Connie Hammer
MSW, PCI Certified Parent Coach®
Free
The Progressive Parent, LLC Expert
Connie Hammer Quick Facts
For more than twenty years, Connie Hammer, MSW and PCI Certified Parent Coach has been energetically guiding frustrated, lost and confused parents to achieve their parenting hopes and dreams with her amazing skills. As parent educator, consultant and coach, Hammer is passionate about supporting parents of young children recently diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Hammer is very adept at customizing her support to any parent’s unique situation so they can joyfully and successfully parent the child they were meant to have despite any physical, cognitive, social or emotional challenges.
Connie founded her parent coaching business, The Progressive Parent, LLC in 2005 after she acquired her Parent Coach Certification™ from The Parent Coaching Institute of Bellevue, Washington, the nation’s only Parent Coach Certification™. In 2010 she established, Parent Coaching for Autism, a subsidiary of The Progressive Parent, to provide resources, programs and specialized assistance to parents of children on the Autism spectrum.
Prior to this Hammer spent seventeen years working as a school social worker counseling children and supporting parents. Due to her previous work with students of special needs and the alarming numbers of children being diagnosed with Autism, her mission continues to be helping parents uncover their children’s abilities in order to change possibilities. This internationally published expert enjoys coaching parents from all over the world, in person or on the phone. You can contact her via email connie@parentcoachingforautism.com or visit her at www.parentcoachingforautism.com
Free Audio & Video Samples
Parenting a Child with Autism: 3 Secrets to Thrive
http://parentcoachingforautism.com/how-we-help/free-e-course/
From Bathroom Battles to Bathroom Bliss – Potty Training 101 - sneak peek
http://parentcoachingforautism.com/products/potty-training-101/
3 Simple Secrets for a Smooth Sail Back-to-school - sneak peek
http://parentcoachingforautism.com/products/bts-preview/
Connie Hammer Audio & Video Programs
From Bathroom Battles to Bathroom Bliss – Potty Training 101
http://parentcoachingforautism.com/products/potty-training-101-workbook/
3 Simple Secrets for a Smooth Sail Back-to-school
http://parentcoachingforautism.com/products/back-to-school/
Top Ten Secrets to a Stress-free Morning with a Child on the Autism Spectrum
http://www.parentcoachingforautism.com/products/am-rush/
Articles by this expert
SelfGrowth articles and saved writing connected to this expert.
Article
Glodilocks and Potty Training – Making It Feel Just Right!
It’s inevitable - all parents eventually have to deal with the job of weaning their child from diapers and instructing them to use the toilet independently. As this time approaches parents begin to collect resources and information from various sources to help guide and support them in this important yet often dreaded parenting task. Potty training any child is definitely a challenge and one never knows how it will pan out.
Recently added
Article
The Amazing Skills and Difficult Challenges of Children with ASD
I have always been astonished by the amazing abilities individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder have. Sometimes these gifts are hidden and I have to help parents dig for the treasure that lies within. Other times this extraordinary talent is obvious to all, which makes it easy for parents to nurture and cultivate. Then there is another scenario – one where this skill, this aptitude, is forever present and threatening to interfere with other aspects of daily life. Here is such a situation that was presented to me recently:
Recently added
Article
“My Child’s Autism is NOT MY Fault!”
It’s NOT your fault. Don’t be a receptacle for guilt; address your feelings of guilt instead of letting them fester. Guilt is something that will always be waiting in the wings; you just have to learn how to deal with it when it wants to make an appearance. Once your child is diagnosed with Autism, you will engage in conversations about treatment choices such as ABA, discrete trial training, floor time and biomedical approaches. You will be told about the importance of eye contact, social skills, sensory issues and the development of receptive and expressive language, and much, much more.r
Recently added
Article
5 Strategies to Help Your Child on the Autism Spectrum Cope with Anxiety and Stress
Did you know that anxiety symptoms and disorders are the number one health problem among children and adults in America? Anxiety disorders are more common in children today, than in their parent’s generation. The Anxiety Disorders Association of America states that one in eight children are affected by an anxiety that persists beyond its normal expectation.
Recently added
Article
Overcoming Roadblocks to Good Personal Hygiene for a Child with ASD
Children do not come into this world able to care of themselves. In the beginning they are dependent upon their parents for everything, but gradually they learn to wash, dress and feed themselves. Typically, a child will master daily self-care skills with relative ease. Many are self-motivated as is demonstrated by the words of a young child who wants to be like mom or dad, “I do myself.” Of course they can easily revert to “I can’t do,” within the next second.
Recently added
Article
Traps to Avoid When It Comes to Behaviors That Can Annoy
As parents we would all love to have a quick and efficient way of changing some of the negative behaviors our children display. There are behaviors that irritate us, embarrass us and exasperate us, and ones that present a safety issue at times. And then there are those unique, repetitive behaviors that children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often present with.r
Recently added
Article
Learning to Manage Guilt as a Parent of a Child with or Without Autism
Does parenting exist without guilt? Let’s face it - guilt comes with the territory. Whether or not your child is on the Autism spectrum, guilt is a difficult emotion to avoid no matter how hard a parent tries. If you are a seasoned parent you may have had more than a few encounters with guilt but experience may have taught you how to handle it better.
Recently added
Article
A Simple Strategy for Overcoming Resistance in a Child with Autism
Has your child ever vehemently resisted your request to perform a task? I worked with a young mom recently who came to me exasperated by her daughter’s refusal to wash her hands and dry them or sometimes have a meltdown when the mom would do this task for her. The mom was at her wit’s end and having tried many ways to make her daughter comply she resorted to punishment and loss of privileges as a last resort.
Recently added
Article
Strategies to Deal With My ASD Child Who Isn't Interested in the Holidays
Do you have a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) that is just not interested in the holiday fanfare? Unfortunately, many children on the spectrum may be tuned out or just not interested in some or all that comes with the holidays.
Recently added
Article
Behaviors That Irritate - My Child Doesn't Listen!
All parents, regardless of the label their child has been given - anxiety disorder, PDD-NOS, overweight, learning disorder, lactose intolerant, Autism, OCD, near sighted, gifted, etc - struggle when it comes to dealing with negative behaviors. I have never met a parent who wasn't open to learning new skills that are guaranteed to help them manage annoying behavior better. We all know the behaviors that irritate parents. "He won't do his chores." "She has a tantrum when I ask her to... " "My kids never listen!" Wouldn't life be more pleasant if kids just listened?
Recently added
Article
Recognizing Signs of Stress in Kids With Autism
There are many things that can cause stress in any child. This can include a change in family dynamics, fighting with siblings or typical tension in the home. While these may be manageable stressors for adults, they can be big deals to children so it is important not to dismiss them.
Recently added
Article
Replacing Negative Behaviors in Children With Habit Training
Parents often complain that they work on changing one irritating behavior only to find their child has replaced it with another annoying action. The easy solution to this problem is to choose the replacement behavior yourself and instill it as a habit.
Recently added