# data[].attributes.headline
Love that Max blog, Ellen Seidman has been sharing her experience with her son Max since 2008. She blogs frequently and has developed a system where she links up with other bloggers who write about children with special needs. In this community, parents can connect with others who have children with disabilities through her site. Ellen writes about a variety of disability topics such as policies, and advice on individualized educational plans. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Love that Max blog, Ellen Seidman has been sharing her experience with her son Max since 2008. She blogs frequently and has developed a system where she links up with other bloggers who write about children with special needs. In this community, parents can connect with others who have children with disabilities through her site. Ellen writes about a variety of disability topics such as policies, and advice on individualized educational plans. 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A blog about parenting kids with special needs

# data[].attributes.headline
Friendship Circle is a  website that contains blogs that go over the needs of children with special needs, parenting, and the planning of a child’s educational experience. resources on being an advocate for your child and therapeutic approaches and products. It offers help and encouragement 2 families with children with special needs but also families who struggle with individuals with addiction and life crises.

# data[].attributes.subject
Friendship Circle is a  website that contains blogs that go over the needs of children with special needs, parenting, and the planning of a child’s educational experience. resources on being an advocate for your child and therapeutic approaches and products. It offers help and encouragement 2 families with children with special needs but also families who struggle with individuals with addiction and life crises.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
You searched for blog - Friendship Circle - Special Needs Blog

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Friendship Circle Home Michigan Services Online Services

# data[].attributes.headline
Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities is a nonprofit organization blog that contains information on guiding, and inspiring families of children with disabilities. It educates families with resources on how to change their view of learning disabilities and decreases the mindset of feeling stigmatized for having a child with disabilities. Here a pairing can realize there are children’s potential is something that should be embraced with love and with the right support families can live a happy productive life.

# data[].attributes.subject
Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities is a nonprofit organization blog that contains information on guiding, and inspiring families of children with disabilities. It educates families with resources on how to change their view of learning disabilities and decreases the mindset of feeling stigmatized for having a child with disabilities. Here a pairing can realize there are children’s potential is something that should be embraced with love and with the right support families can live a happy productive life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
©Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities®, Inc., Westport, Connecticut, USA. All rights reserved. Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities® is a registered trademark of Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, Inc. SmartKidswithLD.org is the website of Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support to parents of children with learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorders.

# data[].attributes.headline
SBS Dateline is an award-winning international network that produces documentaries and this video, follows families with severely disabled children and the question of stunting the growth of their children to make them more adaptable to the families living style. It discusses the experiences of those who have children with disabilities and the struggles they deal with. Parents can connect with the experiences of other families going through the same experiences of having a child with a disability and be educated at the same time.

# data[].attributes.subject
SBS Dateline is an award-winning international network that produces documentaries and this video, follows families with severely disabled children and the question of stunting the growth of their children to make them more adaptable to the families living style. It discusses the experiences of those who have children with disabilities and the struggles they deal with. Parents can connect with the experiences of other families going through the same experiences of having a child with a disability and be educated at the same time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Controversial Debate of Stunting the Growth of a Disabled Child

# data[].attributes.headline
Support for families is a parent-run nonprofit organization founded in 1982. This blog lets families can get support for their children with disabilities and unique health care needs. It offers information, and education and gives parents a platform to collaborate with other parents with children with disabilities. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Support for families is a parent-run nonprofit organization founded in 1982. This blog lets families can get support for their children with disabilities and unique health care needs. It offers information, and education and gives parents a platform to collaborate with other parents with children with disabilities. 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ed Pye and Bob Harris had a 50 year marriage and created a The Pye Harris Legacy Project to do good work in the community: helping LGBT kids, children with disabilities, and environmental programs. The Pye Harris project is proud to help support the development of the website for Support for Families of Children with Disabilities.

# data[].attributes.headline
This PACER Center video “Go Leah Go” presents a child with spina bifida who is paralyzed from the hips down Although she faces these take physical challenges she is determined and loves to explore her environment. This video educates parents on assistance, seminars, journals, and resources to help families make better decisions on the education and services their child with a disability receives.

# data[].attributes.subject
This PACER Center video “Go Leah Go” presents a child with spina bifida who is paralyzed from the hips down Although she faces these take physical challenges she is determined and loves to explore her environment. This video educates parents on assistance, seminars, journals, and resources to help families make better decisions on the education and services their child with a disability receives.

# data[].attributes.headline
This UNICEF parenting video assists parents/caregivers in making the best quality of life for their children. This video brings together some of the world's leading experts and helps parents with children with disabilities. It gives them practical parenting tips but also debunks myths about children with disabilities. This video also supports parents on how to support their child with a disability, how can they communicate with their child, and how can they communicate with parents. ways to stimulate their child's brain development, and advice to parents who have a child with a disability.

