Autism BR

For those people who are working with children who have autism the iPad has become a main tool. A nonthreatening device that is both light and reasonably inexpensive has changed the way therapists, teachers and parents have taught their autistic learners. This device is changing the way special education departments in school’s have been working with their students. These current actions definitely foreshadow the teaching methods of tomorrow. Dawn Ferrer is a speech therapist who is also an iPad developer. She uses the iPad in her practice and teaches her clients families how to use the iPad at home. She joins Senior Dad Stan Goldberg to discuss the iPad, it’s uses and shows us how it can be used in teaching. Dawn Ferrer, I have an app to you.

When we are pregnant we visualize different teaching situations that we will explore with our future child. None of us could anticipate the unfamiliar territory that confronts a parent when their child is diagnosed with autism. For parent Tammy Graham the diagnosis of autism changed her lifestyle. From a full-time working parent she became a stay-at-home parent who utilized many different strategies to teach her daughter. Not long ago she was unsatisfied with her daughter's progress and started using the family's iPad to help teach her daughter. New doors opened. The teaching accelerated. Tammy Graham joins Senior Dad Stan Goldberg to share her journey into using technology to teach her child.

Max Gibson goes to school in New York State. Max has hearing issues. His father Tom tried to get the school district to give Max the support he needed in order to learn. Things didn’t go as Tom Gibson had envisioned and soon he was embroiled in complicated meetings that delayed his son’s education. Tom Gibson wrote a book called” Lost in the system” where he describes some of the issues he encountered. He joins Senior Dad Stan Goldberg to discuss some of the issues that parents face when trying to get services for the children who are in special education. Tom Gibson: “ Not Lost Anymore”

“Home for the holidays?” Or, “let’s get this party started?” The holidays can be a stressful time for families under the best of circumstances. For your child with autism, they can be particularly difficult. Familiar routines are out the window and unfamiliar – and sometimes unfair – expectations arise at every turn.
Listen in and hear how to empower your child with autism during this bustling time. Internationally known award-winning author and columnist Ellen Notbohm (Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew) and San Francisco special needs activist Katy Franklin join “Senior Dad” Stan Goldberg in the Autism Briefing Room, explaining how the holidays effect their children with autism and their friends and families. Hear tips what to do before and during holiday parties and strategies for graceful departure. What to do about gifts and gift lists, and how to handle the lure of those attractive TV commercials? Ellen and Katy share some of their experiences with their children and what works for them. Some of the lessons we learn apply to teaching and handling all children as well as helping us begin to understand the challenges of a family with a child with autism.

The last twenty years has shown an increasing awareness of autism. A variety of programs to treat and aid children with autism at different stages of social development have only begun to emerge over the last five years. One such program is beginning in Thorne Hill, a suburb of Toronto. Lital Rotman Gurneir is starting “Social Butterflies” an ABA-like program targeting children with Aspergers playing with typical children to learn social skills. She joins Senior Dad Stan Goldberg to explain the program and its goals just before the launch of Social Butterflies.