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April is Autism Awareness Month or "Autism Acceptance" month. I have decided to share a little more of this aspect of our lives during this month here on my blog and in my business because it is such a large part of why I became (and remain) a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. The post today is from the parent perspective. I am not a medical professional or therapist.
DISCLAIMER: When I talk about tips or hacks regarding my son just know that every circumstance is different. Always consult your medical team/ therapists and do what you feel is best for your child/ family/ diagnosis. I am speaking from personal experience and what has worked for us. Every situation is different so be sure to consult your team to discuss what is right for you and your child. Always supervise your children during any crafting activity. Follow product manufacturer safety guidelines as well.
Connor is autistic and has had early intervention and therapy services since he was 2 years old, which means we are 3 1/2 years into this journey of learning and understanding when it comes to everyday life skills, including (my favorite) Arts & Crafts.
Our little family has learned so much in this period of time. Here are some points that were taught to us or shared with us over the past few years that work well for Connor:
Give The Kid(s) A Designated Work Space (No clutter)
Frequent Breaks (and a way to communicate if they need a break)
Give Choices - Connor does best with a choice of 2
Keep a Squeeze Ball or Fidget Toy for Sensory Needs (can help with focus, calm)
Keep It Short - (if attention is a struggle for your child)
Keep It Simple
Incorporate Their Favorite Things (Preferred)
I could probably add 20 more points to this list but these are among my favorites. Also, do not worry about perfection or mess. Its about creating a positive environment and experience. Children on the spectrum can experience behaviors as a result of frustration or an inability to communicate the way they want to. It takes a lot of time and patience and practice to understand what works best for our kiddos and what they are communicating to us.
Connor uses a "break card" which is laminated and he hands it to us or points to it to indicate he needs a break. Some nonverbal children also have assistive communication devices, as long as they can let you know when it's time to pause that alone can prevent behavior and/ or a meltdown in my home. We tell Connor to "get the wiggles out" or get a drink during break time. He is a sensory seeker and very high energy so he typically jumps or runs or climbs something. He also likes short snack breaks. Let them recharge before returning to a task that requires focus/ attention. We average 3-5 minutes per focused task/ project for Connor.
Connor's preferred workspace is our Dining Table (also my favorite place to create) but he recently got his own craft desk and so far he's enjoying it. It's new and will take time to acclimate to.
Since Day 1 of therapy we've learned the importance and value of giving Connor choices of what he wants to do: playdough or markers, trains or trucks, water or juice... so on and so forth. Over time this has given him independence, confidence, understanding, cooperation... it's the same in the craft room. He may decide he doesn't want either choice and redirect me to what he does want as long as he's communicating we're all happy. It's been such a game changer for us. If you aren't already doing this I highly recommend it. If you have therapy services chances are you and your child already mastered this! If you're still working on it it's ok. Just keep going. Stay the course.
Pressure is a sensory need of Connor's, more specifically, squeezing, and since we have to be sure he's squeezing something appropriate (squeeze ball or playdough) and not inappropriate (my arm or the teacher), it's always recommended to keep those sensory items nearby.
Probably my favorite thing in the craft room for Connor are our punches because its very sensory. They have some weight to them. They are quick, easy and he gets that instant gratification result of a punched shape. (Circle, heart, butterfly) but the Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine is also great for him because he loves the cranking motion as well as the pressure of those plates feeding through the machine. It takes a little strength to keep that crank moving and he really enjoys that, plus the reveal of the die cut shapes.
In terms of keeping it simple, stamping, for example, can be a lot for Connor to choose the block, put the stamp on it, open the ink pad, dip it in the ink and then press the stamp to paper. It can be overwhelming to do so many steps that some of us think are so easy or take no time at all. Ways you can help are to have the stamps already mounted to the blocks and let the child choose the stamp he/ she wants (choice of 2 or whatever number works for your child). Give them a choice of two colors, (blue or red) and then help ink the stamp unless this is an independent step for your child. Stamp the image as many times as they like. You can even create a page of background stamping first (like all trains or all flowers) so they have an idea of what to stamp.
Two step stamps are nice for children who like puzzles or struggle with a plain piece of paper. If you have an "outline" stamp and a "fill" stamp for that same image, try stamping the outline and then your child stamping with the fill stamp. If that's too hard, stamp and die cut the fill images and then like a puzzle piece your child can match the image and place the die cut piece on the fill stamp image. Try different things until you find what they like. I'm referring to Stampin' Up! products I like using with Connor but if you have different types of craft tools in your space, use what you think they'll like or what they gravitate toward when they see you crafting.
