Lockdown learning

BBC Bitesize is currently aiming its free online interactive resources at the lockdown situation.       So what is Bitesize and how do you use it?        See About us         Click icon to browse or get started.

Education technology

There is a range of help available to access remote education to those who qualify.       Parents cannot apply directly but need to contact schools to get help.      Click icon to find out more.       For example data allowances for mobile phones.

Tips

The National Autistic Society has produced a range of tips for autistic people and families.        Click icon to browse.

Government guidance

SKDC has launched its Covid community information hub.      Click icon to get the latest for the Grantham area.

• Phone: 01476 406177 / 406358 : 8am – 7pm
• Email:  SKCommunityHub@southkesteven.gov.uk

See also  for the UK government’s complete Guidance and support

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Parent to parent

The National Autistic Society has set up a Parent to parent emotional support helpline.       Phone them or fill in an online form to request a phone call.       Click icon to find out more.

Return to school

Parents

The National Autistic Society has set out guidance for parents of children on the autistic spectrum about the return to school in September.       Click icon to view.       See also directive to schools about support of SEND pupils.        new

EHCP

The NAS has also set out answers to questions about the way the return to school in September affects children with an Education, Health and Care Plan.        Click icon to view. 

Lincolnshire Parent Carer Forum seem to do quite a bit of what you might call heavy lifting.        Click icon to see their Coronavirus articles on the right hand side.        Notably, a ministerial SEND letter, of Jun 2020, about plans for the return to school.

Ambitious about autism

On the Ambitious about Autism website, find:  Home > About autism > Coronavirus
– The Coronavirus resources page has some easy reading downloads.
– They have a couple of pages about the return to school.       Look for it in Corona > Education.       new

https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/

They have also published a children’s story, The world has turned upside down.        Click icon and scroll down to find it.       There is also a link to their website at the top of the Twitter feed.

Resources and updates

National Autistic Society has collected together resources and news for the current situation.        Click icon to browse.        Also:

• Here is an NHS fact sheet about Coronavirus for kids.
• The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health has produced a podcast featuring two clinical psychologists about getting children with autism through this time of upheaval.
• The Challenging Behaviour Foundation has its own Covid-19 information and resources page.       It includes information about legal rights.        They have some ideas to help to make hand washing fun.

Shine

Shine has just put out a newsletter that addresses some issues of current interest.        Click icon to browse.       new

Shine Lincolnshire, the mental health support network, are putting on virtual coffee mornings for carers in Lincolnshire.      They are regularly on Mon, Wed & Fri on Zoom.      See how they work.      Their website has details about all the latest events.

Shine aims to put people with mental health issues in touch with sources of support.       See Shine basics

Emotional wellbeing

There seem to be some new  resources and services developed to support for emotional wellbeing and mental health in Lincolnshire.        Click icon for GAIN guide.

The friendly garden

The Friendly Garden is the location for a range of garden related events organised by the Sage Gardener.       They have made changes to the way they do things to make events COVID safe so that members can make the most of the outdoors and the natural world and feel better.      They are geared up for older people rather than children.        See Mainstream activities to find out more.

Scams

With current Coronavirus restrictions it seems wise to be aware that criminals have been seeking to exploit increased dependence on the internet.      This BBC article highlights efforts in the UK to combat on-line scams.       Click icon to view.       Here are a few pointers for safeguarding yourself.

Social story

Here is a social story about seeing people with face masks.        Click icon to take a look.       If it is not just what you want, does it give you any ideas?       See also: how to write your own         free images

Face coverings

Professor Ellen Townsend makes a plea for compassion for those who cannot wear face coverings.       She outlines the many reasons why some people may not be using a face covering.       Professor Townsend leads research at the School of Psychology, University of Nottingham.
Click icon for article.       See also:  Mask anxiety

Health

The NHS continues to update its Coronavirus page.        It is straight forward to browse.        Click icon to view.

Lincolnshire heritage & culture

Lincolnshire County Council have a number of short stories from long ago, produced by Lincoln Castle, on Youtube.       Click play button to see the list.

Lincoln Castle have also published a free audio guide download to the castle.       Click download to scan QR code with your Android or iPhone.

Key terms

Here is a table of school years and ages:

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Please be aware that we, at GAIN, are not qualified to give advice.        See disclaimer.

Money Matters

This is a guide for parents of disabled children who want to know what financial help may be available to them and what arrangements they may need to make to manage their children’s finances from birth and as they get older.

Family Fund

They provide grants to low-income families with disabled children.           Fill in their application form and post it to their office in York.           For more information click on the icon below.A representative attended a Lincolnshire Parent Carer Council coffee morning in Grantham, in 2012, to promote the scheme.

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Please be aware that we, at GAIN, are not qualified to give advice.         See disclaimer.

