Zach was unable to answer questions about himself when we started Applied Behavioral Analysis with him. He had a difficult time forming a complete sentence. He was recently asked to talk in front of his school about what it’s like to have autism and some of things people can be aware of to help those living with autism feel welcome. Some great advice for all of us.

Zach wrote the following:

Autism: a documentary of autistic children
In this document, we will study about children with a thing called autism. Autism is when a child’s brain works differently than others. Let’s say it like this — a child might not know the math problem 3/6 1 whole, but autistic children might know. They sometimes are extremely intelligent that they get accepted into charter schools! They might get very picky about their food a lot, so they might only eat pancakes for breakfast, grilled cheese for lunch, and pizza for dinner, or something like that. They can struggle very horribly when their alone. They can sometimes not struggle. There are people called “therapist” that help autistic children at home, school and even at the park! They can believe in things most of the time, like a talking dog. When they get older, they are normally (well sometimes) bullied A LOT because they have autism. If they tell others they have autism, the other child will understand a lot. They can never understand how things work if they see what they are doing with help from a therapist. Therapists are people that teach the child what they need to know in life. Autism is always not bad or good all the time. They have meltdowns sometimes when things get bad, confusing or mean. Here are some things to help the child: never be rude to him/her. If they do, always help them when needed. And last but not least, always be his/her helper through changes in life and cheer him/her up when sad. That’s the end of this documentary.

Occupational therapy can play a key role in helping a child meet developmental milestones. There are times when it is appropriate for an occupational therapist to visit a family in their home, or times when a child needs to visit Easter Seals Crossroads to use specific equipment in our sensory and therapy rooms, but some therapy activities can be conducted by a parent during their child’s normal daily routine.

We asked two of our occupational therapists, Teri Maloney and Claire Werner, for a short list of therapy activities that can be done during activities of daily living.

1. Utilize bath time for more than just cleaning. Use bath bubbles or bath crayons to practice letter formation and handwriting in a fun environment. Also during bath time, allow your child to practice hand strengthening by wringing the bath water out of a washcloth.
2. Use tweezers instead of forks during dinner and pretend they are chopsticks! Another great way to practice hand strengthening.
3. Cooking can take a lot of upper body strength, so bring your child into the kitchen and allow them to measure and pour liquids or stir the cookie dough batter (Then reward them with a cookie!).
4. Yoga is a great way to help strengthen the upper body and the core, and can also be very calming for kids with high arousal sensory issues. Practice yoga near bedtime as part of a routine to get ready to sleep.
5. Learning to hold a toothbrush in one hand and squeeze toothpaste with the other helps a child practice bilateral coordination.

How do you integrate therapy into your child’s daily routine? Leave a comment and let us know!

Are you considering occupational therapy for your child, or are you unsure if your child is in need of therapy services? Consider taking the free online Ages & Stages Questionnaire, a tool that will help you see if your child’s developmental progress is on time.

Mistakes Kids Make
By Kelly Zatlin

When I was a teenager, I was the definition of a “goody-too-shoes.” I never got in trouble, I never stayed out past curfew, and I always ate my vegetables (ok, that part is a lie…I slyly shoved them under my plate when my mom wasn’t looking). The point is, I never got into trouble beyond “do your homework!” or “make your bed!” I always wonder, though, if things could have turned out differently for me if I went to a different school or hung around a different group of kids. Maybe I wouldn’t have the same opportunities that I have today.

Though I maintained my mostly reputable behavior throughout my teenage years, I knew a few kids in high school and in college who did end up in the slammer, whether it was because they were truly “bad apples,” or because they were going through some tough times and transitions in life, or because they were teenagers making foolish mistakes because they feel “invincible.” Some of them now have trouble getting quality jobs, maintaining quality relationships with friends and family and living successful lives because of mistakes they made.

So what does this have to do with Easter Seals? Well, Easter Seals is all about early intervention for all kids, whether they have autism, developmental delays or need some intervention services. With these services, children are less likely to be held back a grade, less likely to need special education and more likely to graduate high school. It has been proven that these individuals are less involved in crime and delinquency as well. According to Easter Seals Facts and Figures, “Early care and education for vulnerable young children keeps kids in school and helps them find jobs; it keeps kids in communities out of jail.”

Easter Seals recently learned of a campaign that is trying to change the way kids are dealt with when they make mistakes. According to their website, MistakesKidsMake.org, many are thrown into jail for non-violent crimes, and they don’t necessarily get the intervention or the help that they need. Because of the mistakes they make when they are young, blind to their faults and narcissistic in nature, they end up with tarnished records that make it hard to live successful lives later on.

