Welcome to “On the Horizon”

Issue 60: A Journey Through Infant Development: The Eleventh Month

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.

To keep receiving On the Horizon, please add the email address “nicolebeurkens@horizonsdrc.com” to your safe address list.

If this email was forwarded to you, and you’d like to receive On the Horizon in your email inbox, sign up here.

Fun and Adventure

A Note from Nicole: What’s Going on At Horizons

Idea of the Week:  Clear the Table in Style

Feature Article: A Journey Through Infant Development: The Eleventh Month

The Horizons Team Recommends: Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Edition; Summer CAMPS

Upcoming Events: CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar; Sibshop

Hi Everyone!

Does anyone else feel like it can’t possibly be the middle of May already? It is amazing to me how quickly 2009 is flying by! I was at my youngest son’s preschool this morning for his graduation from Young 5’s Kindergarten. He was very excited about it, and even cut out a paper bow tie to tape to his shirt before he left the house this morning. It looked quite stunning during the program and photos afterwards!

There’s so much going on around here that I’m just going to do some quick bullet point reminders for you:

• Are your kids signed up for our summer camps yet? The registration deadline is approaching and we still have some spaces available. If you have kids in the 10 and up age range make sure you check out the Collaborate and Create options – we’ve got a week-long session for them so out-of-town folks can join us! Click here for details.
• The Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Edition Workshop is filling up. Get the details for yourself or to pass along to educators you know by clicking here.
• If you don’t have a copy of our new book Learning as we Grow (or if you want to get another one to pass along to family, friends, and teachers) you can use the coupon code LAWG09 at checkout to get free shipping on the book for a limited time. Click here to order.

Enjoy Michelle’s article this week on her son’s 11th month developmental milestones, and I’ll see you next week!

Looking to the horizon,

Clear the Table in Style

A Journey Through Infant Development: The Eleventh Month

By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW

“I’m looking for fun and adventure! I’m looking for more!!!” As children develop on a neurotypical pathway, they begin to look for activities to be more elaborate and exciting. The same old games become boring – it’s time for adventures and more challenges. This becomes especially true as a baby transforms from an infant to a toddler. As parents, we naturally begin to add these challenges as our children begin to show readiness. My son continues to enjoy the exciting new things of life, but one monotonous thing he loves is his grandma!

• You love your grandma! We took a vacation to Florida, and had a ball! It became extremely evident to me that you know what you want! You were attached to grandma like glue. You’d be playing nicely on the living room floor, and if grandma entered the room you’d scream and go crawling over to her (screaming the entire way). Once you were in her arms, there was no putting you down! When we returned home from Florida, you didn’t see her for nearly 3 days (eternity to you). When you saw her again, you did the same screaming approach that you did earlier – but held on even tighter! When you were sitting in your chair eating, you actually had to have her right there by you. When she waved like she was going to leave, you reached out and grabbed her arm and pulled her to you – all while shrieking. Although I’m a little jealous, I’m happy to see that you are forming a special bond with her, and that relationships are important to you.
• There’s excitement in moving While crawling is still the preferred method of movement, you notice that this isn’t the way the rest of the family gets around. If there is a couch or table to hold on to, you are walking. It shouldn’t be long before you are walking on your own. I hope it’s sooner than later, simply because crawling outdoors is hard on the clothes!

Continued…

Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Edition Workshop

July 29-31, 2009

Grand Rapids, MI

Put together the soaring increase in students diagnosed with autism and related impairments, a group of dedicated educators seeking solutions to the challenges they face daily, a team of been-in-the-trenches experts, three days of amazing content and hands-on experience, and what do you get?

An amazing 3-day workshop that will transform how you understand and educate students with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Summer
CAMPS 2009

Your child is going to LOVE the exciting adventures we have planned for
this summer! Each week we will explore a different theme together,
complete with lots of opportunities for movement, music, problem
solving, working together, and indoor and outdoor fun. Our camps are
designed to offer a fun, safe, and therapeutic environment for children
with developmental disabilities to engage with peers, try new things,
and retain skills over the summer months. A low staff to child ratio
ensures that everyone is supported. Principles of the Relationship
Development Intervention (RDI)® Program are integrated throughout all
activities, which provides opportunities for campers to improve
communication, increase competence, enhance regulation, and build
relationships.

Please join us!

• CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar: Planning for Special Needs with Steve Johnson as our Guest Speaker (Horizons Families Only)
  Thursday, May 21, 2009, 11:00AM to 12:00PM EST
• Horizons
  Parent Chat: Objective Support with Michelle & Courtney
  (Horizons Families Only)
  Monday, June 1, 2009, 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM EST
• Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Edition
  July 29-31, 2009
• Sibshop – Horizons Sibling Network
  Open to everyone!
  Saturday, July 18, 2009, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM EST
• Summer CAMPS – Zooming into Summer
  Open to everyone!
  July 6-8
• Summer CAMPS – Hawaiian Luau
  Open to everyone!
  July 13-16
• Summer CAMPS – Lions, Tigers, & Bears–Oh My!
  Open to everyone!
  July 20-23
• Summer CAMPS – All About Me
  Open to everyone!
  July 27-30
• Summer CAMPS – It’s A Bug’s Life
  Open to everyone!
  August 3-6
• Summer CAMPS – Wild, Wild West
  Open to everyone!
  August 10-13
• Summer CAMPS – Under The Sea
  Open to everyone!
  August 17-20
• Summer Program – Collaborate and Create!
  Open to everyone!
  Session 1: July 7-July 23
• Summer Program – Collaborate and Create!
  Open to everyone!
  Session 2: July 27-July 30
• Summer Program – Collaborate and Create!
  Open to everyone!
  Session 3: August 4-August 20