Category Archives: Professional Development

What is Lowe Syndrome?

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Lowe Syndrome also known as Oculocerebrorenal Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that affects the eyes, brain and kidneys. It has a prevalence of 1 in 500,000 and mainly affects males.

Click here to download PDF version

Signs and Symptoms
  • Congenital cataracts
  • eye abnormalities and eye disease
  • glaucoma
  • kidney abnormalities (Renal Fanconi Syndrome)
  • dehydration
  • abnormal acidic blood
  • progressive kidney problems
  • feeding problems
  • bone abnormalities
  • scoliosis
  • weak or low muscle tone (hypotonia)
  • joint problems
  • developmental delays including motor skills
  • short stature
  • intellectual disability
  • seizure
  • behavioral issues

Children and adults diagnosed with children and adults may also show the following signs and symptoms due to an intellectual disability:

  • decrease learning ability
  • delays in crawling
  • delays in sitting up
  • difficulty solving problems
  • lack of curiosity
  • language and speech delays
  • poor memory
  • behavior problems
Teaching Strategies

The following strategies will help when teaching a child or an adult diagnosed with Lowe Syndrome:

  • Use short and simple sentences to ensure understanding
  • Repeat directions
  • Teach specific skills when possible
  • Use strategies such as chunking, backwards shaping, forward shaping and role modeling.
  • Use concrete information
  • Provide immediate feedback

Image thanks to Robert Thomson on Flickr.com (creative commons)

Resources

National Organization for Rare Disorders

Genetics Home Reference

Dove Med

Wikipedia

Teaching Strategies for Dyslexic Students

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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

Resources on Teaching Scissor Skills

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One of the ways to improve fine motor skills is helping children and adults develop cutting skills also help with pre-writing skills and pencil control. Below are resources that will help in developing and teaching scissor skills.

Cutting Skill Development

2 years- snips with scissors

2.5 years- Cuts across a 6-inch piece of paper

3.5 years- Cuts along a 6-inch line

4.5 years- Cuts out a circle

6-7 years- Cuts a variety of shapes and pictures.

Resources on Teaching Scissor Skills

5 easy ways to introduce scissor skills

How to teach a child to use scissors

How to use scissors

Scissor cutting skills: Why they are important

Teaching kids how to use scissors

Teaching preschoolers to use scissors

The importance of teaching your child how to use scissors

Tips for teaching scissor cutting skills

Practice Scissor Skills- The following links below include practicing cutting straight lines, curved lines and circles, zig-zag lines and mixed lines.

10-page scissor skills packet (Mama’s Learning Corner)- geared towards preschoolers and kindergartners.

12 free shapes and cutting page (www.mpmideas.com)- geared towards preschool aged children

Construction truck scissor cutting practice sheets (MO & MH)- Kids will practice cutting lines.

Cut, copy and glue for spring (Your Therapy Source)- Free 3-page packet in black and white. Includes a butterfly, ice cream cone and a snail.

Free cutting and coloring pack (Tot Schooling)- Cutting pack features straight, diagonal, curved and zig zag lines.

House scissor practice (Teaching Station)- Download free worksheets. Includes shapes of circles, squares, triangles, and rectangulars.

Printable preschool cutting busy box (Fun with Mama)- post includes ways to teach kids how to use scissors and develop cutting skills

Rocket scissor practice (Teaching Station)- Kids will practice cutting and pasting shapes to make a rocket.

Snake spiral worksheet (www.education.com)- Kids can both color and cut out the spiral design.

Trolls, hair-cutting (Tot Schooling Net)- Several different levels of difficulties.

4 Tips On Task Initiation For Children and Adults

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Task Initiation is often a challenge for children and adults with an executive functioning disorder. For a child, it may be lack of initiative in doing homework while for an adult, it may include forgetting or putting off paying bills. Children and adults with task initiation issues generally have a diagnosis of autism, ADHD, Intellectual disability or a learning disorder.