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Demand avoidance

Pathological demand avoidance (PDA) is a profile that describes those whose main characteristic is to avoid everyday demands and expectations to an extreme extent.       Click icon to find out more.        See also: PDA Society        slide show

Mental health

The National Autistic Society has a page about mental health and autism.      Click page icon to view.        Also, Autistica has produced a help sheet about autism and mental health.         Click PDF icon to view.

Here is a handy guide to Healthy coping skills for uncomfortable emotions written by a psychotherapist.         (new)

Patients may be referred to a psychiatrist for associated mental health issues.        See NHS introduction.        Ambitious about Autism has produced a guide to making the most of an appointment.

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Executive Functioning

Executive functions are the brain’s self-management system.         Problems with executive function can be linked to autistic traits in later life.        Click icon for Options help sheet.        It starts with James at school.

For more examples and how to address them read about Josh in this article.

Handwriting 

Options has produced a help sheet about developing early handwriting skills for children with autism.         Click icon to view.      (new)         See also:

• Letter dominoes is a game that is easy to make yourself.
• Here is a video tutorial setting out several aids – including pencil grips.        It offers insight into what does and does not work.
• This video tutorial demonstrates the sock method of teaching proper pencil grip.
• This video tutorial demonstrates writing 3 letters of the alphabet.        There are more related videos in the margin, too.
• Some mums provide a sloping board/surface to write on.

Alexithymia

A condition involving lack of empathy.         A difficulty in experiencing, expressing, and describing emotional responses.         Some with autism have this lack of empathy but many do not.        Click icon for an easy reading interview.        Professor Geoff Bird says that alexithymia and autism are independent of each other.

For detailed and definitive information see:  Alexithymia info 

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty that mainly affects the way people read and spell words.        Click icon for an easy reading introduction.         Scroll down for comments.

• For more detail, see  British Dyslexia Association  (BDA).         Includes FAQ.        They also have resources for parents.         And much more …
• See Dislexia outreach for support in Lincolnshire.        They support parents, teachers, and pupils.
• See also under handwriting aids below.

Demand avoidance

Echolalia

• Here is an introduction to echolalia.        Mimicry is an efficient way to experiment with different sounds and practice emerging social language skills. 
• This article offers a medical analysis.        People with echolalia repeat noises and phrases that they hear.      They may not be able to communicate effectively because they struggle to express their own thoughts.         If they struggle to do anything other than repeat what has been said, they may have echolalia.         Some children with autism are regularly tested for this during their speech lessons.
• Here is a more detailed article about echolalia with autism – Even echolalia is a normal way to learn language.        Most children use echolalia to learn language.         The majority of children babble in a rhythmic way, which is actually mimicking the cadence of our language. 
• In adults – Echolalia should normally disappear around two and half years of age.         It is often considered abnormal if it persists beyond age 3 years.

Dysgraphia

Dysgraphia is having difficulty learning to:     1. recognise and write letters and words       2.  link sounds, speech and writing.

• For an easy reading introduction, see  About Health.           See links for more detailed information.
• This dedicated Dysgraphia website has been written by a mother and university lecturer, and an undergraduate with dysgraphia.

Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is a specific difficulty with arithmetic, or maths.

• The Dyscalculia website looks pretty definitive.           It offers a handy introduction
• For more information see Dyscalculia Talks.         It has articles to read as well as video clips to watch.
• The Dyscalculia Conference website is aimed at professionals, but might be interesting to anyone teaching their own child at home.

Dyspraxia

A Developmental co-ordination disorder.

• For an easy reading introduction, see  NHS Choices.          Scroll down for comments.
• The Dyspraxia Foundation has a great deal to offer, including introduction,  children,   FAQ.         See also:  Home for helpline and  Local groups – including Leicstershire and Peterborough
• You may be surprised to learn that it can affect speech, see Speech and Language.

Specific Learning Difficulties

SpLD is an umbrella term used to cover a range of frequently co-occurring difficulties, more commonly:

• Dyslexia
• Dyspraxia / DCD
• Dyscalculia
• D.D / A.D.H.D

Specific Learning Difficulties (or SpLDs), affect the way information is learned and processed. They are neurological (rather than psychological), usually run in families and occur independently of intelligence. They can have significant impact on education and learning and on the acquisition of literacy skills.

In general, a student may be diagnosed with a SpLD where there is a lack of achievement at age and ability level, or a large discrepancy between achievement and intellectual ability.

See also an analytical view

Tourettes

Tourette’s syndrome is a condition that causes a person to make involuntary sounds and movements called tics.        See introduction

• Tourettes Action website seems to be the go-to place for all things Tourettes.        Click icon on the left to browse.         They have a Find support menu.
• The Lincolnshire support group meets in Lincoln and Grantham.
• Discussions :  Netmums         Tourettes & Aspergers
• Facebook videos might be worth a look.

Swallowing difficulties

Click icon to view help sheet for people with Autism about Dysphagia by a speech and language therapist.