# data[].attributes.subject
This UNICEF parenting video assists parents/caregivers in making the best quality of life for their children. This video brings together some of the world's leading experts and helps parents with children with disabilities. It gives them practical parenting tips but also debunks myths about children with disabilities. This video also supports parents on how to support their child with a disability, how can they communicate with their child, and how can they communicate with parents. ways to stimulate their child's brain development, and advice to parents who have a child with a disability.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Transcript of "Children with disabilities: Mini Parenting Master Class" video

It's normal to feel distressed when you're told that your child has a disability, but here's some useful advice to help your child to reach their full potential.

Hi, I'm Professor Maurine Samms-Vaughan and this is my Mini Parenting Master Class on children with disabilities.

As a parent, what can I do to support my child with a disability? Why is it important to focus on a child's abilities?

Every child with a disability has strengths. These may be in doing artwork, in their personality, or in their motor skills. Every child has a strength. It's more important for us to focus on what children can do, their abilities, rather than their disability. We can use children's abilities to assist the areas that they have most challenges with.

How can I communicate with my child with a disability and how do I know when he/she wants to communicate with me?

Some children with disabilities will be able to speak with you. Others will not be able to speak. But they do communicate, even though they don't speak. For example, when a newborn baby comes into a family that baby communicates without speaking. You learn the baby's likes and dislikes by whether they smile, or laugh, or whether they cry. The same occurs with children with disabilities who can't speak. They tell you what they like by smiling or laughing, and they tell you what they don't like by crying or making an upset face.

What can I do in my day-to-day to make sure I'm stimulating my child and his/her brain development?

Children are stimulated by everything in their environment: by the sounds, by the interactions, by your smile. So, if your child with a disability is around you, you should make sure that you spend time talking with them, explaining in simple language what it is you're doing, smiling with them, telling them all about their environment, making noises around them so they can respond to noises.

Everything that you do, as you are moving about the house, as you are doing your housework, involve and include your child in it. Move your child into the room in which you are working. Tell them what you are doing: you are washing the dishes, you're dipping the dishes in the water. Tell them exactly what you are doing. All of that will stimulate them.

You can also stimulate them by directly playing with them, by making little toys in the home, putting stones in a bottle and shaking it, by waving ribbons in front of their eyes, different coloured ribbons. There are many things that you can do with just things around your house.

Can I breastfeed my child if he/she has a disability?

Breastfeeding is really important for all children, but is especially important for children with disabilities. Breastfeeding is really important for children's growth, children's nutrition, and children's brain development. Many children with disabilities are actually able to breastfeed, only a few are not able to breastfeed. And those who can't, can be fed expressed breastmilk, because breastmilk is really the best.

Why are the early years of every child's life so critical?

The early years of every child, whether they have a disability or not, are critical because when we stimulate the brain during these early years we are ensuring that the brain develops to its full potential. We are making sure that children have the best development that they can have and this happens for children with disabilities and children without disabilities.

How do I play with my child with a disability?

Children with disabilities enjoy being played with just like any other child. They enjoy you reading to them, showing them pictures, tickling them, hugging them, cuddling them. They respond to you with laughter and smiling. If they don't like a particular play that you are doing, they will tell you. They will stop laughing, they'll stop smiling. Try something else. You will find something because you know them best.

If I don't have time to play or money to afford toys, what can I do?

If you don't have a lot of time to play with your child, there may be other family members in your home who will be able to play with your child with a disability. Brothers and sisters are really great around children with disabilities. They stimulate them because they talk to them a lot and they play with them. They don't seem to be concerned about whether a sibling has a disability. They play with them just like anyone else.

What is your advice to parents who suspect that their child has a disability?

If you have a concern that your child has a disability, go to your nearest health provider and let them know your concerns. Some concerns may turn out not to be a problem at all, but some may, and your child may be identified as having a disability.

It's just as important to provide children with disabilities with a loving environment. Children who are shown warmth and love grow up to be loving, warm persons. A child with a disability who is shown warmth and love will grow up to be an adult who may have a disability, but who is a wonderful person to be around.
Maureen Samms-Vaughan is Professor of Child Health, Child Development and Behavior at the University of West Indies in Jamaica. She is an advocate for vulnerable children, particularly children with disabilities and those impacted by violence, and has published significant research in these areas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Caring for children with disabilities: Mini Parenting Master Class

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Transcript of "Children with disabilities: Mini Parenting Master Class" video It's normal to feel distressed when you're told that your child has a disability, but here's some useful advice to help your child to reach their full potential. Hi, I'm Professor Maurine Samms-Vaughan and this is my Mini Parenting Master Class on children with disabilities.

