Special Needs: Play/Fun with a Severely Impaired Child

Special Needs Kids: Working with Disabilities: Cortical Visual Impairment

As a Paraprofessional in a classroom for Severe Multiple Impairments I work everyday with Cortical Blindness. Cortical Blindness is also often referred to as Cortical Visual Impairment or CVI, basically a neurological disorder where the occipital cortex of the brain doesn't know how to process or properly interpret what the eyes are seeing.

Four major causes of CVI:

• Asphyxia


• Brain maldevelopment


• Head injury


• Infection

Playing with Severely Impaired Special Needs Kids - Part 1

As professionals working with children that have severe disabilities we have found that there are ways to play with common toys and connect with your loved one and motivates them to move and do things you may not have seen before!  These short clips reveal just that - simple techniques of how to make "play time" with your child more fun for both them and you.  

This video is embedded through YouTube. 
What do you find that severely impaired kids like to play with?

Playing with Severely Impaired Special Needs Kids - Part 2

As professionals working with children that have severe disabilities we have found that there are ways to play with common toys and connect with your loved one and motivates them to move and do things you may not have seen before!  These short clips reveal just that - simple techniques of how to make "play time" with your child more fun for both them and you.
This video is embedded through YouTube

Playing with Severely Impaired Special Needs Kids - Part 3

As professionals working with children that have severe disabilities we have found that there are ways to play with common toys and connect with your loved one and motivates them to move and do things you may not have seen before!  These short clips reveal just that - simple techniques of how to make "play time" with your child more fun for both them and you.
This video is embedded through YouTube.

Playing with Severely Impaired Special Needs Kids - 4

As professionals working with children that have severe disabilities we have found that there are ways to play with common toys and connect with your loved one and motivates them to move and do things you may not have seen before!  These short clips reveal just that - simple techniques of how to make "play time" with your child more fun for both them and you.  
This video is embedded through YouTube.

Adaptive Technologies with RJ Cooper

RJ Cooper is a guru in the field of adaptive technology and the severely impaired, autistically impaired population.  RJ has been developing adaptive technology solutions for years and his expertise in connecting with and drawing out even the severely impaired person is phenomenal.


This coming Monday and Tuesday, December 13th and 14th, RJ Howard will be in Cass County, MI to present adaptive technology that has been developed specifically for people with special needs.  The conference is free and truly worthwhile.  The flyer is below:

               Lewis Cass Intermediate School District

61682 Dailey Road

                                                     Providing Services Today For A Better Tomorrow         Cassopolis, Michigan  49031-9648

Fax (269) 445-2981

Brookside Fax (269) 445-6253

North Pointe Fax (269) 782-7727

Web: //www.lewiscassisd.or

Lewis Cass ISD

Presents

Adaptive Technologies with RJ Cooper

*Researcher and developer for persons with disabilities since 1984

*Authored many software titles and developed several hardware adaptations

*Expertise ranges from mild to severe/profound developmental delays and learning and physical disabilities

*Lectures regularly at Adaptive Technology Conferences

*Author of column “Ask RJ” which appears in publication “Closing the Gap”

Monday, December 13:   A unique presentation will consist of his working with a variety of students with disabilities to help develop learning solutions for living.  This presentation will be held at North Pointe Center, 704 N. Orchard, Dowagiac, MI 49047 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. 

Tuesday, December 14:  RJ will share his expertise and provide training in a computer lab with professionals and interested family members in software programs geared toward special learners.  This presentation will take place in the computer lab at North Pointe Center from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Visit RJ’s website at www.rjcooper.com.

This presentation welcomes parents and professionals.  Lunch and refreshments will be provided both days.  Computers and space are limited, so please reserve your name as soon as possible. 

***FREE***

Call or email to Register: Diane Schultz (269) 445-6250 dschultz@lewiscassisd.org.

 

Active Learning & the Developmentally Disabled

A Warning:

"If you help him instead of requiring him to do it, he will forget to do it, and we will have to have to start training him in that skill again."

Do we do too much in helping our loved ones who are handicapped in one way or the other?  Are we doing too little?  Lilli Neilson, a sister to several blind and disabled children has developed a theory called "active learning" in how to educate the child with developmental delays about the world around them.

The Philosophy:

Toys for special needs kids! It's almost Christmas

Finding the right toy for your child who has a disability can be like searching for a needle in a haystack right?


Here is a website I found that has a list of toys for kids who have special needs, broken down into categories of their abilities.


Visit these Shopping sites for kids with special needs


I thought it was pretty cool :)


Another cool thing I found was a blog whose author works at a toy shop for kids that have unique interests and needs. Click here to visit her blog and read about the "12 toys for Christmas"


Come back to visit as we continue to discover cool toys for your kids.




What other websites have you found to be helpful???? Santa's elves are wondering..... :)