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Supporting Autistic Adults: Am I College Ready?
Am I college ready? Such a question drew the attention of high school senior students in college readiness sessions at AHRC New York City’s Middle/High School. College readiness encompasses academic, social, and emotional learning support for students with autism and intellectual disabilities to...
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Supporting Students’ Self-Regulation Needs: An Occupational Therapy Perspective
Self-Regulation is an individual’s ability to process and manage behavioral and emotional reactions to what is happening in their immediate environment. Throughout the day, a child’s nervous system is constantly attempting to process the sensory components of opportunities presented to them....
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Setting Students Up for Success: Balancing Sensory Needs in the Classroom
Sensory considerations play a key role in developing a classroom environment conducive to learning. When classrooms are arranged with sensory needs in mind, teachers will often see increased levels of social participation and task engagement. Some students face challenges finding their voice in a...
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Advocating for Sensory-Inclusive Education: IEPs, Classrooms, and Schools
There are many lists and suggestions for sensory-inclusive education for autistic students. Gaining a sense of your student’s unique sensory profile – what causes distress or helps them stay regulated – is important. They may be impacted differently at school than at home. How can a caregiver...
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Supporting Sensory Diversity: Building Inclusive Classrooms
Traditional classrooms were initially designed in the early 1900s, and some school districts have retained a similar structure. These settings typically involve large groups of children seated, remaining stationary, and primarily learning through listening and reading. Traditional classrooms...
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The Role of Sensory-Focused Education in Inclusive Classrooms
In inclusive classrooms, all student learners have strategies, techniques, support, respect, and a welcoming environment to promote academic success (Webster, 2014). Inclusive classrooms require the integration of differentiated instruction tailored to the unique academic, mental, and physical...
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Supporting Families to Prepare Students to Be Participating Members of Their Community
For over five decades, I’ve had the privilege of serving students with autism and developmental disabilities and their families. I’ve been employed as a teacher, administrator, professor, consultant, and advocate in public, private, nonprofit, and for-profit settings, working in preschools,...
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Supporting Young Adults: Transitioning to Post-Secondary Educational Opportunities
This fall, I dropped my oldest child off for his junior year of college. For our family, this is always a time of excitement, but also one of trepidation. The transition from high school to higher education, from childhood to adulthood, is full of new and evolving challenges. Those challenges are...
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A Mother’s Journey Advocating for Her Child’s Autism Diagnosis and What Fellow Educators Can Learn
As a registered occupational therapist (OTR) and Director of Portfolio Management and Delivery at Pearson Clinical Assessment, I have extensive experience working with students who have been diagnosed with a variety of conditions. And as a mom of an autistic daughter, I understand on a personal...
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The Importance of Residential School-Based Family Support
Providing school-age support for families and caregivers with an autistic child varies based on the school program the student is enrolled in. It is imperative that alongside the programming and support autistic students receive, parents receive similar services. This includes but is not limited...
