HowTos Index
How To Reduce Child Turbulence on Plane Flights
Traveling with kids is hard. Traveling with kids with special needs, for whom disruptions of routine and transitions and large blocks of unstructured time can be a considerable trial, can be so very much harder. Here are five steps to take to make your flight at least a little bit smoother.
How To Teach Your Child to Paraphrase, Not Plagiarize
Kids with learning disabilities may plagiarize without malicious intent, but that's not going to keep them from suffering the consequences. It will take some extra work, but you can help your child paraphrase instead of copying.
How To Join the About Parenting Special Needs Summer Reading Club
Children with special needs may have trouble keeping up with summer reading activities at libraries or bookstores, but everyone's invited to participate in the summer reading project here at the About Parenting Special Needs site -- in their own time, at their own pace.
How To Report a 504 Violation
Your child is not getting the accommodations and modifications specified in her 504 plan. What are you going to do about it? Here are five steps that, in most cases, will get you to a resolution of the problem.
How To How to Stop Your Child From Biting
Biting is a behavior most young children try out, but children with developmental disabilities may be more likely to do it for sensory reasons and less likely to understand that it hurts the other person. Try this technique to nip biting in the bud.
How To Make an Emergency Last-Minute Costume
Your child decides at the last minute that he wants to go trick-or-treating after all, or chooses bedtime to inform you that there's a pageant tomorrow and she's in it. You have no time and no special supplies to make a costume, but a costume is quickly called for. Here's how to throw together something, using items you have around the house, that will do in a pinch.
How To Make a Paper-Bag Book Cover
An early homework assignment in a lot of schools is to cover textbooks. Here's how to turn a brown paper bag into a textbook protector -- just cut, fold and (if things look a little messy) tape.
How To Make a Transition
Do you argue with your child for endless minutes when you need to leave one activity and go to the next? Back that transition time up and be a "human snooze alarm" to give him or her plenty of warning when a change needs to be made.
How To Make Your Child into a Burrito
This is a great togetherness activity for kids with sensory integration problems who crave deep pressure but hate being held and hugged.
How To Make Behavior Charts Work
Awarding points or checkmarks for jobs well done can be effective motivational tools for kids, but behavior charts are often too abstract for children with special needs. Here are some ways to make them work.
How To Start a Reading Routine
Reading with your child every day helps reluctant readers improve their skills, and gives parents and kids some special one-on-one time to share together.
How To Worry More Constructively
Worry is hard to avoid when you're the parent of a child with special needs. The trick is to turn your destructive worrying into constructive worrying.
How To Relieve School Anxiety
School can be a stressful and fearsome place for children, especially those with special needs. If your child is upset about school, here are some good ways to start a dialog and lessen the load.
How To Have a Productive Teacher Conference
A conference is a great opportunity to learn about how your child is doing in class and ways you can improve that. Here's how to make the most of that time with the teacher.
How To Streamline Your Morning Routine
Mornings are hard for many families, and dealing with children with special needs just makes them harder. Here's how to make things run a little bit smoother when you're running behind.
How To Assemble a Teacher Information Packet
You've looked at our "Preparing the School for Your Child with Special Needs" pages. Now what? Here's how to put them together with a personalized note in a package that will get the teacher's attention.
How To Keep a School Year Calendar
Don't wait until it's almost too late before jotting down meetings and special school events. Fill a calendar before the first day of school and give yourself an A for organization.
How To Reduce Backpack Overload
All kids struggle under the burden of overstuffed backpacks, but for children with special health, orthopedic or mobility needs, the problem can be particularly severe. Here's how to lighten the load.
How To Assemble a Camp Information Packet
On this site, you'll find "Preparing the School" information for a wide range of special needs. That information can also help your child's camp counselor keep your child safe, productive and happy. Here's how to adapt the information and put it all together into a packet perfect for camp consumption.
How To Help Kids Contribute
Wondering how your child can contribute to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort? Every little piggy bank helps. Coinstar machines -- the ones that let you dump your pennies and get cash -- can also help you donate your nickels and dimes to the American Red Cross. Here's how to help your child gather coins for the cause.
How To Protest a Grade
When your child brings home a grade on a test, paper or report card that you feel is unjust, should you let it go or make a complaint? Here are some steps to take when following-up on a bad grade, or deciding not to.
How To How to Play the "Dots" Game
Here's a quick distraction to get fidgety kids through boring events like car rides, restaurant waits and, alas, church services. It's quiet, it's attention-grabbing, and it can expand to fill as much time as you need.
How To Get an IEP for Your Child
Whether you've requested an Individualized Educational Plan for your child or have been asked to consider one by school or state personnel, these are the steps you'll go through, from initial referral through provision of services and triennial reevaluation.
How To Make a Halloween Costume for a Child with Sensory Integration Dysfunction
Children with sensory integration problems may balk at scratchy costumes, itchy makeup and pinchy headgear. Making a costume that puts a premium on comfort will make your little ghoul happy -- and being able to use the clothes again after will make you happy, too.
How To Write a Paragraph
Organizing thoughts into a coherent piece of writing can be hard for children with learning disabilities. Here's how to help your child write a strong five-sentence paragraph, whether for an elementary assignment or a open-ended exam.