One of the biggest concerns for teens with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is their social communication skills. As students become older, the focus of their speech therapy starts to stray away from the academic side and focuses more on the social aspects of communication. For example, how to initiate, continue and end a …
Why Incorporate Visuals? Visuals are beneficial supports for children with limited verbal communication. Hodgdon (1995) proposed four reasons for using visuals within home, school, and community environments: (a) visuals increase children’s reliability (they are more likely to know what to do and then to do this repeatedly), (b) visuals encourage children to be more independent, …
A diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is hard for both your child and you. Autism symptoms can vary widely. Different or incorrect behaviors, problems with communication, and repeated routines and rituals are all linked to ASD. This can make life hard for the entire family. Some children with ASD are less affected than others. The …
Social communication is essential for everyday life to build social relationships and express unmet needs. For youth having difficulties with self-expression, it can be emotionally overwhelming, leading to frustrations, socially inappropriate behavior, and refusing or ignoring requests. Try Social Stories In Ghurair and Alnaqi (2020) research, they utilized a technique called Social Stories that uses …
Serve Others As a special education teacher, you will have the opportunity to serve students with disabilities and their families an incredibly rewarding and humbling experience. Make a Difference One of the biggest rewards of being a teacher is the ability to make a difference every single day. As a special education teacher, you will …
Exercise is an important component to maintaining a healthy lifestyle for all children. In the United States, over 16% of children between the ages of 2 and 19 years of age are considered overweight or obese. For children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), this percentage is even higher with 19% of children with ASD classified …
It is good to know of other organizations empowering people with autism to create societal change. One such organization is the nonprofit, Autism Self-Advocacy Network, also known as ASAN. The Autism Self-Advocacy Network “seeks to advance the principles of the disability rights movement with regard to autism. ASAN believes that the goal of autism advocacy …
As my first full academic school year of interning at the iCan Dream Center for my Masters program comes to an end, I often find myself reflecting on everything that I have learned. This year has been a deep dive into autism- what it is, what it looks like (or does not look like), and …
Like any parent, you want your child to be as healthy as possible. Unfortunately, picky eaters often shy away from healthy foods and gravitate more toward foods with less nutritional value. Like many conditions, autism has many facets; when it comes to diet, many individuals with autism experience food aversions and sensitivities. Enriching Foods for …
Sports are more than just games. They are activities to keep one’s spirits up, build one’s strength and build relationships. Sports provide several physical and mental health benefits, like heightened self-esteem, increased problem solving skills and concentration, reduced stress, sensory relief, and fitness (Dorfman). Sports also help students understand the importance of teamwork. Through the …