# data[].attributes.headline
Understood for All Inc collects information from 15 different nonprofit organizations to provide a better understanding of their students who learn and think differently. The blog educates families with resources on how to support their children. It also allows parents to see how their child would see it if they had a learning disability or attention issue. Every year they help more than 20 million people find their potential, educate them on how to take control, discover community, and stay living a healthy life throughout life. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Understood for All Inc collects information from 15 different nonprofit organizations to provide a better understanding of their students who learn and think differently. The blog educates families with resources on how to support their children. It also allows parents to see how their child would see it if they had a learning disability or attention issue. Every year they help more than 20 million people find their potential, educate them on how to take control, discover community, and stay living a healthy life throughout life. 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
News from Understood and our team’s thoughts on the latest in neurodiversity.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Best Buddies organization blog has created a global volunteer system that builds opportunities for friendships, leadership development, integrated employment, and inclusive living  programs for individuals with and without intellectual/developmental  disabilities

# data[].attributes.subject
The Best Buddies organization blog has created a global volunteer system that builds opportunities for friendships, leadership development, integrated employment, and inclusive living  programs for individuals with and without intellectual/developmental  disabilities

# data[].attributes.headline
Brookes Blog is an independent publishing company founded in 1978. It provides families with sources. It educates parents through publishing research-based resources that support students’ healthy learning development and emphasizes the learning and success of all students with or without disabilities. The organization partners with professionals in early childhood,  and special education gives parents professional resources that help their children learn, grow, and develop in a healthy environment.

# data[].attributes.subject
Brookes Blog is an independent publishing company founded in 1978. It provides families with sources. It educates parents through publishing research-based resources that support students’ healthy learning development and emphasizes the learning and success of all students with or without disabilities. The organization partners with professionals in early childhood,  and special education gives parents professional resources that help their children learn, grow, and develop in a healthy environment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Which inclusive practices do early childhood programs need to master in order to welcome and support all learners? In today's blog post, we'll take you through the 12 inclusive practices with the strongest research base for supporting young children in inclusive programs.

Where did these practices "come from"? They're the core of the Inclusive Classroom Profile (ICP™), a field-tested observational tool for classrooms serving children ages 2-5. Today's post, excerpted and adapted from the ICP manual, introduces you to all 12 practices and gives you real-world classroom examples. You'll see how each key practice-from conflict resolution to transitions between activities-contributes to successful, high-quality inclusion in an early education classroom.

Adaptations of Space, Materials, and Equipment
What it looks like:

Children with and without disabilities can gain access to the physical space, materials, and equipment.

When needed, children are helped to gain access to and use materials in meaningful ways through adult scaffolding strategies.

The teacher and assistants set up the classroom areas and materials in ways that can be accessible to all children, but they dynamically organize the physical space, equipment, and materials to intentionally encourage children's independence and social interactions.

Example:
Preschool teacher Kelly saw Tara, a 4-year-old child with cerebral palsy, use her walker to walk from the block corner toward the art area during free playtime. Kelly intentionally prompted Tara's peers at the block corner to clear the alley next to the corner by removing some toys so that Tara could independently gain access to the space.

Adult Involvement in Peer Interactions
What it looks like:

The classroom has opportunities for children to participate in activities and routines with their peers.

Adults plan and implement daily social play and learning activities.

There's a good balance between adult involvement and support for children's spontaneous social engagements.

Adults facilitate problem solving between children.

Adults provide scaffolding strategies for supporting positive, reciprocal, sustained peer interactions and relationships between children.

Example:
Peter is a 3-year-old boy who is nonverbal and has a developmental delay. During circle time, teacher Kelly invited another student, Andrew, to model for Peter the movements of a song he likes to perform with his peers. Watching Andrew use his hands to form the movements of the song was an effective way to help Peter imitate, learn, and perform the song movements independently.

Adults' Guidance of Children's Free-Choice Activities and Play
What it looks like:

Adults show enjoyment and availability when engaging with children during activities and play.

Children have many opportunities to decide on activities, playmates, and play topics that they like during free-choice activity.

Children are given many opportunities to make choices during activities and playtime.

Adults observe children's engagement in play and consistently support play using individualized strategies such as verbal/nonverbal prompting, modeling, commenting/asking questions, and enlisting other peers.

