Topic: Children with Special Needs

We asked Dr. Vincent Carbone about the types of activities that parents of children with autism can use to facilitate their child’s development.

Students will explore the tools and creative capabilities of KidPix while connecting with the theme of “all about me.”  In addition they will be engaging in a developmentally appropriate art experience.

Learn how you can inspire caregiver involvement in the school community.  Find new ways to share problem solving for issues that arise. 

Suzanne and Margaret’s tips include creative ways for making caregivers feel comfortable, safe, and connected.

This training provides a user friendly view of ADHD as a break down in the brain’s four “executive” functions.  Humorous examples demonstrate how the executive functions operate in the general population and in atypical individuals.

A worksheet for small group activity teaches attendees how to apply the lessons in this workshop to supporting the brains of the children they work with.

Been There, Done That, Didn’t Work was written from the manual and video series, Everything you Need to Know about Behavior Management, published in 2003 by The YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities Network. This presentation reflects the notes of the authors and highlights point for discussion. The PowerPoint Presentation is a snapshot of the philosophy and best practices of YAI/NIPD as well as functional assessment and the science of Applied Behavior Analysis.

This presentation has been used in many forums and is slightly modified for each audience and their specific needs. Pieces of this training have been used in New York League for Early Learning, a member of the YAI/NIPD Network’s New Staff Orientation Trainings, one-day behavior management workshops as well as four full-day sessions for internal staff, outside school districts and other agencies and hospitals that provide services to children with special needs as well as typically developing children.

What is the best approach for working with children on the autism spectrum? The New York League for Early Learning (NYL) set out to explore this question and discovered that there was no one answer for every child.

Working with hundreds of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) since 1994, NYL has employed a child specific approach that combines various effective treatment models. This article describes these educational strategies and the benefits the NYL students have enjoyed from each.

A chime that brings a smile to one person can be an overwhelming noise to a person with hypersensitivity to the environment.  In the typical person, the senses gather information from the world which the brain seamlessly integrates.  When this neurological integration goes awry, ordinary sights, sounds, touches, smells and movements can be perceived as painful and disorienting, a condition known as Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).  SPD disrupts everyday functions and makes navigating through the world a frightening enterprise. 

The good news is that children and adults with SPD can be helped through Sensory Integration therapy. This YAI Newsletter will give you effective strategies for use in the therapy room that can also be applied to the program team.

Jeff is a father of a young son with special needs.  He shares with us the challenges he faces as he prepares his son Alex for camp and family vacations, and offers some hints on how to make the process more manageable. 

This resource is not only wonderful for someone who is preparing to vacation or head out to camp, but it is also a great tool for providers to use with parents and care takers when discussing preparation for trips.

Our recent conversation with Dr. Temple Grandin centers around the sensory issues all those with ID/DD face. She also speaks out about the need to develop a person’s area of strength, and the importance of getting two to four-year olds into a good early educational program.

A comprehensive workshop on Basic American Sign Language that has been modified for use with small children who may have intact hearing but have communication difficulties.

Originally designed for preschool teachers, the techniques used in the workshop can be used within the context of Applied Behavioral Analysis, for children who are non-verbal or language delayed.

The principles of this workshop can also be applied to adults.