Special Community Event

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Special Community Event"

Alison Webster
5 years ago
Views:

Forms 3 Easterseals News 4 Holiday Tips 5 Research

Sunday December 3 rd 9:00 AM 11:00 AM Santa Cares is a

needs and their families to enjoy a visit with Santa

1 On TAP Monthly E-Newsletter December Inside This Issue Special Event 1 TAP Events/Resources 2 Group Interest Forms 3 Easterseals News 4 Holiday Tips 5 Research Opportunity 6 Special Community Event Santa Cares at Sunday December 3 rd 9:00 AM 11:00 AM Santa Cares is a special sensory friendly event for kids with special needs and their families to enjoy a visit with Santa in a calming environment. To RSVP in advance: click here. Funding provided in whole or in part by The Autism Program of Illinois and the Illinois Department of Human Services

The Autism Program Event Parkview Pride Leo Club Charter Night Monday December 11, 2017 6:00 PM 7:30PM Location: University of Illinois Rockford 1601 Parkview Ave. Rockford, IL 61107 Please email tap.

Resource Spotlight Playing, Laughing and Learning with Children on the Autism Spectrum: A practical Resource of Play Ideas for Parents and Care Givers.

2 The Autism Program Event Parkview Pride Leo Club Charter Night Monday December 11, :00 PM 7:30PM Location: University of Illinois Rockford 1601 Parkview Ave. Rockford, IL Please or call for further information or to sign up. Due to the holiday we will not be having our Parent Support Group for December. Resource Spotlight Playing, Laughing and Learning with Children on the Autism Spectrum: A practical Resource of Play Ideas for Parents and Care Givers. The book provides ideas on how a caregiver can use playtime to work on areas that children with autism may struggle in. Julia Moor breaks down the chapters with the importance of each type of play, and suggests ways to work on each skill. In this 2 nd edition she provides ideas on how to use the internet, computers, and digital camera to assist with finding and making resources and activities. If interested in this or any other book, please contact and make an appointment to visit our Resource Room.

3 Group Interest We are now in the final stages of planning and seeking information for those interested in Music Therapy and/or Social Skills groups. We are planning on offering groups for ages 3 to 21. Groups will be divided by age and skill level. During the sessions the therapists will identify the abilities of each child / adolescent / young adult and focus the research-based interventions to work on goal areas. Our purpose is to have the individual not only be successful within a session, but to carry over the desired skills to everyday life outside of the groups. Music therapy can help in the following areas: Difficulty focusing attention Delayed speech or nonverbal Hyper-activity Abnormal learning environment Difficulty socializing Physical impairment Emotional instability Please check which group(s) you are interested in and fill out the form and return to: knorwood@eastersealschicago.org Music Therapy Group Social Skills can help in the following areas: Difficulty focusing attention Teaching social-cognitive andcommunicative skills Self-control Emotional understanding Self-esteem Peer relations Problem solving Initiating and maintaining friendships Social Skills Group Child s Name: Diagnosis: Date of Birth: Diagnosed by: How does the individual Communication?: What are you child s interests?: What are your child s strengths?: What are goals you have or your child may have for themselves? Parent s Name: Address: Parent s Phone:

They constantly advocate for investment in our community's quality of life. We are very excited to be a member. We are also thrilled to be joining them in our first event at the Confluence Honors.

4 Easterseals News Easterseals serving Chicagoland and Rockford Region has recently joined the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. The Rockford Chamber of Commerce has been a leader in our community for over 100 years. Over that time, they have helped thousands of businesses grow and expand. They constantly advocate for investment in our community's quality of life. We are very excited to be a member. We are also thrilled to be joining them in our first event at the Confluence Honors. Thursday, December 07, :30 PM - 7:30 PM CST Rockford Art Museum 711 N Main St Riverfront Museum Park Rockford, IL $45.00 per person Confluence Honors: Celebrating Partnerships Please join us as we recognize companies, organizations and individuals who collaborate in impactful partnerships in our business community. Click here to register: Register Community Resource RAMP has put together a calendar of community events. This a great place to find out what is happening in our community. Click here to see the calendar: Calendar

5 Reducing Holiday Stress for Families of Children with Autism With the holidays rapidly approaching, families start to prepare for the onslaught of copious amounts of food, time spent with family, family visitors, shopping, decorating, school vacations, and all the expected hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Not only do the holidays emphasize good times, Yule tide, and cheer the season also brings along elevated levels of stress for families, this can be especially true for families of children with autism. Schedule changes, unexpected transitions, unstructured time, and even a break in services can lead to children experiencing increased stress and can lead to their parents and families feeling increased amounts of stress. Here are some tips to help reduce the holiday stress for your child and hopefully yourself as well: Planning and Preparation Help your child prepare for the holiday session. Make family trips, school end/start dates, and other important events on a calendar that the child can see. Help count down or review upcoming events so your child will be prepared. Limit Surprises Limit unexpected events or visitors, remind your child of what to expect, what behavior is expected, and what will be occurring during the day. Reinforce Behavior Establish what the child can earn daily or throughout the day for engaging in appropriate behavior. Explain what is expected and what the child will earn to increase positive behaviors. Small Changes If you are anticipating decorating the house, do it in small steps instead of changing the environment all on one day. Perhaps hang lights one day, decorate interior the next, then the tree, and then final trimmings. Keep a Consistent Schedule - Even if school or services pause over the holidays continue to have the child wake up around the same time, complete the daily dressing routine, follow the same eating schedule, and keep the night routine as consistent as possible. Practice, Practice, Practice Create opportunities for learning; social stories, role-play, model what is polite and appropriate behavior when receiving gifts, waiting for others to open gifts, or when visiting another adult s house. Relaxation Strategies Practice calming and relaxation strategies if you or your child is experiencing increased levels of stress or if they are over stimulated. Be Flexible Many times things won t go as planned or simple events like shopping take longer than expected, that is ok, remember to remain calm and go with the flow Enjoy Your Child Make time to enjoy your child by sharing a fun activity or just being with your child. Remember sometimes things are hard for them but with some forethought and planning you can help to reduce the stress that comes with the holiday session.

6 Research Opportunity

Bay Area Early Steps. Happy Holidays!

Bay Area Early Steps. Happy Holidays! Bay Area Early Steps V O L U M E 1 I S S U E 4 Serving Hillsborough and Polk Counties O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4 Happy Holidays! We hope everyone has enjoyed reading our first volume of the USF Bay Area Early