Making a Special Guidebook for my ADHD & ASD son NEW 4/15/11 Post#91

[mousescrapper]

Your book looks wonderful! Thanks for sharing pictures. What are you planning to make social stories about? I have made stories for things like going to the dentist, playing baseball, etc. On our last trip to WDW I had a key ring of pictures/photos that we used. I can't believe I never thought of making a book to take to disney! LOL

Thank YOU! The social stories that I'm planning on including are situations that we can discuss in advance, but can't really "plan" for. I'm hoping by writing breif scenerios out and feelings we can use these then if needed. I may be over planning with these, but I think it will help, better safe than sorry! I'll post some after I type them up. Here's the list:

Splitting UP (leaving the park not all together)
Waiting in Lines for Rides (in standby, FP, GAC use)
Waiting for TS/CS meals
Bad Weather/Rain
Feeling "over-crowded"
Ride, etc not open or shuts down while in line
Going to the Neverland Club
Going on Pirate Cruise
When can you say "no"
When you have to stay/participate (even when he doesn't want to)
Getting/Buying Sounvineers/penny presses
Looking for Hidden Mickey's/"treasure"
What if I get Lost (this obvisously we'll discuss each day, but we'll have written out to)

I plan to go over with him these in advance so he knows about it, and then use as needed. I'll give more specifics later. Hope that answers your question for now.

I love it! I bet it will really help him and it will be good for you too. When we feel more confident as parents it really shines through to our kids. Great idea and great job! I hope that you have a magical trip.

My kids really liked going through the different countries at Epcot and getting their passport (can be purchased at Epcot giftshops) and having them signed and putting the stickers in for the right countries. My son likes lists and putting everthing in order. He is 8 and this was exciting for him.

Thank you for all your positive comments! I have to agree I think I feel good going into this trip, he will too...kids do read those hidden emotions if I'm tense he may be too. We did the passports back in 2005 and he really did enjoy it. We'll be getting one for our 5 yr this time, and he says he'd like to make a mask again.

the new pictures you posted while I was on vacation are great.
I'll be anxious to hear how it works out. It sounds like he is excited to use it!

I'm pretty anxious too! and I'm glad he's having a positive outlook on the book so far! thanks for checking in. Hope your trip was FUN!

I'll try to post some more about the social stories in the coming weeks!

MouseScrapper (J-)

 

[5dwarves]

When is your trip again? I am not anxious but excited to hear how well it all turned out! I have been posting the link to this thread on other Disboard forums when I see a parent talking about dealing with ASD kids in the parks....

~Elisa

 

[mousescrapper]

When is your trip again? I am not anxious but excited to hear how well it all turned out! I have been posting the link to this thread on other Disboard forums when I see a parent talking about dealing with ASD kids in the parks....

~Elisa

We leave in just 44 days! we'll be there June 5th-12th and staying at the Poly. and that's cool about you posting the link...hope it's helpful. Posting here too keeps my mind striaght w/ all the details

Thanks for saying

 

[ireland_nicole]

WOW! Keep me posted on how this is going! - love the pics! Oh how I wish, I wish, I wish I was more computer savvy, 'cuz I am gonna have to do 2 of these-one for a child who can read, one completely pictorial for one who can't..... Guess I'm not gonna sleep for the next 4 months (but what a way to stay up )
Thanks, and keep up the good work!
Nicole

 

[LisainCalifornia]

How wonderful! You son sounds so much like my daughter. She has Aspergers as well.
Hugs,
Lisa

 

[mousescrapper]

WOW! Keep me posted on how this is going! - love the pics! Oh how I wish, I wish, I wish I was more computer savvy, 'cuz I am gonna have to do 2 of these-one for a child who can read, one completely pictorial for one who can't..... Guess I'm not gonna sleep for the next 4 months (but what a way to stay up )
Thanks, and keep up the good work!
Nicole

you really don't have to be computer savvy...be glad to share more specifics of programs and such...my Dh has helped a bit, but it wasn't too tricky. I made a list of what's left to do before my trip in June, plus everything else going on before we leave...it's 2 pages LONG...no sleep here either!

