Aussie Innovation – Whiz Kid Games

by Seana Smith on Monday, August 9th, 2010

Did you hear about Whiz Kid Games when it won The Victorian Premier’s Recognition Award for design achievement a couple of weeks ago?

Whiz Kids Games is a collection of online computer games aimed at children with moderate to severe ASD.  The games, which are colourful and fun in themselves, teach life skills to the kids playing.   The games are a collaboration between multimedia design students from Swinburne’s Faculty of Design, plus autism experts and others.

To get started, the best website is:   www.autismgames.com.au

There parents and teachers can read about the project itself, and find out which skill each game is aiming to teach.

The games themselves can be found at:  www.whizkidsgames.com

The website is still under construction and several of the games have glitches and bugs.  Some can be slow to load as well.   However, Whiz Kid Games is definitely a website to keep an eye on. It’s great to see innovation and ASD expertise combniing, and even better that the games are totally free to use.

You can read an article about Whiz Kid Games from the Sydney Morning Herald at:

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/games/blogs/screenplay/whiz-kids-awarded-for-special-games/20100727-10sw8.html#comments

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Adventures and Obsessions Overseas

by Seana Smith on Monday, July 26th, 2010

Many thanks to Benison for  holding the blog fort whilst I have been in Scotland.   I’ve been visiting my family and my husband’s family with the four kids, and introducing the twins, who are now four, to their Scottish family and heritage.

The twins and I will fly home tomorrow and Tom and his almost-11 year old, and very long-suffering brother, took the train to London today and fly home from there on Tuesday.

This visit to Scotland marks many milestones for us all and there have been many occasions when I’ve reflected on our ASD journey, where we’ve been, where we are now and where on earth we are all heading.

Firstly, it is amazing that Tom and Dexter have been able to fly to and from Australia without their parents – who’d have ever thought it?   They were well looked after by Qantas as “unaccompanied minors” and thoroughly enjoyed the flight over with all its movies, computer games and kids’ meals.

In London they are staying for two nights with our dear friend Jo, she was one of Tom’s ABA therapists and was his shadow at school as well.  In all she worked with Tom for five years, and, once faded out of school, she went overseas and has been in London for a few years.

I’m so grateful still to Jo for her calm and soothing personality, which helped me so much as she was helping Tom. Jo was terrific at making sure Dexter felt involved in Tom’s therapy and so he feels as warm towards her as we all do.

I must say that I really wouldn’t be happy to send Tom off on trains and planes alone, but he’ll be fine with Dexter, who is much more streetwise.   Likewise, I wouldn’t send Dexter alone, but feel he’s Ok with Tom who is a huge boy whom few would mess with.   Just hope they don’t lose the mobile phone.

Similarly, I wouldn’t really be happy to send them to stay with anyone but Jo.  She knows  Tom well and was keen to have them to stay.   Tom’s incessant talking and puppydog enthusiasm, plus his endless demands for money, junk food and musical instruments will not faze her.  We trust.

Musical instruments!  Don’t talk to me about them!  Never let it be said that Tom doesn’t have some flexibility in his obsessions.  He has discovered a whole new raft of them on this trip and all very culturally appropriate.  These include:

* the bagpipes… he talks about them incessantly and is desperate to learn.  He did get to blow a set and was delighted; me less so.  Other musical instruments obsessed over include banjo, ukelele, guitar and, bizarrely, the sitar which is not very Scottish at all.

* golf, the national game.  This is not a dreadful obsession to have, in fact it’s a handy one and I did manage to let him play a few times.  It’s just the going on and on and on about it.

* Irn Bru, Scotland other national drink, a fizzy pop par excellence.  Both my big boys loved Irn Bru, such a pity it has Sunshine Yellow colour in it and carries its own health warning about its effect on the “activity levels and concentration of young children.”

Anyway, be grateful for small mercies, Tom hasn’t yet obsessed about those other Great Scottish Drinks, whisky and Tennants Lager.  Nor has he taken up the tradional Scottish pastimes of chain smoking and eating bulk saturated fat.

His mother however may indulge in a wee dram before leaving the land of her birth tomorrow.

