One day, our autism consultant gave us a piece of advice about books and reading. She recommended that we choose books that we could not only read, but that connect with what our child is interested in, and we could act out in some playful way. I realized that we already had several books that were a springboard to back-and-forth […]
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“Communication is life. It is the only vehicle we have for connecting meaningfully with others.” Joseph Grenny, author Our daughter began speaking with words when she was 3. When she was six, she spoke mostly with sentences that she’d memorized or with short words and phrases. She shared requests or comments about what she wanted or was doing in the […]
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Credit for these ideas goes to Marlaine Willborn, a speech therapist in Winnipeg. This post is based on ideas she had compiled and shared with me when I was trying to get better at engaging my children in play. Her resource came primarily from ‘Giggle Time: Establishing a social connection’ by Susan Aud Somers. One of the most daunting […]
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Christopher Ulmer is a special education teacher. In his third year of working with the same class of students, he wanted to highlight what he saw in his students – their brilliance, humor, and beauty. His first idea was a book in which his students would explain life from their perspectives, but when that didn’t work out, he started videotaping and […]
Read moreKids really love iPads. They learn a lot from them too. While you don’t want time spent on tablets to take away from other kinds of learning, there can be great benefits in developing vocabulary and other skills. Screen time can also be an opportunity for social learning, if we play with apps in collaborative ways. Here are ten very […]
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Once your child is in school, how do you know what you should expect? Sometimes problems arise. Where do you go for advice? There are several made-in-Manitoba documents that exist to help parents know what to expect from their child’s school, and how to effectively resolve problems that arise. A Parent’s Guide to Inclusive Education – Community Living Manitoba Community […]
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Autism isn’t always diagnosed in the preschool years. But if problems become evident after children are in the school system, it can be difficult to get a diagnosis. Here is one parent’s story of the difficulties that can come from misunderstanding the reason for a child’s struggles….
Read moreThis is a really important question that a lot of people, including school staff, are confused about. Before we answer it, we should take a quick look at what we hope that school should do for our children. The Purpose of School To answer this question, one pair of researchers asked tens of thousands of parents what they thought – […]
Read moreUpdate: school funding is undergoing a significant change. Applications for funding is no longer on a child by child basis, unless you are in an independent school. It remains important to collaborate and to share information to help the school staff fully support your child’s growth. I have to go to a school meeting for my son re: support as […]
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Adapted with permission from an article by Caitlin Wray, originally shared in the Facebook group Autism Manitoba – For Parents and Caregivers. There are many reasons why families decide to home school. There are also many misconceptions about homeschooling as well. What follows is meant to be a starting point for parents thinking about home schooling their children.
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