Making the holidays manageable for kids on the spectrum
The holidays are supposed to be full of fun and relaxation – but to many kids on the spectrum (and their parents), they are just the opposite. Between the in...
Word Wednesday - through with the cough
I had big plans for a bunch of posts right around this time last week. Then I got hit hard with a virus that is going around. It started off with me being re...
Teaching your child with ASD about gifts
One of the most common questions I hear during the holiday season is “How do I teach my child gift etiquette?” Gift giving occasions with kids on the spectru...
Word Wednesday Holi-daze
As of today, there is one month left until Christmas, and only 12 days left until the beginning of Hanukkah. Tomorrow is US Thanksgiving and the traditional ...
Heartache and healing
Regular readers may remember about six weeks ago, I published a post about music, depression, and grief that outlined how music helps me through some of the ...
Dos and Don’ts of Giving Gifts to Special Needs Children
With the holiday season fast approaching, I’ve had a few queries as to how best to alert friends and family members as to what the best gift for a special ne...
Word Wednesday - An Act of Remembrance
Today I will stand at a cenotaph and speak at a Remembrance Day event. I will have the honour to shake hands with veterans who served this country in times o...
Saying Goodbye to SkyDome
Tonight is the end of an era, albeit one that many Toronto sports fans (particularly CFL fans) have struggled with over the last 27 years. Tonight the Toron...
Word Wednesday - New Beginnings
Canada got a new Prime Minister today. Just 16 days after Canadians voted decisively for real change, Justin Trudeau was sworn in as Canada’s 23rd Prime Mini...
Word Wednesday - Decaf edition
All my life I’ve been a tea drinker. There are pictures of me with tea in my bottle (thanks grandma!) and with my British heritage, not drinking tea wasn’t a...
Word Wednesday - chaotic edition
I’m not sure if this happens to everyone but every time I head to a conference, like the fabulous Blissdom Canada Conference, I return to utter chaos. It’s n...
Word Wednesday #BlissDom Canada ‘15 edition
It’s no secret that I’m an introvert by nature. I like people and once I’m comfortable with you, I’ll never shut up, but groups of people, make me seriously...
When Depression Lies, Music speaks the truth.
Almost two years ago, my mother passed away very suddenly. I will never forget the moment I found out, the pain in my father’s voice, or the task of calling ...
Celebration!
It comes as no surprise to those who know me that I’m a sports nut. Football (particularly the CFL and the Toronto Argonauts, but also the NFL and the Detroi...
Word Wednesday - with a twist!
In case you haven’t guessed I’m pretty passionate about my work with kids who have autism. This means that I occasionally get pulled into some of the Autism ...
Word Wednesday - Not so extra-terrestrial.
I spent a lot of time this summer with my eyes turned towards the skies. Unlike last summer where it seemed to rain every time I went up to the cottage, and ...
Word Wednesday - Breaking the Rules
There are certain grammar rules that seem to have been passed down through the generations as “thou shalt not” commandments, when, in fact, they are more “u...
An Open Letter to Parents of Special Needs Children
I’ve got something to tell you, and I’m pretty sure you all need to hear it right about now. Whether it’s back to school time coming up shortly, or your kid ...
Word Wednesday - Let’s talk!
I’ve written before about my introverted nature and how I can actually be very shy in social situations, but to those who know me well, I’m a chatterbox. I a...
Word Wednesday - In search of the ghost of Tom Thompson
It’s been a busy week around here. I spent most of the day Thursday and all day Friday and Saturday getting ready for Dad’s 60th birthday party at the cottag...
Word Wednesday - Election 42 Edition
Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or aren’t Canadian), you will have heard that a general election has been called for October 19th The election per...
Wordless Wednesday - Looking up at the Sky, through the woods, and into a campfire
As much as I love #WordWednesday, I’m up on a mini vacation right now and am too busy staring at clouds, following overgrown paths in the woods, and gazing i...
Word Wednesday - Baby It’s Hot Outside (and Inside)
Summer took awhile to arrive this year here in Ontario - we flirted with mid to high 20s (I’m Canadian, and read my temperature in degrees Celsius - for my A...
Word Wednesday - An old word that has new life in the Internet Age
It’s been an interesting week here. Had an amazing time out with friends Friday, went up to the cottage on Saturday, and returned Tuesday. Oh… and last Wedne...