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Two Useful Teachers’/Professionals’ Resources

by Seana Smith on Thursday, June 17th, 2010

I’ve heard of some terrific learning resources recently and want to share here two which are particularly useful for teachers and speech pathologists.  They’re also of interest to families too, so do read on.

1.   The first is the Jill Sherlock Memorial Learning Assistance Library.  This is a library which provides resources and equipment to schools and families all over NSW for their children with learning difficulties.   The library is run jointly by the NSW Department of Education and Training and the Jill Sherlock Memorial Trust.

On its website it describes itself thus: “This state facility provides resources to teachers, allied professionals, parents and others who support the teaching and learning needs of students with learning difficulties in the context of syllabus and curriculum requirements.”

For teachers and for parents this is a very handy resource, you can browse the catalogue online and can also get in touch to ask advice of a specialist librarian.

http://www.sherlocklibrary.det.nsw.edu.au/

With apologies, I have to admit this library is for those in NSW only, but I thought it’s worth telling everyone about – maybe there are similar libraries in other states.  And if now, why not?  Time to pester the your Dept of Ed into setting one up!

2.  Social Times The second item comes from the USA, from the Autism Aspgerger Publishing Company. This is a magazine called “Social Times” which is produced nine times each school year and which deals with the sorts of social issues our children need to practise.

The magazine is aimed at teachers and others who are running social skills groups.  You need to buy it in batches of 10 copies.

The writing is gaimed directly at young people, the magazines are bright and colourful, they wouldn’t look out of place at all to young people.  Topics include:  Giving and Receiving Compliments, What Does Embarassment Mean?, Body Language- a Must Read, Fixing Social Bloopers and Giving the Right Gift.

These magazines seem a marvellous resource, do have a look at the website which has heaps of information and a free downloadable copy.

http://www.asperger.net/social_times/index.htm

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Mood Surfing Workshop – I need it!

by Seana Smith on Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

ASPIA's website

Have you heard of ASPIA? As far as I am aware (corrections welcome) ASPIA is the only organisation in Australia providing support and information for those living with a partner who has Asperger’s Syndrome.  ASPIA is based in Sydney and it runs some terrific workshops and information sessions.

The next workshop is to be presented by Clinical Psychologist Dr Julie Peterson, who runs the Embracing the Other Half Psychology Clinic in Sydney.  It is called:

“Mood Surfing:  The Art of Emotion Regulation” Challenges and Interventions.”

Here’s what the flyer says:

Individuals in everyday life regularly experience both strong positive and negative emotions within themselves and those around them. While strong emotions themselves are not inherently bad and often serve a very important role in our daily lives, the over-expression of strong emotion can at times be confronting, challenging, terrifying and exhausting for all involved if emotions are not regulated well.

Emotions often take on a wave like quality with some individuals experiencing larger and more frequent waves. Unfortunately, without the appropriate knowledge, skills and strategies many individuals, couples and families find themselves being dumped or drowned by the waves. This is particularly so for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD and other significant mood disorders.

This workshop incorporates the latest neuroscience and clinical research in the area of emotion regulation and covers the essential knowledge and skills needed to surf, negotiate, ride and survive emotional waves.

This is a workshop I really need to attend as we are currently having all sorts of challenges and I certainly need some assistance with interventions.  Here’s an example:

My son Tom is 13 years old now and he has discovered girls and is most interested in the entire topic.  In fact, he has a huge crush on one girl.  He gets incredibly agitated when he thinks and talks about her, his emotions explode, he can’t keep still and needs to jump around. Tom’s language skills certainly can’t keep up with his emotions and it’s clear that this adds to his frustration.

I’m sure most 13 year old boys don’t discuss their crushes the way Tom does with me, but he just cannot contain himself.  He is a seething mass of hormones and emotions- a very volatile mixture.

Having a lovestruck teenager in the house has made the decades crash away and I can vividly recall my own feelings as a teenager, when I was first succumbing to the charms of the opposite sex.  (Sadly my first crush never succumbed to mine and gave me up so he could spend more time with his ferrets.)

I, too, was a wreck… but I kept it inside most of the time, and certainly didn’t give my mum a blow-by-blow account of the gory emotional details.

