A Merry Christmas to You...and a PONCHO GIVEAWAY!

May each of you have a blessed Christmas...enjoy your family, your health...all the gifts in your life! May you be especially blessed by Christ who is the Reason we celebrate!

For the next week and a half, I'm going to take a break from blogging to spend more time with my husband and kids. It seems like many of you are doing the same...so it's a good time to join you in just savoring this family togetherness. I'll still check comments, just won't put up any posts until January (unless, of course, there's something too good not to share!).

It's also a great time to share a fun GIVEAWAY of a lovely blue wheelchair rain poncho, perfect for either a boy or a girl! Here's the fabric...isn't it beautiful?


The outer fabric is a buttery-soft "utility" fabric, a plastic coated nylon that drapes beautifully and folds flat. I'd describe it as "ocean blue" with a bit of a shine. The inside is a soft coordinating blue-and-aqua batik flannel. I will custom-fit the snaps for the winner so it works well for their child.

Since folks are spending more time with family than online (yay!), I'm going to leave this giveaway open a little longer than usual. You have until January 3, 2011 (2011 feels very odd to write), Monday night at 9 pm PST. See all the details on the GIVEAWAY page if you think your child or grandchild might be able to use a wheelchair rain poncho. I'll announce the winner on Tuesday, January 4, 2011. Go ahead and sign up for the wheelchair poncho giveaway...you might just be our lucky winner!

I'll see you again in the new year. Until then, enjoy your family and good luck on winning the rain poncho!

A Merry Christmas to all...God bless us, everyone!
Rose-Marie

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In case you missed it, here's a tutorial for the wheelchair rain poncho

Wheelchair Rain Poncho Tutorial

Thanks so much for your patience waiting for this tutorial! It has been a comedy of errors, but finally, it's here just for you! Drum roll please...

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The rainy season has hit the Pacific Northwest with a vengeance! This Wheelchair Rain Poncho is just the answer to keep kids and their wheelchairs dry as they brave the rain squalls. It can be made with a polar fleece lining if you deal with snow or cold temperatures where you live.


For this sample, I used “utility cloth” from Joann Fabrics sold for making
waterproof diaper covers. It’s very soft and drapes well.


Here is one made from nylon. Notice how the back
can also be tucked in without interfering with sitting.

This hooded rain poncho is one-size-fits-most-kids. Feel free to adjust the measurements to fit your wheelchair user.

Features that make this poncho handy are:

• a waterproof outer fabric to keep rain off and fabric choices to make the inside varying levels of cozy-warm;

corner tucks that keep the poncho snuggled around the knees for a drier, warmer lap;

• the ability to fold completely flat for storing in a backpack;

• a shortened back length. It’s long enough to keep the wearer’s back dry, along with any tote bags hanging off the back of the wheelchair, but short enough not to interfere with push handles (a longer-backed variation is described at the end). It can also tuck between the wearer's back and the seat without interfering with sitting;

simple sewing.

Please note that this pattern is for personal use only. Thanks!

Materials:

• 1 5/8 yd 58-60” wide waterproof outerwear fabric (slicker vinyl, oilcloth, waterproofed nylon, “utility fabric” or other)

• 2 ½ yd 42-44” wide flannel (be safe and buy 2 5/8 yards to allow for shrinkage)
-- OR – 1 5/8 yd 60” fleece for warmer poncho (note: if using fleece, the extra bulk may require you to sew slightly deeper seam allowances. If you own a serger, this is a great time to use it, as serging nicely compresses the bulky seam allowances of fleece)

• 2 large snaps (use the prong type rather than sew-in. Attach using whatever method you prefer; I like a hammer and a wooden spool)

• Thread to match

• TEST YOUR PRESSER FOOT on the selvage edge of your outdoor fabric to see if you might need a Teflon or roller foot to keep the waterproof fabric from sticking…or use this clever masking tape trick

• Pattern for hood and neck template. When printing both files, select PAGE SCALING > NONE. The pages of the hood overlap so you can line them up correctly. The taped paper will measure 15.25 x 18.5” before you cut out the pattern piece.

