play value as an Asian child). They encourage a love of learning and literacy that lasts a lifetime.

Schools, hospitals, occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech pathologists use and recommend them. In addition, Dr. Patricia Krantz, of the Princeton Child Development Institute, acknowledges these toys as being useful in addressing the six weakest developmental areas in children with autism.

All Discovery Toys products are independently tested for toxicity and other safety concerns and are unconditionally guaranteed.

Not only are the products priced well for the amount of play value they provide, but replacement parts are available should you lose a piece.

It is easy to shop for Discovery Toys online from the comfort of your home. I will answer any product questions you have, gift wrap (for a fee), design custom gift baskets for your child and help you get free replacements for anything that might break years from now.

Sick and needy children and children with special needs are often served by agencies that utilize these toys. The charities I've worked with have been very grateful to receive toys of this caliber. If you have philanthropic affiliations, please consider Discovery Toys.

The company offers a business opportunity as well, for anyone who wants to work at home or earn additional income.

Celebrities Against Autism

Help create the world's largest autism awareness puzzle! Discovery Toys partners with Celebrities Against Autism to help you add to the puzzle. Pieces can be added for a $1 contribution which will help the cause. Ask me!

Autism Donation Program

YOU CAN HELP!
DISCOVERY TOYS AUTISM DONATION PROGRAM
For every dollar donated through Discovery Toys Autism Support Program, we will donate a matching value in retail toys to Princeton Childhood Development Institute, (PCDI) a prominent school for autism research and intervention programs.
Here’s how it works:
Customers can add their cash donations to their toy purchase.
Please use the following item numbers to add donations to your order:
#8895 $10.00
#7762 $ 5.00
#7760 $ 1.00
Important Details:
Discovery Toys will ship up to $10,000 retail value of products to PCDI.
Donations will be accepted through December 31, 2007.
Because these donations are being made through Discovery Toys as a third party, they are not tax deductible. The advantage to the customer is knowing that in addition to her donation, PCDI will be receiving a donation of product from Discovery Toys equal to the amount collected.
Not available through our shopping cart. Email me for further instructions.