Helpful Ideas and Tools

WordTalk

WordTalk is a free text-to-speech add-in developed for use with all versions of Microsoft Word (from Word 97 up to Word 2010). It will speak the text of the document and will highlight it as it goes. It contains a talking dictionary to help decide which word spelling is most appropriate. [Site] This is an excellent tool for those students who may have difficulty reading.
http://www.wordtalk.org.uk/Home/

Thesaurus tool in Microsoft Word

Here is a keyboard shortcut to access the thesaurus tool in Microsoft Word. Click or highlight a word and press Shift+F7. The thesaurus tool will now open on the side of your screen. 

How To Clear Your Browser Cache

No matter what platform you use to browse the Internet, in order to speed up future visits, your browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc) remembers pieces of information about what sites you visit . This is called a browser cache. If your browser is not set to update itself automatically, you may experience problems seeing curent information or changes to a web page. This WikiHow article discusses the methods required for the most popular browsers on how best to clear the browser cache.

http://www.wikihow.com/Clear-Your-Browser's-Cache

  New Articles of Interest:

When Young Adults Need Help with Decisions: Guardianship and Other Approaches to Decision-making Support

This new Got Transition brief describes decision-making supports that may assist young adults with intellectual disabilities while ensuring independence and self-direction. This brief also provides links to 

important resources for more information about guardianship and other alternatives.

http://hosted-p0.vresp.com/330372/c41b470f62/ARCHIVE

Preparing Middle Schoolers to Enter High School

From the UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools - Supporting Successful Transition to Ninth Grade.

http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/practicenotes/transitionsninthgrade.pdf

101 | UDL and Transition Planning for Youth with Disabilities

Developed by National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center, this resource focuses on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) application in secondary transition services. It also outlines the principles of UDL, provides evidence to support its use, describes examples of UDL application in various academic content areas, and provides links to additional resources.

http://tinyurl.com/6oczn8r

Yogic Breathing for Anxiety

by Kate Bowers, Certified HANDLE Screener and Yoga Instructor

Over the years I hear repeatedly from clients that learning to breathe efficiently is one of the greatest gifts to their sense of well being. I recommend different forms of pranayama, or yogic breathing to almost all of my HANDLE clients because it can be done anywhere and becomes especially useful in stressful moments at work, home, school or anywhere else. It is a beautiful complement to HANDLE's gentle approach.

READ MORE

               

       


An Update from our Chief Science Officer: 
     Findings from DSM-5 Field Testing   






                                                            Read More at:  DSM5.org


 Autism and the DSM V
Jan 21, 2012 ... The DSM V is the yet (2013) to be published Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, the handbook for diagnosing psychiatric and psychological ...


What's New:  http://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx


How Autism Diagnosis and Treatment May Change with the New ...
Jul 11, 2011 ... The DSM is a manual that organizes behaviors and symptoms into ... do you anticipate that treatments will vary dramatically with the DSM V?


Psychotherapy - Resources and Information About Psychotherapy
The manual is currently undergoing revision the the DSM-V is planned for publication in May of 2013. You can learn more about the DSM and how mental ...


What Will the New Aspergers Diagnosis Look Like?
http://autism.about.com/b/2011/07/02/what-will-the-new-aspergers-diagnosis-look-like.htm

Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Current State of Treatment... there really aren't enough data to be confident. The next version of the DSM, the DSM-V, will almost certainly allow for the diagnosis of ADHD in the ...

The Changing Epidemiology of ADHD... : The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V) is proposing diagnostic criteria for ADHD that would increase the age ...