Word Wednesday - VI
Well, I had to turn to the internet to help find a word for this week. I still have my list but none of them felt right today. Sometimes that’s just the way ...
How to ruin a friendship in one easy step - look in their fridge!
Forget snooping in the medicine cabinet (where you shouldn’t actually ever keep medicine anyway because the humidity in a bathroom is bad for storage conditi...
Word Wednesday 5th edition
Another Word Wednesday is upon us, and this time my problem is picking which word I want to do - I had 3 words lined up and then I read Alexander McCall Smit...
Word Wednesday Part IV
So I’m feeling a bit of pressure here. I’m told that the fourth installment of a series should be the best. Many of my geeky friends argue that the fourth St...
Word Wednesday - Again!
I swear I’m going to get a non Word Wednesday post up soon - life has been hectic and I’ve got a bunch of drafts started but haven’t managed to finish any of...
#WordWednesday: The sequel
Okay, So it’s looking like this may stick. At least for the next little while. Today’s word is one that I love using and as many of my friends will attest, I...
#WordWednesday
Okay, So I know that #WordlessWednesday is a thing, but I’m a writer by trade and I love using the perfect word for the situation so I’m going to try to do s...
A great night out with Art Tonite
When I was invited to check out Art Tonite by my friend Hollie, I was excited but also somewhat trepidatious. I’m not an artist, not by a longshot. I prefer ...
I’m All About That Case…
I love my BlackBerry Classic and my BlackBerry Z30 and I am very excited to be getting a BlackBerry Passport this month. What’s that? I have a phone addictio...
A Month of Heartache
I used to love May. It meant the school year was almost over, the days were still getting longer, the weather was (usually) getting warmer, and it meant I c...
So, Your Child is Having a Meltdown
As someone who works with kids on the spectrum, I’ve witnessed my fair share of meltdowns. As I said in my sensory 101 post, a meltdown is not a tantrum. A...
Book Review - No Relation by Terry Fallis
“What’s in a name?” Juliet famously queried. “That which we call a rose, would smell as sweet” were it called something else, she noted as she contemplated t...
Summer is coming - is camp in your plans?
I know it seems like march break was only yesterday, but it’s time to start thinking of warmer things - sunshine, warmth, and summer camp! As a kid, I loved ...
Board games I like for kids on the Spectrum.
Last week I blogged about how I use <a href=”http://jennannis.com/its-my-turn-the-challenges-of-turn-taking-with-kids-who-have-asd/” title=”“It’s MY TURN”...
Why can’t we all just get along?
Let’s stop all the infighting and focus on what really matters - improving the quality of life for those who live with autism and those who care for and abou...
“It’s MY TURN” - The challenges of turn taking with kids who have ASD
One of the most common non school related questions I hear from parents with children on the spectrum is how to teach turn taking / game playing. Being able...
Board Games I Love
I admit it, I’m a board game fanatic. Luckily I have a great group of friends who also love playing board games and we get together 1-2 nights a month to pl...
Book Review - Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson
I’m a historian, and as such, I’m generally leery of reading historical fiction set in the time period I studied - World War One. Small inaccuracies can dri...
Sensory 102
Earlier this week, I wrote about the two most common sensory issues that affect children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) – sensitivity to clothing and to...
Sensory 101
One of the hardest things for many parents to understand about their child with Autism is their sensory issues. I’m writing from my experience, which is with...
Book review - Juliet’s Nurse by Lois Leveen
The Roman Philosopher Marcus Aurelius said that: “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth”. This is t...
The Walls Have Ears…
One of the things that brings me joy is my work with children and teens who have Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). When I tell people that I tutor an...
Android Applications on my Z30
I admit to being a purist. I prefer native apps to Android ports. Built for BlackBerry apps give me the best user experience on my Z30, but apps that have be...
The Book Lover’s Ball - After Dark
I’m a classic introvert - I love to spend an evening curled up with a good book and with my BlackBerry at my side. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy goin...
I’ve been Bobbed!
Once in awhile the universe surprises you with something so wonderful, there are no words for it. Then again, I make my living with words so I’m going to fin...
Changes…
It’s been an eventful few months and I’ve been trying to decide what to do with my blogs. Do I a)keep them separate b) merge them or c) ditch both and start ...