Your Child and Autism
Many parents have that ‘a-ha’ moment when they realize their child may have a more profound challenge than previously expectant. Unlike your friend’s kid at the same age- your child has trouble maintaining friendships, struggles to communicate, or demonstrates repetitive body movements. Perhaps they have difficulty relating to the world around them and seems inflexible with their thoughts and behaviors. If you notice these characteristics, don’t ignore them. While your child could be delayed, it may be wise to seek a professional opinion and check if your child may be on the autism spectrum.

Learn the Milestones
Many children with autism show developmental delays early on and don’t meet typical milestones. For instance, by 6-9 months, most babies can sit up without support, babble sounds, and respond to their name. By 9-12 months, babies typically grab objects and toys, crawl, and stand independently. Most children can walk independently between ages 1-3, climb stairs, jump, stack objects, speak in short sentences, and follow basic directions. Between ages 3-5, children can typically toss a ball overhand, get dressed independently, and draw a full person with all features. Children ages 6-12 generally have developed strong friendships with peers and are usually independent in completing their school work. If you notice delays or regression in any of these milestones and your instincts tell you something is off, your child may be at risk for autism.

Identifying Autism
If you think your child has autism, take action. The sooner you identify and address autism, the better it will be for your family. Speak to your child’s doctor; he or she may inquire as to whether all developmental milestones have been met and may recommend an autism screening. This screening typically consists of a series of yes or no questions regarding symptoms. If your doctor suspects that your child may have autism, your child may need to have a full diagnostic evaluation by an ASD specialist. Typically, the evaluator will observe your child, ask you as the parent a series of questions, fill out questionnaires, and administer a series of tests to your child. These factors will allow the evaluator to identify whether or not your child may have autism so you can take appropriate action for a concrete diagnosis.

Your Child Receives an ASD Diagnosis — Next Step
First off, don’t panic. There are many resources and a great deal of support available for children with autism, and your child is certainly not alone! However, the earlier you intervene and seek your child’s services, the more gains you will see. Once you receive the diagnosis, which typically includes a full report, read it thoroughly and review the evaluator or doctor’s recommendations. Reach out to your child’s school to let them know about the diagnosis and inquire about creating an IEP (Individualized Education Program) to map out the services your child will receive based on their needs. These services may include special education classroom placement, speech therapy, occupational therapy, behavioral therapy, physical therapy, social skills groups, etc. Also, learn what you can do at home to help your child, such as creating a set structure and routine and rewarding good behavior. The more you can work as a team with your child’s doctors, educators, and therapists, this will help provide consistent support to your child.

Many children with autism are kind, loving, high-achieving individuals who have countless gifts. With the right support, your child can succeed academically and thrive in life.

Dr. Emily Levy is the founder of EBL Coaching, a tutoring program that specializes in one-on-one home and on-site instruction for students in grades preK-12 in NYC, NJ, and Westchester. She is also the author of Strategies for Study Success, a study skills workbooks series emphasizing test taking, note taking, reading comprehension, writing, and executive functioning strategies, and the Flags and Stars Orton Gillingham student workbook series. These books are currently used at schools nationwide. Dr. Levy studied at Brown University and later received her Masters Degree in Special Education and her Doctorate Degree in Education. She has spoken nationwide on research-based methods for teaching students with and without learning disabilities. Dr. Levy is currently the Director of EBL Coaching’s learning centers.

The post Your Child and Autism: Steps to Take If You Think Your Child is Autistic appeared first on EBL Coaching.

Have you noticed your child struggling in school? Perhaps they are having a hard time learning to read, can’t grasp multi-step math problems, or are having difficulty staying focused in class. Their self-esteem is plummeting as schoolwork becomes increasingly challenging, and their struggles seem insurmountable. Your child may have special needs and, if so, the sooner you can identify these needs and address them, the better it will be for their overall confidence and academic performance. So what can you do?

For starters, if you see your child struggling, talk to their doctor ‎and teacher. Discuss milestones they may or may not have met and determine if their teacher notices the same challenges you see at home. If you feel these struggles are getting worse or think they may benefit from additional accommodations at school, you might consider having them tested. This testing can be done for free either through your state’s early intervention program (if your child is under age three) or through your child’s school district. The evaluation and specific tests administered may range, but evaluators will typically test your child’s IQ and will likely also test language, motor, behavior, and achievement skills.

Psst…Winter isn’t over, here are Perfect Snow Day Activities for Kids in NYC

IEP or 504 plan
Depending on the evaluation results and your child’s needs, your child may qualify for either an IEP or a 504 plan. An IEP details your child’s specific goals and a plan for what your school will do to help meet those goals, including specific services, like speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and academic support. A 504 plan helps provide accommodations for support within the classroom, such as additional time on tests, an aide in the classroom, preferential seating, and/or modified homework. Typically students who have a less severe disability (like anxiety, ADHD, etc.) and not a diagnosed learning disability will receive a 504. Students who need more services, including speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, special education teacher support services, etc., would receive an IEP.

Know Your Rights
Federal law indicates that every child is entitled to a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment possible. Three specific federal laws apply to children with special needs, including the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Ace, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These laws’ specifics can vary by state, so it’s important for you to understand the procedures and criteria specific to your state.