Example:
Kelly joined Martha, a 4-year-old girl who was recently diagnosed with autism, during free-choice time. Kelly used a visual activity organizer in the role-play area to help Martha act out the steps involved in cooking a meal for her friends.
What it looks like:

Adults have set clear rules and behavioral expectations that are consistently communicated to children to encourage positive social behavior and prevent conflicts.

When children have difficulty resolving their differences on their own, adults join children to listen to all children's perspectives, acknowledging their views and feelings.

Adults try to focus on helping children find more positive ways for negotiating their differences.

Individualized strategies are used to help children negotiate peer conflict and generate solutions.

Example:
Kelly observed two children on the playground fighting over a new toy. She invited the two children to consider more positive ways they could both enjoy the new toy. One of the two children involved in the conflict had a communication difficulty in expressive language, so Kelly invited the children to look at some visuals that depicted possible alternative solutions. With Kelly's facilitation, the two children decided to take turns using the new toy by paying attention to an alarm clock that would indicate when to pass the toy to each other.
What it looks like:

Adults work together to create a classroom community to which all children feel that they belong, regardless of their individual differences.

Adults develop a sense of belonging by planning activities and creating opportunities to help children understand and accept individual differences.

Opportunities exist for children to assume equal roles and responsibilities in the classroom.

Adults intervene to prevent bullying or persistent teasing between children in the classroom.

Adults use positive and inclusive strategies for responding to children's individual differences.

Example:
When a child asked Kelly why another child was using a different type of spoon during snack time, Kelly responded that children can use different spoons as they grow and learn to eat different foods. She showed all the children the many sizes of spoons she had available for their use. Kelly showed examples of how younger children might need bigger or softer spoons and demonstrated how some spoons might be easier for some children to hold.

Relationships between Adults and Children
What it looks like:

Adults seek many opportunities during the day to engage in social interactions that are positive, reciprocal, and sustained. They show enjoyment when interacting with the children.

Adults are highly responsive to children's interests as well as their emotional needs.

Adults use visual supports and additional classroom resources for supporting children's emotional needs and development.

Example:
When 4-year-old Charlie seemed reluctant to play outside because of the thunder he had heard earlier in the morning, Kelly read a picture book with Charlie about thunderstorms. When they finished reading the book, Kelly modeled for Charlie all the different things he could do if he felt uncomfortable while being outside on the playground. Kelly's shared reading activity and follow-up conversation helped Charlie feel better and encouraged him to join his peers on the playground.

Support for Communication
What it looks like:

Adults are responsive to children's initiated communication.

Adults actively facilitate social-communication with children using a variety of scaffolding strategies, including alternative means of communication systems.

Visual supports, books, and classroom resources are used to support social-communication.

Adults intentionally use alternative means of communication systems in ways that enable children to communicate and participate in classroom activities with their peers.

Example:
Kelly showed Martha, the helper of the day, how to use picture symbols of available snacks to help Andy, a boy with a communication difficulty, choose his snack. As Martha went around the table verbally asking each child to make a choice between two snacks, she used two picture cards to help Andy make his choice.

Adaptation of Group Activities
What it looks like:

Children have opportunities to participate with their peers in planned whole-group and small-group activities.

Adults use embedded strategies and adaptations of activities to support children's active engagement and participation while also meeting children's individual needs.

Adults plan and monitor embedded strategies and adaptations to support children's needs and adjust activities as needed to encourage participation of all children in the group.

Example:
During a small-group art activity in which children were using paintbrushes to paint leaves they collected outdoors, Kelly provided hand-over-hand assistance for Louisa, a child with a fine motor coordination difficulty, to fingerpaint her leaves. The second part of the activity involved cutting through paper to form different shapes, and Louisa worked on one of her individualized goals that involved sorting out different shapes alongside her peers.

Transitions between Activities
What it looks like:

Adults share responsibilities and flexibly adjust their roles to prepare for daily activities and promote smooth transitions.

Adults collaborate to plan activities and supports for the whole group to ensure smooth transitions.

Specific, individualized strategies (such as visual supports) are used for children who experience greater difficulty making the transition between activities.

Example:
Kelly uses a soft musical tune to signal the end of transitions with the whole group. Sam, however, requires additional support to transition between activities. Kelly and her coteacher created a picture schedule to go through with Sam, who finds it very helpful to look at the visual symbols of upcoming activities before the end of each routine.
What it looks like:

Adults give children sensitive, positive feedback (verbal and nonverbal) on their efforts, behaviors, and learning.

Adults use different types of feedback (e.g., corrective feedback, positive reinforcement) to support important goals (e.g., positive behavior, learning, engagement).

Adults frequently use feedback that focuses on children's efforts and the process of doing things rather than solely on their end products.

