Homework Help for kids with ADHD

Does your child dread after-school study time? Are you tired of battling your student to get assignments turned in on time? You know that she's bright, capable, and will work hard when she's motivated. But you also know that homework requires our students to perform mundane tasks -- copy down assignments, bring home the right books, and keep track of due dates -- challenges for children with poor focus, attention, or memory. So how do you help her intelligence shine through? ADDitude Magazine explains a system to help parents and teachers help students with ADHD achieve better work skills, a sense of accomplishment, and lots of after-school smiles.

5 Rules for Successful IEPS

Check out this newsletter from Wrightslaw as they walk you through 5 rules for successful IEP meetings and effective advocacy.
http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/11/nl.0927.htm

Suvey on Flu Prevention for Families of Children with Special Healthcare Needs

The CDC is asking families of children with special healthcare needs to take a short survey. They are interested in learning what you know about flu prevention and treatment. Click here to participate in the survey

Spanish Glossary Available Online of Special Education Terms

A new Spanish glossary of educational terms related to the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is now available online. The glossary is the result of the collective and collaborative efforts of 18 Parent Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). It was developed to ensure that IDEA terms used in documents for parents are translated in a uniform and comprehensible way across states, geographical regions, and communities of Spanish speakers.
Click here to visit the OSEP Spanish Glossary online

Autism Awareness Makes a Difference

Mounting evidence suggests that the impairments of autism -- including deficits in speech, IQ, and social skills -- can be tempered or even reversed if therapy is started early.

So the government has funded public health campaigns to increase awareness of the first signs of autism and the importance of early diagnosis among parents and health care providers and it's working!

Click here to read more at Web MD

Use story time to build your child's reading skills!

To an onlooker, the activities Emma Moyer suggests you try when reading to emerging readers just seem like fun, but they will help you build children's critical reading skills.

Ms. Moyer, a second grade teacher and certified reading specialist in Virginia, has started a colorful blog featuring selected books and specific tips you can use to solidify young readers' skills. Ms. Moyer has her M.Ed. in Reading and uses Phonemic Awareness in Young Children as her "go-to resource" for the activities she recommends in her blog.

The activities are presented to parents but they are easily adaptable and equally useful for early childhood educators.

Click here to check out Emma's blog Cuddle 'N Read

College prep for students with ASD

Summer Advance 2011: Be Ready for College is available for 10-12 students between the ages of 17 - 23 who plan to attend or are attending college. Students must be at least a high school junior and taking a college preparatory course load in anticipation of being accepted as a student at UCO or other Oklahoma college. The program will be offered at the University of Central Oklahoma beginning on Sunday, June 26 at 3 PM through Tuesday, June 28 at noon.

Lots of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders plan to attend college. But sometimes, the college experience can be very difficult. Many times students are expected to be aware of information that is not reviewed by instructors or advisers. Summer Advance 2011 is designed to prepare students for the college experience and address the challenges that students often experience.

Summer Advance provides the information that all college students are expected to know when they arrive on campus in the fall. Some of the experiences that students will enjoy include: a social experience to get to know other classmates and mentors, staying in a residence hall, experiencing a college class, scavenger hunt to learn the campus, "College Concepts"--such as what is a 3-hour class, a syllabus, what to do when you get sick, etc. In addition, we will visit the Wellness Center, eat at the Nigh Center, visit the Library, and learn how to find the resources you need while attending college. Students will be assigned peer mentors (upperclassman and graduate students) and there will be supervision for the overnight experience. .

Parents will also participate! There will be financial sessions and social experiences to get to know other parents. These sessions are scheduled for Sunday, June 26 from 3-7 PM and on Monday, June 27 from 6:30 - 8:30 PM.

To participate in this program, you have to apply! Applications are due to us by May 15th! The cost of this program is $100 per student. To access a student application click here:
http://okautism.org/ofca/college/