HomeSchool Resources and TidBits (SpecNeeds)

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" As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/   We have a few more weeks left of school and cannot wait! So proud of our son who just completed his SBAC testing(***SIGH***). It was definitely nerve wracking, but he has such an awesome special education teacher that helped him through each painstaking minute, moment and second of his test taking ordeal. Thankfully we were able to get it all done and so now we are just chilling and celebrating with a three-day-weekend of sorts, so that we can just exhale for a moment. For those of you that are still test taking, GOOD LUCK! We know how painstakingly stressful these days can be not only for the parents, but the students as well, especially students with special needs challenges, anxiety, tears, panic attacks, etc.     I am not sure where your stance is on state test taking is in general, but it is and has been a debate for YEARS, especially in the midst o

 " As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ Hello Beautiful People! Can you believe that there are about 3 weeks left of 2021?! It has been such a whirlwind, yet we also have so much to be thankful for as well.  I found this Christmas autism poem online and it really defines what a long 18 1/2 months it has been like for our family and that the journey continues...  This poem was written in 2008 by Cindy Waeltermann, who is the founder of the organization Autism Link. Autism Night Before Christmas by Cindy Waeltermann Twas the Night Before Christmas And all through the house The creatures were stirring Yes, even the mouse We tried melatonin And gave a hot bath But the holiday jitters They always distract The children were finally All nestled in bed When nightmares of terror Ran through my OWN head Did I get the right gift The right color And style Would there be a tantrum Or even, maybe, a smile? O

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/  VS                     Remote                                                                Full In-Person-Learning Once upon a time in a school district not too far away, there was a terrible virus that shut the world down for over a year(we are still fighting this terrible virus:-(. Lots of people lost their lives and the normal that most people came to know and love changed forever. Some people, especially educators, were not sure how they were going to educate all of their students in Kindergarten-12th grade, especially those with special needs.  Make back to school easy with schedules, fidgets and sitting wedges from NationalAutismResources.com Some school districts did not know what to do and were faced with how they were going to educate students online and address the needs of those that struggled already academically, emotionally, financially

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ Is it SAFE for your kids to return to school during a pandemic? My hubby and I asked each other that same question a few days ago when we received an email about our school district's reopening plan. There are so many things at stake: economy, opening of businesses, children's mental and emotional wellness,   parent's sanity and so much more that is happening in our world right now.  To top it all off, there is a pandemic that can kill you and your immediate family ***ARGH!!!***. If you are still on the fence about what to decide, in regards to sending your children back to school, the CDC has a great checklist you can check out and make the best decision for your family.  In our case, our son is autistic as some of you may already know and our concerns will obviously not be the same as your concerns when it comes to having your child return t

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ It has been one heck of a  year! Between the pandemic , social distancing Amazon , Uber , Groceries and total strangers knocking on your door and a new strain of the COVID-19...I was honestly ready to say good riddance. But I digress.  I hope that you are mentally strong for what is to come for 2021. We still have to get over 20 million people vaccinated and we have only done about 2 million. Worst yet, I heard it through the grapevine that if we stay at this pace, it will take us another 10 years to get everyone vaccinated....TEN YEARS!!!!  My hope and prayer is that this nightmare will be over soon because we are tired(at least I am) of all the mess. So many people have been touched by all that has gone on since the pandemic hit our world. I will continue to power on and advocate for my family, my autistic son, my adult daughter and hopefully my sanity.

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

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  Visual Recipes Good Morning(Or Afternoon/Evening, depends on where you are)! I hope this finds you well, practicing safe distancing and trying new things to create more beautiful moments and inspirations with your family. I thought that this would be a great way to show what may come in handy during the early days of back to school or anytime. As well as a learning moment for your autistic child/teen/adult or someone that likes to visualize what each step looks like in a recipe( I do!). I like to see what the end game will look like after I complete a recipe. Sure it may not look exactly the same but worth it to at least try something different.  I hope you enjoy these recipes by Tasty! Recipes and more visual recipes from other food vloggers as well. They are so fun to watch from start to finish, but it is also a game changer when you can pause, rewind, slow down and really visualize what each step will look like.  If anything, this will be a great life skill for your autistic son o

Cook I am sure that most of you out here are out of their mind right now, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and don't know what to do, especially when it comes to your kids. If you are a parent that has a special needs child, the anxiety is through the roof. But there is hope at the end of the tunnel and things to do. My son has an interest in cooking and I am starting to take baby steps to show him the ropes. So if you haven't done so already, there is a visual recipe book that we have that is fantastic for people on the spectrum and/or anyone that needs more visual directions to know how and what to do in the kitchen. You should check it out and see if this would be a good fit or not for you and your family.  So for today we will do a recipe that I found here . I chose lunch because this is the easiest to navigate and doesn't take a lot of directions. So the amount of steps have to be easy to follow and able to access with the least amount of help.  Quesadillas