Special Needs

Articles

...evaluation, what happens next, and what to do if the school says no. Write a Formal Evaluation Request. Start with a written request. An email or letter addressed to the school principal or director of special education creates a paper trail. Verbal requests can be forgotten or misinterpreted. Written requests...

...to do functionally. Botox, selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), and orthotics address spasticity at different points in the body's system. Botox injections...muscles, preventing contractures and supporting function while other treatments address the underlying tone. Most children with moderate to severe spasticity...

...tool. It cuts DNA at a specific location and either removes a faulty segment, inserts a corrected one, or turns a gene on or off. When it works, it addresses the genetic cause of a disease rather than managing symptoms. That precision is what makes it powerful for rare disorders. Many of these conditions...

...confirmatory step before an approval decision. At the same time, SPG601 received FDA Fast Track designation in December 2024, a status reserved for drugs addressing serious conditions where existing treatments fall short. Two credible candidates, further along than anything the field has seen in 15 years....

...the same. The DRC determines what accommodations are reasonable under ADA and Section 504, coordinates those accommodations with faculty, and provides additional services like assistive technology, counseling, and priority registration. You don't pay extra fees for these services. The DRC is funded as part...

...anyone outside the family. You've been told "wait and see" but the gap keeps widening. At some point, waiting becomes its own problem. Speech therapy can address articulation, language comprehension, social communication, and feeding or swallowing issues. But knowing when to seek an evaluation, what the process...

...do, where do I even start? Physical therapy for children with special needs addresses movement, strength, coordination, balance, and mobility challenges that...and how to find a qualified therapist you can trust. What Physical Therapy Addresses in Children. Pediatric PT focuses on gross motor skills: the large movements...

...to form letters consistently, the issue often traces back to foundational motor and sensory processing differences that occupational therapy directly addresses. What Handwriting Requires. Handwriting isn't a simple skill. It's the endpoint of multiple systems working together. A child needs adequate core...

...serve fundamentally different goals. One isn't better than the other. They address different parts of your child's life, and for many families, both are...both are necessary at the same time. What School-Based OT Is Required to Address. Occupational therapy provided through an IEP is governed by the Individuals...

...therapist (MT-BC) uses rhythm, melody, and structured musical activities to address specific developmental goals: improving communication, building motor...in tune. The objective is musical proficiency. Music therapy uses music to address developmental, cognitive, physical,...

...to understand and name their learning difference in low-stakes contexts. Add self-advocacy to the IEP as a transition goal. Federal law requires IEPs...age 14 or ninth grade, whichever comes first. That transition planning must address post-secondary goals. Self-advocacy is a measurable, observable skill...

...alone is enough to qualify in most states, with no additional evaluation required. The three primary therapies...speech-language therapy, and occupational therapy (OT). Each addresses a specific aspect of development that hypotonia...rolling, sitting, standing, walking. Speech therapy addresses feeding, oral motor development, and later,...