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​What is the Yippee/TBH creature?

​What is the Yippee/TBH creature?

Posted by Grace Arnwine on Sep 19th 2023

What is the Yippee/TBH creature? If you’ve browsed the internet, you may or may not be aware of a new symbol that is gaining popularity in the autism community. The image, which began circulat…
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What is a Sensory Toy and How Can they Help?

What is a Sensory Toy and How Can they Help?

Posted by Bonnie Arnwine on Apr 28th 2023

Sensory toys, my family loves them and so do I. I love sensory based play because it is beneficial for all children and it's lots of fun. What is a sensory toy? Sensory toys come in many dif…
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Helping Children Make Sense of Mixed Together Feelings

Helping Children Make Sense of Mixed Together Feelings

Posted by Lory Britain, PhD Early Childhood Education on Nov 14th 2022

“Grandma, I'm smad!”The phone rings. It is from my then nine-year-old granddaughter who says, “Grandma, I am so SMAD”. I ask Morgan to tell me more. “I am MAD that my parents made me go to my room…
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5 Sensory Tips for Parents

5 Sensory Tips for Parents

Posted by Britt Collins M.S. OTR/L on Jul 5th 2022

With your child going back to school, your child may be experiencing anxiety, stress, excitement, nervous feelings and more. You may also be experiencing those same feelings. Here are some sensory t…
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5 Sensory Tips for Teachers

5 Sensory Tips for Teachers

Posted by Britt Collins M.S., OTR/L on Jun 22nd 2022

It's back to school and the children are arriving and you have spent all this time decorating your classroom. During the first week, you notice that one of your kids is squinting at the board and doe…
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How to Use a Break Card in Your Classroom

How to Use a Break Card in Your Classroom

Jun 7th 2022

A simple technique you can use with your students is a Break card. When a student begins feeling stressed or overwhelmed they can use a break card to remove themselves from the situation. This…
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5 Strategies to Help Students with Transitions

5 Strategies to Help Students with Transitions

Posted by Bonnie Arnwine on Apr 15th 2022

Teachers often share with us that transitioning from one activity to another during the school day can be challenging for students on the spectrum. As a parent I can tell you this is also true at h…
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How to Use a 5-point Scale to Help Evaluate Problems

How to Use a 5-point Scale to Help Evaluate Problems

Posted by Kari Dunn Buron MS, Autism Education Specialist on Mar 21st 2022

According to the CDC 9.4 percent of children ages 3-17 have a diagnosis of anxiety and 8.9% of students have behavior problems. This data is based on 2016-2019 data. (1) Since this data was gathered a…
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Participate in Research—Join ResearchMatch

Participate in Research—Join ResearchMatch

Posted by Rose Kegler Hallarn of The Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science Program Director, Clinical Trials Recruitment on Feb 8th 2022

Part of the Answer—One Family’s ExperienceResearch match has worked with over 160,000 volunteers and 11,000 researchers in support of over 1,000 studies and 545 publications to advance research.…
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Learning to Identify, Label, and Communicate Needs

Learning to Identify, Label, and Communicate Needs

Posted by Kim Clairy OTR/L on Apr 7th 2021

Diagnosed with Autism as an adult and suffering from a severe eating disorder (ED) for over a decade I broke through many barriers. Over the years I developed strategies to help me function. The…
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NON-SPEAKING ≠ NON-THINKING

NON-SPEAKING ≠ NON-THINKING

Posted by Dr. Rachel C. Morgan & Adam Morgan on Apr 2nd 2021

I will never forget the day that I first heard the words “I love you, mommy” from my non-speaking autistic son. My son, Adam, was 4 years old and had very few words that he used meaningfully. It was t…
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Thinking that You’re Stupid is Not a Smart Thing to Do

Thinking that You’re Stupid is Not a Smart Thing to Do

Posted by Thomas Armstrong Ph.D. Executive Director of the American Institute for Learning and Human Development on Feb 10th 2021

Being a little kid is not easy, especially these days. But being a kid with a disability is even harder. Bullies abound, and taunts of ‘’you’re stupid!’’ ‘’dumbo!’’ and ‘’retard’’ stain the self-…
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Worries are a Big Deal for Special Students

Worries are a Big Deal for Special Students

Posted by Kari Dunn Buron MS, Autism Education Specialist on Jan 5th 2021

When children experience high levels of stress and anxiety, it can lead to a number of unwanted outcomes, including explosive behavior. High levels of stress and big emotions related to poor social…
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38 Tips for a Meltdown Free Holiday

38 Tips for a Meltdown Free Holiday

Posted by Bonnie Arnwine on Nov 6th 2020

The holidays are a fun time to visit with friends and family. Special decorations and traditions make it a festive time for everyone. Unfortunately, the holidays can also present challenges f…
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Behavior Solutions for Students Who Won’t Keep Seated

Behavior Solutions for Students Who Won’t Keep Seated

Posted by Beth Aune, OTR/L, Beth Burt & Peter Gennaro on Oct 6th 2020

Today, more than ever, educators are faced with teaching core subjects for longer periods to prepare the class to master state standards. This requires the students to sit at their desks for long per…
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Focus Strategies for Students Who Are Zoomed Out

