How to Stop Self-Injury: A Dangerous Practice

A lot people wonder why anyone would practice self-injury, knowing that it is a very painful and dangerous act. Nevertheless, with autistic children, self-injury takes place more. A lot of theories as to why this practice can be prevalent in autistic children, and there are some methods you can apply to reduce this distressing practice.

Due to the fact that autistic children are not able to communicate by means of language as others do, they easily get frustrated at not being understood or at not getting what they need or want. Thus, autistic children are liable to committing self-injury by attempting to bang their heads and if possible bite themselves (among other tactics), in order to output some of that frustration that him or her could not communicate through words.

Again, self-injury is a method of drawing attention. An autistic child's frustration goes hand-in-hand with wanting attention. A good example could be the act of him or her scratching him or her self until blood comes out. At this point the autistic child will quickly get someone's attention, and this person will do all that could be done in order to comprehend what the child needs at that moment.

Of recent, studies carried out have shown that self-injury can have a biochemical component that reduces some of the pains and frustration one feels by releasing endorphins, or "happy hormones," into one's system. The endorphins also provide a release for the autistic child, allowing him or her to for get about his or her pain and frustrations on a temporal base.

Secondly, there is also a belief that if someone practices self-injury enough, the endorphins will begin to help mask any pain that accompanies with such character and could lead to an addictive action.

However, some professionals in this field say that neglecting the autistic child's self-injurious character is an acceptable way of treating such practice; but it is very obvious that it is difficult to practice. Others are of the suggestion that communication therapy and drugs may be of great help to an autistic child by providing him or her with another method of communication. Other drugs that will help stem the addictive behavior of releasing endorphins into the system, and thus help stop such character.

Optionally, you can apply some other nutritional solutions such as vitamin B6 and calcium. These have played a great role in some families who have challenges with an autistic child.

Finally, to the family members, communication training is needed among you. You have to learn the way to communicate with an autistic child. the reason is that, normal adults, and even children and teenagers, are so accustomed to communicating through easily recognizable words or body language, they have to learn that communicating with an autistic child requires a completely different process. It is important to not that seeking for solutions for both the family and the autistic child involved in self-injurious behavior, will definitely help in overcoming such a distressing practice.

If you are looking for such solutions for both your family and an autistic child involved in self-injury, I will suggest you get this powerful guide kit HERE make sure you watch the VIDEO to the end and get it to you family members too.

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3 Ways to Use the 13 Disability Categories to Benefit Your Child With a Disability!

Are you the parent of a child with a disability that has been unable to convince special education personnel that your child needs special education services? Did you read my number 1 article; What are the 13 Categories of Disability for Special Education Eligibility, and wonder how you could use this information to benefit your child? This article is for you, because I will be discussing 3 ways for you as a parent to use the 13 disability categories, to benefit your child.

#1 Way: Bring the eligibility category list to your child's eligibility meeting. Use this list to advocate that your child's disability is one of the covered 13 disabilities in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004). For Example: Schools are reluctant to recognize Specific Learning Disabilities and provide correct remediation, so knowing the definition of Specific Learning Disability (Exhibits a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes-such as visual, motor language etc-which negatively affects a child's education) can help you advocate for this disability category. Once your child is identified as LD you can investigate what the research based method is to re-mediate your child's learning disability, and advocate for these services for your child.

#2 Way: Use the list to advocate for an appropriate disability category for your child. In order to determine appropriate services and remediation that a child needs, the child's disabilities must be appropriately determined.For Example: Many school personnel want to state that children with Autism actually should be categorized as Emotionally Disturbed (ED). While the disability category is not supposed to determine services, in reality it often does; and children with ED categories are often denied educational services. In this example use the definition of ED from my article "... an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors" to advocate that your child has other issues that are affecting their ability to learn, so therefore your child cannot be labeled Emotionally Disturbed. Many children with Autism have issues related to the Autism, Sensory Integration issues, expressive and receptive speech difficulties, and Learning Disabilities that may explain their difficulty with learning. This leaves out ED as a disability category, because the child has other issues that are causing the difficulty with learning.

#3 Way: Use the category list to educate yourself about the category of OHI: The child exhibits limited strength, alertness, due to chronic or acute health problems, including but not limited to asthma, ADD/ADHD, etc, which negatively affects your child's education.

