Family – Isaac's Autism in the Wild

Episode 89 | Motivation

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | April 5, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

In this episode of ISAAC’s Autism in the Wild, we are joined again by Becky Gardner, Executive Function Coach at: A Life of My Own to discuss motivation. Finding and maintaining motivation is a tricky task in a nuerotypical brain–so for our loved ones on the autism spectrum we have to really dial in to determine which means of motivation will be successful. It is a process and can be discouraging, however the benefits to finding a sustainable intrinsic motivation can be life changing.

References:

Self-Determination Theory of Motivation: Why Intrinsic Motivation Matters

Courtney E. Ackerman, MA., 2-15-2021 (Synopsis of Ryan and Deci’s work on Self-Determination Theory and Intrinsic Motivation)

https://positivepsychology.com/self-determination-theory/#:~:text=It%20posits%20that%20there%20are,in%20the%201970s%20and%201980s.

Drive. By Daniel Pink (book)

Key Concepts-

– Autonomy: “Control leads to compliance; autonomy leads to engagement.” Control is by others, from outside (extrinsic motivators) – in some situations this leads to compliance but does not lead to desire. Autonomy is from within (intrinsic) – by definition it leads to a true desire to engage with the activity.

– Mastery: “One source of frustration … is the frequent mismatch between what people must do and what people can do. When what they must do exceeds their capabilities, the result is anxiety. When what they must do falls short of their capabilities, the result is boredom. But when the match is just right, the results can be glorious.”

– Purpose: “Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self‐determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.”

TED Talk: “The Puzzle of Motivation” By Dan Pink

Although used in a different context, the science is valid and the research applies.

https://youtu.be/rrkrvAUbU9Y

Executive Functioning –

> Smarts: Are We Hardwired for Success? (Book) by Chuck Martin , Peg Dawson, Richard Guare

> Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary “Executive Skills” Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential (Book) by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare

Collaborative Problem Solving –

> Rethinking Challenging Kids: Where There’s a Skill There’s a Way, Stuart Ablon https://youtu.be/wgNpGThLl2U

> Changeable: How Collaborative Problem Solving Changes Lives at Home, at School, and at Work (Book) by J. Stuart Ablon

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Episode 88 | Things we wish everyone knew about autism

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | March 29, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

In this episode of ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild we discuss thing’s we wish EVERYONE knew about autism. In our day-to-day as autism parents we are frequently coming in contact with people that just don’t understand our children. Often times a stranger will witness our child’s moment of anxiety-driven meltdown and make the assumption that the child is simply choosing to misbehave. On the flip side, a person may meet a child with high functioning autism and ask “What is his/her special talent?” No matter how well intentioned there is a true lack of understanding regarding autism that directly impacts societies view on their abilities. Listen in as we discuss the main issues these moms wish everyone understood about autism.

Reference:

Beyond Behaviors by Monda Delahooke, Phd

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Episode 86 | Birthday Parties During A Pandemic

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | March 15, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

It has officially been one year since Covid-19 restrictions have been part of our lives. This means every single person has experienced a “Lockdown Birthday Party.”

Today our panel of special-needs parents are discussing hosting birthday parties when the traditional idea of a party is not allowed. What did they do for their kiddos on their special day? What do they wish they had done? What has the pandemic forced us to learn about the traditional idea of a party?

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Episode 85 | Building and Maintaining Self Esteem

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | March 9, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

We know that on the whole, our children on the spectrum receive many more corrections each day than a nuero-typical child. In a world of “don’t do that” and “it is better if you do it this way” it is hard to achieve a high sense of self esteem and maintain confidence in yourself. We have discussed building self esteem in passing while recording other episodes but wanted a chance to discuss this topic as a whole. So, we invited a panel of parents that discuss the challenges their children-on all ends of the spectrum have faced regarding growing and maintaining self esteem.

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Episode 84 | The Covid-19 Vaccine

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | March 1, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

The Covid vaccine is becoming more and more available. When it becomes available to our kiddos with autism will you be first in line-or not interested?

