It has been about a week since our lives drastically changed. Without much notice, many of you found yourself thrust into working from home, while simultaneously homeschooling your children. Like others, I assume you feel pulled in two directions. Families everywhere are in a similar position, trying to conduct Zoom meetings and meet deadlines while also trying to keep their… Read More
Tips for Avoiding or Defusing a Power Struggle
A few days ago, I posted an infographic that provided twelve tips for avoiding or defusing a power struggle. My goal for this poster was to give parents (and professionals) multiple strategies that they could use if they found themselves entrenched in a power struggle with their child. Often, I hear people say the best way to avoid a power… Read More
Token Boards – A How to Guide
Wouldn’t it be great to have a tool that uses positive reinforcement to make meaningful behavior change? Token boards do just that. They reward desired behaviors, with a series of “tokens,” which the child can then exchange for something valuable. However, before you implement a token economy system, you need to ensure that the child understands that “tokens” represent good… Read More
Using Visuals to Support Play
Visuals are a necessity when supporting children with special needs. I recently wrote a blog post for Especially Education all about the importance of using visuals in the classroom. You can read that post here. One of the most significant areas where visuals can be helpful, are in assisting with the development of PLAY SKILLS. For many children with Autism… Read More
Visual Supports
What are visuals? Visuals are cues that provide information about an expectation, routine or activity. They typically consist of items, pictures, symbols, drawings, and/or printed words. Visual supports can help increase your child’s ability to comprehend verbal instructions. As adults, we utilize visual strategies throughout our daily lives. These visuals come in the form of calendars, checklists, reminders, etc. Young… Read More