Search Results for: blog walk to school

Protecting Preschoolers from Choking

Dealing with a picky preschooler at the dinner table may be the least of your concerns, according to a new study.  Instead of stressing about your child’s refusal to eat his veggies, researchers warn parents that they should be carefully monitoring four year olds while they chow down on classic kid favorites, like hot dogs, as the number of choking incidents among preschool-aged children is dangerously high. Researchers say a staggering 34 children a day are admitted to hospital emergency rooms due to choking.  That translates to more than 12,000 emergency room visits a year, though the study’s author notes … Continue reading →

The Controversy Over School Vouchers in Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker created a proposal to make a school choice voucher program for students who have special needs. A group called Stop Special Needs Vouchers is protesting against the proposal. The group, which includes parents, feel that the plan would end up making it harder for students who have special needs to get the support they require at public schools. A school voucher is a controversial topic for many reasons. There is potential for people to object to the system that is used to determine whether or not a child qualifies for a voucher, to object to … Continue reading →

Homeschool Mom Devotion: Taming the Tongue

Homeschooling can challenge you in different areas of your life.  One challenge for many is taming the tongue.  Cranky children, clogged toilets, curriculum failure can spike your stress levels.  When you are stressed you have more of a tendency to allow your flesh to control your tongue.  Taming the tongue is my most difficult challenge and I am far from victory.  Yet, as homeschooling moms we are a constant influence on our children.  They see how we react in all situations and sometimes our reactions are not ones that shine.  I think we all have been there.  When you feel … Continue reading →

Boy Left on School Bus in District of Columbia

Very recently, the District of Columbia was allowed to regain control of the busses that transported Special Education students to and from school. It didn’t take long before a child was left on one of those busses. This does not bode well for the District. A few weeks ago, U.S. District Court Judge Paul Friedman decided to end the federal supervision over the District of Columbia’s special education transportation program. The original class action lawsuit was filed in 1995 by parents who alleged that the city of the District of Columbia had “failed to provide reliable transportation for students with … Continue reading →

Halloween, Mountain Climbing, School Removal, and More!

It is time, once again, for the Special Needs Blog Week in Review. As always, there are a variety of topics to be found. A few blogs discuss tips for helping kids with special needs to cope with Halloween. There were also blogs about ADA upgrades, EE, cystic fibrosis, and a new study about autism and difficulties with using language to describe behavior. How to Make Halloween Easier for Kids With Autism This blog gives you some tips that can help your child who has an autism spectrum disorder to cope with all the changes that come with Halloween. It … Continue reading →

Walking to Africa

For the last couple of weeks Logan and I have been walking to Africa each day. Ok, we’re not really walking to Africa. He thinks the block behind our house is Africa and I haven’t had the heart to tell him otherwise. It is only about a ten minute walk, unless he “rides his horse,” which tends to speed the trip up a bit, but these walks have been such a great experience for both of us. Not only does it give us a little bit of exercise, especially when we ride our horses there, but it also gives me … Continue reading →

Free After School Games

Your kids can have fun after school or on the weekends without the expense of organized activities. In fact these games will nurture creativity and build social skills. Use toys and objects that you already have, so you won’t have any additional expense. The best part is that these driveway games can be changed and adapted according to the number of kids available and their ages, as well as the time that you have available. While the weather is still nice, I find that homework goes much easier if the kids get a chance to run off some energy before … Continue reading →

School Days

Here’s an idea for a unique school-themed scrapbook layout: A photo collage of me and other moms with the bloody fingers we got from labeling every. single. school. supply. our kids are required to take to class. I typed up and stuck on more than 100 labels to individual crayons, pencils, markers, folders and notebooks. Insanity. And here’s the irony: I’m sure my kid will still get her stuff “accidently” stolen during the school year despite my four hours of hard labor. It’s not like a single white label is going to be a deterrent to kids with itchy fingers … Continue reading →

Our First Preschool Preview

There is something about this time of year that makes me think about school. Perhaps it is a deeply ingrained sense of anticipation of a new school year which is left over from my childhood. You see, I was one of those kids who loved school. This year, my school related thoughts involve assessing Dylan’s readiness for preschool and assessing a few preschools in my community to see whether there are any that are a good fit for him. As luck would have it, the other day when I brought Dylan to one of our favorite playgrounds, I got to … Continue reading →

Start Preparing for Going Back to School

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Your family is probably in the midst of enjoying their Summer vacation. The start of the new school year is just a few weeks away. Now is the time to start preparing your child for school. Transitions are often difficult for children who have special needs. Start now, and make that first day back a bit easier. Children feel more secure when they know that their day will follow an expected routine. This is especially true for children who have certain types of special needs. Kids who have an autism spectrum disorder, or ADHD, tend to thrive when they are … Continue reading →