3 Tips for Navigating The School System As A Parent Of A Child With Disabilities
“Are they getting the support they need?” “Does their teacher understand them?” “Will they learn the skills they need to be independent?” “Are they making any progress?” “Do they feel accepted and included?”
These are the questions that live in the brains of all parents, but especially so with parents of children with disabilities. If you are a parent of a school-aged child with a disability, chances are you have experience coordinating support for your child at school. Whether that looks like regular check-in’s with their teacher, meetings with a principal, or coordinating with special education teams - it can often feel overwhelming.
Here’s the good news - as a parent, YOU have so much power in supporting your child’s education. There are many resources (maybe more than you even realize), and sometimes it just takes a little nudge in the right direction to start feeling empowered. Here are 3 tips to a positive and proactive relationship between you and your child’s education team:
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Are You Actually a “Good Enough Mother?"
This blog is not one to shame you for not picking up that last crayon or for feeding your child fast food because you just were too exhausted to cook. This IS a blog that will teach you the power of recognizing when your efforts, your essence, you as a human being--are enough.
“Good Enough Mother” – termed by Donald Winnicott, a British Psychoanalyst and Pediatrician (1953)
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Decoding the Therapy Acronyms: “C-B-T, Easy as 1-2-3!”
Do you ever find yourself stressed because you have a big assignment due and virtually no time to do it? Then, when you finally have a moment to open up a blank word document to start working, all you see is a white page and a blinking cursor, and suddenly you have no idea what to type. You don’t know where to begin or what to write because your mind is just too overwhelmed.
This scenario, along with many others, creates an entryway for the use of CBT. But before we go any further, you may be wondering, “What exactly is CBT? And, how do I know if it will help me?” Not to worry! CBT is easy to understand once it’s broken down. In fact, once you finish reading this blog, you will understand if CBT is right for you!
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5 Relaxation Strategies Besides Deep Breathing
Have you ever found yourself in a puddle of anxiety on the floor and thinking to yourself “just breathe…?” Or maybe you’re like Dory from Finding Nemo saying, “Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing…” only to be overcome with that same anxious feeling?
Don’t get me wrong, deep breathing is great! But, there are so many other techniques that can be used to help calm your body down during times of stress.
By the end of this blog, you will have 5 new strategies to help you find your inner calm!
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9 Ways to Navigate the Never-ending “NOs”
One of the reasons the “Terrible Twos” is so “terrible” is due to the dreaded and never-ending use of “NO!”
How can you survive this stage without pulling your hair out, having your own private temper tantrums, or wishing for a magical nanny with a wand to fly in and fix the out-of-control emotions?
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Clinical Diagnosis or Special Education Disability | How To Understand the Difference
Let’s start with a scenario to set the scene…Your child has just been diagnosed with ADHD by a clinical psychologist. You take that information to their school to start the process of setting up special education services and one of two situations will likely unfold…
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