Autism Jobs Awareness: Crafter's for Life

Jobs for Autism?

If you have Autism or know someone who does, the idea of a job may seem daunting or impossible. Just like anyone else, you can make your own destiny. That is exactly what the family behind Crafter's for Life did. They created Autism jobs and in doing so, they are promoting Autism Awareness. You can support Autism by purchasing an item handcrafted by people with Autism. Enjoy!

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Sensory Play: Art Develops Critical Thinking, Reasoning, and Fine Motor Skills

Creative Outlets like Art and Dramatic Play Stimulate Children's Brains with Reasoning, Critical Thinking, and Advancing Fine Motor Skills

Art is creativity in action. Creating and playing with art supplies is stimulating to our brains. Our imagination takes over while art helps develop critical thinking and fine motor skills. Everyone can play and learn with art, regardless of their socioeconomic status or level of education. Read on to learn!

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When taught in preschool, art and sensory play help every child, no matter their family income, to learn on the same plane. In early childhood, art can level the playing field and aid in other academic areas.

Creative outlets such as art and dramatic play strengthen critical thinking skills. When a child is creating, they are also solving problems. Whether they make a simple choice of what color to use or they experiment with different mediums and techniques, children learn to strengthen problem-solving skills through creation.

Art: Let them paint with no restraints. This is supposed to be a black bat box. :)

They learn to form shapes, to match colors, to highlight areas of particular interest as they bring their vision to life. As the work begins to take shape, the child works to improve fine motor skills building a sense of pride or self-confidence in their newly discovered abilities. Learn more about how the arts can help in education by visiting Americans for the Arts.

Sensory play is an art form. When we use our senses to learn, it is easier to retain information. Creating with art supplies is an ideal form of sensory play.  The powder from chalk, the way the watercolor brush slides across the page, and the smell and feel of the modeling clay in a child’s hands develops a connection between learning and the five senses.

Unstructured, investigative play with common art supplies helps build and refine cognitive skills through problem solving. How does this marker work?  What will happen if I swirl the brush in a circle? How does water affect my painting?  

Fine motor skills are refined as the child learns to draw a straight line or manipulate the clay. The exploration of language evolves by using descriptive words. For example, the clay is cold, the chalk is dusty, and the paint is smooth. Learn more about sensory play and child development at PBS.org.

Recommended Reading:

Making Sense of Art: Sensory-Based Art Activities for Children with Autism, Asperger Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorders

 Child Development 

Alternative to Traditional Discipline

Get a Bilbo Toy for Sensory Play

Child Development Psychology: Sensory Play Aids in the Learning Process

Early Childhood Development: Learn with Sensory Play

The psychology behind a child's ability to focus academically or follow rules can be positively influenced by the environment. Parents and caregivers can help children with ADHD, sensory processing disorders or developmental issues ease into everyday activities with simple games and activities. 

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In the past, we co-hosted a play based learning linky party with Nikki at Spectrum Psychological. Sensory play is a sneaky tool to help your child learn important motor skills, early literacy skills, and cognitive thinking skills.

Play Based Learning: Building block play is beneficial to the brain.

If your child suffers from a child development disorder, you may want to consider alternative education options such as Montessori or Online Public School.  If one option doesn't work, keep trying until you find the right fit or your family.

Keeping a tower from toppling is a lesson in patience.

We have been fairly successful with Online Public School. I have two very different gifted children. One enjoys learning, the other one does not. As she approached second grade, she struggled with what was once only considered age appropriate hurdles. Her continued transposing of b's, d's, g's, 5's , and 3's was being considered as a form of Dyslexia. Compound words are transposed, numbers and letters reversed, and she read from right to left.

She has now been diagnosed with ADHD, Visual Processing Disorder, and within the Autism Spectrum. The public online school aided in the diagnoses with an evaluation with various specialist including a school psychologist, a speech pathologist, and special ed teachers. To my surprise, she was evaluated as gifted in several subjects and learning disabled in mathematics. We were given an IEP (Individualized Education Plan,) and she has special accommodations when testing.

In this case, we struggle with everyday writing tasks. As the learning coach, it is my responsibility to find ways to make school work fun. The easiest way is to avoid writing anything down on paper. Of course this isn't always realistic, so we supplement with less frightening activities. 

Using a dry erase board can make the daunting task of writing seem like a privilege. Alphabet magnets on a door turn the chore of spelling tests into a game. Just changing the media alleviates some of the stress making it easier to get started on school projects. 

Magnetic Alphabet Letters add a sensory element to writing lessons.

Gifted children face child developmental issues too. While one struggles with learning, the other faces many different challenges. The brain is busy soaking up knowledge, but gross and fine motor skills seem less important- think absent minded professor. His need for perfection not only stifles his creativity, it also frustrates him to the point of melt downs.

Read more about it in Jake's Journey in Art

So, what is child development psychology? It is a combination of child development and development psychology meaning the study of physical, cognitive, and social changes throughout our life cycle or in this case throughout childhood. Piaget describes Early Childhood Development as children behaving as little scientists. 

Children focus all of their time and attention on learning, be it through play or studying and mimicking others. Sensory play is essential to child development. Children play to learn- Let them!

Aid your child's development by encouraging sensory play with homemade play dough, oversize blocks, a costume trunk and mirror, and educational sensory bins filled with colored sand or rice embedded with fabric or block letters. 

Teach them it's okay to get messy with edible finger paint or let them make mud pies. Turn your no into yes, and forget about the mess. Focus on can-do to build self-esteem and positive emotional development.

List of Discipline Alternatives

Recommended Reading:

Autism Awareness Programs

Early Intervention Games: Fun, Joyful Ways to Develop Social and Motor Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum or Sensory Processing Disorders

Early Childhood Development

Emotional Development