According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there are approximately 1,700 home fires involving people with mental disabilities. Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and Thanksgiving is the leading day for fires involving cooking equipment. Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, boiling, grilling, or broiling food. If you are simmering, baking, or […]
Continue readingSoft skills are the everyday interpersonal skills that employees need to succeed on the job. Soft skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, and adaptability enable one to express ideas, plan, organize, understand directions, and get along with others. Soft skills are far more important than pure academic and technical skills training for […]
Continue readingCBT is considered one of the most effective treatments to help anyone better manage common stressful situations, depression, anxiety, or mental health disorders by teaching them healthy coping mechanisms. In CBT, the child works with a counselor, licensed social worker, or therapist in one-on-one sessions or in groups with family members or people with similar issues. […]
Continue readingWhile ABA is recognized as one of the best therapies to help children with autism or severe challenging behaviors, good ABA programs are not “one size fits all.” Rather, each program is written to help each child work on specific skills that will help them become more independent and successful. Positive reinforcement is one of […]
Continue readingTwo commonly used treatment models for children with special needs are Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). You may have heard of these and wondered what is the difference, and which is best for your child? What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)? Applied Behavior Analysis focuses on improving specific behaviors, such as social […]
Continue readingGovernor Murphy’s Fiscal Year 2020 Budget proposal allocates $9.5 million in state and federal dollars toward addressing the needs of individuals with severe challenging behavior. Many children and adults with autism frequently engage in severe challenging behaviors, such as aggression, self-injurious behavior (SIB), and property destruction. These behaviors can range from skin-picking and slapping to […]
Continue readingThe transition from special needs student to functioning adults begins with indicating goals and challenges within the already existing student’s respective IEP (Individualized Education Program), begins at the age of 14.As required by a state’s specific special education rules and regulations, the IEP is usually reviewed on a yearly basis allowing the transition plan to […]
Continue readingBy ages 16 to 17, transition will include out of school job readiness in the community. We will take an interest inventory of the students at the beginning of the year and another at the end of the year. They will begin to develop a resume. Job skills training will begin.Travel safety training becomes important […]
Continue readingIf you want to understand the mission of an RKS school, you have to get to know its people: students, teachers, administrators and parents alike. Here, we are going to get to know Alpha School’s brand new principal, John Gonzalez. Principal Gonzalez joined us as the Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction in July of 2016, […]
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