#L4LL “Día” Blog Hop Guest Writer F. Isabel Campoy, "Friendship"

In honor of Día de los Niños, Día de los Libros - the Latinas for Latina Literature are hosting a blog hop and special giveaway. I am thrilled to host F. Isabel Campoy - sharing a lesson she learned from a autistic boy named Kio. And a beautiful poem. Enjoy. 

I have the great privilege of knowing a genius. He lives in a different continent and I cannot communicate with him in his first language, but Kio opens the window of his mind in so many ways that I have learned to understand, admire, love and value, his unique take at life through his actions.

It is a challenge for me to catch up with his level of knowledge and understanding of his fields of interest, but that is precisely what attracts me to his personality.

Kio lives in Europe and by his ninth birthday he could translate, from English, complex manuals about how things work. English by the way, is his second language.

Kio’s parents are young professionals with demanding social and economical responsibilities and Kio’s personality has been a difficult path to understand, first, and a unique opportunity for them to venture into less traditional paths for parenting and organizing family life.

Through them I became interested in knowing more about what doctor’s called his “disorder” and I have read articles, blogs, and first person narratives of professionals and parents who are part of the “Autism Spectrum Experience.” Kio belongs to the group of children who live with Aspergers.

When I was invited to write for this blog I felt I couldn’t share any intelligent opinion, first-hand experience or interesting reading advice for the growing community of families who live the Autism culture on a daily basis. At first I wanted to learn facts, figures, everything available about the field but then I realized that my approach could only be the one of a friend, teacher, children’s author, who walks along with all the parents in this path of unknowns.

There is one thing though that I can do, and that is to help raise the awareness of this community wherever I go and whenever I am speaking to teachers, parents, and children. It takes a village, yes. It takes each and every one of us to create the paths of inclusion, to share spaces and activities, no matter how new those experiences are for all, to learn to understand silence, solitude, separation, in order to create new ways of communication, care, and camaraderie.

I have reached an age in which I finally understand how precious life is. I took it for granted for sixty years and now I cannot stop admiring our human capacity to adapt and to invent, to wander and wonder and to marvel at each new turn of any living creature.

My pen is my only weapon to conquer the minds of my readers. I put it here to the disposal of the cause for insatiable hope. And let us carry a book in our hands on the way THERE. Any kind of book, as Kio has taught me.

Here is to the celebration of books and children:

Día de los niños. Día de los libros

F. Isabel Campoy

Warning.

Open with care.

Laughter, fear, wonder,

forests, lions, monsters,

all hide between the covers of a book

ready to jump out and grab you

and lead you

down an endless trail of  mystery.

Get ready

to fly, to seize the power

hidden in a well-told tale.

Get ready to sail to the Moon

and back. To open the curtains wide

to a thousand stories,

dive deeply into the lives

of the wild and free.

Get ready to follow the footprints

of great adventurers

to look inside the hearts of heroes

to triumph over a zillion dangers

and end up as the hero

of your own epic tale.

Beware.

Proceed with caution.

Rich rewards await for those who dare.

F. ISABEL CAMPOY is the author of numerous children’s books in the areas of poetry, theatre, stories, biographies, and art. As a researcher she has published extensively bringing to the curriculum an awareness of the richness of the Hispanic culture. She is an educator specialized in the area of literacy and home school interaction, topics on which she lectures nationally. Her extensive writing, of over 150 titles, has been recognized with the Laureate Award from San Francisco Public Library, the Reading the World Award, the Junior Library Guild Award, among others. She is a member of the American Academy of Poets as well as of several organizations for the advancement of multicultural awareness and world peace.

*** 

The Giveaway

L4LL has put together a wonderful collection of Latino children’s literature to be given to a school or public library. Many of the books were donated by the authors and illustrators participating in this blog hop. You can read a complete list of titles (as well as the blog hop SCHEDULE) here on the L4LL website.

To enter your school library or local library in the giveaway, simply leave a comment below.

The deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Monday, April 29th. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and announced on the L4LL website on April 30th, Día de los Niños, Día de los Libros, and will be contacted via email - so be sure to leave a valid email address in your comment! (If we have no way to contact you, we'll have to choose someone else!)

By entering this giveaway, you agree to the Official Sweepstakes Rules. No purchase required. Void where prohibited.

¡Buena suerte!

