Do you own a pet?

We DO own a small 7 pound poodle that is all vocal cords when she hears something outside.  Lordy that dog can bark, such is the nature of some poodles when they are guarding their family.

At first our daughter with autism wasn't sure how to interact with the puppy.  We had to demonstrate EVERY way you interacted with the dog.  How to hold her, how to pick her up, how to pet her.....her interaction was not instinctive at all.

It took a lot of time and she also watched us model how we interacted with our dog.  Now would you believe she is the dog's favorite playmate?  Our dog has discovered that if she brings a toy to my daughter...the toy ALWAYS gets thrown for her :)  She is also responsible for keeping the dog's water clean and fresh and for taking her out of the dog crate in the morning for the first "potty break".

When our girls were very small we did have some fish (I hate fish :) the things we do for our kids!).  They did enjoy watching them and it did seem to have a calming effect on both our girls.

Some folks have good luck with guinea pigs too as well as hamsters or small hermit crabs.  Pets give your child a topic to talk about with others and opens up their world a little bit to how other living things feel and interact.

What pets do you own?  Have you any recommendations for others?

End of School Rush!

Sorry I have fallen off the face of the earth.....AND while I was gone blogger.com has had an overhaul and I am not the fastest of learners....so I will apologize for any "oops" right now! :)

Did you survive the end of school rush of projects, reviews, tests, awards programs and plans for next school year?  Whew....we did, just barely.

Have you seen these books?  They run the range from kindergarten to 8th grade.  We have used them in the past...you don't have to re-invent the wheel to find activities to help your child maintain their skill level.  I think they even have some that are totally reading focused as well.  You can pick them up from Barnes and Noble or Amazon for around $11.00-$8.00.

We are also gearing up to do some reading from our local library as well as reading those books to be assigned for next school year.  Can you guess the book?

Yep, To Kill a Mockingbird :)  AND we will also be watching the movie with Gregory Peck to help with understanding as well.    Good luck with YOUR summer projects and let me know what ideas you can share for summer activities!