School Fun

Yesterday we spoke a little on the subject of back to school preparation. In light of that, I am posting this list of school-related jokes that you can share with your child. This is another way of building positive associations with school as well as getting them back into thinking about school. This may also help with some of the anxieties a child may have relating to school. Are you ready? Here we go ... have fun!


Q: What did the ground say to the earthquake?
A: You crack me up!

Q: Why did the music teacher need a ladder?
A: To reach the high notes.

Q: What kind of plates do they use on Venus?
A: Flying saucers!

Q: How do you get straight A's?
A: By using a ruler!

Q: What did the pen say to the pencil?
A: "So, what's your point!"

Q: Why did the kid study in the airplane?
A: Because he wanted a higher education!

Q: How did the music teacher get locked in the classroom?
A: His keys were inside the piano!

Q: What do elves learn in school?
A: The elf-abet!

Q: What did you learn in school today?
A: "Not enough, I have to go back tomorrow!"

Q: Why did the teacher wear sunglasses?
A: Because his class was so bright!

Q: What object is king of the classroom?
A: The ruler!

Q: Why were the teacher's eyes crossed?
A: She couldn't control her pupils!

Q: When do astronauts eat?
A: At launch time!

Q: What did the pencil sharpener say to the pencil?
A: Stop going in circles and get to the point!

Q: How does the barber cut the moon's hair?
A: E-clipse it!

Jessica

Preparing Your Child for "BACK TO SCHOOL"

Summer break is notorious for late nights, loose schedules, and coming/going with the wind. Oh how we love summer break! As the beginning of a new school year approaches, it is a good idea to begin to prepare our children before the actual day before school. It is tricky, really, because on one hand you don't want your child to feel as though his/her summer break is being cut short. On the other hand, you want to make the transition into a new school year as smooth and easy on your child as possible (whether or not he/she sees it as that).

With this in mind, I think the delivery on this is very important. Implement some or all of the strategies below, but do so in a manner that does not imply a count down to doomsday. For instance, remind your child that even when school starts, his/her summer is not over. There will still be days of pool/beach fun, picnics in the park, fishing/crabbing, playing in the sprinkler on the front lawn, and so on. Reminding my own child of these things has always gone a long way in helping him to not dread the start of school so much. Below are some tips that I have always recommended. Again, remember the delivery!

TIPS for BACK TO SCHOOL transitioning:

1) At least one week prior to the start of school, begin scaling back your child's bedtime. Why not just start this a couple days before school starts? Well, your child's body clock needs time to adjust to a new bedtime and arise time.

2) If you find that your child's diet and eating habits have significantly changed with the summer (i.e. drinking more cokes, eating more junk, eating at non-meal and non-snack times during the day, consuming more sugar/candy), begin to get your child back on a more healthy way of eating that is more conducive to helping your child to be attentive, less impulsive, and better able to concentrate in school.

3) Also, begin having more structured eating times (whether snacks or meals). Try finding out what time your child will be having lunch at school this year, and begin giving your child his/her lunch at that time 1-2 weeks prior to school. That way your child will not have those distracting hunger pains in class before lunch.

4) Be aware of any comments your child makes related to his/her feelings about going back to school. Recognize any anxieties he/she may be experiencing and offer advise to either help him/her feel prepared and/or soothe his/her concerns. It may be a situation in which your child simply needs some reassuring words or it may be a situation where he/she needs a step by step plan to implement.

5) If able, when shopping for school supplies, allow your child to pick out something extra (not on the supplies list) for school. This may be a special pack of pencils/pens, a cool notebook for writings/HW log, a cool binder, etc. Put the item(s) aside for school (do not allow these to be used beforehand). That way your child will look forward to using the item which will, in some small way at least, help him/her to look forward to school.

6) Plan a "Back to School" activity with your child for him/her to look forward to. Key word here is 'PLAN', letting your child know ahead of time (not just the day before ... give him/her the chance to look forward to the activity/associate this 'fun' with back to school). You may decide to cook your child's favorite meal for dinner on the first day of school. Or, you may decide that you will plan something special for the weekend after the first week of school.

