To get started, the teacher will need a pocket folder for each child, or for only the one child having issues. The left pocket in the folder is for homework assignments and the right pocket in the folder is for completed assignments. This keeps everything in one place and allows the child to easily see what homework needs to be completed and what homework has already been finished.

The teacher needs to make sure that all homework is in the left pocket of the folder when the child leaves school. As the child completes each homework piece, the paper is then placed in the right side. This one folder is all that is needed then, to remember to complete and turn in all homework.

This homework folder method works especially well for disorganized or distracted students.

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Teachers and parents who work with children who have special needs must be proactive and teach children the proper social cues and responses. Here is one unique way to do that.

Use the current hurricane season to introduce students to what a hurricane is. Show pictures, video clips and read about how a hurricane forms and how it can be so devastating to an area that it hits. Then have students brainstorm emotions and character traits that would accurately describe a hurricane.

Have each hurricane name printed on an index card and pass them out to the students. Here is the list of the 2009 hurricane names:

• Ana
• Bill
• Claudette
• Danny
• Erika
• Fred
• Grace
• Henri
• Ida
• Joaquin
• Kate
• Larry
• Mindy
• Nicholas
• Odette
• Peter
• Rose
• Sam
• Teresa
• Victor
• Wanda

Have each child become a hurricane in turn, acting out the emotions and character traits listed on the board. After the child/hurricane does something, the teacher should call out “freeze!” and everyone has to stop and discuss an appropriate way to handle the situation.

A good way to conclude the lesson is to have a class discussion on how the child who was being the hurricane should have acted/reacted to situations that would have been more appropriate.

This is a great lesson to tie into science class as they learn about hurricanes. They can also work on their writing skills as an excellent follow up assignment could be a journal entry about a situation in which they reacted poorly and how they should have reacted differently.

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This test utilizes karyomapping, which basically looks for any abnormality in the baby’s DNA. Additionally, the test could identify chromosomal defects that would prevent the baby from being able to survive. The test has been used to correctly identify cystic fibrosis in both the UK and in the United States.

While this test is a huge step that would enable parents to know about potential genetic defects that would effect their child, there are concerns that this could be the beginning of a designer baby trend. Parents could theoretically eliminate the possibility of giving birth to a baby that is anything less that perfect, while at the same time, raising the abortion rate.

While it may be helpful to know about problems that a baby will have, where is the line that indicates that medical testing has gone to far? Parents who have children with special needs have often mentioned the blessing that their children have been to them and the life lessons they have learned from raising a child who does not fit the societal norm.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Association will set strict limits on what this particular genetic test can be used to test for. Potential disorders to test for include Huntington’s disease, spinal muscular atrophy and autism. Professor Tony Ruthford, chair of the British Fertility Society says that this test could very well be a Pandora’s box, but reiterated that the protocols allowing for very limited use of the test will remain strict.

For more info: Universal embryo test ‘very near’

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Families who have one child with Autism and are not pregnant currently but may become pregnant in the next few years are encouraged to participate as well. Researchers are eager to have families join the study as early during their pregnancy as possible and will continue to enroll families in the study for four years. They are looking for women who are fewer than 20 weeks pregnant in order to be able to obtain the most data possible for the study.

Both the National Institutes of Health and Autism Speaks have funded this study that will take approximately 8 years to complete. One of the study sites is in Baltimore, Maryland under the study Coordinator, JaDenna Jones.

Learn more about the study and how you may be able to participate by going to EARLIstudy.org

or contact JaDenna Jones for more details:

By Phone:
(443)  287-4768
(877) 868-8014
By Email: EARLI@jhsph.edu

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A new “Angel Network” called “Autism Escapes,” is helping children and their families across the country get to Mass General’s widely acclaimed LADDERS Clinic for children with autism and co-existing medical conditions.

Commercial flights can be quite stressful for both children with autism and their parents, which is one reason why the physician parents of 10-year-old Michael, who has autism, have convinced corporate jet owners and pilots to pitch in to help families travel to Boston; the project is sustained by donations of funds and private jet hours, grants, and fundraising activities and hopes to expand into providing respite travel for families in the future.

Aside from the free flight, children are also treated to pre-flight tours of the aircraft to get them accustomed to the environment; a behavior specialist is also on board. Flights arrive at nearby Hanscom Air Force base in Lexington, and children are then transported to LADDERS, one of the country’s premier programs for children with autism.

Dr. Margaret L. Bauman, Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and Director of LADDERS said, “This service should allow families who might otherwise be reluctant to travel with a challenging child to do so without concern for that child’s behavior during the trip, and with the knowledge that they and their child will receive the specialized attention needed to make this trip as easy as possible.”

If your child has autism/autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and a co-existing medical condition, such as seizures or a gastrointestinal disorder, your family may be eligible for a flight to LADDERS. Be sure to check the Autism Escapes website for details.

Guest post by Michelle Fabio, who writes about online education at OnlineEducation.net.

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There was also a sensory integration room in the school where students went to receive some of the therapy that helped them with their autistic symptoms. So along with their schooling, they received swinging, jumping, brushing, rolling and more. The experience was fascinating as I learned how varied the symptoms of autism really are. Some students were being taught how to take turns and click a computer mouse properly and some were being taught how to participate in a routine or try something new at snack time. One student was secluded from the classroom with a single teacher due to the recent outbursts that indicated the opportunity for harming another student or staff member.

While each child is very different, there are some basic similarities for regular classroom teachers that may help with classroom management, lesson planning and teaching. Here is a collection of some of those tips: Teacher resources.

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