Monthly Archives: October 2018

Teaching Strategies for Dyslexic Students

Posted on by

Dyslexia is the most common learning disability. It is defined as language-based learning disability. Research shows that 1 in 5 people are dyslexic. It is a myth that people with dyslexia see words backwards, rather, letters such as b-d are reversed due tp deficits interpreting left and right. The best way for children to learn to read is through a multi-sensory approach. The following links include tips, strategies and ways to accommodate a student with dyslexia.

12 tips to help kids with dyslexia learn sight words

A dyslexic child in the classroom

Accommodating students with dyslexia in a classroom setting

Dyslexia in the classroom: What every teacher needs to know

Helping your student with dyslexia learn to read

How teachers can accommodate the dyslexic student

Strategies for teachers

Teaching students with dyslexia: 4 effective lesson plans

ADHD Looks Different In Women. Here’s How — and Why.

Posted on by

Source: ADDitude

From job opportunities to personal income to marital relationships, there’s hardly an area in which American women haven’t made great strides in recent decades. But when it comes to getting diagnosed with and treated for ADHD, women still have a long way to go.

ADHD in Women

Women are as likely as men to have ADHD, and the latest research suggests that ADHD in women causes even greater emotional turmoil. Yet ADHD is still thought of as something that affects only men and boys. Consequently, women with ADHD are more likely than men to go undiagnosed (or misdiagnosed), and less likely to receive appropriate treatment. Click here to read the rest of the story.

15 Halloween Fine Motor Skill Activities

Posted on by

Candy is not the only great thing about Halloween. It is a chance to work on fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination while having fun at the same time. From ghosts to witches, there are a number of activities you child or student can do that will help increase fine motor skills. For some children and adults with disabilities, struggle with fine motor skills. These activities are a chance to improve the coordination between the brain and the muscles including dexterity and motor control. Click on the links below.

Easy Halloween fine motor activity

Eyeball sensory bag

Feed the spider

Frankenstein monster pumpkin

Halloween fine motor: Giant lacing spiderweb

Halloween fine motor activities for preschool

Halloween fine motor activities that promote cutting practice

Halloween mask to print and color

Halloween Necklaces

Halloween Play Dough

Halloween themed cutting tray

Scissor skill pumpkins

Spider web yarn

Witchy fingers

Yarn wrapped spider craft for halloween

Spina Bifida- Facts and Statistics

Posted on by

Click here to download PDF version

October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month. Spina Bifida is a birth defect that affects the spine and the spinal cord. The membranes surrounding the spinal cord do not close properly.

Facts and Statistics
  • Each year, about 1,500 babies are born with spina bifida.
  • There is no known cause
  • Accumulation of fluid in the brain affects 70% of children.
  • 40% of shunts fail or become in affected and need to be changed within a year.
  • It can happen anywhere along the spine if the neural tube does not close all the way.
  • Spina Bifida might cause physical and intellectual disabilities that range from mild to severe depending on the size and location of the opening in the spine.
  • Myelomeningocele is the most serious type of spina bifida.
  • Spina Bifida can be diagnosed during pregnancy or after the baby is born.
  • Some people with Spina Bifida may never experience symptoms
  • Spina Bifida occurs between the 3rd and 4th week of pregnancy.
  • Children with Spina Bifida may have difficulty with math, reading comprehension and learning.
  • Common challenges to learning include, fine and gross motor skills, spatial orientation, communication difficulties and attention and memory.
  • Some children with Spina Bifida also have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
  • Hispanic women have the highest rate of having a child affected by spina bifida, when compared with non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black women. Data from 12 state-based birth defects tracking programs from 1997-2007 were used to estimate the total number of pregnancies affected by spina bifida compared to the total number of live births (also called the prevalence of spina bifida) for each racial/ethnic group:
    • Hispanic: 3.80 per 10,000 live births
    • Non-Hispanic black or African-American: 2.73 per 10,000 live births
    • Non-Hispanic white: 3.09 per 10,000 live births
Resources

March of Dimes
1275 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10605
askus@marchofdimes.com
http://www.marchofdimes.com
Tel: 914-997-4488; 888-MODIMES (663-4637)
Fax: 914-428-8203

Spina Bifida Association
4590 MacArthur Blvd. NW
Suite 250
Washington, DC 20007-4266
sbaa@sbaa.org
http://www.spinabifidaassociation.org
Tel: 202-944-3285; 800-621-3141
Fax: 202-944-3295

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia 

How to Find a Special Education Advocate

Posted on by

Source: Understood

The special education and IEP process can be stressful and confusing. Many parents turn to a special needs advocate to guide them as they seek services for their child. But how can you find the right advocate?

Unlike attorneys, anyone can call themselves a special education advocate. And while there are training programs for advocates, there’s no formal licensing or certification. That’s why it’s important to do your research before hiring someone. Click here to read the rest of the story