Late Summer Cruise for Families of Children with Autism
Travel can be a scary thought for families of children with autism. There are so many concerns: will they be safe, will there be food that fits their special diet, will there be activities for them to do? Well, Disney Cruises has put together a cruise experience you and your family will never forget...a 4-day cruise to the Bahamas aboard the Disney Wonder. They've thought of it all...food, health care, and experienced travel consultants. There are also special times during which you can meet other families of children with autism. This is a wonderful opportunity for your family to go ...
Children with autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological disorder affects 1 in 150 children. It is 4 times more common in boys that in girls. Many children are diagnosed by the time they are 2 1/2 years old. ASD affects peoples social interactions and communication, and is typically characterized by repetitive behaviors. ASD, like it's name implies, is a spectrum disorder which affects people in different ways and to varying degrees. Children with autism are children first and should be treated accordingly. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in many school settings and in the community. Many attributes of people ...
Celebrating the little accomplishments
When teaching in the classroom, keeping an eye on the big picture, sometimes we forget to celebrate the little accomplishments that are students make. This is unfortunate, and often detrimental, because for some of my students the little accomplishments in our eyes are sometimes some of the biggest for them. We need to learn to step back and celebrate every little accomplishment through the use of positive reinforcement so the children with whom we are working will continue to be successful. [caption id="attachment_296" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Celebrate the little things"][/caption]Positive reinforcement is the addition of a stimulus in response to a ...
Show me what I need to do – Visual Schedules
For children with autism, visual schedules can be the key to success. Rather than telling them what to do, many times its important to show them in the form of visual schedules. Visual schedules can vary widely depending on the ability level of the child. They can be all text, symbols, pictures or objects. They can show the schedule for the entire day or for a single activity. The most important thing to realize is that even if the first form of a visual schedule doesn't seem to work well, that doesn't mean that visual schedules won't work. [caption id="attachment_253" ...
Inclusion…are we doing everything we can to make it work?
As many of you know there is a movement within the schools to ensure that children with autism and other disabilities are included in the general education classroom. As a teacher in a school district I find myself asking the question: Are we actually doing everything we can to make it work? The answer that I keep finding is: No! We are most definitely not doing everything we can. Unfortunately, there are presently many barriers that are making true inclusive education impossible. There are the issues of: inadequate funding, ineffective structuring of caseloads, extremely high caseloads for teachers, and untrained ...
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects people in just the way the label states. Every person is impacted to a varying degree of intensity in a variety of areas; therefore, it is difficult to describe in a singular definition. It is important to remember that autism isn’t something a person “has”, it’s not a disease that can be cured. Rather it is a different way of being that is neither bad nor aberrant…it’s just different. People with ASD may have different ways of moving, sensing the world, communicating, socializing or learning. They may also express their interests or fascinations in a way ...
Treatments
Different types of reinforcement and punishment
In applied behavior analysis we use a lot of different...
Using Video Modeling to Teach Social Skills
Video modeling, the use to use of videos of adults...
Great Article on Alternative Treatments for Autism
An article recently published in the Exceptional Parent...
Sensory Processing Dysfunction – Vestibular Activation
The occupational therapist at my school recently attended...
Read More Posts From This CategoryResearch
The Link Between Movement and Learning
A recent segment on ABC news (link below) discussed...
Court Ruled No Link Between Autism and Vaccines
In early February 2009, a special court decision ruled...
Attention Parents of Children with Autism
To participate in a research study about “what...
Fluoxetine Study Results – Autism Speaks study
Fluoxetine Study Autism Speaks has been sponsoring...
Read More Posts From This CategoryLegislation and Advocacy
Support for Families Navigating the Special Education System
Know Your Rights Whether you are new to the Special Education system or not, it is always important to know your rights and seek out help when navigating the system. This sometimes means working with an attorney to make sure that your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is well written and meets the needs of your child. Too many times... [Read more of this review]
Message from LWSD PTSA President
Olympia Washington In these tough economic times, the Washington State Legislature is continuing to work on reforming our state’s education system. The Basic Education Finance Task Force came back to the legislature with a plan which was encompassed in two bills, but unfortunately these bills were dropped due to lack of support. At this time there... [Read more of this review]
Procedural Safeguards – Know Your Rights
If your child receives special education services, then you’ve received a copy of the Procedural Safeguards which outlines your and your child’s right under IDEA. Many times this document will be handed to parents with little to no explanation and many parents laugh about how they’re just going to recycle it. PLEASE don’t do... [Read more of this review]
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act – IDEA 2004
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the federal mandate regarding special education for children with disabilities. Since the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), discussion within the field of special education regarding educating students with disabilities has been focused on ensuring students... [Read more of this review]
Funding for Autism Research
In the January 28th, 2009, edition of Education Week, there was an article about the current state of the funding recommendations from the coordinating committee which advises the federal government about funding priorities. The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee is a federal committee charged with the duty of identifying funding priorities... [Read more of this review]
Read More Posts From This CategoryWeekly Questions
Factors During Pregnancy Linked with Autism
In a comprehensive meta-analysis study, published in 2009 in the British Journal of Psychiatry, the authors of the study were investigating if there were factors during pregnancy which lead to an increased risk of autism. They investigated over 50 prenatal factors.... [Read more of this review]
Read More Posts From This CategoryLeast Restrictive Environment
There’s always a reason…All behaviors serve a function, it’s the forms that those behaviors take that are sometimes objectionable. It is useless to try to address a behavior if we do not understand its function because any “interventions” we try will not be maximally effective. The way in which we can address this is by doing a functional behavior analysis.... [Read more of this review]
Untrained Paraeducators in the ClassroomIn many schools across the nation more and more children with autism are being educated within the context of the general education classroom. Many times they will have one or more paraeducators to them to support them in the classroom. The unfortunate reality is that many of these paraeducators are untrained or poorly trained to most effectively support... [Read more of this review]
Smaller Caseloads Equals Bigger SuccessChildren with Autism and other disabilities which affect their ability to access and make progress in the general education curriculum are provided with special education services to help them access and make progress in the general education curriculum. When children are included in the general education classroom they are typically placed on the caseloads... [Read more of this review]
Inclusion…are we doing everything we can to make it work?As many of you know there is a movement within the schools to ensure that children with autism and other disabilities are included in the general education classroom. As a teacher in a school district I find myself asking the question: Are we actually doing everything we can to make it work? The answer that I keep finding is: No! We are most definitely... [Read more of this review]
Read More Posts From This Category
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