Category: Autism

Autism

The Opportunity to Play: Step One on the “Competence Makes a Difference” Journey

The Opportunity to Play: Step One on the “Competence Makes a Difference” Journey FOR MANY OF THEM, MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES OR BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES HAVE MADE PARTICIPATION IN A TYPICAL SCHOOL SETTING UNREALISTIC. Contributed by David Weiss, occupational therapist, PEP Prentiss   “Mr. Weiss, I am SO PROUD OF MYSELF!” DeShawn* exclaimed to me out of
Read More

Autism

Using “Brain Breaks” to Boost Attention

Why Brain Breaks? The more that is learned about the human brain, the more it is understood that frequent, regularly scheduled movement activities for students are not a luxury. They are a necessity to help students pay attention and learn.  There is evidence that regularly scheduling short “brain breaks,” which include movement and/or exercise during
Read More

Autism

Using Social Stories to Teach New Skills

Students who need to learn a new routine or new social skill can benefit from stories about themselves that describe how to use the needed skills appropriately. When these stories are developed within certain parameters, they are known as Social Stories. While initially developed for children with autism, Social Stories are a great tool for
Read More