Welcome to “On the Horizon”

Issue 109: I Want, Therefore I Shall Have?

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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Great Information

A Note from Nicole: Changes in kids

Idea of the Week:  Patriotic Wind Sock

Feature Article: I Want, Therefore I Shall Have?

The Horizons Team Recommends: 2010 Summer Camps and the Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Workshop

NEW! Allergen-Free Recipe of the Week: Tex-Mex potato Fries

NEW! Allergen-Free Product of the Month: Gluten Free Dreams Pancake Mix

Upcoming Events: Summer CAMPS; Workshops/Conferences

Hi Everyone,

Wow has the weather here in Michigan turned hot all of a sudden! We’ve gone from rainy and cool last week to sunny and high 80’s this week. The kids are enjoying time outside on their bikes and at the playground. I really notice how much they have grown in both size and abilities when I see them on the playground equipment after a long winter. Suddenly they are able to reach things and do things that they weren’t able to at the end of last summer. My baby girl is now riding a bike with training wheels and she looks so big! What changes have you noticed in your kids recently?

I’m not sure if I mentioned this in a previous edition or not, but Erin and I are going to be at the AutismOne convention in Chicago this Friday – Sunday. We will have a booth at the exhibit hall and will be attending many of the sessions. If you’re planning to be there please stop by and say hello to us! It’s going to be an awesome conference, and they are offering many sessions and activities free to parents and professionals.

We’re getting down to last call on our summer camps options. If you’ve been waiting to register, please do it now before all the weeks are full. The registration deadline is June 4th. We’re excited to welcome many new families from various parts of the US and abroad this summer. It’s going to be a great time!

Enjoy your week!

Looking
to the horizon,

Patriotic Wind Sock

What you need:

 •    1 Cylinder cardboard container (instant oatmeal container)
•    Blue and White construction paper
•    Red and White crepe paper
•    Scissors
•    Glue
•    String
•    Hole punch
•    Stapler

What to do:

1. Cut the bottom of the cylinder cardboard container out.
2. Cover the outside of the cylinder with blue construction paper using glue to attach it.
3. Glue on stars made out of white construction paper.
4. Cut 3-4 strands of both red and white crepe paper. Attach one strand at a time to one end of the cylinder with a stapler.
5. Punch four holes at the top of the cylinder.
6. Cut two pieces of string, about a foot long each. Tie the strings to the wind sock (tie the opposite ends of a string to hole on opposite sides of the cylinder).
7. Tie a longer piece of string to the smaller pieces – you’ll hang the wind sock from this piece of string.
8. Hang your wind sock.

I Want, Therefore I Shall Have?

By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW

“I wish you guys would move to the end of the driveway, so I didn’t have to walk so far.” These were the words of a young girl trick or treating at our house this year. It seems that every generation gets just a little worse with this sense of entitlement. What causes this? Maybe because resources were scarce in previous generations, people now have a tendency to spoil their children and themselves because the resources are available – but perhaps not affordable? Credit cards are evidently part of the equation. Whatever the reason, entitlement has become the new trend. What happened to the work ethic, and doing everything you can to support yourself, your family, and your community? It certainly doesn’t help that our media encourages this entitlement behavior.

Well, just because this tends to be the trend, it doesn’t have to be this way for your family. Here are three things you can do to ensure that your child(ren) will not grow up thinking they are entitled to have everything they want:

1. Instill a good work ethic
   Children are part of families, and should be expected to be a part of the solution to the entire household needs. The opposite tends to be a trend these days. “Kids will only be kids once, let them be kids.” “Child labor is abuse.” I’m sorry, but I respectfully disagree. I have noticed a few things about my kids when they help out around the house: they feel a sense of accomplishment, they show pride in their work, and they feel a part of the family team. Having a child with a disability should never be an excuse either. Often the excuse for a special needs child is that a parent feels their child can’t do it, or doesn’t understand what needs to be done. Kids, even with disabilities, can do a lot of things with the right supports in place. By making these excuses for any child, you are denying the opportunity to be a part of the family unit and feel the sense of accomplishment. This can be very damaging for a child. S/he may grow up believing the world is here to serve him/her, that s/he is not capable of doing hard things, and that s/he is entitled to anything s/he wants.

Read more …

Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Edition Workshop

August 4-6 • 2010 Grand Rapids, MI

Put together the
soaring increase in children 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.

 

Horizons Summer Camps 2010

Looking for a place for your child to go this summer? Our summer camps give children a place to engage with other children, try new activities, retain what they have learned over the year and learn life-long skills all while having a great time!

For children ages 4 to 12, weekly sessions start June 28, 2010. Four sessions are available. Select the weeks that best fit your schedule – one, a
few, or all of them depending on your needs and summer plans.

Pre-teens and teens ages 11 to 18 can attend our Collaborate and Create Summer Camp. These campers tackle major real-life projects they can put to use in the future, such as building fences, landscaping and woodworking. Parents can choose from a three-week session beginning June 29, 2010 or a full-week session starting July 26, 2010.

See details about the camp or Register Now!

 

Tex-Mex potato Fries

Whether you have just started a special diet with your child or you have been following one for years, it can be difficult to come up with what to serve. We decided to try to make that just a bit easier by providing you with a new allergen free recipe each week. While it is impossible to meet every person’s unique food sensitivity needs, we hope you will find these recipes helpful and delicious. Please feel free to adapt the recipes to meet your needs and taste buds; we do it all the time. In addition to the weekly recipes, we will be highlighting a specific allergen free product of the month. Enjoy!

Tex-Mex potato Fries

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Dairy-Free, Lactose-Free, Egg-Free, White Sugar-Free

Because these thick-cut fries are baked, you don’t have to worry about cross-contamination in the deep fryer. They’re lower in fat – and healthier too!

Tips:
Use any variety of baking potatoes, such as russet, white, or Idaho. Two large potatoes weight about 1 pound.

Get the recipe ...

Gluten
Free Dreams Pancake Mix (plain or chocolate chip)

Get this pancake mix and other allergen-free products at CherrybrookKitchen.com.

Please join us!

• AutismOne & Generation Rescue Conference
  – Chicago
  May 28-30, 2010
• SummerCAMPS – Red, White, & Blue
  (ages 4-7 morning  & ages 8-12 afternoon)
  June 28 – July 1
• Summer CAMPS – Let’s Make Music
  (ages 4-7 morning  & ages 8-12 afternoon)
  July 12 – 15
• Summer CAMPS – All About Pets
  (ages 4-7 morning  & ages 8-12 afternoon)
  July 26 – 29
• Summer CAMPS – Fun in the Sun
  (ages 4-7 morning  & ages 8-12 afternoon)
  August 9 – 12
• Summer Program – Collaborate and Create:
  Session 1
  Ages 11-18, 9am-12pm, Tues & Thurs
  June 29, July 1-15
• Summer Program – Collaborate and Create:
  Session 2
  Ages 11-18, 9am-12am, Mon-Weds, 9am-1pm Thurs
  July 26 – 29
• Extreme
  Makeover: Autism Education
  Edition
  Augustv4-6, 2010