Invite Guests—Not Germs—to Your Home During the Holidays
“Invite Guests—Not Germs—to Your Home During the Holidays” originally appeared at freespiritpublishingblog.com. Copyright © 2020 by Free Spirit Publishing. All rights reserved. Hurray, it’s the holiday season! Uh-oh, it’s also cold and flu season. Parties, travel, and gatherings are all part of holiday fun, but time spent with others during cold and flu season means […]
Free Spirit Storytellers on Their Best Behavior
“Free Spirit Storytellers on Their Best Behavior” originally appeared at freespiritpublishingblog.com. Copyright © 2020 by Free Spirit Publishing. All rights reserved. By Elizabeth Verdick and Marieka Heinlen, author and illustrator of the Best Behavior® series Storytelling is at the heart of being human—and it starts at birth. We share stories as we talk to our […]
5 Stress Management Strategies for Kids
“5 Stress Management Strategies for Kids” originally appeared at freespiritpublishingblog.com. Copyright © 2020 by Free Spirit Publishing. All rights reserved. Experts say kids are more stressed today than ever before. That’s no surprise. We see the fast-paced, competitive, tech-savvy world they’re growing up in. We’ve heard the stories about kids getting bullied, struggling academically, being […]
Bullying and Autism: How to Spot It—and Stop It
1 in 3 students are bullied during the school year. 1 out of 4 are bullied every day. Those with autism are especially at risk for being bullied. Bullying is when one student, or a group of students, purposely and repeatedly targets another student in a way that causes physical, social, or emotional harm. The […]
Elizabeth Verdick: A Look at “Autism Fiction”
“Elizabeth Verdick: A Look at “Autism Fiction”” originally appeared in Bookology Magazine. Copyright © 2020 by Winding Oak LLC. All rights reserved. I spent the month of April reading children’s fiction featuring characters with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). April was Autism Awareness Month, but that wasn’t my only motivation. I love children’s literature, I have […]
Summer Spectrum-style
“Summer Spectrum-style” originally appeared at freespiritpublishingblog.com. Copyright © 2020 by Free Spirit Publishing. All rights reserved. Keeping kids active and safe in the summer is a challenge for all parents. For those with kids on the autism spectrum, some extra planning can help make the shift into a summer routine easier on their child, and […]
Caring for the Caregiver
“Caring for the Caregiver” originally appeared at freespiritpublishingblog.com. Copyright © 2020 by Free Spirit Publishing. All rights reserved. Your 13-year-old daughter just spent 45 minutes in the bathroom doing her hair while texting her friends in anticipation of her first big middle school dance. She’s focused on how she looks and wants to make a […]