Autism Conversations with Rashmi

Hear from children how thay feel about struggling with focus

https://youtu.be/NAgwmqtZduc

Attention Challenges- Julia, 2nd Grade

Lovely video on use of fidgets for attention management
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95w8OL0EYBU

Long Story Shortz - Fidgets can be a wonderful learning tool to help students with self-regulation. With the increasing popularity of , it is more important than ever...

Give time and space to your child to respond to you. Rushing a child will only create pressure on him and make it more difficult for him to respond.
Rashmi Dutta - RDI (Relationship Development Intervention, USA) certified consultant.
Like our page to know more about autism and other developmental disorders. Also, for tips and techniques that could help you overcome challenges that your child may be facing.
For consultations, strategies and best practices, related to Autism and other developmental disorders contact Rashmi.
Email: [email protected]

Wish you a Very Happy Diwali and a Prosperous New Year!!
Rashmi Dutta - RDI (Relationship Development Intervention, USA) certified consultant.
Like our page to know more about autism and other developmental disorders. Also, for tips and techniques that could help you overcome challenges that your child may be facing.
For consultations, strategies and best practices, related to Autism and other developmental disorders contact Rashmi.
Email: [email protected]

Share your thoughts and feelings with your child. Use plenty of statements like “I think it will rain today” , “I prefer vanilla to chocolate ice-cream”
Rashmi Dutta - RDI (Relationship Development Intervention, USA) certified consultant.
Like our page to know more about autism and other developmental disorders. Also, for tips and techniques that could help you overcome challenges that your child may be facing.
For consultations, strategies and best practices, related to Autism and other developmental disorders contact Rashmi.
Email: [email protected]

This will keep you focussed and allow you to achieve a lot of targets.
Rashmi Dutta - RDI (Relationship Development Intervention, USA) certified consultant.
Like our page to know more about autism and other developmental disorders. Also, for tips and techniques that could help you overcome challenges that your child may be facing.
For consultations, strategies and best practices, related to Autism and other developmental disorders contact Rashmi.
Email: [email protected]

Comment on things rather than ask questions.
E.g “I see that you have your favourite blue t-shirt on” rather than “What color is your t-shirt?”
Rashmi Dutta - RDI (Relationship Development Intervention, USA) certified consultant.

Like our page to know more about autism and other developmental disorders. Also, for tips and techniques that could help you overcome challenges that your child may be facing.

For consultations, strategies and best practices, related to Autism and other developmental disorders contact Rashmi.

Email: [email protected]

Joining some home schooling groups will allow you to share resources and reduce the burden of coming up with worksheets, teaching materials etc all by yourself.
Rashmi Dutta - RDI (Relationship Development Intervention, USA) certified consultant.
Like our page to know more about autism and other developmental disorders. Also, for tips and techniques that could help you overcome challenges that your child may be facing.
For consultations, strategies and best practices, related to Autism and other developmental disorders contact Rashmi.
Email: [email protected]

Five things you can eat at breakfast to boost your brain.
1. Walnut
2. Eggs
3. Soyabean
4. Cashew
5. Spinach
Rashmi Dutta - RDI (Relationship Development Intervention, USA) certified consultant.
Like our page to know more about autism and other developmental disorders. Also, for tips and techniques that could help you overcome challenges that your child may be facing.
For consultations, strategies and best practices, related to Autism and other developmental disorders contact Rashmi.
Email: [email protected]

Home schooling gives you the flexibility to work according to your child’s interest and learning style.
Rashmi Dutta - RDI (Relationship Development Intervention, USA) certified consultant.
Like our page to know more about autism and other developmental disorders. Also, for tips and techniques that could help you overcome challenges that your child may be facing.
For consultations, strategies and best practices, related to Autism and other developmental disorders contact Rashmi.
Email: [email protected]

May the truth always win and good triumph over evil. May the Lord always bless you with wisdom and good health. Wish you and your family a Very Happy Dusshera!!

Rashmi Dutta - RDI (Relationship Development Intervention, USA) certified consultant.
Like our page to know more about autism and other developmental disorders. Also, for tips and techniques that could help you overcome challenges that your child may be facing.
For consultations, strategies and best practices, related to Autism and other developmental disorders contact Rashmi.
Email: [email protected]

Some natural supplements that can help with anxiety.

Disclaimer:- These are just suggestions (backed by research) but do consult a doctor before taking them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUhaEO108vs

Natural Supplements and Treatments for Anxiety- What the research says about Supplements for Anxiety Natural Supplements and Treatment for Anxiety When people are looking to treat their anxiety without medication, what they usually mean is that they want to ...

