For those of you who are working on a transition, something that's not easy in terms of training like potty training, getting your hair cut, doctor visits, etc., a friend just re-reminded me of something we did for our daughter when it came time for transitioning to Kindergarten this year...we had our new school put together a book written to the child about how to mentally prepare and imagine what this transition will look like for them. For school we had pictures of her teacher, where she was going to go in her day i.e. her classroom, library, cafeteria, gym, music room, pictures of her teachers, OT, PT and Speech Therapist, etc. We are currently making a book on potty training for school and home and a nighttime/sleep routine that I'm keeping fingers crossed might work or at least help. To learn more about how to put one together visit the following sites for information. Remember, make this fun for them to read and enjoy but don't over do it as they need to really grasp the message that's being taught. Note: This isn't just for Autism, Asperger and spectrum kiddos. I think this applies to sensory kiddos and anyone young who facing a challenge along the way and they're having a hard time mentally imagining and preparing for this task.
Visit http://www.brighthub.com/education/special/articles/29487.aspx
Visit http://www.polyxo.com/socialstories/
Visit http://www.thegraycenter.org/social-stories/how-to-write-social-stories
Monday, May 7, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
What is Executive Functioning and Interesting Resources
I am learning the importance of Executive Functioning once my child hits 4th grade. To help us get our arms around what this means take a look at the enclosed links to gain perspectives.
LD Org offers a nice perspective of what this means http://www.ncld.org/ld-basics/ld-aamp-executive-functioning/basic-ef-facts/what-is-executive-function
Helping YOU get additional perspectives and organization http://www.ldonline.org/article/24880/
Looking for someone who can help your child with writing...check this out! SQ Write is a local resource and might be helpful in getting your child the proper assistance and interventions http://www.sqwrite.com/index.php/about-sq-write-curriculum/michael-gladstein-author.html
LD Org offers a nice perspective of what this means http://www.ncld.org/ld-basics/ld-aamp-executive-functioning/basic-ef-facts/what-is-executive-function
Helping YOU get additional perspectives and organization http://www.ldonline.org/article/24880/
Looking for someone who can help your child with writing...check this out! SQ Write is a local resource and might be helpful in getting your child the proper assistance and interventions http://www.sqwrite.com/index.php/about-sq-write-curriculum/michael-gladstein-author.html
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Shocking Article About Moms Stress Rearing Autism Children
Being a mom with a child on the "spectrum" this article is shocking and sadly not surprising to this mom. I for sure feel the pangs of rearing a child with Autism/spectrum challenges. The question now is how to find the balance for our overall health.
Visit http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/11/10/autism-moms-stress/6121/
Visit http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/11/10/autism-moms-stress/6121/
Monday, April 23, 2012
Interesting article - What Does Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Have to do With My Therapy?
Interesting perspective. What do you think?
Visit: http://www.pediastaff.com/blog/what-does-applied-behavior-analysis-aba-have-to-do-with-my-therapy-8453
Visit: http://www.pediastaff.com/blog/what-does-applied-behavior-analysis-aba-have-to-do-with-my-therapy-8453
Important Reminder for Summer - All Parents Should Read This - Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning
My friend shared this important reminder for all of us now that summer is upon us. A great reminder to be safe with our children. Drowning doesn't look like drowning.
article: http://mariovittone.com/2010/05/154/
video: http://mariovittone.com/2011/07/video-of-instinctive-drowning-response
Friday, April 20, 2012
Summer - what to do with your special kiddo and make them and you happy
Here's some great reminders of what's important when planning your summer.
From Special Education Advisor
Visit http://www.specialeducationadvisor.com/top-ten-ways-to-enjoy-summer-with-your-special-needs-child/
From Special Education Advisor
Visit http://www.specialeducationadvisor.com/top-ten-ways-to-enjoy-summer-with-your-special-needs-child/
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Interesting post - Is It Bipolar Disorder or ADHD?
Great post and oftentimes this gets confused....
Symptoms of ADHD and bipolar disorder are often confused—and often coexist in the same person. How to make the distinction, and suggestions for treating bipolar disorder along with ADHD.
Visit http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/2511.html
Symptoms of ADHD and bipolar disorder are often confused—and often coexist in the same person. How to make the distinction, and suggestions for treating bipolar disorder along with ADHD.
Visit http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/2511.html
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Autism and Autism Spectrum Blogs Worth Checking Out
A list of Autism and Autism Spectrum Blogs written by parents and educators check this out you might find a gem! A feature from Special Education Adviser
Visit: http://www.babble.com/baby/baby-development/top-autism-blog-nominate/
Visit: http://www.babble.com/baby/baby-development/top-autism-blog-nominate/
Friday, April 6, 2012
Highlight: Apraxia
There are various levels of Apraxia. Please be aware not every child can recover but I personally have heard many success stories with the proper interventions.
