As parents, we all desire both a healthy and safe environment for our children, regardless of their ages. As research has continued to explore the causes of autism, what seems to be a common thread is that increased toxicity in our environment is a core component necessary for the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). The full article is available on Autism File.
If you’ve made the decision to homeschool your child, it’s likely that you’ll be giving a lot of thought to the right curriculum and activities. There’s no doubt these are crucial, but so is creating an environment that’s geared for education—and this is especially important if your child has autism. Think of your homeschool as a center of learning, the place where you’ll nurture your child’s desire to find out more—and give it careful planning and attention. The full article is available on Autism File.
Holidays are stressful for everyone regardless of how much joy they bring. The challenges that come with raising a child on the autism spectrum −especially with other siblings − only compound this stress. As an experienced mother of an adult with autism and two other typically-developing children, I have learned many strategies through trial and error, how to avoid crises, and offer these tips to other parents of ASD children in hopes of lessening the stress of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. The full article is available on Autism File.
Alternative learning spaces: What is music therapy? Music therapy is a multi-sensory experience whereby music is used for therapeutic results. A student visually connects with the shiny, brightly colored instruments; he or she hears a sound of the music; he or she experiences a feeling of holding the instrument; and he or she feels the vibration or movement of the instrument. It has been determined that music can influence a student’s behavior by affecting the brain through sound and thereby impact other bodily structures. These effects are visible, identifiable and measurable, and are the basis for music therapy. The full article is available on School Planning and Management.
As our school systems have begun to require green certification levels for new school buildings, our designers and educators need to understand the positive benefits of these “green” design decisions on our children with special needs. Further, in renovation projects associated with our existing special needs environments, we need to advocate for the implementation of green improvements for reasons that go beyond saving the planet. These improvements can aid these children with their abilities to learn, and provide better sustainability to our school buildings. The full article is available on School Planning and Management.