Blogs tagged with special needs parenting
Monday, March 08 2010
Last night, I had the opportunity to participate in a panel on school choice aimed at parents of special needs children who will be transitioning to kindergarten next year. Our town has a magnet system, whereby parents have six elementary schools to choose from. Each school has a different feel, community and resources. Overwhelmingly, I heard that parents want their special needs child to feel welcomed by the community. If their child needs to attend a self-contained (special education) cla...
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Thursday, August 19 2010
With summer vacation waning and the media buzzing with back-to-school sales, you may be getting concerned about the beginning of a new school year. When your child has special needs, you recognize how difficult transitions can be, whether it means a new teacher, new school, new classmates, more workload, more social pressures, or some combination of the above. How can parents stay calm and ease the transition for their children?
Here are a few tips to help you and your special needs child...
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Friday, September 03 2010
For many parents, back-to-school means back to packing lunches for your children. If you are parenting a picky eater, you may feel frustrated about preparing the same one or two lunches over and over again. Many picky eaters are so limited in their food choices because of oral sensitivity issues. Does your child have an aversion to certain smells or textures? Does he prefer specific brands of items because he can detect subtle differences in other brands? Often, these types of reactions are...
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Tuesday, September 21 2010
Over the weekend, I listened to several parents express frustration over their elementary aged children’s sleep problems which, of course, was also depriving them of a good night’s sleep. Does this ring a bell for you? I can completely relate to the havoc lack of sleep reeks in my family life. Sleep deprivation has been linked to irritability, distraction, and poor judgment. There are experts who argue many cases of ADD may actually be the result of lack of sleep in children. For children...
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Friday, November 12 2010
Recently, I had the privilege of hearing Eustacia Cutler, Temple Grandin's mother, speak at the Rockland County Autism Symposium. What an incredible, inspirational person. She battled so much in raising her daughter - doctors who blamed her for being a "refrigerator mom" and the reason for Temple's autism, a disapproving 50s society who didn't understand or tolerate differences, and a husband who wanted to institutionalize his daughter. Eustacia is a wonderful role-model for all parents raisi...
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Monday, February 14 2011
Check out this wonderful new resource regarding social skills. AAPC has just released a new book that has an intriguing story line and social lessons for pre-teens and teens. I will definitely be ordering this one. View and order the book at http://www.aapcpublishing.net/book/view/594/diary-of-a-social-detective-real-life-tales-of-mystery-intrigue-and-interpersonal-adventure
Friday, April 22 2011
Happy Earth Day! The great outdoors is easy to take for granted, isn't it? So much of our lives are spent indoors or in the car. Our minds are full of schedules, responsibilities and worries. Today, if takes a conscious effort to appreciate the wonder of this beautiful planet we call home. I find that time spent outdoors in nature can keep me grounded. When I'm overwhelmed by the chaos of children arguing or the mess in the kitchen and family room, a fifteen minute walk clears my head. Wh...
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Sunday, July 03 2011
This week I begin teaching a four-week course in Montclair NJ based on the book, "The Art of Positive Parenting" by Mickey Tobin. The foundation of this class is for parents to sharpen their skills around listening to their children's feelings and managing their own feelings and reactions so they can make parenting choices from a calm state of mind. These are challenging skills indeed given that we all have "scripts" that we routinely, and often automatically, use with our children and we are ...
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Wednesday, December 14 2011
At this stressful time of the year, do you find yourself more edgy and short-fused around the children? No wonder. There is so much we are trying to accomplish to create special holiday memories. At the same time, we are all being bombarded by media about what to buy and where and when to buy it in order to get the best price and make our loved ones happy. Our children are also surrounded by friends telling them what they wish to receive this holiday and this can lead to pushing for gifts tha...
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