Exceptional Needs Today Issue 4 by ExceptionalNeedsToday

Exceptional Needs Issue 4

T O D AY HOW TO CREATE A WORK-LIFE BALANCE

5 SIMPLE WAYS TO HELP YOUR CHILD TRANSITION TO SUMMER

MANAGING TRANSITIONS A Special Needs Daughter, a Father, and the Pandemic

LOCATING A MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER: FINDING THE “RIGHT FIT”

Boosting Funding for Individuals with Disabilities

SEN LEA SOR Y R PLA NING TOYS YIN AN FO G D R

How to Identify and Manage Anxiety Disorder

THE ART OF REGULATING MELTDOWNS

A Special Needs Plan can help answer these questions: 1. Who is going to take care of your child after you are gone and where will they live?

2. How much will that care cost and how are you going to pay for that care? 3. Do you have a special needs trust and do you know how much money you will need in it? How are you going to fund it? How are the funding instruments taxed when you die? 4. What government benefits are available to your child and how do you apply for them? 5. What is the Medicaid waiver and how do you apply for it? 6. How will you communicate your plan to family members?

www.ASpecialNeedsPlan.com Phone (704) 326-7910 Securities and investment advisory services offered through qualified registered representatives of MML Investors Services, LLC, Member SIPC. 4350 Congress Street, Suite 300, Charlotte, NC 28209. 704-557-9600. A Special Needs Plan is not a subsidiary or affiliate of MML Investors Services, LLC or its affiliated companies.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE ON THIS JOURNEY JOIN US FOR FREE Our mission is to educate, support, and energize families, caregivers, educators, and professionals while preparing all families for a healthy future.

EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS TODAY

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Contents

Issue 4 THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-CARE AND KINDNESS WHEN THERE ARE LEARNING DIFFERENCES Lori Stottler, LMHC

Discover the mental and physical benefits of practicing kindness to yourself and others, all of which can improve your overall quality of life.

LOCATING A MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER: TIPS FOR IDENTIFYING THE “RIGHT FIT” Chris Abildgaard, LPC, NCC, NCSP

Receive valuable professional advice on how to approach finding the mental health provider you and your child need, as well as the benefits of a thorough search.

EXCEPTIONAL ADVICE FROM MESHELL THE IMPORTANCE OF SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS WHEN THERE ARE EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS Meshell Baylor

Learn thoughtful ways to facilitate a connection between siblings when there are different abilities.

YOU NEED NOT CARRY THE GUILT OF YOUR CHILD’S DISABILITY Tosin Ade, MA, MSc

SENSORY TOYS: HOW TO BEST IMPLEMENT THEM DURING PLAY AND LEARNING

A SPECIAL NEEDS DAUGHTER, A FATHER, AND THE PANDEMIC

Rebecca Lake

Uli K. Chettipally, MD, MPH

A loving father of a young autistic woman shares his family’s transition to quarantine and reminds readers that the unexpected doesn’t always have negative results.

22 OUR JOURNEY THROUGH GOD’S PLAN WITH AUTISM Jeanetta Bryant

Join an autism mom as she shares the influences and support systems that allowed her family to help their daughter overcome the limits of her initial diagnosis.

24 NATURE NOTES BUILDING FAIRY HOUSES CAN STIMULATE LEARNING AND CREATIVITY FOR KIDS OF ALL ABILITIES

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Amy Wagenfeld, PhD, OTR/L, SCEM, EDAC, FAOTA Consider exercising your family’s imagination by following in the footsteps of two young girls who dedicated time to designing and building fairy houses from found natural materials.

Remind yourself and other exceptional needs parents to let go of personal guilt surrounding diagnoses and embrace your familial love.

Learn about various sensory toys and methods of interacting with them to improve sensory regulation, fine motor skills, and focus.

27 SPECIAL NEEDS PARENTING: DON’T GIVE OUT AND DON’T GIVE UP

Tosha D Rollins, LPC, ASDCS Exceptional advice from a counselor and mother of two young adults on the spectrum on the value of finding a solid support system.

29 A LIFE FILLED WITH PLAY CAN SUPPORT ALL KIDS WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES Carol Blumenstein and The KidsRead2Kids Team Discover the value of play and active engagement in learning while learning about a non-profit dedicated to making reading enjoyable for those whose exceptional needs make it a struggle.

32 EXCEPTIONAL BOOKS THE SPECTRUM GIRL’S SURVIVAL TOOLKIT

Autistic teenager Siena Castellon shares her experiences, strategies, and tools to help other autistic girls thrive at home, school, and beyond in a friendly workbook format.

33 NEURODIVERCITY: A NEURODIVERSE STUDENT COMMUNITY FOR ALL Serena Chen

Discover NeurodiverCity, a website and community for all neurodiverse students to connect and support one another, seek guidance, and enjoy their identities.

37 KATE MAKES IT GREAT! THREE CONCEPTS TO HELP FAMILIES FIND PARENTING BALANCE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS Kate C. Wilde

Read valuable guidance on ways to better meet the needs of a neurotypical child while caring for a special needs child.

40 THE ART OF REGULATING WHEN MELTDOWNS OCCUR Brandy Browne

Brandy shares tips for managing and reducing your child’s meltdowns learned from her own experiences as an exceptional needs parent and educator.

42 FINANCIAL FOCUS LEGISLATION MOVING TOWARD BOOSTING FUNDING FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES Ryan F. Platt, MBA, ChFC, ChSNC, CFBS

Receive information on the most recent COVID-19 relief bill and its intended benefits for the disability community, as well as another legislative victory that may be soon to come.

44 EXCEPTIONAL BOOKS THE UP SIDE OF DOWNS

Meet Marlee, a charming girl diagnosed with Down syndrome who lives her life in the moment with purpose and grace—all lovingly captured by her mother, author Lisa Palermo Matto.

45 HOW TO IDENTIFY AND MANAGE ANXIETY DISORDER J. Edwards Holt

Learn about the different ways anxiety can manifest and ways to lessen its detrimental impact on your daily life.

48 POSITIVE VOICES MARCUS BOYD: REPAYING HIS VOICE THROUGH MUSIC AND ACTIVISM Margo Marie McManus

Meet Marcus Boyd, a prominent Atlanta DJ, producer, and autism advocate who first learned to communicate through music.

51 FIVE VALUABLE TIPS TO HELP ANXIOUS CHILDREN COPE WITH HEALTHCARE PROCEDURES

Dr. Priti P. Desai, PhD, MPH, CCLS

Learn about the Child Life Specialist profession and its value to maintaining emotional stability for children preparing to undergo medical procedures and who may be experiencing anxiety.

54 EXCEPTIONAL BOOKS THE CONFIDENCE PROJECT: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE CONFIDENCE CONSTELLATION

Whether you’re a teacher looking to build up your students’ confidence, a parent helping a child build confidence, or a student looking to become more confident, this book by Joshua Faden and Dr. Stacy L. Scott is for you.

55 MY CHILD HAS A FOOD ALLERGY! Dr. Ron I. Malcolm, EdD

Are you unsure how to guard your child against a dangerous food allergy? Take comfort and guidance from Dr. Malcolm’s tips on how to keep your child safe in the school environment.

58 WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO TAKE GOOD NOTES AT YOUR CHILD’S IEP MEETING THIS SCHOOL YEAR Carly Quinlan

Learn why parents must record their account of all things discussed at an Individualized Education Program meeting to attach to the final document.

60 EXCEPTIONAL BOOKS TEACHING KIDS TO MANAGE ANXIETY, SUPERSTAR PRACTICAL STRATEGIES Using experience as an occupational therapist, Deb Hopper’s comprehensive book offers parents and teachers simple strategies that can make a massive difference to a child’s ability to manage stress and anxiety.

61 AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ARMANI WILLIAMS, THE FIRST NASCAR DRIVER ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM Ron Sandison

A personal look into Armani Williams’s experiences with autism and his rise to becoming a NASCAR driver

64 FROM SPECIAL NEEDS CHAOS TO CALM: HOW TO CREATE A WORK-LIFE BALANCE THAT WILL CATAPULT YOU TO ZEN AND SUCCESS Tasnuva Sarwar Tunna, PhD

Build a thriving independent career and achieve a personalized work-life balance using advice from an accomplished exceptional needs mom who is neurodiverse herself.

EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS TODAY

Exceptional Needs T O D AY

Our mission is to educate, support, and energize families, caregivers, educators, and professionals while preparing all families for a healthy future. exceptionalneedstoday.com Founder/Publisher Amy KD Tobik Lone Heron Publishing, LLC Magazine Staff Editor-in-Chief: Amy KD Tobik Editorial Assistant: Margo Marie McManus Copyeditor: Dione Sabella Editorial Intern: Ben Weingart Director of Advertising & Marketing: John Constantino Professional Consultants Chris Abildgaard, LPC, NCC, NCSP Debra Moore, PhD Brett J. Novick, MS, LMFT, CSSW Annette Nuñez, PhD, LMFT Ron Sandison Amy Wagenfeld, PhD, OTRL, SCEM, EDAC, FAOTA Contact Us editor@exceptionalneedstoday.com advertisingdir@exceptionalneedstoday.com advertising@exceptionalneedstoday.com submissions@exceptionalneedstoday.com editorial@exceptionalneedstoday.com

67 FIVE SIMPLE WAYS TO HELP YOUR CHILD WITH EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS TRANSITION TO SUMMERTIME Annette Nuñez, PhD, LMFT

Receive guidance on multiple activities to incorporate into a daily schedule to help you and your child with exceptional needs transition from school to summertime postCOVID-19.

70 MEETING THE NEEDS OF ALL LEARNERS WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES THROUGH TELETHERAPY Connie Persike, MS, CCC/SLP

Discover a variety of innovations, tools, and programs that have helped make teletherapy effective for individuals with exceptional needs.

Exceptional Needs Today is published six times a year and distributed digitally to readers for free by Lone Heron Publishing. Disclaimer: Advertised businesses and products are not endorsed or guaranteed by Exceptional Needs Today, its writers, or employees. Always follow medical advice from your physician.

Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 4 | 5

From the Editor’s Desk

o you or someone you know have a difficult time making transitions? Whether it’s a change that affects where you live, your school or job, a relationship, or even your everyday schedule, smoothly transitioning can be tricky. For many people, new situations can elevate stress and anxiety. According to a recent study released by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICCRC), more than 50 percent of surveyed respondents across seven countries stated the global health crisis negatively impacted their mental health. In this issue, we will introduce you to families, doctors, therapists, and individuals who have found ways to adjust to the BIG changes the pandemic brought as well as guidance on taking the next steps in moving forward. Uli K. Chettipally, MD, MPH, says he was worried when his 28-year-old daughter’s day program came to a halt back in 2020 as he was certain the lack of planned activities would affect her mental health. Much to his surprise, Siri, who has severe deficits in language and moderate difficulty in social skills, made tremendous strides. The father of three credits staying flexible and positive for keeping his family on track. Be sure to read his piece, A Special Needs Daughter, a Father, and the Pandemic, as he lovingly shares his family’s transition to quarantine and his reminder that the unexpected doesn’t always produce negative results. Speech pathologist Connie Persike, MS, CCC/SLP, said she was a bit apprehensive at first about transitioning to teletherapy during the pandemic as many of her younger patients, especially those with significant disabilities, were accustomed to in-person interaction. Much to Connie’s surprise, the results were overwhelmingly positive as the shift to online therapy boosted family participation. Not only did it provide opportunities to discover new tools and strategies for growth, but it also enhanced familial bonding. Read Meeting the Needs of All Learners with Different Abilities Through Teletherapy to learn more about how moving online inspired motivation and success. The impact COVID-19 has had on education has been felt globally as more than 1.2 billion children were no longer learning in the classroom. Teachers, parents, and students adjusted the best they could to online and hybrid learning models to finish the school year. And then, just as we were adapting, it was time to transition once again—to summer. Annette Nuñez, PhD, LMFT, says this shift may be difficult for families with exceptional needs as kids tend to absorb anxieties and stress. For specialized guidance on activities to incorporate into a new daily schedule during this

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transition, read Five Simple Ways to Help Your Child with Exceptional Needs Transition to Summertime. This issue is teeming with valuable support for everyone, including advice on identifying and managing anxiety disorders, tips on finding the “right” mental health provider, methods to reduce meltdowns, and ways to help anxious kids cope with healthcare procedures. We also have articles focused on approaches to stimulate learning and creativity through nature activities, plus simple ways to implement sensory toys. There is something for everyone. We are thrilled to introduce you to a few exceptional advocates in this issue, including Armani Williams, the first NASCAR Driver on the autism spectrum, and Marcus Boyd, a prominent Atlanta DJ, producer, and autism advocate who learned to communicate through music. Be sure to check out their interviews. We would also like to highlight our dedicated columnists, Ryan F. Platt, MBA, ChFC, ChSNC, CFBS (Financial Focus), Amy Wagenfeld, PhD, OTR/L, SCEM, EDAC, FAOTA (Nature Notes), Kate C. Wilde (Kate Makes it Great!), and Meshell Baylor (Exceptional Advice from Meshell) for all they do to support the exceptional needs community. While the way people live, work, learn, and connect has dramatically changed over the past year or so due to the pandemic, it has also given us an extraordinary opportunity to positively transform the future for millions of people with exceptional needs. Perhaps we can use this occasion to examine how we support one another in transitioning to a better tomorrow.

Amy KD Tobik

Editor-in-Chief, Exceptional Needs Today Publisher, Lone Heron Publishing

PLEASE JOIN OUR EXCEPTIONAL COMMUNITY

MY WORD

A Special Needs Daughter, a Father, and the Pandemic By Uli K. Chettipally, MD, MPH ONE OF THE GREAT GIFTS OF PARENTHOOD IS SEEING YOUR CHILDREN GROW AND DEVELOP AND, IN SOME WAY, GETTING TO TAKE PRIDE IN THEIR SUCCESS REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT IS THROUGH NATURE, NURTURE, OR JUST GOOD LUCK. WHEN YOU HAVE A CHILD WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, THE PRIDE AND PLEASURE OF PARENTING MAY NOT ALWAYS SEEM EVIDENT OR OBVIOUS TO OTHERS. A PARENT OF A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD MAY TAKE PRIDE IN ACCOMPLISHMENTS OTHER PARENTS MIGHT CONSIDER SMALL OR INSIGNIFICANT.

am a father of a special needs child. Her name is Siri. We call her a child even though she is 28. One of the factors that goes into calling some special needs individuals “children” is that they may not have developed into fully functioning independent adults. My daughter functions at a six- to eight-year-old level. She has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which caused her to have a severe deficit in language skills and moderate difficulty in social skills. She is a very sweet young lady who is pleasant and easy to get along with as long as her needs are met and can be understood. Although she is independent in many ways, she cannot be left unsupervised.

Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 4 | 7

MY WORD

The pandemic has taught us that what we worry about in life may never happen. But what we never thought possible can still become a problem! We may try to be prepared, but in the end, all we can do is be adaptable. As an emergency physician in a busy suburban area of San Francisco, California, my life had been pretty busy until recently. I took early retirement to start my own business and spend time with my wife and kids. We have two neurotypical boys who attend local colleges in the area living at home. I have been physically active, helping my daughter engage in activities like walking, roller skating, and riding a bicycle. Although Siri has autism, she is very capable physically and enjoys activity. My wife was instrumental in enrolling her in classes and encouraging her to go into functional fitness, ice skating, horse riding, and boxing. While she had a tough time initially, she started to get a feel for these activities. As a young lady, Siri always had issues with eating and gaining weight, so we had to control her eating and increase her exercise. The exercise helped calm down her anxiety and put it more firmly under her control; she did so well we were able to decrease her anxiety medicine. She went to a day program on weekdays and spent most of her time there, which gave us a break where we could do our work without worrying about Siri for that period of time. We all fell into a nice routine. Then COVID-19 hit! We got scared. Our routine was shattered. Everything closed. Siri could not go to her day program nor any other activities. My wife could not take her to exercise classes as the gym shut

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down. I could not get out due to COVID-19 restrictions. Our whole life came to a standstill. One good thing was I had retired just before the pandemic hit, so I did not have to worry that I might catch the infection at the hospital or that I would bring it home. Now, what could we do with Siri? Until then, she had a full program that would keep her occupied throughout the day, but now it was gone. We were very worried the lack of physical activity would have a devastating effect on her mental health and make her irritable and anxious. And what about her weight? We had been carefully managing her diet and exercise. What would staying home all day do to her? I had to tell her there was no day program. No exercise classes. No going out to do the fun things we used to do, like shopping. She kept asking to go out, and we kept saying the day program and the shops were closed. We were scared this would escalate her anxiety, but it didn’t! She calmed down and stopped asking about going out. She would spend a lot of time in her room playing with her dolls or watching videos on her iPad. Her demeanor became pleasant and patient. Her appetite started decreasing. And to our surprise, slowly she started losing weight! All our worries about things going haywire were just that—our worries. Siri did just fine. She became calm, patient, and pleasant—the image of which we have never imagined. We were always prepared for the worst things to happen. It was totally the opposite. She lost 30 pounds. She is

MY WORD

now very helpful around the house. When she wants to work on her jewelry making, she will work for several hours straight without taking a break. My wife taught her how to stitch, and she made face masks and donated them to a church. Everyone else in the family was having a hard time. Our sons were frustrated they could not be with their friends. With schools closing, they had no face-to-face social interaction with their peers. Our home, which is on the smallish side, was too small for five adults living indoors all the time! There was friction and arguments. It took a while for the boys to get used to the shut-in routine. We started having more family meetings, which in a way helped us understand one another. I was having a difficult time. The new business I started had to pivot to going fully online and virtual. I was worried about work and income, which meant spending more hours than usual on the laptop and in virtual meetings. Due to a decrease in physical activity and constant access to food in the house, I started gaining weight.

Emotionally, the pandemic has helped us become closer as a family. We entered 2021 very optimistic. The boys left home for college. I have gotten more used to doing business virtually and am hoping to lose the weight I gained during the pandemic. We started making trips to Clearwater Ranch in Sonoma County, where we are developing an integrated community for adults with developmental disabilities on an 84-acre parcel. The drive is two hours from our home, but Siri enjoys going there, meeting people, and seeing the development of her future home. Siri has settled well, now preparing to move out to her own home at the end of this year. The pandemic has reassured us she will be fine living with the supports we are setting up at Clearwater Ranch, where she will be living with three other young ladies with special needs. The pandemic has taught us that what we worry about in life may never happen. But what we never thought possible can still become a problem! We may try to be prepared, but in the end, all we can do is be adaptable.

Dr. Uli K. Chettipally, MD, MPH, is a physician, researcher, author, and Siri’s father. He is a director on the Board of Clearwater Ranch. He is the founder of InnovatorMD and an advisor to healthcare start-ups. His book, Punish the Machine! The Promise of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare is available on Amazon. Siri’s website: www.DesignsBaySiri.com Clearwater Ranch: www.CRanch.net

Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 4 | 9

EMOTIONAL HEALTH

The Importance of Self-Care and Kindness

When There are Learning Differences By Lori Stottler, LMHC THESE DAYS ARE UNDENIABLY STRESSFUL. THE PANDEMIC HAS CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE SELFCARE ISN’T A LUXURY BUT A NECESSITY. SELF-CARE COMES IN MANY FORMS, LIKE SELF-COMPASSION, SELF-AWARENESS, AND KINDNESS. KINDNESS IS AN ESSENTIAL FORM OF SELF-CARE BECAUSE IT HELPS NOT ONLY YOU BUT OTHERS AS WELL. IT IS A WIN-WIN COMPONENT TO INCREASE HAPPINESS, HEALTH, AND PRODUCTIVITY IN YOUR LIFE AND YOUR RELATIONSHIPS. AT THE COLLEGE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM (CIP), STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DIFFERENCES REGULARLY PRACTICE AND EMBRACE KINDNESS AND SELF-CARE. THIS PRACTICE ALSO HELPS STUDENTS STAY FOCUSED FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME.

