Videojug - Get good at life!

Playground Games:
How To Play Duck Duck Goose
Hi Everyone,
I have spent the morning looking at loads of instructional videos for children on the Videojug website. The site is terrific for visual learners as it demonstrates a task or game in an easy to follow, step by step manner, using simple and clear language. I am particularly taken with the playground games section. This will be a wonderful tool for me to use, to pre-teach commonly played games to students on the autism spectrum, before they hit the playground.
It is a brilliant reource to use when teaching the procedure text type across learning domains in both special education and inclusive settings !
Take a look for yourself.

Let's Cook - Life Skills for Kids on the Autism Spectrum

Let's Cook - Life Skills for Kids on the Autism Spectrum, uses multimedia (videos, slides, images and text) to demonstrate how parents and teachers can help kids with autism build functional skills through enjoyable, everyday activities such as cooking. Here, Wyatt learns to make waffles. This activity incorporates skills such as measuring, counting, shapes, simple addition and subtraction. Visit the site, by clicking on the hyperlink, to see related slides, downloadable companion materials and other recipes.

Personal Space

Pelican Talk - Speech Pathology Site

Hi Everyone,
I have been busily downloading the free autism articles and visuals that are available at the Pelican Talk website.

I have made a communication themed PowerPoint, for Middle Years students, using the turn taking and eye contact visuals that you will find as free downloads in the Autism tab . It really didn't require much effort on my part as the comic strip style visuals speak for themselves!

There are loads of other free, speech and language resources available on the site, hidden behind the other tabs.

This is a terrific site to explore if you are part of a multidisciplinary team, supporting a student with Helping Children with Autism Funding.

Check out the site for yourself by clicking on the pictures above.

Helping Children with Autism from Lia at Autism Victoria on Vimeo.

Aven's Corner - Games for Children with Autism

Hi Everyone,

I have just spent a good hour and a half exploring the Aven's Corner website.

The site was created by the parent of a child with an autism spectrum disorder. In his own words:

'All of the free kids games at Aven’s Corner are developed with young children with autism in mind, but they appeal to all children because of their simplicity. We have also included fun online kids activities for parents and teachers to do with their children. We hope that our site is beneficial to your child and you have a great time at Aven's Corner!'

I love this simple tooth brushing game .
Oh, I wish I was on class this week.
I will just have to find some children to play with !
Click on the picture or the hyperlinks to explore for yourself.

The Hidden Curriculum

Hi again,

My last post got me thinking about the book ' The Hidden Curriculum - Practical Solutions for Understanding Unstated Rules in Social Situations'. This is one of my favourite books to show teachers when I visit schools because it demonstrates so beautifully how explicit we need to be in teaching social skills to students on the autism spectrum. If you decide to visit the Book Depository website, buy this book too !

Just for the record, the Book Depository do not pay me or give me free books to advertise their website . I was recently introduced to a teacher in a new school. His response was ' I know who you are ! You are that teacher who writes her every waking thought on the internet !'

We both laughed.

My theory is that if you are on to good thing you should share it !

:-)

Asperger's and Girls

Hi Everyone,

It was a 'curl up with a good book day' today. I have spent my Saturday reading 'Asperger's and Girls' which features the writings and understandings of 7 well known autism authors including Tony Attwood and Temple Grandin.

As an autism teaching and learning coach, I spend most of my time working with boys. It was great to read a book that was exclusively dedicated to understanding and catering for the needs of girls with Asperger's Syndrome. For me, the take away message was that it is important to teach our girls the hidden curriculum involved in relationships. I wonder what knew knowledge you will take away from the text?

I read a borrowed copy ( thanks Bambi) but you can get yours at a very reasonable price from the Book Depository website. I order most of my books from there. This UK company delivers very well priced books all over the world and as an Australian, I have never had to wait longer than 10 days before my books have arrived . Better still there is no delivery charge!

Click on the cover of the book to read a full description of the text and order yours for $21.40 from the Book Depository website.

SERU - Special Education Expo Adelaide - South Australia

Hi Everyone,
The South Australian Special Education Expo is on again !
Saturday 3 July 2010 and Monday 5 to Wednesday 7 July 2010 at the Education Development Centre - Hindmarsh. Click on the picture above to download forms in PDF format.
Program Summary
Workshop Descriptors
Registration Forms.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page to view some amazing flash recordings of workshops from previous years. Make sure you have plenty of time to look at these resources because you will find it difficult to tear yourself away.

Just for Julie in Townsville - My favourite Video Links

Hi Everyone,
I have been a bit neglectful of my blog of late because I have been developing a set of regional Nings, to support professionals working with students on the autism spectrum, in the Hume Region in Victoria.
I have had a special request, from Julie Wallace, to duplicate my video links to my blog so that parents and paraprofessionals can access them too.
So, check out the ever increasing list of video links that will appear in the right margin of the blog below my autism links section.
Thanks for getting in touch Julie :-)