Special Needs Archives - Page 2 of 2

Are Children Conceived in Winter More Likely to Develop Autism?

Expecting parents are always concerned with whether or not there is something they can do to ensure the health of their children. Recently, studies have turned toward the subject of autism, and whether or not the time of year when a child is conceived has any effect on its mental health at birth. There is compelling evidence to show that babies conceived in the winter may in fact be more likely to develop autism, and if you are trying to conceive, you may want to pay close attention to the recent information that has been discovered on the matter.

Illness

It is no secret that environment has a lot to do with a baby’s development while still in the womb. According to a California-based study that focused on 7 million birth records in the 1990s and 2000s, wintertime viruses and other illnesses may be a major influence on whether or not a growing baby develops autism. Of course, this could be less of a problem in parts of the world where viruses do not spread as rapidly during the winter due to warmer temperatures, but in the United States, where the study was conducted, this environmental factor did have a pronounced effect on the outcome of the children in question.

Deficiency

A lack of vitamin D also prominently raised the chances of autism in wintertime babies. During the winter months, when the sun is less visible and people are less likely to spend time outdoors due to colder temperatures, it is natural that vitamin D deficiency increases. Although quite common, this can be very detrimental to the health of unborn children, and may severely impair their mental growth while still in the womb. Vitamin D deficiency in the children studied also increased as the season wore on. December conceptions led to about an 8% increase in autism, while March conceptions showed up to 16% more cases of autism in the children that were surveyed. All winter months were compared to July conceptions for the purpose of this study.

Other Possibilities

Of course, it is important to judge all studies with a grain of salt. While the study undertaken by the University of California did prove a connection between month of conception and risk of autism, other studies conducted in Japan, Canada, and the United Kingdom have proven that spring is the more likely season to trigger autism. Research in Sweden and Denmark, however, agrees with that of the United States, and these countries have reported March as the highest risk month of conception. Bear in mind that the original United States study might also prove another environmental factor, such as exposures that take place during the second or third trimester, so it is somewhat inconclusive in that regard.

When you are trying to conceive, you may be worried about a lot of things, including the risk of autism in your child. Do not let studies scare you, but do take them into consideration and use the information they provide to make your own decisions when it comes to conception. As with anything, it is important to be as informed as possible, and to consider all relevant information.

Autism Awareness Shirts

About 1 in 68 children have been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

ASD is a developmental disability that causes social, communication and behavioral challenges. The degree of these challenges can vary widely person to person, depending where they fall on the spectrum.

To date, there is no known cause and no cure. However, with therapy and treatments, individuals with ASD can live full, meaningful lives.

Why Spread Awareness?
There is a stigma around ASD that causes some to stereotype, avoid or even bully individuals with ASD. Negative stereotypes about the abilities and disabilities associated with ASD can make it harder for individuals on the spectrum to find jobs, join in social situations, and live the full lives they are capable of and deserve.

When you support autism awareness, you promote a better understanding of what ASD is, what those on the spectrum need in terms of therapy and support, and stave off these negative associations. You also help promote and fund research that could help scientists gain a better understand of how to prevent and treat ASD.

Sport Your Support
With such good reasons to wear your autism awareness support, why not get started now?

Here are some t-shirts that promote autism awareness:

Check out more Autism Awareness tees.

Autism Awareness Matters
Therapy, treatment and care for individuals with ASD is estimated at $90 million each year, and is only expected to rise dramatically. But with early intervention, the cost of this care can decrease significantly—and also gives the individual receiving the treatment an opportunity of a better, fuller life.

When you spread autism awareness, you help more people understand it better and help raise funds to prevent and treat autism in the future.

Check out our limited time Autism Awareness design, available until January 7th!

Identifying Different Types of Learners

There are many different ways that people learn, and in any classroom, you are bound to encounter several students from each learning category. While one method of teaching may work very well for a certain type of learner, another type may not respond at all to what you try. As a new teacher, it is very important to learn how to identify the different types of learners in your classroom, and then to make sure that each one of your lessons takes into account every style of learning that your students may need. To become an effective teacher, you must anticipate the needs of your students and tailor your lesson plans to best benefit each type of learning your classroom.