Be careful about allowing your school district to use this category if your child has ADD or ADHD, and may have learning disabilities. Some school districts may be offering OHI as a compromise when parents believe that their child may have Learning Disabilities. The school district may then refuse to give the child educational services, that they may need. OHI is not a compromise for a specific learning disability category, in my opinion. Children with Learning Disabilities need appropriate remediation which can only be given if the child's Learning Disabilities are recognized by special education personnel.

By educating yourself about the 13 Disability categories you can increase your child's chance of being found eligible for special education services, and also increase their chances of being found eligible under the appropriate disability category. It will also increase your child's chances of receiving an appropriate education! Keep fighting for your child, they are depending on you.

JoAnn Collins is a successful special educational advocate for over 20 years and author of the book "Disability Deception; Lies Disability Educators Tell and How Parents Can Beat Them at Their Own Game!" The book is filled with truths about special education, for parents, and lots of easy to use advocacy tips. Check out her blog at: http://specialeducationspotlight.disabilitydeception.com/. For more information on the book and special education as well as testimonials on her book, please go to: http://www.disabilitydeception.com/. For questions or comments feel free to E mail me at: JoAnn@disabilitydeception.com.

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Parents of Special Needs Children Need to Advocate for Their Child's Rights

Children with special needs face unique and difficult challenges on a daily basis. Your child's rights are protected under federal and state laws. I recommend you get copies of all the federal, state and local laws that apply to special needs children. All children, but especially children with special needs, need advocacy. Remember, under the laws our children are afforded the right to a free and appropriate public education. Appropriate meaning you can not always put a child with a disability in a main stream classroom. With the state of the economy the school system is cutting back and getting services for your child keeps getting harder and harder. Special needs kids need an education plan tailored to them.

As parents, you must advocate for your child's rights in the public school system. There are several online sources the National Center for learning Disabilities website, it explains your child's rights. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA.gov) is a good source. On both websites you can learn more about the Individual with Disabilities Act (IDEA). You probably have more rights than you realize. The more information you have the more services you will b able to advocate for.

Adding further wood to the fire, special education law is extremely complicated and confusing. A lot of parents get discouraged by all the information out there but there are offices that can help you. Most counties have a disabilities services office. You should be able to find more information about your child's rights, workshops that you can go too. In some instants they can assign you a case worker to help you advocate for your child. You will hit a lot of roadblocks before you reach the right people to talk to. Keep asking questions and you will persevere.

It has been my own experience in advocating for my child that knowledge is power. If you don't know the laws and what your child is entitled to, how are you going to convince the public school system to pay for extra services? It is cheaper for them to tell you no, they have thousands of kids to worry about. Don't take no for an answer, make the school district show you why they can not provide a service. In the same aspect, you need to be able to show why your child needs a specific service. The only person that will be concerned about your child is you. The squeaky wheel gets the oil!

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Creative Kids and Learning Styles in the Classroom

Once you have discovered your child's learning styles and multiple intelligences, there is a good chance you will discover they are at odds with the way lessons are traditionally taught in the school system.  How can you go about making sure your child gets the best opportunities to learn? Here are some strategies:

Get To Know Your Child's teacher - This should be your first and most important step going forward. Teachers want their students to succeed but in most cases the deck is stacked against them. Standardized testing, rigid curriculum, cost cuts, large class sizes, and lack of support are all challenges that teachers face every day.

Getting to know your child's teacher gives you and your child an advantage. It lets the teacher know you are involved and concerned about your child. You can pass on valuable information - such as your child's different learning styles and issues they may be having that the teacher is not aware of.

Scheduling a face to face meeting with your child's new teacher each year should be a priority. Call and find a time that is good for them. Dropping in or trying to discuss your child at the end of a school day is usually frustrating and not successful as the teacher needs a clear head and schedule to absorb and address your concerns.

Come Prepared - Make the most of any meetings you have with teachers by being prepared. Create a list of the issues you want to address and have an idea of what outcomes you would like to see. It shows you are proactive and, if you offer solutions instead of just a whole bunch of problems, you are more likely to get what you want.

If your child is having difficulty in school because of their preferred learning style or multiple intelligence, look for solutions that are easy to implement in the classroom. See if there is any flexibility in how projects are done.