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EMOTIONAL HEALTH

Kindness can increase your energy. Having more energy can help you become more productive at work, school, or other activities. It can also allow us to participate more effectively in our relationships and build stronger bonds with others.

ome students say they don’t feel they are kind or that kindness isn’t one of their personal strengths. Where do you fall in the kindness continuum? For some people, initiating acts of kindness is almost second nature. For others, especially individuals with learning differences, it can be a challenge to develop a routine that considers the welfare of others. Think about kindness like a muscle in your body. When you have a workout routine, you can improve muscle tone and strength in your muscles. You can do the same with your “kindness muscle.” The more you engage in acts of kindness, the stronger you become. This has been clinically proven to improve our overall mood and quality of life, which is a good reason to work out and get on your kindness muscle. So how does being kind improve one’s health? Kindness releases the “feel good” hormones in our body—specifically oxytocin and dopamine. In fact, one act of kindness releases a three to four-minute oxytocin boost with every act of kindness. Oxytocin is known as the “love hormone,” so a kind act really does make one feel good. Oxytocin also increases our self-esteem and optimism. When we feel good, we are kind towards the important people in our lives. Acts of kindness lower our blood pressure and increase our energy. They also decrease stress. Kind people have 23 percent less cortisol (the stress hormone) and age slower than the average population. Often, students with learning differences are surprised to learn something other than eating well and exercising can improve their overall health. Social scientist John Gottman began studying relationships in the 1970s and found one of the main components of a lasting

relationship was kindness. How can we become kind in our relationships? The biggest component of kindness in relationships is to be present with our partner. What does that look like? Being present is to be openly curious about what the other person is telling us without distraction. The next time your significant other or friend engages you in conversation, pause, become curious, put away distractions (phone, Internet, etc.), and be in the moment with that other person. When we engage in kindness with intent, we almost naturally become present with others, because after all, kindness is doing something for someone other than ourselves. Applying kindness to relationships can create stronger connections with our loved ones. CIP works with students to apply kindness in their relationships. This helps them create more meaningful friendships and romantic partnerships. Kindness can increase your energy. Having more energy can help you become more productive at work, school, or other activities. It can also allow us to participate more effectively in our relationships and build stronger bonds with others. One of the best elements of kindness is that it’s contagious. One act of kindness can create a ripple effect. The effect not only helps us in our relationships, in our health, and our productivity but also benefits the lives of others. We consider kindness an act of self-care because there are many benefits when we practice kindness. Using kindness as a self-care tool benefits all the relationships around you; it is powerful. It is an act that serves not only us but those we interact with as well. It has the potential to ripple through our lives and positively affect others.

Lori Stottler, LMHC, is a clinician at CIP Brevard and has worked in the mental health counseling field since 2014. The College Internship Program (CIP) is a comprehensive transition program that has specialized in the educational needs of teens and young adults with autism and learning differences for over 35 years, offering year-round and summer transition programs across the US since 1984. CIP is a national transition program for young adults with autism, ADHD, and other learning differences. For information about their five year-round and summer programs across the US, visit www.cipworldwide.org or call 877566-9247.

Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 4 | 11

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Locating a Mental Health Provider: Tips for Identifying the “Right Fit”

By Chris Abildgaard, LPC, NCC, NCSP OVER THE PAST 14 MONTHS, WE HAVE SEEN A HUGE INCREASE IN THE NEED FOR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO ADDRESS THE RISING SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL PANDEMIC THAT HAS SWEPT COUNSELING (AND THE WORLD). AS A SMALL MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICE, WE HAVE BEEN GETTING FOUR TO FIVE CALLS A DAY, WITH MANY STARTING LIKE, “MY 13-YEAR-OLD SON NEEDS SOMEONE TO TALK TO.” PARENTS, GUARDIANS, SCHOOLS, AND OTHER STATE AGENCIES ARE TRYING TO LOCATE PROVIDERS AND KEEP GETTING TURNED AWAY. WE UNDERSTAND THERE IS A SHORTAGE IN THIS COUNTRY FOR MENTAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS, SO HOW DO YOU NOT JUST “SETTLE”? HERE ARE FOUR TIPS YOU AS A PARENT CAN USE/THINK ABOUT AS YOU ARE MAKING THOSE PHONE CALLS OR SPEAKING WITH A PARTICULAR AGENCY.

KNOW WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR

Before you pick up the phone or start googling “therapist in my area,” know what it is you or your child are looking for. Ask yourself, “Why do I think my child would benefit from counseling services? Are counseling services really what I need?” Consulting your pediatrician is a great first step when

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starting this journey to finding someone to work with your child. Many calls we get end up being concerns over child development. Three-year-old boys don’t really need counseling services because they are “overly active” or “can’t share.” Depending on the level of need or other developmental factors, maybe structured play therapy for a short period will be

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

When looking for a therapist, especially a child therapist, you want to be looking for someone who will take the time to “get the child.” So many young people who struggle with mental health issues, social issues, behavioral outbursts, etc., feel like they are the only ones out there struggling with those things. helpful. Maybe your child is having a hard time communicating their needs and therefore is hitting you and their siblings when they don’t get what they want/need. In that case, maybe you should be seeking advice and support from a speech pathologist or a Board-Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA). On the other hand, if you are going through a divorce or a loss of a close family member, if your child has a neurodevelopmental disability and needs coping skills, or if your child is being bullied in school, you have identified some noticeably clear reasons why you may be seeking counseling services. It is so important parents know what they are hoping their child will get from this type of intervention before jumping right in.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

Finding the right fit for you and your child is not an easy task. Sometimes it will take multiple attempts and sessions to find it. Even after a parent calls asking to set up an appointment with us, I encourage them to ask around about us. I urge them to get in touch with their local Special Education Teacher/Parent Support Group (SETPA) or other parents they may know who have come to the Center. Always check with your pediatrician as they hear about “who’s good and who’s not” from other families. There are several websites like Psychology Today, which has a listing of verified clinicians in multiple

states. On this site, you can read about their specialties, fees for service, and hopefully, check out their websites. Some clinicians invite parents in for a “meet and greet” before setting up the actual appointment. Unfortunately, not all clinicals have the availability to do these “meet and greets,” though it also doesn’t hurt to ask. You never know if the clinician you were hoping to see can take five to ten minutes to say hello. Getting an initial feel for the person you may end up working with is critical and can save you a ton of time.

INTERVIEW THE CLINICIAN

Once you have a good feeling for who you may like to work with, set up an initial intake with them. During the process, the clinician will learn about your presenting concerns, goals for therapy, a little background on the family and, of course, the potential client. During this initial meeting, the clinician is seeing if they would be a good fit for you and be able to provide you with the best therapeutic care. You should come to that initial meeting with some questions of your own. One piece of advice I give new families is to not be scared away if the clinician has not been practicing long. Chances are, if they are a newly graduated or licensed clinician, they continue to be supervised by another colleague in the practice. The questions you want to be asking and getting a feel for are more

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BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

grounded in the clinician’s approach to counseling and how they treat individuals who walk through their door. Some examples of possible questions to ask during your initial intake session may be: § What is your general approach to counseling? § During the session, what types of materials will you utilize to support the work you are doing with my child? § How will you communicate with the family about skills and strategies we can do at home? § If my child has a behavioral issue, how will you handle it? Being able to establish open and honest communication with your prospective clinician can really help the therapeutic process and set the stage for a lasting relationship.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR “THE FLEXIBLE THERAPIST”

When looking for a therapist, especially a child therapist, you want to be looking for someone who will take the time to “get the child.” So many young people who struggle with mental health issues, social issues, behavioral outbursts, etc., feel like they are the only ones out there struggling with those things. They feel people at school and even their parents “don’t get them.” Young people need to feel they have a person who understands where they are coming from, not a friend, but a trusted adult who is capable of building rapport and an understanding of the child that promotes a sense of ease and an initial feeling like “they can help.” You want a flexible therapist who is willing to meet your child where they are. You want a therapist who is willing to sometimes go outside their comfort zone of “doing things” if it means building that rapport. Many of us within the mental health field have had to adapt to how we deliver services during this pandemic. For example, before COVID-19, only a few of us would walk with our client during a session. This idea of walking while delivering talk therapy has been proven to be very effective for many. As a clinician myself, if my client wants to walk, we can walk. I have one client who does great when I just let her draw during ses-

sions. Kids don’t need adults who are going to be more rigid than them. Rather, it’s that mixture of structure, clear expectations, flexibility, and open communication that makes for the best type of therapeutic relationship. Finding that “right” person for yourself and your child often takes time. We currently have a shortage in this country of well-trained mental health professionals and therapists to support all of the needs we are currently seeing. I encourage you to be patient; start your search early if you feel you may have a need for a mental health professional and don’t be afraid to ask some of the tougher questions. No therapist will “fix” the issues. It may take time to see progress and social/ behavioral change; that is to be expected. My hope is that you find a therapist who wants to help their client adapt to the changing world, provide strategies and interventions tailored to that particular person, and be an advocate when needed.

Chris Abildgaard, LPC, NCC, NCSP, is the owner and director of the Social Learning Center, LLC, located in Cheshire, CT. Chris has been in private practice for over 13 years. Along with his private practice, Chris is an Adjunct Professor in the Special Education department for St. Joseph’s University located in West Hartford, CT. Chris is a Nationally Certified school psychologist, a Board Certified national counselor, and a licensed professional counselor with a specialization in autism spectrum disorders. Chris is currently pursuing his doctorate of education (EdD) in School Psychology from Loyola University Chicago. In his free time, Chris loves hanging out with his three children, playing tennis, and grilling! Website: https://www.sociallearningcenter.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SocialLearningCenter Twitter: https://twitter.com/SLC545 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisabildgaardslc/

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EXCEPTIONAL ADVICE FROM

MESHELL

PARENTAL SUPPORT

The Importance of Sibling Relationships When There are Exceptional Needs

By Meshell Baylor A 2010 REPORT FROM THE US CENSUS BUREAU INDICATED 2.8 MILLION CHILDREN HAVE A DISABILITY, WHICH CAN BE CHARACTERIZED AS ANY VISUAL, HEARING, INTELLECTUAL, OR COGNITIVE DELAY OR IMPAIRMENT. A CRITICAL EXTENT OF THESE CHILDREN HAS AT LEAST ONE SIBLING LIVING INSIDE THE HOME TRYING TO IDENTIFY THEIR ROLE IN THE FAMILY AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR SIBLING. WHEN A CHILD HAS ANY DISABILITY, FAMILIES GO THROUGH MANY MILESTONES OF TRANSITIONS IN ORDER TO KEEP FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIPS INTACT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ADVOCATE FOR THEIR CHILD. AS PARENTS TRY TO BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR THE CHILD, THERE ARE TIMES OTHER SIBLINGS CAN FEEL LEFT OUT OR NEGLECTED.

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PARENTAL SUPPORT

ow do you make that sibling feel like they matter? How would you help them assemble a bond with their brother or sister alone? I had the opportunity to connect with a panel of parents who have expressed some positive feedback for families. Many parents said, in the beginning, there was a time their neurotypical child felt impacted by the attention their special needs sibling was receiving from their parents. Many communicated that through one-on-one discussions with their neurotypical/abled child, they developed an understanding about their special needs siblings and became a great help to the family. One parent added that after a sibling comprehends there is a specific need to assist their sibling, they will often develop a desire to provide that help. As parents, time management can be challenging with any child. But how does a parent raising both a special needs child and a neurotypical/abled one balance time between them evenly? Our panel of parents noted balancing time will always be a challenge, yet, as guardians, you should carve out an ideal time for each specific child and make them feel special. Create a special day that highlights all the things they love to do. This gives that child the opportunity to feel as though their time and opinions matter. A natural bond between siblings should be a typical concept, but for children with special needs siblings, there may be a struggle with getting to know the other sibling or figuring out activities that can be done together. If they are having a hard time bonding, this panel of parents offers some recommendations. 1. Allow the siblings to get to know each other in simple ways, whether through music, drawing, or watching children’s movies. Siblings have a kindred connection—allow them time to find their way into learning about each other. 2. Plan a family fun day with all the children, so everyone feels a sense of inclusion. This allows them an opportunity to play, grow, and learn from one another in a positive family setting. 3. Seek out literature on siblings and disabilities to help siblings comprehend that their feelings matter and that other families experience this dynamic as well. Below are some books on siblings and special needs: • Help! My Sibling Has A Disability, available at Christianbook.com. Written by Dave Deuel “Having a sibling with a disability raises unique challenges. It can seem unfair, holding you back from doing the things other families are doing. This mini-book, with its reminder that God makes no mistakes, seeks

to come alongside you, and offers biblical wisdom and practical suggestions for navigating through the different seasons of a sibling relationship.” • Oh Brother!: Growing Up With a Special Needs Sibling, available at amazon.com. Written by Natalie Hale “Being the brother or sister of a child with special needs has special challenges. And Becca has some great ideas for dealing with them—after she accepts that she can’t send her brother Jonathan to another planet!” • I’m A Little Big Brother, available at amazon.com. Written by Meshell Baylor “Take a journey with two brothers as they explore their imagination going on fun adventures together. I’m A Little Big Brother highlights the unconditional love that one brother has about his brother’s autism. This book demonstrates the important role that siblings play in the lives of their families.” Overall, the importance of a sibling relationship relies on the love and support parents give to all children. As parents, trust the instincts within your children. If you provide them with lots of love, they will emulate that form of affection with their siblings.

Meshell Baylor is a mother of four children, two of whom are on the spectrum. She serves her community as a social worker and community advocate within the Los Angeles area. She has a bachelor’s degree in Human Services from Springfield College and a Master of Science in Human and Social Services. Meshell continues to volunteer and give within her community, serving the special needs community.

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PARENTAL SUPPORT

You Need Not Carry the

Guilt of Your Child’s Disability

By Tosin Ade, MA, MSc

THROUGHOUT OUR LIFETIME, WE ARE GOING TO EXPERIENCE A MYRIAD OF LIFE-CHANGING MILESTONES. THE SPECTRUM OF THESE MILESTONES CAN BE WIDE-RANGING, FROM LOSING OUR FIRST TOOTH TO BECOMING A PARENT. OF ALL THE MILESTONES WE REACH, HAVING A CHILD (PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE OF US WHO YEARN FOR IT) IS UP THERE WITH MAJOR LIFE-CHANGING MILESTONES.

ur lives begin to change the very moment we get a positive pregnancy result. We restructure our lives in every imaginable way possible. Every waking moment and daily activity is channeled toward the anticipation of our perfect baby. We wait anxiously and dream about all we hope for this precious gift: thoughts of when we first meet the baby, first cry, first step, first word, and a series of other firsts that come with welcoming a newborn into our world. Our hopes, plans,

and dreams all seem perfect and well-curated. We believe with the most molecular part of our being that we will get to experience all we wished for our child. However, life in its glorious forms and intricacies has a way of dishing out surprises on a platter. What happens when the rug of life is suddenly pulled from underneath us? When the pronouncement is made that we will not experience life with our child the way we’ve perfectly

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PARENTAL SUPPORT

To every special needs parent out there, you are in no way responsible for your child’s disability. There was nothing you could have done differently to bring forth a contrasting outcome. You did everything you could have done. curated? We may feel devastated. We may feel lost. We try so hard to get a grip of our world. The innumerable emotions a parent experiences when given the news their child will most likely not develop or experience life in a way comparable to their peers are indescribable. One of the pronounced feelings a parent experiences is that of guilt; the endless battle and the searching of the soul to figure out what we have done wrong, where we went wrong. With more awareness and medical intervention, there is an understanding that no one is at fault. Nevertheless, the guilt lingers and occasionally rears its monstrous head into the forefront of our thoughts. To every special needs parent out there, you are in no way responsible for your child’s disability. There was nothing you could have done differently to bring forth a contrasting outcome. You did everything you could have done. As you received the diagnosis of your child’s disability, you became the fiercest fighter and advocate for your child. You sought to find out all there is to know about your child’s disability. You continue to seek ways to make your special needs child have access to all the resources and support they need. It is imperative you do not let the rude remarks of uninformed individuals make you question your parenting abilities. The most important thing is that your child sees and appreciates you showing up for them every day.

Acceptance can be hard. Let go of any type of guilt surrounding your child’s disability. Find your people and know those who truly care will never make you feel guilty or question your worth as a parent. Your community will be your rock, backbone, and shoulder on which you lean. Your child may not have showed up in the way you imagined, but there is much joy to be found in the bond and memories you are creating. You are enamored and enjoying parenthood in a totally different way. Your child came out in a version that knocked you off your feet most beautifully. Raising a child with a disability makes parenting an endless case of surprises, yet you welcome it with open arms. You would not have this precious and unexpected gift any other way.

Tosin Ade, MA, MSc, is the founder of Childhood Uninterrupted. She is an Education Specialist and consultant. Currently, she works as an elementary school Education Specialist. She has over a decade of experience as an Education Specialist. Over the years, she has instructed hundreds of special needs children from the elementary to the secondary level. As part of the IEP multidisciplinary team, she makes decisions in regard to the academic development, behavior, and emotional well-being of hundreds of special needs children with varying disabilities. She has extensive knowledge of special education best practices and policies. Tosin has a master’s degree in School Leadership from California State University, Dominguez Hills, a master’s in Special Education from National University, and a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from California State University, Northridge. She also has California Administrative Services and Education Specialist (Mild/Moderate Disabilities) credentials. She holds an Autism Spectrum Disorder Authorization. Website: https://childhoodu.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childhoodu_/ Email: tosin@childhoodu.com

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SENSORY STRATEGIES

Sensory Toys

By Rebecca Lake

How to Best Implement Them During Play and Learning

THINK OF A MOMENT IN TIME WHERE YOU’VE FELT A SENSE OF CALMNESS AND RELAXATION. IT COULD BE FROM A MASSAGE, MAYBE LISTENING TO YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC, OR GETTING INTO A HOT BATH. WE ALL HAVE UNIQUE OUTLETS WE RESORT TO WHEN SEEKING RELIEF OR COMFORT. A CHILD WITH AUTISM FREQUENTLY SEEKS COMFORT THROUGH SENSORY EXPERIENCES. SENSORY TOYS SUCH AS SLINKIES, SAND OR SLIME, FIDGET TOYS, AND TACTILE BALLS ARE GREAT EXAMPLES OF POPULAR SENSORY TOYS. ENGAGING WITH SENSORY TOYS CAN ENHANCE BRAIN FUNCTION WHILE ALSO SUPPORTING THE CHILD’S ABILITY TO ACQUIRE NEW SKILLS.

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SENSORY STRATEGIES

s autism awareness becomes more prevalent in our society, sensory toys are emerging as supportive tools to enhance children’s development and learning. As a parent, you may find yourself trialing multiple toys with your child to determine which ones they’ll benefit from and engage with the most. Sensory toys stimulate one or more of the child’s senses and help them to self-regulate. Most might refer to the five senses as taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound. In addition to these five, we also have movement (also known as vestibular sense) and body position (proprioception). This article will break down some of the most common sensory toys that fulfill children’s auditory, tactile, and visual sensory needs and how to best utilize them during play and learning.

Gravity timer Gravity timers are excellent tools for wandering minds as they aid in anxiety and stress relief by providing a calming effect. This sensory tool also provides visual stimulation, helping to improve visual tracking skills and focus. Incorporating this sensory toy during parent-child skill practice or one-on-one work can help the child stay on task. Use the timer as a visual prompt to remind your child when their breaks are approaching or coming to an end. During virtual learning, place the gravity timer beside the screen to help maintain focus toward the lesson. If you notice

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your child becoming overstimulated or agitated during the lesson, shake the timer and allow them to watch the mesmerizing colored droplets slowly fall as a method of “cool-down” mode.

Texture play: Kinetic sand, slime, putty Playing with textures is a great way to engage the tactile senses while enhancing fine motor skills. Fortunately, there are a variety of textures available to choose from, such as slime, play foam, putty, and playdough. Kinetic sand is a great sensory tool to integrate into learning and play. It can help improve hand-eye coordination skills while sparking creativity and imaginative play. Kinetic sand is mess-free sand that neatly molds together when you play with it. This allows for easy clean-up—less mess, less stress! Kinetic sand can be broken down into multiple shapes and sizes or clumped into one giant ball. Form the sand into shapes and practice patterning. If the patterning is a hit and your child stays engaged throughout the activity, try working on math by forming the sand into balls and practice addition/subtraction. Playdough and putty are great textures to incorporate into learning as you can teach your child imaginative play and tell a story as you both build together. Identify shapes, common objects, and practice social skills as you build. The learning opportunities that come with tactile play with textures are endless!

SENSORY STRATEGIES

Tactile balls Tactile balls engage three of the five senses—visual, auditory, and tactile. Tactile balls come in many different shapes, sizes, weights, and textures. Some balls are raised, some are spiky, and some are squishy. Some balls light up or make noise when you bounce them, providing auditory and visual stimulation. Tactile balls can be highly stimulating and aid in strengthening grip as well as fine motor activities such as writing. Tactile balls are great tools to introduce new textures to your child while teaching them to tolerate various surfaces. While exploring new textures, you can also encourage communication skills by asking the child what they’re feeling or describing what they see. This is a great way to practice answering questions and to also teach and encourage reciprocal communication while providing a stimulating sensory experience.

Fidget toys Fidget toys are great toys to take with you on the go or to provide support during school and group activities. There are many different makes of fidget toys. When thinking about fidget toys, the fidget spinner may come to mind; it was a toy that hit the market in 2017 and became a popular trend. This small toy is promoted to relieve stress and anxiety, and while children with autism took a liking to the toy, so too did neurotypical children and even adults. Fidget toys are designed to have many functions to keep the hands busy while improving concentration and fine motor skills. By focusing on engaging with the fidget toy, the child can work on eliminating any surrounding distractions in their environment. Some fidgets come with buttons that produce noise when you click them, which provides auditory stimulation in addition to the visual and tactile input the child gets when playing with the toy. These toys are suitable for all ages and are typically made compact to allow the user to take them wherever they go. Fidgets are great to incorporate during a stressful outing in the community, while on long car rides, or during classroom activities that require the student to sit still and attend.

