April 2, 2010 is World Autism Awareness Day.

You can share in this site what you have done to celebrate this day.

Below is a video message of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the occasion of World Autism Awareness Day 2010.

In the video on World Autism Awareness Day 2010:

“Autism is a complex disability with a wide range of manifestations. It can cause tremendous distress to sufferers and those who care for them…”

“People with disabilities have a double burden, they confront the daily challenges of their condition but they must also cope the negative attitude of society…”

I just wrote about Parenting a Child with Special Needs this morning.

To the parents, therapists, teachers, doctors and caregivers of children with autism, I salute you all for the hard work.

Being a parent is difficult but being a parent to a child with special needs could be even more difficult. I hope I do not give the wrong impressions here.

Parenting a child with special needs can at times of a cycle of daily struggles about food, routine, fears, anxieties, learning difficulties, change of setting, varying moods, behavior changes and dealing with more than stares from strangers.

On top of that are therapy schedules, school placement and almost unlimited financial obligations among other things.

Alternative career options are not even in the list of what to achieve with some of them. Sad but true.

I once discussed these things with a caregiver about a child, my student, that she is taking care of. She said the parents are so worried that among all three children,  this child with special needs has the heftiest life insurance quotes.

She further explained that the parents thought it would make them feel that at least, they have taken cared of the financial aspect in the future. This is the greatest worry that parents of children with special need have: WHAT HAPPENS TO MY CHILD WITH SPECIAL NEEDS WHEN I AM GONE?

As a special education teacher, my unsolicited advise would be to look for the best doctor and therapists who will work best with your child. As parents, you should also know and understand the condition of your child and always be there, as much as possible, to guide the child in the direction you and your team has set.

As parents, be on the lookout for tell-tale signs of your child being “off” the developmental milestones.

Remember that Early Intervention definitely works.

Fresh fruits are one of the best sources of nutrients.

A car with a fresh coat of paint here.

Summer is here in our country and the heat is really unbearable. Below are some fruits being sold in one of the big supermarket chains: watermelon, durian and papaya.

I am sure a lot of Filipinos working overseas would love to see these fruits in custom cardboard boxes their relatives send them

Don’t we just love watermelon shake?

Durian is a fruit from the southern part of the country. It has a pungent smell that is not for the uninitiated. I love the smell when it is made into candy bars though.

Papaya on the other hand is one versatile fruit that can be eaten raw or ripe, cooked or not.

Happy Saturday!

photohunt

In Minnesota, “schools have been experimenting about using a type of adjustable-height school desk, allowing pupils to stand while they work”  as written in this New York Times article entitled Students Stand Up When Called Upon, and When Not.

This is exactly what I meant by young children who should be allowed to move, whether they need to or not. Movement does not just mean having physical education or perhaps “music and movement.”

They need to learn about plants? Try going to the school yard and let them hold flowers, trees and plants (of course know if there are any students allergic to any of the plants there).

Studying about animal movements? Ask them to imitate how their favorite animals move: hop like a rabbit, crawl like a snake or (try to) fly like a bee.

Make playtime interactive by having them learn to follow verbal instructions.

These are just a few suggestions to perk them up, boost their social confidence, and help them through a learning by doing method.

They will be happier when they are given the chance to move purposely. And you, the teacher will be happy too that they are

In Minnesota, “schools have been experimenting about using a type of adjustable-height school desk, allowing pupils to stand while they work”  as written in this New York Times article entitled Students Stand Up When Called Upon, and When Not.

This is exactly what I meant by young children who should be allowed to move, whether they need to or not. Movement does not just mean having physical education or perhaps “music and movement.”

They need to learn about plants? Try going to the school yard and let them hold flowers, trees and plants (of course know if there are any students allergic to any of the plants there).

Studying about animal movements? Ask them to imitate how their favorite animals move: hop like a rabbit, crawl like a snake or (try to) fly like a bee.

Make playtime interactive by having them learn to follow verbal instructions.

These are just a few suggestions to perk them up, boost their social confidence, and help them through a learning by doing method.

They will be happier when they are given the chance to move purposely. And you, the teacher will be happy too that they are

People who are health conscious take note of physical tests that they can avail to be able to monitor how well they really are and if a cure can curtail whatever disease can be detected.

This is especially true to situations where illnesses can be detected early.

I have been reading about health issues lately and I found out that one of the leading forms of cancer is colorectal cancer. It is said that early detection improves the chance of survival and that there are different types of tests that can be administered to see early signs of the condition.

I wonder if colonix can help.

I also wonder if the different alternative colon cleansing methods help.

I also wonder if amoebiasis and coolon cancer has something that connects them. I hope not.