Not having a goal is more to be feared than not reaching one.
Sensory Friendly Easter Egg Hunt (Part 2)
Sensory friendly Easter eggs shouldn’t be filled with candy or other foods. The reason is many children with sensory processing issues have difficulty with food due to certain textures and flavors. This often causes food aversions (a strong dislike for particular foods). Each child has their own unique issue with certain textures and flavors so there is no such thing as a universal food that they can all enjoy.
A way of including all children would be to fill the sensory friendly Easter eggs with various toys like cars, dinosaurs, animals, and stickers. Using toys ensures that the kids would leave with the toys to play with, rather than candy or food that may be left behind uneaten. If you try a sensory friendly Easter egg hunt this year, please let us know how it went. Also let us know if you have any other suggestions to make it an even more successful event.
Sensory Friendly Easter Egg Hunt (Part 1)
No need to have children on the autism spectrum or with sensory processing issues be excluded from Easter egg hunts. Sensory friendly Easter egg hunts are a great activity to include all children. However in the past, many special needs friends were excluded. Now Easter egg hunts can be made for kids with sensory issues.
There are several ways you can create an Easter egg hunt that is sensory friendly. Loud music should not be played. The more open space to move around, the better. You may want to limit the number of children participating at once so it does not end up being too crowded. Placing the eggs in easy to find spaces can be helpful too.
What should you put in the plastic eggs so neurodivergent children with sensory processing issues can all enjoy? Check back here next time for the creative and surprising answer!
Best Special Needs After School Programs Award 2023
Our work tutoring special needs students was honored by the Boston Parents Paper. They presented us with the Family Favorite Special Needs After School Programs Top 5 Award. Thousands of parents voted for Y3K Tutor In Your Home in each of two separate rounds. We are flattered that all you families chose us as your favorite after school special needs leader. Thank you for the award!
Y3K Tutor In Your Home was honored with the Family Favorite Special Needs After School Programs Award 2023.
Remote Learning: Laptop Meetings and Neck Pain
Putting a laptop on a table or desk when doing a Zoom meeting can cause a student’s neck to protrude forward and downward to see the screen. The goal is to not slouch to look at the screen. The easy solution is to put some boxes on the table or desk and then put the laptop on the boxes. Align the screen so that your child’s eyes are looking straight at the upper 1/3 of the screen.
Does your student do their laptop schoolwork while sitting on a sofa? Next time we will take a closer look at how safe that position is for the neck and back.
Remote Learning: Laptop Ergonomics
There two simple ways you can keep your students pain-free and in the right position while they are learning remotely using their laptops. The first method of maintaining proper screen height so your child will not strain their neck can be found in box stores and online. Proper back and neck ergonomics can be achieved with a laptop stand. A laptop stand will raise the screen to eye level so your child won’t need to slouch their neck. You can easily buy one wherever you find computer accessories.
Did you know that you could also make your own laptop stand at home using common household items, to keep your kids safe and pain-free? Look for our next post on the second method as we show you the how to make one easily while saving money.
Remote Learning: Neck and Back Pain
Are your children doing any remote learning this year? Many kids use a laptop computer in positions that may feel comfortable at the moment but are doing damage in the long run. Many students are suffering from neck and back pain due to long periods of time on their laptops sitting in unhealthy positions. Due to poor ergonomics, students are getting neck and upper back pain, which often includes pain into the shoulders as well.
Next time we will share some ergonomic suggestions to keep your kids pain-free while working remotely from home.
Special Education Secret
Here is one of the secrets to helping your child if you suspect special needs issues that your school may not tell you. As a parent, you can request an evaluation from the school district’s special education team at any time free of charge. However the key is you must put your request in writing to the school district’s administrator of special education.
Once you put it in writing, the law requires the school district has to follow through at no charge to the parents. Usually their evaluation will include academic testing, psychological testing, observations, health assessment, parent input and student interviews. The law says that the testing period must happen within 30 days from the original parental request.
What happens next? What does the law say your rights are as a parent? Next time, more hidden secrets in the fight for special education services that the school systems hope you don’t know.
IEP Accommodations and Modifications
In order for special education students to remain in a mainstream classroom setting, their IEP’s must contain at least one of two items: accommodations and modifications. Accommodations are supports the classroom teachers provide to help students access the curriculum in the classroom. An example of this would be listening to an audio book instead of reading a book the rest of the class is reading. Modifications involve adjusting the child’s curriculum. An example would be making assignments easier when a student is behind at a lower level than the rest of the class.
Have you ever suspected there was a problem with your student’s education and don’t know how move forward to help? Check back here as we will let you know the secrets most schools won’t tell you about how you can fight for the proper education for your child deserves.
Breaking News: In-Person Advanced Placement Testing
Advanced Placement exams for 2020 will still be conducted in-person at local schools on a limited basis, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The option to test at a school will only be made to a restricted number of students. Only those students who do not have adequate access to a computer and internet connectivity at home will be allowed to take an AP exam in a school building. This shocking news is according to a newly released memo from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. They published guidance for Advanced Placement testing for school districts.
Check back here as we will post their plan as to exactly how they will be allowing students and staff into school buildings to conduct these tests, while keeping everyone safe from COVID-19.
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