7) Be sure to have your child's school preparations ahead of time so that there is as little last minute chaos as possible. This would include clothes shopping, school supply shopping, organizing, etc. This helps your child feel prepared, and as a result, more secure about starting school. Sometimes we have to wait on certain things such as buying a book bag or school clothes as our budgets allow so just be sure to prepare what you are able to ahead of time.

8) If your child faces a special need and/or set of circumstances which affect his/her learning or school experience, I encourage you to read up on materials which offer assistance, advise, and/or strategies for these. There are so many wonderful materials out there! The Internet is one (be sure to always check the source, though!). Also, go to your local bookstore and look in either the "Special Needs/Special Education" or "Psychology" sections. We parents always want the best for our children, and often times (without realizing it) put it all on ourselves to come up with the answers and remedies. Let these wonderful resources help you!

Here are some other great tips from other resources:

9) Decorate and embellish. As a craft project, let your child decorate his school notebooks. Have stickers, markers, colorful paper, crayons, and other craft items available. Encourage your child to personalize their school supplies. Not only will your child enjoy the process and create something they like to look at, they will also be able to easily spot their items.

10) Young children always feel more comfortable if they know what to expect. Before the new school year begins, family members can explain to children how their daily routines will change. Precisely describe what the morning routines will be in age-appropriate terms. Some children may enjoy creating a pictorial chart to include each step of the morning schedule.
- National Association for the Education of Young Children

11) Try getting up earlier a couple of days before the new school year begins and explain why you're doing it. This may prevent your child from being confused, groggy, cranky, or refusing to get out of bed on the first day of the new program.
- National Association for the Education of Young Children

Hope these help!

Jessica

Tennessee

My wonderful trip to Tennessee over the weekend was exactly that- wonderful! However, there is one exception ...the black eye I acquired while tubing off the back of the pontoon boat on Friday. It hurt when it happened, but hasn't really bothered me since except maybe when I blink hard when laughing hard (which I'm trying to remember not to do!)


Anyhow, I almost forget that I am walking around with this shiner ... well, until someone begins to stare. I am, for the most part, able to cover most of it with makeup, however, you can still tell when you are up close. Other than wondering how my little clients will react, I'm not too concerned about it. I'm just giving everyone a little head's up, though, since I look a bit rough this week! I sure did have fun, though!

Jessica

Thank You

I am writing from Tennessee today. My family took a quick trip here for the weekend. We are meeting up with part of our family to spend some nice time together. We've got a day of fun on the lake ahead of us so I'm excited!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I will be back to blogging at the beginning of next week.

I did want to take a moment, though, to say "thank you" to all my sweet clients. In all the chaos of life, work, responsibilities, commitments, and 'to do' lists, I am so thankful for my session time with my clients. That's when my spirits are lifted, and I am reminded of how much I love this calling I have been given. What an honor.

I had that thought once again this week, and just wanted to take a moment to give it a voice.

Jessica

Social Skills Activities for Special Children

Hello and Happy Thursday! There is a book that I have thumbed through various times before, and it has remained on my 'wish list' of work related items. I have been a fan of this book, and have had the opportunity to implement some of the activities in the past, however, I am so glad to have my own copy of the entire book! The book, which I ordered through my local bookstore, is called Social Skills Activities for Special Children (Second Edition) by Darlene Mannix. The author has taught both general and special education, and has written several best-selling books for special educators.

Upon first thumbing through the book, I began to wonder if the activities were really only for the classroom, however, I quickly thought otherwise. This book is brimming with a great variety of very applicable activities and focuses that apply to various environments (not just for school use). Although I am a therapist and not a teacher, I am so glad for the sections of the book which are more specific to classroom/school related subjects and environments. The reason being is that I often times work with my clients (when applicable to the client) on peer and school related behaviors, schedules, and other endeavors. This provides me with great material for these activities.

Nearly every activity included in this book also has a worksheet that goes along with it. I loved this! The main activity focus topics include Understanding the Teacher's Role, Classroom Rules and Responsibilities, When You Have Problems, Learning and Working with Others, Making Friends, Keeping Friends, Understanding Social Situations, Positive Personality Attributes, Getting Along with Others at Home, Everyday Etiquette, and Relating Appropriately to Other School People. Each of these topics has a long list of wonderful activities to go along with it.

