Starfish Awareness Month

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If you work in this field long enough Down Syndrome Awareness month starts being about Cory, Sean, Christian, David and Ricky.  Rett Syndrome Awareness Month becomes thoughts about Kelly, Jen and Becca.  AAC Awareness Month is about every kid who you ever helped say yes, no, help or "I love you!" for the first time with a "talker".  And that is just October.

November brings Epilepsy Awareness Month and thoughts of every child who you've sat with, holding their hand and reassuring them, while you watched the clock and waited for the seizure to end.  Last month was Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Month and my thoughts were on Astrid, Ingrid and Sarah.  March may mean spring to some but it is both Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.  Students with CP and Developmental Disabilities have made up the preponderance of my caseload for 15 years.  And I have loved every single one of them.

I have walked, rode, crafted, rocked, danced and quilted for so many causes I can't begin to remember them all.  Not to mention all of the raffle tickets, candy, cookies, calendars and gift wrap I have bought.  Sometimes it all seems like it can't possibly make a difference.

I know it is sappy but that is when my mind always goes back to the Starfish Story.  You know the one, with the little child tossing the drying starfish back in the ocean when the old cynic says it isn't going to do any good.  And the child says, "It makes a difference to this one."

The thing is my students aren't starfish.  They are only helpless if we teach them to be helpless.  My job isn't to toss them back in the water.  My job is to teach them communication, independence and self-advocacy.  My job is to keep them from being beached in the first place and to teach them how to make sure they stay in the water where they belong.

So I'm going to fight for more than awareness and for more than cures.  I am going to fight for all my students to be able to become who they are - fully and without compromise.  Are you with me?

Things to Do with Extra Picture Symbols

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What do you do with those left over communication symbols that seem to multiple everyday?  (They are especially prolific if you use the Unique Learning Program.)  Do you throw them away?  Hold on to them for some other purpose?

Here is a multiple part activity you can do that includes sorting by part of speech and then using the symbols for MadLibs style activities.

Part One: Teach your students the three basic parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective.  Although you may want to teach the parts of speech using the words that the student's AAC system uses/will use i.e. action words, describers, people/places/things.  (If you students are able to learn more then go for it!).


Then do a class or group art project.  Decorate a cool container that will be used to hold each part of speech you teach.  You could use some of the left over symbols and magazine pictures to illustrate the type of word the container will hold.  Be sure to include a picture symbol label that matches the category in the AAC books/devices.

Now you can set aside the symbols left over each day until you have a tidy pile of them and then allow a student to sort them into the correct containers.  This is a great way for emerging AAC users to work on catagories.  You can hold up a symbol and ask the student to show you in his book or device where they would find that word. (I would consider printing out a few sets of core vocabulary word symbols and adding them to the pile to be sorted on a regular basis.)

Now you have containers of words to use for activities.  Some ideas include:

• MadLib Style Activities - print out free, "easy" MadLib style activites and then allow student to pick from a field of two or three (or more) words from the correct container to fill in the blanks (we did this with some free Halloween MadLib's last week - so fun!) or you can go through a theme related paragraph or book you have already read to the students and turn it into a MadLib
• Silly Sentences - have students pick one word from each jar and make a sentence 
• Charades or Pictionary -play with peer tutors using words pulled from the containers
• Art - use the symbols in art projects and collages related
• Play Clap/Slap (adapt the movement as needed)
• Sort the words even more - by topic or other criteria
• Use spare symbols as "foils" when asking questions

Free MadLib Style Activities

• Printable MadLibs from Classroom Jr.
• Teachnology MadLibs
• Playsational MadLibs
• Wacky Web Tales

Wicked Proud!

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 I am so proud to share with all of my readers that my brother, Brendan, just became on of 34 Board Certified Behavior Analysts in the state of Hawaii and under 5,000 worldwide.  He is one of only 46% who passed the recent boards.  Also he is the only person who has even given me a way to explain an extinction burst in a way everyone will understand.  You rock, Brendan! 
Please leave your congratulations in the comments!  
Ohhh... I am such a proud sister!!!
(And thanks in advance for all of the help with all FBA's and behavior plans I will continue to send you.  That one you helped me with before worked out, by the way. We have maintained a 97% decrease in the behavior for over six months.)