Conclusion Autism support is needed now more than ever before as we adjust to having our children at home a majority of the time. Luckily for us, e-commerce has experienced significant growth over the past year, enabling more access than ever before. Companies like Sensa are taking it a step further and curating subscription boxes to give your child the best variety possible while at home. As sensory toys continue to hit the market, it’s recommended you seek advice from professionals who can recommend suitable sensory toys for your child. When searching for quality sensory products, it may be beneficial to research brands that work with evidence-based practitioners such as occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and Board-Certified Behavior Analysts. Happy stimming!

Rebecca Lake is a heart-centered entrepreneur and a dedicated advocate for the neurodiverse community. She believes in equal opportunity for all and has made it her life’s goal to create a more inclusive world. With determination and dedication, Rebecca co-founded Endless Abilities Inc., a Behavioral Health Clinic in Ontario, Canada. She leads a team of driven professionals who share the same passion and provide quality care to all families. Rebecca also co-founded Sensa—a subscription box company that provides sensory and educational toys for children living with autism and other disabilities. Rebecca’s involvement in the field and everyday collaboration with families and professionals have given her insight on quality sensory toys that aid in children’s learning. Sensa subscription boxes are available in Canada and the United States. Visit shopsensa.com to learn more. Website: www.shopsensa.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopsensa/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopsensa

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MY WORD

Our Journey Through

God’s Plan with Autism By Jeanetta Bryant IT HAS NOW BECOME CLEAR THAT WHILE SOME MIGHT CALL IT “LINDSEY’S STORY” OR “OUR STORY,” THE TRUTH IS WE ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERS CAST IN A DIVINE MASTERPIECE THAT IS “GOD’S STORY.” THIS CLARITY WAS HARD TO FIND IN THE MINUTES AND DAYS FOLLOWING AN EXTREMELY POOR PROGNOSIS AND OVERWHELMING DIAGNOSIS FOR OUR THREE-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER. IN THAT MOMENT WE HAD THE AIR KNOCKED OUT OF US. WE WERE LOOKING AT A BEAUTIFUL GIRL WHO DRIFTED INTO AUTISM AND AWAY FROM US. SHE HAD “REGRESSED.” GONE WERE THE DAYS OF HER LOOKING INTO MY EYES AS WE PLAYED, THE DAYS OF US LAUGHING AND HER TRYING TO PLAY AND BE SILLY WITH ME. IN THIS NEW REALITY, WE WERE BEING TOLD SHE WOULD NEVER RETURN TO ANY OF THOSE MAGICAL MOMENTS. HER DIAGNOSIS INCLUDED MANY ACRONYMS AND THE REMOVAL OF ALL HOPE.

nfortunately for many, that’s where some children’s stories end—simply sad tales and gifts of sympathy for the parents. God had far different plans for our daughter and our lives. He would go on to use her in extraordinary ways and as a beacon of light to show others hope, perseverance, and triumph. Less than 24 hours after learning the professionals’ bleak expectations, I was interviewing candidates for a team role. The last person of the day came in, and from the moment she cleared the door it was obvious she was overqualified. That didn’t stop us from carrying on for more than two hours of

conversation. This person was a stranger, and yet somehow, I ended up divulging to her my daughter’s diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To my shock, she, too, was a special needs mom. She had even written a book on helping her son alleviate his autism symptoms. She filled me with hope, encouragement, and instructions. From that point on, Lindsey’s trajectory was changed. We went on to learn there were many things to discover. We started with changing Lindsey’s diet, then added more therapies. We learned that while she may have a more challenging way forward, she still had a path! Over time and because of moments where we were candid and transparent, God continued to place knowledgeable and kind parents in our lives. These parents lent insight, tips, ideas, and suggestions on the next steps. We were slowly but surely seeing gains.

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MY WORD

We soon found sounds and words were starting to replace the pointing and screaming, that her attention span was growing, and her laughter returned. We watched her develop friendships and interests. The girl who was never to speak again, never to have any social or academic growth, was defying the odds.

parent can do incredible things. With that in mind, we launched onto a new endeavor, and Abilities Workshop was born. Abilities Workshop is a nonprofit with one mission: to help every child be their best. This is done by empowering parents, pastors, and teachers with resources and HOPE. Knowing how children can improve and watching their pain fade while they shine and contribute beauty to the world is incredible.

Currently, Lindsey is a witty and sweet ten-year-old girl. She has friends, loves her school, has played soccer, dances hip hop, and is a rollercoaster junkie. It is with great pride that I have had a front-row seat to her remarkable accomplishments. She is still “catching up” on some social and academic goals, but we have no doubt those too will be conquered. But this story is only just getting started. As we navigated the storm, it became clear not all autism families have the same experience. While so many of us are given the “facts” or “statistics,” few are given hope. Parents want to fight for their kids and help them overcome any obstacles that stand in their way, and armed with the right tools, the love of a

We are honored to help parents navigate this journey and remind them their child is full of greatness. The reality is these kids are showing us perspective, patience, and love. They are teaching us how to apply these principles in an age where we need them most; we are grateful for each one of them. Jeanetta Bryant is Founder and Executive Director of Abilities Workshop, Inc. She is dedicated to helping special needs families find answers and children impacted by a special needs diagnosis be their best. Jeanetta is an author, developer, and advocate. As a mom of two children, one with ASD, she finds no greater joy than watching them develop and achieve their dreams. Her interests include family time at home or a theme park, college football, and making memories. Website: https://www.abilitiesworkshop.com/

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hat we w is h t ’t n Is r our all want fo ids? precious k Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 4 | 23

STAYING FIT AND HEALTHY

Nature Notes

Building Fairy Houses Can Stimulate Learning and Creativity for Kids of All Abilities

By Amy Wagenfeld, PhD, OTR/L, SCEM, EDAC, FAOTA I AM THRILLED TO BE SHARING THIS NATURE NOTES COLUMN WITH YOU AS IT IS AN INTERVIEW WITH TWO ADORABLE LITTLE GIRLS: SUSIE (AGE EIGHT) AND YUNJI (AGE FIVE). THEY ARE GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH MAKING FAIRY HOUSES. THIS FUN AND CREATIVE NATURE-BASED CRAFT IS SOMETHING I HOPE YOU WILL CONSIDER DOING WITH YOUR CHILDREN. MADE OF FOUND NATURAL MATERIALS AND EMBELLISHED AS DESIRED WITH SMALL FIGURINES OR OTHER MINIATURE OBJECTS, A FAIRY HOUSE IS A WHIMSICAL HOME FOR IMAGINATIVE FAIRIES OR OTHER SPRITES.

simple internet search will lead you to many websites that provide directions and suggestions for building fairy houses. Some fairy houses are very elaborate and detailed. I suggest that directions are not necessary; instead, let your child’s imagination and creativity guide the process. That is exactly what Susie and Yunji did, and I could not be more pleased to share their thoughts and ideas with you. As planned, the girls built their fairy houses the day before we had our interview, so it was like going on a house tour with each of them. I began by asking the girls what they found and gathered to build their fairy houses in my interview. Here is their list: • • • • • • • • •

Smooth stones—small, medium, and large (palm-sized) Shells and bits of shells Pine needles Pinecones Sticks—small and medium Tree bark Seeds and seed pods Leaves Flowers

Please note this is not intended as an exhaustive list, and it goes without saying that nothing toxic, sharp, or unsafe should ever be gathered or used to build a fairy house. Also, fairy house

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building materials should not harm the sources from where they come. As Susie and Yunji did, look for objects on the ground, like fallen leaves or seed pods, rather than removing them from living objects. I invited the girls to tell me why they chose what they did and where they found the materials. Susie shared that she chose building materials because of their sizes. Yunji’s imaginative yet practical process focused on finding materials that reminded her of things in real life, “except for the roof.” Her cooking bowls were little shell vessels, and like Susie, the walls of her house, made of pine needles, look to me like siding.

STAYING FIT AND HEALTHY

In terms of how they gathered and transported their building materials, the girls told me they gathered materials in bags, one for the beach and one for the park. They found shells and smooth rocks “from the ocean” and sticks and pine needles along the trail in a nearby park. Materials from their yard were transported in their hands, but when they were full, it was time to bring the materials to each of their building sites, one handful at a time, organized by what it would be used for in the house. Yunji told me she “took her time.” She thought about what she was doing as she was gathering supplies and both girls told me they shared their materials, which was such a nice thing to do! Next was the building process. Susie’s house took on a rather complex vertical orientation, and Yunji’s was more ground-hugging. Susie was all about using the right sizes of things like rocks. As she was guiding me through her house via our video interview, she pointed out that where she put the rocks mattered, saying that if she put a rock in a certain place, it could be too big or vice versa, so her strategy was to select “the right size rock to fit [in her fairy house yard] and if it was too big, I tried another one.” Susie wanted to think about how things fit together—not too big and not too small. It was about symmetry. Susie had a small rock garden, which we will come back to in a minute. When orienting features in her fairy house, Yunji thought about avoiding things getting “squooshed” in her joined small and big houses. Yunji started her house by building a table. She wanted to have a flat house to avoid tripping over it. She focused on putting the pieces of her house together and was very clever in thinking about how she could use one end of a stick to “spear” a leaf in place. She secured sticks in place with rocks, thus making her house even more secure. Yunji thought a lot about how her house should be like the one she lives in, to have beds and a kitchen so there would be places to sleep and yummy treats, like those she loves, for the fairies and sprites to eat. She created little vessels in which to store and cook her “food” and made a cozy bed out of pine needles. The vessels, Yunji’s “plates and dishes,” were small shells filled with pretend food that reminded her of “sticky rice and chili sauce” with “dirt that was like soy sauce.” Her tree bark doorway was graced with a curved stick archway. A sweet little flower was one of Yunji’s favorite elements be-

cause it was special and one of a kind, the “only pink part of her house.” Tapping into the flexibility associated with building fairy houses, Yunji volunteered that she was rebuilding her house, even as Susie and I were talking. Ever the future building entrepreneur, Yunji’s house is conveniently located adjacent to a “vacant” lot, so a future fairy house neighborhood may soon grace their family garden. For Susie, the hardest part of building her fairy house was finding the right leaves, so her mom helped her. Help is always great when someone asks for it. Susie also thought about ways to secure the leaf roof in place. She did so using the “piercing the leaves with sticks” strategy, which were carefully balanced inside her house. Is this the equivalent of a vertical column in a “real” home? I think so! Yunji’s most challenging aspect of building was keeping the leaves where she wanted them. She told me, “the hardest part was putting on the leaves [roof] because it kept falling down.” Again, the piercing technique worked well for her. For both girls, taking their time and simply thinking of ways to solve any challenges was key to them feeling proud of their houses. Focusing on the process of building rather than experiencing any kind of pressure to create a prescribed end product made this activity fun, creative, and rewarding for the girls. Their mom told me the girls had a great time engaging in fairy house building, and she too loved watching the girls be their best creative selves. Where can you make fairy houses? The girls built theirs outside in their garden. One sat on her knees to work and the other crouched down. Building can also easily happen inside or outside at a table. Some children might like to lay on their

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STAYING FIT AND HEALTHY

bellies while working. There is no right or wrong way as the optimal way to build a fairy house is in a position that best suits your child. That said, my occupational therapy brain will tell you that crouching, sitting on knees, standing, or being prone (on belly) provides the most proprioceptive sensory input. You may want to keep this in mind for children who benefit from this type of sensory input. And finally, what would be the point of a nature activity if it was not fun? For Susie, the most fun part of building her fairy house was putting the rocks around her garden to protect it. I think a future career in landscape architecture may await her. For Yunji, her favorite part was thinking about how to make a bed, which she did by spreading out some pine needles. Arguably, I think the entire process, from gathering materials to building and rebuilding, was the best part. I guess this means the entire fairy house-making process was the most fun! My genuine thanks to Susie and Yunji for making fairy houses and for telling all of us about how you did it. I hope you all will be inspired by Susie and Yunji and add fairy house building to your nature toolkit. If you do, please send me a photo of your child’s fairy house so we can create a virtual Exceptional Needs Today fairy house neighborhood.

Amy Wagenfeld, PhD, OTR/L, SCEM, EDAC, FAOTA, is Principal of Amy Wagenfeld | Design and Lecturer in the Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program at Boston University. She is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and the Center for Health Systems and Design at Texas A&M University and holds evidence-based design accreditation and certification (EDAC) through the Center for Health Design, specialty certification in environmental modifications (SCEM) through the American Occupational Therapy Association, and certification in Healthcare Garden Design through the Chicago Botanical Garden. Amy presents and publishes widely on topics relating access to nature and is co-author of the award-winning book Therapeutic Gardens: Design for Healing Spaces published by Timber Press. When not designing gardens, researching, or developing garden and nature programs, Amy can be found happily digging in the dirt. Website: www.amywagenfelddesign.com Blog: http://workjournal.org/nurture-through-nature Email: amy@amywagenfelddesign.com

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26 | Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 4

Resilience

PARENTAL SUPPORT

Special Needs Parenting: Don’t Give Out and Don’t Give Up

By Tosha D. Rollins, LPC, ASDCS AS A PARENT AND PROFESSIONAL IN THE WORLD OF AUTISM, I OFTEN GET ASKED FOR PARENTING ADVICE. MY NO. 1 RESPONSE TO THAT QUESTION IS, “DON’T GIVE OUT AND DON’T GIVE UP.” THIS MAY SEEM LIKE A VERY BROAD RESPONSE TO SOME, BUT THERE IS ALMOST A SECRET SIGH OF RELIEF FOR MANY SPECIAL NEEDS PARENTS WHEN IT IS HEARD. OFTEN, PARENTS STAY QUIET ABOUT THEIR THOUGHTS OR FEELINGS REGARDING SCHOOL OR FAMILY MEMBERS OR EVEN AVOID ASKING FOR HELP FROM OTHERS. FEAR GUIDES THEM TO REMAIN SILENT, OFTEN LEAVING THEM TO FEEL ISOLATED AND ALONE. SPECIAL NEEDS PARENTS HAVE TO WORK EXTRA HARD TO COMMUNICATE THEIR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS TO THEIR OUTSIDE WORLD, AS MUCH AS THEIR INSIDE WORLD. LET ME EXPLAIN.

s a parent of two children on the autism spectrum who are now young adults, I found myself caught between not wanting to be the pebble making the ripples in the pond but desperately wanting someone to hear me, listen to me, and understand my concerns. Support systems can seem very small in special needs families, not because other family members or friends do not want to help, but because they do not know how to help. Sometimes it is hard for parents to accept the help that is offered to them. Here is my advice:

1. Say ‘Yes’ when someone offers to help 2. Communicate with friends and family, neighbors, and coworkers precisely what you need 3. Practice making a list of things that would be helpful if someone else offered to contribute 4. Think outside the box and present your request to them with very specific details regarding how they can help and how their assistance could benefit your family in a big way 5. Schedule a time immediately on the calendar, so there is a firm commitment 6. Say ‘thank you’

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PARENTAL SUPPORT

Part of parenting is learning to advocate when your child needs a voice louder than their own. Often challenging behaviors can disrupt the educational ecosystem that they attend every day. Don’t give out yet! Part of parenting is learning to advocate when your child needs a voice louder than their own. Often challenging behaviors can disrupt the educational ecosystem that they attend every day. Special education services offer a variety of tools to help with accommodations and the academic success of students. 504 Plans and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) set rules in place with a governing contract that educators rely on as a roadmap to educational services. Those services are often difficult to seek and require a lot of advocacy from the parent and exhaustive proactive communication. This level of advocacy during an entire school year can be mentally draining, frustrating, and can leave a parent running on fumes. Don’t give out yet, Mom and Dad! The summer break is here, but as many parents already know, that is not much of a slowdown. Changes in routine can take some time to adjust. Summer can be a great break from the homework and behavior challenges at school and the constant flow of email communication between school staff and parents. It can also be a time to recharge your voice, reflect on what worked well and what needs adjusted next school year and engage in meaningful communication about your child’s progress at home.

Don’t give up! Parenting is 365 days a year and a 24/7 job. Sustainable parenting involves taking breaks, implementing self-care, and strategizing to plan. It means embarking on a journey of selfcare that allows you time and space to heal and feel. Self-care is the inner work that recharges our spirit, enables hope to blossom, inspires our actions, and impacts our ability to con-

tinue serving the ones we love, our children. Keep the momentum by balancing downtime with your busy time. Nurture yourself as much as you nurture everyone else. If you are searching for a way to take care of yourself and connect with a supportive tribe of parents, please visit: Summer Slow Down Parent Support Group This weekly support group is designed to help parents learn to balance self-care and incorporates real-time ongoing audio support and encouragement from parents, off social media, in a private audio group. Support group participants will receive a weekly email with a workbook that provides them with weekly encouragement, tools, and prompts for self-care. Accountability, support, and encouragement occur Thursday evenings at 7 pm EST walkie-talkie style using the Voxer app. $25 weekly subscription via PayPal Email: tosharollins@uccasc.com.

Tosha D. Rollins is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist, and autism parent. Her experience includes more than 22 years in the autism arena. Tosha also offers autism coaching and consulting outside of her private practice, Rollins Counseling, LLC. Tosha also created the Autism in Action Podcast, which is dedicated to helping families find resources, services, and support. Special interests include advocating for children, special needs families, and autism professional development. Email: tosharollins@uccasc.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tosha-rollins-ab686227/ Podcast: https://autisminactionpodcast.com/

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LEARNING STRATEGIES

A Life Filled with Play Can Support All Kids with Different Abilities

By Carol Blumenstein and The KidsRead2Kids Team WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP, OUR DAYS WERE FILLED WITH PLAY. FROM BARBIE DOLLS AND LEGOS TO FACTORY VISITS AND FARM STAYS, OUR MOTHER BROUGHT LEARNING TO LIFE. EVERY DAY WAS AN ADVENTURE. IT DIDN’T MATTER IF WE WERE BUILDING A TENT IN OUR LIVING ROOM OR ROAD-TRIPPING COUNTRYWIDE—PLAY GAVE US THE ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD.

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lay shaped our childhood, but it also shaped who we are today. Though we didn’t know it then, our mother had been teaching us lessons we would keep with us forever. When we played with stuffed animals, dolls, and homemade puppets, we learned to tell stories and communicate our emotions. When we built from scratch with LEGO bricks, we experimented with our imaginations and learned spatial awareness. When we went on adventures, we learned to see the world from all perspectives. We thought about the lives of farmers and factory workers, dancers and chefs, fishermen, and historical figures.

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When we received our diagnoses—a mix of anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and dyslexia—interactive learning became an essential component of our scholastic lives. For kids with learning differences, kinesthetic The Nutcracker Club members playing with and tactile learntheir Bear-noculars during one-on-one mentoring ing can open their eyes to endless possibilities. For some kids, multi-sensory engagement is what they need to get the learning to click not only in school but in the real world too. Many schools don’t recognize the benefits or legitimacy of learning through play—learning by doing. Regardless of whether your school does or not, here are some fun ways to incorporate play into your child’s learning at home.

LEARNING STRATEGIES

If you have a sandbox or access to a community sandbox, you can make your own plaster fossils to hide in the sand. When your child finds them all, encourage them to try to put them back together, like an archeologist. Hide a treasure chest in your local park and challenge your child to find it with a compass and map. Or try geocaching or orienteering. You’ll learn similar lessons—navigation and cartography—but there will be a set program for you to follow. You can also contact your local museum and ask if they have their own scavenger hunt. If not, feel free to make your own. Many museums publish exhibit maps online, so you can design in advance and hunt with your child on a day off. From critical thinking and problem solving to memory and vocabulary, you can learn a lot when you’re learning through play! We here at KidsRead2Kids want to share everything we’ve learned with you. We have dedicated ourselves to helping kids learn and grow through play. Our KidsRead2Kids Book Club, which pairs high school mentors with young elementary-aged children, incorporates all four learning modalities with hands-on play components to encourage a love of reading. Each unit teach- KidsRead2Kids COVID-Safe Bear Hunt in Birmingham, Michigan es important skills, from managing emotions, conquering fears, and addressing stereotypes to encouraging creative storytelling and embracing who we are. This past December, we put on our first ever KidsRead2Kids Bear Hunt in Birmingham, Michigan. In partnership with 11 local businesses and the Bloomfield Hills School District, we gave families a free, COVID-safe community learning expe-

rience we hope they’ll never forget. We taught kids how to make their very own Bear-noculars, which they used to follow our Bear Hunt map and collect clues. When they finished, they could solve our special cipher to receive their reward. On our website and YouTube channel, we offer free video tutorials for parents to learn how to read interactively to their children. We also have our own interactive readings made by kids for Reuben reading Head to Toe by Eric Carle kids and a few follow-up activity lessons to reinforce learning. Encouraging children to engage in the story and ask questions helps them improve their active listening and critical thinking skills. They might enjoy the book more too. Our free digital magazine features in-depth, up-close interviews with industry learning and play exThe KidsRead2Kids Magazine Homepage perts and highlights amazing kids around the world who have overcome personal challenges. We also have a parent-to-parent column where we share tips and advice. We believe every child has something amazing to show the world; we just need to help them find their strengths and remind them they are not defined by their struggles. Remember to go play!