Mistakes Kids Make is trying to change the way teens are dealt with when they do things like shoplift, vandalize, consume alcohol underage, etc. Their website lists the stat that only 5 percent of kids who are arrested commit violent crimes, while the other 95 percent who don’t, get the same fate of a tarnished record.

While I personally believe kids should pay for the mistakes they make so that they can learn from them, different crimes should be dealt with in different ways. Kids who commit crimes deserve some sort of punishment, but they also deserve a chance to redeem themselves.

Mistakes Kids Make isn’t saying that kids shouldn’t be held responsible, but they want to go about it in a different way. They say on their website: “hold kids accountable? Yes. Teach kids responsibility? Absolutely. Help kids become their better selves? Let’s do it. But not at the cost of their chance for a good education, a good job, and a healthy, productive life as they grow.”

Mistakes Kids Make has the same goals as Easter Seals: to give all kids the chance to live greater lives filled with opportunities to reach their full potential. While Mistakes Kids Make deals with different issues than Easter Seals, they have the same end goal: to make life count for kids early on, so that they can live better lives in the future.

Some insurance policies cover autism therapy; however the majority of children are utilizing Medicaid funding. Here in chilly Wisconsin the wait list is approaching two years. When we let families know their child may not be eligible to receive services for another two years, we feel terrible. After brainstorming ways to support families in another capacity, we’re thrilled to be launching our new Start Early program.

Start Early is targeted for families who recently had a child diagnosed and are unable to start services right away. It’s an intensive, four-week class that gives families the tools to help their child while they are on the wait list for services. Classes focus on the basics of autism, how to target communication, handle maladaptive behaviors, IEPs (Individualized Education Programs), toilet training and other topics that we feel are the main things parents may struggle with at first.

The biggest benefit of the Start Early program is that families will have access to current, research based information on how to begin teaching their child skills! In addition, parents will learn that all behaviors serve a function, making it not only easier for them to manage problem behaviors, but also to understand why they are occurring. During each session, families will attend a 90 minute presentation followed by time to work one on one with a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. During this time, the family will be able to practice the techniques they were taught during the presentation. Families will develop familiarity with the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), which will make the transition into receiving services easier for both parent and child.

Parent training is a key piece of Easter Seals Southeast Wisconsin’s in-home ABA program. Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Senior Interventionists work to train the line interventionists to best implement the programs, but they also work with the parents to explain why ABA is effective, what the programs accomplish, and the functions of all the behaviors a child can display. The families that we serve love to share amazing stories of their children excelling and learning new skills both during and outside of therapy sessions. Start Early will allow families to have that information up front, before they finish the long wait for waiver funding.

Here at Easter Seals Crossroads, summertime gives me an opportunity to see those same sorts of relationships created for the children who participate in CampAbility or Camp R.O.C.K.S. What’s great about camps through Easter Seals is that they have therapeutic benefits. Both CampAbility and Camp R.O.C.K.S. have physical, speech and occupational therapists working alongside the kids. Easter Seals is also the largest provider of recreation and camping services for people with disabilities in the country.

When kids are separated from their parents for the first time, they gain a sense of independence and start to trust themselves and their own instincts. Camp environment allows kids to participate in teams, discover what they’re interested in and meet a new circle of friends.

Last year I had my first visit to the Camp R.O.C.K.S. in Martinsville, about 30 minutes south of Indianapolis. This two-week overnight camp allows young people on the autism spectrum to meet others like themselves and participate in fun activities such as swimming, hiking, high ropes courses, basketball and outdoor camping. The climbing wall was my favorite outdoor activity. The campers were so brave — I’m not so sure I would have made it to the top!

Camp staff coached the campers as they climbed upward, giving them words of encouragement. Some campers had made strong friendships and were practically inseparable, so they climbed the wall together.

On my drive home from Camp R.O.C.K.S. I reflected on my own camp experiences and related them to the fun and lifelong relationships that these kids are engaging in now. Do you have a similar camp experience you’d like to share? Leave a comment on this blog and let us know!

Well, Easter Seals long-time corporate sponsor MassMutual really wanted to dive into this issue by raising awareness about siblings with disabilities and offer ways to help with financial planning for caregivers.

To celebrate siblings and provide financial and educational resources for those who are caring for a sibling with a disability, MassMutual is speaking out over social media.

