Education Technology

When I was in first grade, my mother became a house parent for a group home in northeastern Pennsylvania. It was a home for teenage and young adult males with various disabilities, including autism and Down syndrome. On Fridays, my mother, brother and I would drive just over an hour to the house and stay the weekend or longer during the summer. My aunt stayed at the house during the week.

My aunt and mother worked at this home for a long time, and the boys became family to me. Typically, three boys lived in the home but I was closest with John. John could easily have been my brother — we were both short in stature with the same red hair and blue eyes. The …

This blog was originally published on Healing Rescue Dogs on November 7, 2013.

Kathy H Porter is a freelance writer, author and head cheerleader for her amazing son. She grabs inspiration from a background that includes 14 years of business experience and 17 years as an educator. Her latest project? Crafting work-related "explaining scripts" for adults with autism. Join her newsletter to find out when her next article will be published and to discover more useful on-the-job strategies for autistic adults.

My 27 year old son who is formally diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome Disorder (ASD), has been “talking dog” his whole life.

Having Asperger’s and being fluent in how…

By JT Ripton

Technology is teaming up with education, and the partnership is making life easier for both teachers and students. Thanks to technological trends in education, students can kiss their 10-pound geometry and history textbooks goodbye and teachers can plan a semester’s worth of coursework from the comfort of their own tablets. Here are five of the top technology trends in education for 2014 – pay attention because there might just be a pop quiz later.

VIDEO KILLED THE CHALK BOARD

Image via

What is special needs education?

Special needs education programs are designed for those students whose needs cannot be met within the traditional classroom environment. These programs and services adapt content, classroom management and teacher instruction to meet the needs of each child. Although special needs students are often classified with learning disabilities, they can also include gifted students and English Language Learners (ELLs). A large number of students with varying needs and ability levels are grouped under one umbrella; addressing the needs of so many students can seem overwhelming under any circumstances.

And now, as the …

What has having a child with a disability taught me? When I was pregnant, we learned our son had a condition that included multiple defects and a profound neurological impairment that would ultimately shorten his lifespan. Becoming Miles’ mother taught me more about love and trust than I could have learned in all my years alive. Having Miles was a journey of faith in many ways — faith that we could get through this as a family, faith that we would find purpose in his life and faith that God was with me on this journey. One of the more tangible impacts Miles had on my life is my ability to walk in others’ shoes more readily. His disability and what it took to…

By Dr. David Lazerson, 2008 Inductee National Teachers Hall of Fame

Joey

“Let’s go,” I urged. “On the count of three, we lift together.”

My lifeguards were already used to the procedure, and I couldn’t get over how we functioned like a smooth, synchronized Swiss watch. There was no need to tell them to use their legs and not their back, or to make sure their feet were firmly planted. (The deck was usually slippery.)

…