Happy Earth Day!

If you have kids around the house, chances are your drawers are full of odds and ends, craft supplies, and little toys. Now that we spend our days doing tons of sensory and fine motor skill activities, we're accumulating this stuff at an alarming rate.  

I'm just about as cheap as they get, and one thing I absolutely hate paying for are storage containers.  So in honor of Earth Day, I'm posting some ideas of how to recycle other household objects to clean up the clutter.

* Do you have old puzzles that are missing a few pieces?  Don't throw out the boxes!  Re-use them in drawers (I painted this one pink for my daughter's dresser) to hold erasers, crayon pieces, and stickers. See the little clear plastic container?  That's an old apple sauce cup! :-)   Old sippy cups with lost lids (on the right) are perfect for doing water coloring.

* Old oatmeal or potato flake containers are GREAT for storage.  This particular one has another use, though.  I left a bit of the stale oatmeal in it, glued it shut, decorated it, and now my kids use it as a music shaker!

* Have you ever bought sheets or curtains that come in those clear bags with zippers at the top?  These things have endless uses!  I've used them to collect acrylic paint bottles, sea shells, and extra plastic utensils left over from parties.

* This old shoe box was pretty cool because the lid lifts from the side (instead of coming all the way off).  We use this as a craft box.


Empty sour cream or cottage cheese containers are also great for stacking art supplies in the closet.

* Cat litter containers are big and awkward to throw away.   Put one by the front door for umbrellas, one in the backyard for sand toys, and keep a few in the garage for yard care or gardening tools.  (If you're using one in the house, you can paint it or re-cover it with contact paper.) 

* Empty baby food jars can be put up on high shelves (away from the kids) for collecting buttons, beads, or stray screws and nails.


Every once in a while I'm tempted by all those super-cute containers and bins at Target, but using things we already have around the house is so much better for our budget and the environment.  Make it your family Earth Day and Spring Cleaning project to organize your junk with things you already have around the house!

Filling the Piggy Bank via the Internet

I'm taking a break from posts about Autism because I've recently had a lot of friends and relatives ask me how I've made money from the internet.  The beautiful thing about blogging is that I can answer all of those questions at once!

Let's be real here: I don't have time for a "job" right now. I'm not going to make a fortune in the few spare moments I have each day. But I have used the internet to make a bit of extra cash, and I'm going to go through a few things that I've tried. Some worked, some didn't. Some fizzled quickly, and I haven't been back since. All of us stay-at-home-moms are looking for small ways to supplement our income these days, which unfortunately makes us prey to scams.  Here are a few "been there, done that" avenues:

Amazon Mechanical Turk- A couple of years ago, this was a great site. Essentially, people or companies post small tasks they need completed: reviews, surveys, transcription, etc. Just accept the jobs you want, and complete the task within the time limit.
After a few rather successful months on the site, (about $200 in 4 months, just spending a few minutes a day), I noticed that the offered payouts got smaller, and the amount of scam posts increased. While I used to find lots of $1.00 surveys or $6.00 transcription jobs, those gave way to two cent image tagging or "enter all of your personal information on our site to get paid" tasks. While there are still a lot of legitimate jobs, most of them aren't worth my time for the (literal) penny or two that I make. Still, I will cautiously recommend this site because occasionally, decent tasks can be found.

YouData- I was singing the praises of this site a year ago, but now it gets a big thumbs down. This "get paid to view ads" site was a great idea, and I made a few bucks in the beginning, but now the advertisers have apparently decided that they were marketing to us just fine without having to pay us for it. The ads have dried up almost completely, and although you get paid into your PayPal account every Friday, it's been a while since there has been any money to collect. Major bummer.

Survey sites- Apparently I am not anyone's key demographic. I joined half a dozen of the most popular survey sites, and in 3 months, I qualified for one survey. If you have had better luck, good for you, but I found these to be a complete waste of time.

Selling used items online- Craigslist is easy and far less work than a garage sale.  People are usually willing to pay more than when they show up in your driveway, too.  If you own a digital camera, you can upload pictures and create posts in a flash!  I've sold clothes, toys, and old baby gear with a pretty decent return.
     Ebay and Amazon are great options for a lot of people, but I personally don't have the time or ability with the kids to go to the post office several times a week to ship items. 

