When my oldest was one and a half, I questioned the idea of decorating the house for Christmas. In my mind, it was going to be more trouble than it was worth. As he had recently become mobile, he was into everything. I pictured the Christmas tree being pulled over and ornaments flying across the room. As I shared my concerns with a colleague, she shared how important it was to begin establishing traditions within our family as this served as a basis for his earliest memories.
As adults, we tend to look back on our years growing up as carefree and full of wonder. But what we’re probably forgetting is that our youth through the late teen years was mostly spent learning how to deal with problems and bouncing back from adversity. The ability to do these things is called emotional resilience. When you have a child with special needs, helping them establish their own process of regulating their emotions is crucial. Although each student at our Nashville school has unique and special needs, our educators employ many tactics that help them create a positive learning environment for each.
Topics: Insider
Dyslexia is a learning disorder that affects the way the brain interprets letters. Contrary to popular belief, many people with dyslexia do not see letters backwards. Instead, letters might jump around the page or appear completely jumbled. With intervention, preparation, practice, focus, and time, many of the disabling aspects of dyslexia can be overcome.
Topics: Insider
During the last month, we have been thinking a great deal about the importance of teaching our students to give to others by getting involved in service projects. While we have done this with the canned food drive and planting at a farm, it is also important to participate in giving activities as a family. This process helps to encourage teens to be good “givers” rather than just “receivers.”
If your child has difficulty getting organized, managing his/her time, remembering things, doing homework or finishing projects, he/she may have executive function deficits. Executive Function (EF) plays a crucial role in becoming a successful person at school and in life. When EF skills are strong, students will have greater academic success, better self-regulation skills, and better peer relations. EF skills are cognitive skills used to analyze tasks, break down steps, understand what is read, and solve multi-step problems.