Click here to download a printed version of the article

Signs of a task initiation impaired executive functioning skill would be someone having difficulty in getting started on a task and keeping the effort needed in order to complete the task. A child or an adult require external cues in order to complete the task. Also, it will require understanding what is expected and understanding the task. Here are a few strategies:

  1. Limit Distractions. In the classroom any type of added sensory input can defer the student from getting started in their school work.
  2. Create a List. Visual support will help to increase getting the work done for a school-age child, you may want to create a to-do list which the steps are broken down into smaller steps. When a person with an executive function is given a task, it may be overwhelming, making it more difficult to get started.
  3. Use Cues. A clock or a timer will help the child or adult stay on time and understanding the amount of time it will take to complete a task
  4. Break task down. Create where the work is done in chunks so that the work will not be as overwhelming for the student.

4 Things You Must to Make Standards-Based Instruction Meaningful

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Standards-based instruction can be tough for students with significant disabilities. Here are 4 tips to help make it meaningful for our students.

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve been thinking a lot these past few weeks about standards-based instruction.  I’ve been working on a presentation to help teachers teach based on the standards.  Most (if not all) states require standards-based instruction be identified in the IEP.  In addition, we evaluate our students based on the grade-level standards, even the students taking the alternate assessment.  So, how do we keep what we teach relevant to the lives of most of our students? How do we make our teaching meaningful and functional for students who are not college bound.  For those students who will need significant support after school, how do we help them use science and social studies information daily? Click here to read the rest of the story

 

10 Speech Therapy Blogs You Should Be Reading

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Speech therapy is a key component in the life of a child with a disability. When it comes to speech therapy, there are so many blogs that provide an abundance of resources for other speech therapist, teachers and parents. Finding the right ones however can be a challenge.

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The following blogs provide tons of information, resources and tips on speech language topics. Here are 10 speech therapy blogs worth checking out (in no particular order).

Beautiful Speech Life– Creates and develops therapy materials for fellow SLP’s and teachers. This website provides freebies, language materials and quick therapy tips.

Nicole Allison Speech Peeps– This website offers speech language resources on a variety of topics and an evidence-based intervention series.

PediaStaff– A resourceful blog providing informative news information and article blogs from speech language websites.

Simply Speech– A site with freebies and great blog ideas and activities

Speech 2 U- Provides resources, freebies and therapy topics on communication, social language, social language, organization, plus more!

Speechy Musing– Provides speech therapy resources on a variety of topics. Age range includes, birth to 3, elementary school and middle school on the subject of articulation, language and AAC; The site also includes a blog for fellow speech therapist.

Sublime Speech– Provides therapy to children with severe and profound disabilities. Website includes information on apps, articulation, language, materials and social skills

Teach Speech 365. Includes freebies, giveaways and therapy topics.

The Dabbling Speechie– A website for speech and language pathologist and parents offering a variety of resources on articulation, language and social skills.

The Speech Room News– Specializing in pediatric speech and language therapy, Jenna’s site provides resources for speech language pathologists and educators. The website includes free resources, and treatment topics on articulation, social language, preschool and more.

 

40 Autism Teaching Resources You Should Know About

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The latest estimate shows that 1 in 68 children (1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls) as having autism spectrum disorder. This means that more than ever, special education teachers in order to be effective, will require additional resources and support. the following links showcase a number of blogs and information on working with children with autism.

Autism Teacher Blogs

Savvy teachers are creating and developing blogs on teaching children with autism. Many of the blogs give first -person accounts while others share classroom activities, lesson plans and classroom management.

Adventures in Flapping

Adventures in Special Education

Autism Classroom Resources

Breezy Special Ed

Special Ed Spot

Teach.Love.Autism

Teaching Special Thinkers

The Autism Adventures of Room 83

The Autism Teaching Blog

You Aut-A Know

Classroom Management

The following links discuss strategies on engaging learners and managing students in a classroom setting.

Autism and Classroom Management: Interventions that Work (Bright Hub Education)

Autism Classroom Management (Edutopia)

Classroom Management for ASD Students (Autism Investigation Project)

Classroom Management for Autistic Children

Classroom Management for Students with Autism (Amy Glade-Prezi.com)

Classroom Management in an Autism Classroom (Minds in Bloom)

Classroom Tips and Strategies

The following links are tips and strategies that are specific to teaching techniques and helpful information on setting up the classroom, data collection and scheduling.

