Understanding the Emotional Health of Children

In the month before school started, my 6 year old daughter became an emotional time bomb. She would seize up with anxiety over what many might think of as typical kid activities- riding a bike, going to the swimming pool, even playing the wii. I was worried. Did she have an anxiety disorder? Should I [...]

Teaching Social Skills to Preschoolers with Special Needs

Teaching social skills is a big part of the preschool experience. Usually this instruction is woven into our daily interactions with children. We model the behavior we want to see and most children pick up on it and begin to act as they see us acting. Unfortunately, for many children with special needs, this natural, [...]

A Deeper Look at “Autistic-Like”

At the NAEYC Annual Conference in Anaheim I had the pleasure of watching a showing of the documentary Autistic-Like by filmmaker and father, Erik Linthorst. The film chronicles the journey of a family as they come to the realization that their beautiful toddler is not developing as children typically do and follows them through the [...]

Creating a Classroom for All Abilities

As our society has become more aware of the importance of quality preschool experiences in general and the value of early intervention for children with developmental delays and other special needs, it makes sense that more and more preschools are including children with special needs in their classrooms. Research shows that full inclusion benefits all [...]

What is RTI and How Does it Work in Preschool?

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a term that is being used a lot in schools across the country. Basically, it is an effort to give children a more customized educational experience. Over the past decade schools have found that an increasing number of their students need special education services. This is costly for schools, and [...]