Tom had been sending a text to the (oblivious) object of his emotional explosions one evening and was all a’flutter and then dashing about the house…. I made the silly error of then suggesting he get on with some homework… he really did explode and in fact I thought he was going to land a huge punch on me.

Well, I wouldn’t really have blamed him.  I chose the worst possible moment to discuss homework.

Anyway, oh dear… teeangers with ASD plus hormones plus a love interest… a mere mum can’t be expected to cope alone.  I need that workshop!

If anyone reading has information about similar organisations and workshops, please do pass them on and we will add them to the archives here.

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Complementary medicine in hospital

by Seana Smith on Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Now, I’m about to recommend a podcast from the ABC’s Health Report which has nothing to do with autism spectrum disorder – but bear with me for a minute.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/healthreport/stories/2010/2893653.htm

This story on cancer care was aired on 10th May 2010, and it looks at a complementary medicine centre which is part of a mainstream hospital.  I’m sure lots of other ASD families are as fascinated and as frustrated by the issues around evidence-based medicine and complementary medicine as I am. This is an interesting program about one hospital that offers both – and why.

It is well worth becoming a regular downloader of the Health Report.  For most of us, lay people with no background in medical matters, the program is both accessible and very informative.  As time has gone by I really have gained a much greater understanding of the issues involved.

But I’m less tolerant of entrenched and dogmatic views- whatever opinion someone has!   Isn’t it the case that a little sympathy and understanding, a little patience and tolerance will go a long way?

PS  There’s a comment below the Health Report podcast with a link to a commentary on it from the Skeptics Society… worth reading, but it’s hard to read, very dense and not written in an engaging style.

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Mother’s Day Thoughts – On A Recommended Blog

by Seana Smith on Sunday, May 9th, 2010

Ah lovely, Mother’s Day again. I’m all for mothers, I love mums and I love how we all wish each other a Happy Mother’s Day but I do have one bone to pick:  Mother’s Day is not just a day for happy mothers… it’s a day for all mothers, so lets all make sure we also enjoy it as:

Grumpy Mother’s Day

Overwhelmed Mother’s Day

Confused Mother’s Day

Tired Mother’s Day

Ecstatic Mother’s Day

And even, for some of us, once in a while…

Hungover Mother’s Day!!

Anyway, self-care is a great topic for Mother’s Day, I think, for without it, we cannot mother.  Rather than warble on with my own thoughts I shall point you to some which are very clearly expressed in a blog entry on a fairly new blog called MOKAS Living.  MOKAS stands for Mums Of Kids with Asperger Syndrome – which is also a support group on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.

Hope you find something useful for yourself in this entry:

http://mokasliving.blogspot.com/

PS  Just a little aside, especially for families whose children have been recently diagnosed.  The first mum I ever called after Tom’s diagnosis was a lovely woman whose son had been diagnosed about two months before. Sarah has always been a single mum and has worked fulltime all the years we have known each other; my husband works away a great deal.  Neither of us has family in Sydney and we became friends and did lots of things together with the boys.

The boys often rode their trikes around the same biketrack (whilst we wondered whether they’d ever manage to ride bikes), they jumped on trampolines and ran around in Spiderment costumes.  As time went by the boys had sleepovers together and we took them to the movies.

Now both aged 13, the boys go to the movies by themselves these days and we have coffees, or even wave them goodbye with instructions to get the bus home.  Both boys are mad Sea Eagles fans and they went to the match on Saturday night in Brookvale, and this time they had no parents with them at all.  They were delighted!    Sarah and I spent the time together and called occasionally then picked them up.

I’m so gratfeul that Tom has such a good and long standing friend, and someone who talks exactly his language.  The boys and we mums have had ten years of friendship; these are our silver linings.

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Specialised Driving Lessons for ASD

by Seana Smith on Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

It just so happened that Tom had been saying to me recently:

“I can’t wait until I can learn to drive, Mum.”

And I had been thinking:  ”Whaaat!!??***”  Panic !!

