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Association for Special Children & Families
Sunday Message October 11, 2020
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October is Learning Disabilities Month
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We trust that you are well and establishing routines that help you and your family create what's normal for you. We hope the information in this message gives you some guidance. Remember, we are here for you. Call 973-728-8744 or email ascfamily @hotmail.com
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 TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF Remember, if you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of others. Some tips for you from KHAN Academy
1. Make time for yourself
Right now, much of the personal time that was part of daily routines - commutes, time alone at home or at the store, social time with friends - is not available for folks with kids at home. Without it, we have to be intentional about creating space to recharge and decompress. This could look like taking a shower or bath, walking around the block alone (or with your dog), or designating time to read or simply zone out after the kids have gone to bed. 2.. Prioritize healthy choices The added stress and lack of structure we're all experiencing right now can make it easy to slip into habits that feel good in the moment but can be detrimental in the long term. "Make sure you're eating properly, try to get enough sleep (but not too much!), and create a routine that includes physical activity," recommends Jill Emanuele, PhD, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. This doesn't mean pressuring yourself to get into tip-top shape, or not eating ice cream or binging your favorite shows. It does mean being thoughtful and intentional about how you're treating yourself and your body. 3. Be realistic "Perfectionism and the coronavirus don't mix," says David Anderson, PhD, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. "It's time to be exceedingly realistic, both at work and as a parent." Avoid burnout by setting realistic expectations and giving yourself grace if you can't meet them. "Practice forgiveness and self-compassion," says Dr. Anderson. Parents should remind themselves that these are unprecedented times. "There's no playbook for this. Remember you're doing your best during a very difficult time. Cut yourself some slack." 4. Set boundaries Anxiety is rampant right now. With so much worry and uncertainty floating around it can be easy to absorb other people's fears and concerns without even realizing it. If you have a friend or family member who's in the habit of sending worst-case-scenario news or is prone to sending anxiety-provoking text messages, practice a little emotional distancing. Let them know you sympathize but that you're taking a break from worrying news, or simply hit the Do Not Disturb button. You can always reconnect when things are calmer. 5. Reconnect with things you enjoy Think proactively of things you can do with this enforced time at home. Get back in touch with hobbies or activities you enjoy but rarely have time for, or make the choice to learn a new skill. Maybe there's a knitting project you've always wanted to try, but you've been too busy. Or you've been meaning to learn how to needlepoint. Maybe you love jigsaw puzzles but with rushing between work and home and caring for kids, it's been years since you had the time to do one. If young children make solo activities unrealistic, seek out activities you can enjoy together, like baking bread, or making art.
Finally, remember, being kind to yourself will not only help you stay calm during this difficult time, it will help ensure that you have the bandwidth you need to take good care of your family. When you're running on fumes, caring for others can tax your already depleted resources to breaking point. But when you prioritize your needs, you're filling the tank, emotionally and physically, and that means you'll be in a position to offer comfort and care to others when they need it most. |
 PHP Parents Helping Parents webinar
Topic
Helping Students Improve Their Focus and Attention
Description
Join this lunchtime webinar featuring Dr. John Brentar, Ph.D. and Executive Director at Morrissey Compton Educational Center
Time
Oct 15, 2020 03:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1xMxprSxQZ-Ryo6KhZ7Mnw?timezone_id=America%2FNew_York
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Still Social Distancing? More Tips and Activities
By Adrienne DeWitt, M.A., CCC-SLP
But as social distancing and self-isolation policies have lasted from weeks into months, here are some extra ideas:
Create your own classroom! As time goes on, it may become harder and harder to convince your children to attend to their academic activities. Spice things up and make a classroom with a classic pillow fort! Have your children help you construct the classroom with blankets, pillows, and Christmas lights; you can even make it under a table! Add a hard surface to work on and a dry erase board if one is available. Only students who are studying are allowed in the classroom. This will give your children an incentive to keep up their learning! For young children, use songs to transition to different activities during the day. There is a reason why "The Clean Up Song" has been wildly successful over many years. Day care, preschool, and elementary school classrooms use this fun technique to signify a change from one activity to another. Make sure to incorporate a visual schedule. If you use songs and schedules consistently, your children will move along to the next activity without prompting. Use a song from an internet video or make up your own. A singing background is not required! The days can blend together, so make the weekend special. This will separate the days for learning/work from the days for relaxing together; it helps everyone stick to a schedule. Kick off the weekend by supporting local business and getting take-out. Maybe you can have a Friday movie night or a dance party. Creativity is key as the days roll on. Make sure to incorporate lighter content in your media consumption. As it goes, laughter is the best medicine, so make sure to watch funny movies, read funny books, and subscribe to comedy podcasts. From SuperDuper Handy Handouts By Adrienne DeWitt, M.A., CCC-SL
www.handyhandouts.com * © 2020 Super Duper® * www.superduperinc.com * © 2020 Dreamstime.com
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 SRP Virtual Training Series Fall 2020Become a SPAN Resource Parent and volunteer your time to help families! The SRP Program is an intensive training program designed to educate volunteers to assist parents of children with disabilities and special health needs in understanding their rights and responsibilities under federal and state laws. Participants will learn strategies to access appropriate educational and related services for children and youth. Attendees, both parents and professionals, are provided with extensive training and ongoing support to help them understand the dynamics of the systems that serve children and families. Zoom sessions are held weekly: Tuesdays | 10:00 - 11:15 am | beginning 10/13/20 Additional details will be provided with registration confirmation. This training is free if you volunteer 30 hours helping families for SPAN or ASCF.
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SPAN YOUTH CHAT FOR AGES 13 & UP
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Join their weekly discussions! This is your chance to help create a community of youth supporting youth. Each session will begin with information sharing followed by small group conversations related to the topic of the week.
Te Invitamos a participar en nuestro discusiones semanales! Esta es su oportunidad de ayudar a crear una comunidad de jóvenes que apoyan a los jóvenes. Cada sesión comenzará con el intercambio de información seguido de conversaciones en grupos pequeños relacionadas con el tema de la semana.
Weekly 30-minute chats on Wednesdays 3:00-3:30pm
Groups based on age groups: Ages 13-15,16-18,19-21, 22-24,25-26
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Follow your kids' curiosity - they will learn something new
Let's face it, schools are working hard to continue learning at home, but it's not going to be the same. And that's okay. Don't try to replicate what happens in the classroom. Take this opportunity to nurture your kid's curiosity. Psychologists view curiosity as a life force, vital to happiness, intellectual growth and wellbeing. It's been described as wind kids can harness to take them far toward discovering their identity and purpose. It is satisfied when questions are answered. When we enable our kids to ask questions they get better at learning. It becomes a virtuous cycle. Everything a kid learns makes it easier to learn more because of what they already know. So knowledge builds on knowledge.
Now's the perfect time to encourage curiosity. Try Expose, Explore, Pursue. Expose your kid to new experiences. If you're taking a walk outside and your kid decides to collect bugs, grab a few. Then ask them, what do you want to know about these bugs? Make a list of the things they're curious about. Now Explore the answers. Add a curiosity question to your morning goal setting by asking, what are you curious about today? And then your kid can put ways to Pursue that curiosity into the day's activities. Will they do research online or try a real world learning moment?
Model curiosity with your own questions
What are you curious about? When we genuinely seek an answer to a question together, we get to demonstrate to our kid how to collaborate. It also opens up a conversation about what we value and how we make sense of the world; but most important, our kid gets to see us as learners ourselves.
Take a prompt from what's currently happening with questions like these
- How is social distancing impacting the environment and the economy?
- Is there more or less crime as a result of shutting down cities?
- What is the most popular food right now?
Create an environment that encourages curiosity
Pull out old family pictures and answer your kid's questions about relatives and ancestors. Are they curious about where the family originated - the customs, language and culture?
Send them to the attic or basement to go exploring.
If nothing seems to prime curiosity, redirect them
Ask a question like, "I notice you enjoy building with Legos, did you ever wonder how Legos are made?"