Read this article to find out how you can help and support parents who have children on the autism spectrum.

https://newzhook.com/story/some-ways-to-support-families-with-a-child-on-autism-spectrum/

Some ways to support families with a child on autism spectrum - Newz Hook - Changing Attitudes towards Disability there are certain ways in which you can help or support families who have kids under autism spectrum and it is important during these times

Identify times of the day when your child is most mentally alert. Plan to have your lessons in those times.
Rashmi Dutta - RDI (Relationship Development Intervention, USA) certified consultant.
Like our page to know more about autism and other developmental disorders. Also, for tips and techniques that could help you overcome challenges that your child may be facing.
For consultations, strategies and best practices, related to Autism and other developmental disorders contact Rashmi.
Email: [email protected]

This is a great video which tell you about 10 skills that can help you handle your anxiety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb-clvcX7fI

Rewiring the Anxious Brain Part 2: 10 Skills to Beat Anxiety (Anxiety Skills #22) You can rewire your brain to be less anxious through a simple- but not easy process. Understanding the Anxiety Cycle, and how avoidance causes anxiety to spi...

Inspiring story of a teenager with autism who overcame all odds and is now a singer!!!

https://newzhook.com/story/milan-babu-autism-navajeevan-special-school-kochi-kerala-disabled-singer/

Diagnosed with autism, Milan Babu & mother Seena worked together to be empowered - Newz Hook - Changing Attitudes towards Disability milan babu is an aspiring singer with autism studying at navajeevan special school in kochi. his mother seena babu is very supportive of him

Make a schedule.
A schedule gives structure to your child and you too!!
Rashmi Dutta - RDI (Relationship Development Intervention, USA) certified consultant.
Like our page to know more about autism and other developmental disorders. Also, for tips and techniques that could help you overcome challenges that your child may be facing.
For consultations, strategies and best practices, related to Autism and other developmental disorders contact Rashmi.
Email: [email protected]

Children are not things to be moulded, but are people to be unfolded – Jess Lair

Like our page to stay connected with strategies to help children with autism and other developmental disorders overcome their challenges.
Rashmi Dutta - RDI (Relationship Development Intervention, USA) certified consultant.
Like our page to know more about autism and other developmental disorders. Also, for tips and techniques that could help you overcome challenges that your child may be facing.
For consultations, strategies and best practices, related to Autism and other developmental disorders contact Rashmi.
Email: [email protected]

Don’t ask too many questions at a time. This makes it difficult for your child to process and respond to all of them. Ask one question at a time, receive a response, and then ask the next one.
Rashmi Dutta - RDI (Relationship Development Intervention, USA) certified consultant.
Like our page to know more about autism and other developmental disorders. Also, for tips and techniques that could help you overcome challenges that your child may be facing.
For consultations, strategies and best practices, related to Autism and other developmental disorders contact Rashmi.
Email: [email protected]

A simple deep breathing technique explained in a fun way for your child. Deep breathing works wonderfully in calming down anxiety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq3DwzX6MUw

Sesame Street: Learn to Belly Breathe with Rosita | #CaringForEachOther Rosita knows it can be frustrating staying inside all the time because she feels the same way too! Luckily, her mommy taught her how belly breathing can help...

Stress and Anxiety in Children (Part 2)

Many a times, what is labelled as bad behaviour in children may in fact be a sign that they stressed and are crying out for help.
It is a fact that nowadays, children are more stressed out than ever before. That’s the reality. The higher levels of stress are linked to the fact that they have a lot more on their plate starting from managing schoolwork, extra curriculars, peer pressure, social media etc. If the stress is ignored, and it becomes too much to handle, what you will have on hand is a perpetually anxious child.
There are some signs to look out to understand whether your child is stressed, such as – decrease in sleep time, displaying impulsive behaviour, indigestion, speaking in louder voices, body stiffening, feeling hot in the face, sweaty palms etc.
So how do help our stressed children?
The answer lies first in showing them that you care. You have to be loving and affectionate towards them, show an interest in their lives and make them feel safe. It also helps to be consistent in your daily routines, such as meal times, study times, gaming time, “me time” etc. Additionally, communicating clearly to children about your expectation from them is helpful.

