Is your little one afraid to see Santa this year? Is he overstimulated by the mall and all the glittering lights, afraid of all the people, conscious of every detail around him, ready to flee at the slightest movement of someone in line, refusing to put on that shirt and tie for grandma?

In my search for tips on how to prepare AJ to visit Santa I only found two posts…This one and this one so it was obvious that it needed to be addressed.

Every parents’ dream is to get that beautiful picture of their son or daughter with Santa for the very first time. (Well, at least I know my dream was and I know that my mother pushes me to get my son all dolled up every year and take the most perfect posed shot I can.) But it is just not a reality for kids with autism or SPD, for children with developmental delays like PDD or anxiety.

• Do be wary of your child’s insecurities. If you know your child is scared of elves chose a photo opportunity that does not have elves manning the camera.
• Do plan ahead

Talk to your son or daughter before they visit with the man in the red suit. Generally speaking, they’re not supposed to talk to strangers, so show them that Santa is a known character.

Books, animated films and television programs can help take the mystery away from the man.

• Do go at odd hours of the day or week. Wednesdays are great days…the slowest day of the week and can often yield the best results.
• Do take along a comforting friend or relative who can hop up there with him.
• Do let him know that its okay to talk to Santa and that Santa is safe.
• Do be prepared to walk away if things get too hectic.
• Do be prepared for a bad photo but don’t be surprised if it a great one!
• Do talk to Santa. It will make your child feel more comfortable.
• Do keep pictures up all year so that your child sees pictures of him/her with Santa for next year.
• Don’t make a huge event out of it.
• Don’t dress him up so he is uncomfortable. For sensory kids this can be the worst…ditch the formal wear and go for something comfortable. My favorite picture of AJ is of him in overalls and a green turtleneck.
• Don’t forget the snacks, the drinks, and the lovie. Ever been without the comfort item? Now there is a lost cause. Make sure your child feels safe.
• Don’t go before scheduled naps or before lunch times when lines can make children cranky.
• Don’t go to the mall where things get out of control quickly. Look for other local places like department stores, school outings, or even local neighborhood events. Our special needs group hired a Santa this year for an hour and it was a great success. If you have someone of Santa Size…rent the costume for a small group.

We had a great visit with Santa last year because we chose to do it on AJ’s terms. Our friend hired Santa to fly in and AJ was able to approach him at his pace. He sat on his lap and talked to him when he wanted to, not when the line behind him dictated. It worked great.

Post from: Blisstree

How to: Visit with Santa

These toys hold a special place in my heart because of who makes them. In fact, every family who has a child with special needs should support Pastel Toys. So, if you don’t win PLEASE head over to the Holiday Gift Guide and purchase one of these toys at Wild Dill’s sale price.

There is a feeling of nostalgia when playing with these simple toys made from all natural materials that meet the quality and safety standards of the Israeli Standard Institute. The pastel colors made with lead-free, water-based paints create a calm and relaxed mood where a child’s imagination can flourish. Converted from blocks of wood by hand, all of the Pastel Toys have moving wheels.

A $24.00 Value Prize

Contest ends on: Dec. 7, 2008 and a random winner will be announced the following day.

How To Play and Rules To Follow:

1) Visit Wild Dill and leave a comment here telling us which NEW ARRIVAL you like the best.

2) You can enter a second time by posting about the contest and writing why you would love the Giraffe. Just leave your link in the comments below.

3) Send a tweet on Twitter about the contest. Then leave your tweet URL in the comments below. Now you have 3 entries to win the Giraffe.

Don’t forget to check out the Holiday Gift Guide! Coupons, gift ideas, and MORE!

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Giveaway – Pastel Toy from Wild Dill

The best part about this meal is that AJ loves to help make it and it is a HUGE motivator for him. Yesterday morning I told him that his regular teacher and his favorite assistant were going to be at a meeting and he was upset. I knew it would throw him way off so I threw out the meatloaf.