Many of the activity worksheets include visuals such as pictures of scenarios and/or word bubbles, and are somewhat like reading a comic. I am anxious to Hmmm ... did I mention that already? :)

I encourage you to click on the link above so that you may take a look inside the book at some sample activities as well as the activity lists in the table of contents. I will say, though, that the sample activity worksheets that you do get to see (on that site) do not give you a very good idea/representation of the visuals included in many of the activities. Just know that they are there.

Have a great day!

Jessica

NOTE: Jessica Grooms is in no way responsible or involved in your ordering process of any materials recommended or listed here. Ordering materials is done independently by you.

Grant Opportunities

Good late morning to you all. I apologize for my blogging absense Monday and Tuesday. I have been a bit under the weather. Feeling a bit better today, though, so no worries.

Anyhow, I wanted to mention third party reimbursement today. Families who have a child who has special needs, medical needs, and/or requires treatment/therapy often times find the need to pursue funding for some of the child's services, treatment, and/or special equipment.

I want to make sure that you all realize that there are funding opportunities out there. I encourage you to look into your local charities and boards. Realize, also, though that there are other opportunities outside of these that we don't always think about. Look around your area to see what major companies and/or corporations you have in your community. These companies/corporations often times allot a certain amount of money to be donated to causes and charities. Many times they look to local causes, charities, persons. Also, look online at listings of grant opportunities of major companies (that aren't necessarily local) such as well known food manufacturers, home products, and such (brand names you'd see in your grocery store). Go to the brand website, and look into grant opportunities there. Also, you may want to contact them in order to inquire about the grant specifications and guidelines.

Once you pinpoint a possible funding provider, obtain from them a grant application as well as a list of other items they may require for a grant request. For example, some require information from your 1040, a letter from your child's doctor/pediatrician, an invoice for services (your therapist will provide you with this), explanation of benefits that treatment offers (your therapist/treatment provider can provide this) and/or other pieces of information.

Most treatment providers/therapists are glad to assist in the grant application process. Also, your pediatrician is often glad to provide a letter as long as he/she is knowledgeable about the treatment/therapy/item for which you are requesting funding. Be sure your doctor/pediatrician has any information he/she may need to be informed.

The state of our economy this year has put even more of a strain on individuals seeking funding as well as the charities, companies, and boards that are trying to provide funding. This has prompted me to sit down and search out 'other' possible funding opportunities for my clients. I now have a list of possible grant opportunities. My next step is to compile a brief letter and bit of information on Music Therapy as well as some information links (for companies to find more information on Music Therapy). I plan on sending this information out in order to 1) educate persons within these companies on Music Therapy, and 2) to find out whether or not this would fit within the boundaries of their grant specifications. Once I receive word back, I will recommend those to my clients in which case a client will then pursue this grant individually. Of course, I am always there to help the process along.

It sounds like such a process, I know. And it is. However, the real effort is in the beginning. Once your grant application is approved, it is fairly effortless from then on, and well worth it!

I hope this helps. To all my clients, as always, please never hesitate to ask me for information and assistance on this.

Have a lovely day,

Jessica

Music and Imagery for Children with Serious Illness

As many of you who are familiar with Music Therapy know, there are many techniques and models used within session. As a Music Therapist, I love having such a variety of effective tools as options. Examples of these are music and movement, music and relaxation, active listening, song analysis, song writing, creating music, music and imagery, instrumental improvisation, among others. Having so many tools is one way in which Music Therapy is able to cater to the specifics of a client.

One technique sometimes used in MT has to do with combining music with imagery. Many Music Therapists use basic forms of this, however, there is a whole other level of music and imagery called Guided Imagery in Music in which a Music Therapist can get special training in, and can then specialize in GIM.

Many therapies not only use the imagery technique, but often will encourage this for use outside of therapy as well. Of course, like with any technique implemented, it is important to first learn how to correctly and effectively understand and implement the technique.

