Benefits of Gymnastics for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
“Children with autism are not a problem to be solved, but instead have a potential that just needs to be realized.” GymnasticsDoctor.com Autism Foundation philosophy.
Benefits of Gymnastics for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
by Jenn Unsworth
Children at a young age learn to crawl, walk, climb, tip-toe, run and jump. While they all do these at different stages, most accomplish it by the age of five. For children that struggle in one or more of these areas, gymnastics can be a huge stepping stone to reaching these milestones. For my oldest son, Tanner, he hit all of these milestones earlier than most, but it was language and social skills that he struggled with in his younger years.
Gymnastics was a part of his life from early on, due to my job as a gymnastics coach, and his gym class was always a favourite part of our week. We didn’t receive Tanner’s diagnosis on the spectrum until he was in elementary school, but gymnastics at a young age definitely assisted in development of his gross motor skills.
Most children enjoy playing actively, and gymnastics can be especially enjoyable for children with developmental delays or other special needs. The social nature of gymnastics classes helps children to form bonds with other children, yet the exercises themselves are individual so children are less likely to feel the need to impress their peers than they may in team sports. Studies have shown the benefits of gymnastics for some autistic children, allowing them to get necessary activity and exercise while maintaining a sense of control over excessive stimulation.
Autistic children have difficulty when they are exposed to too much stimuli, but the solo nature of many gymnastics events allows the children to keep their environmental stimuli to a manageable level. With sensitive coaching and parental support, children with autism and other special needs can gain confidence while getting fit and having fun.
Tanner has gone on to enjoy other sports and programs, all of which benefit from his early start in gymnastics, but he still loves to jump on the trampoline. There are a few gymnastics programs in the area that offer programming for children with special needs. I would recommend that you do your research to find the program, facility and coach that suit your child’s needs.
Written by Jenn Unsworth, Cartwheels Gym Centre
At Cartwheels, Georgetown’s new recreational gymnastics facility, our special needs program is called “Social Sports”. Cartwheels is working on establishing a partnership between the gym and the Halton Hills Speech Centre for assistance in our Social Sports program. We encourage all interested in our program to contact us and we can arrange private, semi private, small group, or integrated programming based on the needs of the gymnast and their family.
Cartwheels Gym Centre
318 Guelph St, Georgetown ON. 905-702-9904
info@cartwheelsgymcentre.com
www.cartwheelsgymcentre.com
Comments? Click here to leave one- we’ll post comments here, below the article.
If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:
Understanding the Signs: Should you be Concerned about Autism? By Paulette Cormier
Posted by: Sara Hodge on: 2010-08-31 Permanent Link: Benefits of Gymnastics for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Making Craft Time Easy and Effective
Photos for this article are courtesy of Cassandra Dorman.
Cassandra’s back with more helpful tips- this time for getting your kids’ craft room in order.
Making Craft Time Easy and Effective
by Cassandra Dorman
Crafts aren’t just a fun way to spend time together as a family, they’re incredibly beneficial in countless ways for children. When kids are making something from nothing they are using and building their imagination, creative-thinking and problem solving skills. Young children especially are improving manual dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and pre-writing abilities. Kids are also working with Math. In the preschool years, they are identifying shapes, colours, lines, and numbers. Older kids are working with perspective, angles, and measurement.
When they are following instructions from a book, they are practicing reading, comprehension, and concentration skills. And if you didn’t need all the convincing, creative minds are stimulated minds – thus, making arts and crafts beneficial solely in and of itself!
Creating something on their own – working hard, making an effort, and then seeing the result of that commitment – is a fantastic and very real confidence builder. So, we definitely want our children to be engaged in different types of arts and crafts. (This includes Science experiments, make-and-dos, creating magic tricks, etc.)
I’ve spoken to countless parents who tell me they don’t often do crafts with their kids because:
1. They never have the right ‘stuff’ to do them; and
2. If they do have the ‘stuff’, they can never find it.
Ha! I’m sure many parents can relate (I know I can!). The truth is, it’s much easier than it seems to stock your home with the right craft items and just as simple to organize them in a way that will make doing crafts with your munchkins something simple and fun to do. It’s all about having the resources and space readily available.
