Holidays are a time for family, friends and…endless eating. That can be tough for kids with sensory processing issues who are sensitive to the tastes, smells and textures of foods. These tips can help reduce food battles—and let you and your child enjoy the holidays. […]
The behavioral challenges seen in children with Down syndrome are usually not all that different from those seen in typically developing children. However, they may occur at a later age and last somewhat longer. For example, temper tantrums are typically common in 2-3 year olds, but for a child with Down syndrome, they may begin at 3-4. When evaluating behavior in a child or adult with Down syndrome it is important to look at the behavior in the context of the individual’s developmental age, not only his or her chronological age. It is also important to know the individual’s receptive and [...]
Every child on the autism spectrum is unique, with different strengths and needs at different ages. It is the family’s challenge to cobble together an individualized treatment plan based on a wide variety of options, from speech and language therapy to applied behavior analysis, from medication to special diets. One intervention many families consider is social skills training. A lack of intuitive social ability is a hallmark of autism. Social skills training is aimed at addressing the challenges that result, and often plays a central role in treatment plans. But what does “social skills training” mean? [...]
A new Career and Technical Education (CTE) Resource Center and Website from TEA (Texas Education Agency) offer students personalized, flexible learning delivered by experts with over 120 programs of study in more than 79 career pathways. Career and technical education programs offer a sequence of courses that provides students with coherent and rigorous content. CTE content is aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in current or emerging professions. […]
As the concept of chronic absenteeism gains traction across the country, some people are under the impression that it’s just a politically correct way of saying truancy. However, the two terms describe different aspects of our absenteeism problem and require different approaches to bringing students back to school every day. First, let’s take truancy, a term that generally refers to unexcused absences. In the past, federal law required states to track truancy but left it to states to come up with the definition. With its focus on unexcused absences, truancy naturally leads to a focus on compliance with the rules. Students [...]
Too often public schools do not have, within their educational structure, someone who is trained to provide direct one to one tutoring, nor do they have the staffing to provide such. Tutoring is typically provided at least one period per day if the child attends a private special education school, such as one of the Orton-Gillingham based (reading) programs around the country. This period of tutoring is not viewed as either an accommodation or modification, but a direct educational service. Tutoring and/or direct one to one remediation of a required academic skill, such as reading, is clearly supported in IDEA 2004. If [...]
