Monthly Archives: September 2016

September Special Needs Article Links

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Welcome to the September links. These are articles that I tweeted and or received from viewers during the month of September on special needs and developmental disability topics. Enjoy!

specialneedslinks

3 ways technology can help students with autism (Ed Tech Magazine)

5 ways autism makes me a cool dad (Autism Speaks)

10 things to never say to parents of a child with sensory processing disorder (Daily America)

Autism: Useful tips for school teachers back to school (HuffPost Parents)

Doctors are failing to spot Asperger’s in girls (The Guardian)

Myrtle Beach airport opens room for children with autism (The State)

Parents of children with autism face ‘exhausting battles’ to get educational support (HuffPost Parents)

Play therapy helps children with ADHD build social skills (ADDitude Magazine)

Student with autism now the ‘most popular kid in the room’ after visit from Florida State Player (Fox 61)

The ABC’s of Cerebral Palsy (Yahoo News)

Timing is key to understanding sensory, social issues in autism (Spectrum News)

The gifted brain and sensory processing disorder (Genealogy Jen)

Top ten apps to help improve the lives of as children (Yu-Kai Chou)

When children are diagnosed with a sensory disorder (Wall Street Journal)

When kids sit alone (The Atlantic)

Why I’m done worrying about grade levels and deficits (Scary Mommy)

What Kind of Visual Schedule Do I Need?

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Knowing what kind of visual schedule a student needs is a tough question we all deal with in special education and autism. Some students can use pictures or even written schedules while others need object schedules. I'm sharing my decision-making process for deciding where to start and when/how to make changes.

 

 

 

Source: Autism Classroom Resources

Have you ever wondered how to decide what kind of visual schedule to use for your students? There are so many types of visual schedules from object schedules, picture schedules, photo schedules to written schedules.  Knowing which type is best for which students can be a difficult process.  We don’t have a ton of guidelines about how to make decisions other than trial and error.  However, I thought I would share my process to give some tips of where to start. Click here to read the rest of the article

 

 

 

 

Study: Moms Face Greater Risk of Heart Disease

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Raising a child with autism may take a deeper toll than previously thought with new research suggesting that such moms face a heightened risk of heart disease.

Mothers of kids on the spectrum who have chronic stress were more likely than less-stressed moms of neurotypical children to experience cardiovascular risk factors. Click here to read the rest of the story

Cerebral Palsy History Timeline

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cerebral palsy is the most common motor disability in childhood. About I in 323 children are diagnosed each year. Although more than likely, cerebral palsy has been around for years, it was not until the 19th century that cerebral palsy was given a name. Here are some key events in cerebral palsy history.

cptimeline

1810- Dr. William John Little is credited with first identifying spastic diplegia is born.

1836- Louis Stromeyer corrects John Little’s club foot. This discovery begins a career in understanding and treating childhood impairments.

1843- Dr. William John Little begins lecturing on spastic ridgity.

1853. Dr. William John Little publishes On the Nature and Treatment of the Deformities of the Human Frame.

1861- Dr. William John Little establishes the classic definition of spastic cerebral palsy.

1889- William Osler, one of the founding professors of John Hopkins Hospital, wrote the book, Cerebral Palsies of Children

1937- Herbert A. Everest and Harry Jennings Sr., built a lightweight collapsible wheelchair.

1937- The Children’s Rehabilitation Insitute is founded by Dr. Winthrope Phelps specializing in children with cerebral palsy.

1897- Dr. Freud states cerebral palsy may be caused by fetal development

1946- Cerebral Palsy of New York State founded by parents of children with cerebral palsy.

1948- United Cerebral Palsy is incorporated.

1949- United Cerebral Palsy founded by Leonard Goldenson, his wife Isabel, Nina Eaton and Jack and Ethel Hausman.

2002-  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducts first U.S. multi-state study on the prevalence.

EPIPEN

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epipen

The EpiPen’s sudden price increase has received an onslaught of media coverage leading to a congressional hearing held yesterday. Currently, 43 million people are at risk for experiencing a life-threatening allergic reaction  concerning the spike in cost of the EpiPen over the years since 2004:

2004- $106.32
2005- $106.96
2006- $107.76
2007- $108.96
2008- $110.18
2009- $116.01
2010- $150.76
2011- $176.50
2012- $208.84
2013- $273.24
2014- $354.94
2015- $468.06
2016- $608.61

An EpiPen (short for Epinephrine) is often used in life-threatening emergencies to treat allergic reactions to insect stings such as bees, yellow jackets and hornets. When a person is stung by an insect, the normal reaction includes swelling and redness around the site. There are those however that experience an allergic reaction, also know as an anaphylactic reaction. Other serious allergic reactions may include foods such as eggs, milk, peanuts, shellfish and wheat. The symptoms of a severe allergic reaction include: trouble breathing, a rash, difficulty swallowing. dizziness, heart palpitations and  chest discomfort.

EpiPens are pre-filled and delivers medication into the muscle of the outer thigh. The injection reduces swelling of the throat and face, stimulates the heart and raises the blood pressure. Anyone that uses the auto injector, should still be checked out by a health care specialist.