How to do it – Creating your own Craft Corner
First things first, you’ve got to be willing to spend a bit of money. Luckily, almost anything you’d ever need is now available at dollar stores – making it really cheap to stock your craft shelves. I suggest grabbing some smaller bins, containers, and baskets to store the things in while you’re there. The more organized everything is, the better. Next, have a look at the list below to help you get started with creating your own system:
Must-have craft items for every family:
- Colored construction paper (loose leaf, take the sheets out of the stack if it’s a glue-bound stack of paper)
- crayons, pencils, pencil crayons, erasers
- paint and paint brushes
- kid scissors
- glue sticks and white liquid glue
- tape
- pipe cleaners and straws
- stickers
- sequins, glitter, googly eyes, and other fun things to add to pictures
- ribbon, yarn, and/or string
Extra crafty things that are really useful to have on-hand:
- paper plates (small and big)
- brown paper bags
- foam paper and/or felt
- cardboard
- sponges
- paint pallets or plastic plates for paint
- buttons and/or beads
- tissue paper in various colours
Once you have a good collection of craft items that you feel satisfied with, designate an area in your home for your craft space. Ours is right in our kitchen, because it makes sense for our children to be busy and engaged in a place we spend so much time. You choose what works best for your family.
In your craft area, organize your bins so all the craft items are very readily available. A great idea is to have a shelf for paper, cardboard, felt, etc., and then one bin for scissors, glue, tape, and another for crayons and pencil crayons, and a different one again for sparkles, sequins, and similar items. We used big Ikea blue bins and then used smaller containers inside those along with a cheaper plastic drawer unit in the corner of the room, again with smaller bin in the drawers. The more segmented it is, the easier it will be for children to access what they need to really get creative.
A messy shelf with everything tossed on top will be extremely frustrating for both you and your children. If kids are working independantly (oh, the bliss!) but can’t find what they want or need, they often give up easily or will have to continually ask you to figure out where things are. This was the case in our home until I cracked down and spent two hours organizing our space.
On the flipside, I did put together a smaller bin (apart from our segmented ones) that had several organized items in it all together (a glue stick, some paper bags, some foam, a few paper plates, a pair of scissors, about 10 crayons, ribbon, yarn, and some cut-out flowers). This allowed for our three-year-old to grab one bin and make several different crafts easily. Although the items were together, there were only a few of them and they were very well organized – making it user-friendly. This is a fantastic way to allow younger children to engage on their own and use their imagination with what they’re given.
Craft time, for us, is learning time too. We’ve come to really enjoy picking out fabulous projects to do together as a family. Having a thoughtfully organized and well-stocked Craft Corner has made my life so much easier and has enriched our children’s days with more fun, more creativity, and much less frustration.
Cassandra Dorman is a Team Leader with Usborne Books at Home. Usborne offers some of the best Make and Do and Craft Books on the market! For information about great craft ideas, Book Parties, Literacy Fairs, or the Usborne business opportunity, please visit her website: www.everydaydiscoveries.ca or call her at 905-627-5080!
Be sure to check out Cassandra’s previous articles:
10 Tips for Summer Reading Success
Choosing the Right Books for Your Baby
Comments? Click here to leave one- we’ll post comments here, below the article.
Posted by: Sara Hodge on: 2010-08-27 Permanent Link: Making Craft Time Easy and Effective
5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Music Lessons
Lessons are a great way to nurture your child’s love of music, but there is a lot to be considered when signing up.
Advertorial by James Franczek, Georgetown School of Music
These guidelines will help your child have a successful, rewarding experience learning an instrument. They are special tips that we have discovered from years of teaching and our experiences with educating hundreds of students each year.
1. How Young is too Young? – Starting at the Right Age
Adults can start any instrument at any time. Their success is based on how willing an adult is to commit to practicing.