Tom is only 13 years old, but time is speeding by and he is getting bigger and bigger just as fast.   He goes to mainstream high school and he reckons he’s a pretty mainstream kind of guy.  Tom loves watching Top Gear, so why wouldn’t he expect that he’ll be able to learn to drive at 16 or 17?

Only…. his reactions really can be quite slow, he has a major language disorder and studying isn’t his thing, reading the road rules and understanding them will be a challenge.. and… and…. it’s very complicated.

But it’s also simple in a way.  Tom goes to mainstream school but he gets extra help.  Tom will want to learn to drive.  He’ll need extra help.

And again I find myself so, so grateful to the families and professionals who are pushing things forward for our kids.    Just as Tom was asking about learning to drive, I was sent an email mentioning:

www.driverrehab.com.au

And then another email with a link to an ABC report on the service this unit is offering for learner drivers with Aspergers.

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2010/s2857542.htm

Great… I think I should book him in now.   Actually, that’s not really such a joke…. you know how long waiting lists can be.

As with many things, I will try to delay Tom getting started with driving until he is older than his peers, but it’s marvellous to know that there may be some methods of driving instruction well suited to him.

And if this is happening in Sydney, then hopefully it will be too all over the country.  In time.  Ah we parents need such patience alongside our pushiness, don’t we?

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More on books – hard copies this time

by Seana Smith on Saturday, April 3rd, 2010

Hope readers are enjoying a bit of a break over Easter and a few delicious treats.  I’m posting early as I will be away with the family next week.

Here is another avenue for those wishing to avoid the huge postage costs involved in buying books from the USA or UK.  Have you heard of Footprint Books and did you know you can order direct from them and even visit their warehouse if you are in Sydney?

Footprint Books  is a book wholesaler which imports many ASD-related titles including the entire list from Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

www.footprint.com.au

You can browse their website to find their books, although it isn’t very user-friedly.  If you know of a book you’d like to get hold of then doing a search for it on their site is the easiest thing.

I guess this is similar to the situation with Book in Hand, the website isn’t great for browsing but good if you know what you want to buy.   Maybe it’s a best to browse on Amazon and then check with our local Aussie suppliers.

Also, buyers are welcome to visit the Footprint warehouse during business house Monday – Friday, it is in Warriewood on the northern beaches.  So lots of browsing opportunities if you can make that journey.  There’s nothing like picking a book up, flicking through and feeling its weight before you buy it…. love that, for all my love of the speed and price of e-books.

Footprint can also send you a opy of the latest Jessica Kingsley Publishers brochure, there is an amazing range of books and educational materials there, quite bamboozling in fact.  But worth getting to know and a must for the teachers in schools and all early intervention providers.

And just  quickie… here’s a blog written by the prolific writer and ASD mum, Valerie Foley:

http://jumpontherollercoaster.blogspot.com/

There’s a nice story there about Easter and also news that the song Valerie wrote, Through My Eyes,  has reached over 30,000 views on Youube.  Well done Valerie!   Go the Aussies!

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What’s next on your ASD bookshelf?

by Seana Smith on Thursday, March 25th, 2010

Kindle for iPhone app

What’s next on your ASD bookshelf?   Read on for some suggestions on how to minimise your book buying bills, especially if you have an addictive Amazon habit.

I’m taking my four children up to a resort in Queensland for a few days these holidays.  My husband works overseas so I’m a mum alone – wish me luck.

Anyway, my thoughts turn optimistically to wondering which books I might take to read.  Trashy romance novels – yes!  But I’ll also take a couple of the  ASD books which are on my shelf.

The first one has been there for a couple of months, it’s called”  A Parent’s Guide to Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism” written by a trio of heavy hitters in the USA, Sally Ozonoff, Geraldine Dawson and James McPartland.   I’m interested to see how they write and what they say, will blog on this later.

The second is actually not on my pine bookshelf but on my digital bookshelf, it was cheap and easy to get and I thought I’d share the steps.

I’ve been wanting to read Rupert Isaacson’s “The Horse Boy” for ages, it sound really interesting and well written too.   So, I had checked in bookshops and on Dymocks online and it costs around $35.  A friend said she’d loan me hers but the weeks have rolled by….

So…. I have my trusty iPhone and one day I learned about the Kindle for iPhone app and downloaded it quick smart.

