If you haven’t noticed, SEL or Social Emotional Learning is a fairly new buzzword in education today. Thank goodness!!! Many school districts are educating the whole child with Social Emotional education instead of just focusing on academics. With all the new brain research, so many people are finding ways to teach children to understand and regulate their emotions. This is not only a plus for academics, but a plus for the emotional well-being […]
Read moreAs you know, I love children’s literature! I know we have students who will sometimes connect better through a story than through personal contact with others. One of my students on the autism spectrum lost his grandmother. He was very close to her, spent tons of time doing things with her and he knew she understood him. When she died, he told his parents it was like in the movie, […]
Read moreWhen you have a student who ruins a t-shirt a week or someone who can’t leave your classroom pencils and marker caps alone, you need options! Options that are discreet and as “chew proof” as possible is what you need. I’ve found some really fun choices to show you! Take a look! Even if these options help redirect students to meet their oral sensory needs in a more socially acceptable way, at least […]
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28
Apr
2019
Autism Heroes! There is a Book for That!
We have done many sessions of peer awareness in our schools to help typical peers better understand their classmates with autism. It is sometimes challenging to find good examples of those people throughout our history who not only find the benefits of being on the autism spectrum, but then use that special wiring to achieve amazing things in the world. I’ve discovered a children’s book for the elementary student who would enjoy […]
Read moreI love the fact that many people here in the states and in other countries are talking about mental heath. The stigma surrounding mental health is starting to diminish thanks to the efforts of people in the public eye talking about their own struggles with things like depression and anxiety. Consider this quote from the Dalai Lama: “If every 8 year old is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world […]
Read moreHave you eve heard of bedtime stories for adults? Neither had I until I saw an ad on TV for an app to help people de-stress. Bedtime stories for adults…. Intriguing! I’m thinking, is this something like adult coloring books that are designed to help you relax? Right after I saw the ad on TV, one of the counselors in our district sent out an email recommending this app to help […]
Read moreDo you have a student in your home or your classroom who needs a fair amount of sensory input just to calm down? Guess what, you are going to be amazed at that this simple tool can do for your child or students. I know many teachers who work with young children use cube chairs or Rifton chairs to give a child more physical support during things like circle time to help […]
Read moreIn social settings, one of the best ways to get people talking is to ask them about themselves! I’ve found that if I take interest in the work they do, their children, their life story, their vacations or their hobbies, I get all kinds of information. Those things are important to most people and they typically have much to say. When they are talking, I also hear the enthusiasm in their […]
Read moreToday I am concluding my series on the Culture of Autism! With this 5thand final component of the culture, you will have insight as to what might possibly be causing behaviors in your students on the autism spectrum. Think of the behavior you see as an iceberg. The visible behavior is the tip of the iceberg, but what is causing that behavior is what is lurking below the waters and […]
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