For children, starting at the right age is a key element to the success of their lessons. Some people will tell you “the sooner the better”, but this attitude can actually backfire and be a negative. If a child is put into lessons too soon, they may feel overwhelmed and frustrated and want to stop lessons. The last thing you want to do is turn a child off music just because they had one unpleasant experience, which could have been prevented.
Sometimes if the child waits a year to start lessons, their progress can be much faster. Children who are older than the suggested earliest starting age usually do very well.
We have found the following guidelines to be successful in determining how young a child can start taking music lessons:
4 – 5 Years Old – If your preschooler has a keen desire and wants to start music, a group pre-school music class will give them a good foundation in music basics, which will be helpful in later private lessons. At this age private lessons generally do not work as the child has not yet experienced the formal learning environment of kindergarten or school and learns more effectively through the game oriented preschool environment.
Piano/Keyboard – At our school 6 years old is the youngest age we start children in private piano lessons. At this age, they have begun to develop longer attention spans and can retain material with ease.
Guitar – 7 years old is the earliest we recommend for guitar lessons. Guitar playing requires a fair amount of pressure on the fingertips from pressing on the strings. Children under 7 generally have small hands and may find playing uncomfortable. Bass guitar students are usually 10 years and older.
Voice Lessons – 7 years old is recommended as the youngest age for private vocal lessons. Because of the physical nature of voice lessons, the younger body is generally not ready for the rigors of vocal technique.
Drums – The average age of our youngest drum student is 8. This varies greatly depending on the size of the child. They have to be able to reach both the pedals and the cymbals.
Violin – We accept violin students from the age of 5. Some teachers will start children as young as 3, but experience has shown us the most productive learning occurs at 5 years and up.
2. Take Lessons in a Professional Teaching Environment
Learning music is not just a matter of having a qualified teacher, but also having an environment that is focused on music education. In a professional school environment a student cannot be distracted by TV., pets, ringing phones, siblings, or anything else. With only ½ to one hour of lesson time per week, a professional school environment can produce better results since the only focus at that time is learning music. Also, in a school the lessons are not just a hobby or sideline, it is a job that is taken very seriously.
3. Make Practicing Easier
As with anything, improving in music takes practice. One of the main problems with music lessons is the drudgery of practicing and the fight between parents and students to practice every day. Here are a few ways to make practicing easier.
Time – Set the same time everyday to practice so it becomes part of a routine or habit. This works particularly well for children. Also, the earlier in the day the practicing can occur, the less reminding is required by the parents to get the child to practice.
Repetition – We use this method quite often when setting practice schedules for beginners. For a young child 20 to 30 minutes seems like an eternity. Instead of setting a time frame, we use repetition. For example, practice this piece 4 times everyday, and this scale 5 times every day. The child does not pay attention to the amount of time they are practicing, but knows if they are on repetition number 3 they are almost finished.
Rewards – Parents can encourage children to practice by granting them occasional rewards for successful practicing. In our school, we reward young children with music points which they save to buy music items like music straws, and pen & pencil sets. Praise tends to be the most coveted reward – there is no substitute for a pat on the back for job well done. Sometime we all have a week with a little less practicing, in this case there is always next week.
4. Use Recognized Teaching Materials
There are some excellent materials developed by professional music educators that are made for students in a variety of situations. For example, in piano there are books for very young beginners, and books for adult students that have never played before. There are books that can start you at a level you are comfortable with. These materials have been researched and are continually upgraded and improved to make learning easier. These materials ensure that no important part of learning an instrument can inadvertently be left out. If you ever have to move to a different part of the country, qualified teachers and institutions will recognize the materials and be able to continue smoothly from where the previous teacher left off.
5. Have Fun!!!
Music should be something that you enjoy for a lifetime. So, try not to put unrealistic expectations on yourself or your children to learn too quickly. Everyone learns at a different pace and the key is to be able to enjoy the journey!