I have in my collection of resources a wonderful book called Healing Images for Children by Nancy Klein, M.A.. I mention and list this book in the Recommended Resources section of my website, but wanted to go into a little further detail today.

This is book is geared toward children facing cancer and other serious illnesses. I have found it very useful in use with these children as well as children who are facing other scenarios. Children who are facing scenarios where they need a new perspective on a situation, need to feel empowerment in a situation, need to find a 'safe place', need a method for coping, etc have benefited from this.

This book is full of mini stories with themes. There are categories of stories which are based around a specific medical/hospital scenario such as routine procedures. For example, some of the story categories in this book are: Stories About Taking Medicine, Stories About Radiation Therapy, and Stories About Surgery. Other categories are a little more broad and can relate to children without medically based needs/characteristics. These story categories include: Stories about Relaxation, Stories to Help You Fall Asleep, Stories for Helping with Painful Sensations, Stories About Taking Medicine.

Each story has a specific point of focus included with it (typically repeated throughout the story) such as in the story entitled Paintbrush in which the point of focus is, "I can brush away pain."

Using the proper music alongside these stories is very important. We know that music can have a profound effect on us mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and so on. It is with this in mind that we must realize that music is made up of various components that lead to the type of influence it may have on a person. When choosing music for our own selves, it is easier to determine whether or not the music is having the desired effect because, for example, I know what type of music "makes me feel relaxed". However, choosing music to elicit a certain response/have a certain effect on another person is a little more complicated. You may not interpret a piece of music the same way that I do. There are things to consider such as tempo, key, genre, bpm, tempo and key changes, dynamics, and so on and so forth. There was a time when people assumed that if the music was classical, it was automatically good for relaxation. However, this is not always the case. Be sure to consult with your Music Therapist first. He or she will be able to aid you with this.

Ooooh! I apologize for such a long blog- can you tell I love this book?!

Have a great weekend!

Jessica

NOTE: Jessica Grooms is in no way responsible or involved in your ordering process of any materials recommended or listed here. Ordering materials is done independently by you.

Oh no!

Something is missing! I apologize for not posting a newsletter on my website for this month. July has been a bit of a hectic month. I will have a newsletter posted for the month of August (I'm working on it already, actually) so look for it close to the beginning of August.

I'm trying to keep my newsletter somewhat brief while still informative and useful. I've noticed that my page numbers have been increasing monthly, and although I am glad to provide the information, I don't want you using up all your printer ink just to print up my newsletters!

Starting this blog has given me opportunity to share some of those resources daily. I serve a good little mix of clientele with a mix of needs. So, although not every blog posting will serve every person, I hope that you will all be able to find things along the way (in the newsletters, my website, and my blog) that you find valuable.

Enjoy your day

Jessica

Teaching Us

As many of our locals know, we have a very reputable teaching hospital here in Charleston. MUSC (Medical University of South Carolina) offers an amazing Children's Hospital which caters to children in a very thorough and extensive manner. I cannot tell you how many countless stories I have heard from parents of how this hospital has catered to and helped their families.

I was on the MUSC website the other day researching something, and I noticed that MUSC posts a monthly Parenting Newsletter online. You also have the option of subscribing to the newsletter in which case you will have each newsletter sent directly to you via email. I browsed through some of the archive newsletters to see what kinds of topics were covered, and found that they have a great variety of topics. They cover things that are specific to specific medical conditions (such as, "Facts about Asthma" found in the March 2009 issue), but also cover more general topics that any parent could find relevant (such as, "When Does a Child Need an Eye Exam?" April 2009 issue or "Avoid Skipping Meals" February 2009 issue). This focus of this month's newsletter, actually, is Autism. You can find the link to the Parent Newsletters in the left side column under "News & Events" or simply click on the link within this blog.

MUSC also offers a separate monthly newsletter called Kids Connection Newsletter which spotlights specific patient stories. I read through a few, and they are very inspiring. You are also given the option to subscribe to this one as well.

Thank you, MUSC for making yourself not only accessible to your patients, but to your community as well.

