SPECIAL NEEDS NJ
Is booking now for summer tutoring
Academics, Social Skills, Behavior Management, Executive Functioning SkillsABA etc….
Call (973) 534-3402 or email to specialneedsnj@hotmail.com
for intake interview
positive reinforcement
Pathways for Exceptional Children
A number of our students have been plugging in to the Pathways for Kids programs!!
Below is their mission statement.
Click here to go to their home page
Vision and Mission
Our Vision:
To create a future for children of all abilities where they are included, valued, and empowered to redefine the world.
Our Mission:
To encourage children of all abilities to find their passions, maximize their potential, and experience the empowerment that comes from diversity.
Values:
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The Importance of Community and Inclusion:
It is essential that children develop a sense of belonging and a strong foundation of value and self-worth. Pathways is devoted to helping communities gain the knowledge and understanding to appropriately include and embrace children of all abilities and provide experiences and opportunities for children with varying needs to grow, learn, and discover their passions together.
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All Children must be given every opportunity to realize their passions and maximize their giftedness:
Outcomes in learning and achieving success dramatically improve when children are allowed to realize their passions and maximize their giftedness. It is our goal to help children of all abilities find their own unique genius and to learn to cultivate that same potential in those around them.
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Children Teaching Children:
Pathways believes children need to realize the power of ONE to make a difference and has adopted the “children teaching children” or “peer to peer” model as one of the biggest priorities. Pathways considers the ideas and passions of children to be our most valuable resource. If a child is passionate about something and is willing to teach and share it with another child, the value given to both children is priceless. Children no matter what their ability need to be included with their peers and taught to work collaboratively to build, take ownership of, and lead the future they will inherit.
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Providing Intensive Early Intervention and a Continuum of Services:
Pathways believes all children should be given the opportunity to reach their maximum potential. Those at highest risk for exclusion and failure remain children with disabilities and other more vulnerable populations. The national employment rates for people with disabilities remain at a dismal 37%. This is the worst form of exclusion is the inability to work which then causes a complete dependency on government funding and others to live. Pathways is passionate about obtaining the long-term meaningful outcomes that will give these children a life of independence, the ability to pursue the work they love, and obtain a life of dignity and fulfillment.
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Creating a Spirit of Collaboration, Innovation, and Leadership:
Pathways actively seeks to build partnerships and to collaboratively invest in initiatives that are designed to produce positive and measurable outcomes aimed at helping all children to lead themselves and others toward success and redefining the world around them. We are particularly passionate about investing in programs and ideas initiated, owned, and led by children.
About “Include ME!”
The “Include ME!” program is the initial training Pathways provides to get you started with our programs in your area. It provides training for professionals, parents, students, and anyone else that wants to begin to develop a more inclusive world. “Include ME!” trains people not to just accept diversity or tolerate it but to become empowered by it! It begins by getting away from a consequence or legally based system like what we see in anti-bullying campaigns. There is nothing motivating about constantly threatening children by what they “can’t do” or the consequences of poor behavior and bullying. The program begins with “Include ME!” assemblies and/or workshops that inspire children with the steps they can take to become more inclusive. After the “Include ME!” assemblies, children volunteer to become mentors and go through the mentor training. Adults help to facilitate programs in areas that the mentors are passionate about and are designed to include children with special needs and others at high risk of being excluded. Once this is underway, the ONE to 1,000 program can begin. This program greatly expands the “Include ME!” program from the initial phase into a youth leadership model where children take genuine ownership and begin to run an entire array of programs from sports and recreation, academics, life skills, and employment training. To read more about “Include ME!” download the brochure below.
click here for the home page and more information on Pathways for Kids!
CARING FOR THE CAREGIVER:
Changing the course of your child’s life with special needs can be a very rewarding experience. You are making an enormous difference in his or her life. To make it happen, you need to take care of yourself. Take a moment to answer these questions: Where does your support and strength come from? How are you really doing? Do you need to cry? Complain? Scream? Would you like some help but don’t know who to ask?
“Remember that if you want to take the best possible care of your child, you must first take the best possible care of yourself.”
Parents often fail to evaluate their own sources of strength, coping skills, or emotional attitudes. You may be so busy meeting the needs of your child that you don’t allow yourself time to relax, cry, or simply think. You may wait until you are so exhausted or
stressed out that you can barely carry on before you consider your own needs. Reaching this point is bad for you and for your family.
