Do you remember the Staples commercial where parents sang, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” while they were shopping with their kids who looked like they were ready to cry?  I am slightly disappointed not to have seen it in several years as it truly marks (for me) the beginning of a new school year.  (So, I found it on YouTube- click here)

Back to school usually is met with considerable excitement by both parents and students.  New clothes, teachers, and friends all will be discovered this year. Not to mention the saturation of learning that will be experienced by parents, teachers and oh yeah… the students.

However, on a serious note, parents with children who have exceptional needs often experience a different set of emotion this time of year … anxiety, sadness, and maybe hopefullness.   Parents in this community sometimes are  full of questions and concerns. Will my child have a teacher who is a good “fit” and can follow his/her individual educational plan (IEP/ 504, etc.)?  Will my child be able to learn in a new environment? Make friends? Be able to negotiate a new school building, bus, or vocational center? Be bullied? Be understood?  

It is for these parents and students that I write an updated resource list in the hopes that it will provide an easier transition as all children head back to school.  (Also note, that I have included resources for children who are home educated, as well.)  Twitter names are in parentheses. (I am @LouiseASL)

♦GENERAL  EDUCATIONAL WEBSITES WITH GREAT INFORMATION APPLICABLE for SPECIAL NEEDS

Education.com - Two million visitors each month find all kinds of information on this site. Their JustAsk forum is open to answer all kinds of education, parenting and developmental questions.  And you may get me as one of the experts to respond! (@Education_Com)

abcteach.com - Looking for some help as a teacher? Need creative ideas for the classroom or home school? Check out this great website and enjoy both the free and very inexpensive subscription rate.  Great gift for your child’s teacher! (@abcteach)

411 VOICES - It is no secret that I have joined this consortium of  experts.  Over 50% of our experts hail from the education, parenting or mental health fields.  Ask a question to one or more of our 20 plus experts.

♦SPECIAL EDUCATION RESOURCES – SOME OF MY FAVES  

National Association for School Psychologists (Help for parents from psychologists who understand IEPs, evaluations, ABA, etc.)

The Coffee Klatch -  A Forum for parents, educators and experts to share ideas, expertise and most of all assistance. (@TheCoffeeKlatch)

eparent.com  -  A general website for parents of exceptional children

CHADD.org - Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder.  You need info, they have info! (@CHADD_ADD)

The Autism News - The latest information on research and strategies in the field of Autism and related disorders (@TheAutismNews)

Autism Speaks - The “clearinghouse” of information for this disorder (@AutismSpeaks)

Our Journey Thru Autism - A resource site started by a mom of a child with autism, Tiffani Lawton (@AutismJourneys)

Spirit of Autism – Another website started by a mom with a child with Autism. She also speaks about safety issues as related to EMS understanding special needs children. (@SpiritofAutism)

Learning Disabilities International-  A great resource for information about learning disabilities and related processing disorders

Learning Disabilities Online  Another great LD resource for all who are involved with learning challenges (@LDOnline)

American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA)-  The title says it all! @ASHAWeb)

Special Needs Homeschool - A comprehensive site for those who wish to educate from home their child with exceptional needs (@hedremp)

National Organization for Down Syndrome    National organization for information, assistance and support for families with a Down Syndrome loved one.  (@NDSS)

National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) www.NAMI.org. This is the national organization for assistance if your child or loved one has mental illness. (@NAMICommunicate)

National Organization for Rare Diseases   There are so many disorders in this world that do not have large organizations to support families or provide information on an individual basis. Here is an excellent web site to gain information regarding RARE disorders that impact development. (NORD)

WRIGHTS LAW-  Many of us don’t speak LEGAL.  So, here is a website dedicated to all the legal-speak for education / special education.

♦FEATURED PRODUCT COMPANY FOR BACK TO SCHOOL

CAROLINA PAD -  I LOVE this company!  Probably because they are philanthropic in addition to having a very smart looking set of materials which include – organizers, notebooks, folders and other necessities for back to school. Their products are PERFECT for children who have difficulty with organizational strategies, such as those with learning disabilities for ADD.  Bright colors help with colors coding and mnemonic learning. The designs are very contemporary.

One of my faves is their IDEAL book which is a sectioned spiral book small enough to fit in to a pocketbook. This is terrific for students who lose their books and need inserts to hold CD-Roms and much more in a compact space.  Also, due to the smaller size it lends itself to being a great resource for students who can’t handle a lot of written text on a standard sized paper and can benefit from large rule spacing on a smaller surface. As for adults, I use this book to organize my own business materials, and travel with one to each guest lecture I give! It fits conveniently in my pocketbook and is so bright that I easily find it on my desk!

Thanks to Carolina Pad, I was able to donate  last year many school supplies to children in need.  I plan to do the same this year.  (@carolinapad)

To see additional review check on 411 VOICES in the coming weeks!

Our giveaway is complete! Thanks to all who participated.  Winners announced below!

 

 

Some people are gifted musicians. Others are amazing storytellers. And a  few can help those who truly are in desperate need.  Wrap together the musician, storyteller and the person with a heart to help others and you have one Ava Parnass.  I first became interested in the person who tweets as @ListenToMePleas  because she often was tweeting  with vigor and offering great advice for her “followers”.  Then I noticed she was engaging many online to have REAL conversations in the social media milieu. This piqued my interest as only a select few really want to have meaningful online banter while most just wish to share their favorite meal of the day or sport score update. So, I decided to research Ms. Parnass which resulted in my learning about her brilliance with her writing of children’s books, her creation of music to help soothe and calm children with angst and her amazing spirit to give to other much  more than she receives.

