Editor’s Letter
Dear Readers,
T
here are days I feel caught between wanting to
catch up on world news and needing to turn off
the noise entirely. The news clips that highlight
natural disasters, violence and heartbreak are often too much to absorb.
Coping with traumatic events can be a challenge for people
of all ages, especially children. And for young people with
autism, the struggle can be intensified.
So how can we help children with autism handle traumatic events they may hear about, such as impending storms,
school shootings and terrorism? How can parents provide
the comfort and reassurance their child needs?
These are important questions — that’s why we connected
with Karen Kabaki-Sisto, M.S. CCC-SLP, who has shared her
expertise on ways you can guide your child. In her piece,
Valuable Ways to Help Your Child with Autism Cope with Traumatic Events, Kabaki-Sisto provides several communication
strategies which can help you develop a stronger relationship between you and your child, and, in turn, make your
child feel more comfortable in a changing world.
Providing strategies for dealing with daily life is one of our
major goals here at Autism Parenting Magazine. From our selection of articles on autism solutions and education to the
latest news and personal narratives, there is something for
every family.
If you are in search of guidance on helping your child with autism get to sleep, for example, take a look at Kim V. Faiman’s
article called Sure Fire Ways to Help Your ASD Child Go To Bed. A
single mother of twin 18-year-old boys, one with autism and
one typical, Faiman has plenty of valuable advice to share.
Are you interested in new concepts surrounding autism and
speech? We have an interesting article by speech therapist
Keri Vandongen this month which explains the unique way
she helped a young boy with autism who would shut down
completely when surrounded by other children. In her piece,
Excellent New Ways to Help Your ASD Child Talk at School, Vandongen describes how she instilled the help of parents,
teachers as well as students to remarkably change one little
boy’s world. It’s really inspirational.
Another issue many of our families deal with is weight management as it can be a difficult for some children on the spectrum to maintain a healthy size. As we learn from by Karen
Thomas, CMT, CST-D , when the scale doesn’t match regular
healthy eating and exercise, there could be underlying medical issues. Be sure to read How to Help Kids with Autism Lose
Weight the Healthy Way as Thomas reviews common health
issues that can lead to weight gain as well as ways to help
your child make good food choices.
While it’s vital for parents to spend time finding innovative
ways to guide their children with autism, it’s equally important for parents to find the time to take care of themselves.
Between work, therapies, doctor appointments, educational
plans and family life, it can be a challenge to remember to celebrate being a couple. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we asked a mother to three children, one with autism, to
share with us how she celebrates love every day. Take a look
at ASD Parents: Simple Ways to Celebrate A Lifetime of Love as
Michelle Myers describes some simple and inexpensive date
night ideas. As Myers explains, love can be shown in so many
different ways without succumbing to commercialism.
Be sure to also take a look at our collection of personal narratives in this issue as they exemplify loving relationships.
In Steven Josias’ piece called A Special Life Bond: The Joy of
Tickling, for example, this doting grandfather of a young boy
with autism describes their devoted friendship.And in Public
Places - The Need to Stay Strong and Courageous, Emily Davidson tenderly explains how tough it can be to take her young
daughter with multiple diagnoses out in public while also offering readers much-needed strength.
Wishing our readers good health, good friends and enough
love to last a lifetime. Celebrate every day.
Kind regards,
Amy KD Tobik
Editor-in-Chief
Disclaimer:
Autism Parenting Magazine tries its best to deliver honest, unbiased reviews, resources, and advice but please note that due to the variety of
capabilities of people on the spectrum that these are recommendations and are not guaranteed by Autism Parenting Magazine or its writers.
Medical information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained within Autism Parenting Magazine is
for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician with any questions you may have regarding a treatment.