FoggyRock General Forum

Hi-
My son is 13, so we have gone through/are going through some similar stuff.  Of course, our kids are all so different, so it is hard to compare what they need and the way that they learn.  I'm brainstorming for you, and one resource might be Stephen Shore.  He is an adult on the spectrum and is a speaker and an author.  You can contact via his website and he might be able to give some direction about what to read/what methods of teaching those topics to pursue.  We just interviewed Stephen for autismpodcast.org and should be posting the podcast soon.  He is in MA. and is a friend of mine and he mentioned that he would be willing to come up to Maine for a conference.  I invited him about 6 years ago, and he didn't charge anything--but now, of course, he is very much in demand as a speaker, and I'm not sure what he would charge and if parents in Maine would be willing to pay....Something for me to think about.  If we did invite him, we could survey the parents ahead of time to see what topics we would want him to cover....I really do think that the purberty/personal space/sexuality piece is something  we all should be concerned about as all of our children will face the same issues....

Okay, another resource is Donna Willaims--another adult on the spectrum.  She is a high-anxiety person and speaks alot to that issue in autism.  Several years ago, I did an online consult with her and she helped me navigate some of my son's anxiety/personality issues.  I can't remember what she charged, but it was very reasonable.  Her website is:
http://www.donnawilliams.net/

Another great resource is Michelle Garcia Winner--she is an SLP--I think, and she really works mostly with kids on social issues.  She speaks around the country---I've heard her on tapes that I borrowed from the Autism Society of Maine (I actually have them right now and will get them back so you can borrow them if you are interested).  Her website is:
http://www.socialthinking.com/

Lastly, since you are in Maine, you may want to get in touch with SLP Cathy Burgess in Brunswick, ME. She works closely with families in helping  children navigate tough social issues and I just attended a really great conference she had in Freeport.  She has created a method for teaching these kids to understand the pieces that need to come together to form relationships--which is critical to getting along in school and  in the community....I don't think she has a website, but you could google her for her phone number (she calls her business Sunbeams).....And she may be having another conference or speaking engagement soon.  If not, let me know and I can copy you my material and send it along.  Of course, it's not nearly the same as hearing it from her, but it is a start. 

Gotta get to bed---Good luck!
Shannon

Thank you for the advice...I'm touched because I wasn't expecting such wonderful detail.  I'm glad that I've started looking into this now so that we have a chance to research and learn.  I know this is going to be a big issue for us!  thanks again,lisadianne2