Would you like to make meatloaf for dinner, I asked?  His face lit up like it was Christmas morning. When he got home from school I learned that he did, in fact, have an all green day (a perfect day) and that he even practiced making his “meatgoaf” in the play kitchen.

How cute is that?

My son is finally using his cognitive skills for imaginative play.  Hooray!

Post from: Blisstree

An All Green Day and Meatloaf

I also thought that some of you would love some information for your children’s teachers…I know that finding information on FAS is difficult. Please print out some of these great resources to help your kids.

Classroom Strategies

• Meet with parents, the student and professionals in the community to determine individual needs of the student.
• Develop an Individual Education Plan (IEP) specific to the student’s needs.
• Prepare the student for all changes in routine and/or environment.
• Carefully organize daily situations.
• Teach the student the habit of moving from one step to the next.
• The student will have a lot of trouble with organizational skills, regardless of their apparent intelligence and/or age.
• Use verbal cues, clear visual demonstrations and physical cues.
• The student will have problems with abstract thinking and concepts. Avoid abstract ideas where possible. When abstract ideas are necessary, use visual cues as an aid.
• An increase in unusual or difficult behaviors probably indicates an increase in stress, sometimes a feeling of loss of control in a specific situation. Try saying, “Do you have something to tell me?” The individual may need to go to a “safe place” and/or “safe person.”
• Don’t take misbehavior personally.
• Most children with Asperger’s Disorder use and interpret speech quite literally. Until you know the word processing capabilities of the student from personal experience, avoid: “cute” names such as Pal, Buddy, Wise Guy, etc.; idioms (”save your breath,” “jump the gun,” “second thoughts,” etc.); double meanings; sarcasm; and teasing.
• Be as concrete as possible. Avoid using vague questions like, “Why did you do that?”
• Avoid essay-type questions. They rarely know when they have said enough or if they are properly addressing the core of the question.
• If the student doesn’t seem to be learning the task or concept, break it down into smaller steps or present it in more than one way – visually, verbally and physically.
• Avoid verbal overload. Be clear. Remember that although they don’t have a hearing problem, and they may be paying total attention to what you are saying, they may have difficulty understanding what you feel is important in what you are telling them.
• Behavior management works, but if incorrectly used, or used without keeping the student’s level of ability in mind, it can feed robot-like behavior or be ineffective. Use with creativity.
• Consistent treatment and expectations from everyone is vital.
• Be aware that auditory and visual input can be extremes of too much or too little, depending on the individual.
• Do not rely on the student to relay messages to home about school events, assignments, school rules, etc., unless you are certain that the student is capable of relaying the message. A phone call home works best until this skill can be developed.
• Involve the parents in the work and techniques used at school. The child will function better in a structure common to home and school.
• If the student uses repetitive verbal arguments, and /or repetitive verbal questions, try requesting that s/he write down the question or argumentative statement. Then write down your reply. Or try writing their repetitive argument and/or statement yourself, and then ask the student to write down a logical reply. If your student does not read or write, try role playing the question and/or argument with you taking the child’s part and the student answering you in a way they think would be logical.

Post from: Blisstree

Classroom strategies for FAS

To quote my favorite SPD parent, Did you know, statistics say about 80% of our SPD kiddos will also have VISUAL and/or AUDITORY processing deficits? Yes it’s true… 80%! That is a huge number! Additionally, according to Patricia S. Lemer, M.Ed,. NCC, Executive Director, Developmental Delay Registry, “Vision plays a major role in language and social–emotional development. Children with language delays, attention deficits, pervasive developmental disorders and autism all have inefficient visual systems. If a toddler is not speaking or relating to others, a vision evaluation is essential. Given this information, it is something that we as professionals and/or parents should be acutely aware of.

