Special Ed Rising

A Word On Your Child’s Personal Growth

9/28/23 One of the common concerns I see with parents is a fear that their child will not grow out of negative behaviors and not progress emotionally, cognitively or develop abilities to manage and cope within their environment; that they will be stuck on the same perseverations, express the same demands and possibly stay trapped in a cycle of meltdowns, tantrums and stims. My belief formed through my observations and experience through the years informs me that this is not typically the case. I would never generalize this to everyone

Examining Our Nation’s Moral Compass In Relation to Our Children

5/29/23 I have been sitting with a lot of thoughts for a while now, about the cultural changes that are occuring in our country and the rise in discrimination, segregation, hate and violence against one another. As someone who has always been offended by injustices I have stood up to support causes I believe in but in turn have sat down more often. I don’t feel I have done enough to help make changes in the lives of those on the margins; those who are quote, “different.” I know I

Transition Questions and Answers with Gretchen Levine

5/27/23 Interview Questions for Grethchen Levine Who are the team members that play a significant role in the transition process? These team members typically play a role in transition planning Transition Coordinator Special Ed Teacher/Case Manager School Psychologist Administrator IEP Coordinator The IEP to be the tool that guides a child towards a relevant transition out of Secondary school; a scaffold that builds on itself strengthening and informing the goal which is a smooth and appropriate transition. I believe this is how it works in Maryland. Do you feel this

Dealing with Trauma in Children

1/18/23 I want to speak here about trauma using first hand experience and refer to trauma informed teaching as an evidenced based approach to clearing a path through the fallout. But my main goal is to give some insight to parents and teachers into managing life for your young one following a traumatic event. I am not an expert on trauma informed care in the sense that I have not studied it or formally employed it. However, I have been through some challenging events with my students in the past

Kids Helping Kids

11/3/22 On Monday evenings my agency hosts a socialization/game night for teens on the spectrum. It’s a great opportunity for parents of these kids to increase their contact with new people outside of the home/school environment. Each participant expresses their approval of the group in their unique way but it is obvious that they enjoy the experience. What I want to mention here, however, is a word or two about the three teens who show up every week after school to help facilitate this event. They are really tremendous and

Letter to a Hate-filled Podcast

9/6/22 A few months ago I heard a podcast by two men and their female guest. I won’t mention them or the name of the show so as not to give them any more attention than they receive already. They were taking down Dwyane Wade’s son (now legally his daughter) for referring to her gender as a girl and her partner, born a girl but who refers to his gender as male. The outright display of vitrial was outrageous to me and I felt compelled to respond. Here is my

Teachers On Social Media

9/1/22 As the new school year approaches, the classroom is a thing of the past for me and I am, in addition to my freelancing, now more involved in the world of blogging and podcasting. As a result, I have joined the social media sector, somewhat reluctantly, but aware of the positive impact it can have on getting messages out, connecting with other folks attempting to do good for others and hopefully sharing great, constructive ideas. But as I do see the up side to these app sites, I equally

A Career Well Chosen

8/9/22 As I approach 34 years working in this field I often find myself thinking about my former students and the impact they’ve made on my life. I wonder what my life would have been like without them adding their colors to it. The smiles, the laughs, the tears and every fine motor movement in between. I had dreams of doing other things both personally and professionally. But as I look back on the what might-have-beens, I find it difficult to imagine any more satisfying profession than teaching at the

Me Time

7/20/22 Not only is it important to focus on self-care as a parent of an exceptional needs child, it is NECESSARY! Make sure to schedule some “me time” everyday. Whether it’s finding a quiet place to breathe for 5-10 minutes. Looking up at the sky and connecting with something greater than yourself whatever that is for you. Playing your favorite song or artist. Move your body at least once per day. Stretch, walk up and down your street, jump rope, do yoga or whatever it is that will refresh your