Going To The Dentist

The one thing all parents of children who fall under the umbrella of ASD quickly learn, is to take away the element of surprise from upcoming events as much as possible.

Regardless of your child’s individual sensory requirements and level of understanding, preparing them for any event that may present challenges is always a good plan, and a visit to the dentist could be quite harrowing for your child without adequate preparation.

The most important first step to making a trip to the dentist run as smoothly as possible is to find a dentist who is child friendly. Ensure they have some experience of working with children who have special needs and know how to make their dental visit a fun and non-threatening event.

Ask other parents in your network of friends and through your child’s school or care facility for recommendations, most will gladly recommend a dentist who has been caring and accommodating of their child’s needs.

When you ring to make an appointment, have a talk with the reception staff about your child’s needs. Ask if it is possible for your child to have a tour of their rooms before his/her consultation, to have a look at and touch the equipment that may be used and become familiar with the process.

Allow your child to take along a comfort item or favourite toy with them for their dental visit, and keep the first visit short and positive, more of a familiarisation than a treatment if possible.

Keep in mind that many children with ASD sensory issues are easily overwhelmed by noises and sensory overload, therefore ear muffs or headphones with soothing music may help to drown any disturbing noises made by drills and suction tools. Several short consultations are often more successful than trying to rush through treating more than one tooth at a time.

Make sure the dentist explains each step of each process before it happens and shows each tool and explains its purpose before using it. It is important that your child does not feel rushed and is given enough time to absorb and become comfortable with each piece of information and process.

No matter how well you try to prepare some children, the entire process of a dental examination and treatment can simply be beyond their scope of coping skills. Sedation may work for younger children, or the option of a general anaesthetic may be offered to your child through some dental hospitals or clinics.

Above all try to encourage your child to maintain their own oral hygiene and health as it is the best course of prevention for dental problems.

Going To The Hairdresser

There are many social situations which can cause stress to a child with an Austism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) - taking them to get a haircut with a hairdresser is one of them.

A hair salon can be extremely distressing and invasive for an ASD child. If they are sensitive to noise or smell then they may be put off by the sounds of hairdryers and clippers not to mention the smell of chemical based hair products. Often the lighting and mirrors can be too much for them to handle as can the touch of the hands and scissors scraping against their neck.

So other than attempting to cut your child’s hair at home, there are some things you can do to make the experience more enjoyable for both of you.

It is definitely worthwhile visiting the salon prior to the appointment without your child. That way you can make special requests in terms of appointment times (opt for a quiet time in the salon) and establish the best place for your child to sit during the appointment. Advise the salon of your needs and mention that you will need a double appointment as it may take longer than usual to cut your child’s hair. Also let them know you would like to avoid any waiting time if at all possible prior to your appointment.

Make use of social stories and role play prior to the appointment and if necessary, take a photo of the salon on your first visit to use in the story to help familiarise your child with what is going to occur at the salon.

Distraction is important when scissors are involved so a portable dvd player, games console, headphones, or their favourite book or toy can help draw their attention away from the haircut. Use whatever works in terms of reassuring your child during the process - hold their hand, have them sit on your lap, hug them – anything that will help them relax.

Do not be upset if you are unable to complete the haircut in one visit. It may be worthwhile revisiting the salon in a few weeks to help continue the desensitising process. Further work may need to be done in terms of role play or social stories.

Choosing the salon that is best for you and your child may be one of the biggest aspects you have to overcome however once you do, your child may soon learn to feel proud of their “new haircut” and look forward to their next special visit.

Lay-by For Christmas

Did you know that you can lay-by our products? With Christmas looming ahead, a lay-by system will make it easier for you to manage your cash flow while you stock up on gifts.

You can now order the toys that your children will love and pay for them over 12 weeks. You can start with a purchase of as little as $40.00 and all you need to pay is a 10% deposit.

We ask that you make regular fortnightly payments of whatever amount you can manage. We know that some weeks are better than others so we don’t impose a set amount on you. If you would like to pay out the balance at any time within the 12 weeks, that is not a problem. We don’t impose any penalty amounts at all, unlike some of the major stores.

Our lay-by system is there for your convenience. We know that you want to shower your family with gifts at Christmas and this is one way of making it easier for you to do so.

Once your final payment has been received, your order will be delivered to you within 5-7 days. You can order your gifts and leave them stored with us until the big day is almost here. It’s so much easier than trying to hide them away from curious little eyes!

If you would like to use the lay-by system, all you need to do is to select “Lay-By” as your payment type at checkout. It’s that easy.

If you’d like to read more about our lay-by system pop over to the website.