Swagbucks- This is my current favorite, and I have their "Swidget" here on my site.  Essentially, you can get points for all kinds of things (trading in old games or cell phones, filling out offers, etc.), but most of the points come from downloading and using their toolbar. Collect points (Swagbucks) and cash them in in the Swag Store.  The best deal seems to be the Amazon gift cards: a $5 card for 450 points.  Currently it only takes me about 2-3 weeks to rack up enough for a card, and in the last few months, I've made about $100 in Amazon gift cards.
Drawback: The search engine is powered by Google and Ask.com, but not as good. I sometimes find myself running a search through Google when Swagbucks doesn't give me the results I'm looking for.  And if you're not online much or don't search frequently, you're not going to earn enough SB's.

So what have I learned from my mini-money-making ventures?  There aren't many sites out there willing to pay you for a small amount of work.  This shouldn't come as a big surprise.  Telecommuting jobs are few and far between unless it's for a company you've already worked for and established contacts.  So if you want to make money off of the internet, you need to be a little more innovative.  Lots of people have sold their own products, or found a niche that needs to be filled in their community.  I started making money about three years ago as a transcriptionist, since I used to be a legal secretary.  I contacted online radio stations and made contact with web hosts willing to pay for occasional transcription services.  I've worked for nutrition specialists, fitness gurus, and hypnotists.  Some of these people are very well-known in their fields. I currently only have one client (my time is rather limited these days), typing up car insurance appraisals.  The work is sporadic, but it's a bit of extra "play money", and they're a great group of people to work with.  Even more important than the money is the feeling that I have something to do that does not involve cleaning or taking care of children.  I never intended to be a stay at home mom for long, but having an Autistic child has drastically changed my priorities and plans for the future.  Still, having something of my own is vital for my sanity, and this is exactly the outlet I need.

Have any other online money-making tips?  Let us know!

My Child is Not a Brat. He is in Sensory Overload

Having an Autistic child is challenging enough.  It becomes downright heartbreaking when people you come in contact with judge your parenting or believe your child to be a holy terror that just needs whipping into shape.

If you are the parent or caregiver of an Autistic child with sensory processing issues, the following scenario will seem all too familiar:

Despite your best planning ahead, you run out of diaper wipes.  You dig through the car and your kids' backpacks before you resign yourself to the fact that a trip to the store is necessary. *sigh*

The store is just around the corner, but you already know this is going to be an hour-long ordeal.  Your child still cannot dress himself or put on his shoes, so you begin there.  Once dressed, you explain to him that you will be getting in the car, sitting in a cart, and walking through the store to buy something.  Even a small change in the daily routine can be distressing for an "Autie", so you verbally prepare him as best you can.

Your child is constantly in "flight" mode outside, so you wrestle him to the car and congratulate yourself that he did not run in the street or down to the park.  (You're also trying to keep your eye on his sibling, who is anxious to go and get this over with.)  He has difficulty with enclosed spaces, and it takes him a few minutes to calm himself down once he's strapped in his seat.
After a short drive, you're at the store.  Your Autie has major sensory processing issues.  Bright lights are distressing, unfamiliar noises are disturbing, he's terrified of strangers, and sitting confined in a cart sends him into panic mode.  You wrestle him into his seat while his brother sits in the other section of the cart, excited about this little outing.  Unfortunately, you're in the store for less than two minutes before your Autie is in Sensory Overload, and he begins to shake and cry.  You walk down the lane quickly for the diaper wipes, but he is already screaming and trying to stand up in the cart.   Calming him down at this phase is a losing battle, but you try to distract him with pretzels or fruit snacks, to no avail.

At this point, you are receiving glares and disgusted looks from other parents.  Particularly bold ones may actually stop to offer constructive advise, such as:  "You need to FEED your child before you leave the house!"  or "Why couldn't you wait until after nap time?"  I've even had people advise, "He's just a spoiled brat.  It's nothing a good beating wouldn't cure."

If they're lucky, you are not a violent person and resist the urge to beat the lights out of them.  But as you go to bed tonight, you will fantasize about it because it makes you feel just a little bit better. 

It never ceases to amaze me that these days people still feel justified in telling other people how to raise their children.  I would never in a million years come up to a complete stranger and judge their parenting skills or say nasty things about their child, but it happens.

After several extreme experiences, I stopped taking Matthew to the store altogether.  He became too big and heavy to wrestle into the cart, and was strong enough to rock and tip it over when he was particularly panicked.  I had reached my emotional limit, and this was one thing I could cut out of our schedule that would make all of our lives a bit easier. 