This is the question we posed to a group of parents in this episode of ISAAC’s Autism in the Wild. Listen in to hear the factors these parents are considering while deciding if they will vaccinate their children against Covid-19.

**Note to listener: during this episode a parent needs to leave to tend to a child with an injury. Rest assured the injury was very minor, the child received mom’s TLC & snuggles and has fully recovered!

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Episode 82 | Indoor Activities

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | February 16, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

In today’s episode we talk about ways to keep your children entertained when the weather just doesn’t allow you to go outside. During the covid-19 lockdown we are all stuck inside, alone, and our kids are starting to climb the walls! How are you keeping your kids busy and entertained when the outside world is closed? We discuss this with several of our autism parents and discuss different activities that have been successful in our homes. Toward the end of the program we also dip into outdoor winter activities and found that most of the resistance to outdoor fun–actually comes from ourselves as parents. Listen in and see if you agree!

Laser Tag: (several variations available online, this is the one that we purchased) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZPGM6NQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Episode 81 | Autism & Mealtime

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | January 26, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

Full Disclosure, this episode originally started out as a “recipe share” program. Our goal was to find those perfect gems in the culinary world that are nutritious and every member in the family will happily eat and enjoy. In recording this episode, we realized that this is basically NEVER the case. We had this discussion with several of our autism parents and between the 5 parents, all of our ideas were “no-go” items in one or more of each other’s households.

What did we learn from this epic fail? We learned that we are all very similar in different ways, and all share the same struggle of cooking for picky eaters. Listen in as we desperately try to find ONE food that all of our kids will eat, as I have already given away–we don’t find it (unless ketchup and cereal counts as a meal), but we have an exceptionally entertaining conversation as we tried to get there! And as an added bonus, this was recorded within earshot of Caleb, Holly’s son, who made several cameos in the episode with his delightful interjections. Enjoy!

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Episode 79 | Self Care During a Pandemic

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | January 11, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

This week ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild checks in with a few parents to see how they are keeping sane during these insane times. We are now over 9 months into the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss how our own self care looks as we have settled into the new normal. We discuss alone time, sleep, hobbies, social media and more. We also explore how our thoughts on self care have changed as we’ve adjusted to the decline in social interaction.

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Episode 78 | De-stigmatizing Group Homes

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | January 6, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

On this episode of ISAAC’s Autism in the Wild we discuss group homes. Over the years we have heard many polarized conversations regarding the care of those with disabilities. Often times a group setting is the most beneficial placement for a child with behavioral issues. We are happy to talk with Judi, from Visions for a New Beginning, who has started group home facilities in the Spokane area that find that happy medium between structured group home and a happy loving family home. Visions for a New Beginning has 5 locations in the Spokane area, all housing children that needed more support to address their behavioral and emotional needs. Judi is there with open arms to take in these children and help them find the structure and comfort they need to excel.

Listen in as we discuss some of the stigmas surrounding group care facilities and learn how Judi has seen these obstacles and worked to provide loving caring support teams to assist these children.

Visions For A New Beginning

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Episode 77 | Parent Support

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | December 29, 2020 | Comments 0 Comment

In this episode of ISAAC’s Autism in the Wild we discuss support options for parents with children on the spectrum. Thanks to technology there are many more outlets for parents than there were in the years past. We discuss these opportunities with a couple of autism parents; Phara, mother to a young adult male, and David, father to a school-aged girl. We talk about the emergence of facebook support groups, programs through local non-profits (including The ISAAC Foundation’s Parent Nights Out), and focus on the emotional aspects of parenting a child with special needs.

References:

The ISAAC Foundation Parent Support Opportunities

Arc of Spokane: Parent to Parent Program

DADS Move: Support Groups

Facebook Groups: There are a ton of specialty groups out there, just search by keywords (autism/asd/special needs/neurodiverse/etc. local to your area.

*tip*If your child is diagnosed as ASD 1 be sure to look up “asperger” as many of these groups were formed when asperger was still a clinical diagnosis.

Asperger Experts

Asperger Parents

Special Kids of Spokane

You Too? Support in Spokane for Parents with Special Kids

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