Stress & Special Needs Children
Children with special needs and developmental disorders usually suffer higher levels of stress and anxiety. This is possibly because what appears to you and me as simple everyday actions are often more challenging for them. They have to make a much greater effort to achieve/complete tasks. This constant effort can fuel higher levels of stress and anxiety.
Tips to tackle anxiety in children
One simple and possibly highly effective solution for managing anxiety is to change your child’s diet and add a dose of exercise. If you can cut down (or even better, completely avoid) foods that have a high sugar content and white carbohydrates, you will possibly see an immediate impact. Increasing the protein intake in your child’s diet is also beneficial.
Research also shows that Omega-3 essential fatty acids are very helpful in tackling anxiety and other mental health issues. Fatty fishes such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardine and nuts such as flax seeds, chia seeds and walnuts are rich sources of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Increase in the intake of Vitamin D in the form of supplements or cod liver oil (which is a great source of Vitamin D) has also been found to be useful. Increasing intake of magnesium rich foods and probiotics is also recommended by experts.
Regular exercise and physical activities of any sort such as walking, dancing etc. are great at reducing cortisol levels and thus help relieve stress and anxiety.
In addition, encourage your child to practice deep breathing every day. This is known to help lower blood pressure and heart rate. The simplest deep breathing exercise is to, breathe in for count of three, hold for one, and blow out for three. Repeat three or four times.
What should parents do when children are in the midst of anxiety?
It is important to take steps to prevent anxiety in your child, and help manage it.
Comforting them with a gentle touch, sitting next to them, holding their hands, putting your arm around them are great “calming techniques”. If they do not like physical closeness, speaking to them in a calm, gentle voice makes a big difference.
The key thing is for parents to understand and accept that anxiety is real and can have a major negative impact on your child.

Remember to smile and display positive body language while teaching them. This puts less stress on your child and allows her to respond better and learn faster.
Rashmi Dutta - RDI (Relationship Development Intervention, USA) certified consultant.
Like our page to know more about autism and other developmental disorders. Also, for tips and techniques that could help you overcome challenges that your child may be facing.
For consultations, strategies and best practices, related to Autism and other developmental disorders contact Rashmi.
Email: [email protected]

Do keep an eye out on the page tomorrow as we shall be posting a video featuring a simple and engaging activity which can keep your child occupied!
Rashmi Dutta - RDI (Relationship Development Intervention, USA) certified consultant.
Like our page to know more about autism and other developmental disorders. Also, for tips and techniques that could help you overcome challenges that your child may be facing.
For consultations, strategies and best practices, related to Autism and other developmental disorders contact Rashmi.
Email: [email protected]

Understanding and Dealing with Anxiety (Part 1)

What is anxiety?
Anxiety is an emotion most commonly marked by a racing heart, worrying thoughts, feeling of tension etc. It is in fact our brain’s natural response that attunes, and prepares us, to handle danger and uncertainty. A small amount of anxiety is normal and all of us face it in our daily lives, at some time or the other.
For example, it is “natural” to feel anxious before taking an exam, or ahead of a stage performance or while walking down a lonely stretch of road at night. Usually, this type of anxiety stays for a while and goes away. But if anxiety is almost always present and gets in the way of our daily life, then it could be termed as an “anxiety disorder”.
Why do we feel anxious?
To understand why we feel anxious, it is important to first understand how our brain functions and how it responds when we face danger, uncertainty etc.
Anxiety stems from a part of the brain called the amygdala. It processes emotions and releases neurochemicals responsible for a “fight or flight” response. The amygdala is the most primitive part of the brain. It is connected to other parts of the brain, namely the pre-frontal and the anterior cortex, which are the more advanced and sophisticated parts of the brain. The pre-frontal and the anterior cortex help us with decision making, attention, learning and social processing.
When we are anxious, we are basically operating through the amygdala. In other words, during a period of anxiety, this part of the brain circuit switches on. And when we are not anxious, this part of the brain (the amygdala) switches off and the more sophisticated parts of our brain take over.
Those who suffer from anxiety disorder or are prone to anxiety, the amygdala part of the brain rarely switches off. The amygdala constantly scans for threats in the environment and whenever it perceives one, it takes us into a highly emotional state which is often accompanied by shallow breathing, a feeling of nausea, sweating, shaking hands etc. (facing a new teacher, attending a party, feeling of rejection, changes in daily routine, all count as threats)
What can we do?
The good news is that we can control our amygdala through calming strategies, and stop it from taking over our brain.
Deep breathing is one of the best calming strategies. When we consciously take deep breaths, we are effectively telling our brain that things are under control and this encourages our amygdala to switch off.
We can learn “deep breathing” techniques and also teach them to our children. Other things that also work well when we are not anxious are, rubbing our palms and thighs, walking away from the immediate environment, thinking positive thoughts, speaking softly to yourself etc. These can all help us deal with anxiety. But all these strategies must be practiced every day, particularly when you are not feeling anxious. Everyday practice will allow you to implement them when you are feeling anxious.
To conclude, I would like to say that a little bit of anxiety is good and helps us deal with risky and potentially threatening situations. But we cannot allow anxiety to take control of our lives.