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Special Words for Special Needs ~ Transition to Adulthood-The Everything Book
Posted 1:52 AM, Apr. 2, 2007
My daughter and I have begun her ‘everything’ book. We recently finished the first two chapters entitled, “How to Wash Dishes” and “How to Bake and Cook.” These might not be real exciting titles but they are a big step for our daughter on her way to adulthood. You see our daughter wanted to start her own book so when, “I get a job and an apartment I will know how to do everything.” So the “Everything Book” was born. She wants to have a handy resource for some how-to’s she’ll need in the future.
It is scary for me to think of our daughter living on her own. But I realize that one day she will probably be living semi-independently in her own apartment. I will not always be there to provide prompts and advice. So we have taken this on as a long term mother/daughter project. We are starting out with an empty large three ring binder. As our daughter writes out chapters I type, format and print them on color cardstock paper. We then slip the cardstock into clear plastic protector sleeves. There will be chapters on How to Do Laundry, How to Clean the Bathroom, How to Plan Healthy Meals and many others! Our daughter can make it her own specialized book with her own personalized “How to’s.” This book project is more than just a ‘school project’ to show an evaluator at the end of academic year. It is a life project shared by a mother and daughter-A mother who is just standing in awe at how much of a young lady her daughter is becoming! Remember to Laugh! Janice Janice is the homeschool mother of two special needs children ages 16 and 15. Special Words for Special Needs ~ Transition to Adulthood-Step One "The Summer Job"
Posted 2:44 AM, Mar. 26, 2007
“Transition” is sometimes a scary word for those who have special needs children in public schools. Transition time means more IEP work and more folks ‘involved’ in a child’s education. It is a time to get the student ready to leave the ‘system’ and transition to adult life in society. It’s when the school district begins to get serious about training and life skills. School-to-work programs are sometimes implemented and life skills are stressed.
In our state the age of transition is 14. Our daughter is 16 and is ‘missing’ out on all the personality and ability testing and surveys. She doesn’t have an IEP in which the school district will contact workplaces and training facilities. As homeschoolers we are doing all of that ourselves. I admit that we are entering into waters that I never swam before. I also admit that it would be nice to have a ‘system’ to help. I am feeling nervous about the whole thing, so I guess transition is scary for homeschoolers, too.
You see our daughter wants a summer job to earn money to buy a scooter. She has opened a checking and a savings account so she can both ‘save up’ and ‘spend.’ She has a small recycling ‘business’ but it doesn’t make much money-Thus the need for ‘the summer job.’ Our son has a job, so why shouldn’t she?
But, she does have some mental challenges and some limitations…
I would appreciate any suggestions that readers would have to offer. I know that there are veterans who have been through this before. Please comment on your experiences that ‘worked’ and experiences that didn’t. As I said before this is all new to me. You can either post here or you may email me at mercy4all@mail.com.
Remember to laugh-because they grow up so fast!Janice is the homeschool mother of two special needs children. The family has been homeschooling for 10 years, but it feels like it was just yesterday when she opened that first box of 'school' books! Special Words for Special Needs ~ Sometimes a pat on the back feels real good!
Posted 2:28 AM, Mar. 19, 2007
This past week was a hectic one. The theme of the week was, "Playing cabbie for your social butterfly daughter." Almost every day saw us loading up the car and traveling off to another activity.
