Journal Cover Decorations
We have used duck tape, stickers and photos…we let Mikey choose what he wanted to use and helped him to create his journals. After he had been doing this for a while, we found journals (composition notebooks) that were already decorated so we let Michael pick them out at the store. In fact, I still have some of them because one day in 2022, he decided he’d rather not do a journal…so we stopped.
But, on this day a decade ago, Mikey had finished up his summer journal and he was ready to start a new journal with his 3rd Grade Class. This journal was one of our best. We decorated the inside and outside covers. I think it helped his classmates get to know him in a way he was unable to share verbally.
The front featured things he loves. “I love to swim, jump, watch football, bike, cook, lounge, hike, laugh and smile.”
Inside the front cover, we focused on things Michael likes. “I like to learn new things, help others, go to the beach, play with my toys, root for the Giants, spend time with friends, camp out and cuddle with my family.”
The blue giraffe in the middle was made for Michael by his bestie, S. She is also featured in the ‘spend time with friends’ photo.
Inside the back cover, we focused ways we have fun:
- In the kitchen
- With the cubscouts
- In the snow
- On my birthday
- At the winter carnival
- With my brother
- At the bowling alley
- With my dad
On the back cover, we said, ‘It’s fun to go fishing, dress up, cuddle with my dog, hang with pals, celebrate a victory, watch TV with my family, and play with mom.”
One Tip:
If you use stickers or glue anything onto the front of the journal, cover it fully with clear packing tape to make it more durable.
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About the Author
Erica Mauro is a mom to two teenage boys, Will who is neurotypical and Michael with Autism and cognitive delays. She holds a BA in Psychology from Colgate University and a Masters of Psychology in Education from Columbia Teacher’s College. Before staying home with her children, she worked as an elementary school teacher. For five years, she served on the Board of Directors of the Molly Ann Tango Memorial Foundation, a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children with special needs. In partnership with her husband Dave, she aspires to parent by using daily life as an opportunity for therapeutic intervention, seizing on real experiences as opportunities to build skills and strategies for Michael in a joyful, loving home environment. On the tougher early days, she just tried to get everyone safely to bedtime and start fresh in the morning. *wink* 
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