Epilepsy

Autistica has produced a help sheet about autism and epilepsy.         Click icon to view.  See also Epilepsy Action:  Website             Information           Help & support

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Please be aware that we, at GAIN, are not qualified to give advice.              See disclaimer.

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Spectrum magazine

The National Autistic Society publishes The spectrum magazine, containing autistic art, poetry and prose.        Created by autistic people, its content covers all things autism.         Click icon to find out more.        For example Oct 2020 issue.

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See also Coronavirus resources

Mindful mix

Click icon for soundtrack:  Mindful Soundscapes – An escape to the sea with 2 hours of lapping waves.

Contact

Contact – for families with disabled children – was founded by parents.      They seem to know what is what.       Click icon to get to the point.

The podcast university

What to do if you are at a loose end?       This is basically a plug for a number of BBC podcasts that might pique your interest.       Click icon to view.

Thinking styles

• Temple Grandin says that there are three autistic thinking styles:  visual thinkers, verbal specialists and pattern thinkers.       See post.       It links to a detailed article by another writer.
• Autism Toolbox, a resource for Scottish schools, offers a more science based analysis.         See article.

Autism Discussion

Autism Discussion Page is the title of this Facebook page.       It contains brief articles with comments.       Anyone registered with Facebook can add their own comments.

Making your child happier

This article offers Eleven ways you can make your autistic child’s life easier.

Temple Grandin’s FAQ’s

Temple Grandin is a lady with high-functioning Asperger’s who has made an academic career for herself.       Click icon to browse her Frequently Asked Questions page.       The Ask Temple link, in the top left corner, gives you a form for asking your own question.

Ellen Notbohm

This Facebook page offers a handy starting point for several topics from the author Ellen Notbohm.        The award-winning author is known for her popular books and columns on autism, published worldwide in more than twenty languages.        See the Notes option on the Facebook page for key topics.         She also has a website.       The Blog and Articles menu options might be worth a look.

Autism on The Mighty

We have a number of links from The Mighty on our website and Facebook page.        This page picks out autism related material from their website.       Click icon to browse.

Netmums

• The Netmums site has quite a few pages  under the Autism/Asperger’s heading.      Clicking the icon to browse.
• A number of mothers post a description of their situation on this  site – see:  Preschool        School age         Older children / teenagers.
• To simply browse Netmums use their search box at the top right corner of the page, but for information about the members’ only areas see their registration page,

Evidence-based optimism

The thinking person’s guide to autism is a forum intended to encourage visitors, To think, ask questions, question the media, and learn from each other.        The people behind it say, Autism misinformation clouds and is perpetuated by the Internet.     We want to make accurate information about autism causation and therapies visible, accessible, and centralized.

Christmas 

Ambitious About Autism is publishing a few tips for Christmas under the heading: Include autism this Christmas.       Click icon to view.

Coping skills

Six types of coping skills.        An array of graphics.

The best activities

Ideas about activities for special needs.        After-school and weekend activities for children with disabilities can build self-esteem, skills, friendships and a sense of belonging.

What autism mums do not want to hear

This will ring a few bells for parents of a child on the autistic spectrum.      Things not to say to an autism mum .

Re-charging the batteries

‘Society has programmed us to think, “What kind of mother is she, taking care of herself before her child?”  but that’s completely wrong.’       Here are 10 must dos for parents of children with special needs.

Shoes

For all those new school starters or those like my son, who is obsessed with his shoes being on the wrong feet, try this.       Cut a sticker of their choice in half and secure it into there shoes to help them identify which shoe goes on which foot.
FB/Rainbow Stars.

Scope

Netbuddy has merged with Scope now.

• It has  Autism blogs  with real life stories from people with experience of issues around autism.        Scroll down to get an idea what is there.
  You can post your own stories.
• They offer  Support and Information  divided into quite a few categories.
• They have  Community champions  make sure the community is a safe, supportive place to be.
• It also has an  On-line community on which you can post questions and comments.
  

Surviving Asperger’s Syndrome

This on-line publication takes the form of brief bullet points divided up into chapters.        See:  Survival guide

Tips for married couples

This is for the partner of someone with Asperger’s:  Chat website

Fear busting

Here are some tips on  tackling fear .

Soap Operas

These can provide a handy way to improve emotional literacy and people skills.      Soaps focus on emotional issues and lay it on with a trowel.      For example, see  Roy Cropper  from Coronation Street.

Moving House

Children on the autistic spectrum can find the idea of moving house unsettling, but there are things could do that might help.

• Tell him obvious things, repeatedly, e.g. that he is moving too.
• Tell him what familiar things you are taking, e.g. items of furniture.
• Try to re-create his old bedroom from day one.      This is not a good time for a revamp.
• Use the same bedding & PJs for continuity.       If necessary leaving them unwashed would be even better.
• Get PC running in new home from day one.       Buy that computer game he has always wanted and give him free access to the PC around the time of the move.

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Please be aware that we, at GAIN, are not qualified to give advice.        See disclaimer.

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