Resources
Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Disability Areas
Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
Information on SLD
Tools to help students with SLD
- Audio Books: Learning Ally
- Assistive Technology:
- OpenDyslexic - open sourced font to increase readability for students with dyslexia
- Google Chrome and extensions to support the needs of students with Learning Disabilitites
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
PARENT RESOURCES
Websites
-
Child Mind Institute www.childmind.org
- ADDITUDE www.additudemag.com
- Children and Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD): www.chadd.org
- Executive Function Lab - Help Struggling Students Shine www.executivefunctionlab.com (videos on YouTube as well)
Books
- Smart but scattered by Dawson, P., & Guare, R. (2009)
- Smart but scattered teens by Guare, R., Dawson, P., & Guare, C. (2012)
- Taking charge of ADHD: The complete authoritative guide for parents (rev. ed.). by Barkley, R. A. (2000)
- Parenting children with ADHD: 10 Lessons that medicine cannot teach by Monastra, V. J. (2004)
Organization
- Google Keep - extension on Google
- Tasks - add from the right side of Google Calendar - adds tasks to complete with due dates etc.
- MyHomework Student Planner - app store Chrome
- www.iHomework2 - planner
- www.Notability - note-taking tool
- www.MindMeister.com - writing tool
Assistive Technology Supports
- Read & Write Chrome Extension
- Word Prediction
- Voice Typing
- Text-to-Speech
- Select-to-Speak
- Checkit
- Grammar
- Spelling
- Phrasing of words
- Chromebook Gallery Tool
- Fill out PDF forms
- Add text notations
- Add highlights
- Goblin Tools
- Breaking down assignments / tasks
- Grammarly
- Punctuation
- Capitalization
- Pomodoro Timers
- Help with sustained attention
- NotebookLM
- Creates an AI podcast from a text
- Supports learning by listening as you read over text
- ChatGBT (or any other AI tool) should be supervised for plagiarism usage
- Help with initiating a project
- Ex. Can I get an essay structure for …
Here are ways to present information to your children to make it more likely that they’ll hear you and comply:
- Be direct. Make statements rather than asking questions: “Please sit down,” as opposed to “Are you ready to get out your homework?”
- Be close. Give instructions when you are near the child, rather than calling out from across the room.
- Use clear and specific commands. Instead of “Go ahead,” say, “Please go start your reading assignment.”
- Give age-appropriate instructions. Speak to your child at a level they will understand.
- Give instructions one at a time. Especially for kids who have attention challenges, try to avoid giving a series of instructions, like: “Please put on your sneakers, get your lunch off the kitchen counter, and meet me in the front hall.”
- Keep explanations simple. Giving a rationale can increase the likelihood children will listen to a command, but not if the command gets lost in it. For instance: “Go get your coat on because it’s raining and I don’t want you to catch a cold.” Instead, try: “It’s raining and I don’t want you to catch a cold. Go get your coat on.”
Emotional Disability
Coming soon...
Autism
AUTISM
PARENT RESOURCES
Child Mind Institute www.childmind.org
Autism Speaks Autism Speaks Guide for Parents
Autism Society www.autism-society.org
The Association for Science in Autism Treatment ASAT
The Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Association www.ahany.org
AutismWeb, Managed by parents www.autismweb.com
Books
- How to Teach Life Skills to Kids with Autism or Asperger’s by Jennifer Mcllwee Myers (2010)
- Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Devon Price Ph.D. (2022)
- Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism by Barry M. Prizant (2015)
- A Parent’s Guide to High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: How to Meet the Challenges and Help Your Child Thrive by Sally Ozonoff, Geraldine Dawson, James C. McPartland (2014)
- Raising Autism by Kimberlee Rutan McCafferty AutismMommyTherapist.wordpress.com
Sensory Processing
Many autistic kids struggle with sensory processing issues. They may have aversions to certain tastes, textures, smells, sensations, or a combination.
Sensory issues
- Clothing
- Noise
- Lighting
- Physical input - sensory-seeking
- Oral input
Getting organized
- Visual scheduling
- High-tech help
- color-coding binders, folders and textbooks for each subject
Behavior Challenges
Autistic children can develop confusing and difficult behaviors. Frustration, communication difficulties, and other challenges can lead to refusal, meltdowns, or even extreme behaviors.
Prepare them for what’s to come
- social stories
- YouTube videos - Watching a video of a place or experience helps to make them a little more familiar
Seek out accommodations
- Sensory-friendly performances
- Theme parks
- Sesame Place
- Disney World & Disneyland
- Universal Orlando Resort
- Legoland’s Hero Pass
- Disability parking
- Flying
Risk for other disorders
Children with autism are more likely to have certain medical problems, including:
Epilepsy
Sleep disorders
Allergies
Digestive problems
Tic disorders (like Tourette’s)
Anxiety
Depression
Organization
- Google Keep - extension on Google
- Tasks - add from the right side of Google Calendar - adds tasks to complete with due dates etc.
- MyHomework Student Planner app store Chrome
free
- www.iHomework2 planner
free
- www.Notability note taking tool
free
- www.MindMeister.com writing tool
free to $10.50/mo
Assistive Technology Supports
- Read & Write Chrome Extension free
- Word Prediction
- Voice Typing
- Text-to-Speech
- Select-to-Speak
- Checkit
- Grammar
- Spelling
- Phrasing of words
- Chromebook Gallery Tool free
- Fill out PDF forms
- Add text notations
- Add highlights
- Goblin Tools free
- Breaking down assignments / tasks
- Grammarly free
- Punctuation
- Capitalization
- Pomodoro Timers free
- Help with sustained attention
- NotebookLM free
- Creates an AI podcast from a text
- Supports learning by listening as you read over text
- ChatGBT free (or any other AI tool) should be supervised for plagiarism usage
- Help with initiating a project
- Ex. Can I get an essay structure for …
Materials
Low Incidence Disabilities
Coming soon...