Welcome to my “Make a Difference” Blog.

14 Tips for Christmas and End of Year Concerts Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDWhat you will find in the 2020 Christmas / End of Year Celebrations Magazine 🎁 14 Tips for Christmas / Holiday Season 🎁 Beautiful Picture Books to Educate the Whole Family this Christmas 🎁 Holiday Reading Ideas 🎁 6 Key Strategies for Creating a Calming Area at School and Home 🎁 12 Essential Tips for Concerts and End of Year Celebrates 🎁 Beautiful Books to Help Regulate Emotions 🎁 Great Stocking Fillers 🎁 How to Use Timers in the Holiday Period   Click on the link below to download the new 2020 Christmas Magazine...

Tips for Transitioning in 2021 Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDIs the child you know getting ready for a change in 2021? This can be big or small changes: transition includes change in teacher, change in room, change in students in the class not just starting preschool, school, high school and beyond. The nature of autism is such that transition can be extremely stressful, no matter what age or how BIG or SMALL the change maybe. Changing Teacher is like…. Moving to a Foreign Country   For the child with an Autism  moving to a new teacher, classroom or campus is like moving to foreign country. There is a different language (eg one teacher says ‘pack away’, new teacher says ‘clean up’). Teachers and other students have different facial expressions and body language to interpret, new rules, new schedules, new smells, different pencils just to mention a few changes. This new ‘foreign country’ causes the...

Subscribe to my podcast via my podcast page to get weekly episodes about ASD just like this one delivered automatically to where ever you listen to podcasts.Executive functioning refers to the part of your brain that organises, prioritises and regulates emotions. However, I prefer to refer to it as the 'Air Traffic Control,' as just like air traffic control has to manage thousands of planes on countless runways with perfect timing, students have to manage information and distractions. Impaired Executive Function can impact significantly on students with autism's ability to learn and engage in busy learning environments. Students may not struggle with all areas of Executive Functioning to the same degree. It is important to identify which areas the student needs supports, and put in place strategies to support and develop this skill. I find that if the child has had an assessment by a psychologist it is worth checking which areas were identified as impaired and then using these...

DIETICIAN PROVIDES STRATEGIES ​TO REDUCE PICKY EATING FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM  I am so excited to have Caitlin on the Podcast today. Caitlin Arundale - is a dietitian who has completed the SOS Approach to Feeding.  I met Cailtin at one of my workshops. She was there with her Mum who is an Occupational Therapist.  What a great family combination! I asked Caitlin to send me some tips on helping kids to eat a range of foods as I often get questions and wanted some ideas to send to families. She kindly sent me the Tips which I have included below, but I thought it would be wonderful to also have her on the podcast to talk through the tips and answer your questions.   5 Top Tips for Children with Autism who are Fussy Eaters A child needs to try a food up to 20 times before their body can know if they like it. I find it helpful to remind the child of this. Try breaking down dishes for the kids so they can put it together themselves. For example: deconstructed spaghetti...

8 WAYS ​I CAN HELP YOU AND THE STUDENTS WITH AUTISM YOU KNOW​ E-Newsletter - sign up here Blogs - read here. If you are looking for a specific topic the quickest way is to use search for your Topic of Interest in the search bar of my website! It is highly likely I have covered the topic you are looking for.  Free Webinars open Oct 11th - Oct 25th - watch now.  Facebook Groups - Join Now  Sue Larkey Podcast Community  Sue Larkey Parent/Carer Support Group Sue Larkey Together We Are Stronger   Online Courses. Watch now. Click Here to Compare the Courses and choose which one is right for you Virtual Events. Available in Your Local Time. Interactive PD Day with certificate upon completion.  More information suelarkey.com.au/autism-workshops PD Day for your School/Organisation (Virtual or Face to Face) More information  Ask me a question via email, facebook etc  Another way I can help you is my books! Not sure which one - click on the book and it will send you to a video of me...

HANDWRITING TIPS ​FOR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM​Dysgraphia is a deficiency in the ability to write, regardless of the ability to read and not due to intellectual impairment. It is known to be associated with Autism (specifically Asperger Syndrome) and ADHD. Some key facts about children with Dysgraphia: Can usually write on some level, but often lack motor coordination. May find other fine motor tasks such as tying shoes difficult, though often does not affect all fine motor skills. Can lack basic spelling skills (e.g. having difficulties with the letters p, q, b and d). Often will write the wrong word when trying to formulate thoughts (on paper). Generally emerges when the child is first introduced to writing. The child may make inappropriately sized and spaced letters or write wrong or misspelled words despite thorough instruction. Once we have learnt to write we can write without having to concentrate or focus. However for these students it takes a HUGE amount of energy and...

WHY KIDS ON THE SPECTRUM ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE PERFECTIONISTS AND ​WHAT YOU CAN DO TO SUPPORT THEMMany students on the spectrum like everything to be perfect. That is perfectionism perceived by them. This is often due to their literal thinking and one- track mind. This can lead to many challenges at home and school. For example; getting frustrated, not wanting to try new or different things, rigid thinking (I need to be first, I need to win), anxiety (I am a failure, I can’t do x), disengaged, not handing in work as never “finished” to their standard. Many people on the spectrum often have difficulty with “cognitive flexibility”, in other words they have a one-track mind as their thinking tends to be rigid and not adapt to failure or change. This one-track mind can often manifest itself into refusal to try new concepts and activities. A one-track mind can look like  Student continues using incorrect strategies and not learning from mistakes  Not listening to advice  Compulsion for...

11 TIPS FOR GROWING UP ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM  ARTICLE WRITTEN BY CHRIS BONNELLO  I was the weird kid. More specifically, I was the boy with Asperger Syndrome before anyone knew what Asperger Syndrome was. When I was ten, an educational pscyhologist came to assess me. Today one of those assessments would give me an immediate diagnosis, and my parents and teachers would be offered advice on how to help me where I struggled. But of course, it was 1995. So this professional pscyhologist wrote down "slightly odd personality" on his form and that's where it ended. (I'm not kidding, that is a literal quote from the report he wrote and submitted). Growing up on the autism spectrum can be difficult. Especially if, as I've described before, you're on the "mild" end of the spectrum - 'normal enough' for people to have high expectations of you, but just 'autistic enough' to really struggle to achieve them. If you're growing up on the spectrum, these tips were written for you. I grew up with...