Then, start shopping!

How To Use Our Packaging For Fun

Think back on past Christmases and kids' birthdays – remember when they put aside their presents in favour of the wrapping paper or the cardboard box? When we send you your next parcel, don't throw away the packaging – use it with your kids to have some fun. Simple materials like bubble wrap and corrugated cardboard shipped with our products provide great sensory input.

Lay bubble wrap on the floor like a little 'path' or road. Encourage your child to walk on their heels slowly, step by step along it (you may need to go first). They will not only feel the bubbly texture, they will feel it pop against their heels. They could also try walking on the soles of their feet to feel the slight difference.

With the corrugated cardboard, your child could firstly rub their hands or fingers along its ridge like texture, then try painting it with bright colours using a sponge or brush. Or better yet – finger paint! The paint on their fingers – and no doubt all over their hands – provides even greater tactile stimulation.

Use the bubble wrap and the corrugated cardboard together – cut them into “carpet” squares and lay a path on the floor to offer different textures for the feet.

You could also help your child make a textured collage. Cut different shapes out of the bubble wrap and corrugated cardboard and glue them to a piece of paper or cardboard.

So when you get your next Toy Bug order – save a trip to the recycling or rubbish bin by having fun with the packaging.

My Toilet Chart

Toilet training children can be a challenging task for many parents and it is even more difficult for parents of children with ASD. Many of these kids are non-verbal and mostly communicate through the aid of visual cards. Without the perfect tool, toilet training these special children can lead to frustrations and a lot of mishaps.

With these important factors in mind, Magnetic Moves came up with the My Toilet Chart which has been specifically designed to aid children and their parents during the toilet training stage. It has the signature interactive and easy-to-use features of Magnetic Moves' charts, which make it a big hit among parents and children.

The chart allows the parent to use it to suit their child's needs. It has spaces for up to 5 goals and it's up to the parent to choose whether to use all 5 goals or start slowly with just one or two. Once the child achieves the goal, a star is placed under the goal in a column.

The chart is reusable as it is magnetic and with 35 colour-coded activity tiles, 20 star tiles and 5 balloon reward tiles, it's easy to adjust and personalise. There are also 50 extra stickers which can be used to encourage the child some more, as well as an easy-to-follow user guide.

The Cubeo Organiser

For children on the Autism Spectrum, trying to remember the things they need to bring to school everyday can be a difficult task. T hey usually work on routine and when that changes, it sets them off balance. Children on the Autism Spectrum are also usually very visual learners and sometimes can have difficulty verbalising their thoughts or needs.

This is why the Cubeo is a revolution in teaching kids how to remember and organise the things they need for school. It is visual and colourful so they will find it engaging and easy to use. It comes in the form of a bag tag so kids can access it without having to undo tricky zips to get to it.

The Cubeo has over 80 reusable stickers which feature common items you'd find in the schoolbag of a primary school student, as well as stickers for extracurricular activities. There is also an information card where you can write down the contact and allergy details.

So how easy is the Cubeo to use? It's really simple. There's a front window that displays all the items that the child needs for that day. The ingenious drop-down cards allows the child to see and remember the other things he or she needs for specific days of the week.

Each pack of the Cubeo contains the device, a set of 90 reusable stickers and is available in blue, green, pink, and yellow.

Siblings and Autism

Having a sibling with a disability can be challenging and when the disability is ‘hidden’ or not so obvious like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), it can be even harder.

‘Normal’ family life is rarely problem free. A family that never disagrees would be incredibly odd! The presence of an autistic child is unlikely to be the sole cause of such problems, although it may complicate or exacerbate struggles at various times.

Often the sibling with ASD will require extra attention from the parent, and the other children may understandably feel left out or resentful. It’s perfectly normal. No one likes to feel left out, regardless what age they are, or the reasoning.

So what do you do about it? Can you do anything? Absolutely!

Consider setting aside a short period daily or at minimum, weekly, to connect with the other family members and let them know they are special in their own way. Perhaps use the time when a child is travelling from school, undertaking a sport or activity or after siblings have gone to bed. Share a milkshake, a trip to the park or the shops, a book or a game, something simple where the sibling without a disability is not the centre of the activity or event. How special would it be to have a designated ‘date’ with mum or dad, or better, both!

Don’t forget kids are pretty resilient too and research suggests that in the majority of families, the benefits of having a sibling with special needs far outweighs the disadvantages.

Tolerance, acceptance, patience, compassion, a strong sense of equality, social justice and a greater understanding of people and their differences are all common traits in people who have the blessing of a person with additional needs, Autism related or otherwise, in their family.