WIN FREE TOYS from ASQ and HLW3B

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I had the great pleasure of writing two articles for Autism Spectrum Quarterly this fall, one of which was a Holiday Gift Giving Guide that suggests gifts that educate and inspire -- while being 'pocketbook friendly'. 

While I was doing the research, and final writing for the piece, I was moved by the generosity of the companies that were included in the Holiday Gift Guide -- they wanted to give away some of their toys!  And who am I to say no to that?

We are talking some SERIOUSLY COOL toys -- those that kids actually want!

You can win one of 2 GRAND PRIZE PACKS worth over $150 each.  They will include:

3 sets of Citiblocs (52 pieces each)
1 Dressing Vest from Fun and Function
1 Make Your Own Gum Kit from Glee Gum
5 tubs of Aroma Dough
1 science kit from Kits for Kids

Yes, two lucky people will get the opportunity to win ALL of those -- tell Santa he can skip your house, because we've got you covered!

Here is a portion of the article that I wrote for Autism Spectrum Quarterly (so you know just why I think these toys are awesome), the other items I suggested can be found inside their Family/Holiday issue, which is available now!

Navigating Difficult IEP Meetings Successfully, Interview with author Jeff Cohen

While looking for an expert to speak with about IEP Meetings, I happened upon the book Guns A’Blazing: How Parents of Children on the Autism Spectrum and Schools Can Work Together – Without a Shot Being Fired, by Jeffrey Cohen. I immediately liked the title, because most families I talk with do attend meetings with their ‘guns’ (at least in their holster) – and few are able to actually leave them at home.

So I looked up the author, Jeffrey Cohen, to learn a little more about him, and here’s what his Amazon page said, “Jeffrey Cohen started life as poor street urchin, orphaned and taken in by a gang of pickpockets led by an older man named Fagin. No, wait. That's someone else, entirely.”

And I laughed out loud. Really hard. Which was just refreshing, because you know what, this parenting a special needs kid is HARD – and you all know my motto: If you can’t laugh at my life, you have no sense of humor.

1001 Great Ideas -- Interview & Giveaway with Ellen Notbohm

During the first week of school last year, Nick’s Kindergarten teacher walked up to me, and almost under her breath like we were about to share a secret she said, “Do you know of any good books on how to teach a child with Autism?”

And sheepishly I said, “No.” Quickly followed by, “Not off the top of my head, but let me look into it.”

I was disappointed that I didn’t have a go-to book to recommend. I should have immediately known what to suggest to her – something that would be succinct, easy to understand, quick to read, effortless to implement and even more important – well organized so that she could go back week after week and year after year to look up what she needed.

Well, it took me all school year, but I finally found my go-to book: 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching & Raising Children with Autism or Aspergers by Ellen Notbohm and Veronica Zysk – Not to mention a foreword by Temple Grandin, PhD who says the book is “Genuine, commonsense advice that all parents and educators can quickly and easily use!”

And who argues with Temple Grandin? Surely not me.

I asked Ellen Notbohm, who has also authored 10 Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew, 10 Things Your Student With Autism Wishes You Knew and The Autism Trail Guide: Postcards from the Road Less Traveled, if she was available for an interview, and I was thrilled to have her say yes. I mean, really, this is a woman who has 1800 great ideas on how to help my kids – this rates right up there with a new handbag and a kid-free vacation for me!

Now, normally I’d say you should take notes, but with 1800 ideas jam packed into this book, Ellen can’t possibly rattle them all off here (no, really, she can’t). But, good news:  Future Horizons has offered to give away a copy of her book! Look for details on how to win at the bottom of this post – or if you aren’t that patient (like me), hop on over to Future Horizons and buy your own copy now.

Either way, you are in for a treat!

Darius' Story (& Soft Clothing Dress Clothes Giveaway)

In case you haven’t heard, which would probably mean you are overwhelmed at home and don’t have time to read the news, there is a new company called Soft Clothing which has begun developing and producing sensory-friendly clothing for special kiddos. I interviewed the co-founder Jessica Ralli last year here on HLW3B, and Soft Clothing gave away free t-shirts. Now, they are back to give away even more great clothes – this time one of their dressy looks for a boy and one for a girl. Just in time for Easter!

But I didn’t think I should interview Jessica again – that seemed like it would be overkill, right? So I had to come up with another idea. And sure enough, the inspiration came to me – from Jessica herself.

Jessica and Soft Clothing strongly support many different charities (all of which can be viewed here) and she has a special place in her heart for children with sensory issues at school. After all, she was a special education teacher before she launched Soft.

