We took our spring break this week instead of next, so we could focus on Easter crafts and learning about Easter. Taking breaks with an autistic child is usually harder than if we just don’t take them, because change is something that usually isn’t tolerated well. I proved myself right again, by Tuesday Tim was making life REALLY hard. He just wasn’t coping with the change in routine, and was getting into so much trouble. So I had to revise my ‘break’ by having him use Time4Learning and we watched some educational videos online, just so he felt like he was on some kind of a schedule. This is why I love T4L, because he’s learning but doesn’t realize it! It’s just fun to him.

Before we joined T4L he wasn’t getting as much of the visual learning that he needed, it was mostly my reading from sites or books that we found on our topics. I do use brainpop and that is visual, but there’s not a big selection on movies for his grade, so it was still lacking. Using a site that is so visual and interactive REALLY helps him connect with what he’s learning, and that is crucial with a visual learner. I never would have expected him to be so far ahead in grade levels as he is since we started using T4L. I’m seeing that it’s helping make connections in other areas, too, as if the visual stimulation is getting him thinking about other things, too. The other day he asked me if Z-O-O spelled zoo, and I said it did, but asked him how he knew that. He had seen it on something two days before, it was on a sign above a zoo on some show, and he put the pieces together that it spelled zoo. But the amazing thing is, he retained it. That’s been his toughest area, is retaining what he’s learned, and he’s making so much progress now in that area.