Health & Medicine
Great Expectations Speech, Sensory & Learning Center - Livonia, MI
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This lens is dedicated to helping the children, and families of the children, who face challenges caused by Autism, Sensory Integration Disorder, Speech and Lanugage Delays, Developmental Delays, Fine and Gross Motor Challenges and other mental, emotional, neurological and learning hurdles that the kids frequently called "special" have to overcome in their living, learning and loving.
It's based on my own personal life as a father, advocate and owner of a children's therapy center where we work with many of these children and their families.
Please review this lens and then visit our main website at My Great Kid for more information about our center. Or feel free to download a packet of information about the programs that we have to offer.
If you'd like information on our nonprofit, created to provide therapy scholarships for children with Autism and other related challenges feel free to visit our Squidoo lens for it at Liberty Kids or check out the main website here.
Thanks for visiting and please feel free to contact me with any thoughts, questions, comments or feedback by emailing me here.
Table Of Contents : What Can You Find Here?
- Where Is Great Expectations?
- Our Other Sites
- West Bloomfield Police Abuse Autistic Boy & His Family
- The Special Education Law Blog
- Education, Special Education & IEP Stories
- Is Your School Honest With You?
- School's Concerns During IEP Season
- YouTube Video: The Problem With Schools
- YouTube Video: Animal School
- Thinking Outside The Box
- 12 Tips For Your Next I.E.P.
- Behavior Plans & Charts
- Apraxia & Speech Related Challenges
- Autism Stories That I Thought Were Important
- Great Autism & Special Needs Sites On The Web
- Other Great Autism / Special Needs Squidoo's
- New Word of the Day
- Google News On Autism
- Jason McElwain Video - Original ESPN Video
- YouTube Video: A Face Of Autism
- Autism Ideas Notebook
- Age Of Autism - News Articles
- Autism News Clips
- Use These Links To Seach For More About Autism On The Web
- What Kind Of World Do You Want
- Take A Break With This Thought ......
- Medical Stories That I Thought Were Important
- Autism In The Medical News World
- Mercury Not Removed From Children's Vaccines
- Autism and Vaccines
- Age of Autism
- Tracking Autism
- Take A Break With A Thought (or two) .....
- Autism Stuff At Cafe Press
- YouTube Video: In My Language
- The Logic Of Will Rogers
- New Did you know? Random Facts
- Books To Read If You Have A Child With Special Needs
- Thanks For Reading This Far ......
- Quotable Quotes
- Cost of the War in Iraq
Where Is Great Expectations?
Our Other Sites
- Great Expectations Therapy and Learning Center
- The official website for Great Expectations Family Speech, Sensory Integration and Learning Center in Livonia, Michigan. We offer a variety of different learning and developmental therapies including speech, occupational therapy, sensory integration therapy, attention building therapies and a mix of fun and highly effective learning programs. Located in Livonia we work with children both in Michigan and around the country.
- The Liberty Kids - Scholarships For Therapy
- A non-profit that raises money for therapy for children with Autism, developmental delays and other related neurological disorders.
- The Liberty Kids Squidoo
- My other Squidoo project. This one focuses more on the nonprofit.
West Bloomfield Police Abuse Autistic Boy & His Family
A Chilling Story For The Parents Of Any Autistic Child
- Police Abuse Autistic Boy & His Family
- The basics of the case sound like, and probably soon will be, the plot line for the latest Law & Order. An Autistic girl 'communicates' that she has been abused to a school worker. The catch ... she does it while using what's known as an 'augmenative' or 'facilitated' communication device. These
The Special Education Law Blog
A special education legal resource discussing case law, news, practical advocacy advice, and developments in state and federal laws, statutes and regulations. Postings include insight and sometimes humor from Charles P. Fox, a Chicago, Illinois attorney who is also a parent of child with special needs, and other guest authors.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byEducation, Special Education & IEP Stories
As I find stories that I think are important I'll post them up here for you to review or reference.
