Welcome to “On the
Horizon”
Issue 72: Back to School: How to
Strive and Thrive During the Transition
On the Horizon is an
award winning weekly ezine for parents of children with developmental
disabilities who want simple, effective strategies to reduce stress,
support their child’s development, and improve quality of life for the
whole family.
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Back to School Ideas
 A Note from Nicole: Enjoying the Last Days of Summer
Idea of the Week: Jenga
Feature Article: Back to School: How to Strive and Thrive During the Transition
The Horizons Team Recommends: Coulter Video; Horizons Academy
Upcoming Events: Q&A Teleseminar; RDI Parent Teleseminar
 
Hi Everyone!
We’re winding down the summer here in Michigan, with only a couple more weeks to go until the kids start back to school. My kids are excited about reconnecting with their friends, but not so excited about getting up early and being in school all day.
We’re going to enjoy these next few weeks of summer and try not to think about what’s ahead in September! Hopefully you are all enjoying the end of summer as well, although some of you probably have kids back in school already.
Speaking of school starting again, Courtney’s article this week provides some helpful tips for getting back into the routine. These are good for us to think about in relation to all kids, but especially for kids who have challenges surrounding transitions.
Our team here at Horizons sat down with a calendar for the next year and did lots of planning today. We’re excited about all of the great events we’ll be participating in and hosting over the coming year. Get ready for some great announcements coming soon!
Have a wonderful week!
Looking to the horizon,
Jenga
Play a game of Jenga together. You
can play the game according to the rules, or you can add some fun variations to the game. Roll a dice and what every number shows up is the number of pieces you need to remove from the tower. Write actions
on the Jenga pieces for you to act out, something funny for you to sing
or say, or even a question for you to answer. The Jenga pieces could be
colored and you could draw a slip of paper with a color and a number on it and that is the color you have to remove along with the number of
pieces you also have to take. There are a lot of different ways you can
play Jenga. Have fun and see about coming up with your own way to play!
 
Back to School: How to Strive and Thrive During the Transition
By: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.
Summer is almost over, and we will soon be seeing the flashing lights of school buses during the morning and afternoon commutes. Now that August has arrived and the summer is quickly coming to an end, it is time for parents to begin thinking about getting ready for school. Gearing up for the new school year can be very difficult for families. Buying supplies, going to orientations, and getting the kids to bed earlier can make those last few weeks before school stressful, especially for parents. Here are several suggestions to make this time of year more enjoyable for all.
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Go to bed and wake up earlier. By gradually modifying the times your children go to bed and wake up over the course of a few weeks, you can help them transition to new sleep and wake routines without having to do it during the first week of school. This allows their bodies to have time to adjust to the gradual changes as well, and makes the morning evening hours more enjoyable for all.
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Make a plan before going school shopping. Before you even step foot into a mall or local store to do back to school shopping, it is very important for you to make a list of what you need and plan a set budget. Have your children make lists of the items that they need for school. You can also sort through their wardrobe and determine what will still fit, and what clothing items you may need to purchase. By having a prepared list and a set budget, you can do your back to school shopping more effectively; and there is less stress in trying to determine what your child needs versus what he or she may want.
Coulter Video
Educational Videos for Families and Educators
Produced by Dan and Julie Coulter
Our videos create awareness,
understanding and acceptance of children and adults with autism and
Asperger Syndrome in the family, schools and community.
Engaging videos about social skills, succeeding in school, preparing for college and work, generating acceptance among classmates, and showing brothers and sisters how to get along. Please visit our website, www.coultervideo.com, to read articles and see free online previews of our videos. 
Horizons
Academy
Many parents express concerns about educational options available to their children with impairments. It seems there are few
ideal educational settings, and even fewer that take a developmental approach to working on the core deficits of
student difficulties.
Our instructional program, available for children
ages 3 and older, is individualized to meet the
unique and specific needs of each student. Parents and
the instructional team work together to determine priority goal areas,
which often include communication, problem solving / flexible thinking,
socialization, sensory-motor development, academic skills, and
self-care skills.
A certified Special Education teacher / CORE Approach Program
Certified Consultant oversees the program. This program runs from
September through June and is limited to a small number of students
each year.
To learn more about our Instructional Program, call us for more information at (616) 698-0306.
Please join us!
- Sibshop
– Horizons Sibling Network
Open to everyone! – FULL – CLOSED
Saturday, August 15, 2009, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM EST
- CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar:
Q&A with Michelle & Courtney (Horizons
Families Only)
Monday, Sept. 14 from 1:30-2:30pm EST
- CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar: Pediatric Vision Specialist Guest Speaker Dr. Jeff Kenyon (Horizons Families Only) Thursday, Sept. 17 from 11-12pm EST
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