Apr 09

50 things NOT to say….

50 Things NOT to say to a parent of autism
Taken from ( www.autism-island.com )

Autism is over diagnosed.
I’ve seen Rainman and Temple Grandin, I totally get it.
He must be really sad to run away so much.
Stop being so sensitive, they were only joking when they called her a (insert nasty hurtful name here).
He just needs to apply himself more.
My kid does that too.
Why do you let him carry that ______ around everywhere?
I can’t believe you let your child run around naked.
You need to make her eat more variety.  It’s not that hard.
At least she can _____. (Talk, walk, smile, etc.)
It must be so nice to get special treatment everywhere.
Are you sure he has autism?  He seems fine to me.
God knew you could handle this.
How dare your child not look at me when I’m talking to them!
He can talk, he just doesn’t want to.
If you knew she might meltdown why did you come here?
Teaching him is like training a dog.  How hard could it be?
She can’t have autism; she looked me in the eye.
I have a miracle cure for autism to tell you about.
Disneyland would be much easier for you if you left him home with your mother.
It’s good your baby is a girl so she won’t have autism like her brothers. 
There is nothing wrong with her.  She is just quirky.
You just need to force her to sit through it, she’ll learn.
I gave up on him and stopped trying.
Have you tried what Jenny McCarthy did?
I can’t believe she isn’t potty trained already.
Why aren’t they doing ______ yet?  Have you been working with them?
Isn’t she too old for a dummy?
He is so spoiled.
He can’t have autism, he is so smart.
If you had enough faith in god, his autism would go away.
She’s a girl, she can’t have autism.
Did you know ______ causes autism? (Pollution, food, shots, microwaves, inbreeding, mean moms, drug addicted moms, power plants, loud talking, too much TV, etc.)
Kids usually grow out of autism.
They don’t need therapy because you’re such a good therapist.
Good thing you’re done having kids.  You wouldn’t want another one with autism.
How dare you drug your child!
But you’re so normal, how do you have a child with autism?
Does the mean she is really good at ______? (Math, art, music, etc.)
He just needs to be medicated.
He doesn’t have autism, he has discipline problems.
Could you please take your son out? He’s disturbing everyone.
The way your house is in lock down is absurd.
You should mortgage your home to try ________ therapy. 
They are in a normal classroom?  Is that ok?
You made up the autism diagnosis for attention.
Make her come give me a hug.
I can’t believe you won’t come to this crazy, busy, loud, sensory overload event.  They would like it I promise.
Everyone has some form of autism.
Can’t you just control him?

Permanent link to this article: https://www.adrian-moore.co.uk/50-things-not-to-say/

Apr 05

Autisium Month

* Grins *

Permanent link to this article: https://www.adrian-moore.co.uk/autisium-month/

Apr 04

Light pollution?

Light pollution a problem for you?
If so here is an interesting link ( http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/27603 )

Primarily it’s coming from the stand point of star gazing , but I guess anyone who feels this is important can sign xD

Permanent link to this article: https://www.adrian-moore.co.uk/light-pollution/

Mar 31

Staring at the world!

Yes yes it’s an odd title for a post, but here’s the thing, myself now being passed onto the Devon Autism team for aspergers, I still find it odd ( if that’s really the best word I can find ) that :-

1. Support for such people is seriously lacking
2. The (dare I say ) ignorance / lack of understanding or even acknowledgement that such a thing Autism / Aspergers exists
3. That Teachers and similar important others DO NOT realise the damage they do when they expect anyone with autism to just get on with it and refuse to see the problems behind the mask of “hold it together”. (prompted from a recent facebook post )

Shutdowns Vs Meltdowns*
Again many seem not to understand this concept either ( not that it is possibly an easy thing to understand, even if you are one of those that actually experience it! ) , though some in my immediate family have seen at least one occurrence of a well needed “shutdown”

A shutdown :-
When stimulation ( be it noise / light / smell / touch ) becomes too overwhelming that the nervous system shuts down to “rebound” or as i put it rebooting!

May become lethargic / limp / star or close eyes and become unresponsive ( anything to shut the outside world out ) , retiring to a quite / darkish room often helps

The stress chemicals reach boiling point, coping skills collapse and acting out to either avoid or escape a stressful situation to reduce anxiety.

A meltdown :-
Hitting / kicking / pushing / throwing / biting self etc…. all provide proprioceptive stimulation, which releases stress chemicals.

If stress chemicals increase gradually , shutdown is likely
If chemicals build quickly, the a meltdown is more likely

*The above info was originally posted here ( https://www.facebook.com/autismdiscussionpage ) , though parts have been added too this

Permanent link to this article: https://www.adrian-moore.co.uk/staring-at-the-world-2/

Mar 17

Sensory Overload

For those not Autistic / Aspergers this is “almost” what sensory overload is like.

To get an almost real feel you are going to need to run this video in full screen and at best quality , and sit nice and close to the screen …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.adrian-moore.co.uk/sensory-overload/

Feb 23

Rocky Road .. Correction

This was the link i was meant to link!!

Permanent link to this article: https://www.adrian-moore.co.uk/rocky-road-correction/

Jan 28

Autism is a different Operating System!

Permanent link to this article: https://www.adrian-moore.co.uk/autism-is-a-different-operating-system/

Jan 20

Apps for Autism

There are indeed a number of apps out there ( for the iPad / iPhone ) however the price tag is often so high its a non starter for parents / autistic people.

Ive have found a few that look ok, and are not priced in the sky either!

First up is Grace ( Grace App ) to quote

The Grace App for Autism helps autistic and other special needs children to communicate effectively, by building semantic sequences from relevant images to form sentences. The app can be easily customized by using picture and photo vocabulary of your choice.

And at €20 its not a bad start!

Second up!
TaptoTalk ( Tap2Talk ) available in a free and paid for version ( the paid for version allows you to customise the application ) it is also available on other mobile devices too!

Third
Look2Learn ( Look2Learn )

Look 2 Learn is dedicated to the support of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders through the development of new and affordable applications for the Apple® iPhone© and iPad©. School Districts, educators and parents recognize that apple devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod touch) can be used effectively to facilitate communication and education for students who are nonverbal. Look2Learn provides applications which have been proven to support the special needs of these students.

And Finally for this helping of my post today ….
Adams Game ( Adams Game )

Adam’s Game is a game for toddlers and preschoolers. The game shows three pictures and asks your child (or a toddler at your preschool) to touch one of them (“Touch the cow!”). When your child picks the right picture, the game cheers. If your child picks an incorrect picture, the game says “Uh-Oh” and flashes the right picture. After several turns, the game rewards your child with music and a group of objects floating across the screen. Adam’s Game also allows you to add your own pictures and voices to the game. This is great if you want to add a picture of the grandparents or your family dog.

For the TOP 30 applications for mobile devices have a look here

Hope people find something worth while here ^^

Permanent link to this article: https://www.adrian-moore.co.uk/apps-for-autism/

Jan 19

Holiday planned!

Well, thanks to Hilary that’s the holiday cottage picked / booked.
Now we can return to Ireland ( with me new shiny slr camera too )

Looks like a stunning location, plus we are slightly familiar with the ara to.

Hope mother is ready for this adventure!!

Permanent link to this article: https://www.adrian-moore.co.uk/holiday-planned/

Jan 14

Dartmoor! Gidleigh

Here are just a few photos taken on my recent hike ( Today! )
Please note these are (c)AdrianMoore

Permanent link to this article: https://www.adrian-moore.co.uk/dartmoor-gidleigh/