The A to Z of Autism, what on earth I can hear you asking..
This is a post that I was going to publish in April for Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month. I made the decision to go through all of my blog posts and make an "A to Z of Autism" list. But the list is growing at a rather large rate, so here it is, a few months early!
Our guide for the A to Z of Autism, links and all!
A is for Anxiety, something that O struggles a with on a daily basis. A is also for Autism Acceptance and what it means to me and it is also for Advocacy. A is also for how anxiety can manifest.
B is for Books that I would recommend to anyone that is embarking on an Autism journey! B is also for Body Socks and how to make one. B is also for Behaviour is NOT done on purpose. B is also for brothers and sisters and how we foster the relationship between O and L. B is also for Be the Change that you want to see.
C is for Communication and the many ways in which L and O communicate with us. C is also for the calming strategies that we use for meltdowns. C is also for change and what needs to occur so that the support for children with autism is not lacking. C is also for Crossing the Mid-Line.
D is for Dear Mamas - please don't judge me or my little superheroes. D is for demons, my anxiety demons to be exact. D is also for a Different Ability.
E is for Emotional Regulation and one of the many books that we use to assist L to understand his own emotions. E is also for Essential Oils - a must in superhero headquarters! E is also for Eye Contact and why it can be so difficult. E is for Education and what we do at the end of each year in readiness for the following year. E is also for Early Intervention Therapy! E is also for explaining Autism to Children. E is also for why and Early Diagnosis is important for children.
F is for Fidget Spinners. They are NOT toys!! F is also for WTF, some of the moments when my hair turns grey instantly!! F is also for Food Aversions.
G is for Girls and Autism. Autism can present in many different ways. Medical professionals are now finding that at times, autism presents very differently in girls meaning that a lot of girls are misdiagnosed or are being missed altogether.
H is for L's hair dresser, he really does love you Sarah! H is also for happy and what makes us all happy.
I is for my IEP. Anyone who has a child with special needs will be very familiar with an IEP. I is also about introducing my little superheroes - read all about them here! I is also for the hidden sense of Interoception.
J is for Jenni (that's me) and the hobbies that I like to do for me! J is also for Jobs and what the future may hold in regards to employment.
K is for know the difference between a Meltdown and Tantrum, please!
L is for Life is Like a Roller Coaster - we have ups and we downs. L is also for Literal Thinkers and how we can help and for Laughing - we all need to do more of it.
M is for the Mask of autism that you see. M is also for Mindfulness and why we practice it for O and L. M is also for Being Me and my social awkwardness! M is also for Melatonin and how it assists with sleep. M is also for Mental Health Awareness.
N is for Not Naughty - L is not naughty. N is also for New Friends and why you are welcome here. N is also for the NDIS.
O is for my Old Brain and why it is to blame for my own anxiety. O is also for Over sized Sensory bag and what is in it! O is also for Occupational Therapist and what they do!
P is for the Puzzle Piece. A little symbol that means so much to some and can be the cause of many a heated discussion. P is also for Play, child's play that is. P is also Positive Behaviour Supports. P is also for Proximal Stability before Distal Mobility.
Q is for what is normal, because putting this under the letter "n," well that would just be normal!!
R is for The Rabbit Who wants to Fall Asleep. This book is amazing. If you only buy one book this year for your child, this is a must!! R is also for the reasons why an Autism diagnosis is not the end of the world. R is also for Resilience and why it is important for children. R is also for the Reality of our Autism journey.
S is for Sensory Diet and what we do to make life a little easier for O and L. S is also for Schedules, Routines and consistency - three massive parts of our every day life. S can also be for Sensory Proprioception! S is also for Sensory Seeking and why children need to engage in it. S is also for Strategies that can be used to support children who have additional needs. S is fro Stimming!
T is for Tara's School or the early intervention centre! T is also for the look of autism. T is also for teaching little superheroes about money! T is also for Theory of Mind.
U is for Understanding and how much do I really know about my little superheroes Autism.
V is for visual thinkers and how O sees her world. V is also for vulnerable side and why I think my little superheroes show this to me. V is also for Vestibular Input and what this is responsible for.
W is for Wild. L is my wild, I am his calm. W is also for When did we know that L had autism. W is also for a Weighted Blanket - my tutorial on how to make one! W is also for What is Autism Spectrum Disorder, When does it stop and what I have learnt being on this autism journey. W is also for W-Sitting and some alternatives that you can introduce your children to.
X is for Xmas! Sensory Santa actually but I couldn't find a post that started with the letter 'x!"
Y is for You - you are strong! Y is also for Your Self Care and why YOU need to take care of YOU.
Z is for much needed zzzzzzz's! Z is also for Melatonin which helps us get more zzzzzz's.
What a great list!! And so much information - thanks. Great job finding something for each letter :)
ReplyDeleteLove this!! I agree, fidget spinners are not toys!!
ReplyDeleteThis list is impressive! Finding something for every letter must have been hard! But it was very informative(: And I loved Q!! Thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI love how impormative and creative this is! Great job!
ReplyDeleteOnly good things come from you, Jenni. Miss seeing the kids. Give them a hug & kiss from us.
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