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AOV

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  1. Maybe this is my own nerdy interest, but we listen to this version, with David Bowie providing narration (we also have a version with Patrick Stewart, which is excellent, too). Here is a guide to Peter and the Wolf, produced by the Westchester Philharmonic; if you Google "Peter and the Wolf" and "guide" or "educational guide", you'll find other similar documents. For a younger child, "Zin Zin Zin, a Violin" is a good picture book introduction to musical instruments (and the composition of groups - duet, trio, octet, etc); there's also a Scholastic/Weston Woods animated version of the book, as well (available through Discovery Education, as well as other resources). I second the recommendation for "The Story of the Orchestra," but would also include this lesser-known book on the history of the instruments themselves (if you/your child is interested), called "The Story of the Incredible Orchestra." When we briefly studied opera, we used this book and this book; I honestly don't remember which I liked more, but I do remember thinking they were a bit above my (less than completely interested) 7 year old son's level. Here are a number of educator guides to well-known operas, from the Met; I would also suggest looking at the education sections of other large cultural institutions' websites for more resources (New York City Ballet; New York Philharmonic; etc).
  2. I might include Jim Henson's work on your list - from "The Muppet Show" to the various Muppet movies, they're pretty wholesome and entertaining, and contain a wealth of cultural references. A retrospective of his work (that we went to, oh, 5 times) inspired my 8 year old to design and make his own puppets this past year. This may give you some more ideas - it's our go-to museum for film/television: http://www.movingimage.us/education/resources I agree that much of what's considered popular kid culture today is garbage - for me, it's the tone (snarky, snotty, materialistic) that drives me insane. We're a no-TV house, and while I occasionally do see that my older son doesn't "get" some of the cultural references his cousins/friends make, I see the reverse happen, too - and usually, the kid who is more familiar or aware of the context/reference is happy to explain (many kids love the opportunity to be authorities, no matter the subject). I think limiting consumption of media has made my older son a much more critical consumer - not so quick to dismiss (or embrace) a movie or show based on the genre or topic.
  3. We spend a LOT of time on the three "Es" - executive function, emotional regulation and empathy. I really felt that "Smart But Scattered" was helpful for ME to help him start working on some of the executive function skills that he really lacked. That said, it still seems like something we have to constantly reinforce, especially with regard to schoolwork - task initiation, attention to task and task completion will never (I don't think) be easy for him, and his planning skills are poor. We work a lot on breaking down tasks to small, manageable pieces (instead of, "You have to write a biographical essay," we start with, "Okay, let's think of someone you would like to learn more about. Now how would you get more information about this person?" - that type of guidance, all the way through the revision of the paper). In terms of emotional regulation, he's very quick to anger, or upset, or frustration. I do like these books, especially "What to Do When You Worry Too Much" - anxiety was really getting in the way of his ability to progress in a lot of areas (social and academic). He's learned a number of skills (deep breathing, "checking in" with himself, etc) to help with learning more about his feelings, why he's having them, and - most importantly - how to control them. Still, it's a long road (for all of us! - he's certainly given me a few, "Mom, do you need to take a big, deep breath?" pep talks in the middle of bad traffic and horrible drivers situations). The last one, empathy, really came into play after the birth of his younger brother (5 1/2 years younger, also with an ASD). I think that for all of the concrete life skills we had tried to teach him, seeing him be able to recognize his brother's separate emotional needs and then adapt his behavior in response has been the hardest, but perhaps most important. We are a very, very long way from this being automatic behavior (maybe it never will be), but I think for our family dynamic, and his social functioning (now and in the future), it's a hugely critical piece. We're also working on bike riding and remembering to be an "active listener"/listen with your body - he still strongly comes across as terribly rude because of the lack of eye contact and the instinctive turning away from someone speaking to him. Sloooooooow progress...
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