InHabit Your Health

A nonspeaking valedictorian with autism gives her college's commencement speech A computer keyboard "unlocked my mind from its silent cage," Elizabeth Bonker told her fellow graduates. She urged them to serve others, citing Rollins College's most famous alum: Fred Rogers.

🎬🤟

Amazing! Congratulations, Troy Kotsur, on your win for your all-star performance in the 'CODA' movie! Until now, it was rare to see deaf characters portrayed onscreen, let alone cast with Deaf actors. We at ASDC are so proud of you for doing this for yourself and the Deaf community, as you are a role model for our .

The CODA star is the second Deaf actor to win an Academy Award in history, 35 years after costar Marlee Matlin’s win for her role in 'Children of a Lesser God'. “This is dedicated to the Deaf community. The CODA community. The disabled community,” concluded Kotsur. “This is our moment.”

The movie is available to view on AppleTv Plus.



[ID: Header, a photo of Troy in an all-black suit and newsboy hat, he is holding his Oscar trophy above his shoulder. Photo credit and text below.]

Support communication.
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ID: Image shows Ranbir a man who has an intellectual disability smiling at the camera with his hands behind his back. Text reads: Be my microphone (word shown as an emoji), not my voice.

Reflection is key in steering ourselves in the right direction. But, we can't continue to dwell on past experiences. This will only keep us from achieving our transformative goals and dreams that lie on the horizon!

What trauma blocking behavior looks like according to The Gottman Institute...

All. This! ♾♾♾

Today, April 2, is the fourteenth annual World Autism Awareness Day, kicking off Autism Awareness Month.
However, the Autism Society of America, along with leading disability organizations across the country, are formally shifting references of “Autism Awareness Month” to “Autism Acceptance Month” and are calling on the media to reflect this in their ongoing coverage.

The shift in the use of terminology aims to foster acceptance to ignite change through improved support and opportunities in education, employment, accessible housing, affordable health care and comprehensive long-term services.

Have those days (or weekends) that teeter on setback versus failure? Days when stop-challenge-choose is in full rockstar force until emotional eating, lack of impulse control, etc pushes the scale to a conscious choice to not care about the longer term consequence in favor of the short term gratification? Yeah, me too. The struggle is real. You are not alone. The goal is to reflect on the self sabotage, the environment, the triggers, the tipping point, the successes made (choices, habits, not just the scale). 3 steps forward, 2 steps back (more like a tumble). I’m dusting myself off, wiping my muddy hands clean and adjusting my attitude. Stepping out of the shame spiral and pity party I woke up to and limping into the new week with a live and learn perspective. Who’s with me? Can I get an “amen”?

Only looking at observable behavior (surface behaviors), doesn't tell you anything about what's actually causing the behavior.

You start solving problems when you start diggin'!

Image Description: Title: The “Why of A Behavior”. Two holes with a man digging in each hole: First hole is shallow with subtitle “The old way of thinking”. Underneath are the words “defiant”, “escape”, “avoiding” and “attention seeking”. Second hole is very deep with the subtitle “A necessary paradigm shift” (supported by brain science). Underneath are the words: sensory processing”, “emotional regulation”, “motor challenges”, “learning disabilities”, “trauma”. The function of any behavior is much deep than phrases like attention seeking. This shallow analysis will lead to using rewards and punishments to get compliance. Want to improve behavior? Solve the problem. How do you solve the problem? Dig Deeper. Greg Santucci, Occupational Therapist.

Yes!

This goes for adults too.

So. Much. This. ♥️

📱Amazing list of apps for daily living, communication, arts, relaxation! 📱

media2-production.mightynetworks.com

6 Ways to Repair Relationships with Kids When Love’s Been Lost

1. Establish new boundaries

Might sound like this: “I’ve been allowing you to speak to me disrespectfully. This is not okay. I am worthy of kindness and respect. From now on, I will respond to you if you are speaking in a normal, considerate tone. If you need my help, you will need to ask kindly. I will no longer respond to yelling or disrespectful language or tone. You may see me taking more silent pauses. That is because I will not engage in yelling, pleading, or bargaining with you. My goal is to take pause and choose calm.”