Carol Blumenstein is a mother of five children with learning disabilities and a board member of KidsRead2Kids. She holds an MBA and a BS in Economics concentrating in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management from the Wharton School of Business and a BS in Electrical and Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science. She was a Management Consultant at Bain & Company and a Senior Consultant at Booz Allen & Hamilton. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-blumenstein-1715a6140/ KidsRead2Kids is a Parents’ Choice award-winning nonprofit dedicated to bringing joy back to the struggling reader. It was founded in 2016 by dyslexic and ADHD siblings, based off their own experiences. KidsRead2Kids provides free online resources for remote learning for teachers, parents, and kids worldwide. To encourage a love of reading, KidsRead2Kids offers free video-audiobooks of abridged classic novels and simple decodable chapter books read by high school students and filmed chapter by chapter for self-paced listening. We provide multifaceted resources to help children find a love of reading, regardless of how they learn. We believe children are capable of anything, and we hope to help them see a world with endless possibilities. By sharing our story, we aim to show all children they are not alone in their struggles. Website: https://kidsread2kids.com/ YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_2owXBwcM8y0-xmXIsCELQ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kidsread2kids Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kidsread2kids/

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EXCEPTIONAL BOOKS

The Spectrum Girl’s Survival Toolkit The Workbook for Autistic Girls By Siena Castellon A companion to the bestseller The Spectrum Girl’s Survival Guide: How To Grow Up Awesome and Autistic, this essential toolkit workbook for teen autistic girls gives you the coping strategies needed to overcome the challenges that may be holding you back. Using clinically proven techniques like mindfulness, acceptance, and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), autistic teenager Siena Castellon shares her experiences, strategies, and tools to help you thrive at home, at school, and beyond. This friendly workbook is filled with autism-focused practical advice and interactive exercises on managing social anxiety, sensory overloads, making and maintaining friendships, and much more. In this fun and engaging workbook, you’ll find: • More than 100 different exercises and activities You’ll learn how to succeed in school, reframe negative thoughts, safeguard your mental health, and practice selfcare. • How to tap into the power of your character strengths to become the best version of yourself You’ll be encouraged to take charge of your life by building your confidence, recognizing your many strengths, thinking more positively, investing in your future, and much more! Throughout this relatable book, Siena shares her struggles and victories of being autistic to remind you that you are not alone and to help you embrace being awesome and autistic. “Siena Castellon is a role model for young girls who think differently. Her book provides lots of practical advice that I would find really helpful.”—Dr. Temple Grandin “The Spectrum Girl’s Survival Toolkit is full of amazing tips and strategies—all offered with Siena’s trademark reassurance, understand-

ing, and kindness. It’s an essential resource for autistic young people, their teachers, and parents, and will make such a difference to so many lives.”—Dr. Anna Remington, Director, Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), UCL Institute of Education, University College London

TO PURCHASE: https://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-Girls-Survival-Toolkit-Workbook/dp/B08W3KS56V Siena Castellon is an 18-year-old internationally recognized neurodiversity advocate, United Nations Young Leader for the SDGs, and author who is autistic, dyslexic, dyspraxic, and has ADHD. Her experience of being bullied for being different motivated her to create Neurodiversity Celebration Week, an international initiative that encourages schools to flip the narrative from focusing on the stereotypes, challenges, and drawbacks of being neurodivergent to focusing on its strengths and talents. Siena is the bestselling author of The Spectrum Girl’s Survival Guide: How to Grow Up Awesome and Autistic. She has won many awards for her advocacy, including being a finalist for the 2020 Children’s International Peace Prize and winning the regional 2021 Commonwealth Youth Awards. Websites: www.SienaCastellon.com, www.Neurodiversity-Celebration-Week.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qlmentoring/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/QLMentoring, https://twitter.com/NCWeek

32 | Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 4 ADVERTISEMENT

EXCEPTIONAL ADVOCATE

NeurodiverCity: A Neurodiverse Student Community for All By Serena Chen

A PLATFORM FOR NEURODIVERSE STUDENT CONNECTION, FRIENDSHIPS, CREATIVITY, SUPPORT, AND GUIDANCE THROUGH SHARED EXPERIENCES!

t’s essential to recognize neurodivergent student experiences are incomparable to neurotypical adults and that individual neurodivergent experiences, perceptions, and needs can drastically differ from person to person. Unfortunately, this isn’t always acknowledged. Due to commonplace misconceptions around neurodiversity, many neurodivergent students are often ignored, forced into inaccurate molds, or left to mask their identities in fear of shame or stigma. I was one of them. That’s why I created NeurodiverCity: to uphold a supportive and accessible community where every neurodiverse student’s concerns, passions, and experiences can be heard, not suppressed. Parents, are you looking for a supportive environment for your neurodivergent child(ren) to make friends with other neurodivergent students? Neurodiverse students, are you looking for a safe space where you can simply be yourself, consult support, unmask without judgment, and meet other amazing neurodiverse students worldwide? Are you struggling with a diagnosis or accommodations but don’t know how to approach your parents or where to begin? NeurodiverCity is the only international student community and resource platform run BY neurodiverse students FOR neurodiverse students. We aim for the amplification of neurodivergent youth voices rather than traditional suppression to leverage advocacy, education, community, and support. Welcome!

What is NeurodiverCity? NeurodiverCity is an online community for neurodiverse students from all over the world to make friendships, ask questions, bond over interests, and consult mutual support. Its namesake is a two-part pun on the word neurodiversity: Neurodiver, one who delves deep into their brain, and City, a diverse community of supportive individuals. Among its core features are the Neurodiverse Student Support Chatrooms, a mentorship program, the Neurodiverse Creativity Showcase, education groups for neurodiversity allies, resource and education pages, and Neurodiversity

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EXCEPTIONAL ADVOCATE

tions, and provide general guidance for mentees. Prospective mentees fill out a form, we read their responses, and we pair them with our database of peer or adult mentors/coaches who can best assist them. As we’re an international team, time differences can be difficult to work out. That’s why our mentorships can take place both over text and Zoom; this also allows mentees to ask as many questions as they want and receive the most help because they’re not limited to a certain time frame. Mentees can ask their mentor any questions, consult support, request advice, or seek assistance with anything else neurodiversity-related, and we’re able to get back to them as soon as possible! We also offer certified life coaching and psychologist consultation services, which are held live over Zoom. Life coaching is goal-setting and mental health-oriented, while psychologist consultation options include psychotherapy sessions, behavioral assessments, and intervention development.

Corner, which highlights neurodiverse musings, blog posts, memes, music, and cat photoshops. Our mission is simple: to uphold a safe space where every neurodivergent student can be heeded, embraced, and supported. Neurodiverse student support chatrooms Open to all neurodivergent students grades five through grad school, NeurodiverCity’s Neurodiverse Student Support Chatrooms is a friendly and supportive community that offers all neurodivergent students the opportunity to connect, consult mutual support, discuss their neurodiversity, embrace neurodiversity culture, share successes, stay on track, engage in advocacy, and perpetuate encouragement. Student chatrooms take place over Discord, and no formal diagnosis is necessary to join—we welcome all those who suspect a neurodiverse condition or are seeking a diagnosis. Below is a picture of just a few of our channel offerings, which now support 140+ neurodivergent students worldwide. Sign up here to join us today! Free neurodiverse peer and adult mentorships program NeurodiverCity’s free mentorship program includes neurodiverse peer mentorships, neurodiverse peer tutoring, adult neurodiverse mentoring, life coaching, neurodiversity coaching, psychologist mentoring, and psychologist consultations. Our 17-member international team of neurodiverse mentors and coaches cater to neurodiverse students who have undergone similar experiences. In general, mentors/coaches can assist with school subjects, neurodiversity management strategies, embracing neurodiversity, advocating for diagnosis or in-school accommoda-

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In addition to our one-to-one mentoring programs, we have a group mentoring option in which multiple neurodiverse mentors with different experiences can collaborate to address all the different aspects of the mentee’s requests. This option is specially tailored for those with comorbid conditions but available to everyone who requests it. All our neurodiversity mentoring services are free because our goal is to leverage accessible neurodiversity support for all who need it, regardless of whether they have a formal diagnosis or not. Our passionate mentors channel their personal experiences and expertise into assistance, support, and guidance for each and every student, resulting in a profound and rewarding experience for both mentor and mentee. About neurodiversity and neurodiverse resources by neurodiverse students Our continually updated Neurodiversity Resource Hub is written and produced by neurodiverse individuals, represented with the help of cat residents in my backyard. Our articles and videos feature definitions, fact sheets, neurodiverse condition write-ups, guides, common and not-so-common symptoms, learning accommodation guides, tips and tricks, CBT tools, and Neurodiversity FAQs. For educators, counselors, and parents, these cats are also equipped with various diagnosis, teaching, and screening tools guides! Neurodiverse Creativity Showcase Our Neurodiverse Creativity Showcase is one of our most recent incorporations and features work from talented neurodiverse artists, musicians, and authors! Our Art, Music, Projects, and Comic Galleries aim to uphold an inclusive platform for individuals to showcase their creativity, highlight the

EXCEPTIONAL ADVOCATE

strengths of neurodiversity, and encourage reflection upon personal experiences with neurodiversity. Neurodivergent and interested in being featured? We welcome creative submissions of all kinds—a project, any artwork, music, a piece you composed, a poem, a comic, or any random musings that highlight the best of your thinking! Click here to contribute (this opportunity is open to all neurodivergent individuals!). Neurodiverse Experiences Blog NeurodiverCity’s neurodivergent-led Neurodiverse Experiences Blog features lived experiences and education posts from culturally diverse neurodivergent individuals to combat misrepresentation, stereotypes, and misconceptions. Our resident bloggers are Rohit and me. Here, you’ll find categories of our random musings, autism and ADHD education, product recommendations, reposts from our Instagram page, and bad puns. We’re always welcoming new blog submissions! If you are neurodivergent or a neurodivergent minority (ex. female, person of color, etc.) we’d love to feature one of your works or welcome you to our blogging team. If interested, please fill out the form here. Neurodiversity Corner Our Neurodiversity Corner hides at the very bottom of our home page, with occasional featured appearances on our Instagram! This section highlights some of our favorite music, memes, stress relievers, cat photoshops, comics, and blogs, as well as a customized arcade. Come check it out or add something to this space—we’re excited about welcoming your music recommendations, blog submissions, original memes, or fidget toy and fun product reviews! If you’re looking for some engaging neurodiversity content to spice up your feed, the NeurodiverCity Instagram page is where you’ll find weekly posts featuring tips, personal experiences, education, and advice! Follow along as I recount my personal stories through a myriad of cat photoshops, stickers, words, and animations.

Lastly, this initiative could not be made possible without all the amazing people involved. If you’re neurodivergent and interested in joining our creator, blogger/writer, artist, or mentor team, please fill out this form to apply. We look forward to reading your responses—and while you’re at it, don’t forget to visit our customized Neurodiversity Arcade or Cat Photoshop comics! Check out everything else at www.neurodiver-city.org!

About Serena Chen, Founder I’m a 17-year-old high school senior, and I’m diagnosed with ADHD. I founded NeurodiverCity because there were no other worldwide neurodiverse student support groups coordinated by and for neurodiverse students themselves. Having struggled through the pervading cultural stigma around neurodiversity myself, I strove to help guide other students in overcoming the stigma and encourage self-advocacy for accommodations and diagnosis. I channeled former cultural shame and repeated shortcomings into identity embracement and advocacy. I began writing about my experiences, reached out to other neurodiverse advocates, researched, compiled resources, and designed—then redesigned—the website. Months later came NeurodiverCity: a supportive neurodiverse student community for all to bond over shared experiences, laugh at neurodiversity memes, consult support, and embrace unique traits together without the pressure of forced assimilation. Today, NeurodiverCity’s Neurodiverse Student Chatrooms supports hundreds of amazing neurodiverse students, many of whom have started their own personal experience and advocacy accounts. The website has been visited by thousands of parents, students, and educators worldwide for its resource pages, mentorship program, and community. We’ve reached over 1,100 followers on Instagram with 570,000 plus impressions worldwide. The team members, content, elements, and ideas have all changed from my initial planning to what they are now—and through each change, I’ve been nothing short of elated and confused. But a few core aspects have remained steadfast: my gratitude for this community, their support and unwavering friendliness, and the mentors and members who have now supported so many other students. Neurodiversity is now something we can proudly and freely discuss—and today, we’re no longer afraid to show it.

Serena Chen, a 17-year-old senior at St. Francis High School, founded NeurodiverCity with the vision to eliminate misconceptions, reduce stigma, and establish a supportive community for neurodiverse students. Since then, she has spoken at the Stanford Neurodiversity Summit, written a blog for REEL2e, and will take part in the upcoming 100 Days of Conversations neurodivergent education panel. Aside from neurodiversity advocacy, Serena is an avid trumpet player and runner. When not writing for NeurodiverCity, you’ll probably find her channeling her ADHD into trumpet, running, or shuffling her Spotify playlist because she can’t ever decide on what to listen to. Website: www.neurodiver-city.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neurodiver.city/

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PARENTAL SUPPORT

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Kate Makes it Great! PARENTAL SUPPORT

Three Concepts to Help Families

Find Parenting Balance with Special Needs By Kate C. Wilde HELLO EVERYONE! WOW! TWO MONTHS HAVE PASSED ALREADY SINCE WE LAST SPOKE—TWO MONTHS OF JOURNEYING WITH YOUR BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN. I AM SURE YOU HAVE FELT SO MANY THINGS: JOY, DELIGHT, EXHAUSTION, FRUSTRATION, ANXIETY, SADNESS, ANGER, RELIEF, EXCITEMENT, PRIDE, AND (KNOWING OUR CHILDREN) A BELLY LAUGH OR TWO ALONG THE WAY.

hatever the feelings, whatever the situation, you are not alone. Send in your questions, comments, and thoughts, and together we will find a way to bring light to even the most difficult of situations. There is strength in reaching out and asking for help. That is how a community is built. Let’s build one together. Rebecca of Kentucky asks: “I often have trouble juggling the needs of my special needs child with the needs of my neurotypical one. Special needs just take most of my energy and time! How can I better communicate my love for my neurotypical child when I’m seriously always consumed by special needs?” A big-hearted hello to you, Rebecca! Thank you so much for writing in and asking such an important question. Your question will resonate with many, so know you are not alone. I am going to suggest three concepts that could make a huge difference for you.

THERE IS NO RIGHT WAY TO BE.

Think about that for a moment and take it in. Now, really take it in. There is no right way to be. You have children with very different needs, both physically, emotionally, and academically. We can take up a lot of our mental-emotional space thinking we are not doing it right. Judging what we are or are not doing for our family. Thinking we should be bet-

ter at getting everything done and juggling each of our family member’s needs. It may feel like most of your energy is consumed by special needs, but in reality, it is our judgment of what we should or should not be doing that drains us more than anything else. If you dared to drop that judgment, I know, that suddenly you would find more energy and emotional/mental space. Space and energy to give to yourself and your neurotypical child. One way to drop our judgments of ourselves is to not buy into what your neurotypical child may be telling you. If they are saying things like, “You don’t love me as much as you do my special sibling,” or, “You never do anything with me.” Followed by, “And by the way, can I have the latest video game from Disney?” This does not mean you do not want to spend more time with them; it just means you are not buying into their worldview that something is lacking in their lives. Think of their life for a moment, and ask yourself these questions: a. b. c. d. e. f.

Do they have a warm home to live in? Do they have at least one parent who loves them? Do they have toys to play with? Do they have three meals a day? Do they have clothes to wear? Do they get to go to school and be educated?

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PARENTAL SUPPORT

If the answer is yes, then they have the life of a child that is arguably in the top two percent of children in the world. Everything else is a plus, not a given. This puts things into perspective and can help you feel good about all the things you are giving your neurotypical child. Another way to drop self-judgment is to stop any comparisons you may be making between yourself and other moms or families. Comparison is a sure way to keep the judgment alive inside of yourself. Looking into another’s life from the outside can be deceiving. Every family has its struggles, no matter what their social media looks like. There is no right way to be. It is going to be messy. You are not always going to meet each of your children’s needs, and that is okay. They will survive, and so will you. You do not have to be perfect. If you can drop the judgment, then you will have more energy to laugh, listen, and have more fun along the way. From talking to a lot of siblings of special children, this is really what they want more than anything, a happy parent.

TIME IS NOT RUNNING OUT FOR YOUR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD.

We are sold the belief that our children will not change and grow after a certain age. Depending on who you talk to, this can be at age five or seven. Some say you have to get everything in before they hit puberty. This is not true! I have worked with thousands of children and families, and every child is different. They can grow and change at any age. I have seen children talk, read, or have a friend for the first time as teenagers or in their 20s and beyond. If you are rushing against an imaginary clock, this may contribute to you being “seriously consumed with special needs.” Let go of the urgency. It does not mean you won’t have a lot to do right now, but you do not have to pack everything in quickly into one day or by a deadline. Sometimes, less is better than more. Giving down time to our special needs children, pausing their therapy program, giving them space to just play without an agenda is healing. For you and for them. AND it will give you some space for the other things in your life.

CREATE TIME WHERE YOU ARE TOTALLY PRESENT WITH YOUR NEUROTYPICAL CHILD.

It will often be necessary to give more of your attention to your special needs child. Keep in mind this is okay. It does not mean you love your other child any less. It just means this child, at this moment, actually does need more of your attention. But that does not mean they have to take all of your attention. Create special one-on-one time for your neurotypical child. When I say special time, the thing that makes it special is that it is a time where you give them all of your attention. Decide to be deeply present with them. Present in such a way that for that time you make them your whole world. When you

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do this, a little goes a long way! Do this each day at critical times. Ten minutes when they come back from school, or you come home from work. And 10 minutes at bedtime. That’s it. Just 20 minutes a day of your undivided attention, but boy, does it make a difference! During those 20 minutes: • Remember what is going on in their school life or social life and ask them about it. This shows you know and care about them. • Tell them you are proud of them. • Share specifically what you think is wonderful about them just as they are (that does not include them being a great sibling). • Listen to their opinions, thoughts, and feelings. These actions will help them feel seen and loved and do not take a long time. Add a weekly one-hour special time which is always on the same day at the same time and is just the two of you. This will also help you be able to say yes to them more often. When they come to you and ask for your attention, instead of having to say no, you can say, “Yes, let’s do that on Saturday during our special time together.” Look for other ways to say yes to your neurotypical child. Even if whatever they want to do is going to make a mess, is not on your current list of activities, or they may need help doing it; even if, in the past, they have started this activity and not finished it, or ended up looking like they were “frustrated” with it. Unless it hurts them or someone else, or it will cause damage to property, say yes.

PARENTAL SUPPORT

Then, at the end of the day, start a daily routine where they write down in a journal everything they got to do that day. Or, as you tuck them into bed, you can remind them of all the things you said yes to throughout the day. By doing that, you are highlighting the many ways they get control. And, hopefully, this will take up more space in their brains than the things you had to say no to. Thank you for your question, Rebecca—wishing you and your family all the best! Send in questions to this link.

IN SEARCH OF PERSONALIZED EXPERT GUIDANCE? Send us your parenting questions, woes, concerns, and tricky situations with your beautiful, exceptional children. This includes all you amazing professionals out there. Kate will answer up to five questions in every issue in her Kate Makes it Great! column. Kate has worked with children and adults on the spectrum for the past 30 years. She has clocked more than 20,000 therapy hours and has worked with well over 1,500 different children. Whatever you are facing today, Kate has most likely experienced it in some form. Her answers will be practical, doable, inspiring, optimistic, down to earth, and real. Together there is nothing we cannot face with a little joy and love. Submit your questions to submissions@exceptionalneedstoday.com

Kate C. Wilde has spent the past 30 years working with children and adults on the autism spectrum and their families, as well as with therapists, educators, and schools. She is the author of the acclaimed books, Autistic Logistics: A Parent’s Guide to Tackling Bedtime, Toilet Training, Tantrums, Hitting, and Other Everyday Challenges and The Autism Language Launcher: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Your Child Turn Sounds and Words Into Simple Conversations, and is renowned for the well-attended courses she teaches throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. Her YouTube autism quick tip videos, delivered with her trademark infectious enthusiasm, have garnered a following worldwide. Website: https://www.katecwilde.com/

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SENSORY STRATEGIES

The Art of Regulating When Meltdowns Occur By Brandy Browne

YESTERDAY, I WATCHED IN FRUSTRATION AS MY DAUGHTER MELTED INTO A CRYING BALL OF WILD CURLS ROCKING BACK AND FORTH. WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM? SHE HAD HELPED SWEEP THE FLOOR, BUT WHAT IF SHE HAD GOT A CRUMB OF THE CHICKEN FEED WE KEEP IN A BIG TUB BY THE DOOR ON HER HAND? NOW, SHE DIDN’T FEEL WE COULD TAKE THE BABY BUNNIES OUT OF THE CAGE TO HOLD BECAUSE WHAT IF THEY LICKED HER HAND AND THEN DIED? SHE WAS STUCK IN HER UPSTAIRS BRAIN (A DANIEL SEGEL TERM...LOOK UP HIS RESEARCH ON THE BRAIN...IT’S FASCINATING), AND THERE WAS NO REASONING WITH HER. THIS IS NOT AN UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE. SHE IS ONE OF MANY AROUND THE WORLD WHO DEAL WITH CRIPPLING ANXIETY AND ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD) TO BOOT. AS A PARENT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR WITH A DEGREE IN PARENTING AND CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE THESE MELTDOWNS WHEN THEY OCCUR.

