Discussing Autism

Who ever thought that super soakers could be used for cleaning? Yeah, me either. AJ’s aunt just gave him a fabulous Squirt Fun Water Gun for his birthday. She actually gave him two so that we could play with him. He has more fun when one of us plays with the hose but the point is that he loves it. (more…)

If you love summer you are bound to love summer snacks, treats, and best of all, desserts. But when you are on a special diet finding those special summer treats can be somewhat daunting, especially if you are looking for something quick and fun or that special quick on the go snack.

Gluten Free/Casein Free Summer Treats don’t have to be boring. Take for example, this one I concocted last year when AJ was craving watermelon.

Here are some fabulous cool summer treat ideas that will make the non-gluten/casein free kiddos jealous!

Yogurt Parfait

Ingredients

* 8 ounces vanilla Soy yogurt, divided (or other flavors)
* 1 cup EnviroKidz Organic Koala Crisp Cereal,EnviroKidz Organic Koala Crisp CerealEnviroKidz Organic Koala Crisp CerealWatermelon Sorbet
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups watermelon chunks
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1. Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer it gently for 5 minutes. Pour the liquid into an 8-inch square glass baking pan.

2. Puree the watermelon chunks in a blender, then strain the puree into a large bowl. Measure out 2 cups of the watermelon juice and stir it into the sugar syrup along with the lemon juice.

3. Place the pan in the freezer for 1 hour. Then stir the mixture with a wooden spoon and allow it to freeze for another 45 minutes. Repeat this process once, and then allow the mixture to freeze through (another couple hours or so).

4. Thaw the ice slightly so that you can transfer it to a chilled blender. Pulse the machine just until the ice is slushy, periodically scraping down the sides. Spoon the sorbet into chilled bowls and serve at once. Makes 6 servings.

Fruit Kebabs
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 large red apple, cut into 8 wedges
6 marshmallows
1 small jar of creamy peanut butter
1 large banana, cut into 1-inch slices
1. To make a kebob, carefully push a skewer through the ingredients, starting with a piece of apple, then a marshmallow, then banana, then another marshmallow. Spread a dollop of peanut butter on top of the marshmallow. Now, skewer a piece of banana and another marshmallow (with more peanut butter) and finish with a piece of apple. Repeat with a second skewer. Makes 2 kebobs.

Since AJ came home he has been fascinated with balloons and beach balls, perhaps because one of the best items we took on our trip to Russia was a blow up beach ball (we played with it in the hotel room and the hallway for hours).

Now, it is easy to entertain AJ for hours with a bag of balloons from the local grocery store or with a beach ball or two. All I have to do it blow it up and set him free in the backyard. He works on eye-hand coordination, catching, gross motor skills like running, and even communication because he does talk to other people when he wants them to play with him. (more…)

Wow, what a sensory experience Play Dough is…but what if you could eat it? This may not be good for some kids (like AJ who is probably the local Pica eating champion) but others may know the difference between edible play dough and the non-edible kind. Or, it may be the saving grace for toddlers who just DON’T understand the difference but need the sensory exploration.
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I never knew how to make a paper airplane until last week. Sure, I made them back in 7th grade but I always followed detailed instructions from origami books. I was never able to make them from memory.

Now that AJ is infatuated with all things that fly, including kites, plastic bags, and paper airplanes. I am certainly not found of him playing with plastic bags but the good thing is that he requests us to tie strings on them so that he can fly them into the air; he does not (and has never) put one near his head. (more…)

Easter is just around the corner and activities are in abundance, even if it is STILL snowing outside in mid-March. Here are a variety of Holiday options whether or not you celebrate the Easter season (some are just fun spring ideas) and don’t forget to check out the Gluten Free Easter Candy options that I posted earlier in the week!

