Dec
17
When I was in high school I can remember seeing “special” kids in our assemblies with big brown headphones on that looked as if they came from the reading room. I didn’t understand what they were for until I had my own little sensory cutie. Headphones can be a huge help in reducing noise and …
Mar
04
For years, while raising my Autistic daughter Sophia, the occupational therapists would harp on me to interrupt her any time she resorted to lining things up or got too obsessive about stacking and sorting. There is one part of me that agrees I need to stretch her to move outside of her instincts and learn …
Feb
06
This is another example of how I found things around my own home to practice the skills my Autistic daughter needed and incorporated them into her daily routine. This was my way of a home-based early intervention for Autism. One of the many tasks at hand was to work on strengthening the muscles in her …
Jan
29
Having put all three of my children through Montessori pre-school, I became very familiar with a work called the One Hundred Board. It is a very simple wood board with 100 tiles that are numbered. Using your cotton rug, lay the board on the rug and place the tiles with numbers facing up on the …
Jan
29
Learning to count money can be a very frustrating concept. I created a Montessori work for Sophia to do at the table. First, lay out the cotton rug. Then, find a plastic tray that has compartments for four coins. Using cardboard, make a sign for the value of each coin. Then get a dish with …
Jan
29
Most of my early years with Sophia I spent avoiding public places because my goal was to avoid too much sensory input. Over time I learned that I needed to do just the opposite. I needed to help her engage in these senses. The key was to take enough time to do it. If I …
Jun
01
This is a creative way to teach counting skills and build a new activity into your daily routine. It is called “The Counting Basket” and you can make it from everyday items found in your house. You will need a medium size basket dedicated to holding items for counting. You can change the items on …
May
15
There are many systems available that you can purchase for a visual schedule and they all have nice features. I found a way to make my own which allowed me to change it depending on what I was trying to accomplish. The basic supplies you need are: – Business Card Size Self Adhesive Magnets (You …
May
08
Prepositions are a very difficult concept for Autistic children with processing issues to learn. I found this exercise to be the most helpful. It is a Montessori language curriculum for prepositions. http://www.montessoriservices.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=100_184_3960 Share on Facebook
