Reading to your child is the best predictor of successful school outcome.

Plan book time into your daily schedule.

The memories will last a lifetime.

What better time to teach social skills to children with ASD than at Christmas!

Santa would so approve. 

            I believe that all children with autism want to please their parents, teachers, friends, speech therapist, and yes, Santa. I believe they don’t always know how. In fact, I know they don’t know how to make the right social choices. Many people without ASD don’t make good social choices either.

          Christmas is a perfect time to make comparison lists of right vs. wrong, good compared to bad, and in Santa terms, between naughty and nice. Start making your lists of naughty and nice things to do for the holidays and compare them. Talk about them. Do the nice ones – together.

          Acts of “niceness” at Christmas

encourage good social choices year round.

Thank you Norman Rockwell

A very warm and thankful Thanksgiving from our house to yours.

Don’t forget to give thanks to whom it belongs.

Honoring all Veterans today. On this panel, 04E – Line 3 of The Wall in Washington D.C. is the name of LCPL – E3 Marine Corp – Larry Dean Borschel, from my hometown of Iowa Falls, IA, who gave his last full measure of devotion in South Vietnam on Dec. 9, 1965. The Vet. is John Roberts from PA who made the encased flag for friends whose names are etched next to Larry’s. The letter is from a class of sixth-grade students from Omaha, NE. I corresponded with them. My family was recently there. My Humpty Dumpty was there also and left the only American flag he has ever left on his travels. Today, 11-11-11 is a day of rememberance, rededication, and honor.

Dan Wheldon was killed right before our eyes last week, 10-16-11, at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS).

My husband, Tim, and I were in the grandstands on that day, at that time.  Tim is an avid race fan and never misses a main even at the LVMS.  We were in the Neon Garage (pits) that day to see the drivers, crews, cars, and awesome events that took place before the race began. 

U.S. Airforce planes zoomed overhead from Nellis AFB as 34 drivers started their engines. Nineteen cars circled five memorial laps to the tunes of Danny Boy and Amazing Grace in honor of Dan Wheldon only two short hours later. The race was not resumed.

The LVMS is offering a full refund on any tickets that were scanned for the race that day. Tim and I decided to take that refund and when we receive it, we will send it to a charity sponsored for the Wheldon children, Sebastian, 2, and Oliver, 8 months. There is also an online sports auction to take place for Dan’s wife Susie, and children.

Wish I could have been part of this awesome 45th class reunion.  I was here in Las Vegas thinking of all of the wonderful memories and my friends. I remember something special about each of your endearing faces. We certainly had it all in Iowa Falls. “This feeling will not end.”

Star Wars is an American epic space opera franchise conceived by George Lucas. The first film in the franchise was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon.

Yes, I copied this directly from Wikipedia, Star Wars.

Thank you, Wikipedia.

            I never told George Lucas this, nor did he ask, but it was because of Star Wars that I discovered my son, Doug, and many other people with ASD have inner ear and equilibrium issues when it comes to watching movies on a big screen.

            The date was probably May 26 or 27^th, 1977. The first Star Wars was in theatres everywhere and the media hype had been enormous. The merchant’s shelves were bare of the millions of Star Wars toys that had been snatched up by willing parents. I was one of them. My two children and I couldn’t wait to see this most publicized movie. It was an epic of good against evil, what more could a parent want? With Doug’s Wintergreen LifeSavers in one hand and carrying his favorite, rubber monkey, we entered and snuggled in for a two-hour pop cultural event. Or so, I thought.

          Twenty minutes into the long awaited event and two twirly-whirly Jedi maneuvers, Doug, abruptly stood up and announced to all of those around us that he felt like throwing-up. We rushed out. Not to worry, we saw the very first Star Wars on our own television – enhanced version, of course, some thirty-three years later.

• YODA, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menac 

“Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.”

            One of my Ten Laws of Success for Children with Autism is “Fear is Not an Option.”

Fear will suffocate success. That’s advice to the speech language pathologist, the parent and to anything one wants to achieve in life. Try novel strategies with children with ASD. Don’t be afraid. Don’t follow a program or a recipe. Many recipes fail, be it in the kitchen or in a therapy setting. Many parents I have met over the years are angry that their child has ASD and if they don’t see progress, that anger leads to hate and misunderstanding. Yes, hate can lead to suffering for everyone on the team.

Remember that Fear is Not an option. Dare to try new strategies, seek new people, and use common sense.

Star Wars gave so much advise for life

and for autism/ASD.

Feel it ~  Live it

“May the force be with you”

To Craig and Mary Sathoff

by Art Sathoff

Memorial Day 2011

He was a giant man but
Full of humor, soft of heart.
She was a quiet woman
Iron-willed, doing her part.

They were Christians and parents
Role models and workers, too.
They put down roots deep and strong
Lived lives both honest and true.

Family dinners on Sunday,
Playing cards with family friends,
Teaching us to chase our dreams,
Before the fading daylight ends.

Rummage sales, antiques, auctions
Backyard hoops, lawn darts, croquet
Simple things and common folk
Remembered on Memorial Day

Mother Mary and C.E.,
Not forgotten and not gone
Carried with me every day,
In my heart you come along.

Iowa Capital

Iowa Friends

FRIENDS: Never ask for food. 
IOWA FRIENDS: Always bring the food.
 
FRIENDS: Will say ‘hello’.
IOWA FRIENDS: Will give you a big hug and a kiss.
 
FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. and Mrs.
IOWA FRIENDS: Call your parents Mom and Dad
 
FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
IOWA FRIENDS: Cry with you.
 
FRIENDS: Will eat at your dinner table and leave.
IOWA FRIENDS: Will spend hours there, talking, laughing, and just being together.
 
FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
IOWA FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you
 
FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that’s what the crowd is doing.
IOWA FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds’ back-ends that left you.
 
FRIENDS: Would knock on your door.
IOWA FRIENDS: Walk right in and say, ‘I’m home!’
 
FRIENDS: will visit you in jail
IOWA FRIENDS: will spend the night in jail with you  
   
FRIENDS: will visit you in the hospital when you’re sick
           IOWA  FRIENDS: will cut your grass and clean your house then come spend the night with you in the hospital and cook for you when you come home
 
FRIENDS: have you on speed dial
IOWA FRIENDS: have your number memorized
   
FRIENDS: Are for awhile. 
IOWA FRIENDS: Are for life. 
   
FRIENDS: Might ignore this. 
IOWA FRIENDS: Will send this to all of your Iowa Friends.
     Which one are you?

• I cannot take authorship for this piece ~ but I love it.
• Copy, change the state and send it on to YOUR friends.
• We all need to show kindness and love to everyone.