A day or so later I was at the gym taking a lazy, leisurely stroll on the walking machine.  I got out my iPhone and opened the Kindle app, then touched the “Get Book’  icon and typed in “The Horse Boy.”

Up popped the book  and I touched here and there to buy it.  I didn’t even have to enter credit card details as they are already at Amazon, so I could use the 1-Click purchase.

And, miraculously, right  there on the treadmill, the book was sent to my iPhone.  HOW DO THEY DO THAT????

I was gobsmacked, I would have fallen off the treadmill if I hadn’t been going so slowly.

Cost of the Kindle version of the book?   $6.50!  Delivered instantaneously, saved on the cost of the petrol to get to a bookstore as well.  Blimey.

Do a search on the Kindle Store section of the Amazon website and you will find dozens and dozens of ASD books available, including lots of the classic must-reads.

For we Aussies, this is a great step ahead, much easier and cheaper access to books and information than has been available before.   I’m not saying the iPhone is the best digital book reading device, it isn’t, iPads and Kindles will soon become more popular, I’m sure.  But it’s a start.

Nor are digital books perfect.  You can’t loan them to your friends and you can’t sell them when you’ve read them.   But at that price, I’m delighted nonetheless.

Now then (Benison, are you reading?) it is actually NOT THAT HARD to work this all out.  Your kids can help, especially some of the ASD kids.     So, for the iPhone friendly, I say… get that Kindle app.

So that’s my reading list for the holidays.  I wonder if I will be able to wrestle the iPhone away from the kids long enough to get past Chapter 1?

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It’s all ‘Appening- on your iPhone

by Seana Smith on Sunday, March 14th, 2010

My son Tom was diagnosed with ASD ten years ago…. Has much changed since then?  Are treatments any better?  Are diagnoses that much earlier? I had expected enormous leaps over ten years but progress in most areas remains slow.

Hmmmm….. still, there have been some significant changes, and most thrilling for the techie types are the many ways new technology can help us teach our kids.   Many of our children with ASD have splendid visual skills and we can help them use this strength to develop in other areas.

Back in the day, when we started early intervention at our house, we didn’t even have a laminator.  I used to snip pictures out of magazines and glue them to little white  postcards to make all the (hundreds! ) of flash cards needed.   Those were the days… no they weren’t!

These days… crivens… it’s fantastic how technology has improved, and the iPhone is fast becoming on of the most useful learning tools.

I knew from friends doing early intervention that lots of iPhone Apps are proving very useful but hadn’t thought there were Apps for older childrenMy kids fiddled with my iPone enough.  Tom’s favourite game is one called “Shut up!” that yells at you whenever you say anything.  Not that educational.   My favourite one was about wine, more educational but can lead one astray.

Anyway recently I fired up iTunes, went to the Apps section and typed in “autism”… and a zillion came up… well, not quite, but 110 did.  That’s a lot, and there would be many other words to search as well.

What I love is that loads of Apps are free, and there are usually free test Apps for the ones that do charge.   Here’s what I’ve downloaded so far:

3D Brain – I love it, a rotating coloured brain, you can look at the various parts and learn heaps of stuff.  Excellent for when reading books about the neurology of autism.  (I must get out more.)

Model Me Going Places – social stories on restaurants, hairdressers, shopping and more.  Stills pictures, text and words.  I would switch off the sound and talk through it myself.

First Words Sampler – this is a reading and spelling game for young children – lovely and visual.

The Hidden Curriculum On the Go – for older adolescents and adults.  This is text only and a fair bit ahead of my 13 year old but it will be very handy.  One example:  ”Only borrow money from friends and only do so when absolutely necessary.  Then pay back your friend as soon as possible.”  This is totally relevent to us this week- wish it came with visuals as well as text.

Have you used any Apps?  Could you let us know.  I am planning to write up an information sheet on them to put as a free download on our website.  All advice welcome.

In the meantime, yesterday Tom managed to drop my iPhone and crack the front glass then he almost immediately dropped his own phone down the toilet.  So, my most important advice about the use of these magical mobile devices?  Make sure they are insured.

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