DynaVox Mayer-Johnson Autism Community

We are excited to announce a new partnership between the Autism-Community (http://www.autism-community.com/) and DynaVox Mayer-Johnson (www.dynavoxtech.com) (www.mayer-johnson.com). Autism-Community was launched in 2008 with the goal of becoming a hub of information for family members, friends and teachers of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. As the community has grown we’ve wanted to expand the depth and breadth of information and resources with which we connect community members. This brings us to the new partnership.



This collaboration is going to bring about a lot of positive change for the Autism-Community, because we will be working with DynaVox Mayer-Johnson to enhance the resources and information available on the website. We're hopeful that together we can develop a comprehensive site which is useful and engaging to the community. Over the next few months they will be helping us incorporate more resources, more stories and more ways for you to be involved with other members of the Autism Community.



Some new features in the works include:

1. More Extensive Resources and Information About: Autism, ABA, AAC, Data Collection, Evidence-Based Interventions, Alternative Interventions, Assessments, IEPs, Adult Services, and more.



2. A Community Center which will include discussion topics, personal stories, tips for parents and teachers, downloadable resources and state-by-state resources.



There are many more wonderful changes to come, and we here at Autism-Community could not be more thrilled that DynaVox Mayer-Johnson has taken an interest in what we do here: provide useful information and resources to families and professional involved with individuals with autism and help members of the autism community get connected with the support and services they need.



Because we are the Autism-Community, we are actively seeking input from community members: individuals with autism, family, friends, and professionals. We want this website to be a reflection of what you all find useful and helpful. If you have any suggestions about information and resources we could offer that would enhance the community-friendliness of the site please send them to us at: info@autism-community.com. This site is all about you, and we need your input to make sure we're able to best serve the community as a whole. If you would like to subscribe to daily updates or become a contributor to the Autism-Community, visit our website and sign up today!



Sincerely,

Abby Twyman

Editor, Autism-Community.com

Homeschooling an Autistic Child in the Community

Home schooling an autistic child can be challenging. You need to be parent, teacher, therapist and psychologist. You need to understand your child’s strengths and weaknesses. You need to be able to engage your child in the learning process, every day.

I have learned a few things that have helped me home school my son. He has limited fine motor skills and is nonverbal. He is also extremely stubborn, and there are days that I can not get him to sit at the table to work. His writing skills are slowly developing. He is slowly learning how to independently write letters and numbers.

Because there are a lot of things that my son needs help with, I arranged for a private speech and occupational therapist. Allowing them to work on communication and hand writing gives me more time to work on academics. I still work on the same issues that the therapists work on; however, I don’t have to spend as much time on them.

I use Boardmaker Plus, a software program that allows me to create intricate communication boards and use them on the computer with a touch screen. I created a series of interactive boards that my son accesses by touching the computer screen and selecting picture buttons. I have found this to be a key part of our school day. I use TapToTalk, a communication program that runs on the Nintendo DS, for basic communication. TapToTalk allows me to take school out of the home.

This is what has been the most important part of our home schooling. When my son decides that he will not do any work at home, I take school out of the home and into the community. I’m working on getting my son to independently point at things when asked. He prefers taking my hand and directing it to what he is selecting. He has responded well with using a stylus on the computer and on the Nintendo. However, I would like to se him use his finger to make selections.

At any store we go to, I can ask him to point out items by request. I can also have him find things in the store. This may not seem like academic learning to you, but the skills he learns during these activities are important life skills. Plus, the skills we work on in the community reiterate, or reinforce, what we do at home. If you take a walk up and down the aisles of K-Mart, you will see a lot of opportunities to use products at a store as a learning tool.

The toy aisle can be a hunt for animals (including dinosaurs), a treasure hunt for items that are determined by answering a question, or a lesson in math. The key is to turn whatever environment you are in, (a store, the park, a hiking path), into a learning environment. School does not have to occur only at a table. You can leave the house and continue your teaching in an environment that your child considers fun. Be creative, be adaptable, and always remember that you are only limited by what you determine are your limitations.