Reading Websites

www.childrenslibrary.org


www.readingrockets.org






http://storybird.com


www.bitstrips.com


www.seussville.com/?section=playground&pgarea=area1


http://www.inklesstales.com/stories/


http://robertmunsch.com/books


www.tikatok.com                                                               


www.carnegielibrary.org/kids/storymaker                      

http://tools.e2bn.org/index.php


www.funbrain.com

www.magickeys.com


www.scholastic.com


http://www.scholastic.com/parents/play/stories/


www.virtual-egypt.com


www.zimmertwins.com


www.dvolver.com/moviemaker/index.html


www.kerpoof.com


http://www.sillybooks.net/page_two.htm


http://www.professorgarfield.org/toon_book_reader/index.html


http://www.learningpage.com/free_pages/ewe_preview.html


http://www.kidsstoriesonline.com/online-stories.html

Autism Prevalence Rises to 1 in 88 



"With the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers now showing that 1 in 88 children in the United States are being diagnosed with autism – nearly a doubling of the prevalence since the CDC began tracking these numbers – autism can now officially be declared an epidemic in the United States".                            



Quoted remarks above were delivered by Mark Roithmayr, president of Autism Speaks, at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta on March 29, 2011.

Read more at:  
http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/prevalence?utm_source=social-media&utm_medium=E-speaks&utm_campaign=033012

Autism Speaks Demands an Urgent, New Response to the Autism Epidemic

                      as CDC Updates Prevalence Estimates

NEW YORK, N.Y. (March 29, 2012) – Autism Speaks, the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization, today called on the nation’s elected and appointed leaders to immediately develop a new, coordinated strategy to take on a national public health emergency – the More...

Tags: 1 in 88, autism, autism prevalence, Autism Speaks, CDC, Geri Dawson, Prevalence, Science, About Us

Autism Prevalence Up 78% in the US

Link to Medscape articles:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/761162?src=mpnews&spon=12

                      Read this article on Medscape's

                      free mobile app.Download Now

                      

Foundations
Information basic to the use of AT including: benefits, laws, assessment considerations and school policies.
Introduction to Assistive Technology
Federal Laws and AT Use
Assessing AT Student Need
AT School District Start Up

Adapting Computers
Commercial and specialized software programs to support writing, reading and math.
Using the Computer for Reading
Using the Computer for Writing
Using the Computer for Math

Curriculum
Low and high-tech adapted computer technology solutions for today's classrooms.
Simple Modifications
Keyboard Options
Mouse Options
Specialized Input Systems
Switch and Scanning Systems

Technology for Special Populations
Technology options designed to meet the needs of disability specific groups of students.
AT for Blind Students
Communication Needs
Low-tech Tools
Students with Learning Disabilities
Students with Low Vision
Switch Users
Universal Design

Chores
Click here to see the video on how to help your child to do his or her chores. Did you know that research has shown the real chores does more to build self-esteem and responsibility than homework? It is a great time to help start your children have some real chores around the house.

Whining and Arguing
I am sorry to say that all of us have dealt with our children whining or begging for something. "But all of my friends have . . ." Ever wonder how to get the begging and whining to stop? Click here to see a 2 minute web clip that will help you with just that.

To Ground or Not
All too often parents say, "You are grounded for a week."
What do you do if the child does another thing? Ground them for two weeks? Three weeks? As a consequence, I think it punishes us as parents as much as the child and is not very flexible. If it works, great. But there are more effective alternatives you might want to consider. If you want an alternative to grounding, you might like the energy drain technique. Take a look at the technique by clicking here.

*Some links to consider when talking to your child about death of a loved one ...
I found these helpful for myself, to decide how to explain the facts about death in a gentle way to my son with Autism Spectrum and my high school teenage son.

Helping Young Surviving Children As a parent, you can take the lead by explaining death and having answers to your child's most frequent questions.

Talking To Children About Death What we say about death to our children, or when we say it, will depend on their ages and experiences.

Children and Grief: Parents should be aware of normal childhood responses to a death in the family, as well as danger signals.

When a Parent Dies: All children need to have the facts and their feelings surrounding their loss confirmed often; for this reason it is also important to listen to what they have to say.

Children's Understanding of Death This chart is meant to be used as a guideline to children’s understanding of death from newborns through teenagers.