Why Probiotics May Be Beneficial For Children With Autism

A Through the Looking Glass Guest Post by Calvin Johnson

When it comes to the subject of autism and autistic children, one area that often gets overlooked is the connection between the gut and the brain. Many experts believe that when it comes to the subject of autism, the child's physical health should be examined and dealt with as much as their behavioral controls. According to a study done by the University of Western Ontario, diet has a huge impact for children with Autism and can even “alter their brain function.”

A study done by the American Journal of Gastroenterology showed that out of 60 children with autism, a staggering 93% (54 out of 58) of the children had ileocolonic lymphoid nodular hyperplasia (LNH). In addition, 88% of the children had a form of chronic colitis.

Diet May Play A Big Part

Like the above studies show, the stomach and the brain may be linked in a very important way, which means having a proper diet can make a huge impact with individuals with autism. Many believe that cutting out dairy products that contain casein and grain products that contain gluten can improve autism symptoms.

Bad Bacteria Vs. Good Bacteria

When there is not enough “good” bacteria in the gut flora, the “bad” bacteria can overwhelm it and can wreak havoc on the body. Many experts believe that for a body to function correctly and for digestion to work correctly, roughly 85% of the bacteria should be made up from good bacteria.

Where Does This Bad Bacteria Come From?

A popular belief of where this bad bacteria comes from will surprise many. A newborn baby's first exposure to “beneficial” bacteria is via their mother's birth canal. However, if the mother has taken antibiotics for an extended period of time or herself does not have a strong gut flora balance, the “bad” bacteria can be passed on to the child. One of the main purposes of taking antibiotics is to destroy the bad bacteria in your body that is causing your infection. However, it is impossible for the antibiotics to differentiate between the good and bad bacteria and in turn will wipe out both. The lack of beneficial bacteria can cause the gut flora imbalance.

How Probiotics May Help

Probiotics can be described as live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host. Probiotics are supplements that can be taken in either pill or powder form that replenish the good bacteria in the body. Some of the most popular strains of probiotics are bacteria are Acidophilus and Bifidus. When picking out a probiotic, it is important to make sure they are gluten and casein free as these ingredients can produce allergic reactions for children with autism.

For whatever reason, there still has not been a large number of studies done on the subject of probiotics and autism. However, there have been numerous testimonials done where parents have found that the use of probiotics have helped out tremendously with their children.

Probiotics For Minimizing Risk

According to the Autism Research Institute and the article What Can Be Done to Prevent Autism Now? “taking probiotics, and using specific diets and herbs for intestinal pathogens such as yeast and parasites can all be helpful in optimizing health; all of these greatly enhance the likelihood that her child will not be prone to GI problems.”

Probiotics and Autism Conclusion

There is not a huge amount of data when it comes to a link between taking probiotics and reducing the symptoms by autism. However, there is an overwhelming amount of testimonials of mothers and fathers who swear by them. If you are interested in learning more about the subject of probiotics or read testimonials from parents who have found probiotics helping their children Custom Probiotics is one of the largest resources of probiotics information.

~~~~~

Calvin Johnson is webmaster of  What Are Probiotics and is a probiotic enthusiast. Please feel free to contact him with any probiotic related questions or to share any experiences about the subject of probiotics.

Sources:

(1) http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2007/09/27/autism-study.html

(2) http://www.autismndi.com/news/display.asp?content=Resources&shownews=20040802121304

(3) http://www.autism.com/index.php/prevention

Through the Looking Glass: Bean's Story

Submitted & written by Brandy P.  Originally posted on May 14, 2011 at My Jumping Bean and reposted here with permission.
~~~~~~~~~~

January 19, 2010…this date probably doesn’t have a significant meaning to you unless it happens to be your birthday, anniversary, or some other milestone with cause for celebration.  For my family, that was the day our world got turned upside down.  That was the day our baby girl got diagnosed with the dreaded “A” word…autism.

We noticed at around 18 months old she wasn’t hitting some of the same developmental milestones other babies her age were hitting – not responding to her name, hardly any eye contact, only 1 or 2 “words” like mama, dada & not directed towards us.  I was in complete denial at first – no way, not my baby. 

 At her 2-year check-up we told her pediatrician about our concerns & she immediately told me to call Early Intervention, that it was probably just a speech delay.  I made the call the very next day & the process started.  Countless evaluations later, the services began & she was receiving occupational & developmental therapy twice a week.  (I should add that EI only goes up until they’re 3 yrs old).  A few months into EI, one of her therapists suggested that we take her to a neurodevelopmental pediatrician, which I dreaded taking her to, b/c I knew that was the doctor who could give the autism diagnosis.  I was pregnant with Logan at the time & close to my due date, so I made the appt. for Jan. 19th.  I can’t tell you enough how much I was DREADING this appointment.

