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
The transition from high school to whatever comes next can be stressful for students with special needs and their parents. Guiding them through this passage is a school transition coordinator or specialist. If you haven’t made contact with this individual at your teen’s school yet, don’t wait.
I had my first meeting with our high-school transition coordinator, Barbara Milewski, when my daughter was still in middle school. I wanted to find out what I should be worrying about and planning for. Not only did she reduce my anxiety, she also pointed me toward a county agency that gave my daughter a job that summer. As school meetings go, that one was unusually productive.
Since many parents don’t know such a resource exists, I asked Mrs. Milewski — who has decades of experience helping young people through this transition as a district guidance counselor, school social worker, case manager for special-education students, and transition coordinator — to share a little bit about what transition coordinators do and why you should seek yours out. Click here to read the rest of the story.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Welcome to the September Article Links. These are articles that I have tweeted during the month of September. I tweet articles and links everyday. Please make sure you follow me and I will follow you back!
