Safety First: A Parents Guide on Planning Your Child’s Safety Skills
Safety First: A Parents Guide on Planning for Your Child’s Safety Skills Safety of your child is every parent’s first priority, and this is only truer when you have a child with a special need, like autism. Why then are safety skills so frequently left out of your child’s daily learning routines? Take a look […]
Planning For Your Child To Transition Into School
Most parents feel a certain sense of wonder and trepidation when their child reaches the age when they begin school. The wonder comes from not understanding how fast time has flow and now watching as your child, who seems so small, start a new phase in their life. The trepidation comes from worry. We won’t […]
Nonverbal Communication Speaks Volumes
A smile. A laugh. A tear. A hit. A bite. A point. A hug. Despite no words being spoken, communication is being conveyed with each of those actions. We are always communicating through our actions, our gestures, our expressions, and in our touch. Think of how someone might say “I love you” with a hug, […]
Promoting Independence
Teaching a child to live and function independently in society – this is a common goal for parents and professionals in the field of special education. Although this is a common goal, most people have a different definition for independence. Is independence accomplished when someone lives by themselves? Does it mean maintaining a job? Can […]
Diploma or Certificate?
Diploma or Certificate? This question seems to be a hot button issue and bring up a lot of feelings. Is your child getting a diploma or are they on a certificate track? It is not a question that many parents of neuro-typical kids have to ask themselves. But it is absolutely a question that parents, […]
The Marriage of Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis
Prior to working as a special educator at The Shafer Center, the term BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) was foreign to me. I took behavior courses in college and those were always my favorite because behavior is fascinating, but the fact that some people study and work with behavior full-time never crossed my mind. After […]
A Positive Experience with ‘Wings for Autism’
As we are experiencing bitter cold temperatures and numerous snow days this winter, I find myself counting down the days until spring and dreaming of a warm getaway. For individuals with autism, traveling using public transportation can be difficult and overwhelming. Specifically, traveling via airports requires an individual to exhibit several skills that may need […]
Talking to Siblings About Autism
Autism. A word that comes with many questions, concerns, doubts, fears of the unknown and the future. To parents with a child on the spectrum, it’s an ever evolving way of thinking of what the next steps will be and how will this effect their other children. Unfortunately, there is that side of Autism that […]
Extracurricular Activities for Children with Autism
It is hard to find extracurricular activities that our kids are interested in, and that understand our kids. With Autism awareness growing so are the opportunities for inclusion in extracurricular activities! If your kids are interested in sports, inclusive sports teams in the area include: Adapted Karate at Baltimore Martial Arts Academy in Catonsville. Adapted […]
Trick-or-Treat: Teaching Our Kiddos about Halloween
Halloween is really fun holiday that many children look forward to all year long. However, there can be a number of challenges for our kiddos, who are on the spectrum, during this holiday. One challenge (usually the biggest one) is wearing the costume. Costumes feel and look very different from what they usually wear. It […]