Prepare fabric and cut pieces

1) Prewash flannel. The outerwear fabric or polyester polar fleece does not need prewashing.

2) Cut the outer fabric to 45” x 60” (it’s okay to fudge a bit on this, so don’t sweat it if straightening the edges makes your fabric a titch smaller). Trace around a dinner plate (mine is 10.5” across) to round the corners; cut off excess. Use the trimmed outer fabric as the pattern for cutting the lining fabric to match.



3) If your lining is flannel, you will need to seam two 1 ¼ yd lengths together along the selvage edge. First cut off the selvages and then stitch the two lengths with a ¼” seam. Press the seam open and topstitch down each side of the seam to hold the allowances flat.

The underside of the seam after it has been pressed open
and topstitched from the top side.

Lay the outer fabric on this, aligning one short end of the outer fabric close to one of the selvage ends and leaving room to cut the hood pieces from the other.


Use the trimmed outer fabric as your pattern. Note that the seam
on the flannel lining will fall just across the top of the chest.
The scraps from the hood pattern are simply to show you
how the two hood pieces will fit when you double over the excess lining.

4) Cut 2 hood pieces from outer fabric and lining fabric. Mark notches with a 1/8” snip. [Note: the neck opening accommodates a head size up to 23". If your child will need a larger neck opening, taper the back neck seam out from the curve to the neck edge. Increase the neck opening by tracing around an 8 1/2” salad plate instead of the printable template].

Sew body of poncho

Note: Any time you sew two unlike fabrics together, it is especially important to practice on scraps. You need to work out the best combination to encourage your particular fabrics to cooperate. For example, I found my pair for the tutorial—a plastic-coated knit “utility fabric” and cotton flannel—worked best if I sewed with the flannel on top, pinning inside the seam allowances (and I rarely use pins). Your mileage may vary…test, test, test!


Practice with scraps cut from the fabrics as you squared up
your rectangles or cut out the hood pieces.

1) Pin layers right side together, running pins parallel to the cut edges and within ¼” of them.
Using a long stitch length, stitch both layers, right sides together, with a 1/4” seam. Leave an 8” opening on one short end for turning the layers right sides out. This will become the back edge. Be sure to backstitch at both ends of the opening.

2) Clip seam allowance at corners if necessary. Turn the poncho right sides out through the opening. Use your fingernail to crease the seam allowance at the opening to the inside.

3) Topstitch a scant ¼” in around the entire outer edge.

Sew hood

1) Sew left and right outer hood pieces right sides together. Use your thumbnail to press both seam allowances to one side. Repeat for the lining, but press seam allowances in the opposite each other (note: fleece will be bulky. You will need to cut down one of the seam allowances to reduce that bulk).

2) Meet hood and lining right sides together. The center seams should lock together where they meet because the seam allowances have been pressed in opposite directions. Sew around face opening with a 1/4” seam, turn right sides out, and topstitch.

3) Baste neck edge together a scant ¼” from the edge, wrong sides together, matching notches and using long stitches.

Attach hood

1) Fold poncho skirt lengthwise and mark the center line on the lining with disappearing markings. Measure 12” from the back edge and place the edge of the neck template pattern on this mark, centering it over the center line. Trace around the pattern, marking notches. Pin the layers together with pins IN THE CENTER of the circle you have made.

Notice the teeny white dots inside the soap-marked circle--these are the pin heads.
Pinning inside the circle keeps pin holes to a minimum, preventing leaks.
The soap sliver used to mark the fabric is highlighted with a red arrow.

Sew right on the traced circle with basting stitches. Cut out the inside of the circle, leaving a ¼” seam allowance inside your stitching (see the pattern if you are not sure where to trim). Clip notches 1/8” deep into the seam allowance.


