Transition Planning: At Times Funny, But Always Real

October 31, 2013
I cherish this flower

I cherish this flower

Recently I was invited to speak in Sarnia, Canada – which is across the border from Detroit.  The conference organized by the Jumpstart Lambton Kent Teen Transition committee was entitled “Clarity, Please!” and was about the transition to adulthood.  They launched a new website  which has lots of relevant information and will make it easier for families and teens with special needs to  find the help they need. As well, there is a partnership with Ability Online, a free monitored, supportive, online community for kids, teens and young adults of all abilities.

I love presenting at different conferences around the planet as it gives me the opportunity to hear the experiences of different families, organizations, and the young adults who are on a mission to create the life they dream of.  I presented on Autism Life Skills  and A Full Life with Autism – information that is valid for any person with a developmental disability.  At “Clarity Please!” There was a panel of young adults and their families who talked about their transition to adulthood and how that was going. Although all the stories were different, there were some traits that all the families shared. These were:

  • the parents were strong advocates
  • they raised their children to have good self esteem
  • they made connections in the community
  • they partnered with helpful agencies
  • the young adults had learned to be advocates for themselves
  • they encouraged their  young adult to work towards creating the life they dreamed of, even if it was different from what the parents had imagined for their adult child.
Karen Holland and David Schaller of Pathways Health Centre

Karen Holland and David Schaller of Pathways Health Centre

At each conference there are always some touching and funny moments. My most embarrassing moment at the conference was when I mistook  the mayor of Sarnia and a member of parliament (who were sitting at the presenter’s table with me) as upcoming members on the family panel. I thought it was funny when   Dave Schaller, Manager of Family and Community Services at Pathways Health Centre for Children recapped the day saying my talk was “at times funny but always real.” That’s how I feel about trying to access services for my son, Jeremy!

The most touching moment for me was at the end of the day.  A father walked over and gave me a flower –  fashioned from pipe cleaners that had been placed on each table along with other fidget items. “Here,” he said “My son made this for you.”  Instances like this make the traveling to share information all worthwhile.

What You Need to Know about Seizures and Autism

August 15, 2013

Silently Seizing I received the book Silently Seizing a while back and only recently found the time to crack it open – and I’m glad I did! Most people recognize grand mal seizures. However not many know how to recognize an absence seizure, a partial seizure, or a complex partial seizure – they may interpret the odd behavior as a characteristic of autism. Recognizing possible seizure activity is only one of the areas covered in this book which was the winner of the prestigious National Parenting Publications Award. (I like this book so much I also posted about it  on Psychology Today).

This clearly-written book is by Caren Haines, RN who is not only a registered nurse, but also the mother of a 24 year old son diagnosed with autism who suffers from seizures. Caren makes the important point that often times medical professionals analyze the behavior of a person with autism as just being part and parcel of autism, when in fact most of us parents and wise educators have figured out that all behavior is communication. In some cases, a child or teen may be having subclinical seizures and instead of treatment is given a behavior plan.

Caren shares not only how to recognize possible seizures, but describes the helpful data for parents to collect for the neurologist looking to see if a silent seizure disorder is present. As well, Caren shares her son’s experience as well as that of other families, which helps the reader understand more about life with seizures. Dr. Nancy Minshew and Dr. Darold Treffert provide valuable information as well. Also included in the book is a very helpful chart of medical tests to identify underlying causes of autism that may influence the ultimate prognosis of autism.

An important fact that I always tell my audience when I present on the topic of Adolescents and Autism: Many teens on the spectrum who have not been diagnosed as having seizures earlier, develop (or are identified as having) seizures during the teen years – probably related to puberty.

Parents should read this easy-to-digest book to understand more about seizures. It might make a big difference in your child’s life!

