Issue 14

Winter 2012

Tori is immersed in autism in her professional life, and Debby through her personal life. Often we chat over coffee about every day challenges facing parents– and this prevents AuKids from looking like something written in an ivory tower. Time and again we’d talk about the importance of staying calm. No matter how good your intervention strategies are, if you can’t stay calm then it’s all gone to waste. We thought it so important that we focused on it for our first four-page special in our ‘calm’ feature.

Visual support and autism: Why is visual support important? What do we mean by it and how does it work?

How to Keep Your Head…(when all around are losing theirs): Incorporating top tips on keeping calm from a life coach and an airline pilot, plus some pointers from The House of Tiny Tearaways advisor Professor Tanya Byron

Ask the Experts - teeth cleaning and autism: My little boy detests having his teeth cleaned.

Issue 13

Autumn 2011

AuKids is thoroughly in its stride by now and its editors, three years into publication, have been steeped in the autism world long enough to write some guidelines of their own. Reviews of Apps appear on the menu as their popularity among the special needs community rises. Our graffiti-style Jargon Buster, explaining all the weird and wonderful terminology used by experts, has since been made into a poster.

Ask the Experts tackles chewing with some great recommended products. In The School Run, we talk about finding a suitable setting for your child and how to communicate their needs to their primary school. We round off with a lovely colourful Christmas feature with some great present ideas as well as general hints to get you through the festive season.

Issue 12

Summer 2011

In this issue, Meltdowns are the subject of one of our most popular Ask the Expert features. Our double-page spread on parties for autistic kids, It’s My Party and I’ll Flap if I Want To, has some great inspiration to reduce stress at birthday get-togethers.

Our DIY Special, How to Build A Path to Communication, was so successful that it was available as a poster. Here we take you through the simple principles behind getting your child motivated to share communication, and all it takes is a bit of time and some patience. Our interview is with the director of Oily Cart theatre company, which produces drama that’s adapted for kids with complex needs and autism.

Issue 11

Spring 2011

Includes one of our favourite features – The Autism Advantage, sharing stories of famous and not-so famous folk on the autism spectrum who are using their differences to their advantage. What do Gary Numan, the designer of Pokemon (Satoshi Tajiri) and Alan Turing have in common? I think you can guess.

Ask the Experts sees Professor Barry Prizant, Research fellow Greg Pasco and regulars Peter Lawson and Dr Luke Beardon (senior lecturer in autism) discussing echolalia. The key questions – what is it and should it be discouraged? (Short answer – No).

We’ve also got NAS Chief Exec Mark Lever talking about improving services for families of children with autism.

Issue 10

Winter 2011

Ask the Experts focuses on rigid routines and what to do about them, whilst our computer special features an interview with Numberjacks creator Chris Ellis about the Cbeebies show’s popularity with autistic kids. On the facing page we also interview SEN Assist director Adele Devine, a teacher who decided to launch her own series of CD-Rom games especially to help autistic children with their learning.

Meanwhile, the Which Way Now? feature guides parents through various intervention strategies, showing which is best for different types of development. We also talk you through how to weigh up scientific claims.

Table of Contents

Ask the Experts: My family are hostage to my son’s rigid routines. Do we adapt our lives around him or are there techniques we can use to influence his rigid behaviour without causing a meltdown?

Ready to Launch? It’s A New Mission for the Numberjacks

Teacher’s New Approach is the PC Way to Learn: How SEN Assist creator Adele Devine designed web games especially for autistic children.

Which Way Now? A rough guide to the key Intervention Strategies with autism.

Issue 9

A slight departure from the norm this issue as Tori returns from a trip to Uganda where, as a speech and language therapist, she was able to use her skills to help those supporting orphans with autism. Our report on her trip highlighted just how lucky we are in the UK, but also how simple toys and a different method of play can very easily reap big rewards with children who have autism.

Ask the Experts is on Stranger Danger, as often kids with autism can be extremely friendly and trusting in all circumstances. A double page feature titled Sibling on the Spectrum contains some moving personal accounts from brothers and sisters plus some advice on supporting them.

Keywords Issue 9: Uganda; The Komo Centre; stranger danger; strangers; siblings.

Issue 5

Autumn 2009: AuKids goes national! Our Saved by the Bell feature includes case studies written by parents whose children are being educated in four different settings – mainstream, an autism unit, an autism class in a special school and a special school for children with communication difficulties.

Ask the Experts is about children who run off without warning… and we have a feature on types of visual communication systems, how they work and the best ideas to try first.

Reviews include another one of our favourites on sensory integration – the Out of Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz.

Issue 7

Ask the Experts is on taking flight: ‘We’re taking the dreaded plane journey this summer. How can we make it easier for our autistic son?’ There’s an interview with the founder of Rackety’s clothing company, which makes specialist clothing for kids with disabilities.

‘The Benefit…or the Doubt?’ gives advice on benefits (please note this will be outdated and has been updated in a later issue). ‘Keeping it Together’ addresses the issue of the strain that having a child with autism can put on families, and in particular adult relationships. We give some useful hints and tips about keeping going through tough times.

Keywords Issue 7: Tough times; relationships; plane journeys; aeroplanes; plane trips; Racketys; specialist clothing; benefits

Issue 6

Winter 2010: Includes Pass the Pearls, a colourful collection of advice gems from parents who have been there and got the T-shirt! Ask the Experts has advice on obsessive behaviour. Co-editors Tori Houghton and Debby Elley review a new Lego club for autistic kids. Favourite review book from this issue – Motivate to Communicate! Fantastic, simple, tried and tested ideas for keeping autistic kids happy and occupied at home.

Reviews

The Thomas Centre, Lincolnshire; It Can Get Better…By Paul Dickinson and Liz Hannah, Motivate to Communicate by Simone Griffin and Dianne Sandler and the Day that Ravi Smiled by Gillian Lobel

Debby Elley’s The Last Word: Autism is Other People’s Worry, Not Mine’

Keywords Issue 6: Lego; obsessions; judgement.

Issue 4

Summer 2009: Includes advice on hair cutting and a double-page spread on hints for the summer and some hints and tips for safe holidays. Reviews include some crackers – Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet, a mathematical savant, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, now a runaway success as a theatrical dramatization. Mum Debby Elley’s rib-tickling The Last Word rounds off the magazine.

Issue 1

Summer 2008: Some of our early features were local to Manchester where the magazine was launched. Most notably of national interest was an interview with music therapist Brigitte Schwarting. Our first Ask the Panel was on spinning and we featured the new Thomasland at Drayton Manor. Anyone looking at Issue 1 - be prepared to witness AuKids at a very young and experimental stage!