Is Your School Honest With You?
School's Concerns During IEP Season
YouTube Video: The Problem With Schools
Ken Robinson from the TED Conference
20 minutes
Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?
http://www.ted.com Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers are invited to give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes -- including speakers such as Jill Bolte Taylor, Sir Ken Robinson, Hans Rosling, Al Gore and Arthur Benjamin. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, politics and the arts. Watch the Top 10 TEDTalks on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10
Runtime: 20:03
439799 views
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YouTube Video: Animal School
Thinking Outside The Box
Bill Marriott - Marriott Hotels
I was impressed with a story I heard a little while ago about an old man who lived alone in the country. He was worried about digging his tomato garden because it was such hard work and the ground was hard. His only son Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:Dear Vincent,
I'm really feeling bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me.
Love,
Dad
A few days later, he received a letter from his son:
Dear Dad,
Don't dig up that garden, that's where I buried the bodies.
Love,
Vinny
At 4:00 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son:
Dear Dad,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.
Let's all work hard at thinking outside the box, being creative and solving problems.
12 Tips For Your Next I.E.P.
Steps to follow to get an I.E.P. that works ....
- Take it all very seriously. This is a legal, contractual relationship that you're embarking on. The decisions made throughout the I.E.P. process will literally help decide whether your child has the tools needed to be successful or whether they'll struggle needlessly and be pushed to the side.
- Realize that the folks at the school are good people BUT it's not their responsibility to make sure that your child receives a good I.E.P., just a legal one. They are not looking out for your best interest, they're looking to protect their own best interests and their own budgets. Before you let this annoy you though realize that you're doing the same thing. After all, what's your priority-the school's budget or your child?
- Know the law - State and Federal ~ it's crucial to making sure that your child gets the protection that they (and you) need. You'll be surprised how many times the folks at the school don't know (or don't seem to know) what the law really says. If you don't know the law-you can't (and won't) win. (more information available at www.MyGreatKid.com)
- Complete a practice I.E.P.. This approach gets you familiar with the paperwork and allows you to have established goals for your child before the formal meeting.. (copies available at www.MyGreatKid.com)
- Talk to the people that have the most contact with your child on a regular basis (teachers, aides, therapy providers, class helpers, etc.) before the meeting. They're the experts-so you want to pick their brains as much as you can. Find out how they feel about your child's progress, challenges, future goals and the things that they need to accomplish those goals. WARNING: Sometimes they won't go "on the record" but they'll frequently share lots that will be helpful as you put together your plan
- Know all the services the school and school district have at their disposal and everything they've done in the past to help other children. How do you find this out? Ask, visit and research.
- Learn how to be a better negotiator. It might seem odd but that's what the whole process is-a contractual binding negotiation. (for a list of good books and sources visit www.MyGreatKid.com)
- Don't go alone. You're going to be outnumbered and will likely feel outgunned so bring someone who can act as moral support, backup and a witness. Spouse, grandparent, family member, friend, neighbor, etc..
- Keep outstanding notes during the meeting (this is also a great job for your backup person) and do your own private write-up of the meeting as soon as the meeting is over.
- Don't get emotional. Getting emotional destroys your ability to think clearly, strategically and creatively. Use your emotions as fuel but remember that you need to be mentally sharp and ruled by reason as you maneuver through the process.
- Lack of money is not a valid (or legal) reason for denying services-and it's normally a lie.
- Capitalize on the Internet. There are huge libraries of knowledge, tips, tricks, techniques and templates that can make the I.E.P. process less stressful and more effective. (for a list of sites visit www.MyGreatKid.com)
- Bonus Tip : Don't hesitate to get your own outside evaluations, especially if you don't agree with the school's evaluations. It's one thing to disagree with the school based on your gut-it's a whole new ball game though when you have an independent outside evaluator who bases their opinions on your child's needs not on available resources.
