Making Play a Priority
Making Play a Priority One of the best aspects of my job as a speech-language pathologist is that I get to play throughout most of my work day. I get to play chase, crash on bean bags, and pretend to be a big, bad wolf, all the while targeting objectives on a child’s IEP. However, […]
Entering Adulthood with a Sibling with Autism
Growing up with a twin sister with Autism has been both a blessing and a challenge. Not many people can say that their first memory is that they thought everyone had a twin with special needs or that they were motivated to learn to read by the age of three because their twin somehow already […]
Generalizing Skills at Home and in the Community
You’ve just received an update that your child is excelling in many of their programs at school, some of which may have even been mastered! You are ecstatic over the great news; however, the work is not done. The next step towards your child’s independence is generalization. Merriam-Webster defines generalization as, “the act or process […]
Snow Days at The Shafer Center
When schools are closed for snow days, most school staff has the day off to sit around in their pajamas or play in the snow. At TSC on snow days, we are working. We use this time to create new materials for our kiddos, review data and discuss our kiddos’ progress, and brainstorm new programs […]
Dealing with the snow – The Blizzard of 2016
Today is Monday, January 25, 2016. As all of you know, since we are all still here, we survived the Blizzard of 2016 that began on Friday, January 22nd. My son, Parker is 14 years old and he is on the autism spectrum. My neurotypical son went to a friend’s house last Friday and he […]
What Hayden has taught us
Rabbi Wohlberg, Cantor Albrecht, Hayden, family and friends, we are so excited to be here tonight. I’ve thought about this moment for such a long time and thought about what I wanted to say. But how can I put into words what it means to be here and how much Hayden has given to us? […]
Hayden’s Bar Mitzvah Speech
Hello everyone. Welcome Rabbi Wol-burg, Cantor Al-brect, friends, and family. I’m so happy to see you all here for my Bar Mitzvah. I’m happy to be doing this because it’s part of growing up and becoming a bigger part of my Jewish community. Some of my favorite Jewish traditions with my family are celebrating Rosh […]
Back To School!
It’s that time of year again. Back to school! The start of a new school year can bring a lot of changes, and therefore a lot of anxiety. The best advice to parents is to be prepared. Here are some helpful tips to make sure parents and students are ready and excited for a wonderful […]
How Far We’ve Come
Wow how far we have come in 10 years. Back then I worried if Hayden would speak. Now there are times I would like a little peace and quiet. Yes, I still wonder if he will be able to live independently or go away to college. But I know he can certainly live at home […]
Planes, Trains, and Autism: Making Travel Easy For You and Your Child
Traveling with someone with autism may seem daunting, however with the proper preparation, anything is possible. As with any trip, it is necessary to plan out the activities and travel in advance in order for everything to be as smooth as possible. This is not to say that everything will be perfect, but rather there […]