2) Match center back of hood with center back marking on poncho, right sides together. Carefully pin hood inside seam allowance from the center back to the front matching clip at center front. Front edges should overlap about 1” at the center front. Stitch all the way around the neck edge using a ¼” seam allowance, stitching just outside the basting stitches.

Pin holes allow water to penetrate, so any pinning must be done
inside the seam allowances with pins running parallel to the edge.

3) Press all seam allowances out from the neck edge, using your thumbnail. Topstitch through all layers 1/8” from seam to secure seam allowances.


 For easiest, flattest, most accurate topstitching around the neck,
sew from the right side, checking underneath the seam often
to make sure it is catching under the needle.
Sew with the curve rather than stretching the seam straight.

Carefully trim any excess seam allowance next to the stitching, being careful not to nick the lining.




Attach snaps

1) The placement of snaps in the front corners of the poncho skirt gives you a custom fit that keeps the poncho in place around the legs. Measure across the front of the wheelchair’s leg supports and add 6-8” to that measurement for ease.



Mark half this measurement from the center fold, 2" up from the hem. Then fold the corner diagonally (along the red line in the diagram) to determine where the other half of the snap will be placed.

You might want to use office clips for a trial fit, and then mark the snap placement with a grease pencil on oilcloth/vinyl.

2) Attach the snaps 2” in from the hem edge at the place along the corner that makes the poncho fit your child’s lap. Important--be sure the working parts of the snap face out!


Notice how the ball and socket face away from the outer fabric.


When you snap the parts together, this forms a tuck behind the snap that creates the corner.

Create a tuck under the snap to make the corner that keeps the poncho snug against the lap.

If your child uses an extra tall headrest or wants more back protection for a motorized wheelchair, go ahead and add extra length to the back. You’ll need an extra 1 ¼ yard each of the outer fabric and flannel (or fleece) lining. Sewing the extra length to the back 12” down from the neck opening should put the seam where it is unlikely to get doused with the hardest rain.


That’s it! Now your child is ready to head out into the rain (or snow!). I'd love to hear how your poncho-sewing experience goes. Let me know if you have any questions.

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If this tutorial was helpful, you might also want to check out

Split-back Wheelchair Jacket

The Gift of our Children

December is a time of year when gifts are very much on our minds. The holidays involve a great deal of gift giving. It’s all too easy to get caught up in the consumerism that tries to overtake this special time of year. Advertisers blare messages to attract us to their sales, the kids write cute little wish-lists (often too many and too long), family pressures over out-of-control gift exchanges start to fray our nerves.
Unfortunately, as we get caught up in gift-giving, we sometimes forget to savor some of the most special gifts in our lives—our children.


