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April 1st marks the the first day of World Autism Acceptance Month each year.
As both a professional and a parent having first-hand experience with navigating the complexities of autism, my heart is happy to see the focus shift in recent years from not only awareness, but to acceptance of our amazing loved ones.
According to the most recent CDC report, now 1 in 36 among 8 year-old children is being diagnosed with autism. This is a staggering number and it's critical that we as parents and caregivers equip ourselves with the best information, the best treatments, and the best resources for our kids.
There's so much information to take in, and it can get pretty overwhelming. As we surround ourselves with experienced professionals and increase our in-depth knowledge, it's always nice to have some great resources 'handed to us' to make our lives a little easier on this often difficult path.
This month at HealthSmart! Kids, we're capitalizing on sharing some of our favorite FREE autism resources with you. It's our sincere hope that you'll find some tools here that are both helpful and supportive for you and your child.
Here are some free resources to add to your autism toolbox:
Autism Acceptance Month Freebie #1
This freebie is from one of our partners, AutismWorks. It's a variety of free social stories to help with everyday challenges for our kids with ASD. These are simple, they're useful, and did I mention, they're FREE?!
And learn more about the wonderful AutismWorks program offerings from founder, Tyler McNamer. Tyler is a young adult author and motivational speaker living with autism, who shares tools and inspires others through the amazing insights of his personal journey.
Autism Acceptance Month Freebie #2
Here's another great freebie resource from AutismSpeaks. This leading organization provides autism support and advocacy, as well as services and research to help those with autism and their loved ones who support them.
AutismSpeaks offers the helpful 'A Parent's Guide to Autism' resource on their website.
Get your free copy here:
Autism Acceptance Month Freebie #3
Today's autism awareness freebie has been one of my favorites for a long, long time!
Do2Learn has plenty of great paid resources to check out on their site, but they still offer these wonderful picture cards for FREE. These are great cards to use individually or for creating picture schedules to help your child with daily routines. This resource is sure to be helpful for new and seasoned autism parents, caregivers and teachers alike.
Autism Acceptance Month Freebie #4
Are you looking for news and solutions to help your child with autism?
Autism Parenting Magazine gives you access to:
Expert advice from our team of respected autism professionals.· Solutions for dealing with sensory issues.· Advice for handling common transitions.· Therapies to help develop your child’s potential.· The latest autism news and research to help your family.· Real life stories from parents of children on the spectrum as well as from adults with autism to inspire and instill confidence.
If you choose to become a magazine subscriber after your first issue you can get exclusive members-only discounts on some other great autism products. Check them out HERE.Â
Autism Acceptance Month Freebie #5
This Autism Acceptance Month freebie is from Geneva Centre for Autism. The site offers free picture icons, First-Then boards, choice boards, visuals for creating daily schedules, and much more.
These ideas are sure to be useful for both you and your child.
Autism Acceptance Month Freebie #6
Discover the autism teaching tools at Stages Learning Materials. The site has language builder cards, emotion cards, autism ID cards - all free and available for immediate download to use with your loved ones or students with autism.
Explore all that Stages Learning Materials has to offer and check out their free teaching downloads here:
Autism Acceptance Month Freebie #7
Love, love, love these free printable social stories from And Next Comes L. There are so many topics to choose from for these free social stories, and you can download and use them right away!
From dealing with loud noises to trying new foods...and everything in between...you'll probably find several of these great resources helpful for your child in navigating day-to-day situations.
Enjoy them here!Â
Want more great autism resources? Read our post:
Don't forget to check out some of the top autism sites and resources on our parent resources page here at HealthSmart! Kids.
All blog content shared through HealthSmart! Kids is for informational purposes only and not to be construed as medical advice. Always talk with your qualified health care provider for managing your health care needs.