I was in the chat forum this morning and there was some great discussion going on related to socialization and peers.  This couldn't be more timely as this issue has presented itself a few times over our holiday vacation.

If you've read any of my previous articles then you know how much I promote, use and enjoy products or services that accomplish many things, as opposed to only one.  I've been writing a lot about working on specific skills at home, because I know two things: how beneficial it is and how realistic it is.  Usually, it is the idea of 'realistic' that people wrestle with, so it is with much excitement that I'm talking again about TOOBEEZ.

There are obviously more then five skills we need to teach our children with special needs, but these lay the groundwork and begin to build advanced skills that will help our children throughout life.  Many of these concepts are overlooked and subsequently fall to the wayside.

Let’s get real.  While we appreciate and need the professionals that work with our children, a lot of teaching happens at home.  After a typical day of life however, setting aside time to ‘teach’ seems unrealistic and near impossible; at least for me.  When the weekend rolls around, I don’t have the desire to schedule a day of instruction – I want to relax, have fun and enjoy the time off. The good news is I’m able to do both and so can you, if you use my little trick...

There is so much to consider when it comes to treating special needs and self stimulatory behaviors are high on the list of symptoms parents wish to eliminate.  There are simple things you can do at home to assess and treat your child’s stimulatory behaviors (stimming).  All it takes is a little know-how…

Epilepsy is a common illness and many people don’t realize that millions of people worldwide suffer from some form of seizures.  One in a hundred Canadians has epilepsy meaning that most people probably know someone who has the illness.  But how much does the general public actually know about the condition?

Many parents home school and I think even more consider it (or perhaps wish they could).  As a home schooling family (at times I should add!), and as an autism consultant, I'm frequently asked about home schooling.  Those interested in learning more may find the following common Questions & Answers helpful.

One of the biggest problems for children with disabilities is a lack of compassion, support and understanding at school, not just from fellow classmates but from teachers too.  If a teacher doesn’t understand common conditions such as epilepsy or dyslexia symptoms can often be mistaken for bad behavior.

For me, the most difficult part of home schooling was determining and allocating the materials I'd use to teach.  Before I could buy materials and programs however, I had to first decide what 'type' of home-schoolers we were and what methods I'd use to teach.

Since home schooling my son with autism, I've had numerous parents contact me asking how the process begins.  In other words, what do you have to do in order to home school your child?

The process isn't as bad as it sounds.  Paperwork, policies, regulations and more acronyms are part of the process, but like anything else when it comes to special needs, you become accustomed to it.  The added bonus is, once you're prepared and have done it initially, the work is lessened, as you reuse the documentation (as a template).