How wonderful! You son sounds so much like my daughter. She has Aspergers as well.
Hugs,
Lisa

Thanks for the had a very hard couple days last week with Michael, even DH siad his heart was breaking when talking with him after becoming upset. I so HOPE this trip will be so extra magical for him and my whole family


I'm working away on writing out the social stories, have 5 done with 6 left. Then I'll type and post a couple examples. lots to do, thanks for the encouragement.

MouseScrapper only 39 days left!

 

[angelbearmom]

I love your idea. I'd been trying to think of how to help my ds know where we're going and what we're doing on our upcoming trip and this idea has spawned ideas. Last time we went to DW he wasn't as alert and aware as he is now and he frequently cried when we went from place to place. Now he's more aware and loves to be read to. So I'm going to set up a book, possibly an 8x8 scrapbook that he can have read to him before we go. Then we can look at it each day too.

I have a few questions:
Where do you keep the book while in the park-in a back pack? My ds is in a wheelchair but it's likely not practical to keep the book on his tray. I'm just wondering how to make it easily accessible to him.

Does anyone know if there is somewhere in any of the resort or in each or any of the parks where you can get pictures off of your digital camera printed? I'm thinking of having a spot on each page for a picture of ds doing each activity so he has a record of what he did. I'll have a lap top with me but no printer.

Thanks,

 

[5dwarves]

Does anyone know if there is somewhere in any of the resort or in each or any of the parks where you can get pictures off of your digital camera printed? I'm thinking of having a spot on each page for a picture of ds doing each activity so he has a record of what he did. I'll have a lap top with me but no printer.

There are photo centers at the parks where you can view your photo pass photos and have them printed. I believe they print from digital cameras as well, but I am not sure.

 

[mousescrapper]

I love your idea. I'd been trying to think of how to help my ds know where we're going and what we're doing on our upcoming trip and this idea has spawned ideas. Last time we went to DW he wasn't as alert and aware as he is now and he frequently cried when we went from place to place. Now he's more aware and loves to be read to. So I'm going to set up a book, possibly an 8x8 scrapbook that he can have read to him before we go. Then we can look at it each day too.

I'm so glad you will be able to use this idea and make something for your DS that will work for his specific needs.

I have a few questions:
Where do you keep the book while in the park-in a back pack? My ds is in a wheelchair but it's likely not practical to keep the book on his tray. I'm just wondering how to make it easily accessible to him.

My book is smaller than 8 x 8 and fits perfectly in a long quart sized ziplock bag. I plan to keep in the ziplock bag (labeled with my name, cell, and resort name in case lost) but keep it in the backpack I'll be carrying when he's not using it, but mostlikely he'll take it out, look at and we can tuck in our baby's stroller for him to pull out as he needs it. For you maybe a water proof bag that you could attach to his wheelchair so he can pull it out as he needs it.


Does anyone know if there is somewhere in any of the resort or in each or any of the parks where you can get pictures off of your digital camera printed? I'm thinking of having a spot on each page for a picture of ds doing each activity so he has a record of what he did. I'll have a lap top with me but no printer.


Thanks,

Want to let all know I wil be back right after the holiday with several updates on the book and some more pictures of the final product....

 

[Petals & Pixie Dust]

I loved this idea! Thanks for sharing.

 

[caz1712]

Hi Mousescrapper!

I have just found this thread and I think your book and Ideas you have done for your son are AMAZING!

I'm looking at doing something similar for my boys. My eldest has ADHD and my middle son has ASD so routine is very important for both of them but more so for Aidan (ASD).

I would love to know how your holiday went and if your book was a success!

Hope you had a great time!

Carreen
xxx

 

[mousescrapper]

sorry was hoping to post one more time about the final process of the book before we left, but didn't get a chance.

I will be posting soon with pictures and details and how the book helped/worked/didn't work.

