Grandparent Autism Network

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Tips & Suggestions

Networking together, we are a vital resource for each other. Please share information you feel will help grandparents to improve their understanding of autism, interactions with grandchildren and enhance their family relationships.

Tip categories are posted on the right. Choose a category by clicking on it. New information is added frequently and we encourage you to visit often.

Independent Education Plans (IEP)

Grandparents can be very helpful when accompanying their families to school Independent Education Planning sessions.  In addition to increasing family support, they can play an important role by just taking notes during the meeting so that every issue discussed is recorded. Proposals from the school district should be documented and restated prior to parental acceptance of the plan. It is important to note that at the conclusion of the session, parents may decide not to sign the agreement for services if they are not satisfied with the proposal from the school. They also may request another session that includes experts to advocate for additional needed services.

Each public school child who receives special education and related services must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Each IEP must be designed for one student and must be a truly individualized document. The IEP creates an opportunity for teachers, parents, school administrators, related services personnel, and students (when appropriate) to work together to improve educational results for children with disabilities. The IEP is the cornerstone of a quality education for each child with a disability.

To create an effective IEP, parents, teachers, other school staff–and often the student–must come together to look closely at the student’s unique needs. These individuals pool knowledge, experience and commitment to design an educational program that will help the student be involved in, and progress in, the general curriculum. The IEP guides the delivery of special education supports and services for the student with a disability. Without a doubt, writing–and implementing–an effective IEP requires teamwork.

This guide explains the IEP process, which we consider to be one of the most critical elements to ensure effective teaching, learning, and better results for all children with disabilities. The guide is designed to help teachers, parents and anyone involved in the education of a child with a disability-develop and carry out an IEP. The information in this guide is based on what is required by our nation’s special education law–the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA.

The IDEA requires certain information to be included in each child’s IEP. It is useful to know, however, that states and local school systems often include additional information in IEPs in order to document that they have met certain aspects of federal or state law. The flexibility that states and school systems have to design their own IEP forms is one reason why IEP forms may look different from school system to school system or state to state. Yet each IEP is critical in the education of a child with a disability.

 

Software for Speech Impaired People

APP2Speak is an inexpensive Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) software application, developed by an experienced Speech Language Pathologist, that enables speech-impaired individuals to communicate more effectively. It is designed and created for the thousands of individuals who experience speech impairment as a result of a stroke, brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, autism, and other conditions affecting speech and communication.
APP2Speak contains 80 preset communication needs and wants. Each page displays 20 real-life photos with words. Each selection provides voice output (two voice options) for a word and phrase describing a want or need. The custom pages are unlimited and provide additional flexibility to enable personalized communication. Speech Pathologists, family and friends can upload pictures from their personal photo library or the Internet (with wireless Internet connection). Another option is taking a picture within APP2Speak; you can save it on custom pages, label the picture, select text-to-speech or record your voice for speech output. Share your custom pages with other APP2Speak users through an enabled Bluetooth or WiFi connection (iOS only).

Respite Care Options

Some grandparents care for their grandchildren full time. Others may host grandchildren part time, for holidays, during summer months or when emergencies arise. That responsibility can sometimes feel overwhelming. It’s important for caregivers to get a break from the physical and emotional stresses that can accompany caring for loved ones. Respite care is a great tool to do just that – giving the caregiver a chance to refresh, regroup and re-energize!
You can find community programs and activities for your loved ones with autism that will allow you to relax, go to lunch with friends, see a movie, get a massage or take care of business for yourself. Your health is especially important when others rely on you as the primary caregiver.
 
Organizations – check with your church, synagogue or community services organizations to see if they have respite care or recommendations for people who can do child care for you.
School Programs – contact the school district to learn if there are after school programs sponsored for recreation
College Students – ask if special education, nursing or students majoring in autism studies might be seeking respite care opportunities.
Community Classes – check community organizations (local city Parks & Recreation Departments, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA’s) for after school classes, day trips or other activities that don’t require a guardian’s presence.
Care.com– is a website that enables families to search for, qualify, vet, connect with, and ultimately select caregivers in a low-cost, reliable and easy way.
The FANinfo site has a calendar of events and activities for families residing in in Orange County, CA.  Contact local autism centers, support groups and service providers to learn about classes or group opportunities your grandchild would enjoy.
Camps – check your local community for day camps during holidays like spring break or summer break. Check out this guide to summer camps for kids with autism.

Easter Activities

1. Bring your own treats to swap out the candy in the eggs if it’s a public egg hunt (with items like money or organic fruit snacks or nuts) or host your own egg hunt so you have control over the treats! Check out this list of 50+ Sensory-Friendly Nonfood Items to Hide in Easter Eggs

2. Use natural egg dying kits for create your own – the artificial food coloring found in traditional kits can cause a lot of problems and most other countries have banned them. Try Whole Foods, Sprouts or on Amazon…

3.If you are dying eggs at home – be prepared for a mess and be okay with the mess 🙂 – plan to set up outside or lay down newspaper or other protective covering.

4. Take lots of photos or a video of your Easter activities so you can go through them next year (and go through any you have from last year of course) so everyone knows what to expect!

5. Easter basket ideas: veggie sidewalk chalk, bouncy balls, fidget toys, pokemon cards, iTunes gift cards, orgnic jelly beans, or how about an outdoor themed Easter basket filled with a jump rope, frisbee, bouncy ball, water squirter!

6. Focus more on what is on the outside of the plastic egg then the inside! These cute egg decorations below help kids practice manual dexterity as well!

Plan Ahead for Spring Visits

If you are traveling to spend Spring vacation with your family, you may want to prepare your grandchild, in advance, for your visit. It is helpful to provide a visual schedule of activities before you arrive so your grandchild can anticipate the sequence of events you will share. Use drawings, cut out pictures or download them from the internet to help them understand what to expect. Put together a visual calendar of places you plan to go and activities you will share and send it to them before you arrive.

Be sure to include your picture, too.

This visual planner is a great tool for plotting out Spring vacation activities – events can be viewed daily, weekly or monthly and you can add custom images (from your phone/iPad), record sounds, and add videos for modeling.

View the app here

Raising children with Autism Spectrum Disorders is extremely challenging for parents. Your children will always appreciate your support and reinforcement. Be sure to comment about how much your grandchild has improved since your last visit and compliment their parenting skills throughout the visit.

Plan Ahead For Summer Visits with Grandchildren

MAINTAIN SCHEDULES

The biggest challenge during the summer is the change from specific routines around school to the less structured days of summer. Try to maintain your grandchild’s usual eating and sleeping schedule as much as possible.

SETTING UP A SUMMER SCHEDULE

Track upcoming summer activities in a calendar that your grandchildren have access to so they can see what is coming up and what to expect.

PREPARE IN ADVANCE

When you plan any activities, try to familiarize your grandchild with anything new or different i.e. show photos or practice the activity ahead of time.

CREATE A BACKUP PLAN

Not every day will be perfect so as holidays approach, develop two scenarios: Plan A if things go well and Plan B if issues pop up.

PREPARE FOR THE HEAT

Cook some meals ahead of time that will save time and it will keep you out of the kitchen when it gets too hot and stock up on frozen treats. Buy fans ahead of time – they are often sold out in the middle of a heat wave and try freezing your sheets!

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