Are you feeling stressed out and drained? Here on the Home Blog you can find free helpful resources to support you.
Do you sometimes feel the situation is hopeless? Are you worrying about your child’s future? On the Inspirational page you can find stories about individuals who have overcome the challenges of autism including my own journey.
Do you sometimes feel you cannot connect with your autistic child or student? I can help you reach and teach the autistic student with fun, easy creative tools. I’ll be posting my teaching experiences and creative tools in Learning.
You can easily download my new eManual ‘Simple Creative Tools for Teaching Children with Autism’ now available on the Products page.
You can find recommended books and videos in the Store page.
Hope this helps make your visit enjoyable and educational. I welcome your comments. Have a great visit! Let’s connect here…Caroline F. Butson
About the New Tree of Life Centre for Creativity
All children receive many benefits on multiple levels from art education whether or not they are on the autism spectrum. However for the autistic child art and music is vital for their growth and development. Autistic children learn best when learning is visual and by making learning fun. Besides being a tool for helping the autistic child express themselves, painting and playing music are also a multi-sensory experience engaging the autistic child with all of their senses; visually as well as through touch, smell and sound. Teaching must be creative and any subject can be taught using art as a tool, including the maths and sciences.
How does art education benefit the autistic student?
I would say that the healing or therapeutic aspect of art is most beneficial in that it develops the inner realm of the child and will help them discover who they truly are and how they fit into the world around them. Learning how to express themselves with paint and music will help them gain self confidence and self esteem which will benefit them for the rest of their lives. They often get the message that they are different, they have a disorder or they have an ‘incurable disease’; that they don’t fit in socially to the mainstream. Children with autism are just as much a part of society as so called ‘typical’ kids especially nowadays when there are one in 88 of children world wide being diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Art and soothing music will help them feel connected to the world around them and to the people in their life; their family and peers in school as well as out of school. Art is therapeutic in and of itself because it heals on every level physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
A lot depends on how art is taught. When the teacher can encourage the students and allow them freedom of expression they can play a very positive role. Whereas a negative critical teacher can discourage self expression and turn the student off art and make them feel inadequate or shamed. It is necessary therefore that the teacher nourish there own creative expression so that they can feel confident within themselves to help the autistic child with their artistic expression. It is important that the teaching goes both ways; as much as the student learns from the teacher, the teacher must also learn from the student.
Life Cycle of Monarch Butterfly by Evan
Of course the autistic student will learn basic skills like listening and following directions and using materials properly but the child with autism often does not or cannot understand words so as a teacher you have got to communicate what you want them to learn in other ways. The teacher has got to be creative in getting across the lesson in other ways than verbally. If the student has not got the lesson then you have to find another way to get the lesson across.
If you have a question or comment please send it to me below or the Contact page. Enjoy…Caroline
Caroline’s Commentary:
Here is another story from Jenny Lockwood of the New Trails Centre in Texas. Rowan’s teacher, Jenny is making learning fun for him by using his imagination to learn about the Amazon Rainforest. Why am I posting this? Here is an excellent example which demonstrates the seed of knowledge germinating within Rowan as he takes charge of his own learning, where his teacher Jenny has blended in with their environment and is there to facilitate and support the process that is taking place within Rowan rather than being in a position of authority over him, she is allowing him the freedom to make use of his own creative thought process, letting him enter into the magical realm to explore and discover new horizons. Rowan’s vocabulary has expanded in the process, as well as his power of observation, he is learning about another way of life on the Amazon and coming up with alternative options for living in harmony with the earth. What do you think of this teaching method? Leave your comment below.
‘Rowan the Intrepid Explorer’ by Jenny Lockwood
The wood behind Rowan’s house has a dry creek bed that runs through it which last week was transformed overnight – by the biggest thunderstorm Texas has seen in well over a year – into a flowing river. When Marvel (Rowan’s school bus who just happens to be a horse) and I went to pick Rowan up on the morning after the thunderstorm, he announced that the woods had magically become the Amazon Rainforest overnight and that once we had changed into our expedition clothes we were going to go explore.
So adorned in our expedition outfits – swim shorts and crocs – off we went to investigate. We began in the ‘Amazon river’ where we spent our time spotting birds, monkeys and other animals hiding in the bushes. We were even lucky enough to see two jaguar cubs. Whilst splashing and playing we talked about the mighty river as well as the important role that it plays in the lives of the people, plants and animals that make the rainforest their home.
From there we went off to investigate the lake – also referred to as Alligator Crossing – where, after being snapped at one time too many by hungry alligators – we found a canoe which we learned was the transportation of choice for many of the people who live close to the Amazon river. Whilst canoeing around our lake we heard a noise and upon closer investigation discovered it to be a group of people trying to cut down some of our trees. After learning about the devastating effect that deforestation could have on a rainforest, as well as the world in general, we decided to try and stop this practice and instead show the culprits how they could use the huge number of natural resources that the rainforest has to offer in a sustainable way.
Exhausted from our adventures it was at this point we decided it was time to go home and get dry and warm and wait with anticipation for the adventure that tomorrow is sure to bring.
