Parents who need ideas for grandparents (or others) to help choose gifts this holiday season should check out a helpful New York Times article published yesterday that explains the particular challenges kids with autism spectrum disorders have with learning through play, alone and with peers. "For a child with autism, the right kind of play at the right time is crucial," the article notes. "Play can help deliver some basic communication and life skills that may not come naturally."
You can read the article here. It includes links to a special Toys R Us catalog (at www.toysrus.com/differentlyabled) and Discovery Toys, as well as citing several toys and book suggestions.
One example: If your child has any experience with video modeling -- learning by watching what other kids do, and imitating their actions -- the article suggests looking at the DVD version of Cranium's "Hullabaloo" game, which has kids following directions to participate in the game.
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4 comments:
Hello, Mr. Goldberg. I tried to comment on some of your other recent posts, but there seems to be a problem with the Blogger beta; comments aren't working on some of the posts. So please forgive me for being off the topic of this post.
Have you visited the Autism Hub? This group of bloggers includes autistic adults, parents of autistic children, some autistics who are also parents, and a few professionals as well. You'll find many different perspectives and spirited discussions on a variety of topics.
I was not able to comment on your post about autism advocates, but one person whose efforts I greatly respect is Estée Klar-Wolfond, the founder of The Autism Acceptance Project, which seeks to improve understanding and acceptance of the autistic minority population and to oppose prejudice and discrimination.
Thank you for those helpful remarks! I have looked at the Blogger help pages and it seems some users of the latest Internet Explorer browser had problems posting comments. I hope that is fixed now.
I have visited Autism Hub; do you feel they, as a group, should be considered difference-makers for 2006?
I am impressed with the Autism Acceptance Project and the conference and art exhibits Ms. Klar-Wolfond organized.
Thanks again.
Michael
I have visited Autism Hub; do you feel they, as a group, should be considered difference-makers for 2006?
For a relatively new group, it has had a lot of influence, yes. I'd describe Autism Hub as a difference-maker because it has exposed many people to ideas and perspectives they hadn't seen before.
Great ideas! Thanks for the reminder. Well, I just got a cute gift.Yours is a wonderful blog! Nice Post!
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