I am wildly passionate about kids being toilet trained if it is a possibility. I never dreamed I would be a passionate advocate for toilet training. But here I am. Lack of toileting skills is one functional IEP skill that really carries a serious stigma for our kids. It's very ostracizing for an older child| A Day in our Shoes
Personal hygiene skills is something that many of us take for granted. If you do not pick up on social cues, and your interoception is different because of your neurodivergence, you may not notice these things. But, others will! That's for sure. And some things, like managing your medication, can be complete barriers to independent| A Day in our Shoes
It's a familiar sight, dating back many decades. We thought we were just playing, and didn't realize we were learning letter recognition. When I was small, we had the wooden blocks with the alphabet on them. Some kids had the plastic alphabet letters with magnets so they'd stick to the fridge. Now, you can get| A Day in our Shoes
'Dysgraphia? What's is dysgraphia? I've never heard of it!' This is a scenario that has come up many times to parents in our online chat group. As parents become more informed, we are better able to advocate for our kids. If you go back even 10-20 years, not many parents had even heard of specific| A Day in our Shoes
List of what fine motor skills your infant or baby should be developing, and 19 fun activities to practice and help them grow.| A Day in our Shoes
Remember this? Did you know that way back when...when Tupperware invented this toy, that you were using fine motor skills to play with it? And it was Tupperware! If you're a Gen X'er like me, you definitely remember this Tupperware toy. When I was young enough to play with this toy, IEPs didn't even exist.| A Day in our Shoes
I hear it often. Does your disabled child know how to tie their shoes? And are they past the age of when they should be able to tie their shoes? It's a pretty common problem. After all, if your child struggles with fine motor coordination, sequencing, and other issues that are elements of shoe-tying, it| A Day in our Shoes
Parents can certainly assist the IEP team with developing goals. One IEP area that I find parents and teachers struggle with is addressing the skill of writing. And by writing, I'm talking about content, not fine-motor handwriting skills. If your child struggles with handwriting, I would read this post on dysgraphia or ask for an| A Day in our Shoes
Are you good at sports? Is your child? Have you been told that you just 'aren't good at sports?' I have. In fact, I was in adaptive PE as a kid. I hated sports. Turns out, I really needed some help with my visual motor skills and visual motor integration. Isn’t it amazing how many| A Day in our Shoes
Student counseling is listed as a Related Service in IDEA. Actually, Parent Counseling and Training is too. But that's another post for another day. I| A Day in our Shoes
IEP Goals for Handwriting | Handwriting issues can be much more than a fine motor planning issue. It could be dysgraphia, dyslexia, vision issues, or| A Day in our Shoes
Before I get started with this list of Life Skills Goals for an IEP, I want to make one thing clear. That is, remember, IEPs| A Day in our Shoes
Video cameras are everywhere these days, including inside our schools. I often get inquiries from parents asking about their rights, and whether or not they| A Day in our Shoes
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in getting our kids' needs met, we forget to address a Student's Strengths. What are your child's strengths? Grabe| A Day in our Shoes