Focus Strategies for Students Who Are Zoomed Out

Posted by Bonnie Arnwine on Sep 9th 2020

For students under stress or dealing with attention challenges, focusing can be particularly difficult. COVID-19 has created additional stress and forced most of us to make changes to our normal routi…
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The Power of Improv for Teens with Autism

The Power of Improv for Teens with Autism

Posted by Carol Moog Ph.D., founder of ImagineAct on Jun 15th 2020

“Just be yourself!” Try telling that to a teen with autism! Much of the time when they’re just “being themselves” it’s considered wrong. They’ve been told that the way they pass papers in class, answe…
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Free Visual Supports Packet for Covid19

Free Visual Supports Packet for Covid19

Posted by Don D’Amore MA CCC-SLP on Jun 4th 2020

We are living in an unprecedented time in which the entire world suddenly has to adapt to a new way of living their daily life to remain safe and healthy, and to keep others safe and healthy. The USA’…
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Social Distancing Social Story

Social Distancing Social Story

Posted by Alison Rotolo, SLP on Apr 14th 2020

My name is Alison Rotolo and I am a Pre-K Speech Language Pathologist in Ithaca, NY. I would LOVE to share a resource I created for the National Autism Resources readers. With my dog Rosie's help,…
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AS, Drop The D

AS, Drop The D

Posted by Anne Sabagh Certified Life Coach on Apr 2nd 2020

December 17, 2018: That is the day I learned I was on the autism spectrum. Specifically, what used to be known as Asperger’s Syndrome, but is now, in the newest version of the Diagnostic Statistical M…
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A New Tool in our Toolbox - Ambulance Comfort Kit

A New Tool in our Toolbox - Ambulance Comfort Kit

Posted by Joleen Sabel, AEMT, NREMT Hartford Fire & Rescue on Mar 13th 2020

When you hear ‘tools in my toolbox’, most think of a construction worker, handyman, electrician or plumber. However, there are others that carry a toolbox too. As an EMT, my toolbox includes an ambula…
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5 Tips to Help Teens Build Relationships

5 Tips to Help Teens Build Relationships

Posted by Sheri Van Dijk, MSW, RSW on Mar 4th 2020

Relationships can be difficult for kids and teens at the best of times; but when it comes to kids who have other difficulties, such as being on the spectrum, and/or experiencing anxiety and other pain…
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​Build and Generalize Skills

​Build and Generalize Skills

Posted by Rosemarie Griffin, MA, CCC/SLP BCBA on Feb 4th 2020

Have you worked with a student before on labeling, only to find that they had trouble generalizing that skill to novel examples or into the natural environment? This is something that all providers st…
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Don’t Lose Yourself

Don’t Lose Yourself

Posted by Bonnie Arnwine on Jan 31st 2020

Years ago the hubbo came up to me and told me he wanted to go out on a date night. At the time I was exhausted and overwhelmed with trying to manage everything that comes with raising a child on the s…
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Is Your Kid Chewing on Everything?

Is Your Kid Chewing on Everything?

Posted by Chris Chu on Sep 18th 2019

Chubuddy was started in 2011 after several years of struggles finding the right chew for our son. He was chewing through or losing 2-3 chews per week and we were concerned that he was swall…
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Do You Always Have Worries?

Posted by Elizabeth Verdick on Sep 10th 2019

Got Worries?Sometimes, I write the books I wished I’d had as a mother of young children. Sometimes, I write books with my son in mind (The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders). And…
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​How Choices Can Increase Compliance

Posted by Amy Nielsen on Aug 20th 2019

I was so proud of my husband the other night. As I was finishing up the dinner dishes, I overheard him tell our four-year-old son it was time for bed. Immediately the protests began, “No, Daddy. No…
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Bias or Belief, What Influences Your Autism World?  

Posted by Dr. Rachel C. Morgan on Aug 14th 2019

In today’s virtual world, things are moving so incredibly fast with an overload of information at our fingertips. It has increasingly become more and more difficult to form one’s own beliefs, values,…
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Guardianship & Supported Decision Making

Posted by Francis Tabone on Jul 18th 2019

Guardianship is something all parents of children with disabilities must face as their child approaches 18 years of age. Guardianship is the legal process for adults who have a clinically diagnosed me…
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The Universal TriOn Grip!

The Universal TriOn Grip!

Posted by Kate Gladstone on Apr 24th 2019

Many adults on the spectrum develop intense interests in a certain topic. For Kate Gladstone, it was handwriting. Kate is a world renowned handwriting expert and the creator of the Tri-…
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Tips to Help Autistic Kids Make Friends

Posted by Daniel Stefanski on Apr 16th 2019

How Classmates Can HelpIf you have an autistic kid in your classroom, it would be nice if you invite them to play during recess. Playing with a classmate on the playground is something most kids take…
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Sleeping Issues on the Autism Spectrum

Posted by Louis Scarantino, Self-Autism Advocate on Apr 11th 2019

A common issue in many people with autism is an important thing that everyone in the world needs and is not getting enough of- Sleep! If we don’t get enough sleep, we don’t do well in our daily activi…
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Promote Your Child's Independence Starting Today

Posted by Emily Iland, M.A on Apr 11th 2019

It's never too early or too late to prepare your child for life! The school years come to an end, but adulthood lasts for decades! The sooner you teach your child to do things for himself or…
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Worried About Not Doing Enough for Your Child? Don’t Be!

