There is an excellent editorial today in the Erie Times, “Teach Kids to Report Wrongdoing.”
Data shows that 25% of all teens are bullied, and too often it goes unreported. This is a special challenge when you consider the number of children with special needs who have significant language delays. In earlier blogs, I discussed how to recognize the signs of bullying, how you can build your child’s self esteem, and what to do if you think your child is a victim of bullying. Continue reading
Ryan’s school photo – Grade 2
As school starts for children in our area next week, I wanted to share with you what I have learned over the past 12 years of “first days of school.”
Plan Ahead
Families already struggling to meet the daily challenges of autism will soon face another hurdle as the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare has announced plans to institute a co-pay for many services. Five services, including prescription drugs, will have a fixed copayment, while others will have a sliding fee copayment based on family income. Continue reading
Ann Ellison, MA, BCBA, has been serving children with disabilities and their families for more than 25 years as a counselor and Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She currently serves as the Behavior Services Coordinator at the Elizabeth Lee Black School, Barber National Institute.
Kids everywhere are enjoying their last weeks of vacation and I know many of them are looking forward to the first day of school. For some, it is a welcome return to routine. For others, it brings a series of new challenges as they face a different classroom, teacher or peers. Continue reading
Ryan on his first day of kindergarten
I had the privilege of attending PNC Day at Chautauqua this week. Our two speakers were Roger Goodell, commissioner of the National Football League, and Mike Slive, commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, with Luke Russert, NBC News correspondent as moderator. There were many good points discussed; however, my takeaway was the importance of setting the bar high and maintaining your focus on exceptional standards. Continue reading
Every mother’s greatest fear: You look up and your child is gone! Perhaps your child decided to go sit down, or he may be deliberately running off, or he is simply wandering. In any case, you are in a panic until you find your child.
I have personally experienced all of the above. A few years ago on a football weekend, Ryan and I were at the Notre Dame bookstore. When I looked up from browsing, he was gone. Continue reading
Image courtesy of http://www.popchillasworld.com.
I had an opportunity this winter to attend a presentation by Interbots. Founded in 2005, Interbots is a spin-off of the Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center. The company specializes in the design and construction of custom interactive characters, both physical and virtual, as well as interactive multimedia content.
What I was specifically interested in was “Popchilla’s World,” an iPad app designed to help children with autism learn skills for daily living. I spoke with the design team and offered to consult with them as they continued refining the app. We’ve had numerous conference calls over the winter months and the opportunity to make recommendations as the app was under construction. Continue reading
I was in Penn State yesterday attending the National Autism Conference sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. I’m going to share with you today a few thoughts from the discussions.
Janet Twyman, PhD, professor of pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, offered the opening keynote, “Making Evidence Meaningful.” She stressed that we must measure what we’re teaching and follow the data to tell us what is working. I am a strong proponent of this philosophy. Unless we measure the effectiveness of our teaching practices, we will not know if our students are learning. Continue reading
Tomorrow marks the 22nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Dr. Gertrude Barber was invited to the signing by then-President George H. W. Bush. You can tune in at 8 a.m. EST Thursday, July 26th to listen to a live stream discussion of Senior Obama Administration officials as they address technology, education, community living and employment among other topics. Continue reading
Students in the Happy Hearts preschool class at Barber National Institute
I’d like to share a few thoughts about quality early childhood education today. We know that investments in early childhood are vital to the success of our children. There is a large body of data from economics, biology and psychology that shows that educational equity is more than a social justice issue but is also a building block of a strong economy. Yet thousands and thousands of children across our nation have limited access to quality early childhood programs. Continue reading
