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 moreHave you ever assigned some kind of reading material to a student and wondered if it was the correct reading level for that child? Have you ever wondered why your child or student was struggling to read something that was supposedly at his/her reading level? Now you have a way to Make Sure what your student is reading is at least ”playing fair” because the text is at the correct reading level that […]
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 moreI know that you know just how hard it is to get a student with ASD to write! Meltdowns or refusals are quite common. Anyway that we can make things easier for our kids to navigate this torture chamber activity is a GOOD thing! For one, I’d love to see homework go by the wayside. If you read the body of research done by Hattie, you already know that he found homework […]
Read moreI know you want to do the right thing for your students who struggle with reading. Whether or not they have dyslexia, the fact is, you’ve got a student who is not being successful. What to do……..? Several years ago, a brilliant colleague and friend introduced me to Orton-Gillingham strategies. These strategies work wonders with students who struggle with reading. The problem is that many educators start to think that […]
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09
May
2019
Don’t You Just LOVE Children’s Books Specially Designed for Children on the Autism Spectrum!
So many of our students on the autism spectrum communicate with us through alternative means. They might memorize a favorite line from a movie that communicates they are excited, angry or happy. They may engage in echolalia to communicate something they want or to communicate that they are anxious. Students can also identify with books and use those stories or information to let us know what they are thinking. Today, I’m highlighting […]
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 moreRight before Spring Break, I posted a video about the app, CALM. Shortly after that, I found out that if you are an educator, you can get the app for FREE. The app developer is offering this app to EVERY EDUCATOR IN THE WORLD for FREE. Can you believe that!!! Here is how you can grab your free app! https://www.calm.com/schools IF you are a parent, family member, student or small […]
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