 

Practical Training on Adolescence and Autism for Parents and Educators

July 14, 2013

Teenager:autism.001

Are you a parent (or educator) of a pre-teen or teen? Do you wonder about how, what and when to explain puberty to your growing child?  Are you wondering what an ITP is and how to best prepare your child or student for adult life?  Or do you just think his or her autism is getting worse? Then  this  three-part series taking place on Tuesday evenings September 10, 17, 24; at 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm  PST  (9:00 pm to 11:00pm EST) is for you. This on-line series, will be available from the comfort of your own home (no matter where you live).

Based on the award-winning book, more recent information, and Chantal Sicile-Kira’s popular national presentations, this three-part interactive series on  Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum costs $99 and  includes:

  • The basics on what you need to know when your child or student (of different ability levels) is a pre-teen or teenager
  • Resources for more information on various topics
  • Opportunity for the participants to write in or call in their questions to Chantal.
  • 6 hours of training
  • PowerPoints provided before the live training to help with note taking.
  • BONUS: Opportunity to watch replay of training at a later date (convenient if you miss a session).
  • BONUS: Opportunity to take part in Google+ hangout discussion with Chantal following the series.

Here’s what some past participants have to say about this online course:

“This was so informative. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experiences. I’m looking forward to hopefully meeting with you in the near future.” – Danielle (educator)

“I just have to say that I’ve attended your classes before and I always leave with great information.”  Rachel (parent)

“This is really informative and has just given me lots of things to think about and do.”  Linda (parent)

 “ I’m really enjoying these classes. They’ve been very informative. Thank you.” – Erika (parent)

To attend this class, register here.

September 10: Adolescence 101: The Teen Basics : Everything you need to know (but don’t know who to ask)

Topics to be covered include:

  • 13 things every parent or educator needs to know about teenagers;
  • The general challenges faced by ASD teenagers;
  • Sensory processing challenges in adolescence;
  • Functional strategies to help with daily transitions;
  • Family and sibling concerns;
  • Teaching about puberty, hygiene, self-care, masturbation.

 September 17: Adolescence 102: Relationships: It’s Complicated

Topics to be covered include:

  • The notion of privacy and consent;
  • Relationship boundaries;
  • Introduction to sexuality;
  • Self awareness;
  • Self- regulation;
  • Bullying,
  • Interdependence.

September 24: Adolescence 103: The Transition Years : Plan, Prepare, Practice for  the Real World of Adult Life

Topics to be covered include:

  • Preparing the transition to high school;
  • the ITP- Individual Transition Program and IEPs;
  • Teaching life skills needed for work and / or college including:
  • Self-esteem; Self-advocacy; Executive functioning, Self-reliance;
  • Building on strengths and the use of mentors.

The cost is $99.  To register, go here.

The teen years

The teen years

Can a teenager or adult with autism still benefit from treatments and therapies?

February 21, 2013

Often I get emails from people asking for advice. This is one I get often, so I’m posting it here.

Dear Chantal,

Can an adult or teenager still benefit from ABA therapy, music therapy, auditory integration therapy? How beneficial is vision therapy and auditory therapies? Are there research studies or evidence based studies supporting these therapies?

Sincerely,   Sheila in Jacksonville

Dear Sheila,

I know we often hear about that ‘window of opportunity’ being open during the early  years, and it is true that early intervention has been shown as being the most effective intervention to help children with autism acquire skills.  However, that window does not  shut after a certain age. One thing we also know is that there is such a thing as neuroplasticity, which means the brain can continue to change and improve, which is why an old dog can learn new tricks.

You are right to look at the research, but when looking at different therapies it is also important to look at the person you are trying to help, and see if he has the characteristics of the type of  person who has benefited from those therapies.  When looking up information in regards to treatments and therapies, as well as research findings, remember to look carefully at who is providing the information (some websites have information but do not tell you the source of the information),  how the research was carried out, and who is reporting it.  Also, adults on the spectrum may be able to tell you what their experiences have been with different therapies.

For  information on the effectiveness of  many treatments and therapies on adolescents, as well as reputable websites for current information,  see my book  Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum.