Do you Pinterest?

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Pinterest is a visual social networking site.  Members "pin" images or even videos to their pin boards.  Membership is free, so you might as well check it out.  And, like everything else, there is an app for that.

Some of my Pin Boards you might like to look at include:

• Teaching and Learning  (I deliberately mix general education and special education content in an awareness raising effort)
• Crafts
• Free AT

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Denies Lifesaving Transplants to Girl with Developmental Disabilities

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CHOP has denied this little girl, who has Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome a lifesaving kidney transplant because she has developmental delay.  Read her story.  Sign a petition. Sign another petition.  Write on CHOP's Facebook Page.


CHOP has issued the following statement justifying their actions:

"We have watched with great concern the comments regarding criteria used in making transplant eligibility decisions. We understand your concerns and reactions to the Facebook postings.

We strive to provide the safest possible care for our patients and we make transplant eligibility decisions based on widely-accepted, medically valid methods, with many factors considered. We want you to know that CHOP does not have any criteria which exclude patients from being considered for transplant solely on the basis of their cognitive status. Transplant programs at CHOP have never declined a patient for transplant based solely on their cognitive status and we have performed transplants on many children with disabilities and impairments.

CHOP’s transplant programs continue to evaluate and perform transplants on some of the most complex cases in the country. We use an established framework for consistent evaluation and transplantation. Each child is evaluated on an individual basis, taking multiple medical, surgical, and psychosocial aspects into consideration. In each evaluation, we consider the possible risk and outcome of the recipient, potential donor options, as well as alternative therapies.

In order to determine eligibility for transplantation, a multidisciplinary evaluation is completed by several members of the transplant team, which would include careful assessment of a patient by surgical and transplant specialists, as well as, psychosocial, and neurologic specialists. Parents and family members are very much a part of the discussion.

We wish to emphasize that all determinations of eligibility for transplantation are treated on an individual basis. We make all decisions regarding eligibility using a non-discriminatory approach, after a multidisciplinary assessment and discussion, which is the standard of practice throughout the country.

These communications are very important to us and provide us with an opportunity to always re-examine and reassess our approach and process. We hope that we can continue to improve and continue to provide exceptional care for children with organ failure."

Change.org|Start an Online Petition »

Do you Ombre?

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I'm not sure what to think about Ombre. I feel like it's everywhere right now...almost to the point of being overdone and on its way out. But then again, there are lots of people out there that still have never heard of the word, let alone the trend. To sum it up: it's a gradient or shading of color- light to dark or vice versa- usually within a single color tone. As I mentioned, it's everywhere- from furniture to clothing to hair (oh no ladies, your roots aren't showing, you're sporting the latest trend of Ombre hair!)



On the Fashion side I love it, but I'm on the fence about using it in the home since it seems so "trendy." Has anyone taken the plunge and brought Ombre into their home decor?

Staying Afloat

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I'm heading out of town unexpectedly and quickly for a funeral. The past 24 hrs have been more about me handling the logistics of leaving town on such short notice, than me processing what is actually going on- but I think that's part of the reason that I need to leave town- to breathe and grieve and be there for my extended family during a tough time. I thought that now would be as good of a time as ever to re post something from last summer about staying organized when your mind is elsewhere. Our family is definitely following all 4 of these suggestions over the next few days.

silent shot-flickr creative commons

 I know I'm not alone in occasionally feeling "down in the dumps" and lost in worry over things I have no control over. But I've found that during these times when I become pre-occupied with my own thoughts, it's hard to stay on top of things in the same way that I usually would.


Our brains are only capable of holding and processing so much information at one time, and when a large portion of your consciousness is being consumed with worry (or whatever), it can be easy to drop the ball in another area. Since we all have bad days- and we all have lives that we must maintain even in the midst of a tough time- I thought I might share a few tips to stay organized when you are otherwise pre-occupied.