Behavior Plans & Charts
Whether your child has a "special need" or not they can benefit from visual behavior charts, plans and reward systems that help them learn how to self-monitor.
Apraxia & Speech Related Challenges
- Apraxia-Kids : Every Child Deserves A Voice
- Good source with a variety of information for parents, professionals. Dedicated solely to Apraxia - the Family Start Guide is a great resource.
- Advance Magazine
- Advance for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists is a trade publication offering content relevant to speech language pathologists including current research. This website (and magazine) is a great resource. While the target isn't parents, the information is great for staying current and informed on the latest and greatest. If you want to be an informed parent this site (magazine)is a must!
- Speechville Express: For caregivers of children with language disorders
- A good resource site. It's not the definitive source for information but there is some really good stuff here to start with.
- Childhood Apraxia Of Speech
- I don't necessarily agree with her advice "Don't ever say "You can't have it unless you say it first". Sometimes when you've got the child's attention and they are motivated this actually works well to get them to try harder verbalizations.
However, this article does have some good tips and strategies, as well as, a good quick breakdown of the basics. - Yahoo Groups - Childrens Apraxia Net
- Parent On-Line Group for Apraxia. You have to get a FREE membership at Yahoo but it's worthwhile to access some of the groups. Great way to learn and share with other parents.
Autism Stories That I Thought Were Important
Great Autism & Special Needs Sites On The Web
- The Liberty Kids - Therapy Scholarships
- A MI Nonprofit that raises money for therapy scholarships for children with special needs.
- Bridges 4 Kids
- The goal of bridges4kids is to provide as much timely, useful information as possible to both parents and professionals regarding children with special needs, disabilities, and those who are at-risk. Bridges4Kids provides information for parents of children in both special education and general educ
- Wrightslaw Special Education Law & Advocacy
- Links to hundreds of special education law and advocacy articles, newsletters, cases, and practical guidance for parents, advocates, and attorneys. Wrightslaw is the most comprehensive special education advocacy site on the Internet
- Autism Society of America: Homepage
- Nationwide support group that promotes lifelong access and opportunities for persons within the autism spectrum and their families to be fully included, ...
- Autism Resources
- Links, frequently asked questions, advice from parents, book lists, and articles.
- National Alliance for Autism Research
- A national nonprofit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to finding the
causes, prevention, effective treatment, and ultimately, a cure of the autism spectrum of ... - Autism Research Institute
- A non-profit organization devoted to conducting research, and to disseminating its results on the causes of autism and on preventing, diagnosing and treating ...
- CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF AUTISM (AUTISM.COM)
- Autism Info Site
- Google News
- Autism Articles Live From Google
- Exceptional Parent Magazine - Eparent.com - parenting those with disabilities or special health care needs.
- Exceptional Parent is the leading publication for the special needs community. Empowering parents and professionals by sharing ideas, support, products and resources in the care and parenting of children with disabilities and special healthcare needs.
- First Signs
- First Signs is a website dedicated to early identification and intervention of children with developmental delays and disorders. This site is a wealth of information and links
- The Schafer Autism Report
- All things Autism from treatments and therapies to the latest news.
- Child.com : Autism Article
- The prevalence of this confounding disorder has reached frightening proportions, changing medicine, politics, parenting - and childhood itself.
- Myomancy
- ADD/ADHD
AUTISM
DYSLEXIA
Other Great Autism / Special Needs Squidoo's
- A Lens On Autism
- As a parent of a child who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two, I know well the importance of early identification of and intervention for children with developmental disorders. At First Signs, we educate parents, healthcare providers, clinicians, and early childhood educators on how to recognize the first signs of a developmental delay or disorder, such as autism. This lens aims to be a helpful starting point for anyone who is concerned about a child's social, emotional, and communicative development. Sarah and I certainly wouldn't be where we are today without the help of these top-notch organizations and resources.