A similar dialogue could be an apology from you: “I realize I have been speaking to you disrespectfully. This is not okay, and I am truly sorry. You are worthy of kindness and respect. I want to make things right. From this point on, I’m going to try to speak to you in a normal, respectful tone. Please let me know when I’m not.” (See strategy #2)

2. Use a distress signal to create awareness

Might sound like this: “If you start raising your voice, being critical, controlling, or unkind, I will place my hand on heart. This signal means you need to think about your tone or your words and make an adjustment. If you can’t do that right then, you will need to go to another room. You may also give me the same signal if I am raising my voice or being critical to you.”

3. Treat your children as you wish to be treated

Respect is not simply given, it is earned by extending it to others, modeling it, and living it. Frequently assess your communication skills with questions like:

“Am I speaking in a way I’d like to be spoken to?”

“Am I listening as much as I speak?”

“Does my child seem more relaxed or more agitated after spending time with me?”

“If I made this same mistake, how would I want someone to respond to me in my moment of shame?”

4. Use self-affirming statements

Changing your inner voice from critical to encouraging will impact your outer voice, making positive change in your home more likely. Post self-affirming statements in visible places around the house – on the fridge, by the door, on the mirrors, in the closet. They might sound like:

“I am worthy of respect and kindness.”
“My voice matters and deserves to be heard.”
“I am worthy of love.”
“I am not a doormat. I have a right to stand up for myself.”

Say them. Repeat them. Believe them. Not only will they help you, but they may also become go-to phrases for your kids that drive positive change, build confidence, and set loving boundaries on communication.

5. If it looks like a bad time to talk, it probably is

If your loved one appears sullen and angry, avoid pushing him or her into talking. Forcing discussion at that moment will likely escalate the situation and create more conflict. Remember, not everything has to be handled at that moment; most things can wait. A momentary pause can mean the difference between shutting down conversation or opening it up.

Might sound like: “I see you are upset right now. I’ll give you some time to chill out and think. In an hour, we’ll go for a walk (or shoot baskets, or make brownies, or play cards) and at that time, we can talk about it.”

6. Be generous with grace

When people are outwardly combative, there is a good chance they’re feeling down about themselves or their situation. Pushing your agenda, your opinion, or your demands on them at that time will feel like added pressure. It may also cause your loved one to feel unheard and alone. On the other hand, compassion and understanding can feel like support, like you are on their team and by their side. It might sound like this:

“It looks like you have a lot on your shoulders. How can I help?”
“Friendships can be really tough, can’t they?”
“I can tell you’re disappointed. I’m really sorry.”
“You must be exhausted. You’re handling a lot.”

It takes nothing away from you to extend grace when your child is hurting – and it could mean everything to your relationship.

By changing the way you respond to your loved ones, you can positively shape their responses to you, as well as themselves. Although this is not easy to be ‘peace in the chaos,’ the results of that choice are immeasurable. Not only are you able to close gaps that once seemed insurmountable, but you become the most loving, compassionate, and peace-filled version of you!

By Rachel Macy Stafford
NY Times Bestselling Author & Certified Special Education Teacher

*The process I used to make healthy, compassionate responses a way of life is described in my latest bestseller , but for a short time, you can grab my free eBook THE POSITIVITY REMEDY. This short guide includes THE DISTRESS SIGNAL strategy, along with 6 others that help us be PEACE IN THE CHAOS.

Get your free copy here for a limited time > https://www.handsfreemama.com/positivity

What “tools for success” do you have in your toolbox for education, planning/mapping, dreaming, accountability and support?

Great wellness assessment resources from Vaya Health!

Improve Your Wellness | Vaya Health The health of your body impacts your mind and daily life. There are many things you can do on a regular basis to enhance your whole-person health and make both

Resilience skills are good for any age!

To read more visit: https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience-guide-parents