If your child is an auditory learner, see if they can do a presentation as opposed to a written report. If they are Kinesthetic see if they can get up and stretch from time to time. Incorporating stretching exercises, even for a few minutes at a time throughout the day, makes all students learn better. If your student is visual, practice good note taking skills at home and have kids write down any instructions they receive verbally. This will help them process the task at hand.

Offer Assistance - If there are any ways you can get involved, teachers are generally very grateful for the help. Does your child's class have parent helpers? Sign up!

See if there is any material the teacher needs that you (or a parent association, or community member) could help provide. There are lots of free resources out there that teachers don't have the time to track down. Many teachers operate on a tight budget, and any "extra" things such as art supplies or teaching aids that do cater to other learning styles are usually bought out of the teacher's own pocket. It gets expensive to be a good teacher.

If there is a skill you have that you can share that might benefit the students, see if you can come in and teach a lesson. If your child is Kinesthetic you could teach a quick lessons on exercises you can do while sitting in their seats (look up instructions for exercises to do while flying for ideas). This wold be great for students who have to be active while they are learning.

Find Out What You Can Do At Home - Ask your teacher for suggestions on ways you can help your child learn better at home. See if they can recommend any extra resources for you. It might take your child a little longer to finish their homework if you have to present it in a way that fits their learning style but it is worth it!

Sheena is an educator and author who is passionate about creativity. Her website "Growing Creative Kids" is full of ideas, resources and creative inspiration for parents, educators and care givers. http://growingcreativekids.com/

Sheena has two e-books available on her website at: http://growingcreativekids.com/shop

"Growing Creative Kids" a great resource providing you with the ideas, inspiration and and tools to cultivate a creative mind within your family.

"The Art of Money Getting - Adapted for the Modern Teen Money Getter" takes P.T Barnum's classic lessons and makes it relevant to today's teens.

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Learning Disabilities in Children

If your child has been diagnosed with a learning disability, he or she is not alone. Learning disabilities in children are common and can vary from mild to severe. If your child's disability was discovered in preschool years then you will have a better opportunity to grasp the idea and build on it in a positive way. However, if you didn't discover the disability until they were in school, it may take time to help your child.

There are many ways you can help your child at home once they have been diagnosed with a learning disability. First you need to learn how to recognize that your child may have a learning disability so you can get them the help they need. You may notice that some children have problems hearing information and others have problems with visual tasks. Some are nonverbal while others are verbal. Some disabilities may not come to surface until a child enters school. Look for problems that do not go away or that your child never learns to overcome.

When a child enrolls in school, they may be placed in a developmental class so they can receive the supplemental help they need. Activities at home may depend on the problem with your child. Children with disabilities improve when they have routines at home to help develop their basic skills and concepts. When a child has a routine that he or she completes every day this gives them a feeling of achievement and creates a more positive thought. For example, if your child can get up in the morning, pick out their own clothes, dress themselves, let the dog out to go to the bathroom, fix two pieces of toast for himself and his little brother and then get ready to catch the bus, this gives them a feeling of accomplishment before they even get to school. If your see that your child is struggling with routines, then shorten the routine so they don't feel so overwhelmed.

Meet with your child's teacher to form a support group. Your child's teacher has other children to work with as well so they can provide the instructional phase and you can provide support. When working together as a team there is no way that your child can fail. This also gives your child a sense of support and the ability to achieve almost anything.

Give your child as much love and support as possible. When something don't work, try something else. Show them that you are on their side and you can help them accomplish their goals. Have your child keep everything on paper so they can see their goals and chart their success. Re-evaluate your goals and plans often because your child needs to be able to reach some goals in order to feel encouraged to go on to the next goal.

Join support groups in your area if you can find one, if there is no support groups then consider starting one that covers learning disabilities in children. You would be surprised at how many parents are also struggling with the same learning disability or something similar.

For the latest videos and training information on child development as well as books and curricula please visit http://www.childdevelopmentmedia.com/

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Can I Self Educate My Special Education Level Child?

Is it possible to educate your special needs child at home without sending them to a special education class in school? Yes, many parents end up doing this, and use homeschooling as a method along with finding support groups online. You see they often disagree with school districts as to what is the appropriate education for their child, and some seek legal advice, and others forgo the concept of suing the local school district, and simply educate their own child.