January 19th came & I prepared myself as best I could to hear the “A” word, or so I thought.  We got into the office & the neurodevelopmental pediatrician had 5 or 6 toys layed out on the floor, & the entire time she observed how Bean played with the toys, or tried to play with her; she also asked me a ton of questions.  I was so nervous every time I saw her jot a note down on her clipboard that I felt nauseated.  Once she was done with her observation, she looked at me & told me, “from my observations, I would diagnose her with an autism spectrum disorder.”  All my so-called “preparedness” went out the window & I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes and a sharp pain in the back of my throat.  The doctor started laying pamplets down in front of me for autism support groups, and various other information with the infamous puzzle piece on them.  I was in shock.  Is this really happening to me?  To my baby??  We left the office & I could barely speak (which most people know doesn’t happen often).  As soon as I got to my car I broke down.I almost felt like I was mourning the loss of a child, when I had my beautiful, healthy, perfect baby girl right in the back seat totally happy & content.  It is the hardest feeling to try to explain to people.

As soon as I got home, I went right online & started researching anything and everything I could get my hands on regarding autism.  The first thing I looked up was to make sure that autistic people have normal lifespans, which everything I found assured me that it doesn’t have any affect on length of life.  Of course, that wasn’t enough for me and the next morning, I called the doctor just to double-check.  She laughed & again assured me that it has absolutely no affect on lifespan.  Ok, I’m good now.  WRONG.  I was a complete mess.  I would start talking about it to my husband, or my parents & break down in tears – I could barely get through a sentence without getting upset. And now we have her baby brother – is this something we’ll have to worry about with him?? My mind was racing all the time.

As time passed, and I researched more, I realized that I only wanted to hear the positive things. I didn’t want to hear anything negative.  I found so many websites of parents saying “my child has autism so he won’t do this, or can’t do that.  How do they know?  Do they have some secret time machine that they’ve somehow kept under wraps from the media??  Give these kids a chance!  I was furious after seeing that site.  After that, I realized that I only wanted to see the positive side of autism, the hopeful side.  Any time I start to feel down, I think of these poor families with children in St. Jude’s Hospital – how awful must that be?!  Thank goodness I have a healthy, happy child who doesn’t have a life-threatening illness. 

Once Bean aged-out of Early Intervention, we immediately put her in the Preschool Disabled program in our local school district.  Her birthday is May 1st, so she was able to start in the extended school year (ESY) & get all the therapies that she needed right away. 

Currently, she is in full-day preschool and making progress every day!  Her teachers & aides told me that it’s scary how smart she is, b/c she can figure things out that other kids can’t!!  She does 1/2 day in preschool disabled & the other 1/2 in the autistic preschool class.  She also gets speech therapy, physical therapy & occupational therapy a few times per week.  In addition, we take her to an outside speech therapist who coordinates with her school speech therapist.  I can’t tell you how much I recommend putting autistic kids in preschool as soon as possible.  See if your school district offers the ESY. Once you get them into the preschool program, they will develop an IEP (individualized education program) for them based on their needs & the goals that you have for them.  You are the best advocate for your child.

It took me about a year to really be comfortable telling people about Bean, not b/c I was ashamed, but b/c I was afraid that she would be treated differently. I didn’t want the label of autism to be the first thing people thought of when they heard her name.  She is so much more than that, autism is just a part of her, it doesn’t define who she is. Once I really learned about it & let everything marinade in my head, I realized how much I wanted people to understand what this is.  So many people have misconceptions about what autism is & that needs to change.  I became “Captain Autism” in a sense, promoting awareness anytime I could.  I recently joined a support group through an organization called FACES Autism Support Network, and am so excited to be a part of it. 

The bottom line is, Bean is still Bean, she just happens to have autism. Just like someone who wears glasses happens to have bad vision.  It doesn’t define who she is, and it makes her unique in so many ways.  We are more proud of her b/c we know how hard she has worked & how far she has come.  Don’t get me wrong, we certainly have our bad days, or days where it seems like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, but the good days totally outweigh the bad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Originally posted on May 14, 2011 at My Jumping Bean and reposted here with permission.

Through the Looking Glass: Rick Schostek - What Happens Next?

Our son Greg loves Sesame Street.  The show’s characters are practically a part of our family.  Greg has memorized countless skits and songs.  He knows more Spanish words than his parents do, thanks to Luis, Maria, Rosita and the other characters on the show.