They’re encouraging everyone to share what their sibling means to them. It can be on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram — just use the hashtag #siblingsmatter any time from April 30th to May 31st. Even if you don’t have a sibling, you can still post about friends and family who are like a sibling to them.

And, it gets better! Once the hashtag has been used 10,000 times, MassMutual will donate $25,000 to Easter Seals to supports its mission of providing help, hope and answers to the more than one million children and adults living with disabilities and other special needs each year.

If you have a sibling with a disability, they can find helpful information, connect with others in similar situations or access help from a MassMutual SpecialCare expert by visiting facebook.com/massmutual or massmutual.com/specialcare.

Meeting Avril Lavigne

by Joy Durkee

I grew up listening to my brother recount great memories from his experiences at camp, and then I began asking my mom when I was going to be able to go to camp, too. She was hesitant at first, but after much research, she came across Easter Seals Camp. That began my 20-year relationship with Easter Seals, leading to many wonderful opportunities and events for me.

I first attended Easter Seals Camp when I was 9 years old. Since then, I’ve talked to groups about Easter Seals and camp, I’ve done radio interviews, I’ve been in training videos for various companies, and I even participated in a sailing regatta in Long Beach.

Camp was my first experience away from home for more than one night, and I’ll be honest: the thought of going away for an entire week was definitely nerve-wracking, both for me and my parents. I definitely dealt with some homesickness, and my parents were anxious all week to come pick me up. Looking back, I am so thankful that my parents didn’t let their fears keep me from one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. In addition to meeting some incredible people and becoming part of the Easter Seals Camp family, I also learned some invaluable skills:

• Taking care of myself
• Being more independent
• Improving my social skills
• Interacting with others

Thanks to what I learned from my years at camp, I was able to go to a four-year college and live independently in the dorms. The people who work so hard to make camp happen every year are some of the most incredible people in the world.

Easter Seals Camp is completely volunteer-driven. Directors, nurses, counselors, and counselors-in-training come from all over the country at their own expense. They work their tails off so that people like me can have a week where we have no limitations.

It never ceases to amaze me (and truly touch my heart) to see how many of those volunteers continue to come back year after year. Many of them have been coming at least as long as I have.

Last year I got the surprise of a lifetime: I got to meet Avril Lavigne! Ever since I heard Avril had created a Rockstar Club for Easter Seals, I thought in the back of my mind that it would be awfully cool if she came up to camp someday. I never thought it would actually happen though!

Meeting Avril Lavigne is a moment I will never forget. I was so touched by her humility and her genuine interest in all of us. She was determined to do whatever she could to help make camp even better and allow more people to experience this amazing place.

The unconditional love and support that I have received from everyone at Easter Seals and at camp is unparalleled. Easter Seals Camp is truly the happiest place on earth!

Congress decides the funding level for this program each year, which means we need to sign the Make the First Five Count petition each year. So, if you signed the petition last year, you need to sign it again for it to help this year. Let’s break last year’s record of 40,000 signatures!

It’s very easy. All you have to do is link to our Make the First Five Count page and scroll to the bottom. Hit the “sign the petition” button and fill out your contact information. In less than two minutes, you can make your voice heard. Thank you — your voice really matters!

He and his team hiked through rocky, snowy terrain in below-freezing temperatures for 10 days to accomplish something really amazing. Eli’s father was at his son’s side on the 70-mile trek, and he reported Eli actually led the way at times. “We were dragging. We were experiencing our own sense of disability as we went up into the mountains,” he said. “He led us all the way to base camp.

Over 2,000 people from all over the country signed a card Easter Seals sent to congratulate Eli on his achievement, and we want to congratulate his family, friends and experienced guides here as well. Support like that is crucial for any person to achieve their dream, whether the dream is climbing the world’s tallest mountain or taking a first step during physical therapy. Way to go, Eli, and way to go, team!

An online support group called My Autism Team describes itself like this:

A social network to make it easier for parents to connect with each other and exchange insights about providers. Our philosophy is to make it easy for all parents to get to the answers they need.

I’ve found My Autism Team to be a fantastic resource to parents raising a child with autism. Their site features four main sections:

• 1. Find Providers
• 2. Find Parents
• 3. Question & Answer
• 4. Activity

With more than 40,000 parents on the My Autism Team site, there is a wealth of expertise from other parents. Parent-to-parent support is important, and social networking provides another opportunity to build connections and a community of support. Check out My Autism Team and see if it’s a site that works for you.