Therapeutic Autism Center | Valley Behavioral Health

ABA therapy & treatment for autism and related disabilities

Special Education & IEPs

Increase IEP Team Communication

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TIP OF THE DAY: Share or request videos from other IEP team members

  • A lot of parents and school teams struggle with communication – the pandemic has amplified that – especially those who are virtual learning

Are you struggling to communicate with the team? If you aren’t quite understanding…

  • An intervention or strategy being used
  • How a goal is being targeted
  • What a particular service look like

 A video can be a simple but powerful tool to get everyone on the team on the same page, communicate how your reaching your goal, and help families to feel more comfortable.

Videos can be shared between providers to help everyone be consistent and on the same page. They can also help parents understand how to help their child at home.

“I work with a lot of students who aren’t yet fluent with verbal communication – and when a child can’t tell their parents what happened throughout the day – it can create more worry on the parents part.”

  • Video can really help to bridge that gap and build trust between the parent and school team

Do you need help bringing your IEP team together? Click here for more information on how we can help your team come together.

Special Education During a Pandemic

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Many are struggling during this time to get student’s needs met. It has had a greater effect on children with special needs. Many of those who need the consistency, structure, and repeated practice the most are falling more behind. But this time has also allowed school teams and parents to be creative to get the best outcomes possible during a pandemic. Many teams are getting creative with technology, instructional techniques, and motivational strategies to get the most out of their learners. Do you need help in designing a more effective plan for your child or student?

Did you know we do IEP coaching? We support families and school teams in designing optimal education plans to best meet a child’s unique needs.

Two Essential Steps for Back-to-School

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2 ESSENTIAL STEPS TO GETTING BACK-TO-SCHOOL READY

Is it really time for back to school?! The transition from summer back into the school-year routine can be difficult for everyone…children and adults. There are two major stressors that every parent dreads – waking your child up and getting them ready to walk out the door. Here are 2 key steps to help your morning routine go smoothly.

1. Get your sleep and wake times back on track.
– Gradually move your bedtimes and wake times back to where they need to be. This may take some time and slowly moving your times earlier and earlier each day can help ease the transition.
– To see how many hours of sleep are ideal for your child’s age, see our sleep guide here.

2. Create a daily routine.
– Make a daily morning routine and after-school routine
– Many parents struggle with morning routines…every day is a struggle to get their kids ready for school and out the door. Start now to get everyone used to getting ready in the morning.

  • Write down the steps of your child’s morning routine.
  • Each day have them check off that they completed each step.
  • Reward them for completing their routine independently.
    • Ex: If your child completes her morning routine independently she can have 10 minutes of iPad time before school.