Tag Archives: autistic disorder

My Favorite Blog

I had an interesting moment of reflection after talking to my son last night. It was a simple thing, really, but it struck me. Kyle, who just turned fourteen, was playing his vintage “Super Nintendo” System (remember those?) and I stopped to watch him for a while. He has quite a large collection of games, and always wants new ones for his birthday and Christmas. (I have to buy them from special game stores or order them from e-bay.) After several minutes of watching him play, I asked, “Kyle, which of all these games is your favorite?” He thought for … Continue reading →

Do Vaccinations Cause Autism? A Mother’s Viewpoint

There’s been a controversy for quite some time about whether the mercury, or thimerosal, in certain childhood vaccinations causes autism in children. All you have to do is search for “mercury” or “thimerosal” or “vaccinations” or “autism” on the internet, and you’ll find numerous reports, comments, debates, and arguments over the issue. The Question Personally, I’ve even been asked by people, “Do you think your son Kyle got autism from an immunization?” For many months, I’ve been researching this matter, and although I can’t possibly give an ironclad answer (can anyone?), I have come up with one that feels right … Continue reading →

FLOOR TIME: Promoting Personal Interest and Attention

This is a companion blog to my previous one, “Floor Time: Be Your Child’s Own Personal Play Therapist!” (You’ll want to read that one first.) So you’re ready to start giving your child daily play therapy? Terrific! You can make an important, life-changing difference for your child’s future. Put on your “Parent Therapist” hat and let’s begin. The first goal in your floor time play therapy sessions is to promote personal interest and attention from your child. There are many reasons why this is an important goal. As a human being, your son or daughter needs to be able to … Continue reading →

FLOOR TIME: Be Your Child’s Own Personal Play Therapist!

Children with developmental delays have often missed crucial milestones in cognitive learning. Because of problems like sensory integration disorder or other neuro-processing difficulties, they’ve had “gaps” in their intellectual growth. These gaps can cause further problems as the child is not able to build upon skills which don’t exist. He or she needs intensive, daily therapy to literally start at the beginning and re-learn certain milestones to compensate for the deficiencies. Early intervention programs, therapists, educators, and specialists can all be extremely beneficial. However, it is not enough. These kids need one-on-one concentrated attention to help them climb the developmental … Continue reading →