I had some very minor asthma tightening my last days of our trip and once home the cold I thought I was getting turned bad fast and I ened up w/ pnemonia .

Once I'm feeling a little better, and get more of ducks in a row, I'll be back.

Glad people are still interested in the book and want to use the idea for themselves.

Thanks.

 

[MarieS]

I bought a chipboard album to use for mine, but it's still in the planning stages. Can't wait to hear how yours worked out. Hope you feel better soon!

 

[caz1712]

Sorry to hear you haven't been well. Don't you rush now just make sure you get yourself well again.

Take care and Get Well Soon

Carreen
xxx

 

[SueM in MN]

sorry to hear you have not been well and hope you are feeling better soon

 

[mousescrapper]

Thanks for the well wishes

I am starting to feel better and have caught up on most home things and starting to get back into a normal groove...I promise it won't be too much longer and I will be back with fianl detials of the book and how it went down at WDW....

J-

 

[DisMomAmy]

Anxious to hear how the book worked out for Michael...

 

[hroyale]

HI,
Planning a trip in Jan with my ASD son.

I just "found" this thread. Ok, it was pointed out to my by a very helpful Diser.

Anyway, has the final chapter been posted elsewhere? I would love to hear how this worked, and what didn't work.

I'm a little worried about giving DS a schedule like this for the day because it might take over the vacation. I want him to enjoy the activities, not just rush through them on the way to the next image or item on the list. (This is a new behavior for him, he LOVEs schedules but is becomming obsessed with them.)

My current idea is to create flash style cards with each attraction/event and give them to him in bundles so they aren't in any specific order, but are grouped pretty much by day. That way he might not be focused on what's next and enjoy the moment. I love this book though and it has me 2nd guessing my decision.

Thanks,
Heather

 

[mousescrapper]

Hello to all,

I am so SORRY!!!!! that it seems I have abandoned this thread I started quite awhile back and that it has been like 7 months since our trip. When I had last posted, we had returned and I was w/ Pneumonia and I did get better, it really took almost half the summer to finally feel right again. And of course the daily things of life get in the way, I'm still finishing up my TR of the trip

But I have not forgotten what I began and really wanted to let you know how it went and how it worked. Plus if you see my siggie below we are bouncing back in just under 2 months. So this upcoming trip really has pushed me to wrap up the old book and tell about guidebook # 2.

So here goes as best as I can remember:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A re-cap of this thread:

Post :1 is explaining the process and reasons of making this special guidebook for my son Michael

Post #11 explains in more detail of how I made the stickers and text reminders for each attraction, show, etc.

Post #17 I show the process of my work:
*the covered binder pages 1 for each day we were on our trip

*explanation of the daily checklists

Post #21 I start talking about the social stories I plan to write for including in the binder.

Finishing putting it together:

The final process of putting together the book actually did not quite work out how I had hoped. I had orginally planned that Michael would peel the whole sticker off w/ the picture and words and place on included pages in each section of the binder. But as my DH & I sat down to figure out the best way for this to work at the parks, etc. We realized the stickers were too big...and we'd have to pre hole punch the ends to make fit in w/ the binder rings. After realizing this would take way to long to adjust, we cut out each sticker and left the paper backing on them. In additon we cut the sticker in half and placed the words for each item on the back.

So then the new idea would be he'd have a ziploc baggie for each day to carry w/ the binder and he'd peel off each sticker as we used it and place in the pages.

That idea felt like it would work, but unfortunately our 1st ideas or plans don't always pan out the way you hoped. Once all the pages were added to the binder for the stickers to be placed and I added the section w/ the typed out social storiesPlease NOTE: I will explain more about the social stories and give a few of my typed out examples in the next section of posts....

The binder became very thick!

It still fit in the quart size bag to carry in the parks, but it was a bulkier finished product then I had hoped. I went w/ the smaller binder thinking smaller in size would be best, but the addition of everything in it became to big. And we just didn't have time to find large rings to flatten it out.

