Discussing Autism

Reality television is fascinating to the American public. We glom onto young adults as they sign to become the next American Idol, only to be ridiculed on national T.V. by three judges who have only just met them. We watch on the edges of our seats while contestants compete to become the sole Survivor or America’s Next Top Model but have we ever really stopped to think about what we are teaching our children about competition and about how to treat people? (more…)

Summer time can be difficult for parents with special needs children, especially when summer school is not provided (because there was no regression) or when both parents work.

What options does a parent have to care for a child with autism or special needs? Children with autism need special services, structure, and they need adults who know how to work with them every day in order to prevent behavior issues from becoming too challenging. (more…)

This year my son does not qualify for Extended School Year (ESY), as he did last year. Some of your children will and that, depending upon the school district, may be a very good thing.

For us, last year, it was something to pass his time and to fill his mornings. I don’t think that he learned anything new or that he progressed but he was able to keep a school schedule, continue to take a bus to school everyday, and maintain a some of what he had learned the year before. (more…)

Many Special Education Students are in great need of a teacher’s assistant not only because of their specific needs but also because of the impact they have upon the everyday classroom. When we revised our son’s Individualized Education Plan for next year we tried to “fight” for a Teacher’s Assistant (TA) but they did not want to provide him with one because his IEP for next year is extensive and the classroom he will be in is much more conducive to his needs. (more…)

Six years ago the U.S. passed the No Child Left Behind law, sending states and school districts into an uproar. It required parents needed to be included in education, that schools needed “Highly Qualified Teachers” , scientifically based reading instruction, tutoring and supplemental educational services, research-based teaching methods, and school and school district report cards. (more…)

Welcome to this week’s edition to the Carnival of Family Life. While we are watching for floods, thunderstorms, and then MORE snow in the Chicago area, families are still braving the winter all over the country, as spring has STILL not entered the Northern Hemisphere…ANYWHERE, right? Enjoy your reading and cross your fingers and toes for some sunshine. (more…)

Typically developing children learn without the need for intervention and they learn at a natural rate. However, children with autism and special needs don’t acquire skills at the same rate and they don’t always maintain what they learn because of processing disorders or deficiencies in memory.

ABA, Applied Behavior Analysis, is the design, implementation, and evaluation of environmental modifications to produce socially significant improvement in behavior. ABA is based upon the idea that a child’s behavior is determined by past and current events as well as genetic make-up. So, it focuses on explaining events that can be manipulated rather than focusing on the internal make-up that is beyond parental control. (more…)

Now that you know a little about Auditory Processing (and I say little because there is to much information out there that I have only scratched the surface) where do you go to get help?

Unfortunately, audiologists can not make a reliable diagnosis of Auditory Processing Disorder, or Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), until a child is seven (and it takes specialized testing) because of the way the neurological system develops. However, visual processing can be diagnosed early and a neurologist can determine if a child will or is having trouble processing auditory information.

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Auditory Processing, like visual processing, can be difficult to diagnose. In fact, auditory processing most often goes hand in hand with visual processing disorder because they are both neurological disorders and the problems actually overlap in the areas of memory, discrimination, attention, and language. Most often, these disorders are treated simultaneously or if a child has one of the disorders but not the other he/she is treated with the same strategies that one might use for both.
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>Early Childhood

Use books, worksheets and other materials with enlarged print.
Read written directions aloud. Varying teaching methods (written and spoken words; images and sounds) can help promote understanding.
Be aware of the weakness but don’t overemphasize it. While helping a child work on the weakness is important; it is just as important to build other skills and function in any setting.
Break assignments and chores into clear, concise steps. Often multiple steps can be difficult to visualize and complete.
Give examples and point out the important details of visual information (the part of a picture that contains information for a particular question).
Provide information about a task before starting to focus attention on the activity.

Many children with autism, SPD, and ADHD also have an underline disorder of visual processing disorder that is often missed and even misdiagnosed. I have heard parents in my Special Needs playgroup tell me that their Occupational Therapist’s respond to them with comments like “oh, he just sees things differently” or “that is part of his Autism Disability”. However, if a Visual Processing disorder goes undiagnosed a child misses out on an entire different set of teaching strategies and interventions that can be utilized both at home and at school. (more…)

When it comes to Special Education parents often get ignored, thus the need for Advocates, Due Process, and yes, Court.

But, when it comes down to it…I am AJ’s best advocate and I am his parent, the one who knows him best. And I will have to fight for his services…hmmm advocate for his services for another 14 years. I just hate being that kind of parent that I complained about when I was teaching. You know, the one who didn’t agree with the classroom activities or procedures, or how the IEP was being followed, or how the teacher graded a particular assignment. (more…)

I’ve been writing this series on IEP’s for a week now and hoping that you are gathering your information. Is there anything else you want to know? Make sure to leave a comment and let me know.

Today’s topic is Goals and Objectives within the IEP. But before you can do anything with an IEP you must first define your child’s needs clearly and specifically.
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In your line of work you would never go to a meeting unprepared would you? So why would you go to your child’s IEP meeting unprepared?

The key to going to an IEP prepared is to do your research before hand and make sure you share all of your concerns and even suggested accommodations and modifications with the IEP team several days, if not weeks, before hand. This will eliminate surprises from both sides and help facilitate the meeting. (more…)

A few days ago I wrote about accommodations to the IEP, stating that accommodations refer to the actual teaching supports a student receives in order to get an equal education. But, what about modifications?
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