#1) Write it down
Even if you aren't normally the type of person that needs to keep a Calendar or a To Do List, when your mind is elsewhere, you are bound to forget things. Keep important dates, appointments, and lists someplace where you (and your family) can see them often so that you are all reminded of upcoming events.

#2) Lower your standards...
Especially if you know the distraction to be temporary, give yourself permission to let go of some of your normal routines. Grabbing take-out instead of cooking, or forgoing the weekly tub scrubbing isn't going to hurt anyone or anything. If cheating a little bit gives you the room to breathe that you need- take it!

#3) But don't lower them too much
When I'm upset I don't want to do anything. But doing something is sometimes the only thing that makes me feel better. So even if you have to drag yourself up and force yourself through a task- you might find that once you've started, you can easily keep going. Start with something that you sort of enjoy (if exercise is part of your normal routine, go for a short walk outside), and then tack on a few things that you know you need to do at the end. Sometimes faking a smile will help you to find a real one, and I've found that scrubbing the heck out of something really dirty is a great way to relieve stress and let out anger.  

#4) Ask for help, offer help, or both
If people know that you are struggling with something, they are bound to say, "Let me know if you need anything," but if you don't feel like sharing your news or sharing your burden, you might find relief by offering help first. Offer to take the 1st shift in the carpool so that you are guaranteed a free pass later on. Or, host a sleepover for your daughter and her besties.When the favor is returned, use that time to catch up on the things you are behind on (even if one of those things is sleep). Offer to do something extra that you don't mind doing at all, and then get help with the tasks you dread (or physically can't do if health is an issue).

When we're in the midst of a crisis, major or mini, organizing can be the last thing on anyone's mind. But having control of your surroundings, during a time when you can't control much else, might provide just the mental relief you were looking for.

Simple Projects Gallery

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This is one of my favorite galleries- filled with all kinds of fun projects. I'm no Martha Stewart, or master carpenter, and I can't even sew, so this gallery is filled with truly simple things to do around the house to make a space more beautiful and functional. If you love Before/After shots- you're in the right place! There are plenty of ideas for every room of the house, and I have more projects in the works, so check back often for updates.

    1) Photo stack                                 2) Media disaster                        3) A place to craft




     1) Frame it up                                 2) Table cloth curtains               3) On the move


    1) DIY stencil art                                2) Melted crayon art                    3) Kids art display



    1) Home binder                             2) Jewelry tree                             3) Daily Journal



    1) Boys room                                2) Disney inspired                         3) Girls room



    1)Spruced up storage                      2)Toys!                                      3)Dress up display



     1)Guest bathroom                         2)Master bedroom                       3) Laundry room



    1) Decoupage table                      2)Mantle makeover                     3) DIY cookbook

Still Life

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I hope everyone had a great long weekend! I know that I am going to spend all day thinking that it's Monday, when really it's Tuesday...and it's already throwing me off.

As May comes to a close, I thought I would share with all of you the results of my no spend challenge. Earlier this month I challenged myself to not spend money on any "stuff" that wasn't already pre-determined to be an expense this month. That meant that I was allowed to buy the birthday gift that was on the list, but not also throw a new tank top for myself into the cart at Target and pretend it never happened. If we ran out of dish soap, I could buy more, but I needed to restrain myself against buying some new dish towels just because. So as this month comes to an end, I can say that I did a pretty good job of not spending money on junk- but I did buy a few things for myself that weren't technically on any list.

I had time to think about a few things this month related to my spending habits. The first thing is that I shop when I'm bored. I definitely noticed the itch to go out and "get stuff" when really I probably should have just taken the kids for a bike ride instead. (And so generally that's what I did. Yay for not shopping!)

But the second thing that this challenge helped me to come face to face with was the fact that I have no problem spending a few dollars on something that I don't really need, but I have so much trouble really putting down money for something that I really want. Case in point: art supplies.


