Latest Articles

Stop, Think, and Don’t React: Encouraging Parents to Be Proactive – Instead of Reactive or Confrontative – During Times of Conflict

Written By: Rebecca Thomas | Resource Creation By Bridget Morton | Design By Sunny DiMartino
 Stop, Think, and Don’t React: Encouraging Parents to Be Proactive – Instead of Reactive or Confrontative – During Times of Conflict

Parents may often find themselves resorting to ultimatums, threats of punishment, removing privileges, or simply throwing up their hands when their child with special needs is having a meltdown and exhibits demanding or irrational behavior. Before exercising rigid authority, which often worsens challenging behavior, parents can instead use personal coping strategies to help themselves stay centered and focused so they remain calm in the face of conflict and, in turn, help their child become more calm as well.

The Sometimes Long and Winding Road to an Individualized Education Program

Written By Geoff Campbell | Resource Creation By Bridget Morton | Design By Sunny DiMartino
The Sometimes Long and Winding Road to an Individualized Education Program

Maintaining an open line of communication with parents is important and often difficult, even in the best of circumstances. This is especially true when a struggling student is being evaluated for a possible disability—and an IEP—and a teacher’s continued updates throughout the process can provide worried parents with much-needed reassurance.

When Children with Special Needs Have Siblings

Written By: Geoff Campbell | Resource Creation By: Bridget Morton | Design By: Sunny DiMartino
When Children with Special Needs Have Siblings

Parents may often feel challenged when raising a child with special needs. But when there are other children in the family and that special-needs child has a sibling, parents often feel even greater stress when trying to give both children the time, support, and attention they need.

Returning to Safety: Understanding and Reducing Self-Injurious Behavior

Written By: Julie Wallach | Resource Creation By: Bridget Morton | Design By: Sunny DiMartino
Returning to Safety: Understanding and Reducing Self-Injurious Behavior

A seven-year-old girl's increasingly extreme self-injurious behavior requires understanding, thoughtful solutions, and careful planning. After a very challenging period of time, Lyla* receives the adult understanding, special education, and therapeutic care she needs to keep herself safe from her own harm.

Tracking the Clues: Using Functional Behavioral Assessment to Help Kids with Special Needs

Written By: Agata Antonow | Resource Creation By: Bridget Morton | Design By: Sunny DiMartino
Tracking the Clues: Using Functional Behavioral Assessment to Help Kids with Special Needs

Sometimes, children with special needs exhibit behaviors that seem random and are difficult to understand, leaving parents with the difficult task of figuring out what they mean and how to respond. In these situations, a set of tools known as Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) can help. Many parents have not heard of FBA, but counselors and therapists use this approach to systematically gather specific data about behaviors and decide on the appropriate intervention. FBA strategies can also be used in the home by parents struggling to understand specific behavior problems—and how to address them.

Binders and Breakdowns: A Mother’s Introduction to the Individualized Education Plan Process

Written By: Julie Wallach | Resource Creation By: Bridget Morton | Design By: Christy Bui
Binders and Breakdowns: A Mother’s Introduction to the Individualized Education Plan Process

An Individualized Education Plan takes time to create and implement, often requiring a year or more of testing, meetings, and decision-making to determine appropriate educational instruction and supports for a student with special needs. When Angie digs into the process, she learns more about education than she ever thought possible, and wades through bureaucracy, advocating for her son.