Enable them to get curious with friends through social media
Kids can use social media to get curious together and explore a topic of mutual interest.
PUBLISHED: AUGUST 30, 2020
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Join this group which meets every Thursday (except holidays) from 6-7 pm to discuss the joys and challenges of raising a child or children with emotional, behavioral, mental health challenges and/or special needs. Meet other moms in the community experiencing similar scenarios, learn about the services available to you and build a support network! Must register by calling Diane Varga at Family Partners of Morris & Sussex Counties 862-273-5046
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 Celebrate Learnings Disabilities Month
Webinars
Oct 14, 1 PM EST: Trauma Informed Care in the Time of COVID
In the last several years there has been growing acknowledgement among professionals across several disciplines that childhood
trauma and stress can significantly affect not only many aspects of child development, but can also impact adult medical and mental health.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing subsequent trauma and stress in children and teens has become even more important. We will discuss the the behavioral, emotional, and educational implications for children and families who have been exposed to significant stressors and what the schools and institutions that serve them can do to become trauma-informed and support student resilience.
Register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hzy347i5SuauOang_zD5sg
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 Oct 21, 12:pm EST What is Environmental Racism?
The chemical and energy industries - and their waste, pollution, and health hazards - disproportionately target and impact communities of color, Indigenous, and low-income communities. Learn about environmental racism, what life is like for people in these communities, and how we can all fight for healthy, toxic-free communities for all
Register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_03gLlC7iT8CsEftfzHM3bg
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 Webinar by SPAN
Q&A session about navigating the special education landscape
October 26, 2020 -1:00 pm-2:15 pm ET
As students head back to school, either in person or online, there are often questions about parental rights under the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). With a global pandemic disrupting every part of our education system, there is additional confusion and concern about how COVID-19 is impacting students with disabilities. We've identified pressing questions parents asked about how to navigate this new normal, and will have them answered by an expert attorney in the field. Topics to be covered will include: compensatory education, procedural safeguards, the waiver of rights, and keeping the "I" in IEP. Please join us for an interactive Q&A session about navigating the special education landscape during COVID-19.
This webinar features Diana Autin, Esq. Co-Director of the SPAN Parent Advocacy Network.
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NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome and Associated Disorders presents
 Pet Therapy, Support Animals and Mental HealthOctober 14, 2020
Presented by Tricia Baker
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A.I.R (Attitudes in Reverse) is an organization whose mission is this: Educate about mental health disorders, to prevent suicides, but just as important is to educate so that no one is misjudged or criticized because they have a biological-based brain illness. All people, no matter what their differences, should be treated with respect and kindness.
Miki, AIR Co-Founder Tricia Baker's Service Dog, has accompanied the Bakers to every community event where the family exhibited to Start THE Conversation, Reverse Attitudes and Save Lives. It immediately became apparent that Miki broke down barriers to communication about the sensitive topics of mental health disorders and suicide.
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RESOURCE
Khan Academy is a free resource for students, teachers, and parents. We offer exercises, quizzes, and tests so students can practice and master skills and instructional videos to help students learn or review material.
- Khan Academy has a library of standards-aligned lessons covering kindergarten through early college math, grammar, science, history, AP® courses, SAT® preparation, and more.
- Students can practice skills with exercises, quizzes, and mastery challenges and get immediate feedback and support.
- Khan Academy is available in more than 40 languages.
- Students without laptops can access the Khan Academy website or use the Khan Academy app on smartphones
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https://keeplearning.khanacademy.org/#parents-section
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Disclaimer: The Association for Special Children and Families does not provide or give Legal or Medical advice. ASCF does not endorse or recommend any one specific diagnostic or therapeutic regime, organization, opinion or methodology mentioned in this newsletter. We are not responsible for the content or information on any website given and do not endorse or recommend the views expressed as we have no control over the nature and content of those sites.
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Contact Information
Assn. for Special Children & Families
POB 494, Hewitt, NJ 07421
973-728-8744
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