Stages Connect
Heidi Ellis
ContributorHeidi Ellis is a graduate of the University of Toledo with a BA in foreign languages (Spanish). Using ABA training, she instructed young children with autism at S.A.I.L (School for Autistically Impaired Learners) in Toledo, OH (now closed). She also taught E.S.O.L. (English for Speakers of Other Languages) to adults at a career center in Rossford, OH. Her own son, Jim, now twenty-two, was diagnosed with the condition at a young age. Heidi is now a freelance writer, which includes a number of Stages Learning articles. She also blogs on Facebook at her page titled, “Autism Hopefuls: Hope for the Autism Parent.” Heidi’s passion is to bring both navigational tools and moral support to parents and care givers of children with autism. She aims to soon have published her first devotional book written specifically for “au-some” parents.
Articles by Heidi
Life Skills & Transitions From Frightful to Festive: One Mother’s Experience with Adult Care Placement Options for Her Autistic Son
When the time comes to transition your autistic child into the best adult care program, I know first hand as a caregiver of “Jim” that placement concerns can have “haunting” effects on your overall...
Heidi Ellis
Oct 22, 2022 · 4 min read
Life Skills & Transitions From Sleeping in to Prepping for School: Strategies for Avoiding Wake-up Wars
One mother’s tried and true recommendations for helping your autistic child get ready for an early wake-up time once school starts. Are you dreading your "au-some" child's first week back to school because they are used to sleeping in now? Are you wondering how they will shift t
Heidi Ellis
Aug 30, 2020 · 5 min read
Family & Home Life Professional Hope: One Mother’s Story of Gratitude for the Specialists that Support Parents of Autistic Children
"I have assessed and treated a great number of families affected by ASD...What I can say is this: When parents can move through the emotion and identify...the strengths in their child and themselves, they are then able to consider the numerous options they have to support their
Heidi Ellis
Jun 7, 2020 · 6 min read
ARIS & Curriculum Strategies for Homeschooling Children with Autism: You Can do This!
Teaching children with autism even the most basic skills can feel daunting to a home schooling parent or even, at times, an autism professional. For instance, we may attempt to teach a child for the hundredth time to wipe her mouth with a napkin, but then… drum roll ...She goes
Heidi Ellis
Feb 24, 2020 · 5 min read
Autism Resources Reconocer los Signos y Sintomas del Autismo
Saber qué Buscar con el Autismo ¿Alguna vez se ha preocupado de que su hijo muestre síntomas de autismo, pero no tenía a quién acudir y no entendía cómo obtener un diagnóstico y asegurarse de que su hijo reciba la ayuda que necesita? No hay necesidad de preocuparse, porque con t
Heidi Ellis
Sep 7, 2019 · 7 min read
ABA & Therapy Strategies for Promoting Sensory Integration in Writing
Sensory struggles in a child with autism can hinder his or her ability to grasp a writing implement and to use it correctly. But some marvelous strategies exist that can help children learn to write: countering “floppy” muscle tone, varying implement thickness, trying different
Heidi Ellis
Jun 2, 2019 · 5 min read