Brain Sprout

04/14/2024

Week 2 of Cardboard Creators Club is complete, and we’re so excited as all of our projects continue to come to life! Looking forward to creating more next week! 📦✂️🖌️🎨

04/08/2024

We loved experiencing the solar eclipse today!

04/06/2024

Today we kicked off our Cardboard Creators Club, and there was no shortage of creativity! We’re excited to keep building together next week!

04/04/2024

CHOOSING SERVICE PROVIDERS (Part 1)

As an autistic person, or as a supportive decision maker for an autistic person, you may need to choose organizations to provide you with various services and/or supports.

When considering a service provider, it’s important to determine whether that organization is neurodiversity-affirming.

What is neurodiversity? “Neurodiversity” is a term that was originally coined by Judy Singer in the ‘90s as a way to describe variation in human neurology.

“Neurodivergent” is a term that is used to describe people whose cognition does not fit the societal “norm.” The neurodiversity movement posits that neurological differences such as autism and ADHD are natural results of human variation.

Neurodiversity-affirming organizations acknowledge and affirm:

1. that there are many valid ways in which people may think, learn, process information, and interact with the world around them.

2. that people do not need to be “fixed” simply because of these differences.

This is not to say that neurodivergent individuals don’t ever need additional supports. Exactly the opposite. Neurodiversity-affirming organizations acknowledge that society is not inherently built for neurodivergent people, and that they may often need additional or different supports in order to access the world around them.

Some examples of neurodiversity-affirming practices:

1. Focusing on supports to make society more accessible to neurodivergent individuals, rather than trying to change those individuals to conform to societal norms.

2. Recognizing all forms of communication as valid. Affirming that Augmentative and Alternative Communication is equally as valid as mouth words.

3. Recognizing that there are many valid ways in which to socialize/interact with others.

4. Recognizing that there are many valid ways in which to move one’s body.

TOMORROW:
We’ll talk about the reasons why it’s important to choose neurodiversity-affirming service providers. We’ll also talk about questions you can ask potential providers in order to determine whether they are neurodiversity-affirming.

04/02/2024

We’re kicking off the month of April, which is Autism Acceptance month!

For autistics, this month can be both exciting and dismaying. Social media can be a bit of a land mine. Many posts will celebrate autistic people. But other posts will create a narrative about autistic people that is not very celebratory. Worse yet, social media is rampant with posts that dismiss the dignity of autistic individuals by publicly depicting moments in their lives that they would likely not want shared in a public forum.

We understand that autistic individuals and their families face a unique set of challenges in today’s society. We believe in discussing and advocating for supports that can be provided to mitigate those challenges. We also believe in honoring autistic individuals, respecting their dignity, and acknowledging all of the beautiful light that they offer to this world.

This month, Brain Sprout will offer insights into ways that we can all honor and support the autistic people in our lives. We look forward to celebrating with you!

03/26/2024

This will be a fun virtual event!

Didn’t know they had already shared about this so I was holding off.

But April 9th, join me and Kate for a Read Along, Draw Along with Crayola!

https://facebook.com/events/s/read-along-draw-along-a-day-wi/1420760855213438/

03/26/2024

April is coming, which means 50% off prices for many of the major AAC apps! ❤️❤️❤️

Thanks for waiting!! Check out this list of HUGE AAC and Special Education app and product deals. Mark your calendars carefully!

UPDATE 03/28/24: For a screenreader-friendly document providing all sale details and information, use https://bit.ly/AllTextSpringAACAppSales24

For a PDF with clickable links to websites, the U.S. App Store, and the U.S. Google Play Store, use https://bit.ly/SpringAACAppSales24

I’m not able to answer individual requests for app recommendations. There are no more hours in the day. 😩

03/16/2024

Happy Saturday! Our friend arranged these letters into a beautiful alphabet masterpiece. How did YOU celebrate learning this week?

03/11/2024

Join us for our 6-week term of the Cardboard Creators Club!

We will imagine, explore, and create with cardboard and other recycled materials! Engineer a new toy car, design a scary monster costume, or construct a house for your pet gerbil– the possibilities are endless!

Participants will have opportunities to build whatever they dream up, as well as opportunities to complete invention challenges, work in teams, and engage in friendly competitions.

This club is targeted to students ages 6-11 years old.

It will be held on Saturdays, 3:30pm-4:30pm, from 4/6/24 to 5/11/24. (6 weekly sessions)

Sessions will take place at 14321 Winter Breeze Dr. Midlothian, Va 23113.

The total cost for the 6-week term is $150 per student, and it includes all needed materials.

Space is limited, so apply early. Applications must be completed by 3/30/24 at the latest. Once your application is approved, you will be provided with payment information. Registration is only complete once payment is received.

To apply, please visit: https://brainsproutrva.com/

03/04/2024

There are so many variables that can affect a student's capacity on any given day, or even at any given moment. In those moments when they are not at the top of their game, that's when it's most important to show them that they are still valued and respected.

Em's statement is perfect: "I can provide dynamic support to my kids to match their needs."

What a great reminder to meet our kids where they are every day. ❤️

Respecting fluctuating capacity means accepting inconsistency.

All the text in blue bubbles shows the harmful things that our kids get told when people do not understand or respect their fluctuating capacity.

So what do I mean?

I mean I accept that my kids can’t consistently Do The Things.
Some days they can and other days they don’t have the capacity.

It’s not a question of effort. It’s not them being ‘behavioural’.
It’s a reflection of their sensory systems, emotional systems, fatigue, health, and a ton of other things.

Back in the day I expected consistency.
If I saw my kid do something one day, I would then expect them to do it again the next day.

When they didn’t, I would have a big emotional response.
I would be so unbelievably frustrated. Because surely it was reasonable to expect them to do it again? I mean, they had already shown me they could.

Understanding fluctuating capacity was a game changer.
It was essential to understand that it’s a case of ‘can’t’, not ‘won’t’.

It means I can provide dynamic support to my kids to match their needs. It means I can (usually) do that without the big emotions.

I don’t do it perfectly. Because as you know, I have my own fluctuating capacity to deal with.

I get it wrong some days.
I also get it right some days.

Expecting consistency leads to disappointment, shame, a negative self image. Because many of us can’t perform consistently, despite our best efforts.

Before you come for me, yes, we absolutely still have goals for our kids. We do model the skills, we do scaffold, we do support. We do all that. As our kids mature, we do tend to see all their skills develop- the support they need from us is going to change.

We just do it with empathy. We appreciate the times that they are able to Do The Things, and we don’t presume misbehaviour or noncompliance when they can’t. We meet them where they are at. We support them. And make sure they know they are not alone or a disappointment to their adults.

Does that make sense?
Words are feeling hard right now.

Em

03/03/2024

Great suggestions for play-based language development!

03/01/2024

FRIDAY FAVORITES: Highlighting some of my favorite products that encourage learning!

(I don’t get any monetary benefit from promoting these products. Just sharing items that we have fun using at Brain Sprout!)