A beautiful day to you all,

Jessica

A Camping We Should Go

Children far and wide look forward to the adventures of summer camp. Games and camp fires and fun, oh my! There are so many out there from which to choose.

There are also more specialized camps out there that are designed with a specific focus and/or need in mind. For example, there are space camps, art camps, sport camps, etc. There are also all sorts of camps out there for our children who have specific needs. There are camps geared toward special needs populations, medically based needs (i.e., Camp Happy Days), etc. These types of camps not only provide the children with fun filled activities, but also respite for the parents.

The camps designed especially for children with special needs are much more than an added opportunity for summertime fun. They provide many opportunities for skills-based work (many summer bridge activities) that help to reinforce things learned and accomplished the previous year in school (maintaining skills). They also help your child to develop socially as they work alongside and/or with other children to accomplish goals and tasks.

For some of you who have had your children in these types of summer camps, you are probably nodding your head in agreement. For others of you who have younger children and/or this is new to you, I wanted to point out just how great of a tool summer camp can be especially to our children with very specific needs.

Please know, also, that there are funding options out there for these types of camps as well. Camp can be a bit expensive at times. There are various charities, state organizations, etc which offer opportunities for summer funding. I always encourage anyone interested to apply for summer funds early on (at the start of the year before spring). If you wait too late, the money they set aside for this will be gone!

Oh! One more thing! The picture above is also a link to the website of this album. I do not own this album (although I hope to one day), but I loved the songs that I listened to on the website. I don't know if it's because I am hungry at the moment, but I especially love the food based songs ("Tater Pie" and "Campfire Beans"). Great lyrics and instrumentation - not just your everyday kid's songs. Love it!

Happy Camping!

Jessica

Time to refuel

Good morning all :)

Picture this:

You are on a road trip with an amazingly fun trip ahead of you - lots of things to see and do! You get in the car/camper/van and go, go, go. You go through town after town, passing each and every gas station. Meanwhile, your tank is getting lower and lower until you are on the side of the road out of gas and unable to proceed on your amazing trip!

Point: You've got to refuel sometime!

I relate this concept also to what my husband tells me about working out/exercising. He says that when he is lifting weights, the downtime is just as important as the weight lifting. The rest period is when the muscle builds back up so that it can continue on. Otherwise, your muscles get overworked and broken down.

I relate these concepts to what happens when we don't have downtime.

One of my sweet little clients this past week really got a lot out of scheduled downtime within session. Knowing that he has had a bit of a hectic summer thus far with extended school, camp, family vacations, and lots of pool/park/beach time (judging from some of his recent behaviors), I decided to implement this downtime within session. We had an activity toward the beginning of session where he was to choose (he was given two choices) what he wanted to do during that activity. The activity was so basic, and required only two main components, those being 1) relaxation music and 2) opportunity for free play within the structure of the song and within the boundary of activity choice. Giving him specific choices gave some sort of boundary and structure to the activity, and giving him the choice of the activity provided him with some control and opportunity for independence. Although this is not a relaxation activity, it does tend to have some of the same effects. I often will repeat this for several sessions (or for as long as it is needed), and I make a point to let the client know that he/she will get to have "free time" in session the next week as well. I think this gets them through (mentally) times during the week when the client is feeling stressed and/or overwhelmed. Just knowing that there is some free time coming is helpful.

Sometimes we are so busy planning the "fun stuff" for the summer that we forget our little moments of peace. There has got to be some time to refuel. We all run into this ... I did, myself, recently (see recent posting!). Our little ones can't always make the connection enough to formally say, "We are doing too much, and I need a break!"

So, make sure to provide downtime even if you have to schedule it in. Actually, perhaps scheduling it in will give it the importance it deserves, and will ensure that it gets done.

In regards to the session I mentioned above, this type of activity (which I usually implement toward the beginning of the session) often helps the rest of the session to go more smoothly. I find that after these types of activities, the client is more calm, focused, and willing. I often schedule these types of "free time" activities during the school year for clients who have their Music Therapy sessions directly after school so that they can have some sort of down time between.

So, rest those tired muscles, and stop for gas sometime!

