Behavior is Communication

Bully, disruptive, unmotivated, and the list grows exponentially.  Many speculate and wonder about children described this way but those well-intended speculations are misguided.  Behavior is a form of communication and solution makers will focus on the function of behavior.   What needs aren’t being met? Building relationships is vital in establishing trust and working with… Continue reading

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The power of positive reinforcement!

Positive reinforcement has been shown to be the most effective strategy to use when trying to evoke behavior change. Essentially, positive reinforcement means adding something to a situation to increase the likelihood of a behavior occurring again in the future. Here’s an example: Mrs. Smith gives Katie a gold star for turning in her math… Continue reading

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Autism Myths

There are many myths out there about both people with autism. While below is an attempt to clear up some of those myths, it is important to remember that each person with autism is unique and there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” approach. Myth 1: • People with autism think… Continue reading

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The Neuroscience of Learning Disabilities

When people think of the words “learning disabilities,” they think of words like a child who learns differently or slow learner.  These words occurred possibly earlier within the history of learning disabilities.  The reason is because the general public and educators did not understand the special and different ways in which students learn.  In the… Continue reading

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Student Anxiety: What you need to know

Many students and parents are experiencing anxiety over the start of the new school year  — the advent of the busier lifestyle, along with the new changes that ‘back to school’ time brings (new teachers, new classmates, new material) can all lead to increased stress.  Here are some practical strategies that can relieve back to… Continue reading

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Personalized Learning

Personalized Learning Helps Special-Needs Students Thrive I have worked for two local tutoring services that take vastly different approaches to teaching and learning—NovaStar Prep and a second company. Novastar provides students with a customized curriculum delivered by a highly qualified tutor in the comfort of their own home. The second company provides students with cookie-cutter… Continue reading

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