More iPad Apps!

 iPad App Reviews and More!  No Responses »
Apr 052011
 

Liz Nutt, of MatchACollege.com, sent me a link to their site’s listing of 40 Amazing Apps for the Learning Disabled.  Apps for speech improvement, visual schedules, social stories, communication, mind-mapping, behavior (including one for professionals doing behavior assessments), and visual timers, as well as apps that improve the iPad experience for those with vision impairments.

As time permits, I plan to review some of these apps in more detail.  In the meantime, see what you can find that will work for you, your child, or your students!

Book Bytes: Social Fortune or Social Fate?

 Book Bytes  No Responses »
Mar 312011
 

I love to read! I’ll share my thoughts (book bytes instead of sound bites) on old favorites and new books for children and adults here.

I’ve used many of the books in the Social Thinking curriculum from Michelle Garcia-Winner.  The latest addition is a graphic novel for kids and teens.

“The core of the book consists of 10 social scenarios, each [one] scenario is played out through the lens of Social Fortune or Social Fate by demonstrating visually how a situation can change quickly based on how someone reacts within it.”

Click here for further information.New! Social Fortune or Social Fate: A Social Thinking Graphic Novel Map for Social Quest Seekers

Wikki Sticks and Pattern Tracers

 Timely Tips  No Responses »
Mar 312011
 

Social, Organization, Attention, and Processing Stuff

Does your student or child have difficulty staying within boundaries when writing? Stopping on the baseline (bottom line)? Here are a couple of tips that some have found useful:

Use Wikki Stix to form a box that the child has to write within.  You can make the box progressively smaller to encourage age-appropriate letter size and spacing.

Wikki Stix can also be used on the baseline on handwriting paper.

Raised line paper too expensive?  Take a tool from the sewing box that is used for tracing patterns.  Run it across the back of the handwriting paper to create your own raised line paper!

When your child is old enough, they can use the Wikki Stix and pattern tracer on their own, as needed.

Thank you to Kim on the Handwriting Without Tears Level I listserv!


Book Bytes: Fidget to Focus!

 Book Bytes  No Responses »
Feb 112011
 

I love to read! I’ll share my thoughts (book bytes instead of sound bites) on old favorites and new books for children and adults here.

Everybody fidgets, right?  I doodle when I’m listening to lectures. I like background noise (music, tv) when I’m on the computer or reading a book.

The subtitle of Fidget to Focus is “Outwit Your Boredom: Sensory Strategies for Living with ADD.”   Really, though, we can all benefit from the useful information in this book.

I especially like Appendix 3, the Fidget Strategies Workbook.  Here, you can figure out fidget strategies by modality (sight, sound, movement, touch, mouth, taste, smell, time) or activity (reading, writing, doing chores, even falling asleep!).

Check out the blog and this PowerPoint presentation to get a taste of this gem.

Fidget Toys and More

 Timely Tips  No Responses »
Feb 062011
 

Terri Mauro has assembled a number of tips for making fidget toys, weighted items (I love the weighted stuffed animal idea!), oral-motor items, and items for tactile experiences that don’t cost an arm and a leg. Be sure to read the comments, as there are many additional ideas suggested by readers.


Helping Your Disorganized Child

 Book Bytes, Timely Tips  No Responses »
Feb 062011
 

I’ve written about Ann Dolin’s book, Homework Made Simple, here and here.

She discusses how to help the disorganized child in this article, found on her website.

Key Points:

  • Establish a homework area
  • Create a dedicated homework folder
  • Post a checklist
  • Give a bonus for staying organized
  • Have a weekly ‘clean sweep’ session.

Book Bytes: Homework Made Simple–More!

 Book Bytes  1 Response »
Feb 062011
 

I love to read! I’ll share my thoughts (book bytes instead of sound bites) on old favorites and new books for children and adults here.

If you’d like another taste of this very helpful book, check out Four Simple Ways to Help the Frustrated Child.

If homework is a struggle in your home, consider reading the book. Ms. Dolin discusses several typical homework profiles.  These include:

  • The Disorganized
  • The Rusher
  • The Procrastinator
  • The Avoider
  • The Inattentive
  • The Easily Frustrated

As an experienced teacher, tutor, and mother, Ms. Dolin hits the mark with her profiles and with her suggestions for improving homework time.

Check out  Book Bytes #11, for a link to her videos on these profiles.

Random Ramblings: Special Needs Project (A Bookstore)

 Random Ramblings  No Responses »
Jan 262011
 

Musings that don’t seem to fit anywhere else!

I came across this specialty bookstore while surfing the web for local autism resources.

From their website:

You’ve found Special Needs Project – a unique disability bookstore.  We carry books, videos, DVDs and related items about mental and physical disabilities…for parents, professionals, educators, family members and persons with a disability. We have the largest collection of books about autism spectrum disorders (nearly 800 titles) we know of.


Book Bytes: Why Don’t Students Like School?

 Book Bytes  1 Response »
Nov 282010
 

I love to read! I’ll share my thoughts (book bytes instead of sound bites) on old favorites and new books for children and adults here.

“A cognitive scientist answers questions about how the mind works and what it means for the classroom.”  by Daniel T. Willingham

Just joining an online discussion of this book with other educators.  Will keep you posted!

 Newer Entries