Posted by Russell Lehmann, award-winning and internationally recognized motivational speaker, poet, author and advocate who happens to have autism on Apr 3rd 2019

The most common question I get asked by parents of a child on the spectrum is “How do I know if I am doing enough for my child?”. By asking this question, it proves that you are indeed already doing e…
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Life of a Behavior Therapist

Posted by Brante' Ruaro, Therapist Liason/Behavior Therapist on Mar 6th 2019

If I had to describe the life of a behavior therapist in one word it would be UNPREDICTABLE! Every client is different and every session is different. A behavior therapist may work with a client for t…
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Are We Being Fair?

Are We Being Fair?

Posted by Bonnie Arwine, award winning author, and President of National Autism Resources on Jan 23rd 2019

The other day a friend of mine shared a story about her child. He is nonverbal and in a new early intervention program. He is learning the school routine and starting to have success sitting during ci…
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The Story Behind Our Logo

Jan 10th 2019

When we started National Autism Resources in 2008, we wanted to create a logo that reflected what we wanted to empower and become. Several consultants suggested various ideas, including many puzzle pi…
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Bounce Your Feet -- Improve Your Focus

Oct 24th 2018

Many students on the spectrum who exhibit challenging behaviors often benefit when given the opportunity to experience sensory relief when they are at school and at home. One unique sensory tool is…
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​Simple Tools to Help Students Focus

Aug 24th 2018

With the start of school it can be a challenge for students to settle in and focus. Below are a few simple tools you can use to help improve focus and attention to task.Provide students with a Fidget…
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​A Creative Alternative for the Sound Sensitive

​A Creative Alternative for the Sound Sensitive

Posted by Jamie Sherwood - Founder of Vibes on Apr 24th 2018

For many individuals on the autism spectrum and their families, avoiding loud environments is simply a part of life. Loud noise, for those on the spectrum who are sensitive to sound, can be painful…
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We Live in a Sensory World

We Live in a Sensory World

Posted by Mary Ann Heinz, COTA/Ret. on Apr 17th 2018

As usual, I go for my morning walk and take the same route I always take. I see the same houses and recognize neighbors in their cars as they drive by and wave. It is threatening rain…
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Helping Kids Know Their Body’s Anger Signs, Calm Down, and Manage Anger

Helping Kids Know Their Body’s Anger Signs, Calm Down, and Manage Anger

Posted by ​An excerpt adapted from How to Take the Grrrr Out of Anger by Elizabeth Verdick and Marjorie Lisovskis (Free Spirit Publishing), copyright © 2003. Used with permission. on Oct 20th 2017

If there’s one positive thing about anger, it would have to be that it gives you extra energy. But that very same energy can make you feel like you’re ready to fight or explode. So, what are you suppo…
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3 Tools to Keep Hot Tempers Cool....

May 31st 2017

Do you have a child or student who could use some help developing anger management skills? We’ve put this list of resources together for you.Stop, Relax & Think Game The idea of the Stop,…
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Are Spinner Fidgets Good for the Classroom?  

May 9th 2017

No doubt if you are reading this you have seen or heard about the Spinner fidget. It’s marketed as a “fidget to help you focus”, yet as I write this many schools are beginning to ban them from t…
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5 Survival Tips for Teens on the Autistic Spectrum

Posted by JD Kraus on Apr 14th 2017

Be Yourself As hokey as this sounds it’s the truth. There is no point in pretending to be someone that you are not. As a teen, I tried to make friends by acting that I liked sports (since so many kids…
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Three Keys to Fine Motor Skills Development

Posted by Mary Ann Heinz, COTA/RET on Apr 12th 2017

by Mary Ann Heinz, COTA/RETStand in front of a mirror and brush your hair or your teeth, bend over and tie your shoes, read a line of print from left to right across a page, cut with a pair of scissor…
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Autism Challenge: Isolation from the Community

Posted by Bonnie Arnwine on Mar 10th 2017

By Bonnie Arnwine This week I had the pleasure of meeting with a local children’s museum that is exploring creative ways to open up access for children on the autism spectrum. When I shared my adven…
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How Much Weight Should Your Weighted Blanket Have?

Posted by Kristi Langslet OTR/L - Kristi is a member of the National Autism Resources Advisory Board. on Nov 2nd 2016

Most people recommend 10% of a person's body weight for a weighted blanket but research and experience suggests the appropriate amount of weight is closer to 20%. As an Occupational Therapi…
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4th of July Social Story

4th of July Social Story

Jun 29th 2016

We love social stories. Feel free to use the following simple social story to prepare your special students or child with autism for the 4th of July fireworks show. Every year we celebra…
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Welcome to Our Newly Updated Website!

May 9th 2016

Welcome to the newly redesigned National Autism Resources website. The look and navigation of the site is new and we hope it will make it easier for you to find information and learn about a…
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