The Texas State University at San Marcos Clinic for Autism Research, Evaluation, and Support (CARES) will have a summer camp for children on the Autism Spectrum - there will be 4 sessions from July 9 - August 2. The price seems very reasonable ($100- a session), with a discount for more than 2 sessions. There are a limited number of scholarships available. For more information: http://www.hhp.txstate.edu/Autism-Camp.html
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
A newsletter I always appreciate:
The amount of information circulating in cyberspace about autism and related things can be plain old overwhelming, but I always appreciate the weekly newsletter from the US Autism and Asperger Association. It's short and sweet and almost always something interesting.
http://www.usautism.org/USAAA_Newsletter/usaaa_newsletter_2012/usaaa_newsletter_031412.htm
Monday, March 12, 2012
Austin - Autism Expo, April 6, 2012
The Autism Society of Greater Austin and Easter Seals are again joining to offer the
3rd Annual Autism Expo, April 6, 2012 6:00-8:00 pm, 1611 Headway Circle, Bldg. 2
Austin, Texas 78754
For more information:
http://support.autism-society.org/site/Clubs?club_id=1040&sid=16570&pg=event
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Spring Break ideas for special needs kiddos - part 3
Morgan's Wonderland
It's a bit of a drive from Austin, but totally worth it. This is a totally accessible theme park in San Antonio that can be enjoyed by special needs kiddos AND their families, sibs, or friends. My DD has been there twice, and enjoyed it, and she is easily overloaded with sensory stimuli. Great day trip for the whole family!!
http://www.morganswonderland.com/
http://www.facebook.com/MorgansWonderland
Friday, March 9, 2012
Spring Break ideas for special needs kiddos - part 2
Another place my DD (deeply autistic) enjoys is the Botanical Gardens in Zilker Park.
It's usually calm there, lots of twisting paths, pretty flowers, shady trees, tons of things to look at but not overwhelming, there are open spaces, closed-in spaces, ponds to stick fingers into, and a Japanese Tea house with amazing textures to explore.
http://www.zilkergarden.org/
Unfortunately not free anymore - admission is $2- for adults and $1- for children. The grounds are quite accessible - most areas are though, there are just a few paths that are too narrow for a chair or big stroller.
Have you been here? Did your family like it? Please leave a comment for others!!
Awesome lunch stop nearby: PTerry's.
http://www.pterrys.com/locations.html
They offer gluten free french fries!! Most fast food places also fry things coated in wheat flour in the fryers, but PTerry doesn't have anything like that on their menu and so their fries are the only items that get dunked in the fryer. Over the many years we've been going there my daughter has never had a negative reaction to those fries! They are also good about making a bun-less burger, or if you need it, just a patty. The location on So. Lamar and Barton Springs road only has outdoor seating, and helpful grackles to clean up after messy eaters. The eating area is not really chair accessible, unfortunately.
Have you been here - please leave a comment for others!
Spring Break ideas for special needs kiddos
Spring break can be a real challenge for special needs kiddos and parents - the normal routine is disrupted, the first couple of days home can be a nice break, but then boredom, anxiety, and behavior issues can set in.
It can be a real challenge to find activities that are suitable for the whole family - special needs and neurotypical alike - over the next few days I'll post some of my DD's favorite outings:
High on her list:
Texas Memorial Museum - on the UT Campus: http://www.utexas.edu/tmm/
It's fully accessible: http://www.utexas.edu/tmm/visit-tmm/accessibility.html
It's FREE! There are indoor and outdoor exhibits, and lawns to play on too. And it's a beautiful 1930's building. My DD likes the Great Hall - she wanders around touching the beautifully inlaid stone walls, examining the intricate mosaics in the floor, and absorbing the cool rocks and insects in the display cases. The lighting is subdued and it's usually quiet. Happy making for my autistic girl. And plenty of dinosaurs and other cool exhibits for "regular" kids. I learn something new too, every time I go there.
I'd suggest calling about parking - UT doesn't have much free parking, but over Spring Break they sometimes allow visitor parking on the streets that are normally reserved for faculty parking.
Hope your family enjoys this outing as much as mine does.
Have you been here? Did it work for your family? Please leave a comment!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Beyond Play catalogue
My new Beyond Play catalogue arrived this week, and I was thrilled to see something new that might be helpful for my daughter. This company specializes in products for early childhood and special needs, and usually offer a very good and helpful selection of products. It's a bit overwhelming sometimes - I see things and think "would that help?" "can she use this at school?" but most of the time I just get great ideas.
http://www.beyondplay.com/index.htm
Monday, February 27, 2012
blogging: 10 things not to say to a parent
With thanks to Nicky Clark!
Leadership Training for Autistic College Students
The Autism Campus Inclusion (ACI) Summer Institute is a week-long training for Autistic college students, meant to prepare them to engage in self-advocacy and pro-neurodiversity activism on their college campuses. The program is open for application right now -
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Great news for iPad users!
I know that a lot of our kids have found the iPad to be a wonderful communication tool - this new development may be yet another good thing for our kiddos who can't read a conventional textbook!
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/story/2012-02-01/apple-ipad-ibooks/52923518/1
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Medical Tax Deductions for Special Needs Families!
The Johnson Center here in Austin is offering a free Webinar on Medical Tax Deductions for Special Needs Families. Timely, since I'm sure we're all thinking about taxes and expenses about now!
Here's the link - if it doesn't work when you click it, please try to cut and paste to your browser.
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