Register now for music lessons at the Georgetown School of Music. Instruments include piano, guitar, vocal, violin, drums, and pre-school piano (age 4 – 6)
Georgetown School of Music benefits:
· University and RCM trained teachers
· Instruction available for children as young as 4 though adults
· Optional, low pressure recitals offered at least twice per year at no cost to you
· Students and parents are never required to fund raise for studio events
Georgetown School of Music
330 Guelph St., Georgetown (across from Canadian Tire)
(905) 877-2770
www.georgetownmusiclessons.com
Posted by: Sara Hodge on: 2010-08-23 Permanent Link: 5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Music Lessons
Fisher-Price Playtime Tour 2010
The Fisher-Price Barbie® Cadillac® Escalade™ EXT
Last week I had the chance to see my son revel in his ultimate fantasy at the Fisher-Price Play Date Event at Ontario Place. We spent a day checking out all the new (and lots of classic) Fisher-Price products and learning more about Fisher-Price and Mattel . Find out how you and your family can be a part of the action too, and enter to win $2,500 worth of Fisher-Price toys, a year’s worth of Fisher-Price diapers and a Kodak Playsport Digital Video Camera!
Fisher-Price Playtime Tour 2010
It started with an e mail from the ever-fabulous Laurel Crossley-Byers of ©Opti-Mom , generously offering her tickets for Devan and I (and two friends) to attend the Play Date event at Ontario Place. Hmm, let’s see… 4 Family Play All Day Passes and a chance to try out all the newest toys from Fisher-Price, plus other great stuff from Mattel? Absolutely! I accepted gratefully and off we went.
I think that Devan actually thought it was part of his birthday celebration, as he had turned three just two days earlier. Walking through Ontario Place on our way to the media party, he was in absolute awe. And when we arrived in the building, which was filled with fabulous Fisher-Price toys, he was speechless! If you know Devan, that is a rare occasion.
There were scores of Fisher-Price classics on hand, such as the Corn Popper™, Chatter Telephone™ and the ever-popular Brilliant Basics™ Rock-A-Stack®, which were all well loved by the kids in attendance. New on the scene was the Lil’ Zoomers™ Spinnin’ Sounds Speedway™, a spinning turntable that little racecars zoom around in, getting lots of great belly laughs from the little ones. Other items that drew a lot of attention were the Little People® Wheelies™ Stand ‘n Play™ Rampway (Devan’s favourite by far) and the Loving Family™ Grand Dollhouse.
Also on hand were handy new products such as the Ez 4-In-1 Bundle System™ , which uses one seat to make 4 different useful products, and Newborn Rock ‘n Play Sleeper™, something I wish I had when Devan was a baby. And did you know that Fisher-Price now makes diapers??? Specially designed for a perfect, comfy fit and premium protection during baby’s active days, they include features such as SizeRight™, a unique fit indicator that tells you when your baby is outgrowing the size they’re in!
Fisher-Price EZ 4-In-1 Bundle System: One seat makes four products- an infant seat and toddler seat, high chair, and infant swing. Snap-Fit™ technology makes it easy to switch, and everything needed is included!
Suggested retail price: $199.99 CDN. Available at: Babies “R” Us
So, how do you get in on this action?
Fisher-Price is introducing the Playtime Tour 2010 to give parents and caregivers the opportunity to see their kids play with the classic as well as the latest and greatest Fisher-Price toys free of charge. The Tour will travel across Ontario from August 19, 2010 to October 2, 2010, stopping at over 25 locations!
Schedule of Playtime Tour 2010 Stops
• Ottawa, Sears (2165 Carling Ave) – August 25
• Nepean, Toys ‘R’ Us (1683 Merivale Rd.) – August 26
• Belleville, Toys ‘R’ Us (390 North Front St.) – August 27
• Belleville, Zellers (199 Bell Blvd.) – August 27
• Peterborough, Zellers (950 Landsdowne St. W.) – August 28
• Guelph, Zellers (175 Stone Rd. W.) – August 29
• Windsor, Sears (Devonshire Mall – 3050 Howard Ave) – September 8
• Mississauga, Zellers (Erin Mills Town Centre – 5100 Erin Mills Pkwy.) -September 10
• Mississauga, Toys ‘R’ Us (3150 Argentia Rd.)
