Altering Special Education

By Melissa Corto Nearly 15 years later, I still vividly remember my first day of teaching high school in New York City. I was woefully unprepared. I learned that one of the 33 students in my class was on the autism spectrum, one had dyslexia, two had ADHD, another had a processing disorder, and five had varying degrees of other learning and behavioral challenges. I was expected to help each of them to reach their […]

The Endless Fight for Help: Yesterday and Today

by Maxine Rosaler When I was looking for schools for my son twenty years ago, private special education schools were the only schools equipped to give autistic children anywhere near the kind of help they needed. The competition for these schools was very stiff: it was not usual to find out that there were fifty applicants for every spot. And if a parent was lucky enough to have her child accepted at one of these […]

4 Ways Tech is Improving Special Needs Education

Special needs children represent a significant portion of the public school population. As of 2013-14, there were 6.5 million children and young adults ages 3-21 who were receiving these services in the United States. Although they have to overcome challenges their peers don’t, these kids can and do thrive, especially as educational technology has improved. In the past, special needs kids typically didn’t have a chance at a level playing field when it came to […]

Forgetting Milestones and Learning to Measure Progress…a New Way of Thinking! – Fighting for Inclusion and Acceptance

By Mary Ellen Bogucki  As July came to a close, I witnessed the launch of the “Inclusion Revolution” with the Special Olympics 50th Anniversary Celebration. I wondered that with the celebration behind us, would the momentum continue and would society step up to the challenge? The challenge is defined in the “Inclusion Revolution” pledge. The pledge states: I pledge to look for the lonely, the isolated, the left out, the challenged and the bullied. I […]

Helping Your Child Transition into a New School Year

by Oran Tkatchov As our children put the past school year behind them during summer break, there might be many changes on the horizon that can be a source of anxiety for them.  A new teacher? New building? New classmates? New routines? These changes can be overwhelming for all kids, but especially for those who need additional guidance in establishing routines and developing new relationships.  Below are five suggestions that can help to minimize the […]