The Lisa's Vine

  When our insurance refused to pay for Lira’s occupational and speech therapy, I fought the system for three years. In the end, I had to give up and pay the bill, realizing that we would not be able to pay for professional services again. Letting Lira suffer through her developmental delays and social inadequacies, was not an option and I had to get creative. While activities at home might not be a substitution for professional  Autism Respite  therapy, the internet offers an amazing variety of resources to parents with children diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, and more than once I have had therapists tell me that I should consider their line of work. If you are looking for home therapy solutions for motor skills, social skills, and speech/language development, please consider this list of blogs, books, and videos as an  Ultimate Guide to Autism Home Therapy Resources . Autism Therapy Blogs In my personal opinion, a great blog to follow for therapy ideas includes a balanced

  I routinely check autism websites and chat groups to gauge the landscape and better understand the community of families seeking relief from this devastating epidemic (and if you don’t think that autism is an epidemic, you have been living on Mars). On one listserv, a parent recently wrote, “I’m looking to start chelation on my daughter. Can anyone recommend a good DAN dr?” This request and the several responses that followed have led me to want to further explain my position about this popular  autism respite  care. The first issue that I wish to comment upon is the precarious position that families are facing when THEY are the ones asking for specific treatment regimes, rather than seeking knowledgeable physicians who can offer various options their children. This is entirely the fault of the medical community who have been so slow to recognize and respond to the condition. When the only explanation for the child’s condition is that “It’s genetic” and the only treatment is “Find so

  Coronavirus has swept across the world, and everyone’s lives have been disrupted in some form or another. With health and government recommended, or even mandated, rules about how the general public should react in order to slow the spread of the virus, flash words used in the media including “quarantine”, “shelter-in-place”, “stay-at-home”, “essential/non-essential travel”, and “social distancing” have become common language over the past couple of months. However, what does this mean for children with autism? Depending on where a child lies on the spectrum, how old they are, and whether or not there are other comorbid conditions (i.e. language processing disorders) to consider, these changes can prove to be devastating to their daily lives. Even typically-developing children are trying to cope with the new upheaval, so it should come as no surprise that children with autism will likely come with their own set of escalated challenges. We consulted with an Occupational Therapist and

  Dive deeper into this beautiful part of Australia and experience the stunning Great Barrier Reef for yourself. The Great Barrier Reef is undeniably one of the   top tourist attractions in Australia. High on many tourists must-see lists, there is a never-ending list of things to see and do here, it’s easy to see why over two million people make the trek here each year. Spanning across over 2000 kilometers of coastline the incredible reef system is visible from space! This stunning underwater world is the largest living thing on Earth, and you definitely would love to experience its amazing sea life for yourself.   However, it’s not just the smaller marine animals that live along this coast. Not just snorkeling in the great barrier reef, keep an eye out for the seven types of sea turtles here and the thirty types of whales and dolphins. While marine life thrives below the surface, birds control the sky. Over 215 species of birds visit the Great Barrier Reef in the day to hunt or nest a

  Activities for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, can be not only opportunities to have fun, but also opportunities to learn skills. One of the hallmarks of ASD is difficulty in communication, so play activities that pay particular attention to communicating are a great  way for  autism therapy . BRAIN TOYS Brain Toys offers toys designed for kids with special needs and serves great  autism respite .  In addition to providing a description of each toy on the site, there are ratings and customer reviews that are helpful for making a decision on what would be appropriate for a specific child and his specific needs.  The Twig game puts a modern twist on the traditional building blocks. The set includes 72 wooden blocks that are colourful and fun to play with. Each block is precision-cut and compatible with one another, perfect for expanding social skills and taking turns. SWIMMING Water holds a special appeal for many children on the autism spectrum, but this fascination can end up