Social Skills for Kids

As the School Year Ends

In my last post, I gave some tips on setting things up so that kids have a fun and social summer. On the flip side of that planning, I think it’s important to think a bit about academics, such as what worked and didn’t work this school year.

Has it been a great year? I hope so. Now is a good time to analyze that success. Was the teacher a great fit? It might make sense to schedule an end of year meeting and get that teacher’s tips for what might work next year. Lot’s of structure, frequent breaks, short term rewards, a buddy system? You child’s teacher has probably put a great deal of time and effort into fine tuning a classroom and homework situation that has been effective. Now is a good time to see what can carry over to the next year. If possible, the teacher could even meet with next year’s teacher to pass on some of these tips.

Has it been a bad year? Thankfully, it’s almost over. Before you breathe a big sign of relief, it will probably pay to consider what the problems were. Compare this bad year to one that worked out better. Was there a big difference in teacher personality, the tone of the classroom, the way homework or discipline was handled?

Remember, you are the expert on dealing with your child. You’ll need to share your expertise with teachers, the principal, and all the specialists who will be working with your child. It’s best if you can be precise, detailed and concrete in discussing how to manage your child’s education. Saying something vague, like, “Ms. Jones was really nice, my son liked her a lot better than Ms. Smith.” will not be very helpful. But, if you put a bit of effort in now, you’ll be able to come up with a very clear statement, like, “My son does best in a structured and quiet classroom, like he had in third grade. In fourth grade, the room was much busier and louder; he reacted badly to that  much stimulation. He also responded very enthusiastically to his first grade teacher’s visual behavior plan.”

See what details you can figure out for your child.

End of the School Year Tips: Plan Now for the Best Summer

Just a few more weeks and you’ve made it through another school year! For kids with special needs like autism, Asperger’s or ADHD, the upcoming break can be a huge relief. But, before you walk out the school door for the summer, there are a few things you should take care of now so you have the best summer ever.

Make Some Social Contacts:

The summer is a great time to relax with family, but your child needs to spend some time with peers as well. It’s a lot easier to connect with some friendly kids and their parents now, while you’re all at school together. See who’s going to be around this summer, get their contact info, make some casual plans.

Think About Camps and Activities:

Now is the time to plan some structured activities for  your child’s summer, and it’s great if there are going to be some school buddies there also. Check with the other parents and see if any activities are going to be especially popular this summer. Shared activities help friendships grow. Next year in school, your child may be best friends with the kids from camp this summer.

Plan on Sports:

Many kids with ASDs are not very athletic. That’s tough, because children’s social lives revolve around sports. Find out from the homeroom teacher or PE coach what the kids play on the playground during recess. It’s probably something that requires ball handling skills, like kicking or dribbling. Jumping rope may also be popular. Whatever the game, the summer offer a great opportunity for your child to practice and catch up with their classmates’ skills.

That’s it! A few simple conversations and you’re ready for a great summer.

Collaborative Divorce: A Conversation

Parenting kids with autism and Asperger's can be challenging, and this is especially true for couples who are no longer married. In my last post, I touched on some information regarding divorce rates, which indicated that about 30%  of families with autistic children are divorced, and in the majority of those families, the child is living with only one parent. It's a concern that so many children are growing up without the support of both parents and that many parents are trying to carry the load on their own. One way to ease the burden of divorce and single parenting on these families could be through the Collaborative Divorce process.

Today I'm interviewing JoAnn Rodrigues, MFT. JoAnn Rodrigues is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in San Ramon, California, as well as a Coach and Child Specialist for Collaborative Divorce. You can read more about her work on her website, http://www.joannrodriguesmft.com/.

Patricia Robinson: JoAnn, can you explain Collaborative Divorce?

JoAnn Rodrigues: Collaborative Divorce is an alternative to a traditionally litigated divorce. The process came about as a desire to help families navigate a difficult and often devastating event without adding more trauma. In this non-adversarial approach the couple agrees never to go to court. The family has a team of professionals: two attorneys, two coaches, a child specialist and a financial specialist who have all been trained to help the family reach a settlement that takes into account the emotional and financial needs of all the family members. The goals are to improve communication and co-parenting so that the family can reach a lasting settlement that preserves relationships rather than destroying them.

In collaborative practice the control over the process lies with the couple as opposed to the court. This leads to more creativity and flexibility in all aspects of the settlement including parenting plans. This is especially important for families with special needs children as having that flexibility can greatly benefit their children.

Patricia Robinson: What do you see as some of the advantages to using this process?

JoAnn Rodrigues: The benefits to the family are evidenced in a reduced level of conflict, improved communication, co-parenting skills, and a better adjustment for the children. Since everyone's needs are taken into account no one leaves the process feeling like they got the short end of the stick, which only leads to continued resentment and sabotage. As therapists we are often faced with the results of a "bad divorce" where the fighting never ends. No one benefits when that happens.

The financial cost when the fighting never ends can be enormous. In the collaborative process the couple has a greater initial output of money (retainers for the team members) but can save money in the long run by actively working in the team meetings to reach lasting agreements.

Patricia Robinson: Can you explain your role in the Collaborative Divorce process?

JoAnn Rodrigues: I have two separate roles in the collaborative process, one as a coach and one as a child specialist. I would act in only one role in each case. In my role as a coach I meet individually and in team meetings with one of the spouses. My task is to help that person identify their needs and goals as well their strengths and concerns to help support them through the process. It is different from therapy because I do not go into depth about their issues but instead help guide them and teach them skills when their issues are getting in the way of helping them achieve their goals. I do the same in the team meetings by monitoring the emotions and helping to keep the process on track. I also assist in developing a parenting plan based on the information received from the child specialist.

As a child specialist I am basically making sure that the child's voice is being heard.  I am assessing the child or children's adjustment to the divorce. I am looking at what they need developmentally and what is helping and what is causing distress. I am a neutral person in the process sharing the information I have gained with the parents and the team.

Patricia Robinson: How do couples find a collaborative divorce team?
  
JoAnn Rodrigues: They can go to our local website, www.collaborativepracticeeastbay.com and click on team members. They can contact any member such as myself and that person will meet with them and make suggestions for the other team members based on their needs. For people reading this outside the Bay Area they can go to the international collaborative website at www.collaborativepractice.com

Patricia Robinson: Thanks JoAnn! I'm sure my readers will find this information helpful.