- Social Stories
- Individuals on the autism spectrum often have difficulty determining the correct action in a given social situation. Social stories have been found to be extremely helpful for these individuals. Social stories are brief narratives from the perspective of the child that describe a situation, provide explanations about the feelings and thoughts of all individuals, and give directions regarding the appropriate response. These stories allow the autisic child to perform more appropriately in social situations.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Joys and Challenges of Siblings
- This lens is an evolving community for siblings of those having autism spectrum disorder, a mental illness, or other related or suspected brain disorder. Please come for information, to share, to despair, to celebrate, and to find friends with similar challenges. I hope to make this accessible to all age groups, from the school-aged child dealing with a special needs sibling, to adults who have been "doing this" for a long time (that would include myself!)
New Word of the Day
See You're Already Smarter For Having Visited This Site
- nabob: Dictionary.com Word of the Day
- nabob: wealthy person
Google News On Autism
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byJason McElwain Video - Original ESPN Video
This story is old now but this original ESPN story is still exceptional.
Jim Johnson (J-Mac's Coach)
When Coach Jim Johnson says, "Dreams Come True," he means it. Not only did he have the faith to put autistic high school basketball player Jason McElwain into the final minutes of the last game of the season, but the miraculous 20-points then scored by Jason McElwain was one of the most inspiring moments in sports history. At the podium, Coach Jim Johnson brings this incredible story to life, shedding light on the "The Essence of Teamwork" and "The Ultimate Level of Sportsmanship." www.rothtalent.com
Runtime: 6:12
12133 views
10 Comments:
YouTube Video: A Face Of Autism
The face of autism
Here's the story -- well, the first five years -- in the life of Quinn: a wonderful, exuberant, mostly non-verbal boy with autism. You can see how the signs appeared over time, even before his diagnosis was made at 21 months. *** Teachers/schools/community service groups: You may use this video as part of autism awareness or positive educational training. No additional permission is required. (I can provide a higher-resolution version if needed.) NOTE: Unfortunately, I no longer have the faceautism.org domain name mentioned in the video -- so I have no idea what might end up on there. Sorry. Music ("Ma Solituda") by Rob Dickinson/Catherine Wheel (www.RobDickinson.com)
Runtime: 3:09
318157 views
10 Comments:
Autism Ideas Notebook
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byAge Of Autism - News Articles
- Articles by UPI reporter Dan Olmsted
- Archive of Olmsted articles.
Autism News Clips
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byUse These Links To Seach For More About Autism On The Web
- Autism At Gada.be
- This site compiles searches from a variety of different sources.
- Autism At Technorati
- The lates blog postings about Autism
- Autism On Google
- Autism search from our friends at Google
- Autism Search From Dogpile
- Another search engine that searches other search engines.
"It's important for people to understand the higher number of diagnoses is not because the criteria for autism has expanded .... It is actually harder now than it was in 1980, when autism was first introduced as a disorder, to meet the criteria."
- Michelle Rowe, Ph.D., Professor of Health Services at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia
What Kind Of World Do You Want
This is a great site, great idea and these are two of my favorite videos from it .....
Tell the world what kind of world you want and raise money for charity by making and uploading a video of yourself, your friends or your family--whomever and whatever--answering the question, "What Kind Of World Do You Want?"
Or, you can raise money for charities that John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting has personally selected. Watch any clip on this site and money will go to the charity listed with that video. Please see below for the updated list of charities and contributions per views.
- The Way My Brother Loves Me
- I thought this was a really touching video that shows how autism impacts a brothers relationship. Great!
- Mia
- Cute video with a very good message.
Take A Break With This Thought ......
Medical Stories That I Thought Were Important
Autism In The Medical News World
The latest Autism News articles published daily. Includes news on social interaction problems, lack of communication skills and emotional interpretation difficulties - causes and how to overcome them.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byMercury Not Removed From Children's Vaccines
An estimated 80% to 90% of this year's flu vaccine supply contained the mercury-based preservative thimerosal, even though the shots can be manufactured in mercury-free formulas.CDC Vaccine Committee Recommends More Shots For Children
Article Date: 29 Feb 2008 - 0:00 PST
Autism and Vaccines
Age of Autism
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byTracking Autism
Feeds Live From Tracking Autism Blog
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byTake A Break With A Thought (or two) .....
