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Toilet training can feel like climbing Mount Everest, even with neurotypical kids. But when you’re guiding an autistic child through this incredible milestone, it often feels like you’ve got a whole new set of challenges to navigate. And you know what? That’s perfectly normal!
At its heart, AsTeRICS Grid is a multiplatform web communicator. Think of it as a customizable digital board that uses pictograms, images, and text to help individuals express themselves. The “Grid” part refers to its flexible layout system – you can create communication boards with cells containing words, phrases, or symbols that, when activated, speak out loud.
Okay, let’s dive into this! That feeling when you see a note from school in your…
Every time a child interacts with these materials – squeezing, rolling, pinching, pulling, poking, or flattening – they are giving their hand and finger muscles a fantastic workout. It’s resistance training and dexterity practice disguised as play! Strengthening these muscles and improving control lays a crucial foundation for countless other skills.
When your child experiences those huge reactions – the ones that might look like massive tantrums, complete shutdowns, or anything in between – it’s so easy to feel lost, frustrated, or even judged. But here’s something crucial I want you to hold onto: These intense moments are very rarely about defiance or being ‘bad.’ They are almost always involuntary responses. Think of it like a system overload, a distress signal saying, “I can’t cope right now!”
I’ve seen magic happen when we tap into the power of connection and purposeful play. One of the biggest “a-ha!” moments for many parents (and therapists!) is realizing how much communication blossoms when we create just the right opportunities for it.
This is where beads and buttons become your secret weapon. Seriously. Picking up those tiny objects, holding them just right, threading them onto a string or pushing them through a buttonhole – we’re talking about fundamental fine motor skills here. Dexterity, pincer grasp, hand-eye coordination.
For children with autism, developing strong literacy skills opens doors to communication, independence, and academic success….
Okay, let’s switch gears and talk therapist-to-therapist, or therapist-to-parent-who-feels-like-a-therapist-sometimes, about those moments where a skill feels…
