Now that you have thought about the kind of summer experience that’s best for your child, here are some suggestions to help you narrow down your choices. These ideas are tailored for recreation camps, but many of these tips can be applied elsewhere.
– Make a list of what you are looking for in a camp. What type of camp might best suit your child? Day or residential camp? What is your camp budget?
– Start your camp search by researching some resources.
American Camp Association, www.acacamps.org Continue reading
The Barber National Institute holds “Ready, Set, Ride!” each summer to help children with disabilities learn to ride a two-wheeler.
As I walk outside and see that sunshine, I realize that summer is right around the corner. I really encourage parents of children with special needs to begin planning early on to ensure that you find the appropriate program for your child. As this is something I have been doing for the past 15 years, I have a few suggestions you might want to consider:
• What do you want your child to accomplish this summer? What skills and lessons would you like to be reinforced?
• Are you interested in a continuation of his/her educational program? If you are responding yes to this question, you would want to first consider if your child is eligible for Extended School Year (ESY). Based upon your child’s IEP, he/she may be eligible for a part-time or full-time program throughout the summer. Continue reading
Over the past several years, more than $100 million has been spend trying to find the cause of autism. While this research is very important, I believe that we also have to invest in trying to find more effective treatment options. That is why we were so excited today to join the University of Notre Dame in announcing our collaboration on a new research project. Over the next 24-36 months, we will be evaluating the effectiveness of using a humanoid robot in clinical therapy for children ages 13-17 with autism.
The pilot phase of the project began in April at the Barber National Institute with four children from the Elizabeth Lee Black School. The initial study involves two 5-year old boys and two 3-year old girls. As the research moves Continue reading
April 22nd-28th is the annual celebration for the Week of the Young Child. Its purpose is to focus attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize early childhood programs and services which lay the future success of our very young children.
We as a society can ensure that children have a solid foundation for the future. Quality early education is essential to healthy brain development and is the necessary first step in a child’s education. When at risk children receive quality early education, they can make up developmental gaps from the early years and enter kindergarten at the grade level. In Continue reading
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)recently updated its estimate of autism prevalence in children in the United States to 1 in 88 (1 in 54 boys and 1 in 252 girls). This is a 78% increase from 2002. These estimates are based upon a review of evaluations of children 8 years of age from multiple sources in 14 states in 2008.
Why such a dramatic increase? We certainly have better diagnoses, and we are diagnosing at even a younger age every year. The American Academy of Pediatric recommends that all children be screened at their 18- and 24-month check up.
We now have a broader scale to use to diagnose autism. Since autism is a spectrum disorder, we have children diagnosed with milder forms, such as Asperger syndrome. Continue reading
Photo courtesy of detroitnews.com
Many of us read about the high school athlete with Down syndrome, Eric Dompierre, who was on the basketball team at his high school. Unfortunately, he will be unable to play his senior season because the Michigan High School Athletic Association bars anyone who is 19 as of September 1 from participating in sports for that school year. The young man has requested a waiver based on language used by eight other states that includes age role exceptions for students with disabilities. Continue reading
We have talked about the value and uses of touch screen mobile devices and what to think about in making your selection.
Now that you’ve made your purchase, your next step is to search for fun and educational apps! This may seem like an overwhelming task, as there are 600,000+ apps available. I do have a few suggestions that might assist you.
