Welcome to “On the Horizon”

Issue 120: 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.

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Great Ideas

A Note from Nicole: My Boys Promise

Idea of the Week:  Apple Ladybug Treats

Feature Article: Ensuring Success through Guided Participation

The Horizons Team Recommends: Learning as we Grow

Allergen-Free Recipe of the Week: Cheese Biscuits

Allergen-Free Product of the Month: KinniTOOS Chocolate Sandwich Crème Cookies

Hi Everyone,

It’s the day of August already and I’m not sure where the summer went!  We spent the weekend redoing one of the bedrooms at our house.  Two of our boys share a room and it was time to repaint and get rid of the “little boy” décor.  What we thought would take us longer actually got accomplished in a weekend, including painting and assembling new furniture.  My boys promise that now their room will be cleaner and their clothes nicely put away since they have new dressers and all…I’ll believe it when I see it!

This week’s featured article by Michelle discusses the important role parents have in guiding our children.  Providing opportunities for children to actively participate in daily activities under our guidance is essential for development.  It also leads to children becoming self-confident and successful.  Perhaps you want to use the Idea of the Week – Apple Ladybug Treats as a guided participation opportunity for your child this week.

Make it a great week!

Looking to the horizon,

Apple Ladybug Treats

Prep time: 10 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 red apples
¼ Cup raisins
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
8 thin pretzels

Directions:

1. Slice apples in half from top to bottom and scoop out core with a knife or melon baller.  If you have an apple corer, core them first, then slice.  Place each apple half flat side down on a small plate.
2. Dab peanut butter on to the back of the ‘lady bug’, then place raisins onto the dabs for the spots.  Use this method to make eyes too.  Stick one end of each pretzel stick into a raisin, then press the other end into the apples to make the antennas.

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 …

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

Cheese Biscuits

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!

Cheese Biscuits

4 eggs

¼ Cup butter or coconut oil, melted

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon onion powder

1/3 cup sifted coconut flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Get the recipe …

KinniTOOS Chocolate Sandwich Crème Cookies

Gluten Free, Casein Free, Lactose Free, Peanut and Tree Nut Free

Please join us!

• Horizons Family Teleseminar
  (open to Horizons client families only)

  Topic: Insurance Issues – Expert Advice for Securing Financial Support for the Treatment of Autism and Other Special Needs
  Guest – Christina Peck, CPC

  September 16 from 9:15 AM – 10:15 AM

• Horizons Family Field Day
  (open to Horizons client families only) Call the office to RSVP
  September 18