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An Affordable, High-Quality University Option for Students on the Spectrum
The City University of New York (CUNY), a stalwart champion for equal access to higher education, formed Project REACH (Resources and Education on Autism as CUNY’s Hallmark) in December of 2011. The Project’s goals include educating the student body, staff and faculty about students with autism...
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The ASD Nest: A Successful Inclusion Model in the NYC Public School System
Ten years ago Dorothy Siegel and Shirley Cohen, working closely with administrators of a Brooklyn school district, initiated a pilot for the ASD Nest program. Now, ten years later, that pilot has evolved into a robust model based in 20 public elementary schools in New York City, with continuing...
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Financing Post-Secondary Education and Training
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), “the average total cost of attendance in 2011-12 for first-time, full-time students living on campus and paying in-state tuition was $21,000 at public 4-year institutions, $41,420 at private nonprofit 4-year institutions, and...
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Helping Children with Social Skills Difficulties: The Benefits of Extended School Year Instruction
While it may feel like we are still trying to dig out from recent winter storms and stay warm, spring time is fast approaching. Over the next several months, parents and special education teams once again will begin to consider children’s needs for the summer and next school year. Many children...
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Setting the Stage for School: A Guide for Parents
It is an extraordinary milestone when any child enters school for the first time. This event is often marked with excitement, anxiety, ambivalence and tears of fear and joy for both the child and his or her family. Entrusting the care of your child into the hands of another can be anxiety...
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A Collaborative Education Creates a “Lifestyle” for Learners with Autism
Education is defined by dictionary.com as: 1) The act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for “mature” (complete in natural growth or development)...
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Supporting Students on the Autism Spectrum in Higher Education
The continuing rise in prevalence of autism, now at 1 in 88 (Center for Disease Control, 2012), has engendered greater awareness of the condition, followed by increased research, and improved interventions and strategies for individuals with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and High Functioning Autism (HFA)....
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Teaching the Teachers: Creating New Opportunities and Outcomes in Educating Students with Special Needs
Educating students with special needs is an inherently challenging task due to the individualized and shifting needs of each student. Different schools of thought emerge when contemplating this issue: inclusion, a variety of special education services, modifications/accommodations, community based...
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Traditional Education May Be the Biggest Barrier to a Meaningful Education
Unlike many disorders that are treatable with a pill or procedure, the most important form of treatment for an autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is education. However, the traditional special education model, notwithstanding the great advances made in public education, individualized programing and...
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What You Need to Know Before Your Child Transitions to School
Although it is common knowledge that transitions are hard for most children with special needs, transitions can also be difficult for their parents, especially the transition from services in the home to services in the school. Under the age of three years, children are cocooned in their own...