This month I found an art class, I signed up to take it, I bought the necessary supplies, I paid for the class, and I am learning how to draw.  This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time but never given myself permission to do. When I talked to my husband about it he said, "I thought you were going to do that months ago," and he's right. But I just never felt like there was room in our budget to justify spending it on something like art. So in a way, this class came along at just the right time.

The art class has been great, I have learned so much in just 3 weeks. I already see myself looking at objects differently, noticing how the light hits them and where the shaddows fall. But more than that, it has allowed me to step outside of my comfort zone and TRY something that I have always just said, "Oh, I'm not good at that."

I feel fortunate that money did not have to stand in the way of it- but I think I also realized that I was using money as an excuse to put it off because I was scared of it. It felt good to dive right in, force myself to sit through the uncomfortable feeling that I get when I try something new, and just go for it.


So, next month, I don't know that I plan on putting myself on such a strict spending diet, but I am planning on continuing to be mindful about what I buy and why I'm buying it...or what I'm avoiding and why I'm avoiding it. I mean, I can't continue to deprive the world of these amazing still life sketches can I?

P.S. Please do not laugh at my 4th grade art skills.

Get Organized (There's an App for That)

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I sometimes think that you all should be writing this blog instead of just reading it. Why do I think this? Because of the genius ideas you leave in the comments section, that's why. I knew I liked all of you for a reason!

Between your suggestions here, and also on Facebook when I specifically asked for more suggestions, you guys pretty much wrote this post for me. Which is great, because when BlogHer sent me the Life Well Lived writing prompt for this week, I felt like I really needed some help. I've already spilled my beans and shared my systems, so I turned it over to the audience:

What resources do YOU use to keep your life more organized?

You guys totally pulled through for me.

Ok, the first one, it's just genius. I wish I could take credit for it in some way. I wish I had invented it, or at least stumbled upon it on my own. But I guess this time all that I can take credit for is having been great friends in high school with someone who uses it and was kind enough to mention it to me so that I can mention it to you.

Doodle.com

Instead of keeping track of 57 emails back and forth to pick a date and time for girls night out- you create a poll and let people vote on it. Simple. Amazing. I want to plan a party just to try it out.

The next two are great list sharing Apps. I personally do most of the shopping in our house, so I probably never would have discovered this on my own. But how often are you calling your hubby to ask him to get xyz on his way home from work? Or are you the type of partnership that splits up on the weekends? You go to Whole Foods while he goes to Trader Joe's because while each store in great in its own way, you can seldom get EVERYTHING that you need at either store.

Buy Me a Pie

This is an App designed for list sharing. You can create and manage multiple lists simultaneously- meaning that while you're at Whole Foods you could add stuff to his Trader Joe's list and it will update in real time while he's in the store.



Here's one I can totally relate to- the division of the never ending To Do List. Regardless of how your household divides duties, I'm sure there are moments when you feel like you do everything. And if you're married, I'm sure your spouse often feels the same way.

Do it Tomorrow

This is an App that a friend of mine mentioned on her blog, and it's a tool that her family uses to monitor of those items that fall into the gray area of whose "Job" it is to take care of. It helps her and her husband to keep track of who has done what, and reminds them both that the other one is working on plenty of things behind the scenes.



Organize!

This last tool was suggested to me by one of my fabulous readers. It's an app made by Laura from I'm an Organizing Junkie. Anyone who has read her blog knows that she knows her stuff, and I am kind of disappointed in myself for not knowing about this app sooner!


This app looks it would be great for keeping a running list of all of those cleaning/organizing tasks that you mean to do, but never quite get around to. And by picking 3 top tasks you can be sure to move through the list in no time.

Alright, that's it for me, but PLEASE keep sharing your tips and favorites in the comments and on facebook. I love to discover new things and then pretend that I came up with the ideas all on my own. :)

Also, don't forget to pop over to BlogHer to share your organizing tips and enter the current sweepstakes.