Advocating for a Student-Centered Approach in Special Education

• By: Vicki Ofmani, MEd, LDT-C The Forum School
• July 1st, 2014
• DSM 5, formative assessment, home-school collaboration, individualized learning, learner-centered instruction, prevalence, social skills, special education, student engagement, student-centered instruction
• 4842    0

Autism Spectrum Disorder is on the rise. Autism Spectrum Disorder is on the rise? While pondering over information found on the National Institute of Mental Health website (www.nimh.nih.gov), one cannot help but fluctuate between statement and question. The latest edition of the diagnostic manual...

Using Technology to Provide Evidenced-Based Outcome Data to Make Better Decisions

• By: Barry Katz Operant Systems, Inc.
• January 1st, 2014
• applied behavior analysis, Autism Services, behavioral data tracking, clinical decision making, data management, educational efficiency, mobile learning technology, special education, student behavior management, technology
• 1826    0

Schools, provider agencies and parents are concerned with looming cuts in special education services.  Schools, provider agencies and parents are looking to become more efficient and effective with their programs. The Devereux School of NY has meet the challenge by partnering with Operant...

Building Skills in the Classroom with Smart Tablet Applications

• By: Elizabeth Perez, MS Association for Metroarea Autistic Children, Inc. (AMAC)
• January 1st, 2014
• applications, assistive learning tools, classroom, classroom intervention, math fluency, math instruction, smart tablets, special education, tablet, technology
• 2555    0

Technology and teaching are becoming increasingly intertwined. Students in the twenty-first century will interact with the world through a technological lens. Technology is changing how and what we learn, allowing students access and directing them to those advancements which will determine future...

The Alien World of Work for Adults with Autism

• By: Matthew Ratz, MEd
• October 1st, 2013
• autism strengths, disability services, employment, job development, special education, transition to adulthood, vocational training, workplace support
• 2337    0

After college, one is confronted with the confounding world of job searching. Unlike anything one has experienced before, a job search is filled with resumes, cover letters, and interviews, salary negotiations, networking, and writing that looks nothing like the work just finished to earn a degree....

The ASD Nest: A Successful Inclusion Model in the NYC Public School System

• By: Shirley Cohen, PhD Hunter College Dorothy Siegel, MPH CUNY Lauren Hough, MSEd ASD Nest Support Project, NYU Steinhardt
• October 1st, 2013
• classroom supports, co-teaching model, inclusion, inclusive education, school-based interventions, social skills development, special education, student outcomes
• 6798    1

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...

How to Improve the Public Special Education System: Empowering Parents, Educators and Treatment Providers

• By: John Ferrera, PhD
• July 1st, 2013
• educational technology, IEP coordination, interdisciplinary teamwork, medical home, neuropsychological assessment, program review, program reviews, related services, special education, student outcomes
• 1955    0

The Special Education system in New York City is an ever-evolving work in progress, and any shortcomings of the current system might be excused by the difficulty of the task at hand and/or the relatively short time-frame the system has had to evolve. Other challenges include changes in the...

Traditional Education May Be the Biggest Barrier to a Meaningful Education

• By: Gloria M. Satriale, Esq, BCABA Thomas L. Zane, PhD, BCBA-D Endicott College
• January 1st, 2013
• applied behavior analysis, classroom, community integration, community-based instruction, functional life skills, generalization of skills, skill building, special education, transition to adulthood
• 3272    0

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...

Teaching the Teachers: Creating New Opportunities and Outcomes in Educating Students with Special Needs

• By: Cathleen M. George, LCSW Newmark Schools
• January 1st, 2013
• behavioral interventions, classroom, Individualized education programs, life skills training, mental health disorders, school-based services, social skills development, special education, students, teacher training
• 2048    0

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...