The Autism Society of Central Virginia (ASCV) was founded nearly 40 years ago by parents looking for support and inclusivity in the community for their children with autism. Since its founding, ASCV’s mission has been to empower, support, and build connections for the local autism community through education, advocacy, serving and supporting individuals with autism and their families and friends.
ASCV offers various social groups from elementary school to adulthood, campouts, summer camps, and Lego clubs. They provide monthly respite services, caregiver support groups, and support groups for grandparents of children with autism. They also host various educational opportunities for children and adults with autism, their families, caregivers, and professionals. To learn more about their programming, visit their website! Additionally, as a partner of the Disability-inclusive Sexual Health Network, ASCV is excited to be adding sexual health education to their programming in the future.
Last year, ASCV created their first Self-Advocate Advisory Council made up of persons of various ages, cultures, and autistic backgrounds. With the help of this council and staff members, ASCV offers a rich resource directory for youth and adults with autism and their families and friends. Some of these topics include resources for newly diagnosed youth and adults, counseling services, and information on assistive technologies.
In celebration of self-care month, here are some ASCV resources to check out: Mental Health Support, Respite, Sports and Recreation, Therapeutic Horseback Riding, Music and Arts, and Music Therapy.
Interested in getting involved with ASCV? Find out about becoming a member or volunteering on ASCV’s website!
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Making Self-Care Accessible
Please reach out to dshn@jmu.edu to share resources that would be helpful for folks in our network, or for more resources on any specific topic.
September is Self-Care Month! But, what exactly is self-care? Most of us know what it means to take care of someone else - a loved one, a sick relative, a child, or friend – but what does it mean to take care of ourselves? First things first, self-care is not selfish. It can be hard to do things purely for ourselves. It might feel like we are wasting someone else’s time or thinking only of our own desires, but how can we care for those around us if we can’t care for ourselves?
So back to the question at hand - what is self-care? There are many definitions of self-care, some more health-oriented than others. The World Health Organization defines self-care as: “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.” According to this definition, self-care focuses on staying physically healthy. What about those who are chronically ill or disabled? Physical health is not always dependent upon how “well” you take care of your body.
As self-care becomes more popular, the definitions become more inclusive. Rather than focusing on physical health to indicate the “need” and “success” of self-care practices, recent definitions, like one from Dr. Marni Amsellem, promote self-care as “anything that you do for yourself that feels nourishing.” This can be reading a book, taking a nap, going outside, singing karaoke… the list goes on.
In 2013, the International Self-Care Foundation was established in Hong Kong. Aware of the various definitions of self-care, the foundation created a visual depicting what they call the Seven Pillars of Self-Care: health literacy, mental wellbeing, physical activity, healthy eating, risk avoidance, good hygiene, and rational and responsible use of products, services, diagnostics and medicines. These pillars not only help to actualize self-care as a practice, but also assist in promoting self-care as an everyday activity not reliant on physical health, but rather a spectrum of physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
So who is self-care for? The easy answer is everyone; however, as you may have guessed, self-care “tips” are often not accessible to the disability community. Yet, the thing about self-care is that it is just that - self-care. It is individual care, specific and different from person to person, and if the various definitions of self-care have taught us anything, there are few, if any, limits on what is considered self-care. Taking care of ourselves not only boosts our self-esteem, but also makes it possible for us to help others. There is a reason why flight attendants always tell you to put on your oxygen mask before helping others. Whether you are a caregiver or a member of the disability community, you deserve a self-care routine that is accessible and effective.
Check out the references below for some fun, accessible self-care tips!
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Self-care and Sexual Health
We wouldn't be the Disability-inclusive Sexual Health Network if we didn't talk about self-care and sexual health. Sexuality and sexual health are large parts of our identity as human beings. Whether you are a parent or caregiver of a child with I/DD or a member of the disability community yourself, it can be easy to develop a negative relationship with your/your child's sexual health. It is not an easy or particularly comfortable topic to dwell on. But here's the thing: Sexual health doesn't have to be negative! Practicing self-care by being open and honest about sexual health means educating your child/yourself on boundaries, consent, expectations, bodily-autonomy, and hygiene. We don't have to care about our sexual health or the health of others only when telling cautionary tales of STIs and unplanned pregnancies. We can practice positive sexual-health-talk that focuses on things such as...
- How to keep our bodies and the bodies around us comfortable (boundaries & consent).
- Educating ourselves and others on others' experiences and sexual diversity (sexuality & gender).
- Appreciating our bodies, imperfections and all (body-image).
- Showing affection to those around us (kissing a partner, hugging a friend, holding hands with significant other) and declining affection when we aren't interested (hugging or holding hands with grandparent, friend, parent).
