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Something for Everyone. A Few of My Favorite Autism Resources

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I am fortunate to live near a Big 10 university and know some pretty progressive professors who let me come in to their classes every year and speak freely as an expert.

Why is that so progressive? 

Well, for starters,they are not tapping into my professional expertise as a clinical social worker, advocate or behavioral therapist, but rather into my expertise as a parent of a child with a life long disability.

Also, in both my undergraduate and graduate studies in helping professions, not once did we talk about disability perspective or experience from the direct report of the person or caregiver dealing with what we were learning.

As the years go by and awareness grows, those of us who both work in the field of developmental disabilities and who also live in it has grown exponentially.

Have 14 extra minutes?  Here is the  TEDx Talk I gave a few years ago about the experience of living and working “in the field”. 

I am always honored and humbled to speak to our future social workers, nurses, allied health professionals, teachers and physicians.  As raw as it might be, I lean into authenticity even when it means I share my political leanings, mostly because those leanings have turned into shovings because my baby’s future is at stake all the time. He needs more than me and a bunch of warrior moms. We need front line people to understand and advocate too.  My end goal in about an hour and half to impart all of the things books won’t tell them. What it is like to deal with broken systems, where I have gone to understand how those systems work and the qualities of professionals who have had the most impact in our lives.

I do not have all the answers, the knowledge or perspective. I only have my own.

After almost 16 years of parenthood and about 30 years of social services experience, I have compiled some resources from my personal helping library. My experience both personally and professionally have led me to seek out some pretty specific things. Here are some tips to keep in mind when attempting to gain an inside perspective or personal narrative in the world of resources:

  1. Is there any research behind a method? If not, are they pretty clear about that?
  2. Does the resource have any input from someone with a disability/caregiver?
  3. Does the “helping” resource ensure the individual’s dignity while still helpful?
  4. Does the resource claim to be the only or best way to do something?
  5. Is the writer hypervigilent in any way? Are they constructive in their observations? Do they demonize or humiliate anyone while trying to educate? If they are negative, are they clear it is coming based on their own personal experience? Do they recognize any shortcomings?

**I have not been asked nor have I been compensated for adding any of these resources to this list. I am also not endorsing one resource over another

**This list is not exhaustive! Feel free to contact me with some of your favorites. I am always looking to add to my collection

HELPFUL BOOKS

WHAT ITS LIKE (Autism related)

Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity (2015) by Steve Silberman

The Loving Push: How Parents and Professionals Can Help Spectrum Kids Become Successful Adults (2015) By Temple Grandin

Schuyler’s Monster: A Father’s Journey with His Wordless Daughter (2009) By Robert Rummel-Hudson (Schuyler is not autistic, but has apraxia of speech)

Carly’s Voice: Breaking Through Autism (2012) By Arthur and Carly Fleischmann

The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism (2016) By Naioki Higashida

Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8: A Young Man’s Voice From the Silence of Autism (2017) By Naioki Higashida

Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s  (2008) By John Elder Robison

Ketchup is My Favorite Vegetable: A Family Grows Up with Autism (2015) By Liane Kupferberg Carter and Susan Senator

Thinking in Pictures (1995) By Temple Grandin

The Way I See It (2008) By Temple Grandin

Born On A Blue Day  (2006) By Daniel Tammet

The Horse Boy (2009) By Rupert Isaacson

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising Kinds on the Spectrum  (2013)

Aching Joy (2018) By Jason Hague

What We Love Most About Life: Answers from 150 Children Across the Autism Spectrum (2016) Complied by Chris Bonnello

This Is Asperger’s Syndrome (1999) By Brenda Smith Myles and Elisa Gagnon

What About Me? A Book By and For an Autism Sibling (2017) By Brennan and Mandy Farmer Illustrated by Emily Neff

ADDRESSING SENSORY/REGULATION

The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Integration Dysfunction(1998) By Carol Stock Kranowitz

The Out-Of-Sync Child Has Fun (2003)

Disconnected Kids (2009) By Robert Melillo

Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder (2006) By Lucy Jane Miller

Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Integration Issues(2005) By Lindsey Biel and Nancy Peske

Interoception: The Eighth Sensory System (2015) By Kelly Mahler

Food Chaining (2007) By Cheri Fraker, Mark Fishbein, Sibyl Cox, Laura Walbert

The Incredible 5 Point Scale (2003) By Kari Dunn Buron and Mitzi Curtis

Exploring Feelings: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to Manage Anxiety (2004) By Tony Attwood

The Explosive Child  (2001) By Ross W. Greene

From Chaos To Calm ( 2001) By Janet E. Heininger and Sharon Weiss

Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments: Practical Solutions for Tantrums, Rage and Meltdowns (2005)By Brenda Myles, Jack Southwick

Zones of Regulation: A curriculum designed to foster self-regulation and Emotional Control (2011) By Leah Kuypers

The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook For Kids(2009) By Lawrence E. Shapiro and Robin Sprague

ADDRESSING SOCIAL DIFFERENCES

Thinking About You Thinking About Me: Teaching Perspective Taking and Social Thinking to Persons with Social Cognitive Learning Challanges, 2nd ed. (2007) Michelle Garcia Winner

