Vision impairments and strategies to support these learners are often lesser known as there are simply less students with vision impairments in our schools.

Therefore it becomes essential that parents understand their child's needs and are able advocate for their child within the school system.

Listen in as Gillian and I discuss a variety of low-vision related topics and discuss some tools and strategies that may be effective for your child.

ABOUT GILLIAN

Gillian graduated with a Therapeutic Recreation Degree from the University of Waterloo where she realized her passion for special education. After attending the Faculty of Education at Wilfrid Laurier, Gillian worked as a Teacher at KidsAbility School, a section 68 school, specializing in preparing students of kindergarten age with exceptionalities for school success (e.g., setting expectations of morning routines, dressing and self-help skills, sitting at circle, etc.). Gillian has been with the Greater Essex County District School Board for five years as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired and has since obtained her Special Education Specialist, a Braille Teaching Certificate and is working towards her specialist in Teaching Students who are Blind and Low Vision.

For more information on topics related to school-aged children, please visit theparentseducator.com

Deficits in executive functioning are affecting student success daily in our elementary and secondary schools. These deficits often go unidentified and instead our children are described as forgetful, lazy, disorganized or worse.

Having a fulsome understanding of a child's strengths and needs, how his / her particular brain works, is imperative to a child's academic, social and emotional success both at school and in life.

In this episode, Jacqueline Bissonnette and I discuss how these deficits are impacting our children at school as well as tools and strategies that can be effective in supporting these learners.

ABOUT JACQUELINE

Jacqueline has been working in Psychology for the last 22 years where she has gained lots of experience in working with a variety of children and their families, to provide assessment and consultation. The past 12 years have been within the school setting. Prior to that Jaci was with a community Children’s Centre for 10 years. Growing up in a small town in Ontario Jaci never would have guessed that her interest in education and psychology would bring her to this career. Working with students with a variety of profiles, developmental disabilities, learning disorders and autism (to name a few), has kept her job ever changing and so rewarding!

For more information about topics relevant to school-aged child, please visit theparentseducator.com

Oral language development is imperative to school success. All learning is built on the foundation of oral communication and early intervention in areas of need is key to supporting these learners.

Listen in as Stacey and I discuss the many layers of oral communication as well as tools and strategies to support children with needs in this area.

ABOUT STACEY

Stacey Alexander is a Speech Language Pathologist with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of Windsor and a Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology from Wayne State University. For over fifteen years, she has enjoyed her career within the education system and supporting families within the community with private practice. Stacey is passionate about supporting educators and parents to help their students and children succeed in school academically and socially.

For more information on topics related to school-aged children, please visit theparentseducator.com

Our sensory systems are constantly providing us with a flood of information throughout our day. For some children, this flood of information is too overwhelming and it impacts their daily functioning.

Add to that the environment of a busy, bustling classroom of learners and it may be more than our students that are sensory avoidant can tolerate.

Luckily, there are many tools and strategies available to support these learners at school!

Listen in as Evie and I unpack what it means to be sensory avoidant and discuss some classroom friendly options that may work for these students.

ABOUT EVIE

Evie Kirou is a school-based occupational therapist affiliated with John McGivney Children’s Centre in Windsor, Ontario. Throughout her clinical experience at CBI Home Health, Niagara Children’s Centre, and John McGivney Children’s Centre, she has collaborated with children, youth, families, and community partners in many different environments (schools, family homes, childcare centres). Evie is passionate about helping children and youth alike discover their unique strengths and optimal potential, while working to remove barriers in their daily school participation and classroom functioning through evidence-based occupational therapy techniques and strategies.

For more information, tools and strategies please visit theparentseducator.com

Learning to read is perhaps the most vital skill our children learn during their school years.

When breakdowns happen, it has the potential to affect all other areas of a child's life.

Listen in as Andrea and I discuss using a play-based, multi-sensory approach to supporting reading development in our youngest learners.

ABOUT ANDREA

Andrea Maziak is a mother of three who is passionate about literacy and all things Science of Reading related! She graduated with an Honours English degree from Wilfrid Laurier University. Along with her partner, Andrea started Windsor Essex’s first play-based tutoring company, Crushing Limits Education Co., which focuses on using a fun, multi-sensory approach to teaching children to read.

For more tools & strategies to support your school-aged child, please visit theparentseducator.com

All kids come with a need for movement. Some kids require less movement while others require more - a lot more!

The inability to get the level of movement needed is often related to a child's ability to focus and attend in school. The good news is that there are tools and strategies available to students, that can be used in school, to give them access to the movement they require well also improving their ability to focus and attend on the learning more successfully!

Listen in as Evie and I discuss what those tools are and who they might work for.

ABOUT EVIE

Evie Kirou is a school-based occupational therapist affiliated with John McGivney Children’s Centre in Windsor, Ontario. Throughout her clinical experience at CBI Home Health, Niagara Children’s Centre, and John McGivney Children’s Centre, she has collaborated with children, youth, families, and community partners in many different environments (schools, family homes, childcare centres). Evie is passionate about helping children and youth alike discover their unique strengths and optimal potential, while working to remove barriers in their daily school participation and classroom functioning through evidence-based occupational therapy techniques and strategies.

For more tools and strategies that may support your child at school visit theparentseducator.com

The podcast for parents of school-aged children!