Most people have heard that Las Vegas is Disneyland for adults. What you might not know is that Las Vegas makes a great group travel destination for your next group tour, company retreat, multi generational family vacation or destination wedding.
With over 1100 flights a day landing and departing (more…)
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Top 5 Themes For Your Wedding.
Weddings are always particular and to make them distinctive you must choose a theme in your wedding. You need to choose a wedding theme that suits your personality best. You’ll find a way to either go for a smooth and romantic theme or make your wedding ceremony reception (more…)
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Destination weddings are back in style as couples become more adventurous and creative in planning their weddings. A dream wedding set far from home is exciting and fun but the preparations might be a little more challenging. And the first thing that the couple would have to agree on would be the destination. (more…)
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Choosing the perfect location for your pre-wedding photoshoot is a tough decision to make. And it gets even harder when you’re getting married in Vegas because you have so many tourist attractions to consider. But not to worry! I’ve compiled a list of the best locations in the city so you don’t have to (more…)
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Though the difficult economic times of recent years have had a negative impact on virtually every industry, they have actually given rise to an increase in the number destination weddings. In fact, according to industry statistics, more couples than ever are choosing to exchange vows in ceremonies away from their home towns.
Why choose a destination wedding?
Most brides site control over the wedding day as one of the main reasons why they choose to have a destination wedding. Let’s face it, not every bride wants a large church wedding. These events can often become large, impersonal occasions that are as much for the wedding couples’ families as they are for the wedding couple.
Destination weddings give brides the opportunity to host a more intimate affair with just a few friends and family members present. While many “at home” weddings have guest lists that soar into the hundreds, the average number of attendees at a destination wedding is 45 – 50.
The couple also has more control over the ceremony itself. They can be more creative with the clothes that they wear, the style of the ceremony, and even the wedding officiants. While many brides to be choose an exotic or beach setting for their nuptials, others prefer a mountainous setting. With all that Branson, Missouri has to offer, it’s no wonder that more and more couples are choosing Branson as the place to exchange vows.
Why Brides Are Choosing to Have a Branson Wedding!
One big benefit that tips the scales in Branson’s favor is its central location in the US. Branson is just a day’s drive from a third of the US and half of the country’s population, and now, thanks to the opening of the new Branson airport, it’s easily accessible by air from just about any place in the country.
Wedding couples also love Branson’s unique setting in the Ozark Mountains. Couples can choose to have a quaint and rustic wedding at a small mountain chapel or a more extravagant affair at a four star resort. June brides get their choice of Branson’s summer lake and mountain settings, while couples desiring fall weddings can lavish themselves in the fall foliage colors of the Ozarks. And those brides to be who have always dreamed of Holiday Weddings can tie the knot in one of the Travel Channel’s Most Christmassy Places in the US!
Finally, Branson’s hospitality and entertainment-rich environment provides wedding parties with a carefree time of fun and relaxation in the days prior to the wedding. With the thousands of Branson hotel rooms, there will be no problem accommodating all of the wedding guests, and the vast array of entertainment option will satisfy everyone from the littlest flower girl to the most elderly grandmother.
While Branson weddings may not be for everyone, couples choosing to have a destination wedding will be hard pressed to find a better, more convenient location. Many married couples swear by the Branson MO wedding experience and the unforgettable memories that they’ll treasure for a lifetime.
Janet Sanders resides in the Ozarks near Branson, Missouri and writes about her home state and travel-related subjects, such as destination weddings. Though she’s been to beautiful wedding ceremonies all over the country, she admits her fondness for attending Branson weddings. For information on Branson MO, visit http://www.ExploreBranson.com.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janet_Sanders
Life at home with a child with autism is rarely easy. Changes in routine, unexpected visitors, difficulties with food, toileting and dressing can be disruptive to the whole family. Visits to the doctor or the dentist are incredibly challenging. Parents too often forego visiting friends and family because the stress of breaking the routine of a child with autism and bringing that child into unfamiliar territory is just too much to bear. Parents cringe at the thought of public meltdowns and/or self injurious behavior in a place where people are very quick to judge. No, staying home is often just easier.
But, staying home is not always the best for parent or the child. Parents need to have the freedom to get an errand done or to visit a friend without being completely overwhelmed. Our children also need to be given the opportunities to experience new sights and sounds and to build self confidence from “tackling the world.” Every single time that a child steps out of their door (with or without autism) they have an opportunity to learn and to grow. Research has proven that neurons in the brain get “excited” by new experiences and from this we “grow” our brain by building new pathways. Individuals with autism need experiences in the world outside of their home in order to build neural pathways, practice living in a social environment and learn to regulate their own behavior. Children can’t practice social skills while sitting in front of a Disney movie. We can’t learn how to manage our senses or our fears if we are safely kept away from things that may bother or scare us. But we also can’t “throw” the child into the midst of social situations and hope they can cope. We need to give them the tools that they need to be successful. What are these tools?
1. Use a visual schedule regularly. Paradoxically, teaching individuals with autism to use a schedule gives them the ability to be more independent. Schedules enable persons with autism to understand their world, organize their thinking, and sequence their lives. By illustrating a change on the schedule visually, we are helping the individual to process the change and cope more effectively.
2. Show and discuss a “game plan” before going leaving home. Using the schedule, explain what will be happening, identify how it might feel and how you will help. Some people use Carol Gray’s Social Stories™ but a simple script can be just as useful. Keep in mind that pictures and/or written words are far more effective than just talking. The auditory processing channel is not as efficient as the visual channel in many people with autism. The child needs to feel some sense of control over what is happening. These kids too often feel an acute anxiety over what is or what could happen to them.
3. Illustrate clear expectations for your child. Warning a child that you expect them to be good won’t do the job. What does being “good” look like? And sound like? A checklist of these behaviors, a social script, or a set of visual pictures may be the tools that make the difference in the success of the outing. Parents may even find it useful to role play restaurant, church, dentist, or doctor before the child encounters the real thing. The point is that, individuals with autism don’t instinctively know what is expected of them in given situations. Parents and caregivers can bridge this understanding by identifying the expectations in a constructive and non threatening manner.
4. Pack the “tools of the trade”. There are some items that I never leave home without: a visual clock, sand timer, coloring books/ small quiet toys, white board and marker or paper to write messages to your child (talk less, show what you mean with pictures/words). Sensory toys (squishy balls, vibrating pens, fabric or sandpaper that the child enjoys touching) are also important tools because they can help the child to self regulate. We all have items that we feel more comfortable having with us; a coffee, a favorite pen, pictures of our family, or a “lucky charm” are some objects that bring some of us a sort of comfort and inner stability. Persons with autism may have the need to carry different objects for similar purposes.
5. Provide information about your child that others will need in order to serve your child. I personally believe that explaining some of your child’s basic needs to a dentist, doctor, store clerk, waitress or any person that may misunderstand your child is far more fair to everyone involved. Sharing doesn’t mean gaining sympathy or telling a life story. It could be as simple as, “Please give my child more time to respond.” When our son began being invited to birthday parties, we contacted the host parents and let them know some of the basic information that they would need to know in order to make the birthday run smoothly. This info may be that the child doesn’t like the birthday song, or clapping sounds and he will therefore “be in the washroom” while this is happening. One parent even identified a “quiet spot” that our son could retreat to if he was feeling overwhelmed. Information is power.
6. Give yourself plenty of time. A rushed errand will too often be disastrous because, as many parents know, the more hurried we are, the slower our children move! Our kids with autism are busy dealing with their own stress; they can’t possibly cope with ours as well!
Every ounce of energy and thought that we put into planning for out of home experiences for individuals with autism will multiply into benefits for everyone. As a teacher of students with severely debilitating autism and a mother of a son with autism I am very much aware that the task of breaking into the fast paced world with a person with autism is not an easy one. I know first hand that it can be downright terrifying to bring six students with autism to a zoo, a church, a restaurant or a supermarket but the learning that happens for the students, the staff and for the community is well worth the effort. We enrich each other’s lives when we move beyond the comfort zone of our own homes and schools.
About The Author
Jennifer Krumins is a full time teacher in Ontario, Canada with 20 years of experience in special education and the regular classroom. A mother of three (one of which has autism) she is currently teaching severely challenged teen boys and girls with autism. She is the author of two books:
Been There. Done That. Finally Getting it Right. A Guide to Educational Planning for Students with Autism: Lessons from a Mother and Teacher.
and
One Step at a Time: ABA and Autism in the Classroom; Practical Strategies for Implementing Applied Behaviour Analysis for Student with Autism
Please feel free to visit Jennifer’s website at http://www.autismaspirations.com or email her at krumins@autismaspirations.com
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Top 10 Wedding Do’s And Don’ts
1. Do send out save the date cards as soon as you can, preferably 6 months prior, so that your guests have enough planning time.
2. Do make it a point of finding out all the legal requirements for a marriage license at your choice destination. It would be awful to get (more…)
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Destination weddings are so much fun, and they are more popular than ever. There are some things about planning a wedding in an exotic land that might be different than planning a wedding near your home. To get the most out of your destination wedding, try these simple tips:
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I hope you’ve been enjoying my posts lately. I thought I might do something different today and rustle up a few bits of info from around the WWW. These are some of the news items and blog posts that have been popular over the last few weeks. Leave me your thoughts.
$10K Bora Bora Destination Wedding Package – Romance Travel Concierge (more…)
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A destination wedding is very different from a traditional wedding. Because of that there is a lot of questions about Destination Wedding Invitations that we will try to answer in the rest of this article.
1. How early should you send them ? The invitations for destination weddings should be sent not less (more…)
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Have you and your betrothed given any thought to getting married on a cruise?
It can, and does, happen. In fact, one of the Princess Lines ships, the Grand Princess (and the folks that brought you the Love Boat) even has a wedding chapel.
Most cruises, however, while they may offer a wedding cruise, (more…)
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