Chantal

Need Information re Teens with Autism? Autism College course beginning Tuesday August 28

August 14, 2012

Are you a parent (or educator) of a pre-teen or teen? Do you wonder about how and when to explain puberty to your growing child? Are you at a loss about what to explain about the birds and the bees? Are you wondering what an ITP is and how to best prepare your child or student for adult life? Then the course Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum is for you.

Based on the award-winning book, more recent information, and Chantal Sicile-Kira’s popular national presentations, this interactive course will be taught on-line to a small group on Tuesday August 28, Wednesday August 29, Thursday August 30; from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm PST (9:00-11:00 EST) for a fee. To sign up, go here.  Instructions will be sent to you within 24 hours of sign up.

The cost for the  6 hour- course over three days is  $99.00 and provides:

  • 6 hours of training
  • PowerPoints provided before the webinars to help with note taking.
  • The basics on what you need to know when your child or student (of different ability levels) is a pre-teen or teenager
  • Resources for more information on various topics
  • Opportunity for the participants to write in or call in their questions to Chantal.
  • BONUS: Written transcript booklet from the original live course  provided in March will be provided to those who sign up (a $39.00 value – see description in the Autism College store)
  • BONUS: Opportunity to watch replay of webinar at a later date (convenient if you miss a session).

Topics to be covered during the 6 hours include:

Adolescence 101: The Teen Basics :Everything you need to know (but don’t know who to ask)

  • 13 things every parent or educator needs to know
  • The general challenges faced by ASD teenagers
  • Sensory processing challenges in adolescence
  • Functional strategies to help with daily transitions
  • Family and sibling concerns
  • Teaching about puberty
  • Hygiene and self-care
  • Masturbation

Adolescence 102: Relationships: It’s Complicated

  • The notion of privacy and consent
  • Relationship boundaries
  • Sexuality
  • Self awareness
  • Self- regulation
  • Bullying
  • Interdependence

Adolescence 103: The Transition Years: Plan, Prepare, Practice for the Real World of Adult Life

  • Preparing the transition to High school
  • The ITP- Individual Transition Program and IEPs
  • Teaching life skills needed for work and / or college: self-esteem, self-advocacy, executive functioning, self-reliance
  • Building on strengths
  • The use of mentors

Sign up now to reserve your spot! Questions? Send us an email!

Review of A Full Life with Autism by Dr. Joshua Feder

May 5, 2012

This marvelous book lays out in plain and readable language the challenges of transition to adulthood for persons with autism and offers practical advice from the inside perspective of a mom and her adult son teamed as partners in the enterprise of helping him achieve a meaningful life.

It is inspirational, almost a parable, in its effect of drawing you into their story and teaching important principles, and yet it is also comprehensive in the executive task of helping us think about our values, goals and objectives in our mission to give a real life to our adults with autism and related challenges.

Perhaps one of the most important messages: behavior is a form of communication, and it is incumbent on the people around the person with autism to work to understand what that behavior is communicating without merely consigning it to a category of something to be gotten rid of.  Jeremy states: “I have oftentimes been the victim of ignorance.”  We must not be party to what Jeremy has suffered.  We need to be humble and helpful, persistently curious and ever respectful.  We cannot presume to know what we do not.  We must take the time to get to know the hopes and dreams of people whom we do not yet understand.

I was also intrigued by the undercurrent discussion of relationships that runs through the book in sections on friendship, sex, love, and support staff, as they all revolve around the quality and character of relationships.  How can we support, for the person and people around him, the development of more meaningful communication, relating, and problem-solving.  To the many thoughts already included I would add that it is often very helpful to support the person and caregivers by carving out regular reflective time to think through how things are going  – what is working, what isn’t, and what to do to try next to understand the situation better and try something different.

In all, this is a compelling, thoughtful, comprehensive and inspiring bible that belongs on the shelf of everyone who strives to help people with autism build a life in a complex world.

Joshua Feder MD, Director of Research of the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders

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