Welcome to “On the Horizon”
Issue 75: Making Your Mealtimes More Palatable
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 Strategies
 A Note from Nicole: Fall or Summer?
Idea of the Week: Creating Memories
Feature Article: Making Your Mealtimes More Palatable
The Horizons Team Recommends: ACCESS Education; Learning as we Grow
Upcoming Events: CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar; Sibshop
Hi Everyone!
It’s been strangely cool around here for the past week, feeling much more like fall than summer. I suppose that’s a good thing in terms of everyone getting back into the mindset of school! My husband and I felt brave and took all four of our children (ages 3-9) shopping for back to school jeans and shoes this past week. I’m not sure what we were thinking, but we eventually left the store with many pairs of pants in a bag and new shoes on their feet. Between all that and the numerous school supplies required, we’ll be staying out of stores for a while!
Do you struggle with your child during mealtimes? Is eating a constant stressor? In this week’s feature article, Erin shares some important tips for supporting children with eating/feeding problems. Even if you
don’t have a child with feeding issues, many of these are good reminders for establishing positive routines and promoting varied diets.
I’ve got two great resources to share with you this week related to the
start of the school year. The first is my colleague Deb Blake, a
well-respected and highly knowledgeable educational consultant and
advocate. Check out her information below to learn about the services
she offers. And, if you haven’t yet purchased a copy of Learning as We
Grow: Enriching Education for Students with Autism and Other
Neurodevelopmental Disorders, the beginning of the school year is a
great time to get one! It will provide you with helpful information and
insight as you aim to get the year started off right for your child and
family.
Make it a great week!
Looking to the horizon,
Creating Memories
Take a few pictures from a recent event and create a memory book or page from that event. Decide which pictures you are going to use and gather all the materials that you will need to put this together. You and your child can decide what you will put on your page along with the picture – will you write something to go with the picture or just add some other materials to go along with the picture? How many pictures will you use on each page? Will you trim the picture or keep it as is? This is a great project to do over time if you decide to create a memory book, or just something quick if you want to do a single page from one specific event.
Making Your Mealtimes More Palatable
By: Erin Roon, MA CCC-SLP
Having a child with feeding difficulties can make mealtimes difficult for the whole family. Mealtimes can become stressful for everyone, and the entire family can come to dread sitting down to eat together. There are some simple strategies that can make eating more pleasant for everyone involved.
Setting up a routine for mealtimes is very important in making your
child feel comfortable. This helps him/her know what to expect. Below
are some ideas you may include in your mealtime schedule:
Provide a 5-10 minute advanced notice. This allows your child time to complete what they are currently doing, and also gives him/her time to prepare mentally for what is coming.
Include an activity to assist your child in moving to the table such as washing hands, putting the food on the table, or saying a prayer.
Once your family is seated, pass the food allowing your child to choose what s/he will put on their plate. You will want to ensure that you serve at least one thing s/he will eat.
ACCESS Education – Advocacy and Consultation for Children’s Educational Services and Supports
ACCESS Education professionals provide proactive advocacy and consultation, as well as training, presentations and conferences for parents, caregivers, and support organizations throughout southern Michigan, and northern Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.
In-service training, conferences and consultation provided for educators, educational entities, and health and community service providers.
Call or email for information and free initial consultation:
www.AccessEducationmi.com
(888)834-4340
ACCESS Director – Debora Blake, J.D.
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 
Please join us!
- CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar:
Q&A with Michelle & Courtney (Horizons
Families Only)
Monday, Sept. 14 from 1:30-2:30pm EST
- CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar: Pediatric Vision Specialist Guest Speaker Dr. Jeff Kenyon (Horizons Families Only) Thursday, Sept. 17 from 11-12pm EST
- Sibshop
– Horizons Sibling Network
Open to everyone!
Saturday, November 7, 2009, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM EST
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