I was recently telling her about some of the kids in my son Matthew’s Developmental Preschool class that have sensory issues. Ok, I don’t *know* that they have sensory issues, but wearing your Pajamas to school inside out every day sure is a hint, don’t you think?

What impressed me the most is that Jessica jumped on board to donate clothes to these kids – across the country in a public school that will give her no press and no advertising. Why does she do this? In her words, “I worked for two years in a special needs daycare in the basement of a housing project--and the kids had a lot of sensory issues--it's part of where the inspiration for Soft comes from so I am always, and will always be looking for opportunities to help in this way.”

It was then I realized that I didn’t need to know more about the clothes or about Jessica; I am already impressed by those. Now, I need to know more about the kids who are benefiting from them.

I’d like to introduce you to Darius and his mom Kathleen.

Welcome Kathleen to HLW3B – so great to meet another family like mine! Can you take a minute to tell us about your family and the kinds of sensory struggles Darius has?

Hi and thanks so much for getting to know us! We are also a 3 boy family!

Darius is my oldest and has been expressing his sensitivity to clothing since pretty much birth. He was frequently uncomfortable even as an infant and preferred to wrapped in loose blankets or the softest of sleepers. As he grew, he was adamant about picking out his own clothes and removing all labels and trying to find the most seamless socks out there. I knew instinctively his problems were severe and tried my best to accommodate his comfort.

As the years progressed, his ability to tolerate clothing became more and more restrictive until he wound up with what became know as “the uniform”: loose fitting pajama bottoms in thin flannel or slinky material, usually found in the ladies lingerie department and altered to accommodate his tiny waist and height, but left billowy throughout the leg. The top would be the most washed and worn softest cotton t-shirt belonging to my husband, worn inside out. These beauties frequently feature under-arm discoloration, stains and a hole or two for good measure!

Of course, all parents think that their child is the most attractive child in the world and I am no different. So you can imagine how difficult it was for me to get over feeling judged by other parents when I would take this handsome young boy out looking like a homeless bum in the streets.

Darius also has severely sensitive hair, and finds haircuts, shampooing and brushing almost intolerable. It was not easy to avoid the glares from those who thought I didn’t take care of my son, when in truth, I was doing the best I could as a parent to make my son as comfortable as possible. My other 2 sons do not experience any sensitivity issues at all beyond the occasional itchy tag, and the contrast in their appearance was often dramatic.

So many of my readers can relate to morning clothing battles! What was it like trying to get Darius ready in the morning before Soft Clothing? What would he wear?

Oh boy! Well, let’s put it this way-our local public school has uniforms.

I tried desperately to find something that work for him, but nothing did. Kindergarten was non-uniform, so that went ok, but first grade also coincided with his ADHD diagnosis and reading delays.

In all its genius, the school district decided to put my highly verbal, extremely hyper son in the English as a Second Language classroom. It’s kind of a no-brainer that “behavioral problem” would ensue.

Darius lasted all of 22 days there, ending with us engaging in a law suit against our school district and Darius becoming a home schooler. Home schoolers can wear whatever they want, so that’s a pretty good example of the severity of issues he was going through and how we managed to dodge that particular bullet!

Hunting non-stop for the ‘right’ clothes is exhausting! How did finding Soft Clothing change your life – and Darius’?

Can you say revolutionize? I spent countless dollars on clothing before Soft trying to find things he could tolerate. I would often buy whole lots of used clothes on Ebay (already broken-in for you !) just to be able to utilize one pair of slip-on pants or a well-worn t-shirt.

At holiday time when I would take the kids for pictures with Santa or the Easter Bunny, we would have to do a reconnaissance mission to see which malls had the Santa set up as close as possible to a bathroom, so we could slip in and change into an uncomfortable outfit and take the picture, rush immediately back to the bathroom to get back into the “uniform” and pick up the picture.

This is no longer an issue since I am proud to have my son photographed in Soft Clothes! I only have to worry about which mall has the Easter bunny and Sephora this year. : )

What do you want other families with sensory-sensitive kids to know about Soft Clothing?

Run, do not walk to softclothing.net and place your order! Everyone is feeling the pinch of this economy, but you cannot put a price on your child’s comfort. It changes the whole experience of their day. I liken it to a woman wearing high, pointy heels. By the end of the day in those shoes, Johnny Depp could be professing his undying to love to you, but all you will be thinking about are how badly your feet hurt and when can you take the dang shoes off!! That is how these kids spend their days, thinking about the discomfort. Try to build a new wardrobe slowly, one item at a time and see what a difference it make. I hope you will give Soft a chance! Thank you so much for reading our story!

Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your family and how Soft Clothing has made a big difference for Darius!

________________

Before I get to the free part -- isn't Darius adorable!? I love the 'before' and 'after' shots -- especially the yellow crocs!

OK, Jessica has generously agreed to give a free outfit to both a girl and a boy. Please be sure to tell me in your comment which outfit you'd want (a soft dress for the girl, and a pair of pants with a tie t-shirt for a boy).

Here is how you can win:

1. You will need to follow this blog (publicly through Google located on the top of the right navigation) and

2. Answer the following question as a comment to this post (click on the word comment below my signature):

"How will having Soft dress clothes make special occassions better/different for your family?"

Once you have joined and answered, you are officially entered. As Nick would say, "Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy." The contest will run from Thursday 03/18/10 to Thursday 03/25/10 and will end at 7pm PST.

Jessica will pick her favorite answer for both a boy and a girl. I will post the winners here no later than Friday 03/26/10. You will have until Sunday 03/28/10 to respond with your address (email me directly at hartleys@steinerigroup.com) or we will choose an alternate winner.

That's it--thanks again to Kathleen and Jessica!
H

Soft Clothing Interview and Giveaway

Please welcome Jessica E. Ralli to my blog! Jessica is the co-founder and creative force behind Soft, a new line of clothing specifically for children with sensory issues like mine (and yours).

She has been kind enough to not only do an interview with me so that we can all learn more about her amazing new sensory-friendly clothing, but she has offered to give her ultra-soft-no-tag-seam-free T-shirts to 10 lucky readers (YES! I said 10). Before we get to the winning, let’s get to the questions.

Jessica will you tell us a little about yourself—mom, wife, business woman? What brought you to make clothing for sensational kids? How are you touched by the lives of children with sensory differences?

I grew up in a school—literally—my mom ran (and still runs) a nursery school in my childhood home—which eventually inspired me to get my Masters in Early Childhood Special Education from Columbia Teachers College. I was a teacher in the NYC public schools, working mostly with children with SPD and Autism, before starting Soft in 2007. I worked a lot with OT’s and was fascinated by the different therapeutic methods they would implement for children with SPD. I truly believe in inclusive education and tried very hard to include my students with special needs in the classroom and school community in meaningful ways.

I turned thirty this year and got married in August, so kids are down the line a little bit! We live in a very creative arts community in Brooklyn filled with entrepreneurs and artists of all kinds and my husband is very involved in the creative arts and music scene here. I think I was always looking for some way to combine my passion for teaching, inclusion, and working with families, with something purely creative. It has been wonderful to tap into the arts community for Soft-related photography and design projects.

How did your experience drive you to start Soft? Tell us how the idea to make this clothing line came to be.

Soft came to me while I was researching solutions for one of my students who had extreme sensitivity to clothing and textures (tactile defensiveness). I was shocked when I Googled “soft clothing for kids with sensory disorders” that almost nothing I could actually buy came up. There were no companies out there, small or large, that were catering to this large and growing population. I did 2 years of market research through surveying, exchanging info on forums and via email. I discovered a world of frustrated kids and parents—looking for simple solutions in a one-stop AFFORDABLE shop. With the help of a few close friends who work in fashion here in NYC—I began designing the first Soft collection.

I partnered last year with Suzy Kogen Friedman— a mom, entrepreneur, advocate, and family member to a child with Autism and sensory sensitivity—for whom she does most of the clothes shopping. We both shared a common vision for solving these dressing issues. Suzy is a visionary and her experiences shopping for a child with extreme sensory issues guides our design process.

From my perspective, it seems you have really focused on the basics: Classic clothing that is versatile and can be worn every day. My boys loved their Soft T-shirts—my older boys are still wearing them today (two days later). Tell me about what inspires you.

I am a fashion nut. I read fashion blogs daily, go to and look at fashion shows online, and as I mentioned—have friends who work in fashion in NY and Paris and I absorb a lot of what they talk about and look at like a sponge. I love basics—and so that is where I have chosen to start---but future seasons are going to be a lot more trend and seasonal focused. Our basics will always be there though.

Since I was three—I insisted on dressing myself and since then have had a strong sense of personal style. At the same time, growing up in a school, with a teacher for a mom—I am deeply aware that children need to be comfortable in their clothing—so as not to be distracted from the important work of childhood—play, socialization, and academic learning. I wanted to create clothes that were both trend-conscious and comfortable so that any fashion crazy kids out there could enjoy mixing and matching to express their style, and kids who just want to roll around in the mud will find what they want and need at Soft too.

