Fun Christmas Stocking Ideas

Here are my top five Christmas stocking gifts for this year - woo!

Hairy Tangle
You've heard me rave about the Tangle Relax, we'll this tangle has small hairs that are soft and fantastic to play with. It's been a hit at our house with my teens and all of the kids in the neighborhood thus far. Thank God I get them wholesale or I'd be going broke by this point. So bottom line any kid, unless they are tactile defensive will love this in their stocking and they are only about $6,

Skittles Light Up Rainbow Wand
Candy is a must in our stockings, please people don't judge me, it's just the way it is. Since Skittles are G's favorite candy this was a must have for us. The wand lights up when you press a button and it can be refilled so I'll probably refill it from time to time when I need to help G stay motivated to do something. I try to limit candy in our stockings so this should satisfy with only a little candy because of the wow factor.

Mini Spectra Globe
Spinning flashing lights connected to a breakaway necklace - awesome. You can read my feelings about spinning toys and autism here. Hey if you have to travel or have visitors around it's an instant distraction or calmer and is an inexpensive stocking gift.

Moody Face
He's, cute, he's squeezable, he has Koosh type hair and he's cheap. I don't know how long he'll last (I think if they pull too hard his hair will come off) but he's going in the stocking.

Beaded Spaghetti Ball
This thing is awesome think of thin spaghetti noodles that don't break wiggling around in your hands, now add some texture and you've got an idea of what the Beaded Spaghetti Ball feels like. Super squishy, super stretchy and it's super fun.

These are my top five stocking gifts for this year. What about you? Do you have a good Christmas stocking idea? If so please share it there's still time to keep filling our stockings!!

Gift Ideas for Autistic Teenagers

I guess because G is 16 lots of people ask me for gift ideas for autistic teenagers. I do have experience buying gifts for him, but "If you've met one person with autism – you've met one person with autism" Stephen Shore. All teenagers are different and everyone has their unique special interests. So with that disclaimer I'll give you my gift ideas for autistic teenagers.

Special Interests
If the autistic teen you are going to buy a present for has a special interest start there. My son loves aviation and Star Wars, every year we buy him a gift related to these two areas. I always buy a Star Wars calendar and I usually buy it in October because I have my choice then. I've also learned that waiting until the last minute can get me in trouble. So if your autistic teen has a favorite subject be on the look out now for a gift in that area.

Calming Items
Life can be stressful for any teen. There are lots of transitions, complex social interactions and confusing situations teens on the autism spectrum face daily. A wonderful gift for an autistic teen is something that's calming.

• Vibration toys, pillows or tubes are all very calming. This year I plan to give my son a Vibramat. We can put his bean bag on top of the vibrating mat for a vibrating chair or under his mattress to make it vibrate.
• Weighted items - weighted vests, lap pads or blankets are more expensive, but can be very soothing. It's always great when a grandparent or family member will give this kind of gift.

Visual Items
Many autistic teenagers are highly visual. Visually interesting items make great gifts. One of my son's favorite items is an Ooze tube. Some more highly visual items that make great gifts include liquid timers, sand panels, disco balls, light up or spinning items.

These are just a few gift suggestions. Do you have a good gift idea for an autistic teen? If so please share it, I'm in the same boat as everyone else and I always appreciate good ideas!

Update National Autism Resources has put together a gift page for autistic teens.

When Rumors Become Truths

The Internet is amazing to me because the amount of information we can get is incredibly vast. We can read the news, watch video interviews by experts, search professional databases all from the comfort of our home. There is lots, and lots, and lots of information out there. But is it true?

I have watched assumptions and rumors become truths. One glaring assumption that has become a "truth" - families of a child with autism are much more likely to divorce. I've heard this "truth" touted on TV shows, quoted in newspapers, blogs, you name it. However, the truth is - this is NOT true! As a matter of fact, parents of kids with autism are NOT more likely to divorce. You can read the research here.

But rumors are nothing new. I was reading today about Mary Magdalene, the former prostitute, or so I thought. After all there are Magdalene houses all over the world that minister to women of the night. Well in my study I was surprised to learn no where in the Bible is she referred to as a prostitute. It turns out that rumors have turned into truths for this woman. You can read all about her in Matthew 27:56; Matthew 27:61; Matthew 28:1; Mark 15:40; Mark 15:47; Mark 16:1-19; Luke 8:2; Luke 24:10; John 19:25; John 20:1-18. If you take the time to read it you'll find no reference to prostitution.