’ll share my tips of the trade, but rest assured, no matter how knowledgeable you are, it can still be incredibly frustrating and heart-wrenching to watch.

First and foremost, de-escalate the situation. My daughter thrives on physical touch, so I wrapped her up in my arms and held her until I felt her body relax under my arms. Some children have an aversion to touch, and in this case, it would be best to simply sit nearby, offering a calm presence until the worst has passed. Be intentional about thriving on routine. While spontaneity may have a place, children who have difficulty regulating

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and de-escalating need structure and routine. In a personal interview with writer Julia Cook (author of My Mouth is a Volcano, I Just Don’t Like the Sound of No, and Herman Jiggle, Say Hello!), she noted, “anxiety has to do with predictability” (J. Cook, personal communication, March 17, 2021). When children who suffer from anxiety or even ADHD, autism, etc., do not have a clear picture of what is expected, it can cause panic and disruptive behaviors that stem from worries about what is to come. Children’s literature has a wealth of strategies that can give children a concrete way to help manage anxiety. For example, I employed a strategy from Suzanne Chiew’s The Worry Box in

SENSORY STRATEGIES

coaching sessions with clients this past winter. One particular child struggles with anxiety, sensory processing disorder and is on the spectrum. We read the story together, and she made her own “worry box.” The purpose of the worry box is to list the things that are causing the child stress and “put them away.” Then, you can take them out with a trusted adult to talk to. This helps give worry a time and place, rather than taking over their day. Julia Cook discussed a similar strategy in a recent interview. She stated, “I like to have kids write down everything that is stressing them out on a piece of paper. Then, draw a circle on another piece of paper. They look at their list...if they have control over the thing they are stressing out about, it goes inside the circle. If they can’t control it, it has to stay outside the circle. They focus their energy on the things that they have control over. Another thing that has worked for kids is anxiety recipe cards. So, they have a worry…What if Mom doesn’t pick me up on time? What happens? Well, you wait for a while. Then, you call. They talk through that process and write it on the card. Then, the card goes inside their recipe box that they keep in their backpack. So, they don’t have to have that worry up here (motions towards head)” (J. Cook, personal communication, March 17th, 2021). Additionally, so much excessive anxiety stems from sleep deprivation. Here, parents must be very intentional about making sure the sleeping environment is calm and relaxing for children. Leave electronics out of the sleeping area. Instead, opt for low lighting, cool temperatures, and possibly a white noise machine. The white noise machine is quiet enough not to disturb children but has enough sound that it blocks out general nighttime noises that may be distracting.

Final thoughts Battling anxiety with a child who has other exceptional needs can be extremely exhausting and isolating for parents. It is important to reach out to your support system to help you through. There are various online support groups that serve this purpose, as well as any local parent groups in your area, church groups, or friends and family. Additionally, maintaining your self-care routine (while difficult at times) is critical in helping you remain regulated enough to be able to help your child regulate. An unregulated child will never learn to properly regulate from an adult who is not regulated themselves. Sources Cook, J. 2021, March 17th. Personal Interview

Brandy Browne is an early childhood educator in the United States, as well as a family coach and blogger for UnStuck, her family coaching service aimed at helping families develop positive habits and breaking the cycle of generational trauma and poverty. Her degree is in early and elementary education, and she also has a master’s degree in parenting and child/adolescent development. Brandy is the wife of her high school sweetheart of 15 years, and together they share three children, aged ten, seven, and five. In her free time, she enjoys reading, gardening, writing, and distance running

ValiantFutures.com

off ice@valiantfutures.com 760-854-4003

WE STRIVE TO MAKE SMART FINANCIAL PLANNING ACCESSIBLE TO ALL FAMILIES. • Who will care for my child when I’m gone? • How do we access and keep public benefits? • How much money will it take to support our child?

Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 4 | 41

FINANCIAL FOCUS

Legislation Moving Toward Boosting Funding for Individuals with Disabilities

By Ryan F. Platt, MBA, ChFC, ChSNC, CFBS

THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, THE MOST RECENT COVID-19 RELIEF BILL, HAS SPECIFIC PROVISIONS TO HELP THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY. THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED THOSE WITH DISABILITIES. SO MANY INDIVIDUALS SAW REDUCED SERVICES OR NO SERVICES FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME DUE TO THE STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING RULES. THIS FORCED SO MANY FAMILIES TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS BETWEEN WORK AND CAREGIVING FOR THEIR LOVED ONES. MANY ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS, MOST NOTABLY THE ARC OF THE UNITED STATES, HAVE BEEN DILIGENTLY WORKING ON BEHALF OF ALL THOSE WITH DISABILITIES TO ENSURE THEIR NEEDS ARE NOT FORGOTTEN, AND THEY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH THIS RELIEF BILL.

he American Rescue Plan will provide nearly $13 billion in 2021 to bolster home- and community-based services. These are the services that allow individuals with disabilities to live in their homes and stay in the community instead of living in an institution. This is so important to the health and welfare of individuals and their families. This funding can also be used to provide additional safety measures for the direct support professionals who are providing these home- and community-based services, so they feel comfortable providing these services in the home of the persons they are providing care. The American Rescue Plan also allows for the expansion and extension of many tax credits that can help families, especially if a family member has had to take leave from work to care for their loved one with a disability. One of the largest benefits for adults with a disability within this bill is the fact that all individuals receiving SSI (Supplemental Security Income) monthly will receive a stimulus check, regardless of if they are claimed as a dependent by another person for tax purposes. This is such a victory because it places cash in the pockets of these individuals to help pay their bills and possibly help their families as well! If this additional stimulus check causes the individual’s account to increase over the allowable resource limit for Medicaid and SSI, then it may be time to consider opening an ABLE account and transferring those assets into that account. The ABLE account allows the individual with a disability to have more than the asset resource limit and keep all their benefits!

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In another area of disability services, Medicaid Waiver programs, legislation is in “discussion draft” (not passed) for funding to eliminate the waitlist for these programs. The Medicaid Waiver Programs provide the funding for home- and community-based services. These programs are optional and vary greatly between the states. The programs are also tied to the individual state, and because they are optional, the wait to receive these services can be very long. Under this draft legislation, these waiver programs and the home- and community-based services they pay for would no longer be optional under Medicaid, but mandatory. “For the 850,000 people on waiting lists, this would be life-changing,” Nicole Jorwic, senior director of public policy

FINANCIAL FOCUS

at The Arc, said. “When you pull that many people into this system, you’re not only helping the people getting the supports and services, you’re also helping family caregivers who are currently filling the gaps in the services system.”

which is why it is crucial for families to be diligent in their own planning for the future so that if this type of legislation is not passed, their child’s prospects are still secure.

The draft legislation would provide federal funding and set up a menu of home- and community-based services that would be available nationally. This would help simplify these programs and eliminate confusion for families. The legislation would also include provisions to improve conditions for the direct support professionals that provide these services.

REFERENCE

The American Rescue Plan (passed into law) and this draft legislation are two initiatives that can give the special needs community help today and hope for help in the future. As we know, draft legislation is just that, and it has a long way to go,

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2021/03/22/waiting-lists-may-beeliminated-for-disability-services-provided-by-medicaid/29252/?fb clid=IwAR1dzsoo67rz2A1KtUMgxurbQCwWl9aRowrNKhndQF8GTV36 ddgIylC2wRQ Contact a financial advisor who specializes in serving families with special needs for more information on how to prepare for the future. The team at A Special Needs Plan is driven by their purpose of Leading Families to Independence through an ongoing, multi-generational plan. We are passionate about families confidently moving forward.

Ryan F. Platt, MBA, ChFC, ChSNC, CFBS, is a registered representative of and offers securities, investment advisory, and financial planning through MML Investors Services, LLC, Member SIPC. A Special Needs Plan isn’t a subsidiary or an affiliate of MML Investors Services, LLC, or its affiliated companies. This article is not a recommendation or endorsement of any products. Website: http://www.aspecialneedsplan.com Phone: 704-326-7910 Location: 101 N. McDowell Street, Suite 120 Charlotte, NC 28204

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EXCEPTIONAL BOOKS

The Up Side Of Downs By Lisa Palermo Matto The Up Side Of Downs is a newly released book written by first-time author Lisa Palermo Matto. It chronicles life with her daughter Marlee, who has Down syndrome. Don’t get stuck on the diagnosis; that’s not the storyline. Marlee leaves a lasting impression on everyone she meets. She is a lovable heroine who mischievously leads the book’s cast of characters into hilarious predicaments the reader will not soon forget. It is an easy read with vivid dialogue and short vignettes — Tuesdays with Morrie-style. It is a compilation of funny, touching stories that celebrates inclusion, family, neighbors, and community. It is sure to make you laugh, cry, and feel better about the world. Lisa begins by taking the reader back to when her family was about to grow from a party of three to a party of four. Marlee arrived with the usual delivery room fanfare. Ten minutes would pass before the doctor would explain that Marlee had Down syndrome. His words hung in the air. What did this mean? Marlee didn’t seem different from any other baby they had ever seen. It was at that moment they decided there would be no limits placed on her. Some of Marlee’s escapades include her breaking and entering into a neighbor’s home, hijacking a golf cart in the Bahamas, and unlocking the phone of a friend’s unsuspecting Dad and leaving 50 selfies on his camera roll. Marlee approaches every day with excitement and enthusiasm. Although her zest for life has gotten herself and her family into some sidesplitting, sticky situations, she has also profoundly touched many lives. She lives her life in the moment with purpose and grace, inspiring everyone around her to be better.

TO PURCHASE: https://www.amazon.com/Side-Downs-Lisa-Palermo-Matto/dp/B08WZH5479 Lisa Palermo Matto lives in Central New York with her husband and two children. She graduated with a B.A. degree from the State University of New York at Oswego and received her teaching certification from Le Moyne College. Lisa spent many years teaching middle school English and is presently a youth minister and motivational speaker. While she always has her passport ready to travel, Lisa is happiest in her kitchen surrounded by family and friends, dishing up homemade pasta, sauce, and her family’s renowned pizza recipe, made famous by her late Uncle Shuffles. This is Lisa’s first published work. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMarleeAdventures/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisamatto, https://twitter.com/upsideofdowns11?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themarleeadventures/, https://www.instagram.com/lisamatto1/?hl=en YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCQ-zIZgFCN6Mb47LCLfESKA

44 | Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 4 ADVERTISEMENT

ANXIETY MANAGEMENT

How to Identify and Manage

Anxiety Disorder

By J. Edwards Holt

ANXIETY IS A NORMAL PART OF LIFE. IF YOU HAVE A BIG EVENT OR TEST COMING UP, IT’S NATURAL TO FEEL A LITTLE WORRIED. BUT FOR SOME PEOPLE, FEAR AND WORRY START TO TAKE OVER THEIR LIVES. THIS FEAR CAN ELEVATE TO PANIC ATTACKS AND EVEN BE UNRELATED TO WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND THEM. IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANXIETY, READ ON TO LEARN HOW TO IDENTIFY AND MANAGE A POTENTIAL ANXIETY DISORDER.

What is anxiety disorder?

How to identify the symptoms

Anxiety disorders are characterized by constant worry or fear. For those who suffer from anxiety, their fears are persistent, excessive, and difficult to manage. The fear often interferes with daily activities and can cause the inflicted to avoid places or situations that trigger anxiety. The intense worrying is out of proportion to the actual danger or threat. Anxiety disorders can involve sudden episodes of intense panic and terror that can last minutes.

The main symptom of anxiety disorder is persistent fear and worry. Some other common symptoms are: • • • • •

Excessive panic or worry Trouble sleeping Heart palpitations Nausea Gastrointestinal problems

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ANXIETY MANAGEMENT

Living with an anxiety disorder can be exhausting. Even if you know you don’t need to worry, you can’t seem to stop. Luckily, there are ways you can alleviate your symptoms. • • • • • •

Sense of impending doom Shallow, rapid breaths Difficulty concentrating Obsessively avoiding feared objects or places Restlessness Tense muscles

Types of anxiety disorders • Generalized Anxiety Disorder—You feel constant excessive worry about routine events. You may even worry when there is no apparent cause for concern. The fear is disproportional to the circumstance. The worry is difficult to control and can affect your physical well-being. You know your worry is more intense than the situation warrants, but you don’t know how to stop. • Panic Disorder—Panic disorder includes sudden, intense fear and terror that brings on a panic attack. This includes tightness in the chest, chest pain, trouble breathing, and heart palpitations. These panic attacks can last minutes. Those who suffer may believe they are having a heart attack. These panic attacks can occur at any time, even in sleep. The panic people fear in panic attacks may be disproportionate to the situation or unrelated altogether. Since they can occur at any time under any circumstance, it creates more anxiety because people don’t know when the next one will occur. • Social Anxiety Disorder—Also called social phobia, this is the fear that being in normal social contact with others is too much to handle. You may avoid talking to people altogether, and eye contact and small talk make you extremely uncomfortable. You feel excessively worried about being judged and feel embarrassed and self-conscious. Research shows that social anxiety disorder affects seven percent of Americans. • Agoraphobia—Agoraphobia is the fear of being stuck in a place where you can’t get out in case of an emergency. This usually occurs in places where it isn’t easy to leave, such as

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airplanes or public transportation. You could be afraid of open or closed spaces. Those who have agoraphobia may experience panic attacks and are trying to avoid places where they have happened. • Separation Anxiety—When you feel excessively worried when someone close to you leaves your sight, you may have a separation anxiety disorder. In children, it’s often related to separation from parents. Some symptoms of separation anxiety include constant and persistent worry of losing your loved one, refusing to sleep without your loved one nearby, nightmares about separation, the constant worry that something bad will happen to them, and physical symptoms such as headaches and stomach aches when your loved one is away. • Selective Mutism—When someone can talk but chooses not to in certain social situations is a sign of selective mutism. Those who suffer may not talk in school or work. They may also be very shy, afraid to embarrass themselves, and want to be alone. • Phobias—Any intense fear of an object or situation is considered an anxiety disorder. Some specific examples include arachnophobia (fear of spiders), acrophobia (fear of heights), and claustrophobia (fear of confined or crowded spaces). These fears can bring on panic attacks and are disproportionate to the feared situation or object.

How to manage anxiety disorders Most people who are diagnosed with anxiety disorders take medication and go to counseling. If you have symptoms, your doctor may prescribe medicine. Some common prescriptions are: • • • •

Antidepressants Beta-blockers Benzodiazepines Buspirone

ANXIETY MANAGEMENT

Aside from taking medication, there are other ways you can manage your disorder. Here are some things you can try: • Exercise—Exercise boosts your sense of well-being, relieves stress, and eases anxiety symptoms. People who exercise also tend to sleep better. • Get enough sleep—If you aren’t getting enough sleep, try creating a bedtime routine to make it easier. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, and keep your room’s temperature cool. • Consume less caffeine—Caffeine makes your heart rate faster, which can kick other anxiety symptoms into overdrive. Cut back on soda, coffee, and even diet pills, tea, and chocolate. • Breathe deeply—Breathing slowly and deeply calms your nervous system. While it may not work all the time, it can help slow down racing thoughts when you’re getting closer to a panic attack. • Get connected—A support system with good friends and family is emotionally fulfilling. Those who have close friends tend to have lower levels of anxiety.

“Panic Attack Symptoms.” https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/ guide/panic-attack-symptoms “Agoraphobia.” https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/agoraphobia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355987 “Separation Anxiety Disorder.” https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseasesconditions/separation-anxiety-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc20377455 J. Edwards Holt is an American author who has spent a lifetime dealing with mental health problems. Diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, anxiety, and depression at 10 years old, and later OCD and ADHD at 13, success has never come easy for him. After spending most of elementary and middle school isolated, in and out of therapy, Holt managed to turn things around and graduate high school as Valedictorian, later on graduating college with a major in education. Even today as a successful author, Holt still copes with symptoms of his illnesses. Because of this, he is a continued advocate for those struggling with mental health, incorporating bits and pieces of his own experiences in his written works. Website: jedwardsholt.com

• Manage your stress—Find an activity you enjoy to take your mind off your worries. Get into a habit of doing a sport or hobby you love. When you bring fun without the worry of performing well for something into your life, it’s easier to let go of stress. Living with an anxiety disorder can be exhausting. Even if you know you don’t need to worry, you can’t seem to stop. Luckily, there are ways you can alleviate your symptoms. After you talk to your doctor, it may take some time to find the right treatment for you. But with the proper care, you can manage your symptoms and overcome your anxiety.

REFERENCES “What Is Social Anxiety Disorder?” https://www.webmd.com/ anxiety-panic/guide/mental-health-social-anxiety-disorder#1 “Anxiety Disorders.” https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions /anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961 “Anxiety Disorders.” https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/ anxiety-disorders#1 “Generalized Anxiety Disorder.” https://adaa.org/understandinganxiety/generalized-anxiety-disorder-gad#:~:text=Generalized%20 Anxiety%20Disorder%20(GAD)%20is,difficult%20to%20control%20 their%20worry. “Social Anxiety Disorder: More Than Just Shyness.” https://www. nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/social-anxiety-disorder-morethan-just-shyness/index.shtml

Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 4 | 47

Marcus Boyd:

Repaying His Voice Through Music and Activism By Margo Marie McManus

well-known DJ, accomplished music producer, and talented composer, Marcus Boyd has come a long way. Born with autism in the 1980s, Marcus is intimately familiar with the trials and challenges it brings. But his autistic experiences also cultivated his lifelong passion for music and later propelled him into advocacy. In his own words, “I wanted to become a voice for autism because I have autism and been having it for 38 years now, so I know about the good and bad parts of it. I know what it feels like to be bullied, wanting and trying to end it all because you feel so alone and you feel like no one understands you, and people are silently judging you. So, I wanted to come in and show people by using my testimony that I can relate, and I am here to help fight for rights and better laws for the autism community as a whole.” As someone who has lived and succeeded with autism, Marcus holds himself responsible for using his experience to assist and uplift the lives of others. Able to listen to the tone of someone’s voice and immediately reproduce an authentic sound, Marcus dedicated himself to music not only as a hobby but as a career. With the mentorship of a music producer in Atlanta who took him under his wings, Marcus painstakingly built, promoted, and marketed his personal brand, eventually rising to stand proud as the CEO of Marcus Boyd Beats. He can play eight instruments, has experience with 18 genres, and has composed over 80,000 copyrighted and trademarked sample cleared beats.

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EXCEPTIONAL ADVOCATE

Marcus was first introduced to music through his grandmother’s Baptist church. Every Sunday was like attending a live concert, with people singing and dancing during their worship. Marcus attributes his first official meeting with music to playing the organ, which he describes as “the greatest feeling in life.” He also became a devoted Christian. His grandmother was the first to notice his musical talent and continued to bring him to church so he could use their instruments and learn from professionals, as the family was too poor to invest in his talent on their own. Separated from his biological parents at age six, Marcus was ultimately raised by his grandmother. His early life was difficult. In conjunction with the effects of past abuse and autism, the prognoses of doctors were not reassuring. “I remember my grandma taking me to the best doctors in Atlanta, Georgia. It was like six or seven different ones, and they all said the same thing: your grandson is basically walking around with no working brain function,” he recalls. His grandmother was told he would never get an education, clothe himself, or fix his own meals; he would need a caregiver his whole life. Already helping raise 21 other kids in a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment while working part-time with no car, Marcus’ grandmother was stretched thin. But she did not give up on her grandson. Music and God played a huge role in helping Marcus overcome his doctors’ predictions and maintain his autonomy. He was nonverbal for the first 13 years of his life and questioned whether he would ever be considered “normal” or accepted. However, his faith gave him hope, and music allowed him to express himself. Marcus fondly remembers just how much time he spent listening with “so many different headphones and electrical devices to bump out those harmonies and sounds that bring words and melodies together,” and considers himself to have been raised by the hip hop culture and neo-soul era in Atlanta and New York in the nineties. While there are many new resources and support groups for non-speakers available today, much less was available to Marcus growing up. He relied on music instead: “To me, music is a healing therapy. It gives you calm and peace and puts you in a place where you can explore and use imagination to help create a world of your own. For me, music was a savior in my life, it was the friend I didn’t have, and it allowed me to learn how to express myself without using words.” Though he gradually transitioned from his non-speaking roots, Marcus is certain he would still have pursued his career and activism if he had remained nonverbal. He knows there are many ways to communicate and for voices to be heard and advises other non-speakers to never look at current situations as permanent ones. “It’s the people around you who need to understand your method of communication,” he says, “so continue to show others your bright light, your growth, your progress, and how you won’t allow autism to stop your future.”