Helping Teenagers Cope with Grief Bereaved teens give out all kinds of signs that they are struggling with complex feelings, yet are often pressured to act as they are doing better than they really are.

Helping Younger People Cope with Cancer Deaths and Funerals Understanding the problem; When to get professional help; What you can do to help; Possible obstacles; Carrying out and adjusting your plan

What Do You Tell Children? Children have to be told about death. It will make sorrow and death much easier for a child to deal with if they know something about it beforehand.





Children and Grief: A “must visit” section of the Beyond Indigo site if you are looking for information on child grief.



How do I explain cremation to my 7-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son? Their grandparents have been cremated.


Talking to Young Children About Death  
  http://notjustcute.com/2011/03/07/talking-to-young-children-about-death/


Death and Loss
  http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/parenting_tips/death_and_loss.html

Talking to Children about Death
http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/patient_education/pepubs/childeath.pdf


Children's Grief Education Association
 http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.childgrief.org/images/mood-faces2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.childgrief.org/childrenspage.htm&usg=__LS6kaA4s_XWwR3a3j2A2kwqE9E4=&h=634&w=307&sz=25&hl=en&start=13&zoom=1&tbnid=UX_PxZvQDnYKHM:&tbnh=137&tbnw=66&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfeelings%2Bfaces%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1T4GFRC_enCA307CA307%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1

                                   The National Professional Development Center on ASD's
                   ~Online Course 
                  ~Presentation and Videos
                  ~Website Resources
    Link to site: 
     http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/content/additional-resources

Social Skills Targeted : Teaching Students Refusal Skills
      http://teachers.net/gazette/FEB09/davies/


Autism Internet Modules
      http://www.autisminternetmodules.org/

Peak Parent Webinars: IEP's, Adaptations, Transitions, Social skills
      http://www.peakparent.org/workshopsTrainings.asp

Welcome to Anger Stop: 
Animated characters explain how they feel about anger.
      http://www.cyke.com/anger.swf

Managing Behaviors in Special Education
     http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/special_ed/behavior_mgt/

      Free Educational Videos Found by Teachers
                 
              http://www.watchknow.org

Over 22,000 free teaching videos are now available on http://www.watchknow.org. The videos cover nearly every educational topic and are easy to find with an intuitive directory and search feature. All major subject areas are covered as well as staff development. There is even some humor.
                 http://www.watchknow.org/SearchResults.aspx?SearchText=satire

WatchKnow is a non-profit site which means that there aren't any charges. It offers you the opportunity to individualize your assignments without cost and add depth to lessons for those students who learn quickly, need remediation or benefit from visual presentations.

The search engine has a couple of unique features as well. You can search by subject and by age level. No need to spend time wading through a bunch of so-so videos or those that aren't useful to your grade level. Teachers are adding videos daily so you may want to check back as your curriculum progresses.

Free Resources for Students
For kids up to age 12: Homework help and more 
             

Homework Help

Six Steps to Smarter Studying                                               

When Tests Make You Nervous

Group Projects for School

Organize, Focus, Get It Done

What Is Plagiarism?

Five Steps to Better Handwriting

How to Pick a Great Book to Read

Backpacks

Getting Along With Teachers

School Counselors

The Real Deal on Repeating a Grade

What to Do if You Don't Like School

Getting Your Period at School

School and Diabetes

School and Asthma

CBeebies Songs      

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/somethingspecial/songs/
Build a weather or farm scene and listen to a song about your scene.
 Weather Song
     Drop the animals into the picture then change the weather. 
     Click on 'Play Song' to listen to the Weather Song with Justin.

The eKit

http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/ekit.swf

Learn more about drums and how they sound using this eKit.

Hands on Banking - Kids

http://handsonbanking.org/HOB_kids_en.html
Join green alien Zing as gives you some practical money advice. He teaches what money is and about budgeting and banking, as well.