Example:
Kelly observed Chris, a boy with a developmental delay, working hard to solve a number puzzle during free playtime. Kelly asked him how he was trying to figure out how to put the pieces together. When Chris explained his strategy, Kelly said, "I can see you're working very hard and your strategy seems very helpful." Kelly invited Chris to share his strategy with his peers during circle time.

Family-Professional Partnerships
What it looks like:

Procedures are implemented daily for encouraging bidirectional communication with families about children's individualized education programs and progress.

Staff are encouraged to participate in meetings with families.

Families have opportunities to contribute information on their priorities.

Families are invited to provide feedback on the quality of the program.

Example:
Each child has a communication book in which families and teachers can exchange daily messages, including private notes. Kelly also uses e-mail daily to communicate with families. At the end of each day, classroom staff post messages about the day's activities and children's experiences on a white board outside the classroom to share with families. Kelly's program also provides support for staff to attend intervention planning meetings with service providers and families.

To exchange information on children's progress with families, the program actively encourages families to participate regularly in progress meetings and shares reports of children's progress that are parent friendly and sensitive to the cultural and linguistic diversity of families. Kelly's program also uses a system for identifying family priorities, concerns, and resources to assist with meeting children's needs.

Monitoring Children's Learning
What it looks like:

The program uses multiple assessment methods for monitoring children's progress on individual goals.

The program uses a combination of research-based formative assessment tools, observation notes, behavioral assessment checklists, and various other teacher-made assessment tools.

An individualized intervention plan for each child is developed based on identified needs and specifies how interventions and supports can be embedded into classroom activities.

All classroom staff have access to assessments, intervention plans, and progress reports from specialized therapists, and they use information for their own planning.

Planning includes interventions that support children's needs in their home and community.

Progress monitoring data is used to adjust interventions and instruction.

Example:
Kelly was keeping a running record of Maya's participation during storytime to monitor her engagement following a recent embedded activity they had started implementing a few weeks ago to support her understanding of story facts. In her notes, Kelly recorded that Maya found it helpful to use story props to act out the story prior to and during retelling a story. She also noted that Maya might need more frequent prompting by an adult to help her connect the events of a story.

***

Like today's post? Learn more about how to measure the 12 key inclusion practices with the Inclusive Classroom Profile (ICP™) by Elena P. Soukakou, Ph.D. It's a great tool for assessing your program's current inclusive practices, establishing a baseline for measuring future progress, and guiding your program's future quality improvement efforts. Here you can watch a webinar, download a case study and excerpt, and more:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
12 Key Practices for High-Quality Early Childhood Inclusion

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Which inclusive practices do early childhood programs need to master in order to welcome and support all learners? In today's blog post, we'll take you through the 12 inclusive practices with the strongest research base for supporting young children in inclusive programs. Where did these practices "come from"?

# data[].attributes.headline
This Hopeful  Parents blog is a place where parents can come to share their feelings with other parents who understand. The blog contains groups of parents who share their stories with others who have children with disabilities. It is a platform that allows parents to express how they feel and relate to other parents’ experiences. it also allows for parents to connect in conversation and become part of a community with which they can feel connected.

# data[].attributes.subject
This Hopeful  Parents blog is a place where parents can come to share their feelings with other parents who understand. The blog contains groups of parents who share their stories with others who have children with disabilities. It is a platform that allows parents to express how they feel and relate to other parents’ experiences. it also allows for parents to connect in conversation and become part of a community with which they can feel connected.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
grassroots support for parents of kids with special needs

# data[].attributes.headline
The Wrightslaw blog has a vast number of resources available on special needs laws and education. It allows parents with resources on whether their child is getting what they need from their district, city, and state. Parents can come here for accurate, up-to-date information about special education law, and advocacy for their students with disabilities.

# data[].attributes.subject
The Wrightslaw blog has a vast number of resources available on special needs laws and education. It allows parents with resources on whether their child is getting what they need from their district, city, and state. Parents can come here for accurate, up-to-date information about special education law, and advocacy for their students with disabilities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
The Wrightslaw Way | to Special Education Law and Advocacy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Guidance Counselor ignored our parental consent form and conducted tests on our daughter against our written instructions, even though she signed the form acknowledging our wishes and concerns. Our Continue Reading →

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
americans with disabilities education act

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
individuals with disabilities education act

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Wrightslaw Way Wrightslaw Way to Special Education Advocacy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Guidance Counselor ignored our parental consent form and conducted tests on our daughter against our written instructions, even though she signed the form acknowledging our wishes and concerns. Our Continue Reading →