What’s new in the blog...
(Illustration 14117058Children Painting © Ewa Mazur | Dreamstime.com)
Children with developmental delays often need more time and practice to learn new skills. The same might happen when we teach them about colours. I often see parents and teachers asking children, “what is that colour?” and kids shrugging their shoulders as they are still not confident labelling...
Restricted Interests In Children With Autism.
Having restricted interest is a common characteristic of autism. Children with autism tend to focus in-depth on an issue or activity and have difficulties shifting their attention from the area of interest to something else.
This is often a problem in primary education, as in primary education, we aim to introduce children to a wide variety of...
How to organise preschool work for children with autism.
Children with autism benefit greatly from learning in a structured environment. Order and routine will be your best allies when teaching children with additional needs.
Most preschools have a set daily schedule and have well-organised equipment for children, particularly Montessori preschools. Other preschools are more free play...
How We Managed Lockdown With A Child With Autism.
It’s been ten long weeks since Ireland went into lockdown. Although the situation is far from over, seeing the number of cases of COVID-19 dropping and restrictions easing as our country gradually begins to reopen – gives us all a little hope.
Personally, our own family and friends have been keeping in touch, concerned about how are...
Super Simple Playdough Recipe.
This week I want to share a quick recipe to make homemade playdough. I use a super simple recipe, so you probably already have all the ingredients you need for it in the house. You can just make white playdough, or you can add some food colouring for a bit more fun.
I use this recipe with my pre-school students, so I get them listening, concentrating, talking...
First And Next Boards.
First and next boards are very simple schedules that we use to help children with autism. They can also be of benefit to any child or student who finds it difficult to transition from one activity to another.
The boards help to show what activity has to be done now, and what has to be done next. They are generally presented on a piece of A4 paper or card...
Cooking With Your Child.
Have you heard of Temple Grandin? She is an American autistic professor and an advocate for the rights of autistic people. I attended one of her talks in Dublin a few years back. At the talk, many parents asked her how many hours of early intervention our children should be receiving. Temple delivered straight, down to earth and practical answers that I found very...
Let's Talk About Love & Relationships.
With Valentine’s Day coming up, I would like to talk about love and relationships!
There is no question that having children has a big impact on any marriage. Having a child with special needs has an even bigger effect on every aspect of family life, from health to finances.
For my husband (aka Mr Angel) and me, parenting a child...
The Myth Of Educational Toys
During the early days of my career as a visiting teacher, I began to build my collection of toys from specialised catalogues. I was sure that I needed lots of these toys for my students with special needs. I really enjoyed browsing catalogues full of beautiful coloured educational and wooden toys with no tv characters on them!
When my sister had her first child, I...