After all – that’s the Horse Boy way. Read the rest of this entry »
Manifesting the Vision for the new TREE of LIFE CENTRE for CREATIVITY by Caroline F. Butson
The Tree of Life Centre for Creativity, founded by Caroline Butson in 2006 was born out of Caroline’s dreams and those of her circle of family, friends, students and supporters. We all shared a common dream of creating a living learning centre that would be a wellspring of inspiration, creativity, learning and healing. It has been a place of peace where people of all backgrounds, cultures, spiritual paths, and ages come together and grow. The Centre was built around Caroline’s journey to wellness and her vision to build a learning centre for children within the autism spectrum.
The Tree of Life Centre for Creativity has thrived and is now ready to expand! This new growth will reflect the collective thought of those involved in this project. To breathe life into this vision will take the efforts and contributions of a collection of individuals and organizations as well as the children and families who have been participating over the past few years. The proposal lays out four clear and specific pathways by which the community can contribute in a meaningful way: the pathway to the land, the pathway to the infrastructure, the pathway to the structures of the new Tree of Life Centre for Creativity and the artist’s residence and the pathway to the people. In order to hold our program in a fun, safe, inspirational environment, we want to build a simple, sustainable, comfortable year round Centre in 2012.
Please visit http://www.tlc4.ca to read further on the Centre’s Mission and Caroline’s background.
‘The Story of the Sacred Tree’ presented at 4:30 pm Thursday 16th February, at The Bohemian Cafe & Gallery in Bracebridge. Presented in 3 parts: the first originates from the oral storytelling tradition of the First Nations peoples which was published by the Four Worlds Development Project in 1984; the second part is based on a true event which occurred in the Queen Charlotte Islands in 1997, with a golden Sitka spruce sacred to the Haida; the final part was created by Caroline Butson in 2006 with the launching of the Tree of Life Centre for Creativity. There will be a slideshow presentation following of the student’s artwork and their unique interpretation of this legend. Come and experience this story of myth, madness and greed for the first time presented in the Muskoka community!
Caroline’s Commentary:
Do you at times feel guilty about not correcting your autistic child’s behavior or mannerisms? No worries. Here is a great article by a mother of a boy with Aspergers. Jean Aviram co-founded Natural Learning Concepts as a result of helping her son Dean.
‘Parents of Children With Autism Feel Guilty’ By Jene Aviram
If your child is on the autism spectrum, the chances are you suffer from guilt. Paradoxically, parents of autism spectrum kids are one of the most proactive groups that exist. While they commonly feel they’re not doing enough, these parents should be honored and commended. They’re able to cope with more in a day, a month and a year than most can conceive of coping with in a lifetime. Their resilience, creativity and persistence help their children progress and reach potential that nobody thought possible.
The next time the guilt factor sets in, keep it in perspective and remember the following points.
YOU’RE NOT ALONE
You are a great parent. You are your child’s best advocate. You have a lot on your plate. Your days are often filled with a great deal of mental anguish and emotional stress. You help your child through small activities that most parents don’t even think about. You fight for services and the best class placement. It can be tiring. It can be exhausting. As you look around, you often feel that other parents are doing a better job.
Realize they think the same of you. The guilt factor impedes their life too. Parents of autism spectrum kids have a common bond. They understand, they empathize and they spur each other on. If you declare “My 6 year old dressed independently today” they rejoice with you, because they too appreciate every milestone, large or small.
ORGANIZATIONS
Parents of children with autism have been the catalyst of some of the largest and most successful establishments for helping those on the spectrum. This is on a worldwide basis. A large number of autism schools have been driven by parents. Special education distributors and manufacturers often have parents at the helm. Researchers and educators are often parents. Non profit establishments have teams of dedicated parents who are committed to helping those on the spectrum.
You might not be part of one of these establishments but you have made a difference. It’s the combined unity of parents and a strong voice when advocating for your child that calls these organizations into being.
RELATIONSHIPS
When your child is born you are instantly a parent. The role of a parent is to love, educate and support your child. You provide your child with values, teach right from wrong, build their self esteem and guide them to become happy, independent adults.
When you have a child with autism, you become a teacher. The role of a teacher is to educate a child. Whether it’s a small task or a large task, teachers use every opportunity to educate a child. As a parent of a child on the spectrum it’s difficult to maintain a balance. While you want your child to learn as much as possible, you also simply want to be a parent.
The next time the guilt factor sets in because you’re not teaching your child at every moment, release it immediately. Your child loves it when you’re just being a Mom or just being a Dad. While it’s perfectly fine to teach some of the time, a healthy balance leads to a healthy relationship between you and your child. Enjoy those moments with your child. Even if they aren’t typical interactions, they’re certainly fun! Read the rest of this entry »
Caroline’s commentary:
I just discovered Erik’s Ranch and wanted to share this video with you. Parents are sharing valuable insights here about their concerns over their children’s future. Erik’s Ranch provides a model for integrating young adults with autism into the workforce and their community with the skills and talents they have to offer.
On January 20, I was invited to facilitate a group of young adults at Playsense in Guelph, called Friday Friends, led by Nicole Jacobs. After everyone shared their experience in a circle with Nicole, I helped them express themselves with earth rhythm music and clay modelling. We created a group floor ‘mural’ with everyone participating fully. They loved this new experience. Here are a few of their bright drawings. Nicole assisted me with the Creative Art Adventures classes in 2009 and ’10 in her final year of high school. This experience gave her direction and helped her find her own mission in life working with autistic youth. This is so rewarding for me to know that the volunteers who assist with our students are receiving valuable experience and the direction to help them find their own life path.
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