We worry instead about finding them the perfect present, the one they can still manipulate with their challenged motor skills, the one that will be age appropriate without being cognitively taxing, the one that will sneak in some therapeutic practice (how guilty I am of this last one!!!).
Our children, every one of them, are precious gifts. Whether or not they face disability, each of our kids is a great gift to us. This is a good season to step back and appreciate the gift of our children.
Appreciate their strengths
·        What positive character traits do we admire in our children?
My daughter with Rett syndrome is, without question, the most forgiving person I know. I mess up often: misunderstanding what she is trying to communicate to me, forgetting to take care of her needs in my own busy-ness, moving too quickly when she needs a slower pace…the list is embarrassingly long. I’m sure it includes things I don’t even realize I should ask her forgiveness about. But when I do—and even when I don’t—she extends grace to me. Instead of holding a grudge, she wraps her arm over mine and nestles her head on my shoulder. I may feel like an absolute schmuck over something I’ve done (or failed to do), but she sees me through the eyes of forgiveness. I hope I can grow up to be just like her.
What qualities do you admire in your child? Is she persistent in working…and working…and working to learn an elusive new skill? Is she brave in the face of terrifying or painful treatments? Does he demonstrate ingenuity in working around an obstacle and create his own method for success?
·        What skills can we be thankful our children possess? They don’t have to be big ones! Anything that makes their lives or ours easier is something worth prizing.
When I start to feel discouraged about the skills my daughter has lost over the years, it helps me think about all the things she can do for herself. Do you know how grateful I am that my daughter can breathe on her own? It may sound trite. But ask any parent whose child needs assistance breathing what such a skill would be worth and they probably could not name a price high enough. I feel the same gratitude for my daughter’s ability to control her bowels. She cooperates to have her teeth brushed, sleeps through the night, rolls to reposition herself as she sleeps…these are tremendous skills to celebrate!
How about your child? What skills make her life a bit more independent? How do these skills make your caregiving easier? Instead of falling into a trap of self-pity over how hard life is, imagine how much harder things might be if your child couldn’t do these skills. It’s a quick way to cultivate appreciation for what your child has!
Appreciate their accomplishments
·        Take notice! What does your child do this year that he couldn’t last year? For some kids, the list might actually be quite long. For others, perhaps those who have suffered a challenging year of health issues, holding ground in some area may be a tremendous accomplishment worth noting.
My daughter has been working very hard all year to learn to walk up and down stairs. Mind you, it’s still very tentative. More than five steps would be too many yet. There are days of tight tone when it isn’t safe to even attempt the stairs.  She requires more than a “full assist” with her body, but she is learning how to judge the distance of the steps and lift her feet! She’s even beginning to bend her knee to come down the stairs…a huge challenge for her…but it’s coming!
·        Acknowledge the hard work to gain that skill. Remember all the time and effort your child gave to accomplish this new thing. Sometimes what comes naturally for the rest of us requires a mountain of effort for someone with a disability that interferes with that skill. Tell your child how proud you are of his hard work to learn this new skill.

·        Celebrate every time you see it! You don’t have to gush out praise each time you see your child doing this new accomplishment (she might think you’ve gone ‘round the twist!). But internally you can enjoy and savor that moment every time you see that skill in action.
Appreciate the good things that have come into our lives as a direct result of our child’s disabilities
·        What new friends have you made? Have you bonded with other parents in similar situations? Are there special new friends living near you who share common challenges? The Internet has opened a world of connections to other families of kids like yours and mine, even if the disorders are rare and otherwise isolating. We can connect at odd hours and across oceans. Do you enjoy a sense of connection this way?

·        Have you received unexpected support from the community, from family, from old friends? Have there been some surprise kindnesses that came your way this year? I have been blessed by watching acceptance grow in some members of my extended family. What had been painful distance and hesitancy early in my daughter’s diagnosis has matured into genuine caring and moving closer.

·        What new skills have you acquired in dealing with your child’s issues? Are you a better negotiator? More technologically savvy? Have you learned to sew neoprene or work with PVC pipe? Can you swap out a g-tube in the middle of the night with just a nightlight? Can you swim through  the muddle of special ed and medical acronyms without drowning? What have you learned to do that you never imagined you’d be so good at? If you aren’t sure, think about the areas where other parents ask for your help. Chances are they see you as having strong skills in that area.

·        What positive character traits have you developed as a direct result of your child’s disability? I’ve always admired people with courage. My nature is terribly mousey, fearful to speak up or disagree. But I’m learning courage. In supporting my daughter, I’ve had to become brave to move outside my comfort zone. I’ve had to defend her at times and fight for what is right. Learning to be courageous for her sake has branched out to other areas of my life where I’ve previously felt afraid.
How about you? Do you have greater patience as a result of your child’s disabilities? Has your motivation and initiative increased? Are you more reliable now than once upon a time? Have you developed greater tact and finesse?

For today, wrapping packages can wait at our house. Two very special “gifts” are home for Christmas break, and today is mine to enjoy them. I can think of no better way to spend our day than snuggled on the couch with a great book and hot cocoa, appreciating our time together.
Enjoy your gifts this season!