• Barrie, Toys ‘R’ Us (555 Bayfield St.) – September 17
• Bramalea, Sears (25 Peel Centre Dr.) – September 18
• Toronto, Toys ‘R’Us (Sherway Gardens – 690 Evans Ave) – September 18
• Brampton, Toys ‘R’ Us (150 West Dr.) – September 19
• Brampton, Toys ‘R’ Us (Bramalee City Centre – 25 Peel Centre Dr.) –
September 19
• Lindsay, Zellers (Lindsay Square – 410 Kent St. W.) – September 22
• Bowmanville/Clarington (Clarington Town Centre – 2383 Hwy. #2, Unit D) – September 22
• London, Zellers (Masonville Place – 1680 Richmond St. N.) – September 24
• Sarnia, Toys ‘R’ Us (Lampton Mall – 1380 London Rd.) – September 24
• Kitchener, Sears (Fairview Park Mall – 200 Fairway Rd. S.) – September 25
• Kitchener, Toys ‘R’ Us (419 Fairway Rd. S.) – September 26
• Oakville, Toys ‘R’Us (290 North Service Rd. W.) – September 30
• St. Catherines, Toys ‘R’ Us (87 Meadowvale Dr.) – October 2
• St. Catherines, Sears (Penn Centre – 221 Glendale Ave) – October 2
Fisher-Price Playtime Tour 2010 stops are subject to change, please visit bestlittlelaugh.ca for the latest up-to-date information including stop locations and times.
The Fisher-Price Best Little Laugh Contest
The best way to a mother’s heart is through her child’s laughter, says a recent survey conducted by Angus Reid. In fact, when moms were asked “what is the best sound that their child makes throughout the day,” 71 per cent said laughter. Therefore, Fisher-Price is evoking children’s laughter over the next few months through the ‘Best Little Laugh’ contest. The contest invites parents and legal guardians across Canada to upload a sound clip or video of their baby’s laughter to bestlittlelaugh.ca . From there, parents and legal guardians can send the link to friends and family through Facebook and Twitter to encourage votes.
The grand prize winner will take home the ultimate Fisher-Price toy closet, which includes $2,500 worth of Fisher-Price toys, a year’s worth of Fisher-Price diapers and a Kodak Playsport Digital Video Camera!
Additionally, there are 50 secondary prizes to be won. The baby’s laugh with the most votes wins, so be sure to tell your family and friends to help you out!
To help you get those laughs started, grab one of these hilarious new Fisher-Price Sing-a-Ma-Jigs™. I got one for Devan at the Play Date event and he was in hysterics listening to its’ silly sounds! The Sing-a-ma-Jigs™ enjoy singing together and can harmonize with each other in perfect pitch – the more Sing-a-ma-Jigs™ children collect, the larger the chorus! Ages 3 years +. Suggested retail price: $14.99 CDN. Available at: Toys “R” Us, Wal-Mart, Zellers, Sears and Loblaws
For more information on the ‘Best Little Laugh’ contest or the Fisher-Price Playtime Tour 2010, please visit bestlittlelaugh.ca .
Fisher-Price Lil’ Zoomers™ Spinnin’ Sounds Speedway™, ages 6 months – 3 years. Suggested retail price: $49.99 CDN. Available at: Toys “R” Us, Wal-Mart, Zellers, Sears and Loblaws
Fisher-Price Little People® Wheelies™ Stand ‘n Play™ Rampway, ages 1.5 – 5 years. Suggested retail price: $59.99 CDN. Available at: Toys “R” Us, Wal-Mart, Zellers, Sears and Loblaws
Fisher-Price Loving Family™ Grand Dollhouse- ages 3 years +. Suggested retail price: $89.99 CDN. Available at: Toys “R” Us, Wal-Mart and Zellers
Comments? Click here to leave one- we’ll post comments here, below the article.
Posted by: Sara Hodge on: 2010-08-23 Permanent Link: Fisher-Price Playtime Tour 2010