Auditory Learners

In the past, most styles of education relied on the belief that all students were auditory learners. This has, of course, since been proven incorrect, so you should never rely solely on auditory teaching methods to reach your class.

Auditory learners focus best on verbal, spoken language, but may struggle with the written word and with hands-on projects. While listening to information over and over again can help an auditory learner remember much more easily, the same student may get nothing out of reading a chapter silently out of a book. These students are easy to identify, even as a new teacher, because they tend to be the most outgoing students in the classroom. They may be social butterflies who enjoy talking and hearing themselves talk, and they tend to be class clowns who always seem to be at the center of attention.

Visual Learners

Visual learning focuses on the interpretation and absorption of taught information by seeing and processing it. Visual learners are slightly less common than auditory learners, but still may comprise the majority of your classroom.

A student who learns best visually does well at quiet reading time, and can learn material from watching movies as well. The same student may struggle with directions that are given verbally, and may not do very well when trying to construct something by hand. Visual learners can be identified by their strong attention to detail and need to be organized, even at a young age. These students are good at one-on-one conversation, but may not be part of a larger group, and may be much quieter than their auditory counterparts. Noise often distracts a visual learner, and these students may need you to physically perform a task before they can repeat it.

Kinesthetic Learners

Although kinesthetic learners are not quite as common as auditory and visual learners are, they are still common enough that you are sure to encounter a handful even in your first class. They may be more challenging to teach, but if you are prepared you should not have any trouble.

Kinesthetic learners are best suited to learning by doing. These students retain information when they are able to manipulate objects or understand information by interacting with parts of it. They may not do well when given verbal direction or shown how to do something, but instead want to dive in and try it on their own. You can identify a kinesthetic learner in your classroom by pinpointing the students who cannot seem to sit still while you are teaching them. Gain their attention by providing lots of hands-on class experiences.

Identifying and teaching different learning types in your classroom does not have to be a difficult achievement. Simply keep these tips and strategies in mind, and you will be well on your way to successful teaching in no time.

Help Your Special Needs Children Get Back to School

The back-to-school season can be a rough transition for any child—especially when they’re headed for a new school. But when your child has special needs, a new environment can cause extra anxiety.

Fortunately, there’s plenty you can do to prepare your special needs child for a new school now to lessen your child’s stress when that first class bell rings.

Talk About It
It’s important to discuss the new school and any feelings caused by the change with your child. Let them know they’re not alone—it’s normal to feel nervous when making a big change like this, and even to feel sad if there are old friends they won’t see every day anymore.

But also talk about the positive opportunities ahead—a new school is an opportunity to learn new things and meet new friends. By focusing on the positive, you can help your child ease anxieties and get excited.

Get Teachers On Board
It’s also a good idea to talk to the teachers and support team that will help your child at the school, if possible. Take advantage of these conversations to make expectations and needs for your child clear up front, and establish a line of two-way communication to remain open throughout the year, so that you can your child’s teachers can work together for your child’s interests throughout the year.

Explore Early And Often
Do all you can to familiarize your child with the new environment early – play on the playground, walk the halls, and spend time in the classroom if possible. Return to these spaces frequently in the weeks before school starts so they become familiar for your child.

Much less overwhelming when the halls are crowded and bustling that first day if they already know how to get from their locker to home room.

Get On Schedule
If the new school’s schedule will require significant changes to what he or she is used to—such as getting up significantly earlier—why not transition to that schedule a few weeks ahead of time? By reducing the amount of change he or she faces on that first day of school, you can make the overall experience easier.

The anticipation of a new school can be intimidating for anyone, and for special needs children in particular. But there’s a lot you and your child can do before the year starts to reduce the challenges and stress. Take these proactive steps now and help your special needs child take on their new environment more confidently.