                       

For Those Who Sew: Favorite Wheelchair Clothing Sewing Sites



If you sew, you have a tremendous gift that can greatly benefit the wheelchair user in your life. If you want to learn to sew, come on aboard! You’ll be glad you did.

Sewing gives you the opportunity to…
·       custom-create fashionable clothing that fits just right. You can incorporate details that make sitting or stretching more comfortable, dressing easier, and managing openings simpler. You can add special details that give secret access to stomas or give tons of extra pocket access for electronic devices …you name it!
·        have creative license over colors, fabrics, and details. It’s fun to design clothing that reflects the wearer’s personality!
·        save a dollar or two. Sewing is not the inexpensive hobby it once was, but garments you create yourself are often considerably less costly than those sewn for the small adaptive market.
With that in mind, may I present two fabulous online resources with you in mind!
The first is Fashion Freaks, with free sew-it-yourself clothing patterns for wheelchair users. This is the go-to site for developing your own customized wheelchair-friendly patterns based on basic patterns you can download from the site. While it is designed for adult women’s (XS to XXL) and men’s (S to XXL) clothing, it isn’t too difficult to scale the sizing down for children. Fashion Freaks provides the pattern pieces and complete instructions for sewing jackets (several styles), pants, and a skirt. All are designed with a seated wearer in mind. There are some helpful tips for making clothing fit and function better. You’ll also find a great section for sewing inspiration.

The second is a fact sheet full of terrific tips brought to you from the Disabled Living Foundation in London. It provides ideas for purchasing ready-to-wear garments with a wheelchair user in mind, as well as ideas for adapting commercial clothing. There are also some tips for adapting commercial sewing patterns to make them work more successfully for people who spend their days sitting.

If you know of other sites that offer tips for sewing clothing for wheelchair users, would you please share them? It would be great to share a nice little collection for people who want to sew for their family members who use wheelchairs. Thanks!

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The AbleData site isn't specific to home sewing, but lists a great number of ready-made adaptive clothing sites you might be able to use for inspiration. Scroll down the the "clothing" section to find the categories that would be useful to you. There are some really creative designers out there! 


The Power of Waiting

It was inevitable. The accident we’ve worked so hard to prevent came to life this afternoon. My daughter’s myoclonic jerking knocked her to the floor. I was trying to dress her while she stood, my hands were busy, and I just couldn’t catch her in time as a jolt of myoclonus sent her lurching against a cupboard door and down onto the linoleum. She was crying, obviously shaken. There were no obvious signs of injury—thank goodness!