I avoid anything sharp with Connor at this time. I avoid anything breakable and I do not use embellishments that look edible (like the sprinkles in the Ice Cream Corner Suite). I DO NOT use anything I think might cut him or that he'll swallow. I'm overly cautious. I was born that way and remain that way. Use your judgment and follow all safety protocols. If you know your child or grandchild has a tendency to put things in his/ her mouth that they shouldn't, no fake sprinkles. Use larger stamps, not tiny ones. If they have a tendency to break or throw, no cutting tools. Go for durable tools like a punch. Supervise at all times. Follow the steps above and hopefully there will be no throwing or tantrums. I will sometimes use the full size ink pads but mostly we work with the ink spots, these are smaller and more workable for kids. They are also easier to say goodbye to if they get beat up over time because we can affordably replace ink spots. We can also customize our ink spot to our kids' favorite colors (Connor's is Pacific Point but we just say "blue") and they are very easy for kids to open and close.
LAMINATOR
When the world shut down last year and virtual learning began I invested in a laminator to make flash cards for Connor. He's tough on paper (enjoys the sensory feeling of crunching of the paper in his hands or tearing) and laminating helps with durability. Confession: I'm now personally obsessed with my laminator! I use it on so many things for myself and when creating activities for Connor. This is a great tool if you are interested in creating activities for your kids or grandkids. They can use laminated items again and again.
VELCRO (lots)
Almost every activity I laminate includes velcro. Whether its an alphabet, shapes or numbers activity - a matching activity - the laminated pieces almost always have velcro so Connor can attach them to the coordinating activity sheet. Flash cards too.
I put together a free downable PDF of an activity I recently created for him using the Ice Cream Parlor Suite from the 2021 January to June Mini Catalog from Stampin' Up!
Get the free download here:
I created a "Counting to 10" and "Counting to 20" activity using the Ice Cream Corner Designer Series Paper. If a lot of pattern is too much for the child and you want something simpler for them to be able to focus, try the "ice cream builder" activity. This is just the different shades of cardstock with coordinated stamp ice cream scoops. This can be for counting and color matching. The best part is you can have your child "help" make the activity. They can stamp or punch out the scoops. (Make sure the parent or guardian laminates, not the child) and keep the laminator out of reach of children. Turn off the laminator as soon as the activity is laminated! Use the higher setting for our cardstock.
There is always more work involved when you laminate a project because you will have to cut out all of the pieces. Just be aware of that. This isn't something that's done in 5 minutes but the payoff is they can use this activity again and again and again.
With Connor I found activities that he absolutely loved and others he quickly lost interest in. Just do your best. Try different things. Use your judgment. Consult your child's (grandchild's) trusted providers and try some activities that are new and different and see what they enjoy, and what you enjoy making with them or for them. Another way is to sit in on a therapy session if everyone is agreeable and watch what they are working on with the kids. It's a great way to participate without being directly involved in the day to day therapies.
I am a cardmaker and a scrapbooker at heart. I just naturally gravitate toward making those things. I am not a teacher. I am not a therapist. Creating school/ therapy activities did not come naturally to me. There were soooo many activities sent to us or demonstrated virtually before I started to understand what I could create with products from my craft room, so if it is in your heart to create something - maybe its for your grandkids - and you want to try this, you can do it! Don't feel like you have to know what they like and what they don't. And don't be afraid to ask them or their parents if that's an activity they might like (counting ice cream scoops as an example). Kids are all in different developmental phases. I focus on colors and counting because Connor thrives with activities that involve counting and color sorting. He just naturally enjoys it but we sneak some of the educational part into the activity too.
As a special needs parent during a time with little or no childcare, and limited or no breaks because everything went virtual, finding a task that kept Connor independently happy and occupied for even 5 minutes gave me a significant break to have a snack or sit down or heat up a cup of coffee or tea. Taking the time to do something different is absolutely worth it if you are willing and able. I don't create these activities daily either. Maybe once a month we invest some time in a new project.
We've all adapted over the past year. We've all tried something that worked and something that didn't in our craft rooms, right?
It's the same for our kids. Whether they are neurodivergent or neurotypical they may be bored with their activities and crafts and learning tools. They may be at an age where you are the coolest person on earth or they side eye you if you even suggest crafting together, lol. But we do not know if they'll like a new activity unless we try.
If you download the printable and create these activity sheets or even have done something else that's worked I would LOVE to hear what it is! Please share your stories with me! And if you have questions you can reach out to me anytime.
Happy crafting!