Then something happened which was not expected. I received a note from Ava herself asking if she could learn more about the new experts group forming, 411 Voices, asking if she could participate. Duh- yeah!  And that my friends is the power of how social media can create business relationships and friendships.  Now, as part of 411 Voices,  Ava Parnass shares her brilliance with the friends of 411 Voices daily as it is her tunes that lead in to our radio shows!

Now let’s talk about the wonderful writing and creativity of Ava Parnass. In particular, I would love to discuss her three books, Listen to Me Please,  Time IN  Not – Time OUT! (with Dr. Ron Taffel and Kat Kiminski)  , My Feelings Are Hungry and  Where Did My Good Mood Go?  All of these are adorable books with amazing verse and illustration that pack an intellectual punch! Not to mention that each comes with a solid story to help children express their feelings. Listen to Me Please is a book that should sit on the shelves of libraries and pediatric counseling offices everywhere.  It acts as a script for parents to use to help their children understand the ups and downs of family life. I really liked how parents were offered messages to use in order to help allay their child’s concerns or calm disruption within the home.  Moreover,  it also has garnered the attention of the folks at Nickelodeon, as it is scheduled to be featured in the Nick Jr. Magazine this coming Fall.

When asked how Ava would describe her collection this is what she wrote, ” Our books and songs are entirely devoted to helping parents have fun while improving their child’s behavior, tantrums and/or overeating for the better. Since children learn how they feel through playing, talking, listening, reading, singing, and dancing; our different products reflect the way kids learn. We want to help parents achieve their goal of raising kind, loving, fun, well-behaved children. Read the books, sing and dance to the songs, and have fun while learning that feelings are hiding underneath behavior and need to be talked about so behavior improves.”

I couldn’t have summarized it any better!

*******To be eligible to win a FREE copy of Listen to Me Please comment below.  We will pick a random winner on Friday, July 22nd 

To learn more about these great reads go to Ava Parnass’ site.  Listen to Me Please

To listen to her music which also is a wonderful asset to classrooms and homes click here.

Visit her on the 411 Voices website 

And stay tuned, as this woman is just getting started. She has a television pilot in the works and I happened to have sneaked a peek! You will LOVE IT!

To purchase via AMAZON please click here

I know that there are a lot of ways to learn the basics of American Sign Language and Baby Sign language on the internet and via DVDs. One simply needs to GOOGLE ASL to see the plethora of websites, online dictionaries and materials dedicated to teaching the average hearing person how to communicate within the deaf world. However, not much is available and affordable for people who wish to incorporate sign language in to their homes or workplaces when their lives don’t allow for time or access to classes or they may have a difficult family situtation. This is why SIGNING FAMILIESis putting the finishing touches on our SIGN LANGUAGE LEARN AT HOME OR THE WORKPLACE SERIES OF ONLINE COURSES.

We are starting with SIX introductory VIDEO courses geared to help teach people from 3 to 103! EAch lesson is 20 minutes or less, as we know that you have limited time to learn during your day.  A subscription to the online courses will allow you access for 90 or more days (depending on the modules you pick).  IN addition, SKYPE™ one on one practice and learning sessions,  materials and more are available.

Here they are the links to learn more.  They are mentioned in no certain order.

The first course is the BASICS OF ASL for HOMESCHOOL STUDENTS.  I recognize that more and more students, many with exceptional needs, are being taught at home.  Many are visual learners and may profit from learning sign language, not only as a wonderful form of communication, but also as a means to help with overall development and study skills. This course is designed for this group and comes with a whole host of “add ons” including one on one practice sessions via SKYPE™.  Learn more here: HOMESCHOOL COURSE

The second course is ADAPTIVE SIGN LANGUAGE.  This course is near and dear to my heart.  I often sat in school special education IEP meetings where teams of school specialists would recommend to the parents that they learn sign language to help their child who might have had significant learning delays. Many times the parents could not obtain babysitting or afford the cost of classes within their local communities, so they never did learn.  I wanted to bring sign language training to these homes with an affordable and accessible series of lessons.  Learn more about ADAPTIVE SIGN for children with special needs and for those who live, teach or care for them here: ADAPTIVE SIGN LANGUAGE

JUST FOR KIDS, BY KIDS was created as a fun way for kids to learn from their peers.  Lessons are short, simple and geared for the preschool through elementary school crowd.  Junior teachers, Madelyn and Caroline will help teach kids basic sign language. Learn more here: JUST FOR KIDS

ASL for DENTAL PROFESSIONALS- this class was created by request.  Common signs used in the dental office to help make patients feel more comfortable.  Note: this course is not intended to substitute for the use of interpreting services. LEARN MORE HERE:  ASL FOR DENTAL OFFICES

ASL for HOTELS, RESTAURANTS and FAMILY ATTRACTIONS.  This course was designed to help families with deaf members be able to easily communicate with hearing staff in venues such as hotels, restaurants, convention centers and family vacation attractions (such as Disney World, Legoland and Busch Gardens, to name a few)  Learn more here: ASL FOR HOSPITALITY and RESTAURANTS

ASL ALPHABET and NUMBER  This course was developed to teach the essentials and give practice strategies. Learn more here: ASL ALPHABET and NUMBERS

 

 

 

Finally there is a holiday that I can enjoy which doesn’t involve cooking or gift buying!

NATIONAL FLIP- FLOP DAY is GENIUS! One can wear flip-flops, enjoy a free smoothie thanks to Tropical Smoothie’s Cafe and be doing good by supporting CAMP SUNSHINE – all at the same time.  CAMP SUNSHINE is dedicated to helping children with life threatening illnesses.

ENJOY and HAPPY NATIONAL FLIP-FLOP DAY!