HomeSchool Resources and TidBits (SpecNeeds)

National Autism Resources is the leading online resource for information, advice, toys, gifts, educational products and more. Every Year we have to usually get on our local school district to continue to accommodate for our son, especially when he is having a challenging time, whether it is about opening his locker to if the Gen Ed Math teacher is going to fast and he cannot keep up with the middle school pace.  This is a constant theme in all the years that we have been advocating for our autistic son. We understand that school districts are short staffed and/or that he may have had a substitute today for class, but this still does not answer the underlying question of who decides when an autistic or special needs child does not need to be accommodated for anymore?  We have had a school district psychologist tell us "Well, we want to see what he can do on his own?".  So what you are really saying is, 'well since he doesn't 'look' autistic and seems to

   " As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases."     https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure /  ** This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links                Give to Those in Need! Shop $1 Care Package Supplies at Dollar Tree! Good Afternoon,  How are you doing this rainy afternoon? (or whatever the weather is like in your neck of the woods). Christmas time and the holiday season should be a time to spend with family and friends, but this time is different.  There are many people in the world that are hurting right now, especially with all of the losses that businesses are going through right now. If you can give what you can from your pantry , closet  or heart please do. Every year our family makes it a point to give to the homeless shelters and food pantries in our area because we all know that tomorrow is not promised.  Covid-19  and the year 2020 is one that our fa

" As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases ." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ "Being the mother and parent of a special needs child is NOT easy, but I know in my heart that I am doing God's Work. The only thing that I need to do as my son's mother and parent is be the best advocate I can be, To make sure that when I lay down my head for the last time I will know that I have done all that I can to make sure he can take care of himself. Other parents with atypical parents have NO idea what a typical day, month, year can be like for parents of special needs children. We are tough and do what needs to be done. "  By Mom Advocate

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure / This past weekend our governor pretty much "shut most everything down" with some new restrictions because of COVID-19 . These are his most hardcore restrictions yet. Unfortunately for us, in our state, the numbers are increasing sharply and are not going down. So we are going to be shut in for awhile. Now what can we do to keep ourselves sane during lock down ? Some things that come to mind are: 1.  Watching A Movie 2. Take a Nap 3. Exercise 4. Play a Game And last but certainly not least we can,  5. Read a Book Have an awesome day today and stay safe out there. Practice safe social distancing and please wear a mask.  By MomAdvocate

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ "Happy Veteran's Day to my fellow soldiers who are still serving our country and for those who have fallen for freedom. I am a woman & a US Army Veteran and I am thankful that I am able to live in a nation that embraces our freedom to think and vote for ourselves. Everyone deserves a life where they no longer have to worry about their loved one's safety or life each time they walk out the door. Let Freedom Ring". By MomAdvocate

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/   Shared by MomAdvocate

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ The holidays are upon us and gifts and shopping are probably on everyone's minds. But don't despair if you can bake, cook, create items from the Dollar Tree and things laying around the house you are on your way to creating a gift from the heart. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that store bought items are "cheap" or "not thoughtful".  It is just, for me personally, when someone gives me a gift from the heart and that was made with their own hands, it is more memorable. This loved one or friend took  time out of their day to create a gift for me. To me that is something special and not something that you forget easily.   Remember to think of the person you are creating this gift for, then go from there and the rest should follow. For example, ask yourself some questions: Who is this gift for? What are their interests? An

" As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases ." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure /    Good Morning(or Afternoon/Evening),  How are you? This year has been a whirlwind so far and crazy, right? In the US right now, we are trying to figure out who our next president will be and it has been a day after the election and we still  have no clear winner. People are dying everyday from COVID-19 and systemic racism is a work in continual progress. ***SIGH*** .  Hopefully it will all be over soon and we can breathe a sigh of relief or tear our hair out, depending on the outcome, LOL. Sometimes in the midst of chaos and uncertainty my go to is humor because it keeps me sane. So...what was I talking about...oh, yeah Christmas 2020! My dear son asked me a few days ago what we were going to be doing for Thanksgiving  and I honestly had no clue, but thought of decorations , Romantic Comedies and Charlie Brown Movies . Overall just spending some quali

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure / Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend: Don't forget to change your clocks It is that time of year again when we get to earn an extra hour of sleep. I am so ready! Who doesn't want an extra hour...anyone? So get ready for those shorter days and longer nights. Also have a safe and social distance Halloween 2020 this weekend too:-) By MomAdvocate

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ For ALL of the mothers out there with special needs children, keep on fighting, keep on advocating, it will be all worth it in the end. Our children need us:-) By Mom Advocate

