“I then let them know that Scooby Doo doesn’t talk like everyone else -“but he’s lots of fun and a cool dude to hang out with right?” Description of a “Circle of Friends“ If your child has or is being teased, the following is an effective evidence-based technique that I first learned about from an…
Special Needs And Education
Summer IEP Extended School Year
Extended School Year (ESY) The start of the school year can be the time to schedule those meetings with your schools to discuss ESY. Do not let the schools jump past the ESY portion in your IEP meeting and merely tell you your child doesn’t qualify (no regression), so no need for ESY. Regression is…
Stuffed Animal Sleepovers Promote Reading
“Sending stuffed animals for a sleepover at the library encourages children to read with them, even long after the sleepover took place, say, researchers.” When I was little I was convinced that my stuffed animals came to life at night. Perhaps it was a movie I saw, or a book I read, or just my…
Ph.D. (MOM)?
“I can’t count the number of books, articles, websites, studies, etc. I have devoured on the subject of motor speech disorders, autism spectrum disorders, treatment methods, and anything remotely associated with the subject.” ~Lindsey My son Quinn’s initial official diagnosis was PDD-NOS (today known as ASD) Other dx considered at the time: -Global Developmental Disability…
School At The Museum Improves Confidence, Communication, Social Skills
What if there was a way to fix this through co-location? Instead of day or night at the museum, what about school at the museum? How many of you recall how fun it was when you were in school to have a field trip? And what an amazing experience when students have the opportunity to…
Einstein Said “Yes, But Where Are Its Wheels?” At 2
When the 2.5 -year-old-was told of the arrival of a little sister with whom he could play, he imagined a kind of toy, for at the sight of this new creature he asked, with great disappointment, “Yes, but where are its wheels?” As a parent of a late talker you’ve probably heard about the Einstein…
Healthy Diet Boosts Children’s Reading Skills
“Another significant observation is that the associations of diet quality with reading skills were also independent of many confounding factors, such as socio-economic status, physical activity, body adiposity, and physical fitness” ~Eero Haapala, PhD What can be better than an educational study out of Finland? One that finds a healthy diet boosts children’s reading skills!…
The Association Method School Started By A Mom
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead The Association Method The Association Method is a multisensory phonics based method for teaching oral and written language to children with severe communication disorders including apraxia. It was devised originally…
Tips On Easing Preschool Separation Anxiety
According to a newsletter published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), early childhood educators suggest staying in the new situation with your child the first few days, for decreasing amounts of time, until he is comfortable with his new environment. Your child will feel more comfortable with you there for…
Notes From A Warrior Mom For IEP Meetings
“I went in there so prepared….. but most of all, I had a belief of what was right… and I was not going to settle for anything BUT what was APPROPRIATE for my Son…. LOL- my hubby used the word “best” a few times…. it was perfect….. and gave me a chance to say “that…