I remember times when our daughter was younger and I would cry myself to sleep wondering if she would ever have a type of 'normal life' like other kids. Would she have friends? Would she have hobbies? Would she be able to just hang out with others and have fun? I know that these things seem silly now, but then they seemed so far away. This past week our daughter had art lessons, Hapkido class, crafts class, she sang at a spring banquet; and she went to a St. Patrick's Day party. A week filled with friends, hobbies and hanging out. So much for my night time tears! Now for the pat on the back. I met a few of the folks from our school district's Special Education department when I took our daughter to the Saint Patrick's Day party. They had not seen our daughter since we had taken her out of school years ago, and they were impressed at "what a wonderful young lady" our daughter has become. One of the women told me that bringing our daughter home was the best thing we could have done for her! She complimented our daughter's social and reading skills. Both my daughter and I just beamed with pride. It felt real good, let me tell you! All those trying days when I thought that nothing was getting through, and the days when I actually thought we were going backward faded to nothing. Yes, there were nights I cried, and yes there were days when I felt like pulling my hair out. But that moment standing next to a 'wonderful young lady' in a shamrock and green crepe paper decorated hall was one of the best ever! What a great, tiring, blessed week we both had! Remember to laugh- Janice Janice is the homeschool mother to a 16 year old daughter with Down syndrome and a 15 year old son with ADHD. This is the family's 10th year of homeschooling! Special Words for Special Needs ~ Just When You think Youre the Only One
Posted 2:23 AM, Mar. 12, 2007
My kids think that I complain a lot. It hurts to admit it, but they are right. Patience is something that I have little or none of., (remember?) Some weeks when things don’t go as planned, or when we seem to be taking steps backward instead of forward, I can get real down. Then I can start taking it out on everyone in the house. Yes, that includes the dog and the cat!
About a week ago our homeschool was having one of those weeks…but I want to share a homeschool blog entry that I found that helped. Actually it was just the last sentence of one entry that I really needed at the moment: “As I've often said, ‘It's the hardest thing I've ever done - but oh, so worth it.’" One sentence….just one…but it let me know I wasn’t alone in this special needs homeschooling thing. That was the ending of a blog entry by Maggie McCormick. Maggie is the homeschooling mom of a child with “Aspergers Syndrome, ADHD and a multitude of learning disabilities.” She is an inspiration to me, let me tell ya! Her story started out much like ours-our son was enrolled in Kindergarten for about 6 weeks-until the teacher told us to remove him. I guess teaching ADHD children just wasn’t her gift! I can tell you all about what I have gleaned from Maggie, but I suggest that you head over to her blog at "Maggie McCormick" and read…and glean for yourself! This is it, short and sweet! No real stories for me to tell you this week. Just passing on a blessing that I have found! Remember to laugh-and share your blessings! Janice Special Words for Special Needs ~ Ode to the Driver's License Center
Posted 1:54 AM, Mar. 5, 2007
I spent some quality time with one of my children yesterday at the one of our state's Driver's License Centers. No, it wasn't Junior, he's only 15...I was with the Princess. You see she needed an ID card, and that is just something you have to get at the License Center.
We walked in and took our number and sat in one of those terribly uncomfortable state chairs and waited our turn. I had all the proper papers and necessary signatures. I was ready. So I thought. What I was not ready for was the influx of 16 year old 'children' who were coming in to take their written exam and /or their driver's exam. You see I was sitting with a 16 year old too. But my 16 year old will never be taking an exam in order to have the 'freedom to drive'. My 16 year old has Down syndrome. This was enough to get me all weepy. Some days I can handle 'stuff' better than others. Yesterday was a not-so-good-handling day. I kept my composure as best as I could, and we waited the half hour in the queue. Our number was called and we walked to the counter...... ...and things got better. I told the gentleman what we needed and he took our paperwork. From that point on I was out of the picture. He asked Princess all the necessary questions, and she signed all the papers. (Her highness even lied about her height. She has this 'thing' about saying she is 5'1"- NOT her true height 5'.) He then gave her her card and she got in the other queue to have her picture taken. Mom was definitely not needed. She was acting----just like---all those other 16 year olds in the room! She left with a state picture ID. I was one proud Mama. Some things are different-some stay the same. By the way, she needed the ID for identification purposes at the bank. We'll 'talk' about the opening a checking/savings account story another time. Do all Mothers go through this many tissues? Oh, and Junior makes the trip to the same building come August. He'll be one of those 16 year old 'children' taking their written test. Buy stock in Kleenex now! Remember to laugh-and drive on the right side of the road! Janice is the mother of two 'special' children who are growing up way too fast! Special Words for Special Needs ~ I Gave Up Going to Homeschool Conventions
Posted 1:31 AM, Feb. 28, 2007
I used to go to homeschooling conventions. At least, I went to the conventions that were close to our home. We really never have the cash to go to one of the 'biggies.' I often envied those who could go and hear all the great speakers, buy all the cool stuff, and get armfuls of catalogs and bags of freebies.