Of course, it's a lot harder than it looks, and many professional psychologists for the mentally disabled and special education teachers don't recommend it. Indeed, I would say I don't either, but I can certainly understand a parent's need to make that choice on their own. Nevertheless, let's go ahead and discuss this for a moment if we will.

Now then, there was a very interesting article in our local paper; the Desert Sun which was titled "Program Lessons Kids' Isolation - One-On-One Time Helps Autistic Children, Learn And Make Friends" by Sherry Barkas published on May 9, 2010. The article stated; "talk to parents of children with special needs about their lives, and one sad word arises - isolated."

Consider if you will be number of increased cases of kids diagnosed within the autistic spectrum. Some insist that it is only recently that we've come to understand what autism is, and that there were always lots of Autistic cases. Others, are pretty sure it's not the case, that autism really is on the rise.

In many places such as in and around Silicon Valley, and states like New Jersey, the autistic rate is exceptionally high, and it puts a real stress on school districts, and school budgets, at a time, right now, when the schools need all the money they can get, and they need to be able to keep the money they have.

Now then, getting back to the article and the point I'd like to make, if you educate your special education level child at home, they will be missing out on what most psychologists, and other parents with special needs kids say is the biggest problem, the problem of isolation, and being alone. If these kids are going to a regular school within a special-needs class, they will be constantly interacting with other kids, and that is very positive for their mental development.

Indeed, I hope you will weigh all of the issues addressed in this article, and talk to a professional psychologist about the choices you might end up making, and the ramifications of those choices. Please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 23,500 articles by mid-day on June 23, 2011 is going to be difficult because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off.

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More About Special Education and Teaching

If you have been looking for a lifelong and rewarding career, you should conduct as much research as possible in order to decide on the right career path. If your interest is teaching, consider a career in the field of special education. Anyone who has considered becoming a special education teacher should know what to expect and what they will be up against.

When you are considering a career as a special educator, you might want to consider the disabilities of the children that you will be dealing with. There could be speech issues, emotional or behavioral problems, mental disabilities, autism, blindness, learning disabilities, mental retardation, and other mental or physical impairments. Some issues will require you to assist them physically, especially those with handicaps and limited mobility. They could have impairments that make them physically disruptive or you might need to help them with other physical restrictions, such as using a wheelchair. Some children might need more emotional assistance. Considering all of the above, being a special education teacher can be an exhausting job and demand a great deal of patience.

Each student has their own issues and challenges to deal with. It takes time to gain their confidence and trust as well as understanding their needs. You may be able to teach them some of them quickly. Conversely, it could take more time for others just to learn one thing. As a special education teacher, you typically won't be teaching traditional lessons and will not be teaching in a traditional class environment. You may be required to teach basic life skills, such as brushing teeth and combing hair. Again, hands-on lessons are usually more practical than theory and can be customized according to what the child needs. You will need to provide more one-on-one instruction with your students and there could be days when you feel like you can't reach any of your goals, while other days go better than anticipated.

Keep in mind that you might be dealing with the technological needs of the student. It could be devices that are designed to accommodate their special needs or items that the student needs in order to function including wheelchairs. The job is also considered stressful because of the heavy workload it carries and there are times that dealing with these students can be difficult and even upsetting. Many special education teachers feel overwhelmed yet they are extremely connected to their students.

The basic qualification of the Special Education teacher is their teaching certification. A lot of this depends on your state of residence and where you will be teaching. The educational certification or licenses are required by state law and will typically vary from one location to the next. There will also be a lot of paperwork such as progress reports, community liaison forms, curricular modifications as well as more contact with parents, caregivers, and even the person's physician.

Additionally, though the work is rewarding, the job is oftentimes stressful. It involves handling students who require special skills and having administrative duties and responsibilities. Patience is extremely important as is understanding, being helpful, and having a positive outlook on life. The primary goal of a special education teacher or mentor is to make a positive difference in their life and you should never lose your focus on that goal. You need to be a team player with a strong outgoing personality to work well in different surroundings and have a good rapport with the child's parents.

For the latest videos and training information on child development as well as books and curricula please visit http://www.childdevelopmentmedia.com/.

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