Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
About a month ago, I got an email about this wonderful book and when I read what it was about, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to review the book. This book, about a special education teacher in Philadelphia Public Schools, is such an inspiration. If you are raising a child with a disability or […]
The post Why Every Child is Special: Author Interview & Book Giveaway appeared first on Embracing the Spectrum.
Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
What if I told you that Mother’s Day isn’t always such a treat for me? Of course, I love my children and I am blessed in unfathomable ways, but there is also a deep-rooted part of me that wants to curl up in a ball and sleep the day away. In fact, that’s what I […]
The post 5 Reasons to Not Feel Guilty About Being Sad appeared first on Embracing the Spectrum.
Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
Leka Brings Accessible Teaching Tool to Parents, Therapists and Caregivers of Children with Developmental Disorders, Such as Autism and Down Syndrome Leka, a robotic smart toy set on changing the way children with developmental disorders learn, play and progress, used an Indiegogo campaign to raise $60,000 for product development. Unlike other robotic toys designed to […]
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Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
Difficult Life Events Can Strengthen Marriages by D. Scott Trettenero Marriages are rarely an easy union for anyone. Under the best of circumstances it takes much love, devotion and commitment between partners to make this relationship work. Unfortunately, there is no rule book or owner’s manual that guarantees success. Trying to give advice on how to […]
The post Special Needs Children Can Strengthen Marriages: Communication is Key appeared first on Embracing the Spectrum.
Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
Photo by Unsplash 3 Tips for Camping with Children with Special Needs Camping trips are the epitome of summer vacations. They allow you to spend the warm months in the great outdoors, enjoying the fresh air and time away from your busy schedule. However, a trip of any kind can prove difficult for families […]
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Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
Having a child with special needs requires special considerations. Your child may learn differently or behave differently from other children. It’s always important to find effective ways to engage with your child so that you can encourage their development. When you have a special needs child, accomplishing this can require the assistance of some particular […]
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Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
Sometimes the things I experience in my job infuriate me from the standpoint of a parent. Have the two roles–parent and teacher–certainly creates challenges for me for many reasons. I am a Special Education Teacher. Because this is my job, I am aware of the ins and outs of the program. I am also acutely […]
The post My Two Roles: Parent and Teacher appeared first on Embracing the Spectrum.
Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
The longer I work in special education and the older I get, the more I long to do what’s right for my students and the braver my voice gets. Part of my job is to advocate for what’s right for my students. My opinions are not always popular with the parents. Sometimes the parents like […]
The post The Repercussions of Morality appeared first on Embracing the Spectrum.
Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
It takes a special kind of person to teach special education when you have a special needs child of your own. That’s what I hear most often when parents or other teachers hear that I not only teach special education but have a child with Autism. What they don’t realize is that I didn’t choose […]
The post It Takes a Special Kind of Person appeared first on Embracing the Spectrum.
Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
Today I heard words that made me cringe. We were in my inclusion class and we had just had a Socratic Seminar that my co-teacher and I thought had gone really well. So, trying to gauge how one of the students in the class with a higher reading level felt about it and whether she […]
The post The “Smarter Kids”: Why We Should Value ALL Intelligences appeared first on Embracing the Spectrum.
Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
A million thoughts go through my head at once with just one simple question. “So, how’s your son doing?” There’s this feeling of panic. I don’t know how to answer the question. How much detail do I give? Do they really want to know? Would a short, “Okay,” suffice? Probably. But, in my mind, all […]
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Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
Some days I think that this parenting gig has not turned out quite the way I imagined it would. I love both my children equally, but Squeaker definitely gives us more to do than Big Guy does. I’m not sure at what point, if any, this will change, but we keep working at it. I […]
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Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
Those words are the ones I hear the most often once people know that I have a child with Autism, a 2.5 year old, that I’m a special education teacher, and that I’m a wife. “I don’t know how you do it.” The argument for my supermomness is that I’m a wife, a mom, I […]
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Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
The world of special education is full of acronyms and language that is far from user-friendly. When writing an IEP (Individualized Education Plan), you may hear words like PLAAFP (Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance), FAPE (Free and Appropriate Education), IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), and many more. Having been a special […]
The post What Should a PLAAFP Look Like on an IEP (And What is It?) appeared first on Embracing the Spectrum.
Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
Tying our shoes, zipping our coats and cutting our food are all everyday activities that are second nature to us. However, for small children and children with special needs such as autism, these activities are often tricky. In such cases, learning everyday skills takes more practice and requires more time spent on fine motor exercises. How […]
The post Help Your Child Learn Everyday Skills With These Tips appeared first on Embracing the Spectrum.
Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
Dear Worn Out Autism Mom, I know you’re tired. You’re tired from lack of sleep, worry, and frequent meltdowns. You drink so much coffee that your blood is 80% caffeine. No one seems to understand your child or what you go through every day together. Almost daily it seems someone looks expectantly at you to gauge your […]
The post Dear Worn Out Autism Mom: You Got This appeared first on Embracing the Spectrum.
Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
Yesterday, I got rid of my son. After all, I need to devote my time and energy to raising my other child, who can benefit more to my devotion than a feeble-minded autistic child. I need to move on with my life and let someone else take care of him, so I took him to […]
The post Would You Give Up Your Autistic Child? appeared first on Embracing the Spectrum.
Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
Sometimes I miss the Speech Therapists and Occupational Therapists that served my son in my former school district. They were fabulous people and they worked hard to help him progress in his language skills and his ability to communicate both verbally, in writing, and through computer programs that helped him write longer passages. What if […]
The post That 1 Moment: Honoring Speech, OT, and AAC Professionals appeared first on Embracing the Spectrum.
Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
About a month ago, I got an email about this wonderful book and when I read what it was about, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to review the book. This book, about a special education teacher in Philadelphia Public Schools, is such an inspiration. If you are raising a child with a disability or […]
The post Why Every Child is Special: Author Interview & Book Giveaway appeared first on Embracing the Spectrum.
Embracing the Spectrum - a message of hope & love in our journey with autism
What if I told you that Mother’s Day isn’t always such a treat for me? Of course, I love my children and I am blessed in unfathomable ways, but there is also a deep-rooted part of me that wants to curl up in a ball and sleep the day away. In fact, that’s what I […]
The post 5 Reasons to Not Feel Guilty About Being Sad appeared first on Embracing the Spectrum.