As Marcus continued defying expectations, he realized he wanted to become a music producer and composer when he received his first laptop and music software at 15 years old. His mentor taught him the ins and outs of the production game and how to make money while changing lives at the same time, and Marcus loved being able to format the sounds, harmonies, and melodies he heard so clearly in his head. As for DJ-ing, Marcus taught himself how to scratch and mix while playing with different sounds and blends. He thought he might as well pursue that too. Marcus loves mixing live instruments with digital sounds, calling it “a gift where there is nothing to compare it to.” He lists a number of artists such as Quincy Jones, J Dilla, Roy Ayers, Barry White, and DJ Premier as musical influences and calls himself a neo-soul and jazz head. When he starts to make a beat, he hears the entire sound in his head before putting

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EXCEPTIONAL ADVOCATE

He also suggested praying before any move is made, so you feel confident in your decisions. He hopes to see more major opportunities for individuals with exceptional needs in the music and film industries in future. After achieving so much in his musical career and personal journey, Marcus decided to pay back his voice by raising it for the autism community. He enjoys fighting for laws and rules to be changed to benefit autistics, as well as talking to autism families. “I would love to see exceptional individuals run for Congress and be mayors and Senate workers to help with the laws and rights of others,” he says. Through the four years he has been an autism activist, he has found the community very open and welcoming. He endeavors to show them they are not alone; he has shared many of their experiences and still come out on the other side. it into a physical format using Studio One and pro tools, always building it around the drums first. It does not always go smoothly, though. As an artist, Marcus is familiar with creative burnouts. As much as he loves music, it can be hard to think of new melodies to show the world. The frustration can be overwhelming, and his autism does not make it easier. “A lot of times I shut down. Sometimes I throw things and yell,” Marcus explains, “Other times I just walk away from my laptop for days because it becomes too much for me.” Taking breaks to breathe and talk to family and friends is vital. When asked about advice for other aspiring composers in the exceptional needs community, Marcus listed four things: 1. Know you are so amazing and incredible that you can do anything you put your heart and faith into. 2. Get the right education and knowledge behind your craft— learn everything you need to learn. Read contracts with lawyers. Never sign anything without going over it with your manager and lawyer; be slow to speak in business meetings, and never rush deals. 3. Get the correct studio equipment, and when making beats keep the levels under red. If someone is recording you, have them record you on zero or one and keep the levels under red. 4. Get a good lawyer, manager, and public relations manager. It will cost you, but the knowledge and connections will help you go to the next level.

In particular, he has dealt with intersectionality as a result of his race, and knows just how much that can affect one’s experiences both medically and socially. “I have always been classified based on charts, graphics, or data that was gathered from tests or conversations that might not have had me as an African American male in mind. I was designed to fail based off of the traditional eye viewing me, but with God nobody can stop what is destined for your life,” he declares. He is sure some people will try to do more of the same to himself and others, but as long as those in the exceptional needs community know who they are, he is certain the movement for a better reality will continue. Marcus believes building relationships with individuals in the community is an important honor, truly admiring all those he has met so far. “I want to thank every parent, guardian, volunteer, social worker, doctor, therapist, or anyone who deals with people who have autism,” he says, “Y’all are my superheroes and my inspirations, and I thank you for all your work and sacrifices you give on a daily basis.” Marcus believes the voice of autism should sound strong, confident, unmovable, and unbothered by society’s judgment or misunderstandings. As part of that voice, he refuses to be moved by negativity—instead pushing for inclusion, acceptance, and awareness for autism. He urges everyone to never give up on their goals or let a diagnosis or medical decision stop anyone from being their already amazing self. Marcus Boyd believes in the exceptional needs community and stands with you.

Margo Marie McManus is an intern and editorial assistant for Exceptional Needs Today. She is also a student and Writing Fellow at Clemson University, where she studies graphic communications and creative writing. Her interest in the exceptional needs community and autism awareness was first peaked when assisting students in the Writing Center. She furthered her interest by interning and writing articles for Autism Parenting Magazine. She enjoys reading and writing poetry and has over 15 poems published in various magazines and anthologies, including Teenage Wasteland Review and The Chronicle.

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ANXIETY MANAGEMENT

Five Valuable Tips to Help Anxious Children Cope with Healthcare Procedures

By Dr. Priti P. Desai, PhD, MPH, CCLS AROUND THE GLOBE TODAY, INFANTS, CHILDREN, AND ADOLESCENTS FACE A VARIETY OF STRESSFUL SITUATIONS. WHEN RELATED TO HEALTHCARE, THESE EXPERIENCES CAN OFTEN LEAD TO FEELINGS OF FEAR, CONFUSION, AND ISOLATION AND CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN CHILDREN OF ALL AGES. FOR PARENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS, THESE SITUATIONS CAN BE EQUALLY CHALLENGING TO MANAGE. CHILDREN ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE WHEN THEY DO NOT RECEIVE ADEQUATE INFORMATION AND REASSURANCE, AND PARENTS OR OTHER RESPONSIBLE ADULTS MAY FEEL UNSURE OF THEIR ABILITY TO HELP CHILDREN SUCCESSFULLY UNDERSTAND AND MANAGE THESE EXPERIENCES.

he role of a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) is to help children and their families ease the anxiety and stress that often accompany illness, injury, and hospitalization and help them to clearly understand their diagnosis and relevant medical or surgical treatment. A CCLS’s goal is to help normalize the healthcare environment and build confidence in children and their families to manage their healthcare experience. As a CCLS with the global surgical nonprofit Operation Smile, I have been given the opportunity to help families around

the world. Operation Smile provides free reconstructive cleft surgery and related care to individuals in areas of the world where it is needed most. Operation Smile leans on the help of volunteer child life specialists and other psychosocial care providers to help patients and their families navigate through their medical journey, which can often be emotionally overwhelming. Child life specialists are certified professionals who provide psychosocial care by building trusting relationships, normalizing the environment through play and activities while educating patients and their families about the entire healthcare experience.

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ANXIETY MANAGEMENT

Through my experience as a CCLS with Operation Smile, I have seen children gain the confidence they needed and go into surgery with a look on their face that says, “I’ve got this.” I have observed several families surmounting difficult situations together, learning and growing from the experience. This is what I love most about the work I do. I am honored to be able to provide this service for children and families worldwide. Here, I am excited for the opportunity to share these tips for parents on how to help prepare children for medical/ surgical procedures. 1. Be aware children of different age groups, temperaments, and other factors will have different fears, misconceptions, and questions about the upcoming experience. The way CCLSs would speak and explain surgery to a five-year-old is very different from the way they would talk with or explain a surgical experience to a 13-yearold. As children get older, they have different understandings of their diagnosis and different perceptions about the upcoming experience. It is important to be aware that depending on their age, temperament, past healthcare experiences, and other factors, children will have different ideas and concerns about what to expect, hence leading to unique needs for explanations and resources for boosting their psychological safety.

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2. Parents should learn about the diagnosis and procedure themselves so they can better support the child. It is beneficial for parents to learn about their child’s diagnosis and upcoming procedure. Being equipped with the facts can help parents and family members better understand and accept the situation. Parents or responsible caregivers should be mindful of using reliable sources of medical information, including having honest conversations with their child’s medical provider or child life specialist. The CCLS will be able to clearly break down the information so parents and children can better understand what to expect during the treatment or procedure. The CCLS will even practice coping strategies with children to help them manage their otherwise difficult experiences. 3. Be truthful with your child about the diagnosis and the procedures. Communicate with them as honestly and simply as possible. As mentioned in tip number two, learning about the child’s diagnosis and the upcoming procedure is very important for both the parent and child. Children are often curious and may have questions about what will happen during a procedure. It is essential for parents to be honest with their children about their diagnosis and

ANXIETY MANAGEMENT

treatment plan. While it may mean having difficult conversations, keeping children from the truth does not help. Based on the child’s coping style, one should vary the detail provided regarding the procedure. Therefore, discussing this with a child life specialist is extremely useful. These professionals understand how to talk with children of all ages and with different coping styles and can help to clearly and simply break down complex medical terms and procedures to reduce the child’s anxiety. This includes what children will see, feel, hear, taste, or smell during procedures, and rehearse how children can play a more active role to help the procedure go smoothly. 4. Parents should acknowledge their feelings about the upcoming experience while learning about and pursuing appropriate ways to cope. While this experience revolves around the child, the situation can be difficult for parents and family members to comprehend and accept. It is important for parents to acknowledge their feelings surrounding the event and spend some time finding their unique way to cope. It can be easy for parents to spend all their energy focusing on their child’s needs. However, it is necessary for parents to care for themselves so they can better support the child. Examples of different coping tools for parents include being informed about the healthcare situation, seeking social support, taking the time for self-care such as being mindful about diet, exercise, sleep, or relying on spiritual resources. 5. Try to remain as calm as possible. Often, visible distress from parents or family members can trigger distress in a child. It is not uncommon for children to look to their parents for clues on how to feel or respond. Seeing a calm expression on their parent’s face or an overall calm demeanor during visits with the doctor or when waiting

for their procedure will help a child to relax. If parents show signs of worry or distress, children can pick up on this, and it could make them feel the same way. This is another example of how parents taking time to acknowledge their own feelings can help them better support the child when they need it most. Although they are an extremely valuable resource for parents and children, child life specialists are not very commonly known healthcare providers. Many parents and family members do not realize this professional resource exists in most children’s hospitals across the United States. Generally, child life services are included in the cost of the child’s hospital stay, and at this time, there is not a separate billing code for their services. Parents can ask for a consultation with a child life specialist, especially if their child has a new diagnosis, is exhibiting fear, or needs help developing a coping plan. By talking more about the child life profession and sharing this information with friends and family, we can raise awareness about child life specialists and the role they play in helping children and their families overcome difficult healthcare situations. In many of the countries we serve with Operation Smile, the child life profession is a completely new concept. It is rewarding to have this experience through Operation Smile to bring psychosocial care to children and families in other parts of the world. To learn more about Operation Smile and its transformative healing work, you can visit https://www.operationsmile.org/. More information about Certified Child Life Specialists and the child life profession can be found at https://www. childlife.org/. SOURCES Association of Child Life Professionals: https://www.childlife.org/ the-child-life-profession

Dr. Priti P. Desai, PhD, MPH, CCLS, is an East Carolina University (ECU) Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science in the College of Health and Human Performance. Dr. Desai was selected to receive the 2020 ECU Achievement in International Service and Engagement Award based on her work to expand ECU’s global reach and establish ECU as an internationally impactful university. Her activities as a teacher, researcher, and leader have been critical to ECU’s national and international reputation. Dr. Desai began her clinical child life career at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore before spending a decade at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She joined ECU’s faculty in 2002. In addition to her contributions to ECU, Dr. Desai has served as a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) for global surgical nonprofit Operation Smile since 1992. Shortly after she began volunteering with Operation Smile, Dr. Desai’s talents as a CCLS were recognized. She was nominated to represent the CCLS’s role in cleft care as a member of Operation Smile’s Speakers Bureau. In 2003 she was invited to be a member of the Operation Smile Child Life Advisory Group of the Medical Advisory Council (MAC). As a member of the MAC, she serves as an advocate for child life’s psychosocial care provider role on surgical programs around the globe.

Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 4 | 53

EXCEPTIONAL BOOKS

The Confidence Project:

A Journey Through the Confidence Constellation By Joshua Faden and Dr. Stacy L. Scott Help your child or student to build confidence to find excitement in their educational journey. Authors Joshua Faden and Dr. Stacy L. Scott demonstrate how to help all children go from resistant to engaged, lifelong learners. By using strategies presented in the book, students learn to overcome and even how to find enjoyment in life’s challenges. Student stories bring these confidence-building strategies to life and leave the reader ready to tackle whatever challenges may come their way. Whether you are a teacher looking to build up your students’ confidence, a parent helping your child build their confidence, or a student looking to better understand how to become confident, this book is for you! You can purchase your copy now by clicking HERE! Or, to order a signed copy, please fill out the form HERE!

TO PURCHASE: https://www.amazon.com/Confidence-Project-Journey-Through-Constellation/dp/B08SGFRYV4/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=the+confidence+project&qid=1610745912&sr=8-2

Joshua Faden is the Founder and President of Community of Teachers, an educational consulting and tutoring company in Washington, DC that focuses on building student confidence. He also co-hosts a podcast called Amplifying Optimism in Education. Prior to starting his company, Joshua was a third-grade teacher at a public school in Washington DC. He has worked with students of all ages as well as teachers and parents in the United States, Costa Rica, Morocco, China, Brazil, and Finland. Many of his third-grade students are now confident college students, and he relishes that they continue to share their journeys with him. Website: www.communityofteachers.com Dr. Stacy L. Scott is a Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership at Boston University. He has worked as an educator, superintendent, psychologist, coach, and policymaker. Dr. Scott directs the Influence 100 program for the state department of education, where he trains aspiring superintendents of color. As Founder of the Center for Understanding Equity, he consults in business, education, and non-profit settings focused on capacity building, organizational culture, equity, and leadership development. His early research focused on adolescent resilience, and currently, he is focused on innovation, confidence, and intuition. Dr. Scott wrote Making Equity Work as a guide for leaders to manage change, increase equity and improve the performance of students and schools. He is an accomplished facilitator and motivational speaker. In 2017, he founded Global Sustainable, Inc., which supports community development, problem-solving and capacity building. Website: www.globalsustainable.org

54 | Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 4 ADVERTISEMENT

STAYING FIT AND HEALTHY

My Child Has a Food Allergy! By Dr. Ron I. Malcolm, EdD ACCORDING TO FOOD ALLERGY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION (FARE), APPROXIMATELY 32 MILLION AMERICANS, INCLUDING 5.6 MILLION CHILDREN, HAVE FOOD ALLERGIES. THIS EQUATES TO ABOUT ONE IN 13 KIDS, MAYBE TWO IN EACH CLASSROOM, AND ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF THOSE CHILDREN ARE ALLERGIC TO MORE THAN ONE FOOD. THESE ALLERGIES CAN BE FATAL AND STRIKE A NERVE OF FEAR IN THE HEART OF PARENTS. YET, WHAT DO YOU DO TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD? HERE ARE TEN SIMPLE TIPS PARENTS CAN FOLLOW TO ATTEMPT TO KEEP THEIR CHILD WITH A FOOD ALLERGY SAFE WHILE AT SCHOOL.

GET AN OFFICIAL MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS

As a parent, it is your responsibility to have your child properly diagnosed by a physician. Once a food allergy is confirmed, you’ll need to have a copy of the diagnosis to share with school personnel. The more you understand about your own child’s allergy, the better prepared you’ll be at advocating for the medical needs of your child. You’ll need to know if your child needs to actually ingest the food in order to have an allergic reaction. Your child may have the type of allergy that is more “airborne,” meaning direct contact isn’t needed. For example, if they have an intense peanut allergy, your child

might not be able to sit beside a student who has just eaten a peanut butter sandwich or a peanut butter cup for lunch. They may require alternate seating in the cafeteria to avoid coming into contact with peanuts.

INFORM THE SCHOOL AND THE CLASSROOM TEACHER OF THE ALLERGY

The classroom teacher needs to be fully informed of your child’s food allergy. You’ll need to explain if you feel your child has the communication skills necessary to report they are experiencing symptoms or have ingested any of their allergens.

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STAYING FIT AND HEALTHY

Your child may need special permission to be able to carry a cell phone at school in case they are experiencing symptoms and need to make an emergency call for assistance. Knowing there is a child in their classroom with a food allergy should encourage the classroom teacher to include a notation of this situation in all of their emergency sub plans. That way, if a substitute teacher happens to be on duty instead of the regular teacher, they will have prior knowledge of the allergy. A parent can also encourage the teacher to inform other parents in the classroom that there is a student with a food allergy present in the classroom. That way, if parents are bringing treats to the classroom for birthdays or holiday events, they are aware there is a student who may need an alternate treat. Many classroom teachers do this same routine for students with diabetes who are present in their classrooms. A well-informed regular classroom teacher has the necessary information during an emergency situation. This means it is your responsibility to ensure the teacher has access to all of your emergency contact phone numbers for both your home and at work. Finally, the classroom teacher can be pivotal in ensuring all students thoroughly wash their hands after lunch or when given a snack or treat in the classroom. This may reduce the possibility of your child coming into contact with airborne allergy-related issues.

OFFER TO PROVIDE CLASSROOM SUPPLIES TO ASSIST IN CLEANING AND SANITIZING

PROVIDE ALTERNATE TREATS FOR THE CLASSROOM

Teachers these days seem to be responsible for buying more and more of their own classroom supplies. You’ll be surprised at how grateful your child’s classroom teacher will be when you provide them with a supply of Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer to use in the classroom. This way, desks can be wiped down after snacks in the classroom, and hands can be quickly sanitized without the need to leave the classroom to go to the restroom. Providing some classroom supplies will indicate to the classroom teacher that you are fully vested in keeping your own child safe at school.

There may be times when another parent sends treats to the classroom that contains food your child is allergic to. This may even occur after a teacher has thoroughly asked other parents not to do so. This is not the fault of the teacher. It is a good idea for you as the parent to always have a stash of snacks available in the classroom for your own child in the event that this should happen. This way, your child will not feel left out. It will also be important that the other students in the classroom see your child as actively participating in the sharing of snacks. As a parent, it would be a great idea for you to bring safe snacks for your child to share with the other students. This way, the other students in the classroom will view your child as a “giver” and not just as a “taker” who needs special accommodations.

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VOLUNTEER IN THE CLASSROOM

Being an active and positive presence in your child’s classroom can also assist with keeping them safe. Even if you only have time to volunteer during holiday parties or field trips, it can assist you with monitoring if your child is employing their self-advocacy skills. It will also show you are willing to actively volunteer in your child’s classroom and assist with other children as well.

REQUEST CLASSROOM SIGNAGE

COMMUNICATE WITH THE SCHOOL NURSE

IEPS—504 PLANS AND CRISIS HEALTHCARE PLANS

More and more schools are posting signage outside classrooms dealing with food allergies. Many different individuals enter and exit a classroom throughout the school day. A properly placed sign indicating there is a student with a food allergy present will assist everyone, including visitors. The school nurse needs to be thoroughly prepped on the situation with your child. Some students with food allergies carry their own epi-pens while others store them in the nurse`s office. The nurse will need copies of your emergency contact numbers. They will also need to be part of your child’s 504 Plan if they have one. Their input will be necessary to help develop a proper crisis healthcare plan for your child.

As an active parent, it will be your responsibility to ensure that your child’s food allergy is clearly outlined in their IEP, 504 Plan, or Healthcare Crisis Plan. The roles and responsibilities of each team member will need to be outlined. Who should administer the epi-pen and when it should be utilized should all be reviewed and discussed.

PURCHASE A MEDICAL ALERT BRACELET

Wearing a medical alert bracelet is a great way for your child to be identified quickly during an emergency situation, especially if they happen to be non-verbal. However, some children may have sensory-related issues and not like the feel of the bracelet on their wrist or the identification on a chain around their neck. Some children will wear a piece of cloth around their wrist in order to tolerate the sensation of the wrist bracelet or to hold it into place better. Others will simply not tolerate wearing the medic alert devices.

TEACH AND PRACTICE SELF-ADVOCACY

It will be critical for you to practice self-advocacy skills with your child. Some children have experienced the adverse effects of a food allergy and will not need to have this explained to them. Others who are at risk but have never experienced a medical emergency may need to have the symptoms explained. While they may practice these self-advocacy skills at home, it will be important for the parent to understand not all children can generalize their skills easily from one setting to another. The skill may also need to be practiced and supervised in the child`s school setting. The child is more likely to utilize their self-advocacy skills if they have been practicing them.