One of my favorite writers and designers, Randa Clay, has 13 Creative Ways to Dye and Decorate Easter Eggs. She also has Two Easter Coloring Pages, an Easter Word Search, and an Easter Egg Maze, all of which can be printed for table activities. (more…)

Yes, its been a long time since I posted a freebie. So sorry about that. We have been a little busy around our house. But, I have a fantastic freebie for you today.
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Colors, ABC’s, shapes? The basics, right? And every preschooler should know them.

But, its hard when they don’t know them because they have visual processing disorders and fine motor skill delay. We have started working on these things at home by printing out worksheets and doing them after breakfast and before dinner. It keeps him occupied and he loves it. Sure, he gets frustrated at times and I do have to sit with him to focus him but he is learning and he is engaged in an activity.
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I absolutely Love Family Fun printables and often have them handy for snowy and cold days (and Chicago is often way too cold during the winter for outdoor fun). Dinner time can be daunting times in the winter too because toddlers, and our sensory kids, tend to be on the look-out for anything and everything to get into. (more…)

Every kid loves pasta…even gluten free kids.

This fabulous gluten free (yes, even the glue if you use Elmers!) craft can be made with any child, even the most tactilely defensive or the ones who have trouble with fine motor skills.

Materials:
Rice Pasta in all shapes and sizes. You can also use spelt pasta but some kids have issues with spelt…so stick with rice.
Glue
String
Wax Paper (more…)

So you want to know how to make a sock monkey…and the best places to learn how to make gingerbread? OKAY, OKAY! I will tell you! And, I will throw in the GFCF candies for the gingerbread just for kicks, alright?

Happy now? Just teasing. I love sock monkeys and I LOVE the smell of fresh gingerbread. Just please DO NOT give it to AJ.

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One of our most treasured (and tortured) holiday traditions in our family is to make Christmas cookies. My mother has been doing this with us since we were so young that I can’t remember when it started but she still insists on doing it every year, no matter how busy we are.

Last year was the first year that AJ was really able to participate in the activity, as the first year he was only two and was running around and playing with toys. Last year he had a blast. He mostly just coated his GFCF cookies with his GFCF frosting and ate but he LOVED it.

This year he is not only on the GFCF diet but also on a soy limited and corn free diet…He is also on a sugar free diet because of his yeast issues. So this year we have decided to only do a few cookies and then make this fabulous Gingerbread Train that I found in my Family Fun Magazine. What I did was order GFCF Gingerbread Mix from Miss Roben’s (allergy grocer) and will prepare it ahead of time. The mix is also Stage One on the Feingold Diet.

The frosting I will be preparing will be GCFC but will certainly NOT be sugar free…but he won’t be eating it, just playing with it and decorating. The candy we can add are certainly GFCF and if he inadvertently pops one in his mouth it won’t hurt the diet, just the sugar issues.

To counteract the sugar? No Phenol enzyme supplement, Grapefruitseed extract, and Biocidin.

Word Press, Technorati, Friday Freebies, Gingerbread train, miss robens, Tags

Last week when I was making AJ’s pancakes I made him an A and a J. Wow, was he fascinated. He asked for more…and even wanted to spell out our last name, which is way too long to spell out in pancakes.

But, when I opened up my Family Fun Magazine yesterday I found pancakes telling me it was now going to be 2008! Can you believe that? 2008? Gosh, I am old…but that is not the point, is it?
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I admit that I have trouble motivating AJ. Its hard when he is having a bad day…when he is not listening, when he is on yeast “crack”, when he is spinning in circles, when he is throwing things at me and screaming no, when he is pulling the dog’s ears, when he is chasing the kitty, when he is trying to climb the fireplace to get to the car that I just put into time-out (because he threw it at me).
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Is it Thanksgiving already? What do you have in store for your kids? I don’t have anything yet for mine…except for the annual Turkey Trot wherein we go trotting to get the “Tigger Bounces” out.

That all started back in 1985ish when Mr. So in So invited what is now known as the “Turkey Trot Group” over to his house on Thanksgiving morning for the first annual Trot. At 8 in the morning 15 families filed into their home and checked in. Can you imagine 15 families, each with 2-3 children?
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