Even the small local meetings would be fun every now and then. But my problem was that I would want to come home and try all the new ideas, products and use those freebies. This would drive my kids insane! I was changing horses midstream and it just wasn't working. I would come home all psyched about a new method or idea and sometimes the flame wouldn't catch. It came to the point that the kids would dread conference/convention time. Mom would be coming home with something 'new' again. I think that I was searching for the next new thing that would be the next great breakthrough. This would really make homeschooling more-fun-easy-thrilling. My kids would be turned into geniuses overnight and things would all look a little bit brighter. Boy was I attending these meetings with the wrong attitude! I was very unsure of myself as a homeschool parent for many years. Those other homeschool families had it all together. Their children were smart; they obeyed, plus they all looked so cute when in their identical navy blue and white color scheme outfits. We would come limping into the conference, (due to a long car ride in a small car,) looking like...well, you know, like the homeschool horror family. Heavens, there were times when my son even (gasp!) SPIKED his hair! I would sit and listen to the speakers with my ears only half open. Listening for that magic bullet that would transform our homeschool into their (seemingly) well-ordered, mega scheduled, perfect grammared, home-university. It to a lot of years for me to arrive at the conclusion that this is not what our family is called to. We are called to be us-messy roomed at times-too many dishes in the sink'ed' at times-not getting every subject don'ed' at times-and definitely not perfectly grammar'ed'! I was comparing myself and my children to others. This is especially hard on 'special needs' kids and parents. Each family is different-and ours happened to be even more different! I had to come to the realization that God has gifted our family and others differently. I had to embrace that as a blessing and NOT as a shortcoming. To be truthful, I am still working on it. It is a daily walk and a struggle at times. Dependence on the grace and mercy of God and finding strength in the love of my husband and children is my only strength! I still read up on issues and I keep informed, but going to conventions is just not for me. I KNOW that homeschool conferences are a great place to find out about new products, network with other families, and get inspiration. BUT I tend to compare too much and as a part of my recovery I just don't go. Remember to laugh-and love the family God chose for you! Janice Janice is the homeschool mother of two and the wife of one who love her even though some of her flaws are really frustrating! She has been working at this blessing of homeschooling for 10 years. Special Words for Special Needs ~ Our Budding Artist or How to do a really good job disguising fine motor therapy!
Posted 1:14 AM, Feb. 26, 2007
The word “therapy” used to make people run and hide at our house. The daughter ran because she was the one ‘therapy-ized.’ The son ran because he always had to be dragged along. The mother ran because she would often sit and cry wondering if her child would ever ‘get’ the step/word/movement. The Father ran because he would get the bills. Yes, the word therapy caused quite a ruckus at our house.
Remember to laugh and break out those coloring books!As our daughter has become older she has needed less and less intervention. This is nice because in our school district, homeschoolers are not provided therapy. You must be enrolled in the district to qualify. When we chose to take our daughter out of school all the school district ‘goodies’ ended. We kept up with the therapies that we thought she really needed. One ‘therapy’ that we still keep up with at home is working with our daughter’s fine motor skills. When she was younger we would do the whole cut and paste, button/zipper/tying, and writing therapy thing. As she is getting older, our daughter is getting bored with the whole issue. A friend suggested art classes! Well, this past Monday our daughter started art lessons! Forty-five minute one-on-one sessions with a teacher who is wonderful. Why did it take us so long? Our daughter has a habit of gripping her pencil VERY tight and her writing is very small. Her hands and fingers would get sore after a very short time. All the exercises and showing of proper pencil holding position was of little help. But in an 'art class' where she was encouraged to make 'light' bubbles on the paper she was making big circles with a much lighter hand! It took 15 minutes and the word 'art.' It is also difficult for her to color in smaller spaces. Her teacher gave her a color by number challenge (full of small spaces,) and she took the challenge! Every space was filled correctly and inside the lines. No boredom in sight! She didn’t even mind getting a homework page to do everyday. So far she is right on track for getting all her work done for this coming Monday. Take a guess where many of the activities are from? Crayola! Their website has a teacher’s page and activities for special needs children. Does everybody know about this but me?! Here is one of her completed assignments:  Our daughter told her teacher she wants to learn how to draw animals, so that is going to be their first project to work on. She can't wait until Monday! It is such a blessing to see our daughter enjoy herself and trying something new! Plus, she won’t even know its therapy! Janice Janice is the mother to two great kids and one great husband. She'll soon be in the market for some fridge magnets to hold all that artwork! Special Words for Special Needs: ' Inclusion'
Posted 12:10 PM, Feb. 19, 2007
I have a friend who has a child with Down syndrome, (about the same age as our daughter,) who attends public school. This is the season for IEP’s (Individualized Education Plans, for those who are fortunate never to have endured one.) Meetings and testing-more meetings-more experts-it can be very hard on parents and the child. You are supposedly part of an educational team looking to the best interest of the child. But I can remember being more than a little intimidated as I sat in that windowless conference room with 7 other people with specialties and degrees. (Yet another reason I am so thankful to the Lord for the blessing of being able to homeschool our daughter!)
