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Educating yourself
should never stop. If you are working
with children with special needs there are multitudes of ways to educate
yourself. Reading blogs like mine and
participating in on-line discussions are ways to keep current with popular conversations
in the field. There are conferences,
workshops, on-line classes and books to read that can also teach you about current practices and philosophies. The important thing to understand is that
the research in this area is just really starting, and it is important to stay
on top of it.
This past weekend,
I attended an Autism Conference at The University of North Texas. There were two keynote speakers and then 4
breakout sessions where attendees could choose from a variety of topic for
either professionals or parents. The
information provided ranged from how to interpret data to creating social
stories and the importance of play. I am
looking forward to sharing some of what I learned in my future blogs. What I want you to get from my blog today is
that this information is out there and accessible. It did not take me weeks, but rather only a Saturday afternoon with friends to really improve my knowledge base and help
me become a better teacher.
Future Horizons is one company through which Temple
Grandin works. I attended one of their
conferences in the past and hope to attend one again later this year. The format there is a bit different. There is usually only one to three speakers,
but again well worth the time as you will come away with a wealth of
knowledge. This is where I learned about
fear being the primary response emotion for children on the spectrum. That one bit of information is probably the most valuable piece of knowledge I have gained and applied while
working with children on the spectrum.
Had I not gone to a conference, I would not have the success I have with
my students.
If you are looking
for classes and conferences, they are not that hard to find. Teachers can find on line classes through
their education regions, Teaching Unions and organizations, or school
districts. Parents can find classes through state support services, doctor’s
and service provider’s offices, and child’s health magazines. Both educators
and parents can do searches on the internet as well.
Thank you for
wanting to educate yourself by reading blogs like mine. I hope you find a local conference or
workshop that can inspire you and help you to continue your education so that
you can help our kids grow. They are
lucky to have someone like you who takes the time to learn with them.
For more information you can start here:
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