Although I do not have girls (bummer), I hear many parents talking about how they wish their daughter would wear a dress, or something “dressed up” for special occasions. Does Soft have clothing that is “dressy”? You know something kids can wear -- even boys -- for the holidays.

At Soft we are all about comfy dressy clothes! We decided to launch with dressy looks for both boys and girls, and will be adding to these collections in April 2010 and again in September 2010. Our “Soft Party Dress” for girls is based on the classic holiday/party dress silhouette—with a full pleated skirt, empire waist belt, and a sateen faced collar that shines and sparkles! We used a heavier interlock cotton, and bio washed and brushed it until it felt to us like cashmere. The dress comes in four colors and can easily be dressed up or down. Inside the garment—there is not one tag or one raised seam. We tested it (and all our clothes) on children with sensory sensitivity.

For boys, we are offering a classic “Chino” in khaki and navy. We worked hard to get the fabric we used (baby French terry—essentially sweatpant fabric) to behave and fall around the body like classic woven chino fabric. The details (pockets, buttons, fly) are all “fake” and topstitched on—so that the style of the chino is there—without the uncomfortable details. We also designed a “tie tee’ to pair with the chinos as a dressy top. We will be doing a lot more of this photo-printing so that we can offer the look of jewelry, leather, denim, suspenders, etc…but without the discomfort. Our cardigan looks great with both the boys and girls dressy looks.

I have to say that I am not only impressed at how truly soft your clothes are, but that the prices are reasonable. How are you able to have such high quality without charging exorbitant prices?

Affordability has been a part of our mission from the very beginning. I worked mostly with low income families when I was teaching, and grew up the child of a single working mom. I know how necessary this clothing is going to be for so many families, and I don’t want to take advantage of that need by selling the clothing for obscene prices. By selling directly to our consumer through our website, we are able to cut a lot of costs and avoid retail mark-ups. We outsource our fulfillment to a warehouse partner in Michigan, meaning our overhead is low (no warehouse to manage or staff). Our manufacturer is as committed to the mission of Soft as we are and has absorbed a lot of start up costs to help us make this a reality. Lots of other logistical things like this went into making sure our prices will remain low. Our margins are high enough to keep us going, keep our clothing in production, and of course donate a portion of our profits to non profit groups relating to Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder—which we plan start doing soon after we launch.

Now we come to what is probably most important: SOCKS. Tell me, please, that you have a sock solution for our kids?

We have finally found a factory that has been able to produce samples that meet our high standards. We are improving upon the construction of the hand-linked seamless toe sock offered by a few companies already out there—and are experimenting with using Bamboo and other natural fibers that wick moisture away from the foot. These will be available asap—as we are still finalizing prototypes! It is a long arduous process getting factories to re-think the way they make basic clothing.

WOW Jessica, sounds like you have really put your heart and soul into making life easier for moms like me--and sensational kids like mine! Now for the important part--where do we go to get your clothing?!

You can find all of my clothing at http://www.softclothing.net/ which will be ready to ship by the end of the month. Until then you can check out our Look Book here www.softclothing.net/resources/lookbook and please take a minute and sign up to be the first to know when the clothes are ready to be shipped, get coupons and shipping discounts by joining our mailing list here : www.softclothing.net/resources/contact-us.

That said, the fastest way to get your hands on one of my new Soft T-shirts for boys and girls, which come in 6 colors is right here! I am giving away a classic T-shirt in your choice of color and size to 10 lucky winners--so enter below and you'll have one of the first kids with sensory-friendly clothing!

Alright Jessica, thank you so much for taking some time away from Soft to speak with us. I appreciate your time and your dedication to making the lives of children like mine just a little….well….softer. : )


Now for the free part! See that photo right there? Yes, the one above these words...those are the shirts that you can win! My boys have blue, white, grey, & purple (which is a beautiful wine like color...I want the shirt in my size!).

Here is how you can win:

1. You will need to follow this blog (publicly through Google located on the top of the right column) and

2. Answer the following question as a comment to this post (click on the word comment below my signature):

"If you could buy a three pack of socks--what three colors would they come in?"

OK, once you have joined and answered, you are officially entered. The contest will run from Tuesday 11/10/09 to Sunday 11/22/09 and will end at 7pm PST.

Assuming we have more than 10 entries, they will be selected by random drawing and results will be posted here on Monday 11/23/09.

That's it--thanks again to Jessica and good luck!

H