Related Tags: Special Needs Education, Inclusion, Homeschooling
Back to my friend. She is going through the IEP process and they are discussing inclusion settings for her daughter. My friend is confused. She doesn’t know if it will ‘work’ or not. She doesn’t want to deprive her daughter of the ‘advantages’ of inclusion, but she also doesn’t want to perhaps cause her daughter undo anxiety or pain. What is ‘inclusion’? “The act of including or the state of being included.” That says a lot, right? Lets look at ‘include’. Include: to take in as a part, element or member. What does inclusion in public school mean? Does it mean being in the same ‘room’ and doing the same work? Does it mean being in the same ‘room’ with ‘typical’ students but not doing the same work? Does the public school system consider inclusion a type of socialization? Is it giving the special needs student a better education? Will they really become a ‘part’ or a ‘member’? My friend asked me my opinion on the ‘whole inclusion thing’ and she wanted to know what to do. She does not see homeschooling as an option. She thinks that school is where her daughter needs to learn. My opinion is to take her out of school and bring her home. Include her in the daily life of the household, its chores, its responsibilities, its real life learning situations. Include her in trips to the grocery store, the bank, trips to that dry cleaner, the library. Give her a dayrunner and help her plan her own day and schedule. Let her be responsible for her activities. Include her in the life of the family instead of sending her somewhere else for nine hours a day. Include her in activities with local volunteer groups that expose her to the community that she will be living in one day. Take a few months and teach her the public transportation system! To me that is inclusion-to be a part of family, community and real life. I am NOT saying that there should not be inclusion options for special needs students in public schools. All children should be given the opportunity to learn the most they can in ‘the least restrictive environment'. But I feel that homeschooling a special needs child is the ultimate inclusion. Remember to laugh-and thank the Lord for the Blessing of homeschooling your children Janice Janice is the homeschool mother to two blessings, including a daughter with Down syndrome, (who has her own dayrunner and remembers her schedule better than her mother does her own!) Special Words for Special Needs ~ Curriculum Buying Time of Year!
Posted 1:17 AM, Feb. 13, 2007
It is that time of year when the homeschool Curriculum catalogs start appearing in our mailbox. All of those glossy full color catalogs look sooooo good! I just like to sit with all of my catalogs open around me and just dream of all of the goodies that I could buy if I just had the cash! Reality then sets in and most of the catalogs end up in file thirteen. Special Words for Special Needs ~ The Sick House
Posted 2:17 AM, Feb. 5, 2007
This has been one of those weeks! Our son had the cold/flu first, then the hubby, then the daughter and finally I sit here with a head thumping and a throat 'soring.' Yes, I know that isn't a word, but don't mess with me tonight- I am on cold meds!