Sesame Street’s lessons and lyrics are quite helpful for us.  A couple of times a month, in response to a spilled drink or wrong turn, Greg or I will cite Big Bird’s tuneful advice: “Everyone Makes Mistakes.”  Greg sometimes counts in the manner of Count von Count, adding “ah ah ah” when he’s finished. 

I’m sure there are many families who benefit from the teachings of the Children’s Television Workshop.  I’m equally sure that our family is somewhat unique in our connection to Sesame Street.

Greg is 23 years old.  He has autism.  In today’s terms, he’s “on the spectrum.”  He’s one of millions of people who live with ASD, the incidence rate of which has increased dramatically throughout Greg’s lifetime.  No one knows why.  Better awareness and diagnostic tools account for some of the increase.  That doesn’t explain everything though.  Something else is going on. 

Recently ASD has received a lot of media attention, attributed to the increased incidence rate and the mysteries of the disorder.  That’s all good.  It’s meant more awareness, earlier diagnoses and increased research funding.  The media attention is, however, 99 percent focused on children with autism.

Greg isn’t the first young man or woman with ASD to transition into adulthood.  With the increased incidence rate, he and others are at the leading edge of a wave of adults with ASD.  In the last decade, our school systems faced a huge challenge with this growing population. 

The years have gone by and Greg has progressed, often with 2 steps forward and one back.  Now he’s 24, holds a part time job, attends an adult day services program and is doing just fine.  His transition to adulthood and the working world was the motivation for me to write the book What Happens Next? Raising a Son with Autism: A Father’s Story.

As this wave of kids become adults, they’ll need a lot of attention from residential, vocational and other services.  Is our adult services infrastructure ready for this wave?  What happens next for Greg and these thousands of others?  People with ASD have a lot to offer.  They are some of the most interesting people walking this earth.  They have many talents that can be put to good use in our society.  Let’s get a realistic estimate of the resources required to support all children and adults with ASD.  We need a comprehensive approach to support people with ASD. 

What happens next?  I don’t know yet.  But I know that those of us without autism must open our minds to a whole different world to help make this transition possible.  I’ve always been uncomfortable with the notion that we’re fighting autism.  We may be fighting to find the cause and cure, but not the condition itself.  Autism isn’t a disease.  It’s organic.  It’s part of who Greg is.  We haven’t fought autism all these years.  We’ve adapted to it.  In turn, we’ve helped Greg adapt to the confusing world he lives in.  Now, maybe the world will also begin to adapt as our children grow up and transition into adulthood.

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You can learn more about Greg and our family’s journey through stories and experiences like these in the book What Happens Next?  Raising a Son with Autism: A Father’s Story and on www.whathappensnextbook.com

Through the Looking Glass: Tips from The Mommy Pyschologist

I’m not your average child psychologist. In fact, I’m surprised they’ve let me stay in the club this long. One of the primary differences between me and other professionals is that I don’t see myself as being more knowledgeable than the parents with whom I work. I don’t view myself as being an expert on autism or other pervasive developmental disabilities even though I have all of the fancy initials behind my name and advanced training in neurodevelopmental disabilities. When it comes to knowing how to raise a child with autism, parents are the real experts.

Parents of children with autism have to deal with experts all the time. The list of areas of specialization when it comes to children with special needs is endless. If you have a child with autism, you are going to spend a significant amount of time dealing with professionals. And let’s face it, sometimes professionals are really difficult to deal with. Is there any way to make these professional relationships easier?

I think there is. There’s only so much you can learn from a textbook. I had a crash course in this when I went from a student to a practicing clinician. Theory on paper and theory in practice were two entirely different entities.  However, when you learn how to put the two together in a delicate balancing act, amazing results can happen. The key is finding a way to marry theory with practice. This is the difficult task of any relationship between parent and professional.

As an insider into the professional side of things, I thought I would provide a few tips to assist in making these relationships a bit easier and a bit more effective.

Find the Middle

Let me explain what I mean by this. It’s been my experience that parents tend to be divided into two groups: Yay-sayers and Nay-sayers.

Yay-sayers are parents who tend to agree with everything that the professional says or recommends. Yay-sayers support the professional always even if they might disagree or have other ideas because they don’t trust themselves as being experts in their child’s care.

Nay-sayers are on the other side of the spectrum. These are parents who tend to disagree with everything that that professional says or recommends. Yay-sayers do not support the professional’s ideas because they don’t trust the professionals as being experts in their child’s care.