Now, a mother’s instinct is to want to know right now what is hurting or bothering their child. I am as much driven by that same instinct as the next mother.
However, I have found that when our daughter is upset, trying to get her to express why she is upset pushes her into overload. It seems to work much better to reassure her that we will talk about the problem later, after she has calmed down. This accomplishes several things:
  • it lets her relax, knowing that she will have an opportunity to discuss the problem. She wants to be heard. But immediately is not necessarily the best time. What may be best is soon after the child is calm (just never, ever forget to hold that promised discussion if you want your child’s trust).
  • it lets her deal with the problem at hand, avoiding the added stress of communicating. Dealing with pain or frustrating emotions is hard work. Communication can also be hard work for our kids, even though it may come easily for you and me. We need to remember that. In an already-overwhelming situation, having to communicate about the issue may just push them over the top.
  • it lets me have some time to organize my questions and her possible responses. This (usually!) reduces frustration in the long run. If I’m not tuned in to my daughter’s feelings or don’t have the right choices ready for her, both of which are likely faux pas in the heat of the moment, that adds stress upon stress. Stress does not tend to smooth communication. Better to come back to the issue later.
This policy of coming-back-later to an upsetting problem, be it pain or an emotional upset, seems to work well at our house for supporting communication. My daughter is a teenager; sometimes teens get upset or frustrated for mysterious reasons not obvious to the adults around them. I find this strategy to be especially helpful with unexplainable tears. But it applies just as well to known issues…and to younger children. In fact, it was during early elementary school that we stumbled across this technique of promising to let our daughter tell us what was wrong later, after she was calmer.
Now, of course we offer comfort right away. That’s a parent’s job. We just don’t necessarily ask for our kids to talk about the problem right away.
There may be exceptional non-verbal communicators who can communicate in the middle of an upsetting situation. But many others, like my daughter, find that the stress of an upset makes communication to be the proverbial “straw that breaks the camel’s back.” They are already processing as much as they can handle, just dealing with the situation. Asking this group of communicators to talk about the problem in the heat of the moment is expecting them to do more than what is humanly possible—for them. Let’s respect their humanity…
So, what about today's accident?
I snuggled my daughter immediately after her fall till she calmed down, then let her rest on her stomach so her muscles could relax while the myoclonus resolved, and after she was fully calm we talked about the accident. She told me her mouth and shoulder hurt right after the fall, but they are fine now. Mostly what had her upset was the frightening noise of hitting the cupboard.
I didn’t have the heart to ask if the fall shook her faith in my ability to keep her safe. I’m not sure I’m strong enough to hear the answer…

How about you? Does it work better for your child to communicate after there has been time to calm down?

A Must-Read Inclusion Article

You are going to gain some practical insights about including children with disabilities in the regular classroom in this outstanding article by Margaret Cisco. It gives every person working with a child with special needs--both at school and at home--important things to reflect on...enjoy!

Start with Three Key Concepts

Special thanks to the staff at SESA for permission to reprint
this article from the Fall 2006 SESA Newsletter
By Margaret Cisco, educational specialist, SESA



These three key concepts apply across all areas of low incidence disabilities. They are respect, organization, and expectation. Set up the learning environment with these three concepts to create a solid foundation for the educational program. 

FIRST KEY CONCEPT -- Be Respectful of the Student

Lack of respect is a barrier to learning. The following situations demonstrate a lack of respect for students with severe disabilities and describe the alternative. Use the list to assess the classroom situation and teach others how to show respect for the student with severe disabilities.

1. Many students with severe disabilities have instructional aides with them all day long. Whenever educators or peers look at or talk to the aide but do not include the student, the student is not respected.   Everyone in the student’s environment needs to interact directly with her. Speak to her and wait for her to respond in her own way and time. Teachers need to be models of good interaction for peers and explain to them how the individual can respond. It would help to ask other students or teachers how they would feel if no one ever addressed them.

2. Some students with severe disabilities cannot speak. When educators or peers talk to each other in front of the student as if the student is not present, then the student is not respected (and it’s just plain rude!). To show respect, everyone needs to include the student in the conversation and talk about information that is interesting and relevant to him. Otherwise, save the conversation for another location or time of day.

3.   Many students with severe disabilities have a delay between taking in information and reacting to it. When educators or peers do not wait for the student to process and react to information before they proceed, then the student is not respected. To show respect, everyone should wait long enough for the student to understand before expecting him to respond in some way.
4.  Some students with severe disabilities may not understand information they see or hear. When educators or peers do not notify the student before a change (e.g., before moving or touching, changing position, giving or taking an item, going to another location, or starting a new activity), then she is not respected. To show respect, everyone must inform the student of what is about to happen, and they need to do it in a way that she can understand. This may not be words. Other ways for giving information are discussed in the visual supports section. Be sure to wait until the student shows that she understands before making the change.

