Lauren Donatelli

Including Your Child on Their Own IEP Journey

Oftentimes parents are unsure of how much or how little to share with their child about their disability, and all that comes along with it. The assessment process, services such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, and specialized academic instruction, accommodations they receive in class, meetings held to discuss their goals on progress…This is a lot …

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First Thing’s First: Before requesting an evaluation…

At the very start of the evaluation process the first factor to consider is a child’s physical health. Has their vision and hearing been tested? If the child has a prescription for glasses, or a hearing aid, are these being worn consistently during work time, and are the prescriptions up to date? If the child …

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Orthographic processing: What is it, and how can it be supported?

Orthographic processing is the ability to recognize spelling patterns, understand spelling and punctuation rules, and recall letters and words in sequence. Children with difficulties in this area often over-rely on sounding out words, thereby impacting their fluency, and written expression. Difficulty in orthographic processing can also lead to letter reversals, and difficulty discriminating between similar …

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Making reading fun

Research shows that reading with your children is hugely beneficial, to their immediate development, and to their long-term success. Reading to your children exposes them to new vocabulary, allows them to develop their skills in concentration/focus, provides opportunities to develop their imagination/creativity, it gives space for bonding/connection, and it can contribute to the development of …

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Sensory bins

Sensory bins! You might have seen them on your newsfeed or while scrolling on IG, but what are they exactly, and what are the benefits of using them?Sensory bins are containers of different materials (i.e. rice, beans, sand, flour, etc.), and tools (i.e. shovels, spoons, cups, etc.) that a child can explore. They can be …

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Music to improve cognitive abilities

Numerous studies have shown that music can help develop cognitive skills in areas such as memory, language, and executive functioning. It can also be used to help remember certain material (think ABCs or “these are the continents”), reinforce social-emotional learning, and ease transitions (“clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere,” for example). So, how can you …

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