Neither of these extremes is surprising given how difficult it can be to work together and previous bad experiences. In the instance of the Yay-sayers, they’ve been tricked into thinking that they don’t know what’s best for their child and someone else does. In the instance of the Nay-sayers, they’ve been failed by professionals who were supposed to have their child’s best interests in mind.

I encourage parents to find the middle ground. To acknowledge whatever side of the spectrum they fall on and to take small steps towards the middle. To find a way to balance their own ideas and expertise in working with their children with the professionals ideas and expertise in working with their child.

For the Yay-sayers, the trick is to find their voice and to begin to trust their instincts when it comes to their child. Don’t be afraid to disagree. For the Nay-sayers, the trick is to try to identify areas where the professional may be helpful and to focus on those areas. Don’t be afraid to give their suggestions a try.

Form a Therapeutic Alliance

One of the very first things I tell parents is: “You know your child better than I do.”

I don’t just say this because it sounds good. I say it because I mean it. Unfortunately, not all professionals feel this way and I’m sure many of you have experienced this. However, it doesn’t mean you can’t still form a therapeutic alliance. It just means you have to work much harder at it. The good news is that I have seen such powerful work take place when the parents and professionals are able to work together as a team.

You used to be able to have a choice in selecting who you worked with. Unfortunately, restrictions imposed by insurance companies and other financial limitations make it really difficult to shop around for a compatible professional to work with. It used to be much easier to be able to go therapist shopping. If you’re stuck without any other options, try to work with what you have. Find the strengths in what the professional has to offer no matter how small they might be.

 Always Check Credentials

This may seem like a no-brainer to some, but you would be surprised at how many professionals misrepresent themselves. It’s important to be aware that just because a professional is trained in child psychology does not necessarily mean that they’ve been trained to work with children with autism.

I’m sure you do, but just in case you don’t, be sure to ask for license or registration numbers for anyone working with your children. You want to make sure that there is a medical board of some sort that is governing their behavior.

I hope these help. And if a professional has never told you, I’m telling you now- you are the expert when it comes to taking care of your child.

~~~~~

The Mommy Psychologist is a child psychologist who thought she had all the answers to parenting until she became one herself. She’s a psychologist, freelance writer, and mother of a spirited three year old boy, Gus. If she’s not running around after Gus, you can find her running through the streets of Los Angeles prepping for her next marathon.

 

3 Things I'd Like You to Know About Autism

Autism Awareness Month is kind of like an oxymoron for me and others within the community.  I write this blog in an effort to spread awareness but some days I feel like I'm preaching to the choir.  Because the majority of people who read my blog have an understanding of our day to day lives.  We're aware every single day - not just one month out of the year.

So this month of awareness is for the folks not in the know.  The ones who have never heard of ABA, FAPE, ASD, PDD or any other special needs acronym.

The thing about awareness - it's a two way street.  It's not enough for me to write about it - you have to meet me half way and be willing to learn. 

Today I'm thrilled to be guest posting on Acting Balanced.  It's kind of like a crash course in what I'd like the "typical" parent to know about autism.  

1. What's Autism?
2. How do I explain Autism to my "typical" children?
3. My friend's kid has been diagnosed with autism.  What do I say? What do I do?

Want to know my answers to these 3 questions?  Click HERE 

Great Expectations

A few weeks ago, the editors at www.SpecialNeeds.com asked me to write a guest post.  And when anyone asks me to write anything, it's a pretty big deal for me.  And this guest post was inspired by my fabulous FB AutismWonderland community.  


For those that know me IRL know that we've been going through some stuff.  It hasn't been easy.  I'd like it to be over.  I'd like some peace of mind.


Being a Special Needs Parent means you rely on a lot of people - strangers, really - to help you with your kid.   For the most part, you have strangers helping you make decisions about your child.  Because our children - special needs children - are not entitled to the best.  They are only entitled to the "appropriate."  


But "appropriate" means different things to different people.  And the Special Education in New York City is run like a business.  


And our children are viewed as expenses.  


And many of the teachers and special educators are required to pick a side.  


And like in any other business, in order to get ahead, you need to side with The Boss.  


And siding with The Boss, means you have to forget about the children and families who rely on you.  


The thing is - Special Needs Parents don't expect you to take sides.  We expect you to do the right thing.  If you're a Special Needs Professional you may think my guest post - Great Expectations - is too much to ask for.  But for us,  for Special Needs Parents, it's pretty basic.