Celebrating Mother’s Day with autism
by Beth
My husband and I are taking off this weekend to visit our son Gus in his group home in Wisconsin. Gus won’t understand that it’s Mother’s Day, but as always, it will be great just to be with him.
Children with autism can find it challenging to express their feelings on Mother’s Day without guidance from a parent, teacher or caregiver. That doesn’t mean a family shouldn’t celebrate, though! Children with disabilities can mark the day in small ways that can speak volumes. Sometimes Gus signs a simple card. One year we took a scribble Gus had drawn and transformed it into a pin. This year, Mike and I are treating ourselves to a night in our favorite Milwaukee hotel after our visit with Gus. For us, Mother’s Day won’t be just one day. It’ll be an entire weekend.
If you are looking for ways to celebrate Mother’s Day, a company called Rethink Autism might have an idea for you. From a press release:
In appreciation of mothers of children with autism, Rethink Autism has drawn from its library of video lessons to provide a free online video with a few tips on how to teach a child with autism to appreciate Mom by making a gift or even a meal (using a microwave).
I checked out the video myself — it’s straightforward and easy to understand. The video lessons Rethink Autism produces are consistent with Applied Behavior Analysis
(ABA), a methodology we are a big fan of here at Easter Seals. So enjoy the video — I’m off to pack. Happy Mother’s Weekend!
May 10th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
It’s a pretty nice pin, too –made of sterling silver! I only wear it on special occassions, because, after all, it’s special.
PS: Had one made for Gus’ Grandma Flo, too. She treasures it.