“For over 13 years, I have been a practicing attorney and advocate for families of children with special needs. There is not a week that goes by where I do not learn of a case of bullying directed toward a child with special needs.” – Attorney Bullying certainly isn’t a new problem; it has existed…
– ” The standards don’t allow enough flexibility for students who learn differently.” In a recent discussion board thread on reading comprehension challenges in autism, a special-education teacher commented that her students can’t understand the assigned reading passages. “When I complained, I was told that I could add extra support, but not actually change the…
When you think about ADHD, what do you imagine? If you’re like most people, it’s probably a stereotypical image of a young boy bouncing off the walls, buzzing with pent-up, unfocused energy. But many people with ADHD aren’t hyperactive at all, and by the time they reach adulthood, most hyperactive people have calmed down —…
Studies have shown that parents and children all do better if we understand our roles and responsibilities when it comes to feeding and mealtime, and there are many benefits of defining roles and responsibilities in the “Feeding Relationship” between parents and their children. The purpose of defining roles is to promote a positive interaction between…
Whether your child has mild or severe Autism Spectrum Disorder, making reading a fun activity can help your child’s learning and social skills. You’ll find sharing books together can be a good way to connect with your son or daughter. Reading also helps your child’s language development and listening skills. Infants and toddlers Helping your…
Homework can be difficult for most kids during the school year, but it can become a major challenge when you have a child with ADHD. But here’s some good news for exhausted parents: if you take the right steps now, at the beginning of the school year, homework hassles can be kept to a minimum.…
Having a child with Asperger Syndrome in your class will have a different impact on your classroom environment than having a child with autism. But as is the case with all individuals on the autism spectrum, each individual with Asperger Syndrome is different and will present his or her own unique challenges. Children with Asperger…
From the book Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew, 2nd edition (2012, Future Horizons, Inc.) *Reprinted in its entirety with permission of author. Click here for the downloadable PDF. Some days it seems the only predictable thing about it is the unpredictability. The only consistent attribute—the inconsistency. Autism can be baffling, even to those…
Anyone who spends time with ADHD children knows the excessive talking, impulsivity, and strong emotional expressions so characteristic of these young ones. Even though we know that ADHD results from less effective operation of brain mechanisms, parents find it hard sometimes to handle these behaviors. In families, ADHD results in a different life experience for…
ADHD is a “brain difference.” Kids with ADHD have some significant differences in their cognitive ability, emotional sensitivity and activity level when compared to other children. What this means is that their “skill set” is different from 95% of the children in their class. Their working memory is often not as well-developed as it might be in other…