REFERENCE Facts and Statistics: The Food Allergy Epidemic. (n.d.). Retrieved April 08, 2021, from https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/factsand-statistics#:~:text=Researchers%20estimate%20that%2032%20 million%20Americans%20have%20food,allergies%20are%20 allergic%20to%20more%20than%20one%20food. Dr. Ron I. Malcolm, EdD, is an Assistant Director of Special Education for a public school district, an Associate Faculty Member with the University of Phoenix, and a Special Graduate Faculty member at the University of Kansas. His educational background includes a bachelor’s degree of arts (BA) in English from Acadia University, Nova Scotia, Canada; a bachelor’s degree in Education (BEd), Special Education from Acadia University, Nova Scotia, Canada; a master’s degree in Education (MEd), Deaf Education from L’universite de Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada; a master’s degree of arts (MA) in Counseling from Gallaudet University, Washington, DC; a master’s degree of science (MS) in School Administration from Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas; a doctorate in education (EdD), School Leadership from Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona; post-doctorate studies in autism spectrum disorders at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona; and post-doctorate studies in positive behavior supports at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona. He has worked for the past 36 years in the field of Deaf Education. He has a profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and wears two Phonak hearing aids

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Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 4 | 57

EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION

Why It’s Important to Take Good Notes

at Your Child’s IEP Meeting This School Year By Carly Quinlan BACK TO SCHOOL TIME MEANS BACK TO IEP TIME! YOU CAN REQUEST TO HAVE AN INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP) AMENDMENT MEETING AT ANY TIME, BUT IT IS LEGALLY REQUIRED TO MEET A MINIMUM OF ONCE PER YEAR, DEPENDING ON WHEN YOUR CHILD’S IEP IS DUE FOR ANNUAL REVIEW. IN EVERY IEP MEETING, YOU MAY SEE SEVERAL PEOPLE TYPING AWAY, DOCUMENTING EVERY DETAIL FOR THE SCHOOL’S COPY OF MEETING NOTES, WHICH SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE PAPERWORK YOU RECEIVE AT THE END OF YOUR MEETING. HOWEVER, NOT EVERY DETAIL THAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU WILL BE INCLUDED IN THEIR NOTES; HENCE WHY IT IS IMPORTANT YOU TAKE YOUR OWN NOTES AS WELL. IN THE WORLD OF IEPS, THERE IS A SAYING: “IF IT IS NOT WRITTEN DOWN, IT DIDN’T HAPPEN.” THIS IS WHY AS AN IEP ADVOCATE AND CONSULTANT, I RECOMMEND PARENTS ALWAYS SUBMIT A FOLLOW-UP THANK YOU LETTER AFTER THE MEETING SUMMARIZING VITAL DECISIONS AND DETAILS AGREED UPON THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO YOU. YOU CAN REQUEST TO HAVE THIS ADDED TO THE IEP AS A PARENT ATTACHMENT. THIS CREATES A PAPER TRAIL IF THERE ARE ANY DISCREPANCIES LATER ON.

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EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION

It’s a good idea to make your own notes to ensure you fully understand your child’s IEP. You should fully understand exactly how the following areas will be fulfilled for your child after the meeting. If you are not sure, ask! Speak up if you disagree, because as a parent, you ARE a member of the team and CAN add your ideas and suggestions! Note-taking areas to focus on: • New goals your child will be working on for each area • Accommodations and modifications • Behavioral supports (if applicable) • Qualify for Extended School Year (ESY) • Special bus transportation details • Your child’s LRE (Least Restrictive Environment) placement after considering all options and supports • Amount of time spent with neurotypical peers • The what, when, where, and how of related service minutes (i.e., for speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social work, adaptive physical education, etc.) • The school’s response to each of your concerns, requests, thoughts, and ideas to follow up on to keep all accountable

It’s a good idea to cross-reference your notes with the final copy of the IEP you receive following the meeting to ensure all areas were updated accurately, as discussed. Sometimes essential details and edits don’t save correctly in certain IEP software programs due to technical glitches, and/or sometimes there is just so much discussing going on, the school team may forget to update certain things (it happens!). So, if you recognize discrepancies, bring them to the IEP team’s attention as soon as possible to make an amendment. Reminder: the school is only required to implement what is listed in the final copy of the IEP. Therefore, there must be no typos based on what was discussed. This is where referencing your notes as an IEP parent attachment is helpful. If you are too overwhelmed during the meeting to take notes or not sure how to confirm all changes were updated in the appropriate areas of your child’s new plan, an IEP consultant/ advocate can help you via a report review. All the best to you on a successful transition into the new school year and rocking your IEP meetings this year!

Email me for your FREE copy of A Parent’s Note Taking Template for the IEP Meeting to help keep your note-taking on track during the meeting at IEPconsultingLLC@gmail.com. Carly Quinlan is the owner of IEP Consulting, LLC. With eight years of experience as a special education teacher and IEP case manager, and as a sibling of a brother with Down syndrome and autism, she has a unique perspective and knowledge base of the world of IEP’s. She has experience and training in Applied Behavior Analysis, Behavior Intervention Plans, advocacy training in special education law as a non-lawyer advocate, as well as ongoing professional development. With many years of experience on both sides of an IEP table and “behind the scenes” of special education services, she can help you navigate the IEP process, ensuring your concerns are heard and addressed through negotiations with the school team. Services include phone consultations, report review, letter writing, meeting preparation assistance, and IEP meeting participation. Website: https://iepconsultingllc.blogspot.com Email: IEPconsultingLLC@gmail.com

Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 4 | 59

EXCEPTIONAL BOOKS

TEACHING KIDS TO MANAGE ANXIETY

Superstar Practical Strategies By Deb Hopper Kids today are growing up in a fast-paced world where information and opportunity overload can be overwhelming. Teaching Kids to Manage Anxiety offers parents and teachers simple strategies that can make a massive difference to a child’s ability to cope. Based on many years of clinical experience as an occupational therapist, Deb Hopper has been using her Just Right KidsTM Model to teach children to communicate and manage their stress and anxiety by: • • •

Identifying their “body speed” Understanding their stress triggers Implementing simple strategies to reduce anxiety and stress

Deb unpacks a comprehensive look at anxiety from a refreshing perspective. This includes: • • • • •

Understanding what happens in the brain when children are anxious The role of memory How to identify stress and anxiety in children through their clues The impact of gut health on anxiety A new perspective of the extent of anxiety in children including the concepts of: • occupational anxiety • sensory overload and • screen time as contributing factors Deb steps through practical strategies for how to support children with the five types of ‘occupational anxiety,’ or anxiety in a child’s occupation, including: • • • • •

Learning anxiety Sensory induced anxiety Social anxiety Emotional anxiety Transitional anxiety

The final section outlines both body/ physically based (bottom up) and cognitive/thinking strategies (top down) approaches to supporting children to reduce anxiety and thrive from day to day. Both parents and professionals will be refreshed and empowered to help their children/ the children they work with.

TO PURCHASE: https://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Kids-Manage-Anxiety-Strategies/dp/0994448368/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=teaching+kids+to+manage+anxiety&qid=1621923479&sr=8-2

A practicing occupational therapist, Deb Hopper has over 20 years’ experience working with children and adults who struggle with autism, anxiety, emotional regulation, and sensory processing difficulties. Deb enjoys working in her private practice and supervises occupational therapists. She loves to create resources, online courses and books for adults and children and is the author of the book Teaching Kids to Manage Anxiety: Superstar Practical Strategies. She is passionate about helping kids reduce their anxiety and worries in every facet of their life at home, school and in the community. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lifeskills4kids/ Instagram: life_skills_4_kids

60 | Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 4 ADVERTISEMENT

EXCEPTIONAL ADVOCATE

An Exclusive Interview with Armani Williams the First NASCAR Driver on the Autism Spectrum

By Ron Sandison I MET AND INTERVIEWED ARMANI WILLIAMS THIS YEAR AS I SHARE HIS REMARKABLE STORY IN MY THIRD BOOK, VIEWS FROM THE SPECTRUM: A WINDOW INTO LIFE AND FAITH WITH YOUR NEURODIVERGENT CHILD. I LOVE HIS PASSION FOR ADVOCACY AND HIS QUOTE, “TELL ME I CAN’T SO I CAN SHOW YOU THAT I CAN.”

This interview has been edited for Exceptional Needs Today. SANDISON: What were your greatest challenges having autism? WILLIAMS: I feel like my greatest challenge of having autism is communication and social interaction. All my life, I have been dealing with issues growing up, but I have managed to steadily improve those tactics, being a little more proactive around other people, and that’s going to help me in the long run as I continue to live my life with autism. SANDISON: How old were you when you began to speak? WILLIAMS: Good question; I can’t remember when I did. It’s been a long time since I was so little. I would say it was when I was two or three years old. It sometimes takes time before you can say your very first words. SANDISON: Did you have any sensory issues? If so, how did you learn to overcome them? WILLIAMS: Yes, I had some sensory issues, especially when I was young. And I still do today, but I have been able to reduce those issues and overcome them just by looking at my surroundings and knowing what’s going on in today’s world. When I hear or see something I don’t quite understand, I use the Internet and research things on Google to help me understand certain things I don’t know. The more I learn about different things, the easier it is for me to translate the information to my brain, and the next time it comes up, it’s like, “Oh, I have heard about this before,” or “Hey, I know what this is.”

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EXCEPTIONAL ADVOCATE

One of the most critical aspects of rewarding positive behavior is immediacy. As soon as your child completes the required task, reinforce this behavior with the reward. SANDISON: How did your parents encourage you to interact socially? WILLIAMS: Yeah, so once it got to the point where I was more than comfortable being around other people, that’s when the next step came, which was to learn how to talk to and interact with people. My parents have been helping a lot teaching me the basics of having a conversation with someone, how to stay connected with them, how to meet people I have not met before, etc. My parents have been very supportive of me and without their help I don’t know how my life would have been today. SANDISON: What sparked your interests in NASCAR driving? WILLIAMS: That’s a good question…my interest in NASCAR driving started really young for me. I loved playing with one of my action figure cars as a kid and just play all day. When I heard about NASCAR, it sparked my interest up another level. I would watch NASCAR nonstop, and it amazed me how fast those cars were going, passing cars, and a winner getting a trophy at the end of the race. I found that pretty cool and awesome, and one day I told my dad straight up that was something I wanted to do when I grew up: I wanted to be a professional racecar driver. SANDISON: How did you learn to drive a car? WILLIAMS: I picked it up fairly early knowing about the gas and the brake pedals and the steering wheel. Once I learned how to use the basic parts while driving, it became very easy for me, and it has helped me excel through racing and getting a driver’s license.

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SANDISON: What advice would you give to young adults with autism who fear learning how to drive? WILLIAMS: I would tell them not to be afraid of learning something you haven’t done before. Once you learn the basics of working the steering wheel, working the gas and brake pedal comes next. If you can put in all that time hard work and commitment and put it to good use, I will tell you that it will become easier and you can really be more comfortable on the road, freeways, or even on the racetrack if you want to be a racecar driver. SANDISON: What do you like best about racing? WILLIAMS: I love the joy of being on the racetrack and going out there and compete for wins every time I strap into a race car. Just being around the racing environment is also what I love about it—it’s where I get to meet certain drivers, team

LEARNING STRATEGIES

owners, racing officials, and even potential sponsors as well. It’s truly a racing community. SANDISON: How has autism helped you as a racecar driver? WILLIAMS: Good question. You know, being autistic I find this as an advantage for me because I’m so focused and concentrated behind the wheel. That goes with being consistent, smooth, and seeing the big picture leading up to the race, so I have put that all into good use, and it has really helped me develop as a pro racecar driver.

race. I was so excited that I pulled out of the track and didn’t realize I had to go to the victory lane, so I come off, and people are coming to my car telling me, “Hey, you’ve got to go back on the track to celebrate,” and I’m like, “Oh shoot, I’ve got to get back over there!” I kind of laugh at myself for that. But I went back on the track, got the checkered flag, and received a winning trophy, so it was awesome.

SANDISON: What are some of your favorite childhood memories? WILLIAMS: My favorite childhood memories were when I first went to an actual NASCAR race for the first time. I was ten years old with my dad, and we decided to go to Indianapolis, Indiana, for the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I can remember sitting in the grandstands in turn and seeing the racetrack, the racecars, and the racing fans through my very own eyes and just thinking, “So this is what it’s like going to watch a race without seeing it on TV.” So you know, I had a blast and I enjoyed the race too.

Ron Sandison works full-time in the medical field and is a professor of theology at Destiny School of Ministry. He is an advisory board member of Autism Society Faith Initiative of Autism Society of America, the Art of Autism, and the Els Center of Excellence. Ron has a Master of Divinity from Oral Roberts University and is the author of A Parent’s Guide to Autism: Practical Advice, Biblical Wisdom published by Charisma House, and Thought, Choice, Action. He has memorized over 15,000 Scriptures, including 22 complete books of the New Testament. Ron speaks at over 70 events a year, including 20 plus education conferences. Ron and his wife, Kristen, reside in Rochester Hills, MI, with their daughter, Makayla.

SANDISON: What is your major in college? WILLIAMS: I am studying mechanical engineering. It’s a hard major, but it’s the only thing that’s close to racing, so that’s what I am going to do.

Website: http://www.spectruminclusion.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpectrumRonSandison Email: sandison456@hotmail.com

SANDISON: What advice would you give to young adults with autism? WILLIAMS: My advice to them would be if you have a dream to do something you love to do and be successful at, go for it. Don’t give up on your dream. Stay encouraged, believe in yourself, and work hard to do what you love to do. SANDISON: Please share a humorous life story. WILLIAMS: Okay, so one time, I was in a race in Elkhart County, Indiana, called New Paris Speedway. It was a 20-lap feature race under the lights, and I ended up winning my first ever

ARMANI WILLIAMS BIRTHDATE: April 14, 2000 ROLE: American professional stock car racing driver. Competes part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 01 Ford and No. 12 Chevrolet for Fast Track Racing. First NASCAR driver openly diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Full interview with Ron Sandison: YouTube

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SKILLS FOR LIFE

From Special Needs Chaos to Calm How to Create a Work-Life Balance That Will Catapult You to Zen and Success

By Tasnuva Sarwar Tunna, PhD AS A SPECIAL NEEDS PARENT, WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE ZEN? IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE TO HAVE A JOB OR CAREER, LET ALONE A WORK-LIFE BALANCE?

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SKILLS FOR LIFE

I was just as skeptical too. You are not alone! I am an autism mom and neurodiverse myself. I was a driven, type-A overachiever and, with my condition, often found it super exhausting to focus on balancing. The scale was always tipping this way or that…just as yours might be doing now. So, what did I DO to make a 270-degree shift? I will give you actionable ways that helped me and many moms I worked with; we are now having fulfilling careers and living our best lives!

Go inwards: What do YOU want? We tend to breeze through life by the book of others. We choose everything from work, degree, job, food, housing, property, heck, even whether we are bringing a new child in our lives, by asking others what we are expected to do! Now is the time to ask yourself this fundamental question: What do I WANT to do, and who do I want to BE? I have changed my career a few times already, and I was the type who would always be told what to do. In doing what others wanted of me, I was always unhappy and unfulfilled. When we do something that gets us totally in the zone, work doesn’t become a chore. To find the sweet spot between doing what you love and making sufficient money off it, you need to do a little research both on the depth of your desire (make sure it’s not a whim, that you can do it without the need to be paid—only then can you withstand the initial dry spells and struggling periods) and the need for this skill in the market. Let’s give an example. I love to be a couch potato and read. But will I be paid to do so? Only if I am a book critic, and I do not want to be one. I also absolutely love to teach, inspire, heal, and advocate healthy living and mental health so now I work as an Autism Health Coach, helping improve the developmental milestones of autistic children by working with their parents. And why autism? Because my son is autistic, and in my quest to help him be his best self without waiting for official help from the healthcare system, I started on this journey. The mental health of an autism mom (any special needs parent) is the most integral step towards helping and supercharging their special needs child! So, I created my vocation based on my skills, my interests, and something that is already part of my life. I hope you can truly find yours too.

Assess your strengths and weaknesses What are you good at? Perhaps great at? What are the things you absolutely can’t stand to do? In lieu to the previous point, I am adding this important notion. We usually spend a large amount of time trying to do things we don’t like, love, or are good at. Why do we do that? Because our ego does, and we tend to save a quick buck trying to do those tasks ourselves. Trust me when I say this: When you work on things that don’t

When we do something that gets us totally in the zone, work doesn’t become a chore. To find the sweet spot between doing what you love and making sufficient money off it, you need to do a little research both on the depth of your desire (make sure it’s not a whim, that you can do it without the need to be paid—only then can you withstand the initial dry spells and struggling periods) and the need for this skill in the market. nourish you or help you, you will essentially be pulling a rope tied to a grand banyan tree. You can’t really move the tree, and you will hurt your hands. We also do this by asking ourselves, “Oh, but who will help me wash the dishes? Get my child taken care of? Email the clients or make a sales call…etc., etc.…” You know what? You live in a time and era where every form of service is available and with the right amount of money. Use pockets of time consciously to do the things you are good or great at and delete or delegate to those who are more accomplished to do those you are not. The next point will elaborate on this more. This way you will be happy, at peace, more present, earn more, be a great mum, and will also be successful.

Prioritize, supercharge, and be resourceful Oh, yes! We absolutely love wearing our struggles as badges and feeling proud of our hardships. Under a microscope, it’s actually us to blame rather than others. Wait, before you skip to the next article! When you have boundaries, you know where you want to go or are going, and then the universe plus people around you will actually support you. Have faith. Prioritize your tasks based on urgency and importance. Give the things that are not your genius, and you don’t do well at to others. Discuss this with those in your group. When communicated properly, most bosses and partners are actually willing to get things off your plate when you can make them understand that this way you will be more efficient, effective, and productive—a dream to work or live with! Keep things streamlined right from your bathroom to your closet to your work projects to vacations. Take this as a challenge to start incorporating more things you can handle and delete or delegate the rest. Less IS more in the long term. And please stop trying

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to find ten excuses to not follow through because excuses are your mind’s way to stay on familiar grounds, even if those grounds are filled with hardship.

Clear and connect to your truths and emotions Our subconscious makes 90 to 96 percent of our mind, and it is the driver—not your conscious self, which is only ten to four percent. Also, our money mindset, life skills, and beliefs, as well as our personality, mostly come from the way we were brought up in the first seven years of our lives. You might have known and unknown traumas, beliefs, and emotions stuck to your mind, body, and soul and sabotaging you. This is when you need to work on your inner self, or what we call “inner child healing.” This is not a woo-woo concept any longer, as science is proving we indeed are a system of our body, mind, and soul. Holistic healing is now all the rage and genuinely working because of this balancing concept. Read, watch videos, listen to podcasts, do journaling…be mindful and connect to the emotions holding you back.

Create boundaries This is absolutely essential. WE, ladies, have very little aptitude to create boundaries. If you are like me, you would be like, “Boundaries? What does that even mean?” RIGHT? Learn your likings and dislikings and own them by being your own advocate as well as your child’s. Boundaries are healthy. They are uncomfortable to establish, and you will be scared or really squeamish when you start, but trust this process. Start with small changes and move on to larger ones. Your boss is making you stay longer? Enforce. And if they don’t budge, then you can start looking for a new one or create your own job or business. Partner not giving you space and understanding? Tell them that it is their responsibility. Many times, they just take things for granted since we are not standing up and asking for stuff, they get stuck thinking of us only as a mom or wife, and thus are not thinking of our needs as an individual. Then, they won’t bother to give us more than we ask for! Do you feed your baby if they don’t cry for milk? Exactly! Ask, and you shall receive. But ASK, please!

Create systems and routines I can’t tell you how much this helped me, my clients, and thousands of #bossmoms who “got our things together!” Systems are steps, routines, and modes of making your tasks easy. Bundling similar tasks in the same time or keeping related items in the same space makes things easier to remember. I put reminders on phones, make specific times and tasks to reduce workload such as doing meal prep, put supplements in next to my toothbrush because I will use that at night anyway, so I won’t forget. I implemented mini systems from how I do laundry to what I eat to how I handle my client and workload. Life in pandemic actually became a boon as I got the rug under my feet pulled out, and that imbalance forced me to take my life, career, and health plus wellbeing in a new holistic perspective. You might be on your way to do something, and then you see the cushion upturned, and then you go fix that, and then the table needs dusting, or the books need to be put away, and then, boom! Three hours gone. Train your brain to stick to the plan. But first, have that plan! This took me a long time to experiment with and implement, but with the patience and grace I gave myself, I am seeing the benefits. You will too. Welcome to your best life!

Tasnuva Sarwar Tunna, PhD, is neurodiverse herself, an autism mom, a complex PTSD-trauma/abuse survivor, and a seeker of health and wellbeing who is merrily working as an online based Autism Health Coach. She seeks to empower other autism moms into helping their children be the best versions of themselves by improving their health and wellbeing and supercharging developmental delays! She advocates and coaches one-on-one to anxious autism parents in helping their autism children achieve transformative improvements and developments. She is also a pharmacist, published scientist, and author who has a PhD in Natural Medicine. She lives in Ottawa, Canada with three children and is a devout spiritual and holistic healer at heart. She cooks and absolutely loves books. You can sign up for her newsletter where she shares massive transformational resources for parents’ mental health, autism health, and wellbeing, as well as nutrition and lifestyle. Website: www.neurodiversenerd.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/276102687017998 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-tasnuva-tunna-phd-autism-health-coach-24a79470/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_neurodiverse_nerd/?hl=en Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/c638a7722562/signup-to-dr-tasnuvas-weekly-autism-recovery-and-mom-wellbeing-newsletters

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Five Simple Ways to Help Your Child with Exceptional Needs Transition to Summertime

By Annette Nuñez, PhD, LMFT IF YOU AND YOUR CHILD WENT THROUGH A PANDEMIC TOGETHER, YOU CAN HANDLE ANYTHING, RIGHT? JUST AS THE WORLD STARTED TO OPEN BACK UP AND YOUR CHILD WAS SETTLING INTO THEIR NEW IN-PERSON SCHOOL ROUTINE, ANOTHER TRANSITION HITS…SUMMER! MANY FAMILIES ENJOY SUMMER BECAUSE IT IS A TIME TO RELAX, GO ON VACATIONS, AND JUST TAKE A BREAK FROM THE STRUCTURE OF A SCHOOL YEAR. HOWEVER, FOR PARENTS WHO HAVE CHILDREN WITH EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS, SUMMER CAN BE A CHALLENGING TIME OF YEAR AS MORE STRUCTURE AND ROUTINE ARE NEEDED FOR THEIR CHILD. THE TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL TO SUMMER CAN BE A DIFFICULT ONE.

