Adriana White, MLIS @Adriana_Edu I love the idea behind this list, but I wanted to point out a couple things. 1) The term “special needs” is not preferred by #disability advocates. See the #NotSpecialNeeds campaign by the World Down Syndrome Day group, or this article by @RebeccaCokley. Why Special Needs is Not Helpful by Rebecca…
Search Results for: special needs
Special Needs Resources for Parents
Thank you to everyone who took time to give me feedback on my last sponsored post on Special Needs Resources for Parents from The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD). Many of you left kind comments that this was useful stuff so I will continue to highlight resources from the NCLD. As this is the holiday season,…
Teaching Kids Compassion for Special Needs Classmates
I volunteered in the 5th grade a few weeks ago for a really great program run by volunteer moms called Understanding Our Differences. I believe we purchase a curriculum from a Newton-based non-profit with the same name which was started by a Newton parent with a special needs child. It’s basically sensitivity training for grades…
Top 7: Habits of Highly Effective Special Needs Parents
I’ve seen it time and again: the more you practice these 7 Habits, the more productive and efficient you become, the more you’re able to handle whatever comes your way, and the more things fall into place in your life. Many of these habits are about taking excellent care of yourself, so you can continue to take excellent care of your children and family.
Stuck Indoors? Five Fun Ideas for Special Education Teachers
Being a teacher comes with its own unique challenges. And these days, more often than not, it can seem as though those challenges are steadily growing. But one thing that does not have to be challenging is keeping your kids entertained when they are stuck indoors due to inclement weather or other issues. Especially for…
Special Surfer Night in Maine
When we were first went on a vacation in Kennebunkport, Maine, we stumbled upon a surf shop called Aquaholics. I’m from a little beach town in Southern California, so finding a surf shop in New England is like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. They offered surfing lessons and Grasshopper and…
Top 10: Books That Teach Kids Compassion (ages 2-14)
Learning about our differences can be a powerful way for children to see from another person’s point of view. I encourage all parents to introduce some of these books or others like these to their children and use these stories as a reference when children bring up differences in school, particularly with special needs classmates. Because how great would it be if it were OUR child who can reach out like MacKenzie in The Friendship Puzzle?! The Friendship Puzzle and My Brother Charlie are a particularly powerful combination for anyone who has a sibling or classmate with autism and would be a great pair of books for any child starting kindergarten.