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Perspectives For Parents:
Advice & Support from Parents & Caregivers
Is your child struggling with reading? Here are 5 ways you can help at home.
September 23, 2021
Many children have trouble with reading and literacy. But there are ways you can help at home! See these 5 tips on how to help if your child struggles with reading.
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One Quick Question: What are the components of literacy?
September 22, 2021
How do children learn to read? Watch this 2-minute video about the most important early reading skills and how you can help your child gain those skills.
Read moreWhat is Dysgraphia?
September 14, 2021
Dysgraphia is a learning disability that interferes with a person’s ability to express their ideas in writing. Symptoms might include poor spelling, messy handwriting...
Read moreKitchen Conversations, Know your rights: navigating your young child’s transition into school
July 29, 2021
Do you know the laws that protect children with disabilities? Hear from Maria Blanco, AD @ LSU HSC on how to best advocate for your child.
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How Can I Prepare for My Child’s Transition into School-based Services at Age 3?
July 28, 2021
If your child has a delay or disability, learn the steps to get early childhood special needs services and transition into school-based services at age 3.
Read moreOne Quick Question: How do I choose the right school for my young child with a disability?
July 22, 2021
Finding the right school for a young child with a disability can be hard. In this 2-minute video, Joyce Ridgeway, formerly of Early Steps (Early Intervention) explains how Louisiana families can find the right fit.
Read moreKitchen Conversations: Therapies and accommodations to support young children with disabilities in school
July 14, 2021
Are you aware of accommodations for students with disabilities? Learn about adaptations for special needs in the classroom plus more!
Read moreOne Quick Question: My child is turning 3 and is ready to transition out of Early Intervention… but no one is calling me back about school or services. What should I do?
July 13, 2021
Your child is turning 3 and is ready to make the transition from Early Intervention to pre-school or services, but no one is calling you back. Now what? In this 2-minute video, Joyce Ridgeway lays out what you can do next to advocate for your child.
Read moreKitchen Conversations: Preparing for your child’s transition into school
July 13, 2021
What are the most important things to do before your child with disabilities or special needs starts school? Joyce Ridgeway of EarlySteps breaks it down.
Read moreMy child struggles with reading. How can I help?
April 13, 2021
Many children have trouble with reading and literacy. But there are ways to help support them! Here are some tips on how to help a child struggling with reading.
Read moreWhy are reading and literacy so important?
March 29, 2021
Reading is an important building block in preparing our children for life. Adults with high school level literacy skills get better jobs and are healthier than those with lower skills. It may surprise you to learn how well you need to read to take on the challenges of daily life. The importance of reading may…
Read moreWhat Can I Do to Help if My Child is Struggling in School?
March 3, 2021
There are many reasons why a child may struggle in school. The good news is that there are ways to help!
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How can I make remote school easier for my child (and me!)?
January 21, 2021
I’m not going to ask how remote school is going for your family because I see you sitting with your phone in the one quiet corner of the house taking a minute to yourself. I get it. I’d share my secret stash of chocolate if I could. This isn’t easy to manage.
Read moreWondering if you made the right decision about back-to-school in 2020? Bring cookies.
September 2, 2020
I want to talk to you about back to school. (Hang on one second while I stuff cookies in my face. This is my new coping strategy for how to deal with back to school feelings and I don’t have time to judge myself about it right now so let’s just let that part be.)
Read moreHow to prepare for back to school in 2020 (whatever it looks like)
July 23, 2020
I think we can all agree that when it comes to planning for our kids going back to school this year, we don’t know a lot. And what we do know changes. Even though we are all living in the same pandemic world right now, we are in different places geographically and we have different…
Read moreHandling Work from Home and Home Schooling
April 2, 2020
With the current health crisis, a lot of us parents are in new waters, working from home and schooling our children at the same time. Problem is, I’m already drowning. And will bet many of you feel the same.
Read moreIs Your Child Struggling in School?
September 25, 2019
At Exceptional Lives, we’ve been working hard to answer the questions you are asking. We know how hard it can be to navigate school—socially, academically and emotionally. If your child is struggling in school and you’re not sure what to do, here is a place to start:
Read moreAnother year, another IEP meeting
August 21, 2019
Every year, as our kids get older, the summer break feels different. Whether your kids have been learning in structured camps or unstructured exploration, at the beach, mountains or city streets, they are different now than they were when the last school year ended. Change and lack of structure can be hard, but think about…
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Letter to Mica’s Class
July 12, 2019
This morning I read this beautiful note from a fellow mom to her son’s classmates. We work so hard to find the right placement, the right supports, the right accommodations (working on IEP goals? Read more here!).
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Unwritten IEP Goals
July 12, 2019
Yesterday was report card day. As I overheard the neighbors talking about it, I felt a rising pit in my stomach. There are some days you just can’t take on any more. Some days you just don’t want to think about disability or challenges.
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