Family Resources: Remote Learning
This collection of resources in intended to support families with maintaining structure, engagement and support during this time of remote learning.
Special Education and Covid-19- Michigan Alliance for Families
Maintaining Structure at Home
Visual Schedules are a key to supporting structure and predictability at home. Schedules can help to decrease challenging behavior. Depending on your child's needs, schedules can include written words, line drawings, picture symbols, photographs and/or objects.
Schedules can:
- Enhance understanding
- Increase independence
- Provide predictability
- Support transitions of activities, people and environments
- Structure daily activities and free time
- Improve understanding of time
Make sure use of the schedule is reinforcing for your child. Make it fun!
Here are a few more resources to support you with creating and using a visual schedule and maintaining structure:
Maintaining Social Connections at Home
It is so critically important during this time of quarantine for everyone to stay socially connected with their family, friends and community. Here are a few resources to support your child's skills with maintaining those important connections and even to create new ones.
- Staying Connected During Phone Conversations- ideas to utilize during phone conversations.
- Connections From a Distance- Phone, Virtual Chats- visual supports to encourage social opportunities.
- E-Buddies- an email pen pal program
- Resources for Young People: Ways to Make Social Distancing not Suck- from the Connected Youth Initiative
- Modeling AAC at Home- ideas regarding how to model AAC in each room of your house.
- Sibling box- an all-in-one set of materials for families to use with siblings. The box includes conversation starters, kid-friendly recipes, activities, and games.
Ideas for Fun Activities at Home
It's essential for your child to engage in preferred activities during the day while also giving them the opportunity to explore new activities, games or topics. Here are a few ideas...
- 4-H at Home
- PBS: Activities and Tips for Parents While Kids are at Home
- Task Analyzed Chores Visuals
- Virtual School Activities: A collection live webcams, virtual tours/trips, and other educational sites
- Audible: Free Stories for Kids
- Fit 5 Fitness Cards- Special Olympics
- Communication Using AAC- tips to remember when encouraging your child to communicate using their AAC device.
Spartan CareGiver Support
Spartan CareGiver Support provides families with help regarding behavioral concerns, communication challenges, creating and implementing daily schedules and routines and sleep concerns.
Managing Severe Challenging Behavior in the Home
A recent article with tips on managing severe challenging behavior in the home during the COVID-19 crisis.
CPI's Top 10 De-Escalation Tips
Crisis Prevention Institute's Top 10 Tips to Support De-Escalation
Promoting Positive Behavioral Interventions at Home
A basic tutorial for families to encourage positive behavioral interventions at home.
Resource List for Sibling Support
This comprehensive list from START provides families with resources for supporting the siblings of children with special needs.
Social Narrative About Covid-19
Available in 25 different languages!
ADEPT (ASD Distance Education Parent Training)
This original MIND Institute 10-lesson interactive, self-paced, learning module gives parents tools and training to teach their child with ASD and other related neurodevelopmental disorders functional skills using ABA techniques.
TIES Center: Resources to Support Inclusive Learning
Information and resources for parents related to the inclusion of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.
Amy Gjonaj, M.A.
Special Education Consultant
Email: amy.gjonaj@oakland.k12.mi.us
Location: Oakland Schools, Pontiac Lake Road, Waterford Township, MI, USA
Phone: (248) 209-2461