Jessica

Love Disney

Good Friday morning. Mine is a bit hectic so far as I try to get my Friday work done as well as tie up any loose ends from the week. I've got a nice, relaxing weekend in my view, and working hard to get there. This is the first weekend in 4 weeks that I won't be going out of town! I'm hoping to have some lazy time in or by some body of water this weekend ;)

Today I wanted to mention something that I keep meaning to mention. As many of you know, I have a gluten allergy and had a really rough time for 3-4 years, health wise, before someone finally caught it. Any of you who have celiac/gluten sensitivities (or know of anyone who does) knows that eating out can be near to impossible unless you are going somewhere that you absolutely trust (who not only has a gluten free menu but also a gluten free awareness when it comes to food prep and such). Locally, one of my favorite restaurants even before I knew I was allergic to gluten was Five Loaves. I have since found that they have a great awareness for gluten, and most of their soups are made gluten free. Needless to say I eat there often!

In preparing for out of town trips, I typically make a Whole Foods run to stock up on GF meals and snacks. I have two main reasons for this: 1) I need to have back up in case there are no GF options/restaurants/resources, and 2) I don't want my GF needs to dictate every place we go and every thing we do (so as to not inconvenience others terribly).

So, in my recent trip to Disney World (Fla), I was more than prepared with my Whole FoodsGF baggie. I traveled with my best friend who is so precious because she was determined to find at least one GF place to eat while we were there. However, she had mentioned at one point that she really wanted to go to House of Blues one night. I was determined to go, and had intended on eating a can of GF soup in the hotel before we left.

When I mentioned to our hotel that I had a gluten allergy, they went above and beyond by helping me to search out GF options (we were on the Disney resort). They gave me a phone number to call to inquire about various restaurants. I found that most any restaurant on Disney not only is very familiar with all the various

allergies, but they can cater to them by providing safe options.

That first night, I was able to eat a regular meal at the House of Blues! We even had a chef assigned especially to me (my best friend thought this was the grandest thing!).

The next night we ate at a restaurant in Magic Kingdom called The Crystal Palace. Again, I was assigned a chef, and he came out and personally showed me everything that I could eat (and there were so many options!). He also brought me soft warm tapioca rolls with my meal, and a delicious GF brownie for dessert.

I wanted to share this with all of you who are gluten sensitive, have a child with gluten sensitivities, and/or travel with persons with a gluten sensitivities. DISNEY IS AMAZING!!!

Jessica

de bug

I apologize for not posting anything these last couple of days.  It seems some pest has made it onto my computer, and I am having issues with getting online and staying online.  

I will be back to posting tomorrow.  Hope you are all having a great week!

Jessica

Turn Taking - An important social behavioral skill

We arrived back in town early yesterday evening from our family's annual 4th of July trip to the NC mountains. There's nothing like fireworks echoing off the mountain tops! I hope yours was wonderful, too.

Below is a description of and link to a Social Behavior activity that involves teaching and practicing a VERY important social activity ... waiting for and taking turns. This is a wonderful tool that I found on http://www.do2learn.com/.

TURN TAKING

Q: Why is this social behavioral skill important? In what areas will this benefit my child/student/client/self?
A: Along with this skill comes a greater peer awareness (rather than only focusing on one's own needs/wants). It also requires impulse control, and formal social thinking/planning.

"Turn-Taking is a crucial social skill that people need to master in order to be proficient in a variety of social situations. Remember that individuals with social and behavioral issues may need a systematic approach to teaching turn-taking behavior. Providing opportunities to practice this skill with different people and in different social situations will increase the likelihood of generalizing the skill and becoming independent with it." http://www.do2learn.com/

Here are some Real Life Examples:
-Child playing tag on the playground
-Adolescent playing a board game
-Adult getting out of a crowded parking lot

In this activity you will:

1. Read the hand-out/ "Taking Turns" Social Article
2. Develop a "Turn-Taking" Board for use with your child/student/client (see below)
3. Follow the instructions for developing structured, turn-taking activities.



This is a great tool! I encourage you to do this one if you feel this fits your child!