You may feel that your child needs you right now, more than ever. Your all to familiar “to do” list may be what is driving you forward right now. Or, you may feel completely overwhelmed and not know where to start. There is no single way to cope. Each family is unique and deals with stressful situations differently. Getting your child started in treatment will help you feel better. Acknowledging the emotional impact of having a child with special needs, and taking care of yourself during this stressful period will help prepare you for the challenges ahead. Many disabilities are pervasive, multi-faceted disorder’s. They will not only change the way that you look at your child, they will change the way you look at the world. As some parents may tell you, you may be a better person for it. The love and hope that you have for your child is probably stronger than you realize.
Here are some tips from parents who have experienced what you are going through:
Get going. Getting your child started in treatment will help. There are many details you will be managing in an intensive treatment program, especially if it is based in your home. If you know your child is engaged in meaningful activities, you will be more able to focus on moving forward. It may also free up some of your time so you can educate yourself, advocate for your child, and take care of yourself so that you can keep going.
Ask for help. Asking for help can be very difficult, especially at first. Don’t hesitate to use whatever support is available to you. People around you may want to help, but may not know how. Is there someone who can take your other kids somewhere for an afternoon? Or cook dinner for your family one night so that you can spend the time learning: Can they pick up a few things for you at the store or fold a load of laundry? Can they let other people know you are going through a difficult time and could use a hand?
Talk to someone. Everyone needs someone to talk to. Let someone know what you are going through and how you feel. Someone who just listens can be a great source of strength. So many parents concentrate on the therapies their child needs and ignore or deny the fact that they made need therapy too! If you can’t get out of the house, use the phone to call a friend.
“At my support group I met a group of women who were juggling the same things I am. It felt so good not to feel like I was from another planet!”
Consider joining a support group. It may be helpful to listen or talk to people who have been or are going through a similar experience. Support groups can be great sources for information about what services are available in your area and who provides them. You may have to try more than one to find a group that feels right to you. You may find you aren’t a “support group kind of person.” For many parents in your situation, support groups provide valuable hope, comfort and encouragement.
Links to local Family Services coming soon
Try to take a break. If you can, allow yourself to take some time away, even if it is only a few minutes to take a walk. If it’s possible, getting out to a movie, going shopping, or visiting a friend can make a world of difference. If you feel guilty about taking a break, try to remind yourself that it will help you to be renewed for the things you need to do when you get back. Try to get some rest. If you are getting regular sleep, you will be better prepared to make good decisions, be more patient with your child and deal with the stress in your life.
Consider keeping a journal. Louise DeSalvo, in Writing as a Way of Healing, notes that studies have shown that “writing that describes traumatic events and our deepest thoughts and feelings about them is linked with improved immune function, improved emotional and physical health,” and positive behavioral changes. Some parents have found that journaling is a helpful tool for keeping track of their children’s progress, what’s working and what isn’t.
Be mindful of the time you spend on the Internet. The Internet will be one of the most important tools you have for learning what you need to know about the “special need/diagnosis,” and how to help your child.
Unfortunately, there is more information on the web than any of us have time to read in a lifetime. There may also be a lot of misinformation. Right now, while you are trying to make the most of every minute, keep an eye on the clock and frequently ask yourself these important questions:
• Is what I’m reading right now very likely to be relevant to my child?
• Is it new information?
• Is it helpful?
• Is it from a reliable source?
Sometimes, the time you spend on the Internet will be incredibly valuable. Other times, it may be better for you and your child if you use that time to take care of yourself.
Hire an advocate: Simply hiring an advocate can be immensely freeing; having someone else’s perspective, understanding, and on call expertise can eliminate insurmountable stress. Advocates are wonderful, well-educated, and very caring people. Their goal is to educate you the parent, the school, and the child to understand better exactly what is best for your child’s academic, social, behavioral, program needs while taking the burden off your hands..
Need help?
Want advice?
Call Special Needs NJ. LLP (973) 534-3402
or email: specialneedsnj@hotmail.com
Shared by http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/autism-your-family
Positive Reinforcement
Five Cents’ Worth of Positive Feedback
Remind yourself to give kids more of the approval they crave by putting five pennies
in your pocket or on the window sill each day.
Use Pennies to Remember to Praise
The more attention kids get for the good things they do, the more they want to
repeat the behavior. Psychological research demonstrates that positive feedback has
a huge impact on motivating behavioral change. Yet we can easily find ourselves
focusing instead on what kids do wrong. Commit yourself to giving your kid 5 pieces
of positive feedback every day for a week, and see the difference it makes.
Here’s a useful way to remind yourself.
Start each day with 5 pennies in your righthand pocket or on one side of the window
sill. Each time you praise your kid, move a penny to the lefthand pocket or the other
side of the sill. By the end of the days, all of the pennies should move to the other
side.
Remember that effective feedback describes the behavior, describes the situation
and states the effect.
For Easter praises, why not put some positive statements inside those hidden eggs?