Welcome to “On the Horizon”

Issue 115: Nonverbal Communication: What’s it all About?

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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New Ideas

A Note from Nicole: Meeting Amazing Families

Idea of the Week:  Water Balloons

Feature Article: Nonverbal Communication: What’s it all About?

The Horizons Team Recommends: Learning as We Grow and the Extreme Makeover: Autism Education Workshop

NEW! Allergen-Free Recipe of the Week: Banana Flax Muffin

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

Upcoming Events: Workshops/Conferences

Hi Everyone,

It’s been a crazy week of traveling, and I’m glad to be home for a few days before heading out East. I had a great time at the MAGIC convention this past weekend, where hundreds of families with children affected by various endocrine disorders gathered for learning and fun. I’m always struck by the instant camaraderie among families living with similar circumstances. Parents are able to understand and support each other right away, and the kids get the benefit of being around others in similar situations as themselves. I am honored to have the opportunity to speak at conferences like these and spend time with the amazing families who attend.

Erin’s article this week is a favorite about nonverbal communication. This is one of the most essential communication and relational building blocks, but it is also a developmental component often ignored in treatment. Once you read about nonverbal communication, why not try out some of the concepts by using the water balloons idea below – what can you do with water balloons without talking?

Make it a great week!

Looking to the horizon,

Water Balloons!

On a hot summer day what’s better than some water balloon fun?! You can come up with all kinds of creative ways to use water balloons – and kids (and adults) of all ages will have a blast. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Pass the balloons back and forth – see how many times you can pass them before they break. You can also take a step further apart from each other with each toss to see how far you can toss them before they break.
• Play basketball with water balloons – can you get them in the basketball hoop or bucket? Do they break or bounce?
• Climb up on your deck, slide, chairs, etc. and see if the balloons break or bounce when dropped from various heights.

If you and your kids enjoy some water balloon fun this week, send us a note and/or a picture. We’ll feature you in an upcoming edition!

How to Nonverbal Communication:
What’s it all About?

By: Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP

Communication is critical to continued human development throughout our life span. It is what allows us to share thoughts, feelings, wonderings, and knowledge with others. Whether you are a verbal or nonverbal communicator, the vast majority of communication we do is through nonverbal channels.

So if nonverbal communication makes up a substantial portion of our communicative experience, what does it involve? Many of us associate facial expression and gestures with nonverbal communication, but these are not the only two types involved. There are, in fact, eight different types of nonverbal communication:

• Facial Expression – This makes up the largest proportion of nonverbal communication. Large amountsof information can be conveyed through a smile or frown. The facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, and fear are similar across cultures throughout the world

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.

Learning as
we Grow

You’ve Been
Asking For It – The Resource for Applying Principles of Remediation in
School Settings is Finally Here!

This long-awaited book is written for parents and
professionals who want to be more effective in their work with students
who have neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism.

You will learn how to:

• Identify the core features of neurodevelopmental disorders
  that create communication, learning, and relationship challenges for
  your students
• Shift from a mindset of working around deficits
  (compensation) to correcting the root issues that create obstacles for
  your students (remediation)
• Modify your communication to promote your students’
  communication and thinking abilities
• Identify the unique strengths and obstacles of each student
  in order to determine appropriate placement and programming
• Achieve meaningful outcomes for students that allow them to
  reach their greatest potential

For more
information, click here

Banana Flax Muffins

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!

Banana Flax Muffins

Makes 12 Muffins

These hearty muffins are tasty and energy packed.

Ingredients:

¼ cup canola oil

1 cup light agave nectar

1 ½ cups mashed ripe banana

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

Get the complete 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 EditionAugust 4-6, 2010