Jessica

Fun for the 4th

(Click on the coloring page

in order to view and print

full page version.)

Yesterday's blog offered some 4th of July ideas that were geared toward making this holiday meaningful for everyone in the family. In today's blog, I am including a link to a fun web resource. I have included the website link below as well as the coloring page links (that go directly to the "view and print" page so that you don't have to do a lot of navigating).

The website is Kaboose Funschool, and it includes a wide variety of games, puzzles, activities, and information that are all cognitive related. You've heard me mention summer bridge work/activities, and this is yet another great resource that can be used for that as well as throughout the school year. The link to the home page is http://funschool.kaboose.com/.

In order to view and print the full page versions of the coloring pages above, just click on the coloring page. You can find additional coloring book pages on the website link above.

Have fun!

Jessica

Welcome to July

Hello July!

Oooooh ... and it's

a hot one today.

July 4 is just around the corner, and I know many of you are especially looking forward to this July 4 as it falls on a Saturday this year. As you are making your Independence Day celebration plans, take a look at these hints and tips that I have listed below. These are things that myself and others have found to be helpful when trying to make this special time meaningful for everyone in the family. Some of these tips are from a recent podcast on FAQautism.com.

Some of you may have children/family members who have certain sensory sensitivities, general anxiety, and/or may simply have a fear of fireworks (this doesn't just apply to children with specific disabilities/disorders, but can apply to typically developing children as well). Others of you may be sharing your July 4th celebrations with a child who may have these sensitivities.

TIPS:

1) Come up with a plan ahead of time that you think will work best for your child.

2) Prepare your child for the upcoming event if you feel this will help him/her. It may be fun to watch fireworks on a youtube video and/or listen to it within an applicable song (for example, John Philip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever" or other patriotic marches) ahead of time. If you are watching a video, you may want to initially watch it without sound, while commenting on the colors and shapes the fireworks make. You can then (without bringing it to attention) watch it with low sound. You may want to repeat this again later with the sound just up a little more each time. Again, don't make a point about turning up the volume - just gradually do this little by little.

3) If your child seems to show anxiety in anticipation of the fireworks, let him/her know that you will be watching the fireworks from faraway. You may find it gives him/her a little more feeling of control and safety if you allow him/her to accompany you in locating a specific spot.

4) Know ahead of time (plan ahead) where exactly you will be sitting when the fireworks begin. You may want to find a place a little ways away from where everyone else is as your "special spot". You may even want to take a blanket a couple days beforehand to your "special spot" and lay on it looking up at the sky. You and your child can practice making your own firework sounds while making your hands open in a bursting manner. This can serve as a sort of practice/dress rehearsal, and may help your child to establish positive associations with the fireworks.

5) If the above (#4) is not an option for you (i.e. - if you will be out of town for July 4 and aren't able to stake out a spot days ahead of time), you can still role play the situation with a blanket on your own lawn.

6) Some of you may find that it is most enjoyable/least stressful to simply sit in your car to watch the fireworks.

7) Another idea is to play an applicable song (such as John Philip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever") close to your child while the fireworks burst in the background of the music. This may be especially helpful if you decide to implement #2.

8) Again, in order to establish positive associations, you may want to purchase and/or make things to have and use only during the fireworks. Your child may even begin to have a positive anticipation in association with the fireworks. Make sure these are things that your child has very high interest in (possibly involving a favorite toy, type of object, or maybe even have a very special food treat that you will get to eat during the fireworks). I would use this one (#8) along with one or more of the other ideas listed here (rather than simply using #8 independently).

9) VERY IMPORTANT: Be aware of your own anxiety level in anticipation of your child's possible reaction to the fireworks. Focus yourself ahead of time to be as calm as possible. As many of you have already found, our children can be very intuitive and can often times pick up on our own feelings of anxiety.

I hope you will find these helpful BUT, even more, I hope you will leave your own comments, ideas, and suggestions related to this! My Gestalt thinking has gotten my mind in a tither since I left off at #9... it just seems so wrong to not have a #10. Maybe someone else can come up with the #10 (???)

Jessica