Awesome Product Of The Week!

My Awesome Product Of The Week comes from Therapro, who, by the way, is having a special on shipping right now, free on any internet order of $25 or more (U.S.). It is their Alphabet Coloring Sheets.

My little perfectionist would get so frustrated trying to stay in the lines but the tactile cues on these coloring sheets helped her a lot. It made coloring time (code for 'fine motor practice') much more fun for her.

There are 26 in all, one for each letter of the alphabet. The pictures are of everyday things that are familiar to kids, and each one includes the word and both upper and lower case letter. You could laminate them and have custom, one-of-a-kind flashcards!

The main reason I enjoyed using this product with my daughter is because it made her feel like a "big girl" because she could stay in the lines, just like her cousin, Jaron (who is 2 years younger than her). It was a real boost to her self-esteem and sense of independence.

As the parent of Special Needs children, I've made it my number one priority to prepare them for Life as best I'm able. I'm not gonna live forever and it ain't no Disneyland out there. The best way I've found to do that is to give them a taste of independence and do your best to help them maintain a healthy self esteem. Once they get that little taste, they'll crave more! Everyone wants independence. And everyone deserves to feel good about themselves.

Fun Sensory Play

There are many children, not just on the Autistic spectrum, that could benefit from Sensory Play. Some kids might be reluctant to try touching certain textures because it is bothersome to them. But it's important to continue to encourage them. And to try the activity more than once, perhaps weekly, until the child gets more familiar with the particular texture. Have a big box of baby wipes handy for quick clean-up! I know my girls start to freak out if they think they are "dirty". (Ironically, they also hate bathing!)

Here are just a fewgood things to try (most, if not all, can be purchased for under $1 - some, FREE!):

• shaving cream
• finger paints
• cooked spaghetti (for girly girls, try shell "mermaid" pasta or bowtie "fancy" pasta)
• carpet scraps
• shower pouffs (in the child's favorite color)
• gummy worms
• marshmallows
• snow (if you're(un)lucky enough to live in that climate)
• rocks
• leaves
• tree bark
• dry oatmeat
• salt (make sure they don't rub the eyes and there are no open cuts on their hands!)
• yarn
• different fabric textures (buy colorful scarves from thrift store and wash in hot water before use.)
• bubble wrap

And don't forget to raid your arts/crafts supply! Things like clay, pipe cleaners, non-toxic school glue (I used to love to let glue dry on my hands and then peel it off!), pom-poms, scotch tape, and glitter.

Another girly girl hint: find some play makeup that can be applied with the fingertips ~ like eyeshadows (powder and creamy), lip gloss pots, body glitter lotions, etc. Let her do it all by herself ~ glamourous!

If the child you're working with begins to become repetative, such as always making cirlcles with the fingerpaints, perhaps try to switch it up. For example, try using the fingerpaints on a mirror (as long as they are the washable kind). A boy might enjoy giving himself a green moustache and purple mohawk. A girl might like to add a crown to her head and maybe some colorful jewels around her neck ~ or, ya never know, she might like a purple mohawk too!

Use your imagination, you know your child best! Think of what makes him tick and then MAKE IT FUN!