
Welcome to “On the
Horizon”
Issue 65: Beating the Summer Blues, Part 1: Simple Variations to Summer Routines
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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Variations for Summer
 A Note from Nicole: Family Time
Idea of the Week: Cheesecake Cups
Feature Article: Beating the Summer Blues, Part 1: Simple Variations to Summer Routines
The Horizons Team Recommends: Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Edition; Do Something Daily Calendar
Upcoming Events: CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar; Sibshop


Hi Everyone!
I want to wish a belated Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads who read our newsletter! I hope you all enjoyed a great weekend with the Dads in your life. We had a fun time at my parents’ house eating, playing outside, and watching the kids share their homemade “treasures” with their Dad and Grandpa. It was the first time this year that it was hot enough for the kids to run around in the sprinkler in the yard, and they had a blast squirting each other and running around sopping wet in the yard!
Our Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Edition Workshop is on its way to being full, and we are very excited about the diverse group of professionals who will be attending! We received confirmation last week that participants will be able to receive 2 Michigan SB-CEUs, which is great news for teachers, school psychologists, and others of you who need to collect these toward recertification. We should receive confirmation very soon about offering ASHA CEUs for those of you who are speech pathologists. If you have been thinking about attending, but haven’t yet registered, do it now at www.extrememakeoverautism.com
Enjoy Courtney’s article this week about simple variations you can make to spice up routines and encourage flexible thinking in your children.
Looking to the horizon,



Cheesecake Cups
Who doesn’t like cheesecake? These little cheesecake cups are just the right size for little hands to eat, and easy enough that everyone can help make them. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your muffin pans with cupcake papers. Place one vanilla wafer in the bottom of each cupcake paper. In a medium bowl mix two 8 oz. packages of cream cheese that are softened, ¾ cup of sugar, 2 eggs, and 1 tsp. of vanilla until smooth. Pour this mixture over the vanilla wafers and bake for 15 minutes or until golden and set. Once they are cooled you can top them with any fruit mixture you want. Make sure you keep them refrigerated. How delicious!


Beating the Summer Blues, Part 1: Simple Variations to Summer Routines
By: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.
School has been dismissed now for a couple of weeks, and families may start becoming restless with the lackadaisical days of summer. For many families, this is the time of year to unwind from the business of the school year and enjoy each other’s company. But for other families this time of the year can become very stressful, not knowing what to do with the kids while they are home from school.
The first month:Some of you may be feeling overwhelmed by what you can do with your children each and every day during the summer months. Here are a few simple strategies and variations that you can add to your day to make it fresh and new for everyone at home.
Switch your daily meals around.You could have lunch foods during breakfast time, dinner foods for lunch, and breakfast foods for dinner. This would be a fun variation on the typical meals of the day that everyone can enjoy. Be sure to have your kids help with the planning and preparation!


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.
Click here for more information!

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.
$19.95 (Per Calendar) Calendars are assembled by clients in our
EmployAbilities program. $1.00 from every
calendar will be donated to FARR.
For more information, click here.

Please join us!
- CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar:
Q&A with Michelle & Courtney (Horizons
Families Only)
Monday, July 6, 2009, 1:30PM to 2:30PM
EST
- CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar:
Erin Roon Topic: Nutrition and Supplements (Horizons
Families Only)
Thursday, July 16, 2009, 11:00AM to 12:00PM
EST
- Extreme Makeover: Autism
Education Edition
July 29-31, 2009
- Sibshop
– Horizons Sibling Network
Open to everyone!
Saturday, July 11, 2009, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM EST
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