10 Practical Tips for Classroom Aids of Autistic Children (colotraining.com)

17 Tips for Teaching High Functioning Students with Autism (gadoe.org)

22 Tips for Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Monster.com)

Inclusion Strategies for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Learn NC)

Teaching Students in Inclusive Classrooms (Child-autism-Parent-Café)

Tips for Teaching Students with Autism (Scholastic)

Tips for Working with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Project Independence)

Tips for Working with Autistic Children (Love to Know)

Teaching College Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Faculty Focus)

Teaching Tips for Children and Adults with Autism (Temple Grandin)

Social Skills Lessons

Articles, tips and lesson plan information on social skills development

5 Tips for Running a Social Skills Group Ages 7-11 (Super Power Speech)

How Are My Social Skills? Checklist. (PDF)

How I Use the Social Thinking Curriculum to Teach Flexible Thinking (The Autism Vault Blog)

How to Run a Social Skills Group (Speech and Language Kids)

Social Skills Activities for Kids with Autism (Love to Know)

Social Skills Training Groups (Autism Speaks, PowerPoint Presentation)

Tips for Teaching Social Skills When it does Not Come Easy (Lemon Lime Adventures)

Classroom set-up

12 Tips for Setting up an Autism Classroom (Principal Kendrick’s Blog)

Seven Steps for Setting up a Stellar Autism Classroom (The Autism Helper)

Life Skills

Developing Life Skills: How to Teach a Skill (TACA)

Life Skills for Children and Teens with Autism (North Shore Pediatric Therapy)

Social Life on the Spectrum (Autism after 16)

Teaching Important Life Skills (Autism Speaks)

Teacher Resource Sites

The following sites are great resources specifically for teachers working with children with autism. Many of the sites include free downloads and other resources including curriculums, lesson plans and data collection.

Autism Educators

A resource for teachers, therapist and parents including a free IEP goal bank, parent resources and an assortment of tools and resources on a variety of topics. Autism Educators, Inc. is currently offering a Teacher’s Wish List promotion.

Autism Teaching Tools

This site includes information for individuals with autism and other developmental disorders. Links include information on topics such as toys and games, curriculum management and child safety just to name a few.

Cindy’s Autistic Support

This site contains free resources on lesson plans on a variety of topics including data collection, seasonal, inclusion for teachers and life skills. A great site for parents, therapist and teachers.

Educate Autism

Downloadable printables on topics relating to body parts, colors, data recording, handwriting and emotions.

National Autism Resources

Provides therapeutic tools and resources for individuals on the autism spectrum.

Positively Autism

A resource website for parents, therapist and teachers. Resources include information on fine motor, structured task, social skills, and at home.

Practical Autism Resources

Provides more than 100 pages of free printable items.

The Autism Helper

An autism blog created by Sasha Long, a board certified behavior analysis and certified special education teacher.

Do you know of any links and resources not listed? if so, please send an email to: specialneedsresourceblog@gmail.com and we will add them to the list.

 

 

 

 

 

February Upcoming Events

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February 4-5, 2016

DFW Autism Conference
Navigating the Spectrum
Pat May Center
1849 Central Dr.
Bedford, TX 76022
For more information: DFW Autism Conference

February 7-9, 2016

2016 Inclusion Works!
Royal Sonesta Hotel
Houston, TX
For more information: The ARC

February 11-12, 2016

Speech and Hearing Association of Alabama
Hyatt Regency Birmingham- The Wynfrey Hotel
1000 Riverchase Galleria
Birmingham, AL
For more information: SHAA

February 15-18, 2016

Learning Disability Association 53rd Annual Conference
Orlando World Center Marriott
8701 World Center Drive
Orlando, FL 32821
For more information:LDA

February 25, 2016

Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy Conference
Westgate Church
1735 Saratoga Avenue
San Jose, CA 95129
For more information:Wrightslaw

Happy Holidays!

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS2015

Special Needs Resource Blog will take a break during the holidays and will return Monday, January 4, 2016 with new information, tools and resources to post including more downloadable free tools and templates Monday thru Thursday. I am excited and look forward to sharing more resources with you in the new year.
Thanks to all of you for following my blog this year. Wishing you and your families joy and peace all through the holidays and throughout the new year. May the spirit of the holidays be with you throughout the new year.  🙂   🙂

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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thanksgiving