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ith that being said, just know you are not alone! During this big transition, here are some important things to keep in mind. Your child feels the anxiety and stress of the world much more than you realize. So, it is important to stay positive by thinking of all the positives that come with this break. You can work on skills that will help prepare your child to become more independent in home and in school, work on their social skills, and work on self-help skills. Being at home with your child during the summer will take a lot of patience, creativity, resourcefulness, and positivity. Your child likes sameness and routine, so it is essential to create a schedule and stick to it. This schedule will keep both you and your child calm. Even if you are bored with the schedule created, stick with it because your child is not! There are many schedules you can find online and modify to fit with your lifestyle as well as your child’s. The schedule you create does not have to be elaborate; you can use a notebook to write down or draw a picture of what your child’s schedule will be for the day. Go over the day’s schedule with them the night before and in the morning. This not only helps your child but also helps YOU stay accountable and structured. Also, include various alone time within the daily schedule. This allows for both you and your child to take a break from one another. You can include screen time during these breaks; you don’t need to feel guilty about doing so. Just remember to set a timer for when you would like your child to end screen time because it will make the transition a lot easier. Last but not least, create a few summertime goals for your child, then choose activities that will help your child reach those goals. Choose activities with a clear start and end and only do them for five-to-ten-minute increments, gradually increasing the time. Using a timer is always helpful because it lets your child know when the activity is over. There are so many summertime activities to choose from that it can often be overwhelming to a parent. Based on this, I have created a list of activities both my clients and their parents have found to be beneficial. These activities are divided into five categories: sensory, gross motor, fine motor, games, and working on self-help skills. The great thing about these activities is you don’t have to buy expensive materials to implement them. All you have to do is look for simple objects lying around your house. Do one or more of these activities with your child daily and watch the social bond between you and your child become stronger while having fun.

ENGAGE IN SENSORY PLAY

Sensory play is wonderful because it encourages your child to use their senses of sight, touch, taste, smell, hearing, vestibular, and proprioception. Some sensory activity ideas include blowing bubbles and having your child chase and pop them. Use a rolling chair and allow your child to spin for a

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while as you monitor their speed. Spray shaving cream on the table and have your child write letters and numbers within it or draw. There are so many recipes online to make your own slime, foam, moon sand, cloud dough, etc. Hide small items, dinosaurs, zoo animals, or whatever your child likes, in a plastic bin filled with water beads, then have your child search for them. You can change out the materials in the bin to shredded paper, pasta, sand, etc., every week.

WORK ON GROSS MOTOR SKILLS

Focus on strengthening your child’s core while working on leg and arm coordination and muscle development. A favorite activity is Wax Paper Ice Skating. Start by cutting two pieces of wax paper big enough for your child’s foot, then have your child place their foot on top of each piece of wax paper and skate around your house. You can also create an obstacle course in or outside of your house. Some ideas for creating an obstacle course include having your child walk on tape (to work on balance), throw a ball into a basket (for eye-hand coordination), and crawl under a rope. Be sure to take physical brain breaks by having your child hop like a frog, crab crawl, wheelbarrow walk, or crash into couch cushions. Or maybe have your child do a chore for you like carrying a laundry basket. These are some great examples of having your child’s sensory needs met.

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DEVELOP FINE MOTOR SKILLS

Fine motor skills are important because they help with writing and self-help skills. Some fun fine motor activities include searching for a Play-Doh recipe on the Internet, making it with your child, and then playing together with it. Roll the Play-Doh into small balls or make little snakes/animals to work on finger and hand strengthening skills. You can hide objects such as small beads or coins in the Play-Doh and have your child find them. Another activity is to buy stickers of characters or objects your child likes. Get a blank piece of paper and randomly put dots all over the paper with a pen or marker. Have your child put the sticker on top of the dots. Make it educational by making dots into shapes, numbers, or letters and have your child place the stickers on the dots to produce the shape, number, or letter. Show your child how to color within the lines and teach an appropriate pincher grip or print out simple coloring pages with limited detail and thicken the lines. You can inspire writing, create shapes, write numbers and letters, or write your child’s name on a piece of paper and have them trace it. Make pasta necklaces. You can teach the concept of cutting by teaching your child how it’s done. You can even have your child bead their own fidget bracelet by using a pipe cleaner.

PLAY GAMES TOGETHER

Games promote the concept of turn-taking and following rules. Summer is the perfect time to teach the concept of playing games in a one-on-one setting. When your child goes back to school, they will have the basic turn-taking skills needed to play games with their peers. When teaching turn-taking, begin with games with simple rules—games that promote the “My Turn/Your Turn” concept. You can start by doing puzzles within your house and taking turns putting the puzzle pieces together. You can also take turns coloring parts of a coloring page. Some simple turn-taking games to play are any matching game, Don’t Break the Ice, Honey Bee Tree, or Memory. Fun physical games include Freeze Dance and Red Light Green Light, in which you can pair a visual with physical activity. For example, you can hold up a green piece of paper to initiate dancing, jumping, running, etc., and then hold up a red piece of paper to stop. Try

teaching the concept of chase and tag to help get some of your child’s wiggles out. You can first have them walk or run after you and prompt them to tag you, then turn around and walk or run and tag them. It is the most foundational play skill to have because a lot of playground play revolves around the game of tag. Once your child enjoys playing simple games, you can begin to teach games with more complex rules such as Candy Land, Hide-and-Seek, and Simon Says.

WORK ON SELF-HELP SKILLS

Self-help skills are critical because they not only help your child become more independent but promote problem-solving skills too. Select one or two self-help skills each week you would like your child to work on. Once you decide, it will be essential to break down the self-help skills step by step, teach them in small sequential steps, and then chain the steps. For example, if you would like to teach your child to dress and undress themselves, you may first help them put on pants and socks but show them how to put their shirt on independently. Once they can put their shirt on independently, you can work on having them put on their pants independently as well. Continue to do this until your child can dress themselves entirely. Some self-help skills to work on are dressing, tying shoes, brushing teeth, opening and closing the lunch box/backpack, using utensils or a napkin, washing hands, and more. If your child needs visuals to help them, look on the Internet. There are so many downloadable visuals for each of these self-help skills that break them down into small sequential steps. These are just some examples of fun summertime activities you can do with your child. If you look on the Internet, there are many more. When finding the right summer activities for your child, remember to follow your child’s lead. Move on if your child isn’t interested in an activity and find something your child enjoys. By choosing activities your child enjoys, they are more likely to stay engaged with that activity for longer periods of time. Their social connection with you will also be more likely to strengthen. The ultimate goal of summer is to make memorable social connections with your child while having fun.

Annette Nuñez, PhD, LMFT is the founder and director of Breakthrough Interventions, LLC and Potential Health, LLC. She is a licensed psychotherapist and has worked with children with ASD and other related disorders for over 28 years. As part of her doctorate work at the University of Denver, Dr. Nuñez developed the Children’s Social Competence Scale (CSCS). The CSCS is an early intervention evaluation tool that measures social competency in young children. She served as the Program Director for Connect Us, a non-profit organization that helps children cultivate positive relationships through facilitated play. Her research interests include the mainstreaming and socialization of children with high functioning autism. Dr. Nuñez co-wrote and self-published the Friendship Is… book. She conducts many seminars both nationally and internationally and has consulted with many schools in China and supervises the therapists at Breakthrough Interventions in South Africa. Her most recent project is starting Potential Health, LLC—a hemp line that offers various products to children with autism and their caretakers to help with sleep and relieve the stress of day-to-day living. Dr. Nuñez has been featured in the Huffington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX News, Forbes, The Jenny McCarthy Show, and The Today Show. Websites: http://www.btinterventions.com, https://www.breakingthroughautism.com, https://potentialhealthproducts.com/ Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=462556703926821&ref=content_filter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakthrough_autism/

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Meeting the Needs of All Learners with Different Abilities

Through Teletherapy By Connie Persike, MS, CCC/SLP OVER THE PAST YEAR, MANY OF US HAVE PIVOTED TO TELETHERAPY TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR CLIENTS AND STUDENTS SAFELY DURING THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC. I’M NOT SURE ABOUT YOU, BUT I WAS NERVOUS AND APPREHENSIVE ABOUT MAKING IT WORK AT FIRST, ESPECIALLY WITH YOUNGER CHILDREN OR INDIVIDUALS WITH SIGNIFICANT DISABILITIES. THIS PAST YEAR HAS TAUGHT ME HOW TO SUPPORT ALL LEARNERS IN THE VIRTUAL WORLD AND ALLOWED ME TO SEE THE BENEFITS TELETHERAPY CAN BRING AS A SERVICE DELIVERY OPTION. IT HAS BEEN AN ENJOYABLE AND REWARDING LEARNING PROCESS. I HOPE TO SHARE MY ENTHUSIASM THROUGHOUT THIS ARTICLE AND PROVIDE YOU WITH MULTIPLE SUPPORTS TO HELP MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL LEARNERS WHEN PROVIDING SERVICES VIA TELETHERAPY.

s a speech pathologist in both private practice and the university setting, I have had the pleasure of exploring this service delivery model over the past year. It has allowed clients, students, families, and service providers to stay safe and minimize their exposure to COVID-19. But going beyond safety, I have observed additional positive outcomes! Entire families have been able to participate and engage in

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therapy with their child, sibling, or grandchild. This has taken family involvement to an entirely new level. Grandparents have been able to sit next to their grandchild who is receiving speech therapy, participated in activities with us, given their input, and learned scaffolds, prompts, and supports to help their grandchild succeed. Siblings have been active members of sessions, providing increased motivation and models for the client as well as allowing for incidental benefit to the

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sibling. Parent coaching and education have been consistent and ongoing, as often parents were needed throughout the sessions to help implement supports, cues, and prompts on their end of the screen. This level of family involvement has resulted in increased collaboration with caregivers and families, allowing them to feel like equal and active team members. Also, it has armed all family members with tools and strategies to help their cared-for individual succeed. A significant additional benefit has been the ability to service clientele in rural areas that did not have access to services without substantial impact on their family due to long drive times. Furthermore, many rural areas did not have specialized clinicians; so, several clients could not obtain the services they needed. Through the implementation of teletherapy, clients were able to access services that had been unavailable to them before COVID-19.

Predictable routines and procedures provide organizational structures needed to support learning. That need does not change because we are providing services virtually. There are several ways to provide these supports via teletherapy. Utilizing the same structure and routine for all sessions has been one method I’ve found that supports many different types of learners. While what you do within the session may vary, the outline remains the same. For instance, a language group always follows the same routine: morning message, greeting, introduction of the targeted language structure, focused exposure, structured practice, embedded practice, and closing circle. This schedule remains the same each session, while activities and targeted language structures change across sessions. An additional example for a preschooler with autism may be that

Over the year, many clients and students thrived via this service delivery model for the sole fact that they received services in the comfort of their home around their familiar surroundings and within the safety of their families or caregivers. We’ve long known providing services in a child’s natural environment is beneficial; however, logistics (i.e., drive times, staffing needs, scheduling) often made it difficult to provide outside of the early childhood setting (i.e., birth to three years old and schoolbased early child services). COVID-19 has allowed clinics and universities to explore this service delivery model without the typical barriers that can interfere with providing services in the natural environment. In particular, providing tele-evaluations have helped ensure client skills are being evaluated within comfortable and safe environments with caregivers by whom they felt supported. This has ensured evaluation results are a true representation of the client’s abilities. In addition to the benefits mentioned above, I have learned many ways to support children and individuals with significant disabilities succeed via teletherapy. Many of these supports are similar to those we provide to clients and students in person. Others are unique to teletherapy. These include predictable routines and procedures, visual schedules, visual supports, manipulatives, and materials provided to clients in their home, active engagement techniques, and green screens.

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belonging to all. An example of a predictable procedure can be as simple as using the same activity with different manipulatives. This makes the activity predictable and becomes a predictable procedure for the client. For instance, when working with an autistic preschooler, a knock-knock activity was created using a pencil box and an image of a door. This provided a functional activity to teach the targeted core vocabulary word, “Hi.” High-interest items such as pictures of the client’s family, superhero figurines, and Toy Story characters were rotated through the procedure versus creating an entirely new activity each week. This predictable procedure allowed the client to focus on the targeted skill of communicating the greeting “Hi,” versus learning new activities.

therapy always follows the same predictable routine such as the “Hi” song, sound and word imitation practice, movement break, structured play task, sensory play, and the “Bye” song. Sessions throughout the week contain the same activities and targeted core vocabulary. This allows for both repetitive practice and a structured routine. After participating in the activities all week, data is collected on opportunities to use targeted core vocabulary during the session after teaching and instruction have been provided. Predictable routines and procedures decrease the cognitive load for all of us. It eases anxiety and allows the focus to be on learning. In addition, predictable routines and procedures help create a sense of community and

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An additional support for developing predictable routines and procedures is to present visual schedules at the beginning of each session. These schedules can be sent to families and caregivers via e-mail prior to the session, so the client has a physical, visual schedule in front of them. If parents do not have access to printing, mailing copies via snail mail and/or dropping copies off at home is an option. This allows the parent or client to manipulate the schedule at home while the clinician manipulates the schedule virtually. It also allows caregivers to provide foreshadowing cues for the client or student prior to the session. Visual supports help all learners, both in person and virtually. Do not be afraid to incorporate this technique into your teletherapy sessions. This can be done by printing off large visuals to hold up during your sessions or by providing them on the screen. Visual supports to aid in understanding directions

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want

get

make

good

not

look

turn

help

different

open

put

same

you

she

that

all

some

here

can

finished

where

what

why

who

when

stop

Providing materials and manipulatives at home to support learning and increase engagement has been extremely beneficial for clients, especially younger children and individuals with significant impairments. This allows for active engagement within the client’s zone of proximal development.

have been supportive such as “Look,” “Sit,” “Talk louder,” and “Wait.” In addition, foreshadowing and executive functioning cues have also been supportive of learners, such as visuals indicating “Start,” “Almost all done,” and “All done.” Furthermore, visuals can be provided to support instruction and provide a multi-modal approach to learning. Google Jamboard can be utilized to co-create anchor charts with clients. The Google Jamboard can then be shared with clients so they have access to the visual reminders both inside and outside of therapy. In addition, visuals can be paired with instruction and then provided during independent or guided practice as visual reminders. Taking screenshots of video options for movement breaks and presenting the images on the screen is a way to visually provide choices for clients. For example, a client with a high interest in Toy Story was able to choose between three different YouTube videos in order to select which video he wanted to use for his movement

break. Lastly, visuals of sentence stems can be provided as well to support clients in turn and talk conversations and discussions about what was learned. For students utilizing augmentative and alternative modes of communication, clinicians can utilize low technology communication boards to model their use and provide aided language stimulation throughout the sessions. Providing materials and manipulatives at home to support learning and increase engagement has been extremely beneficial for clients, especially younger children and individuals with significant impairments. This allows for active engage-

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Active engagement increases motivation, decreases behaviors, and maximizes learning potential. Too often, teletherapy promotes passive engagement. Strategies to increase engagement include taking advantage of tools in the different teletherapy platforms. the door. He was then greeted by a high-interest superhero figurine! This allowed for sustained attention and engagement throughout the activity. A client who received targeted intervention around word work received a magnetic board and alphabetic letters, so both the clinician and client had the same materials. For students with sensory needs as well as difficulty attending for long periods of time, sensory bins have been extremely helpful to support learning. Clinicians are able to use images of similar themes on their screen or similar materials at their home to elicit and model language. Lastly, during play, the clinician can manipulate play items on the screen or use backgrounds to support play schemes while the client has toys at home. Clinicians and clients can also each have a set of toys at their location to engage in play-based therapy.

ment within the client’s zone of proximal development. Examples include thematic containers to support play schemes, dry erase boards and magnetic letters to support word work, sensory bins, and costumes to support themes of the week! When both the client and therapist have similar materials on each side of the screen, engagement and motivation both increase substantially. Remember that knock, knock procedure to target “Hi”? While the therapist used a green screen to display a door on the screen, the client had a door in front of him so he could knock and open

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Active engagement increases motivation, decreases behaviors, and maximizes learning potential. Too often, teletherapy promotes passive engagement. Strategies to increase engagement include taking advantage of tools in the different teletherapy platforms. Whether you utilize Zoom, Google Meet, or WebEx, you will have options for clients to annotate, share emojis, and provide input with reactions. Also, utilizing Google Jamboard allows both participants to interact with the Google Jamboard throughout the session. You can continue to utilize our tried and true techniques of thumbs up/ thumbs down, stop and jot, act it out, and role-play as well. All these techniques will keep your clients engaged and active throughout their sessions. One of the most impactful tools I have found for young children or individuals with significant disabilities is the use of green screens. A green screen is a blank green background that can be used to enlarge images and clinicians via teletherapy versus sharing your screen and having a small window to show your face. The green screen integrates the therapist into the image used for the background. It also allows clinicians to manipulate the background in a way that makes it appear as if

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they are moving the background or engaging with it. For instance, when using a picture of an elephant, it can appear as if the clinician is feeding the elephant a peanut by adding a green pocket to the screen to “feed” the elephant peanuts. Not only do green screens increase engagement, but they also provide a venue for embedding high interests into sessions. One example is using a superhero background when working with a kindergartener with a phonological process disorder who loves superheroes. Finally, green screens have been essential for clients with motor speech disorders. It allows the client to see the clinician’s face and mouth very closely so clear models can be provided, articulators can be seen clearly, and the clinician’s mouth can be enlarged to allow the use of many different strategies and techniques for addressing motor speech deficits. While teletherapy has been a learning process for us all, focusing on the many benefits and utilizing the above-mentioned techniques will provide you with strategies to increase your success for all clients.

All individuals depicted in photos have granted permission for use. The “Hi” song visual was purchased from Talk It Rock It and can be found at the following website: https://www.talkitrockit.com. In addition, the symbols added to visual supports came from Smarty Symbols LLC, which can be accessed at https://smartysymbols.com and Boardmaker 7®, which can be accessed at https://www.myboardmaker.com/Login.aspx. Juliet’s schedule was made using LessonPix images, which can be found at the following website: https://lessonpix.com. The 36 location universal core classroom poster was retrieved from Project Core at the following location: http://www.project-core.com/36location-poster/.

Connie Persike, MS, CCC/SLP is a highly experienced speech-language pathologist with 20 years of experience in private practice and school settings. She is the founder of CP Consulting, where she brings her experience to provide insight, guidance, coaching, and support to school districts, agencies, and families across Wisconsin needing expert direction in working with children. In addition to running her business, Connie teaches part-time at the University of Wisconsin Madison as a Clinical Associate Professor in the Communication Sciences & Disorders Department. Connie has been invited to present at a state level on a variety of topics such as functional behavioral assessments, positive behavioral supports and interventions, autism, anxiety, and evidence-based interventions. She is a member of the American Speech Hearing Association, the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, and the Autism Society of Wisconsin. Connie has been involved in statewide workgroups to help develop and improve core programming in schools and is a published writer for Autism Parenting Magazine. Connie resides in Waunakee, WI, with her husband and daughter. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and landscaping.

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EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS TODAY

Exceptional Needs Today Issue 4

Articles inside

Five Valuable Tips to Help Anxious Children Cope with Healthcare Procedures

FROM SPECIAL NEEDS CHAOS TO CALM: HOW TO CREATE A WORK-LIFE BALANCE THAT WILL CATAPULT YOU TO ZEN AND SUCCESS

FIVE SIMPLE WAYS TO HELP YOUR CHILD WITH EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS TRANSITION TO SUMMERTIME

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO TAKE GOOD NOTES AT YOUR CHILD’S IEP MEETING THIS SCHOOL YEAR

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ARMANI WILLIAMS, THE FIRST NASCAR DRIVER ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM

HOW TO IDENTIFY AND MANAGE ANXIETY DISORDER

POSITIVE VOICES MARCUS BOYD: REPAYING HIS VOICE THROUGH MUSIC AND ACTIVISM

THE ART OF REGULATING WHEN MELTDOWNS OCCUR

FINANCIAL FOCUS LEGISLATION MOVING TOWARD BOOSTING FUNDING FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES

OUR JOURNEY THROUGH GOD’S PLAN WITH AUTISM

EXCEPTIONAL BOOKS THE SPECTRUM GIRL’S SURVIVAL TOOLKIT

A LIFE FILLED WITH PLAY CAN SUPPORT ALL KIDS WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES

NEURODIVERCITY: A NEURODIVERSE STUDENT COMMUNITY FOR ALL

EXCEPTIONAL BOOKS THE UP SIDE OF DOWNS

SPECIAL NEEDS PARENTING: DON’T GIVE OUT AND DON’T GIVE UP