Special Needs

Articles

...someone to their diagnosis was the norm in medical, educational, and policy settings. Person-first phrasing was a correction. It emphasized that disability...disability doesn't erase those dimensions. Most early intervention programs, school systems, and therapy clinics still teach person-first language as the default....

...doesn't start at graduation. It starts in elementary school, when your child learns to name what they need...they've practiced hundreds of times in lower-stakes settings. Parents often ask when to start teaching self-advocacy....progression looks like at each stage. Elementary School: Ages 5–10. At this age, self-advocacy means understanding...

...framework doesn't stop at the school door. The Americans with Disabilities...Don't See. IDEA is specific to schools and early intervention. It...and applies to nearly every setting outside school. Title I covers...nearly every setting outside school. Title I covers employment....process hearings within the school system. ADA complaints are...

...education. Then you meet with the school, and they say your child doesn't meet...what the 13 categories cover and how schools determine who qualifies. The Two-Part...ability to learn in a general education setting, and eligibility requires meeting...likely meet both parts of the test. Schools evaluate educational impact through...

...walking yet, and the pediatrician just said "let's watch and wait." Your school-age child trips constantly and struggles to keep up with classmates during...movements that use major muscle groups. Walking, running, jumping, climbing, sitting, standing, balance, and coordination all fall under PT's scope. PTs work...

The transition from high school to college for students with learning...through what to do each year of high school so your student arrives at college...year might read: "By the end of the school year, [student] will identify their...their schoolwork in three separate settings (classroom, IEP meeting, conversation...

Your child comes home from school and doesn't mention a single peer by name. Again....your child cares about, choosing the right social setting, practicing scenarios at home, and doing the follow-up...the medium your child gravitates toward. These settings reduce social ambiguity because the script is...

...friendships, and the gap shows up early in school settings where social interaction...and the gap shows up early in school settings where social interaction is constant...mechanics of social interaction, when schools create structured opportunities for...for structured activities during the school day. This isn't a helper relationship...

...and communicating with clarity. The school district doesn't need you to be easy....uncertainty into effective advocacy at school, in medical settings, and throughout...effective advocacy at school, in medical settings, and throughout your child's life....records, and correspondence with the school. A three-ring binder with dividers...

...of autistic young adults report no peer relationships outside structured settings like school or work. It's not inevitable. It reflects how little targeted...young adults report no peer relationships outside structured settings like school or work. It's not inevitable. It reflects how little targeted support most...

...questions ask about childhood: did you have trouble sitting still in class, did you make eye contact easily,...children who present disruptively in clinical or school settings. Adults who were compliant, high-masking,...who present disruptively in clinical or school settings. Adults who were compliant, high-masking, academically...

...vague or unmeasurable, ask how the school is tracking it. If you plan to suggest...therapists or providers outside of school, ask them for a brief written summary...summary of what they're observing. School staff often don't have visibility...what happens at home or in clinical settings, and that context can shift conversations....