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Welcome
to “On the Horizon”

Issue
113: Ensuring Success through Guided Participation

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
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New Ideas

A Note from Nicole: Fun at Summer CAMPS

Idea of the Week:  Pinecone Birdseed Feeder

Feature Article: Ensuring Success through Guided Participation

The Horizons Team Recommends: Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Workshop and Parent Success Cards

Allergen-Free Recipe of the Week: Roast Edamame

Allergen-Free Product of the Month: Ian’s Chicken Nuggets

Upcoming Events:Workshops/Conferences

Hi
Everyone,

This summer is speeding by with a mixture of family fun and lots of things happening at the clinic. Our summer camps are underway and we are enjoying all the kid-related activity happening each day! Our teens group is working on a picnic table project, and there have already been requests for additional tables from clinic families. I hope you all are enjoying your summer as well.

This week the feature article by Michelle discusses the importance of parents learning to effectively guiding their children. For parents of children with autism and related disorders, this guide-child relationship doesn’t unfold as naturally as it does with neurotypical children. Check out her article for helpful thoughts on how to become a better guide to your child. Our Parent Success Cards are another helpful source of information and inspiration for guiding children.

It’s the middle of July, and that means “last call” for the upcoming Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Edition Workshop. We are very excited about the group of professionals and parents coming to Grand Rapids from across the globe, even as far away as Singapore and Australia! There are a couple of spaces still available, so make sure you grab one now if you would like to attend. The details can be found at www.ExtremeMakeoverAutism.com.

Looking
to the horizon,

Pinecone Birdseed Feeder

Materials:

•   Pinecone
•   Creamy peanut butter
•   Bird seed
•   12in string
•   Small container
•   Butter knife
•   Wax Paper

Directions:

1. Place a large piece of wax paper on table.
2. Tie the center of the string around the pinecone near the top. Tie it tightly several times to knot it well.
3. Add 2-3 adult hand size scoops of bird seed to the container.
4. Using the butter knife, cover the pinecone with the peanut butter.
5. Place the peanut butter pinecone in the bowl of birdseed and press
   down. Roll the pinecone all around in the birdseed until it is
   completely covered.
6. Place the birdseed covered pinecone on the wax paper to dry for 24 to 48 hours.
7. Hang the birdseed covered pinecone from a tree.
   

Ensuring Success through Guided Participation

By: Michelle VanderHeide, BSW

A little girl, about 1 year old, is standing next to a coffee table when she decides that she wants to step off and make an attempt at walking. She immediately falls to the ground. One of two things can happen at that point. A parent or caregiver can see this attempt, and step in to encourage the child to keep trying; or they can allow the child to try and figure out how to walk on her own. Imagine how much longer it would take this infant to learn to walk without the support of a loved one to encourage her along!

One of the primary concepts in the remediation of autism is that of guided participation. In the example above, two critical people needed to be involved in order to ensure success: the parent guide and the child participant. This child was therefore involved in a guided participation activity. Think about your own life for a minute. What skills, talents, and discoveries did you develop through a guided participation relationship? When you think about some of the more challenging things you have achieved, a parent, coach, or teacher often guided you. As a result you were more successful than if you had tried to figure it out on your own.

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.

 

Parent Success Cards

 

For
RDI® Program families, these cards provide reminders of the main
principles of RDI® such as the importance of experience sharing,
guiding, slowing down, staying focused on the marathon, finding small
moments for remediation, and much more. You will find them an
invaluable source of inspiration and guidance as you focus on
remediation.

Set of 50 heavyweight full-color cards in a sturdy box with lid – $24.95

Purchase the set or view more samples here

Roast Edamame

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!

Ingredients:  

•   Shelled frozen or fresh edamame beans
•   Olive oil
•   Kosher salt
•   Chili powder
•   Dried basil
•   Onion salt
•   Ground Cumin
•   Paprika
•   Black pepper
•   Baking Sheet

Get the recipe … 

Ian’s Chicken Nuggets
(Wheat Free/Gluten Free)

Look for this product next time your shopping for quick dinners for the kids.

Please
join us!

• Extreme
  Makeover:
  Autism Education
  Edition
  August
  4-6, 2010