Because we just recently pinpointed AJ’s Visual Processing Disorder via an outside evaluation we are also just starting to learn exactly how it affects him. Sure, we knew that he had some visual issues; his far sightedness, his hypersensitivity to lights, fast paced television shows, sunlight, etc, his inability to label colors and correctly track while counting, his clumsiness and lack of tracking and coordinating body movements with objects, and his disorientation in large crowds or when trying to find objects when they are in “junk drawers”.

The key to having a visual processing disorder detected is to see a specialist, an expert in central visual impairments, or a neurologist because an eye doctor can often miss signs like visual tracking, crossing the midline (with the eyes), fluidity, and may not even test your child’s reading or writing ability and may miss the flipping of letters such as b’s and d’s, p’s and q’s, and the also common 3 and E. (Read this for three common tests to do at home)

But what are the symptoms of Visual Processing?
When the brain is not processing visual input correctly the body tries to compensate by fidgeting, acting out, being disruptive or often defensive. You may see poor handwriting, slowness and difficulty reading, failure and frustration when trying to finish work, slouching in the sear, leaning head into hands, covering one eyes or rubbing both, or tapping toes or fingers. These children may also have trouble with gross or fine motor skills.

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Post from: Blisstree

What is Visual Processing Disorder?

Goals and Objectives MUST be written after much of the initial IEP preparation is already done. You have already prepared for the IEP by brainstorming your child’s strengths and weaknesses (or you should have), you have brainstormed possible accommodations, modifications, you have gathered all of your documents, and you have mustered up a positive attitude.

Now, FINALLY, its time to evaluate everything and create the goals and objectives with the entire team.

Goals and objectives must be measurable and observable to ensure that your child is making progress. This is the hardest part of creating goals and objectives because they need to be “objective” forms of measurement.

According to Learning Abled Kids, teacher observation and classroom grades are NOT valid forms of measurements and are designated as appropriate measures of progress. Teachers can observe success but they must track progress using tracking sheets. However, objective measurements are based upon standardized testing for specific skills or through ongoing data collection.

Data collection is preferable as it will show a trend over time and doesn’t rely on performance at a single point in time (when the child may be having an exceptionally good or exceptionally bad day). Objective measures should be “observable” by anyone at any time.

Goals and Objectives can be written to address any area of a child’s ability or disability, any area of the curriculum, and educational need, or any behavioral aspect the child struggles with.

Examples of measurable goals: (Note: these are three different ways to write a functional IEP)
Three Year Old High Functioning Autism- Social
Five Year Old Developmental Delay
Seven Year Old Autism

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IEP Goals and Objectives

Well, modifications are the actual modifications that are to be made to the curriculum base in order to meet the needs of the student. However, accommodations provide tools for the student, modifications will minimize expectations depending upon skill level and performance.

For example:
1. students may be included in the same spelling test but only have to do the first five words because they are at a lower academic level than the later five
2. different tasks in the same unit: your child builds castle blocks while the other children examine the geometric shapes
3. evaluate specific portions of the assignment
4. withdrawal from specific skills to avoid frustration level ie: difficult fine motor tasks that would take a long time can be amended or excused.
5. sensory integration techniques need to also be modified within the curriculum. If there is a gym class activity that includes swinging or sliding that the child has a fear or gravitational insecurity of the child NEEDS to be excused.But, occupational therapy needs to work this into therapy to build up a tolerance.

Most important in creating modifications is taking advantage of your child’s strengths and ensuring that the IEP team is not “dumbing” down the curriculum.

To make sure, look at what the IEP team has written and find out if it is the same curriculum the rest of the class is being taught (if inclusive) and have the IEP team help you to determine if the content is simply watered down or in a different format. Many times (I have found) IEP teams have taken alternative material because it is easier to find.

Here is an excellent list of Accommodations and Modifications.

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What are modifications

When creating an IEP the entire team must evaluate all types of 7. accommodations that your child might need in order to be successful.

Accommodations are: adjustments to make sure kids have equal access to curriculum and a way to be successful.
An accommodation is a teaching support or service that a student NEEDS to be successful and addresses HOW a student will learn.