Now that Matthew is in full-time ABA therapy, he has a "Community Outing" goal.  His target time began with two minutes, meaning that he must sit quietly in the cart for that amount of time.   Two minutes does not even get us into the store.  I loaded him into the cart, pushed up to the front door, and walked right back to the cart.  After four months, we have moved up to a five minute target, which is just long enough to walk into the store and down one aisle before we leave.  He receives a treat (pretzel or fruit snack) for every 30 seconds he can sit nicely, but if he throws a tantrum, we cannot leave until he has calmed down.  It is extremely important for him to not think his tantrum caused us to leave the store, because then the behavior would be reinforced.

Even with an aide present, I have still dealt with stares and glares from other customers.  I have read about other moms who always have their child wear an "Autism" t-shirt in public.  One creative grandmother created business cards to hand out that say, "My grandchild is not tired, hungry, or a spoiled brat.  He has Autism."  Although I have not done these things myself, I am all for educating the public about our child's challenges, and it can be hurtful and exhausting to feel that you have to verbally apologize for your child's behavior every time you encounter strangers.

So while I understand that his behavior may be an inconvenience for you while we are shopping in the same aisle, I am trying to raise my child to become a productive member of society and overcome his sensory challenges, for his own benefit and for the benefit of the community.  That cannot be accomplished by sitting at home and keeping him away from the general public.  So let's all try to have a bit more tolerance for each other and not jump to the conclusion that every unruly child is simply spoiled and selfish.   We're all in this together, and a little bit of patience goes a long way to helping our kids adjust to the great big world out there.  :-)

Time For a Safety Reality Check

Let me start off by saying that even though this post is geared toward parents and caregivers with Autistic children, a lot of these subjects are relevant with any child.  Nowhere is this more important than CHILD SAFETY.

Sadly, I'm highlighting this now because there was a recent drowning in Florida involving an Autistic child.  These incidents are unfortunately all too common, as children with Autism are prone to wandering.  If you're the parent of an Autistic child, there's a good chance you've lost your child in public, or have been in danger of it.  I had several terrifying experiences with this when Matthew's younger brother was an infant, because it was virtually impossible to run after one child while carrying a baby at the same time. 

Here is a link to The Autism Speaks: Autism Safety Project, and it contains absolutely vital information for anyone who cares for Autistic children, or in my opinion, any small child. According to their site, the "Top Safety Risks for Individuals with ASD" are:

• Wandering
  
• Pica (ingesting non-edibles)
  
• Drowning
  
• Household toxins

 The page also has links for Personal Identification products and Tracking Devices.
If your child is prone to wandering in public, or even their own neighborhood, please consider these resources.

Another tip:  take frequent pictures of your child so that if he/she does get lost, you will have a recent picture to share with authorities and the community.  If you have a camera phone, try to take a picture of your child each time you leave the house for an outing.  That way, you will always have a picture with your child wearing the clothes they are in when they went missing. 

I'm sure I'll blog about household safety in the future, but for now, please visit the link above for national and regional resources that can educate us all on ways to keep our children safe!

Fine Motor Activities- Get Those Fingers Moving!

This is one of the few areas of Autism that my son does not have a lot of deficiencies in, but these are important skills to practice with any child.  In fact, when my daughter started school, I realized that I had I really dropped the ball on this one.  So whether your child has extreme fine motor delay, or none at all, fine motor skill play is a must.  Grandparents, caregivers, and siblings can all get involved in these activities, which you can probably convince your child are just for fun!  (Shhh...we won't tell.)

I'm going beyond the obvious here (crayons, markers, scissors) with some ideas of fun things you can do around the house with basic supplies:

- Hide buttons, coins, marbles, or other small objects in sand.  (You can also use dry grits, rice, or the Be Amazing Insta-Snow Jar I mentioned in another post.)  Handling and manipulating small objects is vital for good fine motor skills.

- Fill empty plastic spritzer bottles with dyed water.  Let them spritz the colored water on thick white paper to create beautiful pictures!

-Don't throw away those old shirts and pants!  Instead, use them to teach your child how to use a zipper, push buttons through holes, and fasten a snap.  These aren't easy skills for any small child!

-Buy a set of lacing beads.  Melissa and Doug makes dozens of great fine motor skill products, including more than one lacing bead set.  My three year-old is still wearing the "necklace" he made two days ago.


-We found a way to use the leftover hard boiled eggs from Easter!  Let your child crack the eggs and peel them.  (Keep the air freshener handy.  This activity is a bit stinky.)

- Make some sugar cookies.  Pressing the cutters down and peeling off the excess dough is a perfect exercise.  After the cookies have baked, let them decorate with small candies that they need to pinch between their fingers and put in place.  


I hope these ideas keep you busy for the weekend!  If you have any favorite fine motor skill projects, post them in the Comments!

Fun with Sensory Play!