5.   Many students with severe disabilities have full time paraprofessionals with them throughout the school day. When educators leave the entire program to para-professionals and do not provide directions, materials, and ongoing program support, then the student is not respected. To show respect, educators need to consistently work with the students who have severe disabilities and the paraprofessionals who support them.
SECOND KEY CONCEPT --  Get Organized

A second common barrier to instruction and learning is the lack of instructional planning for students with severe disabilities. While other students have classroom schedules, classroom routines, and daily lesson plans, the students with significant needs often go with the flow. This can mean anything from doing something on the whim of the adult or just listening to what is happening around the class.
1.   Establish a daily activity schedule (and stick to it!) Typical classrooms have daily schedules, even though the schedule may vary across weekdays.   For example, Monday’s schedule may be slightly different than Thursday’s schedule. Often, the student with a severe disability is moved from place to place without a plan for the day.
2.   Even when there is a plan for the day, the student may feel as though events are random because no one informs him. Be sure to inform the student of his schedule in a manner he understands. This will usually require some form of visual support.
3.  Use consistent routines for typical daily activities.   Everyone functions well with routines. Good teachers know that routines help students to learn, to better manage their behavior, and to become more independent within the established classroom framework. These same benefits of routine also apply to students with severe disabilities. Doing things in the same way with the same cues will increase the student’s ability to understand what is about to happen, and thereby better engage in the anticipated event.
THIRD KEY CONCEPT --  Enable Active Participation
In most schools nowadays, the special education placement model involves inclusion. In other words, students with severe disabilities go to general education classes. Whether the student is included or attends class in the special education room, another barrier to learning occurs if the student has no purpose except being present and cared for in that location.   Being present and cared for is not enough. When educators do not expect and modify activities to enable participation, learning cannot occur.
SESA multiple disabilities program specialist Kathy Osinski uses a good rule of thumb to evaluate whether the student is actively participating. The original source of the following is unknown:

Ask yourself if a potato could do what the student is being asked to do. If a potato can do it, then the student is not actively participating.   For example, a potato can be present in the kindergarten or in the chemistry class so just being there is not active participation.







Good things are coming...

There's something special coming...just for you!

I've been working diligently on the tutorial planned for today. It is close to done, but I'm not quite ready to post it. I promised myself I'd work like a wild banshee for eight hours today and now it's noon--my eight hours have expired (yes, you did your math correctly. I've been at this since four this morning). I'm learning heaps about computer-sketched patterns and converting them to PDFs that print accurately, which has been a real time drain good learning experience. But the good news is that things should go that much quicker the next time I try to get a pattern ready to accompany a tutorial. Hooray!!

After four days of non-stop rain, we finally have a little sun break. Right now there are hooves to trim and dogs with four days of pent-up ball-chasing energy that are vying for my attention. So please be patient...this tutorial (and...hint, hint...the giveaway to go along with it) will be worth the wait!

Oh, and I've been meaning to ask you... Is it easier for you if I keep embedding the tutorials in my blog as I've been doing, or would you rather have them be downloadable PDF files? I'm curious as to what you'd prefer. Please leave me a comment to let me know. Thanks!

Thanks for your patience!
Rose-Marie

Favorite Cookie Cutters

'Tis the season for baking...Yummm! If your kids like to help out with creating festive holiday cookies (and there are a lot of fall/winter holidays!), you might be interested in these Wilton Comfort-Grip cookie cutters.


Some of our collection of Christmas Comfort-Grip cookie cutters.
There are plenty for other seasons, too, but I'll spare you !

We love these at our house. Maybe too much. In fact, I promised myself to stop counting how many I've bought over the years because I'd feel too guilty over my spending to eat the cookies we bake. But I can justify the purchases because they're, er, "therapeutic." Can't I?

My daughter with disabilities has severe fine-motor issues. She cannot control her hands voluntarily, so any participation in baking activities has to be assisted. She can operate the mixer with a switch, but adding ingredients or rolling and cutting the dough is a hand-over-hand activity. I used to worry that the sharp edges of traditional cookie cutters would hurt her hand when her hand was sandwiched between mine and the cutter.

But the Wilton cookie cutters have cushioned plastic edges. It makes them more comfortable for using hand-over-hand. The large size of these cutters also makes them helpful for children with any degree of fine motor challenge.