That said, what are some ways that special needs children can have accommodations on an IEP?

1. decrease quantity of items per task
2. provide two sets of textbooks and/or materials (one for school and one for home).
3. repeat directions
4. give short and simple directions and/or stand near student/touch student when giving instructions
5. sensory motor integration may necessitate reduced quantity and speed
6. provide copies of notes and/or use visual aids with presentations
7. allow use of calculator
8. sit near the teacher
9. sit in a low distraction area
10. use a study carrel or face a blank wall
11. allow tape recorder of lesson
12. use high impact game/physical activity
13. untimed work and/or testing
14. oral work and/or testing
15. sensory breaks
16. large type and formatting simple, dark ink, buff color instead of white, no distractions, etc.
17. PM study halls and AM check-ins for organization.
18. Training in organization, time management, study skills, taking tests, Sensory regulation, Note taking, etc.
19. Weekly or daily progress reports, daily and/or weekly assignment sheets
20. Base grades on IEP objectives, achievements or correct answers, not incorrect ones.

What is important to note here is that accommodations do not change knowledge content and what the classroom (and your child) is learning. IDEA specifically states that accommodations give the child access to the same knowledge by whatever means necessary and that by allowing them accommodations they have they have the same chance to learn as the person next to them (if they chose to take it).

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What are accommodations

I am actually in a unique situation in that I AM a former teacher and I do understand the educational jargon. I understand how to evaluate student’s progress, I understand diagnoses, I understand testing, and I understand the process it takes to get to where the staff sits. What they don’t know is that I have the utmost respect for them because of the hard work they put into their jobs and into just one IEP.

What should an IEP do?
An IEP should be adequate, sufficient, subjective, and measurable.

What needs to be included:
Present Levels of Performance
Measurable Annual Goals, including Benchmarks or Short Term Objectives
Educational Progress
A statement of –

(i) How the child’s progress toward the annual goals will be measured; and
(ii) How the child’s parents will be regularly informed (by such means as periodic report cards), at least as often as parents are informed of their nondisabled children’s progress of –
(A) their child’s progress toward the annual goals; and
(B) The extent to which that progress is sufficient to enable the child to achieve the goals by the end of the year.”

Wrightslaw specifically states in the article, Smart IEPs that good IEPs are specific, are measurable, use action words, realistic and relevant goals, and are time-limited. SMART.

Specific goals target areas of academic achievement, performance, and behavior. Measurable goals mean that you can observe behavior or count/test the skill. Action words can be categorized into the following:

(a) direction of behavior (increase, decrease, maintain, etc.)
(b) area of need (i.e., reading, writing, social skills, transition, communication, etc.)
(c) level of attainment (i.e., to age level, without assistance, etc.)

SMART IEPs use action words like: “The child will be able to . . .”

Realistic IEPs set goals that the child can obtain and time-limited means that the child can obtain the goal within a specific amount of time.

I highly suggest that anyone heading into an IEP head to this site (I briefly summarized it here) and print the entire page to review before heading into your IEP.

Take the print-out with you and verify that everything is covered. Additionally, print out the checklists at the bottom of the page so that everything is covered, as many times teachers and staff will rush through IEP’s because they have several to get through in a day. Often times they also assume that you know what is going on (because they do) and will skip over things or will assume that you will agree.

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What Should an IEP Do?

But, many parents don’t know what services their child qualifies for.I don’t always.

That is part of the reason I freelance…to learn more about my son, his disabilities, and the services for which he qualifies.

But I am also determined to help you know more about the appropriate services available. All this week, since school is just around the corner, I will be bringing you information on how to get the most out of your school district personnel and your teachers.

Today I have an article from Lisa B. Wershaw, an attorney who practices special education law. In her article she offers back to school tips to help parents get the school year off to a good start.

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Special Education Back to School Tips