What is Apraxia? http://youtu.be/QKGGMfngRa4
Here's a child who is doing VERY well who had Apraxia. He's a brave little guy who took the time to tell all of us (mostly parents) what it's like and gives us hope that you can with therapy overcome this disorder. Be inspired:
Visit: http://youtu.be/Te7N-tUdH-E
I feel for this child who is trying so hard to read.
A child learning to read http://youtu.be/iquF39FcAV8
What is Apraxia? http://youtu.be/QKGGMfngRa4
Here's a child who is doing VERY well who had Apraxia. He's a brave little guy who took the time to tell all of us (mostly parents) what it's like and gives us hope that you can with therapy overcome this disorder. Be inspired:
Visit: http://youtu.be/Te7N-tUdH-E
I feel for this child who is trying so hard to read.
A child learning to read http://youtu.be/iquF39FcAV8
What to look for in a therapist
This post in Special Education Adviser is extremely important when interviewing a therapist (Occupational, Speech, Physical and Developmental). The one therapy that the requirements aren't as stringent is Developmental as this is play based therapy. I would say if you have a DT make sure they know and understand Dr. Stanley Greenspan play methods especially if they have speech challenges - we still use many of his strategies today with our non-verbal Apraxic child. Please take a look and if you know of someone who is in the process of interviewing therapists send them this information.
Visit: http://www.specialeducationadvisor.com/lifelong-learning-as-a-special-ed-therapy-professional/
Information on Dr. Stanley Greenspan http://stanleygreenspan.com/
Visit: http://www.specialeducationadvisor.com/lifelong-learning-as-a-special-ed-therapy-professional/
Information on Dr. Stanley Greenspan http://stanleygreenspan.com/
Article/Feature: Helping Special Needs Kids Focus on specific problem behaviors instead of diagnostic labels, says this renowned child psychiatrist.
I saw this post recently on the Scholastic website and thought this was wonderful information for those of you seeking information, treatment and management. In this case the article focuses on ADD/ADHD but the process of collecting information is somewhat the same and applicable for most of us in the special needs community.
Helping Special Needs Kids
Focus on specific problem behaviors instead of diagnostic labels, says this renowned child psychiatrist.
By Stanley I. Greenspan MD
Lori was concerned about her 5-year-old son. His teacher said that he was having difficulty staying focused at school and bounced among activities. Lori had noticed this at home, too. When Lori spoke with the pediatrician about her son's behavior, she suggested that Lori consider having him evaluated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. While it made sense to Lori that she and Jack's teacher should continue to watch Jack's behavior and strengthen his attention skills, Lori worried about having this label attached to her child.
The Problem with Labels
Lori was right to be concerned. Teachers and parents are frequently presented with new and bewildering diagnostic terms, as well as more familiar ones, such as mental retardation or emotional disorder. Often left to figure out what exactly these labels mean, adults must act on their impressions of whether a child with a particular diagnosis can be helped and if so, how. Although traditional diagnostic labels help professionals keep track of the types of problems children experience, and aid researchers in studying causes of and treatments for those problems, the labels also pose significant limitations. By grouping different individuals under one large category, we risk lumping together children who are actually very different from one another.
A clear example is the ADHD label. The ADHD diagnosis focuses on the similarities among children who are inattentive, perhaps overactive, and who perhaps can’t concentrate enough to follow directions. By settling for the label ADHD to explain the behavior of such children, we underemphasize many important differences among them. One child may be inattentive because he can’t plan or sequence his actions well. Another may have trouble processing incoming information. Yet another may be oversensitive to sound; when confused by too much auditory stimulation, he becomes distracted and disruptive. A child may be hampered by a little bit of all of the above, while another exhibits none of these characteristics but is simply restless and anxious.
You can see that there can be very different origins for seemingly similar behavior. And each behavior calls for very different treatments. The danger of using labels is that the uniqueness of each child gets lost. Settling for a label often becomes more confusing than helpful. How, then, can we categorize special-needs children in a way that allows us to do research and gain a better understanding of their common problems?
To achieve true understanding and effective intervention, we have to focus on each individual child and not group children under some broad category of common behaviors. We need to look at certain dimensions of each child, such as the ability to communicate or relate. In other words, this approach allows consideration for the way each child processes sights, sounds, and touch, as well as the way he plans and carries out actions. All these observations help determine the child’s profile.
Focus on Development
Another problem with traditional labeling is that it often doesn't take into account where a child is developmentally. The profile of each child should include details about his emotional, social, and intellectual levels. The way a child interacts with family members plays an important part in his individual profile. Added together, all these pieces can help parents and teachers carry out a specifically designed intervention plan. We can begin to understand what underlies a special-needs child's challenges and go straight to the heart of each child's capacity to think, feel, and interact in order to improve whatever needs improving.
Identify Specific Behaviors
We think it is much more helpful if parents and teachers tune in to specific behaviors rather than look for a label. For example, does the child find it difficult to pay attention when there's lots of noise, many instructions, or when the task requires multiple steps? If, in the case of Jack, his teacher spells out his behavior like this, we can more easily guide her and Jack's parents toward effective strategies and solutions without getting caught up in any particular label.
