All Blog Posts (347)

We so often take our amazing able bodies for granted. Those of us that have or work with children with special needs know the power of our hands as tools. We also know how critical it is for our cognitive, sensory and motor systems to be aligned in order to create good fine-motor skills. As a reminder and an update on the advances in medicine and technology, here's an informative news clip on some of the brain research currently being done on individuals with…

With summer nearly upon us, there are some students and their parents who may be searching for good apps designed for improvement in the following reading skill areas:



                                                     • Focusing

                                                     • Word-attack skills

                                                     • Fluency

                                                     •…

It is great to have products and tools at our fingertips, but our fingertips don’t spew out cash either! It is important to pick and choose tools that best fit a child’s needs. There are many avenues, outlets, and ways for a child to receive the proper tools they need to help enhance their therapy and overall success…

As we continue to celebrate Better Speech and Hearing Month I was excited to see a new screening tool being developed out of the University of Kansas.  The Communications Complexity Scale or CCS is designed to measure the communication…

I am a fan of Eric Jensen’s work /research on how the brain learns.  One of his blogs gives 10 Quick Tips on how to keep students engaged in learning throughout the day.  Tip #2 for…

Successful communication requires a listener and a speaker. One person is sending the message while the other is receiving the message. However, there is something missing. The message being sent must be maintained between the two. If two people are speaking completely different languages and are sending messages to…

You know that learning does not come easily for every student. Parents and teachers often look for specific strategies and resources to assist struggling readers and learners, especially those with AD/HD, dyslexia, or other issues. Here are just a few that you might consider for the challenged student(s) in your life:



1. Request or allow for course and book content to be available via audiotape, CD, or DVD.



2. Use a portable,…

• Welcome to the month of May, also known as BSHM (Better Speech and Hearing Month). With so many more children being diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum these days, along with those with sensory processing disorders and/or behavioral…

Its been a long time since I have been on here, Im glad to be back! My son who has cerbral palsy and seizure disorder and he is unable to walk or talk has had another dignosis. He has scolliosis, so we went to meet with the orthopedics surgeon and nero surgeon and they said he needs the surgery,after my heart came back up from my stomach, we discussed the options,which was have the surgery or not. If he does not have the surgery it is a 100 % chance it will get worse and eventually his lungs…

Listening and talking are definitely something we take for granted. The intricacies, muscles and cognitive processes involved in listening and speaking are miraculous to say the least. Listening requires focus and attention whereas talking requires an understanding of sounds, then words and even later grammar and…

One of the first tasks I do, in an early childhood setting, is to assess the level of independence. This, of course, really boils down to functional use of hands, which is why most early childhood settings are full of tactile manipulatives and gooey substances for hand use.

The hands are great for …

This week we are at the annual American Occupational Therapy Association conference hosted this year in Indianapolis. The Exhibit Hall officially opens this evening with a welcome reception, but for those of you who cannot attend, I am including a Sneak Peak of some of my favorite products. As April is OT Month I hope you will reach out to your local therapists and…

My 19 month old son, and youngest of four, has recently started to bite! I can foresee when it is going to happen. He gets wound up and very excited running around about something (almost bursting at the seams). He’s not trying to be malicious but he just can’t contain himself as he looks for some sensory feedback;…

By now, you probably know that I'm all about three important things---1) struggling readers 2) helpful resources and 3) reading solutions. What better place could there be than this blog then to combine all three for our readers? I decided to add a fourth ingredient to the mix for this week's article, however, just to mix it up a little bit.



If you've been paying any attention to trends on the internet, you're probably aware that Pinterest has almost taken over as the major…

I teach workshops around the country to train teachers, parents and even our staff about solutions for children with special needs. When I ask the audience if they know any child - family, friends, in their school or anyone in their neighborhood who is along the spectrum - there are many more hands nowadays. As we have seen, …

Social skills and pragmatics are a major area of difficulty for children with autism. Children with autism can lack understanding, judgement and prediction of social cues and situations, making it difficult for them to interact and maintain friendships. These children want to relate and connect with peers just as…

The most recent statistics for Autism are startling! There has been a swift rise in cases going from 1 in 150 in 2002, 1 in 125 in 2004, 1 in 110 in 2006, with the most current research from the Centers for Disease…

We are in Denver, CO this week for the annual…

Spring is one of the most wonderful times of the year for a teacher to bring nature into the classroom. Everything is blooming, and the world outside is a plethora of metamorphosis in all kingdoms. Not only does this allow children to explore plant life, but also the insect and animal world. Here are some more…

I Can Do it Myself:

One of the most common responses when providing additional assistance to students in inclusive classrooms is “I can do it myself”.  Of course my response is “Of course you can!”. Bringing tools into an inclusive classroom for specific students can sometimes have an adverse reaction especially if the student feels they are being singled out.  If it’s good for Special Education, it is probably a good tool for any child in any classroom- whomever may need…