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/   Six Ways to Save Money on the Main Course at Thanksgiving The main course will usually be the most expensive part of your Thanksgiving meal and planning ahead can help save money, no matter what you decided to serve as well as what your family prefers.  1. Talking Turkey Most families are more traditional and choose a turkey; however, there are a few important factors to consider. Do you want a whole bird or just the breast ?  If your family does not like dark meat, then a breast would be the best choice, especially since it is usually more expensive per pound than an entire turkey.   A bird with a bone in it will lose about one-third of its weight by the time you discard bones, giblets, fat and so on. This means a 12-pound bird will yield 8 pounds of food. This would be about 4 to 8 ounces of turkey per person, ensuring that you have enough

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ Chocolate Bread Pudding Ingredients: 4 cups heavy cream 5 oz. bittersweet chocolate 6 egg yolks  ( you can just use the entire egg including the whites ) ½ cup granulated sugar 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Salt 9 cups cubed firm-textured white bread (1-inch cubes)-( Really any type of white bread will do ) Directions: 1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F.   2. Bring the cream to a simmer in a heavy saucepan. Turn off the heat.  Put the chocolate in a large heat proof bowl, and pour in 1 cup of the warm cream.  Let stand, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate melts.  Stir the mixture until smooth. Pour in the remaining cream.   3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and salt.  Slowly whisk in the chocolate mixture.  Strain through a fine strainer and skim off any froth.   4. Put the bread cubes in a

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/    Good Afternoon(or Morning/Evening)! Halloween 2020 is going to be a doozy this year. Do you have any Halloween plans with your family? Our kids are much older this year and are not going trick or treating and we honestly had no plans to(No offense if you do). We plan on eating some type of junk food or a home cooked meal and watching some scary movies that are family oriented.  I found some resources for fun seasonal Halloween recipes as well as other recipe books as well that I thought would be great to make for any family, especially one with an autistic individual and other visual learners:  1) Autism Helper : Halloween Treats and Snacks 2) Visual Recipes : A Cookbook for Non-Readers 3) Fall & Halloween : Visual Recipes for Special Education Enjoy & Stay Safe out There!  By MomAdvocate

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/   Good Morning and Happy Friday! How are you doing today? I picked out this picture because it is definitely how I feel today with everything that is happening in the world. Sometimes you have to just let your hair down and get silly with yourself. Life comes at you fast and you have to decide if you are going to let the world and peoples' actions squelch your spirit or just get childish and enjoy the moment. When COVID-19 hit it was such an overwhelming state of mind in our household and around the country, but what I did see and am still very proud to see is people coming together and helping each other out. So even though it seems a bit crazy now, take time to savor every day and let your loved ones know you love them. At the end of the day, no one has the right to take away your happiness or peace of mind.  Have an awesome weekend! By MomAdvocate

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/   Good Morning,  I hope you had a fabulous weekend. Did you get everything done that you wanted to? Did you take a nap? Whatever that was on your list to complete or tackle my hope is that you did it. I know it seems difficult in these times to get out or have any motivation to do or get done, but you just have to take it one day at a time. Be Well and Stay Safe.  From ~Mom Advocate

         "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases."   https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ Good Morning and Happy Friday! Thankfully we have a day off from remote learning today and I can take a breather. Sometimes it is okay to just chill and take a minute for yourself. Because this weekend will go by fast. Flu season is afoot, what are you doing to keep your self and your family healthy besides drinking plenty of water, veggies, and more veggies and laughter? I am going to share a great recipe guide for smoothie s and it is so worth it. It isn't homemade, but premade and I am okay with that. You cannot beat not having to buy all of the frozen fruit and veggies and all you have to do is add the liquid. Don't be alarmed, it is all organic and worth it! Yummo:-) Also please remember to get your flu shot this season because....UM....we are in a pandemic and it is sort of important to have an added layer of protection for you and

  When I learned our son had autism it was two weeks after my mother passed away, so not only was I grieving about my mother's passing I was also grieving about what could have been with our son. Fast forward to now. So much has happened since that moment in time and it has not been easy. It has been  hard as hell! But I keep on persisting and advocating and DOING because our children are our life's work poured into them, so that they can live a most productive life. Even more so, if they are a son or daughter with special needs, it gets a little bit more challenging. I don't think about when I will no longer be here on this earth because this is too scary to comprehend, so I only think about the now, the present. Every day is a gift so I celebrate the triumphs, mourn the low points and then pick myself up so I can do it again the next day.  Good Morning:-). By Mom Advocate

  How are you doing at saving your money during this pandemic? Have prices stayed the same where you are or slowly rising? Teaching your children about saving money is always a great thing and as they get older this concept is much more important since he or she will be utilizing this necessary daily living skill. There’s nothing more we want than to be able to efficiently manage our money. After all, the money that we want to manage is money that is oftentimes, hard earned. This is where a budget comes in. A budget should help you see where your money is going, get more utility out of every buck, and help you save some extra for future use.  The first smart secret to a budget is to set a goal. What do you want to achieve? Do you want to correctly appropriate your income into bills payments? Do you want to put an amount aside for a big purchase or a huge investment? By having a goal, you will be able to shape your budget to best serve your interests.  Secondly, you would want to take