LRE is one of the most often misconstrued special education laws, but understanding what it means is fundamental for families, teachers, and administrators to ensure that students can learn and thrive in school.
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IEPs should not look the same. To ensure that their proposed accommodations are tailor-fit to address an individual child’s individual needs, I have parents and professionals answer these five questions when evaluating their student’s IEP.
As I continue to consult with parents and educators, the underlining theme that is continually expressed is either "parent non-participation" or "educator non-participation" in IEP meetings.
This is not a new problem!
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Education is not mentioned in the Constitution and is primarily the individual states’ concern. As such, it is imperative that parents of special education students understand the rights and services that are available and how to access them.
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In conversations with parents, there seems to be a lot of confusion between these two types of plans and how each can support their special needs child in school. Particularly now, as we are at the start of a new school year (after a particularly challenging last year), it is important to understand how to navigate federally-mandated accommodations for students who require additional learning support.
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For many parents and educators of autistic children, life since March 2020 has been stressful, to say the least. Now, as many schools, activities, and therapy centers have fall reopening plans, many parents’ concerns have shifted to easing the transition back from distance learning.
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As more schools are returning to in-person instruction this fall, I see many educators concerned about their students’ transition back to a physical classroom. If that sounds like you (or someone you know), here are three easy, tech-focused tips to help you and your students.
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“Social skills has been an area that I think is especially challenging to address remotely.” Being able to use effective communication skills is essential for interpersonal communication to occur, and the use of questioning skills is an important area within verbal communication.
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How are you keeping your students excited during remote learning? Here are three ideas for adding student engagement to your lessons.
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Each week, I receive messages from educators who are struggling to keep students engaged as they start another semester of virtual learning. If that sounds like you (or someone you know), here are three easy, tech-focused tips to help you more efficiently teach your students in your hybrid or virtual classroom.
From rigid teaching approaches to social and sensory overload, many autistic students do not perform to their capabilities simply because simple accommodations are not being met.
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While watching television last night, I noticed an insurance company’s advertisement that showed two young adults playing a video game. At the end, they indicated the game was boring and decided to move on to something else. Is this the attitude your students are feeling about your lessons?
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During this time of online teaching, are you making good decisions about how to prepare and present materials?
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Beyond the traditionally required or accepted accommodations, the first step to promoting neurodiversity at your campus is to better understand how autistic individuals communicate and how you can be more intentional in your communication to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment.
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According to a U.S. Department of Education report, more than half of students with autism ages 6 to 21 spend upwards of 40 percent of their school day in a majority-neurotypical classroom, while about two-thirds spend 80 percent of their day in one.
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“I don’t think any of us really know how to anticipate how detrimental these five months of lack of school have been."
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From information about special education law and accessible programming to online learning activities that you can share with your students, this mix of free and premium resources will help you better prepare for another year of learning, whether it is in-person, virtual, or a hybrid of both.
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During this time of online teaching, are you making good decisions about how to prepare and present materials? Do these lessons create learning experiences that are effective, while allowing the child to understand?
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Now, as we all are physically distant from one another, we have less opportunities to practice our communication skills. Many educators (and parents) fear that COVID-19 shutdowns and service suspensions will lead to social skills regression in their neurodivergent students and might not know what they can do to help.
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From anxieties over your safety and that of loved ones to concerns about your child’s educational needs and more, I know that many of you are frustrated, overwhelmed, and stressed with the uncertainties of today and tomorrow. Remember: we will get through this — together.
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