Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist C.T.R.S.

Grants: The most dreaded free money ever. The teachers should be able to write a letter for a mini grant. This should be researched and directed. We need to be able to write professionally and ask for a specific amount of money and show how it is going to be used. Insurance: This runs the gauntlet from private insurance to Medicare or Medicaid from federal or state funding. Loans: This is one of the last resorts, turning to someone who is willing to lend the money with the expectation of being repaid. Funding is a hard part of life, however we can't get very far without asking for money to help those with AT needs that can cost thousands of dollars every year. Funding is just the way to go about it to make sure that those students can get everything they need to succeed.

Teaching students different methods of coping can be incredibly helpful. The students in class handed out small books with a list of different coping skills. Encouraging positive behavior in simple acts during a day to show proper social skills and abilities. Assistive services and conversations are probably one of the number one ways to explain to students what the inappropriate behavior was and how to adjust it. A lot of actions can be forestalled or prevented in a simple manner. Things such as having a visual calendar available to students so activities don't come as a shock or surprise and cause a behavior. This can be very impactful in influencing a student's success.

Inclusion is so important. We have so many opportunities for people to grow together rather than apart. In a classroom there are so many different ways to help. Assistive devices and services are expanding and growing in so many ways as time has continued. We have reached a new level of understanding and communication. Communication boards, ASL, text to speech, dyna-vox, iPad or Android apps that help. Communication boards are available, however they need to be available for all others. They should match up to what the students need, what their parents need, and the teachers. Having something that they can choose and adjust for themselves. Vocabulary or technological services are important to be tailored to each individual. Making inclusion second nature is so vital, in my life I always have captions on. As a teacher in different situations I try to make sure it is clear I will do what is needed done for everyone, things such as captions, handouts, writing things on the board, a...

Being Deaf, Mute, Hard of Hearing, or Nonverbal due to any number of conditions can be an insurmountable problem for a student in a classroom. Unable to hear simple directions or understand the videos that are shown without captions.  Teachers should understand some of the difficulties that surround communication difficulties. While Assistive Technology has made leaps and bounds in their abilities to help those who have difficulties communicating there are many ways to improve these. The different assistive devices will be shown in the different posts on this website.  Some simple things can be done to help those who fall into a category of needing assistive devices, even learning simple sign language phrases. The second video shown here shows some simple words that if you learn as a teacher can make an impact on a student allowing them to feel as though the teacher does understand and care about their learning.  The first video listed is a high schooler in a schoo...

There are so many ways to help students in their recreation and play. There is everything from blind swimming to wheelchair fencing. Painting with your mouth or feet. So many wheelchair sports and so many many more. Just because there is a disability does not mean they have to live life with a no recreation or play!! There are many careers and professions that want to improve life for those with disabilities and still want to live life in the fullest way possible!

A study done in the Netherlands in 2013 it was a study done with cerebral palsy and it was all school-aged children. The Development of social functioning and communication in school-aged (5-9 years) children with cerebral palsy. *  This study was done over the course of two years. This study was done with the intent to understand some of the difficulties that students have, and when some of those may appear. The need for students to connect and have discussions only increases as they age. The students that were participating in the study were those who had the primary diagnosis if CP and few other secondary disorders that affect the motor or communication skills. The study also excluded those whose parents did not have a good grasp of Dutch, as the children participating needed a good foundation of help at hone, school, and community. It was found in this study that the more severe the disability the lower the scores for their social functioning and their communication. It...