JaniceIn the midst of all of the sickness in the house we did get some learning accomplished this week. That is one of the blessings of homeschooling! You can cuddle up under a blankie (still dressed in your jammies), with your box of tissues and your warm Beagle by your side and work on Math problems! Sorry, I didn't take pictures. Having a special needs child sometimes means more sickness. I really don't know how I would handle things of our daughter was in school. She does get sick a lot. I know that she would be racking up the sick days in the public school system. But as homeschoolers we can work around all of that. Our daughter can listen to or read books, watch a video or even do math problems from her bed-or the comfy couch! I don't have to have a note signed by two doctors and a pharmacist in order to administer meds during 'school hours.' I can just say, "You better take that medicine or you can't play Math Blaster after lunch!" We often schlep the school books along to doctor and specialists appointments, and we review flashcards while sitting in the pharmacy drive through. We have turned opthamologist appointments into field trips! We were given a tour of the entire office and their exam equipment. The kids even got to take apart (and put back together) one of those fake eyeballs with all the labeled parts! This past Friday was a "Math Free Sick Day" however. My daughter told me that she shouldn't have to do math because she had a cold with a stuffy nose. I asked why this made a difference, and she told me, "You can't do Math with a cold and a stuffy nose because your brain gets fuzzy." She was right! So a "Math Free Sick Day" was given. We played a board game instead. I love this homeschooling thing! Remember to laugh-every 4 hours with plenty of liquids! Janice is the homeschool Mom and nurse to one husband, two teenagers, and a cat and a dog who are taking advantage of all the extra lap time. She is feeling kind of 'fuzzy-brained', but she hopes to be feeling better pretty soon! Special Words for Special Needs ~ Joining Will on a ACOG rant
Posted 2:09 AM, Jan. 29, 2007
I realize that the 22nd of January was the March for Life, but I wrote my last article early. This isn't exactly about homeschooling Special Needs, but it is close to my heart. By now this article might be old news to you, but I am a bit slow on the uptake sometimes. Golly, What Did Jon Do? is an article written by George Will about the ACOG. Here is just a bit:
"As women age, their risk of having a Down syndrome baby increases. It has become standard practice for women older than 35 years old to be offered genetic counseling and diagnostic testing. But because of the higher fertility rates of women under 35, such women have 80 percent of Down syndrome babies. So new ACOG guidelines recommend that all pregnant women, regardless of age, be offered such counseling and testing. The ACOG guidelines are formally neutral concerning what decisions parents should make on the basis of the information offered. But what is antiseptically called "screening" for Down syndrome is, much more often than not, a search-and-destroy mission: At least 85 percent of pregnancies in which Down syndrome is diagnosed are ended by abortions." Many other blogs have written about this subject and the arguments can go back and forth. This tires me. Folks much smarter than I start the argument going and I just get lost in their dust. But there are a few things I know.-A 'fetus' is a baby...a human person -whether 'disabled' or not a person is a person. ( I agree with Horton...) -All life is sacred and valuable-a Gift from God There, that is my argument. Here is our story. When I was pregnant with my daughter almost 17 years ago. We had no health insurance. So we paid as we went along and had no extra testing. Everything went fine until the day before our daughter was delivered by emergency C Section. They couldn't find a heart beat...when they finally did it was very slow....so off to the hospital! Our daughter was born the next day. She was perfectly healthy! No heart problems. No digestive tract problems, all fingers and all toes present. Oh, and she had Down syndrome-Translocation 14/21. Sure it was a big deal for a while. Hubby went to the local library and got our every book on DS that he could find. We read and read. Sure, we talked to a few folks that the hospital social services threw our way, but we just read. We took our baby home and raised her. (As an aside, I was pregnant again 8 weeks after the C Section...don't ask! We were told to go for genetic counseling because our daughter's form of DS was hereditary. We did-no big deal. We just wanted to know, not to terminate the pregnancy! I had an amnio and we had blood tests...of course everything was fine-and even if it wasn't, that would have been fine, too. BTW, insurance kicked in the day after our daughter was born!) Let's leap ahead 16 years. Two kids. They both drive me nuts with their teenager attitudes! Both take Hapkido and are very good! Both can read, both hate Math, both can cook but can't clean up the kitchen after themselves. Both won first place at the Farm Show this past fall. I didn't raise our daughter any different. To be honest, it took her a bit longer to learn to read; money recognition is a bit of a challenge; her muscle tone is a bit low, so Hapkido can be difficult sometimes; and her diet is a bit different because she has Celiac Disease. Big Whoop! I am not saying that it has been smooth sailing. There have been a few bumps in the way. BUT she is a person, our daughter and valued soul to God. It is a shame that all parents who find out that their pre-born child might have Down Syndrome don't know that. Remember to laugh-and pray for others Janice Janice is the mother of two wonderful (if not a bit testy teenagers). Special needs-smecial needs! They both can get on her nerves, but she wouldn't change them for the world! Special Words for Special Needs ~ Another Special Ed Meeting
Posted 2:17 AM, Jan. 22, 2007
I attended a meeting at our local ARC this past Saturday. The subject of the meeting was the lawsuit in the state of Pennsylvania that gives Special Needs students access to full inclusion in public schools. (The Gaskin Agreement) It was a long ten year battle for the parents of Lydia Gaskin and other parents involved in the suit. The settlement is less than permanent. Today I learned that it is only good for 5 years. All the task forces and changes are only in effect for 5 years-Some settlement. I guess the compromise was better than nothing. The case could have gone on for another 5 years! It is a pity that such a fight has to be made for students to get their right to the best education available.