SFSKids.org: The Composerizer
http://www.sfskids.org/templates/musicLabF.asp?pageid=15

Build a song with the Composerizer, courtesy of the San Fransisco Orchestra for Kids Program

 Global Gizmo (Arthur)
http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/globalgizmo/
Search the grid to find matching pairs of musical instruments.
 Match picture to picture.
Also, click on the Global Gizmo Map to find more about instruments from around the world                                                                                          

Making A Difference:  Meeting diverse learning needs with differentiated   instruction

This resource provides teachers with an Alberta context for differentiated instruction, including information and strategies for implementing differentiated instructional practices to better meet the diverse learning needs of all students.


http://education.alberta.ca/teachers/resources/cross/making-a-difference.aspx


Media Awareness - Online Privacy and Marketing

Media Awareness has many great resources for teachers who wish to introduce the idea of consumerism, or study how kids being targeted by online marketing. From this page, you will find backgrounders, tip sheets and links to kids' games and activities.

http://www.mediaawareness.ca/english/teachers/wa_teachers/kids_for_sale_teachers/index.cfm

        My Hands ~ Sandbox Learning Website


During the holidays there are many opportunities for practicing skills that are important for independence. Used together or separately, the following Sandbox Learning stories are an engaging way to learn important skills.
Creating art projects, throwing a ball, and dressing are a few examples of good things to do with your hands. My Hands discusses the many positive things hands can do as well as inappropriate hand usage such as hitting, pinching, and throwing things. A page for child-specific hand behaviors and appropriate strategies is included.     

8 Ways to Make Outings Less Stressful

The holidays are a time of year families and classrooms go on fun outings. 8 Ways to Make Outings Less Stressful includes eight helpful hints for making any family outing or class trip less stressful.

Please feel free to share this article or any other Sandbox Learning articles with other parents and professionals.
 
          8 Ways to Make Outings Less Stressful - PDF
          8 Ways to Make Outings Less Stressful - Web Article
                      Full List of Articles

Student Links
For Fun
Funbrain- online educational games for kids of all ages
CBC kids- games, videos and activities for children
CBC kids- games, videos and activties for the younger children
Seussville- official Dr Seuss website
PBS Kids- educational programs for children
Chef Solus- free kids healthy games



Math
Cool Math for Kids
Mr Anker Tests
A Plus Math 



Science
National Geographic for Kids
Weather Network
Astronomy picture of the Day



Language
Raz-kids - a site for reading leveled books
Tumble books-interactive library of animated, talking storybooks
Starfall-A free website to teach children to read with phonics
Scholastic Canada-A world-wide publisher and distributor of children's books, classroom and professional magazines, educational software and instructional materials.Mr Anker Tests- Fun quizzes to practice skills of by subject and grade levels



News
CBC for Kids
Owl MagazineSSRSB Website



Search
Wikipedia- a great site for any information
Ask Jeeves Kids- a great search engine for answering simple questions


Library Websites
www.childrenslibrary.org
www.readingrockets.org
www.funbrain.com
www.magickeys.com
www.scholastic.com
www.virtual-egypt.com

    Two very good sites I discovered ~


Lives in the Balance is the non-profit organization founded by child psychologist Dr. Ross Greene, author of The Explosive Child and Lost at School, and originator of the Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) approach. This website contains a ton of information – streaming video, an extensive Listening Library, and a boatload of additional resources -- to help you learn about and implement the research-based CPS model and provide you with the support you need. Just CLICK HERE to get started.  
Sign up for our newsletter
Home Page:  http://www.livesinthebalance.org/

Excellent articles written by Dr. Sutton on topics relating to Home & Family, School, and Counseling. These involve his personal experiences and the experiences shared with him by others. Most of these articles have appeared in different blogs and the ODD Management Digest over the last several years. 
  SUBSCRIBE to The ODD Management Digest: (FREE)

  An excellent up-to-date resource for parents, teachers, and counselors. 

Home Page:   http://www.friendlyoakspublications.com/Docspeak/?page_id=543