When one is cognitively flexible, a typical day of school may include transitioning with ease from topic to topic, subject to subject and emotion to emotion. Things such as having a supply teacher, moving to a different desk to work at and having lunch at a different time may be regular occurrences that do not […]
Category Archives: General Info
“Be willing to be a beginner every day.” – Meister Eckhart Two years ago I began my paid journey in education as an Occasional Teacher for the York Region District School Board. While this was certainly not the beginning of my journey as a teacher, there are many reasons that I’m pleased to be at […]
For all of human kind, communication is vital! Whether it is in a classroom, a personal relationship, on a professional sports team, or a working environment, the key to success will always be communicating effectively. For some people, functional communication comes naturally. For others, such as those on the Autism spectrum, it may not. Many […]
When it comes to learning, the content of what we learn is usually emphasized. However, how and where we learn is equally important. As a teacher, I’m constantly looking for new ways to motivate my students to learn whether it’s including more hands-on activities, adding technology or changing the space in which we learn. Understanding […]
When starting a new behaviour protocol for their child, autism parents have always been told to withhold any reinforcer until their child does what they want them to do. While the long-term effects of this protocol will be worth it, having to follow it can lead to a tantrum or worse. 40% of children with […]
Applied Behavioural Analysis. ABA. It’s a sticky word. What is it really? It falls under the field of Psychology and under the science of behaviour. A therapy…yes. Strategies? That as well. Teaching? You know it. It can be a foreign term- and even when you hear it, you may still be a tad confused. […]
Unless you live in a bubble you know that recently the Ministry of Child and Youth Services (MCYS) has changed the structure of provincially funded treatment for Autism. For those who are unaware of what the changes mean, the coles notes version is that every child over the age of 5 will be discharged from […]
Earlier this year, one of my fellow colleagues wrote a blog post about The Joy of Inclusive Camping! You should definitely go and read it if you haven’t read it already. What I’d like to focus on in this post is the benefits of inclusive camps for children without disabilities. One of the many reasons […]
I think everyone in the autism community can agree that one of the first thing that pops into your head when meeting a child with autism is “I wonder why they’re doing what they’re doing”. I know that every time I interact with a child I haven’t worked with before I am very curious to […]
Growing up as a child, I recall many social excursions with my family. Activities such as concerts, picnics, vacations and Sunday bowling, I always had something to look forward to. After all, children deserve fun outings instead of staying home and relying on meaningless technological entertainment (i.e. video games). Aside from planning family events and […]