The New Social Story Book 2000 by Carol Gray

The Hidden Curriculum: For Understanding Unstated Rules in Social Situations for Adolescents and Young Adults (2013) by Brenda Smith Myles, Melissa L. Trautman, Ronda Schelvan

Navigating the Social World: A Curriculum for Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome, High Functioing Autism and Related Disorders (2002) by Jeanette McAfee

Skillstreaming the Elementary School Child: New Strategies and Perspectives for Teaching Prosocial Skills (1997) By Ellen McGuinnis and Arnold Goldstein

ADDRESSING BEHAVIORS/LEARNING

ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) : Behavioral Intervention for Young Children with Autism: A Manual for Parents and Professionals (1996) Edited By Catherine Maurice, Gina Green and Stephen Luce

PEAK Relational Training System (2014-2018)   By Mark Dixon

Bringing ABA to Home, School and Play (2012) By Pam Leach

VBA (Verbal Behavior Approach): The Verbal Behavior Appoach: How to Teach Children with Autism and Related Disorders (2007) By Mary Lynch Barbera

Floortime Approach/Greenspan Approach: The Child with Special Needs: Encouraging Intellectual and Emotional Growth (1998) By Stanley Greenspan, Serena Wieder

The Challenging Child: Understanding, Raising and Enjoying the Five “Difficult” Types of Children (1995) By Stanley Greenspan

Addressing the Challenging Behavior of CHildren with HIgh Functioning Autism/Asperger Syndrome in the Classroom: A Guide for Teachers and Parents (2002) By RebeccaMoyes

How to Teach Life Skills to Kids with Autism of Asperger’s (2010) By Jennifer McIlwee Myers

Taking Care of Myself: A Healthy Hygiene, Puberty and Personal Curriculum for Young People with Autism (2003) By Mary Wrobel

The Sixth Sense II (2002) By Carol Gray

Simple Strategies That Work:Helpful Hints for Educators (2006) By Brenda Smith Myles, Diane Adreon and Dena Gitlitz

ADDRESSING EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING

Late, Lost and Unprepared (2008) By Joyce Cooper-Kahn and Laurie Dietzel

Taking Charge of ADHD (2005) By Russell Barkley

The ADHD Book of Lists (2003) By Sandra Rief

How to Reach and Teach ADD/ADHD Children (1995) By Sandra Rief

You Mean I’m Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!  (1993) By Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundo

Driven To Distraction (1994) By Edward Hallowell and John Ratey

Organizing the Disorganized Child (2009) By Martin Kutscher and Marcella Moran

HELPING/ADVOCACY/COPING

Ordinary Families, Special Children: A Systems Approach to Childhood Disability 3rd Ed (2007) By Milton Seligman and Rosalyn Benjamin Darling

From Emotions to Advocacy 14th Ed (2011) By Pete and Pam Wright

All About IEPs: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About IEPs (2011) By Peter Wright

The Complete Guide to Autism Healthcare  (2017) By Anita Lesko

Ethics for Behavior Analysts (2011) By Jon Bailey and Mary Burch

The Five Things We Cannot Change (2005) By David Richo

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In (1981) By Roger Fisher and William Ury

The Only Negotiating Guide You’ll Ever Need (2003) By Peter B. Stark and Jane Flaherty

YOU TUBE CHANNELS

Admittedly, this is a newer realm for me!  Contact me to add resources

Running Through Water

Special Books By Special Kids

PEAK Relational Training

TED Talks

OCALI (Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence

Autistic Not Weird

Kerry Magro

BLOGS/SOCIAL MEDIA I LIKE

Check out my link here. This list is always growing and changing!

HELPFUL WEBSITES

Education/Learning/Advocacy

Understood

Wrightslaw

Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence

Autism Internet Modules

The US Department of Education

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) Full PDF Text

IDEA State Contacts

Disability Advocacy and General Info

The ARC

Disability Scoop

Autism Society of America

Respect Ability

Why I May Have to Abandon the Best Coping Skill I Have Ever Had

Jaycee KempLeave a comment

I wrote this one year ago today. As all of our social media accounts have thinned the herd so to speak to show posts from people who are more like minded or we have all done so on our own, there are days I still feel the same. But as people reconsider the last year and perhaps have changed perspective, the divide has grown deeper with those who hang on to their belief systems as history and policy begins to unfold. Many of us have been spawned out into political action to protect ourselves and our interests….on “every side” and may have entered territory and conversations we never thought we could have. As I sit here contemplating my words from 365 days ago, there are days I feel the same about shutting everything down but I glad I did not. I spent a good deal of the summer researching , advocating and educating others on the dangers of removing healthcare policy and instituting new policy that would ultimately devastate the lives of the disabled and ultimately devastate the lives of everyone else too. I was able to talk about how Medicaid actually benefits everyone, even the individuals who never need to access it. My tiny social media reach may not ultimately be influential, but when considering the big picture and ensuring all voices are heard, it is hard to know what the ripple effect could be.

