Welcome to “On the Horizon”
Issue 29: Learning to Think: Part One
All Students Can Learn to be Mindful
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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Letting Kids Problem Solve
 A Note from Nicole: Weather, Schooling, and Remediation
Idea of the Week: Change Toothbrush Location
Feature Article: Learning to Think: Part One
All Students Can Learn to be Mindful
The Horizons Team Recommends: Do Something Daily Calendar; Horizons Academy
Upcoming Events: CORE Approach Parent Chat; Sibshop; CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar
 
Hi Everyone!
What a crazy week of weather we’ve had across the country! For those of you in Texas who were impacted by Hurricane Ike, our thoughts are with you as you dry out and hopefully get back to normal life soon. Here in Michigan we got a few days of heavy rain and now we are supposed to get some days of sunshine to help dry up all the standing water. I’m glad the temperatures are starting to cool off (it’s been in the low 70’s). Fall is my favorite time of year, and it usually passes quickly around here!
One of the issues I know many parents and professionals struggle with is the issue of schooling for children with autism spectrum disorders. At times it can be a challenge for everyone involved—most of all the student! That’s why I’m really excited about the article series Courtney is working on. You’ll read the first installment this week about making sure students are learning to be mindful about what they are doing. She will continue this theme in some upcoming articles she’s working on. If you know someone who can benefit from this information, feel free to forward the article to them—and encourage them to sign up for the newsletter so they don’t miss upcoming article of interest.
Well, I’m off to put the finishing touches on one of my chapters for an upcoming book Erin, Courtney, and I are writing about remediation work in schools. Stay tuned for more details on that soon…
Looking to the horizon,
Change Toothbrush Location!
Change the location of your child’s toothbrush. For example, if the toothbrush is normally kept on the right side of the counter, move the toothbrush to the left side. See if your child notices that it has moved, and how he/she tries to find it. If your child does not notice it has been moved, then begin to give cues as to the new location of the toothbrush.
Learning to Think:
Part One
All Students Can Learn to be Mindful
By: Courtney Kowalczyk, M.Ed.
Summer is quickly coming to an end, and school has begun for many children. School buses are busily picking up students and dropping them off during the morning and evening commutes. With the beginning of a new school year, I thought it would be helpful to look into the realm of education and the way our students think and learn.
For most students in the general education population today, the focus of education is on their ability to think and use problem solving skills. We are seeing more and more schools moved towards integrated curricula that teach children math, reading, and writing skills in a more dynamic fashion. A majority of these curricula pose real world problems that students work through and solve as they learn concepts along the way. For many children, this type of curricula proves to be beneficial; for others however, it can be very challenging. For example, children who struggle with reading typically have greater difficulty using curricula formatted in this fashion, since most of it is comprised of written language that needs to be read, dissected, and understood in order to progress through the problem at hand. For these individuals, accommodations to the curricula are usually made to make it easier for the child to understand and process.
When thinking about children with more significant disabilities like cognitive impairments, neurological issues, or Autism, we typically see educators using curricula of a more static nature. These types of curricula tend to be more repetitive. I wonder though: How are these types of materials preparing children for the real world, given that these students typically have the greatest amount of difficulty in the realm of problem solving and creative thinking?
Do Something Daily Calendar
Do you dread hearing your child complain, “I’m bored”? Struggle to think of something fun you can do together? Have trouble squeezing one-on-one time with her into your day?
That’s why we created the Do Something Daily Calendar. The Calendar offers a daily dose of inspiration and ideas for spending time together—whether you have 60 seconds or 60 minutes.
$19.95 (Per Calendar) Calendars are assembled by clients in our EmployAbilities program. $1.00 from every calendar will be donated to FARR.
Click on the image below to visit our store!
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 / RDI® Program Certified Consultant oversees the program. This program runs from September through June and is limited to a small number of students each year.
Schedule a Free Consultation:
To learn more about our Instructional Program, call us for more information at (616) 698-0306.
Please join us!
- CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar – Special Education Rights
Horizons Families Only
Tuesday September 23, 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM EST
- CORE Approach Parent Chat – Spotlighting
Horizons Families Only
Tuesday October 7, 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM EST
- CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar – Organizing Specialist
Horizons Families Only
Tuesday October 21, 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM EST
- Sibshop – Horizons Sibling Network
Open to everyone!
Saturday November 1, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM EST
- CORE Approach Parent Chat – Holiday Ideas
Horizons Families Only
Tuesday November 4, 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM EST
- CORE Approach Parent Day
Remediation-Friendly Treatments for Feeding Problems and Sensory Processing Disorders
Friday November 7, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM EST
- Beginning CORE Approach 4-day Parent Seminar – Chicago, IL area
November 10-13
Registration and Location Information To Be Announced…
- CORE Approach Parent Teleseminar – Kids & Media
Horizons Families Only
Tuesday November 18, 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM EST
- Sibshop – Horizons Sibling Network
Open to everyone!
Saturday January 17 2009, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM EST
- Sibshop – Horizons Sibling Network
Open to everyone!
Saturday March 14 2009, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM EST
- Sibshop – Horizons Sibling Network
Open to everyone!
Saturday May 9 2009, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM EST
- Sibshop – Horizons Sibling Network
Open to everyone!
Saturday July 18 2009, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM EST
See our Event Calendar for more details…
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