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;)

International Down Syndrome Day

March 22, 2012March 22, 2012Leave a comment

Yesterday was International Down Syndrome Day. Although this is a day late, there is no difference in the importance of celebrating those different from us. It is each of our uniqueness’s that make the whole more interesting. As the video states, different is not less and there is so much to learn from one another.

International Down Syndrome Coalition for Life

Down Syndrome effects 1 in every 691 births. It can range in severity, but the common symptoms are a delay in physical and intellectual development. Often individual’s effected have low muscle town, a flattened facial profile, a single crease across the palm, and an upward slant to the eyes. There can be heart, feeding, sight, and other issues involved. Down Syndrome is present when there are 47 chromosomes instead of the normal 46 a the chromosome effected is the 21st chromosome. It can be only a partial or a full copy of Chromosome 21. There are cases that they call ‘Mosaic’ where some of the areas of the individual are normal while others are not. There is no known reason for the disorder, but it occurs when there is an error in cell division. The chances increase with age of the mother, but 80% of children born with down syndrome are under 35 years old.

Down Syndrome: A Bio by the Father of a Child Effected

Picky Eaters: 16 Steps to Finding Success

March 14, 2012March 13, 2012Leave a comment

Finding Success with Picky Eaters

Here are sixteen steps to finding success with picky eaters. It is all about what works best for your family, your child’s personality, and giving the child confidence in food.

Picky Eating often starts around age one
Some days toddlers eat lots and other days it seems like almost nothing
A child may need to experience a food 10-15 times before they like it
The inconsistency of their environment as they are constantly changing may lead to them wanting to have consistency in their foods= toddlers eating the same items again and again
Kids tend to like what their parents like. It all links back to experience either in the womb or opportunities outside the womb.
Be a Good Role Model. Picky eaters learn it from somewhere.
Have your child help prepare the meal. The excitement over being the chef just might lead to your child joining in and eating with you.
Show enthusiasm over good foods. Your child will pick up on your ques and imitate your behavior.
Think about what your child seems to avoid. Is there a similarity, like consistency, think about that and try to plan your meal accordingly.
Your toddlers stomach is about the size of their clenched fist. Don’t expect them to eat the same amount of food as you
As a parent, provide good snack options. Let your child pick when and how much they need to eat. This provides opportunities for your child to learn to control eating, as well as, a healthy love for food.
Mix in new foods next to ones they already like. Encourage your child to fully explore this new food.
Use healthy dips to encourage your child to get into the fun of eating their food
Offer your child food they can feed themselves like finger foods
Keep mealtimes short
If need be, seek medical advice. There are children who need more help from a feeding specialist to find success.

Criterion Referenced Test: Assessing Students

March 13, 20121 Comment

The Assessment

A criterion referenced test is designed to examine a student’s knowledge in a specific area. These assessments test based on a scale of the student knowing nothing of the subject, a zero, and the students mastering the topic, a one hundred percent. Although most students may not get perfect scores or a completely failing score, the ideal is for most students to fall around a final score of eighty-percent. A criterion referenced test is different from a norm-referenced in that students are not competing against each other and the final scores are not based on student’s peers score on the assessment, rather these assessments are knowledge based on mastery alone. This makes the tests more reliable as they are designed to not include prejudices of race, culture, or social economic status.

Validity of a Criterion Referenced Test

A criterion referenced test is valid only to that which they are testing. An example, found on Wikipedia, stated that because one achieves a perfect score on a driving exam (a standardized criterion referenced assessment) that it in no way indicates that the person is able to drive safely. This is why along with the written exam there is a driving portion. With this example in mind, the criterion-referenced test is simply a mastery of knowledge and does not necessarily mean that the individual can apply the knowledge in the same matter.

Content

A criterion referenced test can include content from a wide array of areas, such as a driving exam or a chapter exam. They are normally designed with at least four items assessing the knowledge of each specific skill. They can be used to measure readiness to move on or can be used both before and after training to assess how much was really learned. The tests are usually graded in a percentage, which can be interpreted as the percent of mastery for the designated purpose of the assessment.

End the R-Word

March 8, 20121 Comment

This is a great short clip about choosing better language. It’s worth a watch! It’s something all of us could work to improve as there are many offensive words out there that might mean more to a person than simply what you are saying. Let’s all think a little bit more about the words that come out of our mouths and end the r-word.

Asperger’s Syndrome: What the Experts Say

March 6, 2012Leave a comment

Asperger’s syndrome, AS, is a disorder on the autism spectrum. It was first recognized sixty years ago by Hans Asperger. It effects one in three hundred people with ninety-percent of those effected being male. Some characteristics of it are “low capacity for communication, and social interaction, restricted and repetitious stereotyped behavior” such as rocking (Asperger, 2005).

Although many see the disorder as “not a disability, but a difference” (Asperger, 2005), it has also been observed by those effected by it that they do not naturally express verbally their non-verbal experiences. As some one diagnosed with it, Gladstone (2005) feels that it is important to teach children at a young age how to write about past experiences without cramming every last detail about the environment into the paper. Coursey (2005), another person effected by Asperger’s Syndrome, through his son, notes that those with it have no internal dialogue. This perhaps affects the reasoning and abbreviating done naturally by those not affected with the disorder. Both Coursey and Gladstone agree that individuals with and without Asperger’s Syndrome can learn a lot from one another. Gladstone (2005) feels that both should be aware of the idea of going from an abstract thought to a concrete fact and back again, as most humans naturally do. This self-awareness can help both while writing and relating past to present experiences.

By looking at people living with the disorder, educators can get an even better perception of their students with this diagnosis. This allows the educators to get a better idea of what is going on inside the child’s head.

References

Asperger’s Syndrome.(2005, February). Harvard Mental Health Letter, 21 Issue 8, 4-8, 2p.

Coursey, Charles. (2005, July). Asperger’s Syndrome Could be a Character-Builder. ETC: A Review of General Semantics, 62 Issue 3, 308-309, 2p.

Gladstone, Kate. (2005, July). Response to Charles Coursey’s Commentary. ETC: A Review of General Semantics, 62 Issue 3, 310-312, 3p.

A Child With Needs

Early child development from a mom and professional.