A dangerous, yet common, misconception in regard to autistic kids is that they will eat if they’re hungry enough. The reality is that hunger, appetite and sensory input all battle each other. Autistic individuals often have interoception that is quite different from what their parents or the adults in their lives are experiencing. Interoception is…
Evacuation Plan on your IEP When I was in school, we regularly had nuclear drills. We either hid under our desks or ran to a shelter in the school’s basement. We’re fortunate. We laugh about it now. We can laugh about it because first, nuclear war never happened. And second, the idea that being under…
Game to Improve Executive Functioning Neurodivergent individuals often struggle with executive functioning, because their path to the same destination looks different from the path neurotypical individuals may go through. Instead of trying to get from Point A to Point C, they’re trying to get from Point A to Point Z in alphabet soup. They know…
Summer Bucket List Ideas for Kids I’m so glad you clicked! I am so tired of seeing summer bucket lists with things like “take the kids to Singapore” or “Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.” Hey, good for you if that’s your thing. I don’t think for my kids, that will be on their summer bucket list for…
Teaching Your Child about Peers with Disabilities. What better day than today to publish this post. Today is the first day of Developmental Disabilities Awareness month. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that…
Matthew Effect | Matthew Principle Ask any Special Education Advocate, and I bet they all will tell you that they have a huge chunk of clients that are in 2nd, 3rd or 4th grade. I can remember periods of time when all my clients fit into that category. Coincidence? Unfortunately, no. It’s the Matthew Effect….
Life Skills Classroom | Special Education Resource Room I really hate the term life skills. I mean, after all, we ALL need life skills. It’s just that what each person needs to be taught varies greatly. But, if your child has an IEP, and depending on their skill set, a “life skills classroom” or “life…
Stim Toys Quality stim toys can be hard to find, since fidget toys and chewy jewelry, or chewelry, is trendy. Even the higher priced ones don’t always promise quality, or the ones with great reviews just aren’t within your budget. Several popular stim toys can be made at home from everyday household objects, or using…
Functional Money Skills Remember when we were little, and we thought nickels were worth more than dimes, just because they were bigger? Ah, those were the days. As part of adulting, we need to teach our kids practical money skills. Money as a topic usually falls under functional math. However, for kids with IEPs, it…