They are also made of very sturdy steel, unlike some of the flimsier tin cutters, so we don't have to worry about them getting pressed out of shape. That durability makes them great for kids who may not be able to be as gentle as we'd like with those delicate cutters passed down from Grandma.


Ouch! These can be sharp used hand-over-hand, and they're easy
for kids to accidentally bend out of shape.

You can find the Wilton Comfort-Grip cookie cutters for about $3.00 each. They are available at most major general retailers that carry Wilton supplies, as well as large craft and fabric chain stores. You can also purchase them online.

With the weekend approaching, you might be feeling the urge to bake up some Christmas gingerbread or sugar cookies. Why not let them help out with the cutting using some of these great cookie cutters? Mmmmmm...I can smell them already!

Let's Talk! Get the Conversations Started

This idea for supporting non-verbal (or even shy children!) in conversations with their peers has floated around AAC circles for such a long time it is not spoken about often anymore. That puts families with young children at a disadvantage, because those families weren’t around when this idea was such a popular one. So I’m merely circulating an idea that’s tried and true…and may be a benefit to your child.
Kids who don’t have the language to initiate conversation still need opportunities to chat with friends! But those friends often have a hard time initiating conversation as well because they don’t know what interests the non-verbal child. The conversation starter is simply a prop to get kids talking.
It starts with a cheap little photo album.

A one-dollar photo album from any craft or discount store

You can find photo albums like this one on the dollar rack at most any craft store. The cover is plastic and it has pockets to hold 36 4 x 6” photos. Don’t worry about getting something fancy; you are more interested in something lightweight that can withstand a bit of drizzle and a lot of kid-handling. You’re going to clip it to the child’s backpack or wheelchair, so don’t invest in something expensive please. Besides, a new one each Christmas gives Santa’s little elves an easy stocking stuffer.
Go through your current photos for a handful of pictures that depict important things in your child’s life. Friends at school may not know about the Secret Home Life of your child. Include pictures from your vacations, shots of your child’s room, pictures of pets or family members, favorite activities or toys…whatever it is that your child might talk about if she could.
Here is a brief list of sample topics we’ve covered in the past:
  • Vacations
  • Summer plan
  • Pets
  • Siblings
  • Favorite free time activities
  • Collections
  • Movies (i.e.: “Seen any good movies lately?”)
  • Favorite singers        
Now, grab a handful of 4 x 6” index cards. The introductory card will explain how someone can communicate with your child.

"Hi! I'd like to talk with you. We can both answer the questions
in this book. You can ask me yes/no questions and I'll look at the answer."

For each photo, start with a leading question for the friend to answer. Make it sound natural, the way a typical child the same age as yours might ask. Then, on the next spread of pages, insert a picture and a comment your child might make. Be sure to include an interesting follow-up fact that might move the conversation along a bit farther. Instead of just saying, “I have a cat,” try “I have a fat tabby cat named Eddie. Mostly he is lazy, but sometimes he plays “laser moth” with me.” Now the friend might pick up on similarities between Eddie and his cat, or he might notice the red dot on the floor in the picture and comment about how his cat might enjoy such a game.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"


"I have a sister named Becky. She is 7 years old and going into 2nd grade.
We like to play games together and camp out."
Answers can be written out in the conversation starter book for the child to read or for an adult to read out loud. They can be programmed onto devices (in fact, this whole concept can be merged onto a device).
To hang the book off my daughter’s backpack, I simply tied a ribbon around the spine and attached a chain.  Any kind of clip would work. The album in this post is an old one we had sitting around, as some Christmas Elf needs to get busy getting one ready for her stocking this year. Shhhhh…
If your child has trouble initiating conversations with friends, this idea might be worth a try. It's nice to swap out pictures and questions periodically. Major school vacations are a great time for this. Let us know how it works for you!