hope magazine online

 

WANTED:  Hope in Action

 Parents of a child who has significant special needs will almost surely hear at one time or another, “Now you know your child will never [fill in blank.]”  These gloom and doom forecasts are meant to be helpful, I know.  They are meant to prepare us for REALITY.  I used to get upset not knowing how much truth was in their words.  Now I know it doesn’t matter.  What that person is really saying is, “I don’t know how to help your child learn to [repeat fill-in].”  They are protecting themselves from a feeling of failure.

As a society, we can not afford to place limits on what our children will be able to accomplish.  Hoping the best for our children may not seem enough, but we can’t predict what will happen if we act on that hope.  By acting on hope, we can learn.  Often, as a result, we even change reality!!!  Science is constantly proving this phenomenon, such as the latest research findings showing that “Contrary to earlier beliefs, individuals with autism can acquire spoken language after age 5.”  What has happened to create this change?  People choosing to act on hope.  The study notes that “in virtually all cases [of language development after age 5], significant time and effort put into treatment was necessary for speech to develop.” They did not resign to the belief that after age 5 it is too late, and instead chose to believe there is no age limit to learning and growing. Then they put that hopeful belief into action.

            Photo from WATER

“You can believe that water will keep you from dying of thirst, but unless you actually drink the water (put your belief into action), you will die of thirst.”  ~ Rev. Creflo Dollar

 Hoping for the best does not mean we do not accept our child “as is” full-heartedly.  Acceptance does not mean we have to face facts and do nothing.  That’s giving up. We can love everything about our child while still seeking and acting on ways to support him/her to take those next steps we’d like to see.  This is how www.BooksByTara.com came to be. The story behind the books is one of never-ending hope and putting that hope into action. 

My youngest son, Jake, has been diagnosed on the severe end of the autism spectrum. When Jake was just over a year old, it became apparent that something wasn’t right.  He began pacing in circles non-stop. He had chronic ear infections and food allergies.  He’d open his mouth to speak, but the few words he had begun to say started coming out distorted, or he’d just open his mouth and jerk his arms with a confused look on his face as if the words were getting lost somehow.  He was so unresponsive to people speaking to him that I honestly thought he was deaf. 

We might just as honestly describe a person’s ‘learning disability’ as our own ‘teaching disability’ ~ Herbert Lovett

 As an early childhood/special ed. teacher I am passionate about children and supporting their development. My education had taught me the amazing power of play and working with children using any activity that was highly motivating, i.e. FUN.  Here I had one my own children who didn’t seem interested in playing in the typical ways at all! Even with my education background, I was at a loss for how to reach Jake. I began seeking answers for his health challenges as well as effective strategies I could use that would help us connect.  By far, using the Son-Rise® Program has had the most powerful influence on his development because I learned the power of connecting with my son through actions.  By joining him in his world of pacing and silently observing, he taught me ways to make things easier for him. I found interesting photos to be an awesome tool for his language development. We’d gaze together in silence a while, I’d make the occasional brief comment and wait… sometimes new words would pop out!  Using real-life images frozen in time made it easier for Jake to take in and process information. It also allowed for as much repetition as he needed. Photos of familiar images and scenes helped establish a “communicative point” or an easy way to connect our thoughts. True communication is more than just words, it is the connection behind the words where it all begins.

 I began spending hours looking through old magazines, calendars, and exploring google images to find just the right photos to make language promoting books and games.  Then I decided to ask for a camera for my 40^th birthday, so I could capture the images of sights I know are highly appealing to most children.  The first Book By Tara – HOLES – was created:

Click to PEEK INSIDE  the HOLES book

 

 

 

Now, at 14 years of age, Jake has a huge vocabulary and can speak in 2-6 word phrases. Expressing his unique thoughts through spontaneous conversations is something we are still working on in a variety of ways.  Books By Tara have been designed to be appropriate for any aged child to promote awareness, thinking, interaction, and language development.  For instance, after studying a photo of tiny, thin yellow leaves in the Autumn Leaves Book, I was thrilled to hear Jake share that he thought they looked like a “bunch of bananas.”  J

 

The Autumn Leaves Book

 

 

 

Other titles currently available are tiny HOLES , WATER, Car Wash,  Jack-O-Lantern, and Snowman.  Many more titles are in the works such as TALL, MORE HOLES, and Balloons.  Each book is packed with giant 8X10 photos to clearly highlight the concept.  All have a simple poem as an introduction or as words telling the “story” (such as the process of creating a Jack-O-Lantern or building a Snowman). On the website you can read both parent and professional testimonials or more extensive reviews as well as check out the photo gallery to see the books in action. You can also find inspiring articles and links to explore, extension ideas for each book, and tips to engage all childrenas well.  Sign Up for the fun eNewsletter and you will automatically be included in a drawing for a FREE book on the first day of each month – no strings attached, I even pay shipping.   

Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense regardless of how it turns out –Vaclav Havel

 It is the mission of www.BooksByTara.com to support children by supporting the adults who care for and work with children. No matter how challenging our circumstances, we can always find things to be grateful for and celebrate. Through the grace of God we can rise to the challenge. By acting from a hopeful, open attitude we can create a caring, respectful reality for everyone.  I believe we are all gifts in each others lives. Every child brings gifts to this world.  Let’s receive those gifts by acting on hope.

 Don’t listen to “your child will never ____”

Believe, encourage, and learn together J

 

Disclaimer:  Publication of this story and treatment plan should not be considered a recommendation by Hope Magazine Online as results are not typical and can vary. The information presented on this site is not intended as medical advice. Its intention is solely informational. Please consult a medical or healthcare professional before starting any new treatment or therapy.

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