Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Enrolling a Teenager With Aspergers Syndrome at a Therapeutic School

Aspergers syndrome is a disability that affects how a person relates to other people. People who have Aspergers may talk a lot about their hobbies but have problems in getting messages across other people or giving them a chance to talk. They may also have problems in understanding other people's feelings or their body gestures. Overall, it can be said that people with Aspergers have impaired communication with other people.

Aspergers is also demonstrated when people like their habits to be stringently observed and organized. They like everything to be at the right schedule and can be seriously frustrated when it is done in the "wrong" manner. The results of Aspergers vary and can range from formalized behavior to aggressive and anti-social behavior.

Secondary school can be highly upsetting for students with Aspergers syndrome given the secondary school's routine. Transferring classrooms and meeting new classmates and teachers can be extremely stressful for someone who likes everything to be "in place" or unchanging. A person who has Aspergers can also extend a lot of effort when speaking with others. While other students have better interpersonal relationship as they get older, people with Aspergers may find it tricky to maintain friendships.

A thesis by Petra Dewrang, a psychologist, investigates individuals with Aspergers from children between 14 and 18 years old. The thesis, which was based on interviews, self-evaluations and tests, found out that people afflicted with Aspergers were as comfortable as the comparison group. Although both Aspergers and comparison group established good relationships with their family, the former seems to have a difficult time building relationships outside the family sphere. With this, a therapeutic school can help people afflicted with Aspergers syndrome to gain more interpersonal skills, which permit them to relate with other people.

Hence, specialty schools such as an Aspergers school can help students get used to the school environment without much trauma. These schools have individualized programs that serve the needs of a person who struggles with a specific difficulty. For example, people with Aspergers can work with groups, such as clubs, that permit them to polish their hobbies. Although they are fascinated about a specific subject and have a difficult time keeping up with other subjects, personalized programs can help these adolescents concentrate on subjects where they are performing poorly.

Adolescents dealing with Aspergers can also experience burnout in terms of school work. Thus, facing homework can be even more daunting when they do not have colleagues to share it with. Therapeutic schools can work out with teachers to modify schoolwork for these students without actually lowering coursework quality. A school counselor can also help these students in developing positive attitudes in dealing with their interpersonal difficulties.


Friday, February 17, 2012

A Therapeutic School for Troubled Youth

Most people agree that teenagers of this generation deal with more daily activities, entertainment, and worries compared to those in the past. With technological advancements at their behest, they enjoy many things their parents didn't. However, this wide range of choices and overwhelming stimuli also has an effect on them; their emotional and psychological aspects of growth are often compromised. Fortunately, research and developments on educational, medical, and clinical institutions help troubled teens find a shelter in boarding schools designed especially for them.

Boarding schools for struggling teens accept students with various forms and manifestations of developmental, educational, and psychological issues. They help those with autism spectrum disorders, adoption issues, anxiety, as well as oppositional, bipolar, and borderline personality disorders. Such boarding schools also deal with students with post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse issues, and depression, impulse control, and anger management problems. Those struggling with their academic, family, and communication aspects can also enroll in these schools.

Therapeutic schools for troubled teens have a variety of clinical services to handle different teen issues. They refer to modern treatment modalities to help each student have a higher functioning level, diminish symptoms and manifestations, and help them become productive family and community members. These modalities include behavior, group, and family therapy, each with its own features and advantages that suit a student's needs.

A multi-disciplinary team includes therapists, teachers, and psychiatrists who coordinate structured treatment programs for a student's specific needs and preferences. These experts assess a teen's capabilities and current levels of achievement using standardized tests used by licensed professionals in the industry. Aside from individual treatments, a school for troubled youth also employs group therapies that allow students to interact with fellow teens.

Schools for troubled teens also develop and provide programs for teens with clinical cases such as Asperger Syndrome. Their team of knowledgeable experts refers to the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV-TR) for the symptoms and criteria to determine if your child has the condition. A leading Aspergers school can effectively deal with your teen's needs while also allowing them to function normally at school

With today's teens' plethora of issues and problems, a therapeutic school where they can find help, healing, and happiness is the ideal place for learning, development, and growth. Such schools can help them become successful, positive people who know their self-worth and potential. A safe, balanced environment for growth with the right facilities, programs, and people can help teens become productive individuals.


Executive Education Strategy and Its Administrative Relevance

In the domain of management training and consultation, national education development for executives is accomplished by keeping strategic planning in the mind. Several agencies across the domains are engaged in planning and managing the development of education systems for executives more and more strategically. A number of reasons force organizations to put a straight focus on the implementation of executive education strategy in the best manner possible.

Organizations wish to plan all the educational activities and goals without necessarily achieving the expected outcomes of the strategies. During the strategy resolution process more resources are not applied for the betterment of the results. Experts believe that there is no hard fast rule that ensures a perfect mechanism to conduct strategic planning for executive education strategy. A number of typical management steps however involved to carry out the methods in the proper sequence.

* Education Strategy Analysis
* Strategy Planning
* Planning Implementation
* Strategy evaluation

The primary segment of executive education program is known as Strategy Analysis. The analysis phase conducts data collection on the basis of internal dynamics of the organization. During the sector analysis, experts take care of the entire executive strategy to address the major issues of the setup planet including the educational challenges of the movement. The question asked during the executive education strategy includes the various strategic goals that organizations work on to promote the executives in the best manner possible.

Executives usually want to plan and carry out all the training and education activities without looking across the ultimate goals and business results of the strategies. During the process, it's not necessary that more and more resources and utilities are put in action for the best results. These strategies are however formulated in strict accordance with the different levels of benefits and results. A balanced decision-making process across the strategy consultation helps decision makers to take better decisions on the topics like strategy evaluation, strategy planning, planning implementation and strategy analysis as well.

A strategy building process begins with the primary phase called Analysis. The process analyzes the current situation of a system moves ahead with the critical issues regarding status and functioning of the remedial options available in the organization. The strategy then seriously formulated and appraised on the basis of several important and core issues. This all depends on the overall providing policy orientations and associated mechanism.

When the system analysis is finished, future directions are made and traced to revamp the management decisions. Administrators can further proceed with planning the necessary actions to correct or improve the situation. Finally, operationalization of the education strategy takes place that work ahead with the necessary action reforms and institutional measure to sustain the actual start of the system.

Experts however believe that deliberate planning and subject management are important aspects that influence the feedback-providing operations. The operation usually collaborates three major parts during the process. These parts include monitoring, review and evaluation of the ongoing processes.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Helpful Hint by a Mother Who Knows How It Is

My goal for myself is to provide information to people involved in the special education community. My tip of the week idea may turn into tip of the day as I have 11 years of information to share!

I have been thinking about this for a very long time and where to start - so I chose to start at the beginning - and the first feeling I had when my son was diagnosed with autism. FEAR. Fear was the first emotion that I experienced, dealt with for years and have finally overcome. Fear of the unknown...

    the unknown of what autism is
    unknown of future
    unknown of medical testing, psychological testing, etc...
    unknown of efficacy of treatment and therapy
    unknown of psychologists, therapists, doctors, etc...
    unknown of what to do and what to do next
    unknown of child's rights
    unknown of laws

FEAR

    fear of my decisions
    fear of doctors advice
    fear of following my gut
    fear of not following professional advice
    fear of schools, teachers, administrators,advocates
    fear of financial effects on family
    fear of my decisions
    fear of SOMEONE SAYING NO

So now that I have experienced every one of these fears and unknowns, I can tell you that it wasn't easy - I guess that was why I was a size 2. Decision making and facing fear and the unknown does get easier and easier. You begin to trust yourself and to follow your gut.... Your gut is your best guide - you know your child the best. Maybe you don't have a PhD or an MD or an MS but you are either a mother or a father or a relative or teacher. Fear is a motivator and if you don't face fear and stare it down, you will go nowhere. FEAR is only a feeling - one that can be overcome like sadness, like being upset. These feelings often pass with time - and so will FEAR.

Don't be Afraid of FEAR - it is just another test in life - testing your courage - and even if you don't find the answer right away, you gain courage, education, self-esteem, contacts, and a reason to keep going. Don't let FEAR take away your rights and opportunities and that is exactly what it will do if you don't face it and act upon it. You may stumble, but that is human nature - get up and try again!

Winston Churchill once said "NEVER, never, never give up!"


Thursday, February 9, 2012

Touch Typing Tutor for Children With Special Needs

Learning to touch type can be a life changing skills for children with special needs. By learning this priceless skill these kids can improve other skills such as reading and spelling not to mention the vocabulary enhancement. The best way to teach special needs children to type is with a touch typing tutor.

There are many touch typing tutors out there aimed designed for kids with some sort of learning disability. The most popular type of learning disability these tutors are used for is Dyslexia. For years teachers across the land have used specially designed typing tutors to teach dyslexic children how to type.

But these programs have proven to be useful with other types of Special Needs including Dyspraxia / Development Co-ordination Disorder (DCD), Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, Semantic Pragmatic & other language disorders and Visual Impairment.

A typing program aimed for special needs children must add educational value and teach keyboard skills at the same. So such programs must include:

A focus on additional literacy benefits whilst teaching touch typing

    Grammar and punctuation lessons
    Written and Spoken instructions
    A simple and uncluttered presentation style
    Games (A bit of fun is always welcomed)
    Rewards (to keep children motivated)
    Short Lessons

Benefits for Dyslexic Children

Learning type can bring many benefits for children with dyslexia including reading, comprehension, focus and spelling not to mention the reduction in handwriting, often a challenging area for many dyslexics.

Benefits for Visually Impaired

For the majority of visually impaired children learning keyboard skills is the only way to use a computer, despite the great strides made in voice recognition software's the keyboard still the most practical way for someone with sight problems to control a computer.

Benefits for Children with ASD

ASD is the acronym for Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Autistic children have difficulties with producing written work and evidencing progress. Reason why the chosen typing tutor must have well structured lessons with a clear beginning and a clear ending as well as a reward system which is immediate.

Benefits for Semantic Pragmatic Children

Semantic Pragmatic Disorder or SPD causes complex communication problems that can be overcomed with touch typing because it will improve the process of written communication by greatly reducing the need for a linear thought process.