Author: Gwen

I am a mother of one toddler, but before I became a mom I worked in all things kids. I have a B.S. Early Child Development and a M.Ed. Special Education. I have eight years experience of working directly with children with special needs, as well as, an additional six working with typically developing children. I also grew up with a sibling that is bipolar and am currently helping my four-year old niece navigate through Arizona services to get help for a speech delay and ADHD. This site is published as additional information only and is not meant to serve as a plan for any specific child. Please find a developmental pediatrician in your area to get help tailored for your child. Enjoy;)

Early Literacy Skills Builder: A Start for Success

April 4, 2012Leave a comment

In a belated honor of Children’s book day, here are some early literacy skills builder activities. The first steps of reading begin at home, so practice with your child and help to share with them a love of language and books.

Here are some early literacy skills builder activities:

1. Sing with your child

Singing with your child an teach them a lot about language. It can help them learn the rhythm, vocabulary, as well as, greater understanding on specific topics.

2. Talk with your child

By simply including your child in conversation, you are encouraging their understanding of language. This will in turn encourage their literacy skills. At an early age, describe things to your child and ask them their opinions (even before they can share it). By including them, you are showing that their voice is important and the more practice they get the better they will be with language.

It is important to note research shows that children respond better to less confrontational language, so instead of getting frustrated with the sounds your child makes try to show excitement over what they do know and encourage them to keep practicing.

3. Read together

Read with your child every day. Share with them a love for reading. Books can teach language as well as greater concepts. In our house we’ve used them not only to build on vocabulary but also to prepare for holidays and vacations by reading about similar experiences.

4. Writing Starts with Fine Motor Skills

Writing begins with scribbles and other fine motor developing skills. This means by simply encouraging your child to draw, pick up his own cheerios, and explore his world, you are encouraging their early writing skills.

5. Allow Time to Play

Imagination not only plays a huge role in reading but also in writing. This is something a child can start working on as a toddler. It will help them with reading comprehension and later on in writing their own stories.

Autism: Awareness is the Key to Intervention

April 2, 20122 Comments

The Facts

Autism a disorder that effects nearly 6 out of every 1,000 children with boys 4 times more likely than girls to be effected. It appears in the first three years of life and affects the brain’s social and communicative development. There is still much unknown about autism, but genetics seem to play a big role. There are many things over the years that have been rumored to contribute to Autism. They include:

Vaccines: again there is no proven correlation, but if you are worried about your child, all routine childhood vaccines are available in single-dose, mercury free formulas
Diet: gluten free or other allergies are sometimes thought to relate. Sometimes people have also thought inability of the body to properly use vitamins and minerals or digestive tract changes

A Video

Here’s a video on how Autism works from someone effected…

Signs of Autism

If you are worried about autism and your child, here are some signs to look for:

Babbling by age one
Pretend Play around 2-3 years old
Single words by 16 months and two-word phrases by 24 months
Poor Eye Contact
Responsiveness to name
Any regression in development

If you have any concerns, talk to your doctor and find a developmental pediatrician.

My Child has a Learning Disability, Now What

March 28, 2012March 22, 2012Leave a comment

If you are thinking my child has a learning disability, now how do I help them. There are a variety of things that can help a student with learning disabilities or any delays.

First, really consider the student, their needs, likes, interests, and those things that may hinder their education. For example, if they are poor at reading, perhaps when they are working on other subjects provide them with educational tapes on the same subject.

Some common educational practices to use are:

relaxation
concentration
slow down
organize
write down
repeat
visualize

Some tweaking of these strategies can be done to accommodate those that need extra help. For example, translate the information into something of their interests. Use imagination and illustrations to make the lesson easier to comprehend. The students can apply the topic to other ideas to reinforce the lesson. It is useful to practice using the new information for better memorization.

“Federal regulations require access and accountability for students with learning disabilities. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 [PL 93-112], as amended, requires that individuals with disabilities, including students with learning disabilities, be given equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from the policies and procedures customarily granted to all individuals. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 [IDEA], [PL 105-17], regulations require that all students with disabilities participate in a state’s accountability system.

These provisions require participation, but to truly give students a fair assessment, they should be provided the tools necessary to show their full potential/knowledge. This may include non-timed assessments, protection against high-stake tests, opportunity to learn the material, accessible resources, attention to language difference, and appropriate tests that emphasize their abilities not their disabilities.

For students to receive the education necessary for them to show their true potential, they must first be identified. It is teachers and parents jobs to identify possible candidates, so that they may receive appropriate services. Once they are identified, they must find an environment in which they are successful. This will prepare them for the rest of academics which will in turn prepare them for adulthood.

ADHD and ADD: How to Help a Child Effected

March 27, 2012March 22, 20121 Comment

ADHD and ADD

If students are having problems staying on task due to ADD and ADHD, there are a variety of tactic that can be taken. They include, but are not limited to:

making supplies easily accessible
using a manageable amount of work
using behavior modification systems
quiet areas, simplified environment
study buddies
open discussions
using personal stories to illustrate a point
using a variety of tones
framing visual materials to promote focus
using visual signals such as covering your mouth to signal silence.

These examples can be used in both special education and none special education classes. It is important to use what is most applicable to the students, and in order to do this it is essential to truly know the students. Students with learning disabilities, such as ADD and ADHD, may also have difficulty taking state/district-wide assessments. It is essential that these students be provided with the opportunity to truly demonstrate their strengths and knowledge. In order for this to occur, schools must abide to the laws that outline special education.

How to Help Child Struggling at School

March 23, 2012March 22, 2012Leave a comment

When students are falling behind in their regular class work and/or are in need of extra help, often assessments are needed to further understand the child. It is important to pin point how to help child struggling at school. By finding out their needs, strengths and weaknesses, so that they can achieve their true potential. Adaptations of instruction may be necessary for accommodating the learner’s abilities, styles, and deficits.

How to Help Child Struggling at School: Pin Point the Problem

1. The first step that should be taken after suspicions that the student needs help is vision and hearing tests. These tests can often help the student and rule out further investigations.

2. If these tests find nothing, then the next step is to do a learning disabilities evaluation. There are a wide variety of tests that can be used, the most common being “discrepancy model.” It is given and funded by the school district and can be provided at any time due to parental request. The “discrepancy model” includes a psychological test given by a licensed psychologist, normally an IQ test, and an educational test given by a school psychologist or trained professional, normally an academic achievements test. If there is an inconsistency in the results of the two tests, usually if the student tests well on the IQ and poor on the academic portion, they may have a learning disability.

A Child With Needs

Early child development from a mom and professional.