Happy Grandparents Day Tips For Special Needs Grandmothers and Grandfathers

NEW YORK - Sept. 7, 2018 - PRLog -- National Grandparents Day offers a wonderful opportunity for special needs children to spend some quality and fun time with their grandmothers and grandfathers. Whether it is going to a movie, visiting an aquarium, preparing a meal or doing a few arts and crafts projects at home, it's a time to enjoy being together and creating fun memories. Taking pictures of the day's activities on a cell phone is a great way to remember the happy occasion.

And with the school year starting, the relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren can grow stronger by working together. Grandparents can help ease their special needs grandchildren back to school and offer support throughout the year.

"Grandparents can play a vital and proactive role in their grandchildren's lives. Their unconditional love, hard-earned wisdom and years of experience can make a huge difference.

They can be wonderful teachers and guides for their granddaughters and grandsons," said Deanna Picon, founder of Your Autism Coach, LLC and author of The Autism Parents' Guide To Reclaiming Your Life.

A new academic year is an exciting and stressful time for most students, including special needs children. With new teachers, classmates, subjects and activities, they can benefit from the extra support and attention from their grandparents.

Grandparents can apply these tips to help their grandchild have a productive school year.

• Be part of the team. Talk with your son or daughter and find out what are the best ways to work with your grandchild. They can give you personal insight into your grandchild's likes, dislikes and behavior triggers.

• Set up a mutually convenient schedule. Offer to help your grandson or granddaughter on a regular basis during the school year. Most children with special needs benefit from routines and structure. By spending personal time, even once every week or two for a few hours, you can reinforce the work being done in school with teachers and therapists.

• Manage your expectations. Even though you spend time with your grandchild, "working" together on specific goals and tasks may be a different story. It's important to remember your grandchild's disorder affects normal brain function, altering cognitive, communication and social skills as well as physical abilities. This condition may limit your grandchild's ability to process information, understand his/her surroundings, and learn new things quickly. He/she may have a short attention span. Non-verbal children may find it difficult to express their needs and wants and become frustrated.

• Be patient and don't get discouraged. Be loving and know that you're making headway, even if it's not as fast as you might have hoped. Your grandchild will learn at his/her pace.

• Start small and slowly. Find out what they're working on in school and which areas they need help in. Most teachers and therapists don't have much time to work individually with students, so the time you spend will benefit your grandchild greatly. Begin with a small project, broken down into little steps, to gain a sense of what works best. Reading is a good way to engage young children. Have them point to pictures or words in a book to test their understanding. For older children, colorful, animated iPad apps are a fun, interactive and effective way to learn new subjects and skills.

• Don't forget the basics. Special needs children often need assistance with daily living skills. Helping your grandchild become self-sufficient and independent is key to a successful life.

• Be a "GRAND" cheerleader. Keep in mind that every achievement, no matter how small, is something to rejoice about. Focus on what your grandchild can do and praise him/her constantly.  Reward your grandchild with a favorite snack, toy or gift. Be proud and pat yourself on the back for being such a wonderful grandparent!

Your Autism Coach, LLC (http://www.yourautismcoach.com) provides personalized guidance, comprehensive support programs and seminars that address the issues and concerns of parents of special needs children. Now on Twitter (@yourautismcoach), look for the latest parenting tips and advice from Deanna Picon. She shows parents how to overcome the challenges of raising a child with special needs, while building a rewarding life for themselves. Deanna is the recipient of the 2015 "Top Life Coach Writer" Award from Autism Parenting Magazine.