A Message to Parents

Dear Parents, I am finally back after a long silence for almost two years. It is very hard to disengage myself from thinking and writing about...

Posts Tagged ‘consequences’

How To Plan For Life After High School

How To Plan For Life After High School

By Nadia Shanab | autism, general advice, parenting, tips

You’re so proud your child is in high school and keeps progressing! Thanks to all you’ve done in cooperation with schools’ staff and the valuable services she has received. Now, what’s next? Planning should start at least two years prior to graduating high school. Continue setting goals and objectives by involving your child in the

End-of-Year Checklist

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

This is the time of the year when most of us tend to look back and try to “evaluate” or “assess” the last twelve months’ achievements. Parents, don’t be harsh on yourself and on your child, we’re human. Before you blame yourself for not meeting all the goals you’ve set a year ago, ask yourself

What Causes Autism? From Morgan Autism Center Conference

By Nadia Shanab | autism

This is a summary of one of the sessions that I have attended at the Morgan Autism Center last September. The speaker, Jill Escher, narrates her own story of struggle and discoveries. She has 2 kids with “idiopathisc autism”. It is a very informative and eye-opening story that all parents should read. What causes autism

Positive Education

By Nadia Shanab | general advice, Uncategorized

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions. Dalai Lama Research shows that people are becoming less happy, less fulfilled and less satisfied over the last two generations. Fifty years ago depression was known to affect people over thirty; now even children in elementary schools and adolescents are suffering from depression.

Tips for Behavioral Troubleshooting

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

The following tips can be applied in classrooms as well as at home. Be positive in scanning the environment for possible behavioral precipitants. Reduce or eleminate stressors, to the extent possible. Read the student’s cue and signals and react before inapporopriate behavior occurs. “Plug in” activities designed to reduce stress and anxiety before behavioral disruptions

What Is “Normal”? What Is “Special?”

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

Why doesn’t the grapefruit have any grapes inside? I was taken aback and shocked when a HF (high-functioning) student asked me this question. I had never thought about it before. I had never asked myself the same question. Don’t you think that the question really makes sense? How is the grapefruit related to grapes, apart

Risk of Autism in Subsequent Siblings

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

Beginning April, Dr. Landa at The Kennedy Krieger Institute is offering a FREE developmental assessments for infants between ages 5 to 10 months who have an older sibling with autism and live within the Mid-Atalntic five-state region (Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Verginia) or District of Colombia. The risk or likelihood of having a subsequent

No Connection Between Autism and Vaccines

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

Vaccines has been an important topic of research and discussions for so many years. Some parents have a deep belief that the tripple vaccine was the cause of their child’s condition of autism. In a recent research the connection between autism and vaccines failed. It recommeds to keep the vaccines schedule. Read the full article

“Everyday Life with Autism” Is Now on Sale $4.99

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

Today is the International Autism Awareness Day. I would like to seize the opportunity and share in raising awareness about autism. My book is now sold on iTunes, Kindle-Amazon, and Nook for $4.99 only. If you are interested in a hard copy its is also available for $14.99 instead of $19.99 from my webstore or

Awareness Day

By Nadia Shanab | Uncategorized

Autsim Speaks published a great article to summerize the most important things about autism we didn’t know a year ago. Read the article here: www.autismspeaks.org/science/science-news/ten-important-things-we-know-about-autism-today-–-we-didn’t-know-year-ago As an educator working with kids with autism I feel obligated to tell the parents the following: 1- I have seen kids making a great progress over the years, and