Does social media continue to be a huge time suck and anxiety generator in my world? Yes. But the advantage of influence, the scope of message and finding , connecting and forging new relationships took precedence. But let’s face it….we have all been there since adding a blue and white bird or letter F to the screens on our phones and I suppose we at least all have that in common…

Running through Water

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My heart is sitting in a basket on my desk next to my computer.  I stare at it wondering if I should leave it where it is or if I should shove it back in my throat where apparently it now belongs.  I  am faced with a dilemma I have fleetingly looked in the eye before but this time I pause much longer as if memorizing the outline of the face of a loved one I may not see again.

I love Facebook. I am like a Pavlovian dog when I hear that DING! and will switch over from work to see whats going on my feed.  Facebook is the most existentially layered version of the real world I can imagine. Everyone from my closest friends to those folks who have crossed paths with me for a brief yet meaningful time are there.  It’s the place where my elementary school…

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Why I May Have to Abandon the Best Coping Skill I Have Ever Had

Jaycee Kemp1 Comment

facebook-1563273_1920

My heart is sitting in a basket on my desk next to my computer.  I stare at it wondering if I should leave it where it is or if I should shove it back in my throat where apparently it now belongs.  I  am faced with a dilemma I have fleetingly looked in the eye before but this time I pause much longer as if memorizing the outline of the face of a loved one I may not see again.

I love Facebook. I am like a Pavlovian dog when I hear that DING! and will switch over from work to see whats going on my feed.  Facebook is the most existentially layered version of the real world I can imagine. Everyone from my closest friends to those folks who have crossed paths with me for a brief yet meaningful time are there.  It’s the place where my elementary school besties and bullies post about their versions of how they turned out. People from a former life who hold keys to doors which ushered me to my current self are there too. There are writers and authors and even a real-life famous person here and there (sorry…I won’t out anyone) in the cache of my 560 nearest and dearest.  And I have access to all of them at the same time all of the time.

I take real 1-2 minute life diversions on Facebook multiple times a day.  It’s a weird and somewhat pathetic paradise.  Being a working mother is complicated enough, but I have a few extras thrown on top including a husband that travels and kids with varying special needs which means extra meetings for school, schlepping to therapies, staying current on research, hiring, supervising and managing a home team…and that’s all before actually dealing with the territory of settling in at the end of the day with  kids who just need extra.  Just when I might be taking myself a little too seriously or am feeling a little too isolated…boom….a cat video or Joe Biden meme reels me back.  Connecting in cyberspace is so much more my style and because of that connection I know I am not alone in this.  When I deal with work situations that matter to me, I am a rock star.  I have a purpose and can completely focus externally on the needs at hand.  But socially…yikes. Eye contact, staying focused, not accidentally making a connection out loud as to how the topic focuses back on something I can relate to better….none of those things are my forte.  When posting on Facebook–I can be funny and smart in sound bytes. I can get hoards of people invested in an ongoing saga about my fear of spiders.  I can walk away from a conversation mid-sentence without consequence.  I don’t have to think about where to look or how I am coming across because unlike in real life, by the time my human brain catches up to my monkey brain I have not yet hit “enter” and can edit what I REALLY wanted to say.  Sometimes those two things don’t catch up and that is what the “delete” button is all about.

Facebook levels the social playing field for quirky people like myself.  It gives me a social outlet when I don’t actually have time for a real one.  It keeps me invested in people, events and causes that are important to the real world all around. It provides an escape into brief, clever and timely humor.  It helps me find like-minded people.  It expands the repertoire of  discussions and ideas of which I might not otherwise be exposed.  And I can have all that in tiny spurts all day as needed. It really is miraculous if you think about it.  Communities of individuals who never stood a societal chance before are finding their communities right here on Facebook.

We know to take the good and the bad here. On good days, Facebook is my outlet. Internet trolls and maddeningly misinformed opinion presented as fact are the yin to the yang of my Facebook fascination.  I can roll past things or people who ultimately shouldn’t matter to me.  Something that I fail to do all that well in real life.  But this is changing too quickly for me to cope with in a way I find  acceptable by an election that divided the country before I had any idea we were THAT divided.  I am overwhelmed by Facebook friends and their words of hate or indifference being presented on a platter and served up as just another white meat with no other options for dinner.  I am breathless because I don’t feel like I can scroll past any article that has anything to do with leadership appointment, policy or ideology that may affect my family or anyone else I love.  Suddenly, realities of Facebook friends as minorities, the poor or disenfranchised are inundating my news feed faster than I can read, process and consider and as a seasoned social worker I feel like I am back to my overwhelming roots of weeding which causes need to get the majority of my energies and time.  I have a list of issues and phone calls to congressmen that will trump my everyday life tomorrow.   I am sad and fearful and agitated and distracted and rightfully so. While I have felt this way before on social media, I shut my computer down for the evening, be completely present and come back to a virtual life renewed. I can go back to meaningless status posts that make at least me chuckle at myself. However, in this political climate, I would be this way without Facebook and am having trouble finding meaning in those meaningless status updates. And with it?  Well, I feel much like I often do about real life.  Like I need to take a break from it.