With university admissions tests in full swing, my students are in the thick of preparing themselves to take these tests and pass them. College admission tests preparation, like gmat prep, are scheduled way before the test dates are given.

I’m sure candidates for high school graduation like them and their parents (and their teachers too) are likewise experiencing these things: the anxiety, excitement, and asking the “what-if” questions. This is definitely the stage where they are given time to ponder the choices they have to make, not that they won’t be able to change these choices along the way.

Expectations are high but realistic goals should also be set. Plans A, B, C, D and even E should be well thought of. Should dreaming big take precedence over dreaming small or vice versa?

Should one say “Do your best but expect the worst?” How would the students with learning issues cope IF they get letters from the schools of their choice that bear bad news?

That I have to see and help deal with once the results are in. For now, all I want to do is encourage them to give their best shot.

Children with learning-related problems who do not have formal lessons given to them regarding reading and other skills needed for academic-related tasks, often forget what they have learned.

I used to have a student who goes “on leave” from our sessions during summer. He and his family usually go abroad during the third week of April and come back after a month. What follows that month-long respite from individualized instructions are some more out of town trips with their company’s employees.

And when he comes back, he tends to misspell his own name. Worse, we have to re-learn what we have already accomplished especially in our Practical Reading drills.

Reading drills don’t have to be as toxic as a get-a-book-sit-down-and-read kind of thing. There are so much to read, just look around and you will see what I mean.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Road signs, township signs, and maps during road trips
• Food Menu in restaurants
• Magazine subscriptions
• Newspaper clips
• Food labels
• Written instructions for games to be played
• For online interactive games, turn off the audio and read the instructions aloud instead
• Keep a diary to keep tab of all the exciting summer fun activities and write about these happenings

The possibilities are endless.

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.

Nonverbal learning disability is one of the types of learning disability that is lesser known, not unlike the other categories such as dyslexia and disgraphia or even dyscalculia

What are the common characteristics of a person with Nonverbal Learning Disorder?

• performance IQ significantly lower than verbal IQ
• early speech and vocabulary development
• remarkable rote memory skills
• attention to detail
• early reading skills development, excellent spelling skills
• expresses himself eloquently
• lack of coordination
• severe balance problem
• difficulties with fine motor skills
• lack of image, poor visual recall
• faulty spatial perceptions
• difficulties with spatial relations
• lack of ability to comprehend nonverbal communication
• difficulties adjusting to transitions and new situations
• significant deficits in social judgment and interaction

These characteristics were from the book “The Source for Nonverbal Learning Disorders” formerly titled Shouldn’t Have to Tell You by Sue Thompson from LinguiSystems, Inc

To read more about NVLD, click here

Special needs parents? Whatever happened to children with special needs? Who are these people?

I am so happy to brag write about this. Woohoo!
Click here to read my article posted at FilipinoMomBlog.

Parents expect a lot when they have their children go into therapy, whether it is occupational therapy or speech and/or language therapy and physical therapy.

Of course, they expect a lot because they pay a lot of money to be able to get these services for their children.

Here in the Philippines, parents/families of children receiving therapy services pay for these services, unlike those children in other countries who get these as part of their tax benefits.

Getting into these therapy services don’t mean instant relief and instant improvement of the developmental and behavioral problems that need to be addressed.

So what should parents expect during the first few weeks of therapy?

Below are a few observations I have made during the course of working with these therapists:

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