How did it work:

I'm sorry I completely forgot to take pictures of him looking through it or using it while on our trip. duh!

He did it use and I really felt it had it's and it's moments. Most mornings before we'd head out, he would look through the book and read through his daily checklist and thumb though his sticker bag.

As well for certain things like the night at the Neverland Club or his Pirate Cruise, I had written out specific social stories that he read to help prep him for thses specific events (especially since neither parent would be w/ him) I really felt this helped.

A few days in the parks he didn't actually ultize the book but filled in the stickers that night back in the room before going to bed, which actually helped as a stimulus let-down before sleeping.

The thumbs down would have been it just was a bit cumbersome to keep pulling out during each part of the day and we didn't have as much time as I thought to update it throughout the day.

Overall I am glad I took the time w/ my DH's help to make it and feel it added to Michael's experience of WDW and helped more than hindering him during our stay.

So if you made a version of your own or our still thinhking about doing one....please I encourage you to post about it here and share your experiences and thoughts so we together as a community can help and support our children and make their WDW vacations doable and SPECIAL!!!

Up Next:

Posting about the next Special Guidebook for Michael!

thanks for reading

 

[mousescrapper]

As I said in the previous post we are heading back down to WDW in just a few weeks for another 8 days of hopeful FUN, ADVENTURE, & some Disney R&R....

I plan to make version #2 of a special guidebook for my son Michael who has ADHD and Aspergers (a form of Autism).

Quick update on Michael:

He is 9 and 8 months old now (he turns 10 in early May) so for one more trip as a "child". He is now in the 2nd semester of 4th grade and doing fairly well. At the time of this post he and the rest of his siblings do NOT know yet we are going. It will not be kept a suprise, as he really needs the time to adjust to such a large trip and everything invloved in going to WDW. Plus I hope to get his input on this new guidebook process:

ie What helped last time?

What didn't help?

What would you like included or not? etc.

So here are the beginning stages of Book #2:

The bare bones:

This time I purchased I different style binder. This is a larger spiral like notebook about 9x9 in size. It has 6 double sided pocket pages to add in.

Things to include:

*The Helping Me Social Stories- I can reuse many of these by just taking them out of the first binder I just need to attach them together somehow and decide how to place in the new book. Titles I wrote for last to June to possibly include are:

What if I'm Lost
In the Airport/On the Plane
Rain
Waiting
Feeling Overcrowded & Noise
A Ride not Working
Staying Together
Splitting Up
When Can I say 'No'
In Restaurants
Penny Presses
and Extra Emergency Stickers

*Days 1-8-to include for each:

A Daily Plan Breakdown or Checklist

Activity in Parks Breakdown or for the day (arrival day will inlcude no park)
**Ideas for this include
1) Have individual printed maps and the possible order of stuff to
do for him to check off each step (I'm using UG touring plans for
my individual Park Tours, so I can print him a more basic set of his
own)

2) Have a folded WDW Map where he attaches small stickers,
stars, etc over each attraction as we do it. Plus a pre-printed list
of possible order.

3) if he dosen't like or we come up with a better idea

Hidden Mickey Lists to find and/or fill out

Treasure Hunt Sheets from the PassPorter book

How to put it together:

*Cover the back and front covers w/ some Disney scrapbook paper

*Add a title on the front and if book lost info on the back

*Inside front cover-tbd

*Inside back cover-tbd

*For each page/side: Decorate pocket part of it and add title on top part of page for each day/park. Plus could possibly add the typed out daily plan an attach there.

The Pages:

1) Helping Me Section

2) Day 1) Travel Day

3) Day 2) MK

4) Day 3) Epcot

5) Day 4) DHS

6) Day 5) MK

7) Day 6) AK

8) Day 7) Epcot

9) Day 8) Departure Day park yet tbd

10) Misc

leaving out the the 6th actual pocket page at this point


Well that is it for now. I will be back once I start working on it and give you updates and pictures of that, plus how Michael feels about it too.

Thanks for reading and hope this helps/inspires.

J-