Sensory play has become one of the best parts of our day! The options are endless, and it usually involves something ewwy, gooey, or just plain messy.

What is sensory play, and why is it so important? If you want the technical answer, there are plenty of sites that will explain it, but since you're here anyway, I'll keep it brief: Our world is made up of millions of different sights, sounds, textures, tastes, and smells. For most of us, we take these things in stride, and we don't usually think that much about what our senses are taking in as we walk down the street. For many children with Autism, those same sights, sounds, textures, etc, are overwhelming, and can even keep them from functioning in many environments.

Sensory play allows Autistic children (or any child, really) to explore those senses so that through time, they become less overwhelming, and they can process them in a way that is more akin to what the rest of us do naturally.

These activities can be done all day long, and the great part is, you can use items you already have at home! (Disclaimer: You're going to need some old clothes that can get dirty, and plenty of ADULT SUPERVISION.)
Here are some ideas we've used:

-Fill a large plastic storage container with rice or dried beans. Give the kids spoons and small cups, and let them pour back and forth. This is also a great motor skill activity.

-Finger painting doesn't have to be done with paint. You can use shaving cream, pudding, whipped cream, etc. Add some food coloring for even more fun!

- Cooked spaghetti noodles are squishy and great for running through their hands.

- Get out those old boxes of Jell-O you never used (I can't believe anyone would actually eat that stuff by choice, anyway). Make a couple of batches in a baking pan, and hide little plastic bugs or other small objects in it for your kids to find.


- Invest in a sand/water table! You can get these at Toys R Us, Walmart, or many hardware stores, just to name a few. It can be used indoors or outdoors for sand or water. Give them some cups and funnels and let them go wild!
Aaaannnnddd....*cue fanfare*.... Here is my find of the year.

It's called Insta-Snow, and if you live in a warm place
like we do, this is as close as you're going to get to the real thing. Make a few small scoops (just add water), and it becomes a cool, snowy powder. Soooooo awesome!!! My kids spent hours playing with this stuff in a pan at the kitchen table. We hid stones, used animal figures for pretend play, and made hand prints. This jar will make two gallons, but it only takes less than a quarter of the jar for one play session. Buy it on the Insta-Snow website, or on Amazon.com. Be Amazing Insta-Snow Jar

So now that you have some sensory play ideas, go through your pantry and figure out what you already have on hand. You'd be surprised what you'll come up with!

2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Sacramento -

2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Sacramento -



Being the parent of a child with Autism can be pretty darn time consuming. Between the IPP's, IEP's, doctor's appointments, assessments, hours upon hours of ABA therapy....well, most full time jobs don't clock this many hours. After a while, it becomes your life, and when it's going badly, that "woe is me" rut can get a little rough.
When that happens, I remind myself that we have a great opportunity as members of this little "club" to get the word out and make a real difference for others. That's why I signed my family up last week for our first "Walk Now For Autism Speaks" event! The idea of being a Team Captain never really crossed my mind in the beginning; I just assumed there would be something going on in our area for National Autism Awareness Month. What I learned was that Sacramento isn't holding their walk until October! So do I sit around until then, twiddling my thumbs, eating Mounds bars and waiting for the leaves to turn yellow? That's probably what a smart woman would do. But I'm getting pretty used to this idea of an insane amount of multi-tasking, and somehow I thought that this event would be so much more fun and meaningful if I jumped in with both feet and started our own team!

A few log in names and passwords later, I am now the Team Captain of Matthew's Mighty Walkers!!!! I have no idea how much money we'll raise or if we'll even meet our Team Member Goal, but I'm pretty excited about being a part of such an important event. Because when you're living the Autism Lifestyle, especially in the early stages where our family is, it can be a bit isolating. What better way to bring awareness to the community and your friends and family, than by joining so many others who are dealing with the same struggles you are?

I'm especially excited to get my 7 year-old daughter involved. I can't imagine wrapping my head around a disorder like Autism at such a young age, but she already does an amazing job of being a protector and advocate for her brother. On World Autism Awareness Day last week, she got up in front of her first grade class and explained what it was like to have a brother with Autism. And she was so proud. To her, it's important for people to understand that he doesn't speak much, but that he's still a lot of fun. She focuses on his strengths, even if it's something as simple as how fast he runs at the park, or how affectionate he always is with her. And now she gets to walk in a "parade", raise money, and teach others how to understand her brother. How cool is that?

If you'd like to donate to our team, Click on the link above and search for "Matthew's Mighty Walkers"! And if you have any great fund raising ideas for kids, let me know! We have several months to get this team moving!