- Using official, medical names to talk about body parts. Teach yourself or your child to respect all body parts by not enforcing the idea that certain parts are "shameful" and must be called something else.
- Having meaningful conversations and asking important questions about sexuality and sexual health in comfortable environments.
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Resources throughout the newsletter are labeled as follows:
[t]=text [v]=video [a]=audio [l]=list [w]=website [m]=mobile app
[a] Self Care Sundays with Alice Wong Creator of the Disability Visibility Project talks about her journey with self-care and disability
[w] How to Make Self-care More Inclusive Young activists share ideas on how to make self-care more accessible for everyone
[w] 10 Ways to Practice Body Positivity
[m] Headspace Mobile app for meditation and mindfulness
[t] Free Inclusive Coloring Pages of Youth/Adults with DD
[v] Caring for the Caregivers Cristol Barrett O’Loughlin talks about her experience losing three brothers to MPS and learning how to care for herself as a caregiver
[m] Calm Mobile app with guided meditations and Sleep Stories
[w] Video Games as Self-care Disabled gamers demonstrate how playing video games can be a form of self-care and a way to build and maintain a sense of community
[a] The Accessible Stall Ep. 26: Self Care and Silliness
[w] Open Conversations Coloring Book Available for purchase through Mad Hatter Wellness, this coloring book "is designed to teach kids of all abilities about bodies, boundaries, consent, safety and healthy relationships."
[w] Adaptive Yoga Yoga created to serve all body types by Miranda who was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at age two
[t] Emotion Cards These cards can help your child to identify and work through their feelings; understanding emotions is an important part of self-care
[w] Signs of Caregiver Burnout/Tips to Prevent it!
[v] Body Scan Meditation for kids with Special Needs / Autism
[w] Tips for Creating a Sex-positive Home Tips for breaking down barriers to conversations about sex, sexual health, and sexuality at home
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Tip: Use YouTube's media player controls to make videos more accessible. Find out how at the links below:
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Youth Advisory Board Connection
This month, two members of DSHN's YAB share ways that they engage in self-care.
Amy:
- Protecting my heart and identity as a person with a disability is an important form of self care for me. This can include maintaining boundaries from people who may share ableist views with me.
- I love to go outside and to move my body. Some of the things I enjoy include hikes, dancing, biking, and taking my dog for a walk.
- I also enjoy maintaining friendships in many ways, including by phone or having friends come over. This helps me develop a sense of community and normalcy in my life.
- Finding ways to protect my bodily autonomy is very important to me. Some ways I do this include making boundaries with caregivers and parents about my body, privacy, and choices, and maintaining physical positions and movements that feel comfortable to me.
- Taking breaks and days off helps me to recharge when I have been busy.
- Have a sit-down moment: place everything in front of you, and take small bites from everyday tasks/difficulties.
- Listen to affirming music that tells me I’m going to be okay. One of my favorite songs is “Song I Made Up to Stop Myself From Having a Panic Attack Just Now” by Field Medic. It helps me remember that what I’m experiencing will not be here days from now.
- Breathing: Breathing is really beneficial, I like to hold my breath and then let everything out at once. I use imagery to remember that I am one and I can only do so much.
- Play Minecraft! I get to build up an entire imaginary world out of blocks, disconnect and have a calming experience.
- House window-shopping: I go on Zillow or other websites and look up fancy houses and imagine a whole new life in that beautiful house. After letting my mind run wild in imagination, it helps me be able to return to my real-world life, put my problems in front of me and not let anxious thoughts intrude.
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Accessible Yoga
Yoga isn't for everyone, but it should be accessible for everyone! Many yoga poses, however, require standing, bending at the waist, overhead movement, and other movements that might be uncomfortable for persons with restricted mobility. Here are some poses to try from the comfort of a chair or wheelchair. It is important to remember that yoga is not about how much you can move your body, so don't feel down if you can't quite move your arm in a certain direction or are just shy of touching your toes. Yoga is about breathing, relaxing, and taking a moment to connect with yourself and your body.
Adaptive yoga poses and graphics from Thomas Tidley.
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Cow Pose
- Begin with your hands on your chair or thighs
- Inhale and lift your head toward the ceiling, expand through your chest, arch your back gently
- Take a few deep breaths while holding the pose
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Cat Pose
- Start with your hands on your thighs or chair
- Exhale and round your upper body forward
- Keep your spine arched and drop your chin to your chest
- Take a few deep breaths and release
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Twist
- Inhale and move your right hand across your left leg
- Exhale and twist to look over your left shoulder
- Breathe and hold the position for a few deep breaths
- Release and repeat on the opposite side
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Eagle Pose
- Inhale and lift your arms
- Cross your arms at the elbows, hands back-to-back, and exhale
- Breathe and hold the position for 20 - 30 seconds
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