LaurenWelle.com

Autism Society of America, Northern Virginia Chapter, ASA-NV

The ASA-NV offers a support group for parents who have children with autism. Topics include the rights of the family, recent research about autism and information about related disorders. ASA-NV also produces a monthly newsletter containing articles, personal experiences and information about upcoming meetings and seminars. Membership is $10.

Address:

98 N Washington St
Falls Church VA 22046
(703) 495-8444

Kymberly DeLoatche, Executive Director

Fax:
(703) 532-3214

E-Mail address:
asanv.ed@gmail.com

Website:
http://www.asanv.org/

hildren who have an articulation delay have difficulty pronouncing age appropriate sounds. Listed below are a few easy and successful suggestions that you can do at home. In class, I have found my students have fun with these activities and do not realize that I am actually working with them on something that is challenging.

1) Buy small plastic trinkets that start with the letter you are trying to address. For example, if you are targeting the letter “B” you should buy items such as a ball, bat, bear, bike, and bee. Often, the dollar store has an array of these items. I would buy 7 or more of these items. Put the items in a bag and have your child reach in and feel around. Have them guess what they are feeling. When they pull the item out, help them identify the object and produce the targeted beginning sound. Your child might have difficulty. Make sure to give gentle reminders and repeat the sound twice per object.

2) Place pictures that start with the targeted sound on the ground. Spread them out and have your child throw a bean bag onto each card. Have them identify each picture and assist them in producing the sound. This is a good language and gross motor activity.

3) Place cards that begin with the targeted sound on blocks. Give your child a ball and have them bowl to knock down each block and produce the sound.

Summer is almost over! Are you looking for another camp? You still have time. The Young Athletes Sports Camp starts next weekend. The camp specializes in instructing children with special needs and their siblings, ages 3-7, in sports including soccer, basketball, baseball, bowling, putt putt and kickball. The camp also provides sensory activities including jumping on trampolines, ball pits and deep pressure techniques. The goal of the program is to provide an environment that accommodates the needs of the children and to provide a family centered approach. Parents are welcome to stay and cheer their children on or volunteer.

The camp meets on:

July 26th from 9-11

August 2nd from 9-11:45

August 9th from 9-11:45

August 16th from 9-11:45

August 23rd from 9-11:45

August 30th from 9-11:45

Place:
The Northern Virginia Training Center
9901 Braddock Rd
Fairfax, VA 22032-1941

Please contact:
Beth Frank at 703.359.4301 to register

Reading a story to your child can be challenging for both you and the child. Your child might be easily distracted, not appear to be involved in the story, and seem bored. You may feel like you are at a loss and do not know what to do to make this an enjoyable and educational experience. In traditional storybook reading, adults read to children and the children listen. Dialogic Reading is a technique designed to help involve the child in reading as well as improve their receptive and expressive language skills. Research indicates that preschoolers begin to use bigger words and expand the amount of exchanges they have with a communicative partner when this technique is used. Two parts are used in Dialogic Reading, PEER and CROWD. PEER involves the following actions:

Prompt or ask a question about a story

Evaluate or listen to what the child has to say

Enhance the child’s response by gently correcting them

Repeat the correct answer

The second technique, CROWD, is used to help during the prompt part of the PEER procedure. This includes:

Complete- ask the child to complete a phrase

Recall-ask the child to recall what is happening in the picture

Open-ended- ask the child what is going on in the picture

Wh prompts- ask wh questions about the picture

Distance- have the child talk about how the events in the story are similar or different that those in their lives.

Read the story several times. As the child becomes more familiar with the book, do less reading and have the child tell the story. You can help them by pointing to pictures and asking them questions. Dialogic Reading is a technique that I have been using in the classroom for a few years now. You will notice, as I did, that reading can be enjoyable for both you and the child. Most children love to participate. It makes them feel like they are involved in the story.  I have also noticed that after a book is read a few times, children begin to learn new vocabulary from the book and they use the words in everyday life. Enjoy!

Some children who have difficulty writing, painting and drawing may have low tone or muscle strength in their upper body. This leads to a lack of control and makes fine motor activities challenging. Using an upright surface often helps these children gain control of their arm and encourages better posture and positioning. If your child is having difficulty writing while at a table, try another technique. Present the child with an easel to complete fine motor activities. If you do not have an easel, tape a piece of paper to the wall. As the difficulty decreases, or when you notice your child developing more control and better posture when using a writing utensil, take it down a notch. A slant board still offers some support for the arm but is closer to the table. The slant board is easy to use and relatively cheap. Boards come in different heights and contains a clip for paper. I am a big advocate of the slant board both in the classroom and for tutoring. I have seen children’s fine motor skills improve as well as their confidence.  Click here to order a slant board.