Parenting — Special Needs

• Children With Asperger’s Syndrome

  Asperger’s syndrome is a rather new category of pervasive developmental disorders affecting children. It is a form of autism generally related to the mildest and highest functioning individuals in the spectrum of autistic disorders. Recently, awareness of Asperger’s disorder as a type of autism has increased due to proper diagnosis of the syndrome and an increase in cases of autism spectrum disorders in general.

• Auditory Integration Training

  Some researchers feel that many children who are diagnosed with ADHD actually have a central auditory processing disorder. This condition is particularly common if the child has other sensory integration disorders, such as touch sensitivity. AIT seems to help improve attention span deficits, to correct poor auditory discrimination skills, and to improve the ability to follow directions, all of which are common problems in ADHD children.

• Caring For The Drug Effected Infant

  Fetuses exposed to methamphetamines, experience the same effects as the mothers—increased pulse, respiration, blood pressure, and temperature for 72 hours after the mother’s high is gone. All of this at a time when the fetus is just developing. The effects are devastating.

• Teaching Children With Sensory Motor Integration Deficits

  Sensory motor integration deficits are fairly common in both children and adults. The following is a list of tips for teachers who have children with sensory processing disorders.

• Helping Children With Autism Learn

  Imitation is a very crucial conduit through which the one- to four-year-old child normally takes in a tremendous amount of information. Throughout that period of development when language has not yet been established as an internalized means of narrating and planning behavior and problem solving, imitative schema (maps) guide typically developing children through practice and mastery of new skills.

• Educational Options for Students with Learning Disabilities: Maximizing Potential

  Is your child struggling in school, or has he or she been diagnosed with a learning disability? While initially this may be difficult to accept, it is imperative that as a parent, you reach an understanding of your child’s academic needs. This will help you ensure that the current school is offering your son or daughter the best opportunity for success.

• Being Different

  On most days the furthest thing from my mind is my child being different from any other. That all changes, however, once we go out in public.

• Children With Learning Disabilities

  Parents are often worried when their child has learning problems in school. There are many reasons for school failure, but a common one is a specific learning disability. Children with learning disabilities usually have a normal range of intelligence. They try very hard to follow instructions, concentrate, and “be good” at home and in school. Yet, despite this effort, he or she is not mastering school tasks and falls behind. Learning disabilities affect at least 1 in 10 schoolchildren.