That said, giving up traditional labels is difficult for a variety of reasons. Having a ready label makes the child's behavior less mysterious or scary. It becomes something about which there is ongoing research, treatments, and broadly speaking, ready answers. Labels give us a sense that the problem is manageable.
On the flip side, using a label implies that the disorder is responsible for a child's behavior, and therefore, might distract us from looking at what's going on around him. It's important to understand why a particular child is behaving a certain way, and labels can limit the opportunity to take steps that could be very helpful. Applying labels to very serious disorders, such as autism or mental retardation, can lead to giving up on a child. These labels shouldn't evoke so gloomy an outlook.
If we look at a child in terms of his unique characteristics, we might see things we can do that lead to improvement. For all children, but especially for children with special challenges, we recommend a program of active interaction at home and school that takes into account a child's individual qualities and developmental level. It is far more effective than assigning labels.
Helping Special Needs Kids
Focus on specific problem behaviors instead of diagnostic labels, says this renowned child psychiatrist.
By Stanley I. Greenspan MD
Lori was concerned about her 5-year-old son. His teacher said that he was having difficulty staying focused at school and bounced among activities. Lori had noticed this at home, too. When Lori spoke with the pediatrician about her son's behavior, she suggested that Lori consider having him evaluated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. While it made sense to Lori that she and Jack's teacher should continue to watch Jack's behavior and strengthen his attention skills, Lori worried about having this label attached to her child.
The Problem with Labels
Lori was right to be concerned. Teachers and parents are frequently presented with new and bewildering diagnostic terms, as well as more familiar ones, such as mental retardation or emotional disorder. Often left to figure out what exactly these labels mean, adults must act on their impressions of whether a child with a particular diagnosis can be helped and if so, how. Although traditional diagnostic labels help professionals keep track of the types of problems children experience, and aid researchers in studying causes of and treatments for those problems, the labels also pose significant limitations. By grouping different individuals under one large category, we risk lumping together children who are actually very different from one another.
A clear example is the ADHD label. The ADHD diagnosis focuses on the similarities among children who are inattentive, perhaps overactive, and who perhaps can’t concentrate enough to follow directions. By settling for the label ADHD to explain the behavior of such children, we underemphasize many important differences among them. One child may be inattentive because he can’t plan or sequence his actions well. Another may have trouble processing incoming information. Yet another may be oversensitive to sound; when confused by too much auditory stimulation, he becomes distracted and disruptive. A child may be hampered by a little bit of all of the above, while another exhibits none of these characteristics but is simply restless and anxious.
You can see that there can be very different origins for seemingly similar behavior. And each behavior calls for very different treatments. The danger of using labels is that the uniqueness of each child gets lost. Settling for a label often becomes more confusing than helpful. How, then, can we categorize special-needs children in a way that allows us to do research and gain a better understanding of their common problems?
To achieve true understanding and effective intervention, we have to focus on each individual child and not group children under some broad category of common behaviors. We need to look at certain dimensions of each child, such as the ability to communicate or relate. In other words, this approach allows consideration for the way each child processes sights, sounds, and touch, as well as the way he plans and carries out actions. All these observations help determine the child’s profile.
Focus on Development
Another problem with traditional labeling is that it often doesn't take into account where a child is developmentally. The profile of each child should include details about his emotional, social, and intellectual levels. The way a child interacts with family members plays an important part in his individual profile. Added together, all these pieces can help parents and teachers carry out a specifically designed intervention plan. We can begin to understand what underlies a special-needs child's challenges and go straight to the heart of each child's capacity to think, feel, and interact in order to improve whatever needs improving.
Identify Specific Behaviors
We think it is much more helpful if parents and teachers tune in to specific behaviors rather than look for a label. For example, does the child find it difficult to pay attention when there's lots of noise, many instructions, or when the task requires multiple steps? If, in the case of Jack, his teacher spells out his behavior like this, we can more easily guide her and Jack's parents toward effective strategies and solutions without getting caught up in any particular label.
That said, giving up traditional labels is difficult for a variety of reasons. Having a ready label makes the child's behavior less mysterious or scary. It becomes something about which there is ongoing research, treatments, and broadly speaking, ready answers. Labels give us a sense that the problem is manageable.
On the flip side, using a label implies that the disorder is responsible for a child's behavior, and therefore, might distract us from looking at what's going on around him. It's important to understand why a particular child is behaving a certain way, and labels can limit the opportunity to take steps that could be very helpful. Applying labels to very serious disorders, such as autism or mental retardation, can lead to giving up on a child. These labels shouldn't evoke so gloomy an outlook.
If we look at a child in terms of his unique characteristics, we might see things we can do that lead to improvement. For all children, but especially for children with special challenges, we recommend a program of active interaction at home and school that takes into account a child's individual qualities and developmental level. It is far more effective than assigning labels.
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