So once again I'm reminded there is nothing new "under the sun" and just because the majority of people believe something is true, does not mean it is.

This reminds me of a therapy, the gluten- and casein-free diet. Some claim it "cures" autism and others claim it's all just "wishful thinking" on the part of the parents. At this point the research says we need more research. Nothing is definitive, the GFCF diet may significantly help a subset of the autistic population. It didn't help my son, but I've heard many first hand reports from very logical parents that it did work for their children. At this point I'm going to assume these parents aren't morons.

I think part of the reason we don't hear "the GFCF diet might work" in the media is because it's not exciting. It's not like saying she's a prostitute, or here's the cure, or those parents are just delusional.

Everyone is clamoring to be heard on the Internet, so where does that leave us, the common person. It leaves us with the responsibility of digging a little deeper. Thankfully, with the Internet you can e-mail a newspaper, professional expert or blogger and ask where they found their information. Can you send me the links? By the way, for the most part I've included my references, but if you want more information on anything I've referred to feel free to ask me.

Autistic Teen's Photograph Seen Across the Country

Geoffrey and his Dad were at the Reno Air Races. This is the picture G took of the plane before it crashed, it's been on CNN, NBC, ABC, MSNBC and CBS. The night of the crash they gave it to the NTSB and it has really helped to focus their investigation.

At first G was devastated, but now he is feeling much better and is glad his photo is helping the investigation. He's been drawing some amazing pictures, I'll post some more soon.

G's Latest Paintings

G continues to paint! Of course his favorite subject continues to be jets! I have found a frame for the top picture, I'll be trolling the thrift shops for the Thunderbird painting.

Some Things Can't Be Fixed

On Father's day I was reading the Bible. I came across Genesis 29:32-35. It's a passage from the story of Leah a woman who's husband didn't love her. Her husband really loved her sister Rachel, but he was tricked into marrying her and after one week of marriage her husband married her sister too.

Genesis 29:32-35:
Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”

She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.

Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.

She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah.

I was struck by this passage for a couple of reasons, first of all thank God I'm not Leah! I can't imagine the heart ache of sharing a husband AND not being the favorite. Had I been in her situation I would have begged for change too. I would have looked at every wonderful thing happening and been sure that God was fixing my situation and making it better...

but some things can't be fixed.

Some things can't be fixed. Does that statement bother you the way it bothers me? I know God is all powerful, I know He can do anything, I know with determination and God's help I can accomplish great things. But I have found that no matter how many band-aids, prayers or hours I put into some things - they just can't be fixed because we live in a broken world.

However, some things can change and what I noticed in this passage was that Leah's perspective changed. She moved from "now my husband will love me" to "I will praise the God who loves me." Subtle but huge. Did she still wish her husband loved her? I'm gonna take a guess and say yes. Was this wish her central focus? After the fourth son, no.

When we're caught up in what we want fixed we miss out on what we could already have. I can think of nothing better than enjoying a loving God who is close to us, interested in the daily stuff of our lives, who works things out for our good in the end, who gives us peace, guidance and the unconditional love all of us crave (including Leah)!

Some things can't be fixed, but God is waiting to walk with us if we'll change our perspective.

The Language Builder ABA Cards

While I was at the New York Toy Fair I had a chance to meet Angela from Stages Learning. She is a mom of an autistic child who started making ABA materials. She teamed up with an ABA therapist to make a variety of products including the Language Builder Noun cards. Right away I was impressed with Angela and knew her product had a good reputation so we started selling them at NAR.

Wow I was totally not prepared for the awesome feedback we've gotten from them so far! Yay! They work great in ABA programs and are very helpful with generalization. My only regret is that they are so expensive. The suggested retail price is $150! However, especially for therapists who work with several children the feedback thus far is that they are worth it. They are on sale now at National Autism Resources and I hope to keep them on sale until the wholesale price goes up, which I hope it doesn't.

The coolest thing is that this is another great example of a Mom creating an awesome product. Some the most helpful products I've seen have been created by Moms & therapists just trying to make the world easier. It sort of reminds me of the Handiwriter and Chewy Tubes. So yay for Angela!