"A mother is not a person to lean on but a person to make leaning unnecessary." Dorothy C. Fisher
Autism Stuff At Cafe Press
Some Are Cool, Some Are Smart, Some Are Not ... You Be The Judge
License Plate Frame; I Love Someone with Autism
Price: 11.99 
eye contact is overrated Fitted T-Shirt
Price: 16.99
Autism Question Large Mug
Price: 17.99
Tote Bag
Price: 12.99
non verbal [not dumb] White T-Shirt
Price: 18.99
YouTube Video: In My Language
In My Language
The first part is in my "native language," and then the second part provides a translation, or at least an explanation. This is not a look-at-the-autie gawking freakshow as much as it is a statement about what gets considered thought, intelligence, personhood, language, and communication, and what does not.
Runtime: 8:35
703273 views
10 Comments:
The Logic Of Will Rogers
This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer.- Will Rogers
Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate; now what's going to happen to us with both a Senate and a House? - Will Rogers
We are all here for a spell; get all the good laughs you can. - Will Rogers
New Did you know? Random Facts
Books To Read If You Have A Child With Special Needs
Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy: The Special Education Survival Guide
Don't go to your next IEP without it.
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 11/22/2008)
Wrightslaw: IDEA 2004
The new rules, easy to understand and well explained.
Amazon Price: (as of 11/22/2008)
Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind
NCLB is changing the face of education. This book helps explain why, how and what your rights are as a parent.
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 11/22/2008)
Evidence of Harm: Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic: A Medical Controversy
If you're concerned (or just curious) about the Vaccine debate this is the book to read.
Amazon Price: (as of 11/22/2008)
The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder, Revised Edition
THIS BOOK IS REQUIRED READING. So many children could be helped if more parents, teachers, doctors understood what this book teaches.
Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 11/22/2008)
Your Inner Physician and You
Strange, weird but logical and probably one of the most effective and impactful therapies I know of or have experienced.
Amazon Price: $10.88 (as of 11/22/2008)
The Out-of-Sync Child has Fun: Activities for Kids with Sensory Integration Dysfunction
Amazon Price: (as of 11/22/2008)
Facing Autism: Giving Parents Reasons for Hope and Guidance for Help
A great first resource if you have a child that's been diagnosed with Autism.
Amazon Price: $10.19 (as of 11/22/2008)
The Natural Medicine Guide to Autism (The Healthy Mind Guides) (The Healthy Mind Guides)
A great source for an explanation of therapies and helps out there for people dealing with Autism who would like non-drug based choices.
Amazon Price: $12.21 (as of 11/22/2008)
Special Diets for Special Kids
The title says it all. This book is a cooking resource for people with food allergies.
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 11/22/2008)
Upside-Down Brilliance: The Visual Spatial Learner
Amazon Price: (as of 11/22/2008)
Raising Topsy-Turvy Kids: Successfully Parenting Your Visual-Spatial Child
Amazon Price: (as of 11/22/2008)
Copy This! : Lessons from a Hyperactive Dyslexic who Turned a Bright Idea Into One of America's Best Companies
Amazon Price: $16.29 (as of 11/22/2008)
A Mind at a Time
Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 11/22/2008)
The Myth of Laziness
Amazon Price: (as of 11/22/2008)
Thanks For Reading This Far ......
Here Are Three Quotes From Teddy Roosevelt That I Like, The First Is My Favorite
"It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.""Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."
Quotable Quotes
Cost of the War in Iraq
Look who made this lens!
SSB
My name is Steve Bockmann. I own a children's speech therapy, sensory, learning and educational center in Livonia, Michigan. We help children with learning challenge...
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