I sat there as the only homeschool parent, (as far as I know.) The room was full of para educators, special education teachers, regular ed teachers, school district administration and of course, parents. All discussing how to get the best education for their children. My what a lot of red tape to have to go through to have others educate your child! As a parent, I would be a member of the IEP team that would talk, test, meet, discuss, talk again, report....yada...yada...yada. I remember those days, you see, because I have had my share of IEP meetings and conferences. Updates and all those acronyms when talking about our daughter when she was in school! They grew so tiring-but they had to be done. That was part of the 'hoop system.' (I don't like hoops.) This past week we emphasized math and cooking skills at our house. We learned about beavers and prairie dogs. There was laundry to be folded, dinner to be cooked, bedrooms to be re-arranged. We learned map skills by designing a fire escape plan for getting out of our home in the event of a fire. (It just sounds like I have changed subjects entirely-there is a point coming, bear with me.) We made a trip to the grocery store and did mean planning. The recycling was sorted and put out with the garbage. We read books and had a fun time playing 'jumping monkeys.' That was our 'school' week. You'll notice the absence of acronyms and meetings. That is why our daughter is now homeschooled. Education is learning for life and there was very little hoop jumping needed this week to educate our daughter. I feel sorry that so many parents have to go through so much just to get the best education for their child. I also realize that not all parents of special needs children are called to, or are able to homeschool their child. I thank God that we are blessed to do so and I pray that all special needs children can get the proper education they deserve, at home or in school. Remember to laugh-and don't cheat at Jumping Monkeys! Janice Janice is the homeschool mom of two great kids who are each 'special' in their own way. Related Tags: Special Education, Homeschooling, Gaskin Agreement, Inclusion Special Words for Special Needs ~ Dynamics of One
Posted 2:07 AM, Jan. 15, 2007
Our son is through his second week of school and things are going well. He seems to be right where he needs to be in some subjects and ahead in others. Some of the socialization aspects of school are throwing him for a loop-like waiting in lines, doing things in a ‘herd’ (as I call it), and putting his name and the date on papers. He only forgot his glasses once and his blazer once. (For our son this is a miracle!) The ADHD doesn’t lend itself to organization. Every night we go over his work and make sure that everything is ready for the next day. Yes, things are working out well! The power of prayer wins again!
Things have changed on the homeschool front, as our daughter is now a single ‘homeschooled’ child. I am amazed at how things have changed. A change for the better is that I now can work one-on-one with her. That might sound a bit silly, since there only was one additional child being homeschooled before, but remember I don’t have that gift of bi-location. There were times when our daughter had to wait if I was working with her brother. Another change has been that schoolwork is getting done faster and there is more time in the day for ‘extras’ like hands on art, baking, and life skills. Yes, I think that you can call doing some household chores ‘school.’ Our daughter has become more of a lady of the house. Telling her brother that she took the time to clean something, so he should keep it nice! In addition to telling her brother what she has cleaned, our daughter also tells him what she has learned during her school day. She demonstrates science experiments, reviews math and reads excerpts of her literature book to him. She makes sure that he is kept up on her school news! (This has to be repeated again when Daddy gets home at supper, of course.) There is a sad difference, too. Alice misses her brother. She asks what John would be doing in school at different times during the day, and at what time he will be home. I think that she is a bit lonely with just Mom around. We’ll both have to get used to that. The dynamics are definitely different homeschooling only one. Remember to Laugh- Janice PS. I have a website for the book that I mentioned in last week's article. Down Syndrome Nutrition Janice is a homeschool mom to one special needs child at home, (who is a bit lonely,) and one who just survived his second week in school! We'll see about week three-midterms! Related Tags: Special Needs Homeschooling, ADHD, Homeschooling one Special Words for Special Needs ~ A Book "Find"
Posted 2:21 AM, Jan. 8, 2007
Our daughter had lots of doctor's appointments this past week and she has yet one more this week. She may need hearing aids, but her other health concerns are under control. Since health was on our minds this week, we started a unit on healthy living. One of the books that I use for our daughter is The Down Syndrome Nutrition Handbook: A Guide to Promoting Healthy Lifestyles by Joan E. Guthrie Medlen, R.D.,L.D. Don't let the long (boring) name fool you, it is a GREAT book!
