Welcome to “On the Horizon”

Issue 97: Beating the Winter Time Blues

On
the Horizon is an award winning
weekly ezine for parents of children with developmental disabilities
who want simple, effective strategies to reduce stress, support their
child’s development, and improve quality of life for the whole family.

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How to Brighten the Season

A Note from Nicole: More to Come

Idea of the Week:  Have a Winter Picnic

Feature Article: Beating the Winter Time Blues 

The Horizons Team Recommends: Do Something Daily Calendar; Workshops

Upcoming Events: 
RDI® Parent Teleseminar; Parent/Family Presentation

Hi Everyone,

I am so thrilled with the positive response we have gotten to the teleseminars we held recently for parents and professionals.  Thank you to everyone who has emailed to let us know how much you benefited from them.  We are already planning additional teleseminars that we will make available to you all in the months ahead.  Some of you have taken the next step and signed up for an upcoming one-day workshop (either live or via recording) with us where we will explore the teleseminar topics in more detail.  Both the parent (family) and professional seminars are shaping up to be wonderful and diverse groups.  If you’ve been thinking of registering but haven’t yet done so, I am encouraging you to do it now.  We are holding these March events at a new venue and will have to limit the numbers who can attend live.  For the first time we are making the workshop audio recordings available as well for those of you who can’t attend in person.  Head on over to our workshop site for all the details www.HorizonsDRCWorkshops.com!

This week Michelle continues our series of articles designed to help you survive the long winter months.  She shares some helpful tips for staying healthy and sane when we’re cooped up and cold.  Remember that taking care of yourself is one of the most important things you can do for your children!

Make it a great week!

Looking to the horizon,

Have A Winter Picnic!

Make some foods that you normally eat in the summertime (think lemonade, hot dogs, ice cream cones, etc.) and enjoy them in the middle of winter.  Set the table with paper plates and anything else that says “summer” to your family.  You can even set out a picnic blanket on the floor and eat a meal or snack on it.  This could be a great time for sharing memories of the summer – reminiscing about things you have done in past summers, and anticipating what you might do this coming summer.  Have fun!

Beating the Winter Time Blues

By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW

There is just something about these long winter days in Michigan that make functioning at our best very difficult. The sun is often hidden behind the clouds, and it’s hard to get outside when the wind is blowing and the temperatures are frigid. They joys of long walks and fresh air is hard to come by. Below are a few helpful tools for beating the wintertime blues – and feeling good while doing it.

1. Take your multivitamins. Include a little extra vitamin C and D while you’re at it! Fresh fruits and sunshine can be hard to come by in the winter, but our bodies need those essential vitamins to function properly. Vitamin C will help build the immune system to fight all the miserable viruses that seem to love winter. It also helps keep our energy levels up. Vitamin D is what we get through our daily dose of sunshine; but when the sun isn’t shining, our bodies are lacking! There is a lot of research discussing the importance of vitamin D in preventing things like multiple sclerosis; but it’s also good for boosting the mood and building a healthy immune system.
2. Indulge in a warm bath. Baths are a great way to unwind and relax, but there has also been evidence that warm baths help to remove toxins from our body. Sit back, relax, and work out those toxins! Another benefit to a bath is that muscles relax. This is a great time to stretch out or massage some tight muscles.

Continued…

HorizonsDRCWorkshops.com

You Have Questions.
We Have Answers.

Join us for learning experiences designed to provide you with the information, tools, and motivation you need to make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Horizons Workshop Opportunities

• Evaluating for Autism: The Nuts and Bolts of Quality School-Based Autism Spectrum Disorder Evaluations

• Autism in the Classroom: Simple & Effective Strategies to Learn Today and Use Tomorrow

• Day of Change: A Groundbreaking Workshop for Parents of Children with Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders

• Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Edition

For more information, click here

Do Something
Daily Calendar

Do you dread hearing your child complain, “I’m bored”?
Struggle to
think of something fun you can do together?
Have trouble squeezing one-on-one time with her into your
day?

That’s why we
created the Do Something Daily Calendar.
The Calendar offers a daily dose of inspiration and ideas
for spending time together–whether you have 60 seconds or 60
minutes.

In addition, $1.00 from every calendar sold goes toward research to improve the quality of life for those with autism, through a donation to the Foundation for Autism Research and Remediation.

For more
information, click here.

Please join us!

• RDI® Parent Teleseminar: Topic: Home Schooling
  Two home schooling Moms share their experiences
  (Horizons Families Only)
  Thursday, February 18, 2010 from 11:00-12:00 PM EST
• Free Presentation hosted by Wycoff Wellness Center:
  Topic: Simplify Your Parenting: What Most Experts Don’t Know About How to Make Parenting Children With Autism Easier 
  Thursday, February 25, 2010 from 7-8:30PM EST
• RDI® Parent Teleseminar: Q&A with Michelle and Courtney
  Topic: School
  (Horizons Families Only)
  Monday, March 1, 2009 from 1:30-2:30 PM EST
• Workshop – Evaluating for Autism:
  The Nuts and Bolts of Quality School-Based Autism Spectrum Disorder Evaluations 
  
• Workshop – Autism in the Classroom:
  Simple & Effective Strategies to Learn Today and Use Tomorrow 
  Friday, March 12, 2009
• Workshop – Day of Change:
  A Groundbreaking Workshop for Parents of Children with Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  Saturday, March 13, 2009
• Extreme Makeover:
  Autism Education Edition
  August 4-6, 2010