You're Not Alone- Walking Through the Special Education Journey Together

    Hello everyone! I wanted to try something different tonight... So many special needs parents and educators are always looking for ways to help our kiddos do their very best while accommodating things that are out of their control such as sensory tools. Over the years I have tried many different products to help with varying difficulties. Here are some that I have tried and will stick by because they have worked for more than one individual on my service. They can all be found on Amazon, and in different prices and brands so I will not specify any specific brands because of that. If you have other needs or questions beyond what I post please ask away in the comments and I will be happy to help! Difficulties sitting still and focusing: Sit fit cushion- good for movement while sitting Marble fidgets- a great quiet fidget to pass in-between the fingers so as to keep busy but also stay focused. Stretchy bands- These work well for kids that like to have movement and squish in th...

     We all have heard of some type of therapy in our lives and most likely have needed one at some point as well. Whether it is physical therapy, mental therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral therapy, and so on we are familiar with at least one of them.                 Now imagine being a special needs parent and sitting in a room where you are being told your child has a disability and needs the following therapies: speech and language therapy-script is put on the table, occupational therapy- script is put on the table, ABA therapy- script is put on the table, physical therapy- script is put on the table. You sit look at all of these scripts, look at your beautiful baby boy with whom you knew had some difficulties but in your eyes didn't need this much help. You stand up, walk out, go home and just cry, This was me the day my son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I felt like I just went to seek h...

     If you are reading this you are either an educator or a parent who either has been through and IEP meeting or is about to. Lets get the acronym out of the way first- IEP= Individual Education Plan. I conduct close to seventy of these meetings each school year. Not one is alike, and no matter how much you try to prepare they bring a bit of anxiety for both the parent and believe it or not the educator too. In this blog I am going to give some tips I have learned along the way as a mom of a special needs child for 9 years, and a special educator for 4 to both the educator and the parent. Educator Tips: When I prepare for an IEP meeting...especially a child's initial (first) IEP meeting I make sure to do everything I can to prepare the parents. I have resources available and the LEA and I also make sure the parents know they can ask as many questions as they need prior to, during and after the meeting. Educators- make sure you know the child. Get to know more than t...

         It has been a while since my last post, but I intend on blogging more regularly  in hopes that they will help some of you in your own journey.           When I first started teaching I felt as if I could light the world on fire one child at a time. My first few years were all about the decor, cute projects and finding my style. Little did I know what lay ahead of me in my future of teaching as well as parenting. In my first five years of teaching I taught grades one, four and five and had my first son. In my sixth year I started teaching Kindergarten and gave birth to my second son who was born with many complications. Teaching Kindergarten opened my eyes more than ever to the challenges children face even before the age of 10 and how academic difficulties often align with behavior issues. In this first year of teaching Kindergarten I came across a student that opened my eyes to the special needs world. She struggled ...

Hey All! It has been quite a while since I posted on here. Alot has happened in the behavior world since my last post. I have begun teaching social stories with three of my ASD students and my recent Masters class is on Applied Behavior Analysis. I have been learning many principles and strategies of ABA and how to implement in the school setting as well as at home. One area that I know tends to be a struggle for teachers and parents is the amount of resources and information out there. They can be absolutely overwhelming! I am hoping that by providing some resources that I have researched personally as an educator and parent of a child with ASD,  I can help eliminate some of those overwhelming feelings. Sooo without further adeu...Here they are RIGHT at your finger tips: Applied Behavior Analysis Resources for Educators, Parents and Caregivers The first of these resources is Autism Speaks. " Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throu...

     I have thought quite a bit about behavior incentive plans within the school setting. As the inclusion ESE teacher at my school I am often asked about advice on various students...some of whom do not receive my services. I reach into my bag of tricks, reference to various behaviors, strategies and books as well as recently look back on materials obtained within my graduate research.             Devising these plans can not be a lone teacher mission, there need to be at least 2 heads in on the planning and at some point the student needs to be involved as well. I think many teachers are afraid to ask for help when it comes to managing behaviors because they feel it makes them look as if they do not know how to do their job or they cant manage the student or students at hand. I wish teachers would get rid of this stigma because even though the students are in their classes, they still belong to the school and we all need teach the students...

     I have done alot of research on students who have behavioral difficulties along with a chemical/emotional difficulties. Chemical makeup and how we genetically are made are factors that can not be changed. This makes things quite tricky for the ones who are trying to curb unwanted behaviors. Devising behavior plans and interventions for students who suffer from ADHD, Mental Health disorders, Cognitive disabilities and any other biological factors that effect the brain is extremely tricky. I have found through experience as an ESE teacher and as a Mom of a son with a cognitive disability that each child is different and that it takes many trials and many moments of "back to the drawing board" before finding a strategy that works for each situation. Research shows that "t here is no one method that should be prescribed for any one problem. The first essential is to study the individual concerned - his or her likes and dislikes, circumstances, idiosyncratic behavior pat...