School

An interview with Kelly Herzberg, MEd, CSP (Kelly has a Masters Degree in Education and a Certified Specialization in Psychometry.)

We get many questions from parents about the various clinical tools used in the evaluation of autism spectrum disorder. In today’s blog, Seattle Children’s Autism Center psychometrist, Kelly Herzberg, gives us some answers. 

1. What is IQ? How is it defined?

IQ is the abbreviation for Intelligence Quotient. Intelligence Quotient is a score that is obtained from one of several standardized tests that have been created to evaluate human intelligence. These standardized tests are administered and scored in a consistent (standard) way by a specially trained provider. The tests help us learn what information a Read full post »

Communication deficit is a key feature of autism, and we see children who have communication strengths and challenges of all types. Some children benefit from the use of alternative/augmentative communication, known as AAC.  AAC includes any type of communication that is not speech in order to replace or supplement talking. Parents frequently and understandably have questions and concerns when a clinician starts talking about AAC for their child – it certainly is a new, different and unfamiliar way to communicate. Or is it? If you think about it, we all use AAC every day – we point, gesture, click on icons, text or email. This is all nonverbal communication! Not so unfamiliar after all. Read full post »

Last summer I was asked to speak at the annual fundraiser, Unspoken Angel Golf Invitational. At this event an announcement was made that Seattle Children’s was the recipient of a most generous gift and that Children’s would open and manage the new Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center in Bothell. As a parent of a teen who has but a few years left in the school system, the opening of a center focused on providing lifelong learning was exciting news.

Opened in January of this year, the center with a long name is also affectionately known as “The ABC”, “Alyssa’s Center” and the “Burnett Center”. Last week we had my daughter’s intake meeting there and once again, I found myself feeling very grateful to the people behind this life-changing opportunity.

Today, I share with you the words I had for them last summer. Read full post »

Last week we talked about some of the things parents reported as being not helpful. This week we thought it would be useful, given how many people our in our children’s lives, to have a way to share some of the most important information about them. Below is a template that might be helpful.

A Letter to My Child’s Provider….

(Today’s Date)

Dear (Doctor, Teacher, Therapist),

I’m writing to you because I know you are busy, work with many children, and don’t have time to read volumes of specific information about my child. And whether you are new to my child or have worked with (him/her) for years, I bet you will find in this note something you didn’t know! Read full post »

If you are a parent of a young child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), you may be juggling multiple services and interventions during the week (such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, social activities, applied behavioral analysis (ABA). You may be wondering how to gauge your child’s progress in these interventions. You may also be wondering how you will pare down these interventions once your child enters school. For instance, how much intervention is TOO much intervention? And how do I know which interventions are really making a difference and warrant continuing once my child enters school? Read full post »

My child just received a diagnosis of autism. How do I get support for him/ her at school?

The first step is to request a special education evaluation through public school. This request must be made in writing. The letter can be short and to the point, and should be delivered to the school principal or school psychologist. You can request this evaluation through the public schools even if your child is home-schooled or attends private school. Read full post »

If you are a parent or caregiver of a school-age child with autism, you already are an expert at special education. Much of your focus has likely been on reviewing annual goals and tracking your child’s progress over the course of a school year. But at some point, it will be important and necessary to start looking at your child’s special education programming through a slightly different lens. One that looks further into the future and begins to think about and formulate the plan for your child’s transition from high school to whatever comes next. Read full post »

An IEP, or Individualized Education Program, is a document that describes a student’s special education plan.  Every student who receives special education services has an IEP.  Like children with autism, no two IEPs are exactly the same.  The content of an IEP varies from child to child depending on his or her unique needs.  An IEP is intended to be a “living, breathing” document that changes as students make progress towards their goals and as their needs change.  Read full post »

The Washington State Department of Early Learning recently released new guidelines that are designed to provide direction for birth to three centers to better support children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Washington State. Importantly, the guidelines also include children who are suspected of having ASD not just those with a formal diagnosis. This is critical because many children have not been eligible for autism-specific services until they have a formal diagnosis and the wait list at specialty diagnostic clinics is often months long. These guidelines are a result of a collaborative effort by the Early Support for Infants and Toddlers at the Department of Early Learning and the Haring Center for Applied Research and Training in Education at the University of Washington. Read full post »

We recently connected with elementary school teacher, Chris Cooper, to get his perspective on teaching students with autism in a general education classroom.  Here’s what he had to say:

theautismblog: Can you tell us how you became so familiar with autism? 

Mr. Cooper: I am a fourth grade teacher in a general education class in Washington and I’ve had students with autism in my classroom. But 99.9% of what I know about autism comes from being a stepparent of a child with autism.  Read full post »