As our daughter is getting older she is taking control of her diet. I can't be with her all the time, so I have to teach her to eat healthy. This might sound simple, but it isn't. Well meaning relatives offer her foods she shouldn't eat, and others don't know that she has some 'nutritional issues,' like Celiac Disease. Our daughter has to know what she can and can't eat, as well as portion control. The DSNH not only has information for me as a parent, but it has worksheets and teaching activities for our daughter to help her learn healthy eating habits and good fitness activities. Did I say that it is a GREAT book? We copy off the worksheets and post them on the fridge, so our daughter can track what she eats during the day to make sure that she has 'hit' at the necessary food groups and water intake goals. She even has her fitness goals for the week. The book covers nutritional information and needs from birth through adulthood. Section three is the one that we are working on right now: Teaching Healthy Choices to Encourage Healthy Lifestyles. It has everything from menu planning, to cooking and fitness. Did I say that this is a GREAT book? It's full of readable and understandable information for me and hands on learning for our daughter. That is a great combination if you ask me! Our daughter will be the one in control of her own cooking, fitness activities and health in a few years. This book will help me help her to make a smoother transition to become a more independent and healthy adult with Down Syndrome. By the way, did I say that this was a... OK enough! Remember to laugh and live healthy! Janice Janice is a homeschool mom to one special needs child at home and one who just survived his first week in school! God is good! Related Tags: Down Syndrome Health, Nutrition Education, Special Needs, Homeschool Lessons, Special Needs Fitness, Life Skills Education Special Words for Special Needs ~ and then there was one. Feeling like a Special Needs Homeschool Failure
Posted 12:17 PM, Jan. 1, 2007
First off, I want to wish everyone a Blessed and Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!. I am one of those folks who believes in a Christmas seaon, (At least until Epiphany,) so it is still Christmas at our house! Along with holiday festivities, we have had a lot going on around our house lately. Couple all that with computer problems and there was no column from me last Monday. One of the 'things' going on at our house over the past two weeks was making the descision to send out fifteen year old son to school. It seems to be the best solution for us at this time. He'll be going to a small, private school, so he will get the help he needs in certain subjects as well as guidance in transitioning to 'school life.' ...And I feel like a failure. I had dreams of homeschooling both of my children through their highschool years. Oh yes, the challenges would make it more difficult, but I could do it. Well ,reality hit this school year. Our children have grown widely apart academically. I used to be able to teach them together, and we could do many hands on activities together. But one child is working at a tenth grade level now, while the other works at a third grade level. Our son is not a very good independent learner, and his ADHD tendencies leave him with a need to be redirected often. Our daughter needs directed teaching for all subjects. My gift of bi-location hasn't surfaced yet, so it's impossible to work independently with both children and get all work done. Both children, (and Mom) were feeling the frustration of the situation. It was time to come up with a best possible solution. So after prayer, and long talks with family, friends and professionals, this coming Tuesday morning our son begins his brick and mortar school days. We, the parents, are nervous. Our son is nervous, and our daughter thinks that it is cool that her brother gets to ride a school bus! I can't help feeling like a failure. I know I shouldn't, but I do. Remember to laugh...even when you don't feel like it Janice Janice is the mother of two special needs children. This is her 10th year of homeschooling, but everyday is still a new adventure! She tries to keep that sense of humor going even in the rough times. 
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