Don’t Forget…April is Autism Awareness Month

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Light It Up Blue Autism SpeaksApril is National Autism Awareness Month and there are tons of events, conferences and fundraisers occurring across the country. To kick of the month, Autism Speaks is raising awareness through their Light It Up Blue campaign. On the evenings of April 1 and 2, prominent buildings across North America and the world — including the Empire State Building in New York City and the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada — will turn their lights blue to raise awareness for autism and to commemorate World Autism Awareness Day on Saturday, April 2. You can wear something blue, use a blue light or wear a puzzle piece to commemorate the day and raise awareness. Click here for a long list of events taking place around the world.

Are you planning on participating in any events for Autism Awareness Month? We’d love to hear about events in your city or town.

Make sure to check back with us on April 1 for Different Roads to Learning’s kick-off to Autism Awareness Month.

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Congress To Consider Parent Financial Burden In IDEA Cases

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Parents who challenge schools over a child’s IEP are currently responsible for the cost of expert witnesses in due process cases no matter if they win or lose, but a bill introduced in Congress would change that. Read more on the Disability Scoop.

Pick of the Week: MotivAider

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Save 15% this week only on the invaluable MotivAider. The MotivAider is a simple electronic device that vibrates at timed intervals to provide an individual with a private prompt to engage in a specific behavior. It can be programmed to vibrate on a fixed or variable schedule at different duration and intensity levels. The MotivAider is a fantastic tool that can be used to manage a wide variety of behaviors and scheduling issues for individuals of all ages.

Save 15% on the MotivAider today through March 29 by entering the promo code BLOGMVR at checkout.

*Offer expires on March 29, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer.



Stop Additional Budget Cuts in Early Intervention!

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New York State is in talks over the budget and Early Intervention is facing additional cuts after a 10% cut just last year!  WIth 14 years of experience I have seen how dramatically Early Intervention can change a child’s life.  Please get involved and let your voice be heard.

Professional Agencies for Children’s Therapy Services has drafted a letter that can be personalized and sent to the decision makers in Albany. Click here to learn more and do your part.

Posted in ABA

Pick of the Week: Rainbow Sorting Crayons

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Save 15% this week on our wonderful Rainbow Sorting Crayons. This charming sorting kit contains 48 manipulatives sorted by color into 8 large crayon containers. Use the objects for patterning, counting, color identification, 2-D to 3-D matching and language development.

Save 15% on the Rainbow Sorting Crayons through March 22 by entering the promo code BLOGRCX at checkout.

*Offer expires on March 22, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer.

Pick of the Week: The File Factor Emotional Empowerment System

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The File Factor Emotional Empowerment System literally came into stock this morning and we’re thrilled! This is a new tool from TD Social Skills that helps individuals regulate strong emotions and constructively resolve conflicts to advance social learning and emotional growth. The File Factor is a wall pocket filing system that provides a structure to learn self-control. By breaking down complex negative emotions into understandable concepts, users can learn to analyze situations from different perspectives and change unproductive thought patterns to resolve conflict. The idea is for children to ‘file away’ negative emotions triggered by disappointment and highlight the positive events in their day.

You can save 15% on The File Factor through March 15 by entering the promo code BLOGFF11 at checkout.

*Offer expires on March 15, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer.

Special Playdate

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Specialplaydate.com helps parents connect with others to arrange play dates in their local communities. The site enables users to find a playdate for loved ones with or without special needs to create opportunities for them to build social and communication skills while making friends. Check out their site to learn more!

Apps for Children with Special Needs

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For all you technophiles who are loving using the iPad with your students and children, this website – Apps for Children with Special Needs – is going to knock your socks off. They’re completely on top of all the new educational apps coming out. They list each one, explaining their features in detail and even provide a video of the app in use so you can decide if it’s right for you before shelling out the money. This is a GREAT site that we highly recommend!

Defining ‘Essential’ Care

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With healthcare reform underway, this article in the Wall Street Journal highlights the differences between habilitative services and rehabilitative services and how those definitions will impact future insurance coverage. The article specifically looks at coverage for children with Autism and whether early intervention services will be covered or considered reimbursable expenses. More specifically, if services defined as habilitative are indeed covered, families would be entitled to behavioral therapy as well as speech and OT. Opponents claim that the costs would be too high. What are your thoughts on the issue?

Pick of the Week: Be A Friend – Songs for Social Skills Training CD

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This week’s pick for 15% savings is this lovely CD filled with songs specifically written to help teach invaluable social skills. Created by Dr. Jed Baker and music therapist Jeffrey Friedberg, Be A Friend motivates children to attend and learn. The catchy tunes include: Be a Friend; Hello; Personal Space; Eye Contact; Volume of Speech; Sharing; Turns; Ask to Play; Compromise; Compliment; Sensitive Topics; Teasing; Accepting No; Making Mistakes; Calm Down and Feelings. The songs on the CD are aimed towards children 2 – 10 years old generally, but mostly 4 – 8 year olds.

Today through March 8, visit our site at https://www.difflearn.com to save 15% on the Be A Friend: Songs for Social Skills Training CD by entering the Promo Code BLOGSSCD at checkout.

*Offer expires on March 8, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer.