Last minute Christmas gift ideas to help kids with their motor skills

If you've just left it a bit late for your kids or think you may be visiting some as a last minute arrangement here's some quick gift ideas we've grabbed that are still available for amazon delivery, that will help develop fine and gross motor skills.

Are my autistic kids always online? Are they safe?

The internet can be great for my kids.  Many people think that using the internet a lot is bad parenting, and I'm sure in some cases that might be true.  At our home, the support provided by internet for our autistic, ADHD and neurotypical kids is almost an essential.  

Using light to help us sleep better as the summers gets closer

With summer approaching and daylight hours increasing, many people struggle to get quality sleep. As a family of autistic and ADHD we've always struggled with sleep - getting to sleep, staying asleep and waking up at the right time are all challenging.  Now, the longer evenings can delay melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep, while early morning light may cause people, like us, to wake up too soon. 

Why my autistic son hits only me

I'm stood at the kitchen counter, peanut buttering the nth bit of toast when David runs through from the living room at high speed.  I see him coming and try to put my hand out to lower his fist, but I'm too late. Sock, it smacks me in the back not that far from my kidneys.   I put my hand on my back, then bend my knees so I come down nearer to David's level, then say, "David, need help?"

The joy I get from fictional autistic characters

Whereas some people wonder if Sherlock Holmes had Asperger's Syndrome, it's difficult to tell if this fictional character was designed on the autistic spectrum.  However, there are some absolutely brilliant novels which are, in my opinion, better for their autistic adult characters.  

Five things that cause stress for my autistic kids

My kids can become frustrated for a variety of reasons and it isn’t always easy to pinpoint the underlying cause of their emotions.  Once a few of these things start piling up it can ending causing them a stress they can no longer cope with.  Two of them have communications difficulties, but even our daughter can struggle sometime to explain what she's feeling or why.   As a parent of autistic kids I've learned to behave like a detective and have found several things that cause my kids to escalate   

Preparing our autistic kids for a trip to the dentist

 We all know just how important it is that we take good care of our dental health at every age. Children need to have a good oral hygiene routine in place as soon as possible if they are to grow up with healthy teeth and gums. But it's not always easy, in fact for some of my kids it's anything but. 

One day son, you will be an autistic adult

All to often, the adults in conversations about autism are parents.  They are the parents of autistic children. Over 70 years ago, these adults were blamed for their children's conditions.  Autism was due to bad parenting.  Recent studies have no called them 'super parents'.  As a parents of autistic children I needed help to understand them and I still need help to work with them and help them engage in the world around them.  But I'm very much aware that one day I will not be the only adult in the conversation in the future.  The other adults will be my children. Because autistic children become autistic adults.

How to speak to my autistic and neurotypical kids about what's happening in Ukraine

What is happening in Ukraine is incredibly shocking and scary. I'm trying to process what I'm seeing.  I can barely believe what I am seeing on the TV or hearing on the radio - but I can't turn it off.  It's all over the news and it's important that I'm here to help my neurotypical and autistic kids process it too.  But how do I do this?

Next steps in education for my autistic teenager

I can't believe my eldest son is at the point of choosing his Yr 10-11 options. It really doesn't seem that long ago since we was diagnosed with ASD at four years old.   It's even stranger to hear him talk about things like what he'll do after school or if he'll go to college.  I'm delighted he's thinking about this but like everything with our kids I'm already thinking about how to prepare him.

Helping our autistic kids get ready for Christmas

Christmas brings with it many changes.  Despite being a very exciting time of year the upheaval and appearances around the home can cause some stress.  We prepare our autistic and neurotypical kids get ready by writing Christmas cards, making timetables and preparing the home all before this happens.

10 things I'm trying to teach my autistic teenager

There's been a lot of focus on schools and qualifications for teenagers over the last few years - and rightly so.  But being a teenagers can mean learning a lot more than just academics.  Life skills aren't included when you get them help with tutoring for physics and maths online, but for many kids this is the time they need to learn about the life skills they will need to become as independent as possible.  For some it will be learning about budgeting and time keeping for others this might be being able to make a meal or get dressed independently.  

Song and sign is an open door

We've watched Strictly Come Dancing properly for the past three years. I watched a few series when it first started years ago but there's so much on TV nowadays and we honestly usually only make time to watch sports live.  That was until two years ago when our autistic and neurotypical family found it help us to connect with each other.  And this years moment came last night with Rose and Giovanni. 

How anyone can support a parent of SEND kids

Being the parent of children with additional needs can be a rollercoaster ride; ask any parent in this situation. It can be the most unique and rewarding experience of your life while simultaneously being the most exhausting and challenging thing you have ever done.

Latest travel essentials for our autistic kids as the green list expands

The wait is now over and we can book a break to somewhere a bit warmer for half-term.  Obviously there are all the normal things that we think about a a family travelling with autistic kids. Where we are going, what type of accommodation works for us and so on.   But we also seem to be struggling a little with demand and supply at the moment.  Some strange mix of Brexit, lorry driver and gas shortages means we can't always get things at short notice, so what am I thinking about sorting out for the October half-term holiday if we jet off to the Med?

My top apps for our autistic kids

There's no doubt that all my kids get technology.  Sometimes it can seem like they are glued to their screens but, especially for my autistic son's, they learn a lot from being online and there's a bunch of apps that are really good at engaging them in learning or sensory feedback, which is so important when they struggle with these on a daily basis.  Here's some of my favourites. 

Five reason's watching the Olympics is good for my autistic kids

It's a week to the end of the Olympics Games in Toyko.  I've been glued to parts of the games, commiserated, applauded and stayed up too late to watch finals. And I'm not the only one.

What would I go back and tell myself when my kids received an autism diagnosis

There is no correct way to react to your child receiving an autism diagnosis.  For some parents it can be a shock, others are worried, some are relieved.  It's normal to wonder why or how a child is autistic.  When we were at our first autism diagnosis meeting the first thing the paediatrician said was something like 'it's nothing you did or didn't do, nothing that you did wrong.'  

Designing a new bedroom for my autistic kids

None of our children sleep great. Estimates say between 50% and 90% of autistic people have some sleeping difficulties, whether that's going to sleep, staying asleep or sleeping at the wrong time - and that's just when things are normal.  And sleep is just one function of a bedroom. When it comes to our autistic kids there's lots to think about. 

As my autistic son becomes a teenager

By the end of this week there will be an official teenager in the house.  Although it seems rather bizarre that I can have a child who is now legally old enough to get a part-time job.  Though let's be honest, I can barely get Anthony to empty the dishwasher and take the bins out - activities that he relies on to get his allocated screen time allowance.  His chances of taking up work are extremely slim I'd say.