By Melissa Ragan As both a high school teacher and the parent of a child who has transitioned to life after high school, I’ve learned a thing or two about how to make the transition for young adults with disabilities a little smoother based on some of the mistakes and lessons we’ve learned. Here are five ways we can help prepare all students with disabilities to be successful in their post-school lives. Self-Determination Self-determination is a person’s ability to make choices that allow them to control their own future. As educators (and parents), we want the best for our students, and ..read more

By Melissa Ragan If you work in education, you can’t throw a stick these days without hearing about social-emotional learning (SEL). Reactions from educators range from yeah, of course social-emotional learning is important to those that acknowledge that social-emotional learning is important, but should be taught at home, to the nonbelievers who think it’s just the latest buzzword in education. But social-emotional learning isn’t new.  In fact, organizations and researchers have been developing and studying social-emotional learning since the late 60s. In 1994, the Collaborative to Advan ..read more

Peggy started homeschooling her son at age 5 because she felt homeschooling provided the most flexible and individualized alternative for him, while simultaneously providing the freedom to expand his education focus to what he could uniquely add to this world with his gifts and talents. Can you tell us a little about yourself? I started my career with a degree in Physics and working as a Quality Assurance Analyst in the medical device industry, but left work to be a stay-at-home mom when my oldest son was born.  Fast forward 22 years, I now have 3 children (22, 20, and 14), have homescho ..read more

Making the festival experience sensory friendly and inclusive for all was a primary goal for the organizers of the Sourland Music Festival. To do so, they turned to Amy Pinder, co-founder of the successful Inclusion Festival. Not long after her son began early intervention, Tatiana Fulmer attended a sensory-friendly performance at the McCarter Theater in Princeton, New Jersey. “I know from my own experience taking my son places that an ordinary event becomes extraordinary to prepare for in a way that is not positive. Simply brushing one’s teeth…putting on shoes… can be difficult for those ..read more

Summer’s coming! Do you know what your children will be doing while school’s out? If you have a child with a disability, there aren’t always as many options as there are for typical children.  And sometimes those options are limited to sleepaway camps. Knowing when your child (or you!) are ready for the sleepaway experience can be tricky. We spoke with one mom to find out how she knew this was the year for them!   Can you tell us about yourself and your family? My name is Sarah Mason. Our family includes my husband Rob, and our four kids.  We have two older daughters; Jasmine is 27 and Nina is ..read more

The Elks have a long history of serving the special needs community. One local New Jersey Elks recently started a social club for young adults with disabilities. The ESCAPE club is a hit with young adults and their parents! Before her twins were born, Diana Liedl didn’t really have much interaction with people with disabilities. But that all changed when her children were born three months prematurely. “During the six months that my twins were in the hospital, I gained a lot of knowledge, and I wanted to give back. I wanted to help other parents,” she explained. So Diana, a member of the ..read more