Discussing Autism

Sometimes teachers don’t take into account special diets when it comes to classroom supplies. As a parent I am not complaining because I am also a teacher and know that I was not cognizant of those things.

Sure, I looked at all of the medical forms but then I filed them away and never looked at them again.

However, some of them can be very important.

What if your Gluten Free/Casein Free student eats Play Doh or finger paints and then licks their fingers? Yes…it does happen.

Here is a handy list to get you started.

From TACA Now

* Paints — six colors (Crayola, Palmer, or Lakeshore brand)
* Crayola
Washable Markers (large and small sizes)
* Crayola First Crayons or regular crayons (two pkg.)
* Crayola Model Magic in several colors (Do not use Playdough or Crayola Dough or any substitutes unless sent from home! Model Magic dries out after several uses–include baggies)
* Crayola brand chalk in white and colors
* Elmer’s or Ross Brand Liquid Glue (old fashioned paste contains wheat)
* Elmer’s or Ross Brand Glue Sticks (2)
* Scotch brand clear tape, 1 roll
* Craft supplies (small baggies filled these items):
Corn elbows, corn rotelli, rice, black-eyed peas, lentils, rice spaghetti, colored rice or lentil noodles–remember, your child cannot use regular pasta for crafts or in a sensory bin

From the GFCF Website:

* Palmer Paint Products, Inc. (Can be found in Walmart, Michaels, also S&S World Wide Arts catalogue)

Prism Brand Acrylic Glow in the Dark
Prism Regular Acrylics
Prism Model Paints
Prism Pearls
Palmer Nature’ Hues
Palmer Liquid Tempera (contains corn starch)
Palmer Washable Liquid Tempura
Palmer Face Paint
Palmer Glitter Paint

* Crayola
(Binney & Smith, Inc.) 1-800-272-9653 www.crayola.com/index.cfm

Palmer Dry Tempura (contains corn starch)
Washable Markers
Model Magic
Markers
Chalk
Silly Putty FREE Silly Putty with purchase of $15 worth of Total Tools products! Use promo code TOOLS07 at checkout.

Jumping Colors
Mess free Color Wonder
3 D Markers
Oil Pastels
Powder Paint
Water Soluble Oil Pastels
Note: NO Crayola dough it contains Gluten!

Elmer’s Washable Glue is also GFCF www.elmers.com 1-888-435-6377
School Supplies/Glue - Conros Corporation, Canada 1-800-387-5275 www.conros.com/RossAdhes-KangGlu.html
Ross White Glue
Ross Glue Sticks
Ross School Glue

Also, make sure to include your child’s favorite treats; Dum Dums, Tropical Source Lollipops, Farley’s Jelly Bird Eggs, Peeps, etc.

I also make sure I send products like these listed below;

* Unpowdered plastic gloves or Liquid Glove (if needed for other activities–soap play, cooking, etc.)
* Colored page reinforcers or pony beads (there are no GFCF Cheerios, so for crafts/activities that involve gluing cheerios, use colored page reinforcers, Gorilla Munch cereal, or plastic pony beads)
* Baggies of Gorilla Munch (Kix-like GFCF corn cereal)
* Colgate Shaving Cream (for OT activities); do not use Nickelodeon Floam, Goop, etc.
* Silly Putty
by Crayola is GFCF (for OT activities)
* Palmer face paints or Hello Kitty products can be used for makeup for dress-up activities/plays
* Ivory soap, Johnson and Johnson Baby Soap, shampoo, and lotion are GFCF; avoid other lotions used in physical therapy unless you know they are GFCF
* Toothettes and lemon-flavored cottonball sticks used by speech therapists are GFCF

If you need to provide medications for allergic reactions make sure those are gluten free/casein free as well. Here is the most recent list but always make sure to verify.

Word Press, Technorati, Gluten free, casein free, play doh, teachers, school, Tags