Talk Small

Back at it!

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:31:14 +0000

After a hectic November, I am getting back at it.

Quinn’s story was recently a part of the Wreaths of Joy fundraiser for ARC Gateway and Pearl Nelson Center in Pensacola, Fla. She received all of her therapies at PNC, and attends pre-K there. We love it, and were honored to be a part of their [...]

Thorkil Sonne: Recruiting Autism

admin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:58:52 +0000

Loved this article and wanted to share:

http://www.bbbehavior.com/?p=345

We all have different brains and different talents. Every last one of us is profoundly strange.

Let’s embrace it, you bunch of weirdos.

Indulge me for one post…

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:14:06 +0000

…so I can tell one of those “my kid says the cutest thing” stories.

Yesterday Quinn suggested we bake a cake. But not just any cake.

Her exact request:

“We need to make a cake what has a big heart on it and it says, ‘We love you so much, Quinn!’”

Q’s story chosen for FL Early Steps promotion and fundraising efforts!

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:26:53 +0000

Quinn’s remarkable story of the advances she made through Florida’s Early Steps program and early intervention has been selected by the state of Florida to be used in raising funds and promoting the Early Steps program! Yay!

Here is the uncut story we submitted to the state DOH:

We live in Pensacola, Fl. and received Early Steps [...]

Great post from Empower Autism blog

admin — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:26:03 +0000

Check out this great post from Empower Autism about enjoying your kids every day instead of considering them a work in progress, or waiting for the ship to come in.

Autism Vox: Try the cocoa!

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:52:34 +0000

Here’s a link to a great story on Autism Vox, another parent blog: A boy won’t try hot chocolate, although he loves chocolate milk. Mom sticks his fingers in it. He licks them off, smiles, and drinks it all down. Sensory issues can be useful in trumping other issues, and vice versa.

What causes ASD?

admin — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:46:31 +0000

Is it genetics, the environment, mom’s pregnant stress, vaccines, total randomness?

When I look at what we went through with Quinn – and again, because of her rate of improvement and progress she always stayed matching-two-blocks-and-pointing-at-a-bear ahead of an actual diagnosis – I can tell you our story and what I think contributed to her issues.

1. [...]

Mom shares her fave autism sites

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:32:21 +0000

Autism mom Jessica from Pensacola, Fla., offers some of her favorite sites (aside from Talk Small, of course) for information and tools, games, printables and other online activity. Thanks, Jessica!

jacobslessons.com – If you are wanting to get your kid on the computer and also get some ABA-type teaching, this is a good site. It’s free, [...]

Repeat after me: Echolalia

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:59:08 +0000

Who needs a DVD player when a tablespoon will make the baby recite the entire script of "Mary Poppins"?

I am of a generation, and a family, where entire conversations can go by without an original sentence being uttered.

It might go something like this: Simpsons, Simpsons, Dirty Dancing, Seinfeld, High Plains Drifter, Road House, infomercial, [...]

Talk Small mom Amber B. puts In-Your-Face Elmo to work

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:27:48 +0000

Amber B. of Toledo, Ohio, is making the terrifying Chicken Dance Elmo earn his keep:

I love the ideas here! So many workable solutions – sometimes a common problem for an uncommon child requires a bit of different thinking!

I know for our family, one particular moment of inspiration came from an ill-fated gift. See, my 4-year-old [...]