IDEA‎ stipulates that a child’s issues must fall into one of 13 categories to be eligible for special education services. Section 504 mandates that schools cannot discriminate again students who have disabilities and are required to provide appropriate accommodations to them. Students covered under Section 504 usually have less severe disabilities or do not fall into one of the categories stipulated under IDEA. The ADA indicates that children with special needs cannot be discriminated against and must be provided appropriate services and programs suitable to their needs. If your school district refuses to provide appropriate services to your child, you may initiate a due process hearing to challenge their decision.

Focus on Your Child’s Strengths
It is easy to go into a bit of negative space when dealing with your child’s educational support. Remember to focus on your child’s strengths; they may struggle with reading and writing but may excel with math computation. Or maybe your child is incredibly social, empathetic, and ‎kind. Perhaps they are a beautiful artist, a great storyteller, or a whiz at building Legos. Praise your child for small accomplishments, like sitting next to a friend at lunch who seemed sad, drawing a beautiful flower, or creating an elaborate Lego tower. As you help your child academically with areas where they may struggle, continue to build their self-esteem, and explain that no one is perfect. We all have strengths and weaknesses, as well as areas we need to work on improving. Your special needs child can still have dreams and aspirations that can be achieved with support and guidance.

Dr. Emily Levy is the founder of EBL Coaching, a tutoring program that specializes in one-on-one home and on-site instruction for students in grades PreK-12 in NYC, NJ, and Westchester. She is also the author of Strategies for Study Success, a study skills workbooks series emphasizing test-taking, note-taking, reading comprehension, writing, and executive functioning strategies, and the Flags and Stars Orton Gillingham student workbook series.

The post Is Your Child Missing Milestones? When the Next Step is an IEP appeared first on EBL Coaching.

This guide details developmental and academic milestones from age 1 through 5th grade, including language development; early reading, writing, and math skills; and general academic expectations.

Developmental Milestones in the Early Years

Age 1 Developmental Milestones
By age 1, children should be saying basic words, such as “mama” and “dada” and should respond to oral requests as well as the word “no.”

Age 2 Developmental Milestones
By age 2, children should begin to speak using simple phrases and 2-4 word sentences. They should also pick up a pencil and scribble on their own.

Age 3 Developmental Milestones
By age 3, children should begin to recognize numbers, colors, and basic shapes, and should be able to count 1-3 objects.

Age 4 Developmental Milestones
By age 4, children should be able to count 5 objects, rhyme words, print some (though not all) letters, and speak in long, compound and complex sentences using a roughly 1,500 word vocabulary.

Academic Milestones During the School Years

Kindergarten Milestones
By kindergarten, children should recognize basic sight words, such as at, too, this, and what. They should also be able to count at least ten objects, identify and write the numbers 1-10, identify and write upper and lower case letters, and recognize the sounds associated with each letter of the alphabet.

First Grade Milestones
By first grade, students should be able to decode basic three and four letter words. Students often still use inventive spelling but are able to compose multi- sentence stories when writing.

Second Grade Milestones
By second grade, most students will have become fluent readers and are able to decode the majority of unknown words that they come across when reading. They should be reading chapter books and read them with expression. They should also begin to use correct (not inventive) spelling when writing multi- paragraph stories.

Third Grade Milestones
By third grade, students should be writing both creative stories as well as simple paragraphs, with a topic sentence, details, and a conclusion sentence. They should use mostly correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. They should also be
“automatic” with their basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts.

Fourth Grade Milestones
With the shift from learning to read to reading to learn, children should be able to fluently decode words and identify the topic, main idea, and important details when reading. They should also begin to write well-composed multi-paragraph essays and be able to independently
break down math word problems.

Fifth Grade Milestones
Children should be able to brainstorm, write, and self-check five paragraph essays with proper sequence and organization. They should also have well-developed higher level comprehension skills, including drawing conclusions and making inferences and predictions
based on information read. Furthermore, they should be able to independently solve multi-step math computation problems.

Read more about signs your child may be neurodiverse at https://eblcoaching.com/signs-your-child-may-be-neurodiverse/.

When Should Parents Be Concerned About Developmental Milestones?

All children develop at a different pace, but significant delays in language or academic skills could be signs of a learning disability like dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia. If you notice your child is struggling with any of the skills below, you may want to have them evaluated and consider academic tutoring:

• Difficulty learning letter names and sounds
• Trouble learning basic basic sight words
• Difficulty learning to count and grasp basic math skills
• Trouble understanding material that is read to them
• Frustration when trying to read or write
• Poor self-esteem related to learning

If you notice any of these struggles, EBL Coaching can help. We provide individualized, one-on-one tutoring in reading, writing, math, and other content areas. Learn more about how we can help your child, including those with dyslexia, ADHD, and learning disabilities, at www.eblcoaching.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are developmental milestones?
Developmental milestones are skills children should generally achieve by a specific age, such as reading, writing, math, and language skills.

Do all children reach milestones at the same time?
No! All children are different and reach milestones at varying times. However, there is a range of expectations for skills, and if your child’s milestones fall out of that range, you may want to seek an evaluation and academic remediation.

What are signs that your child may be falling behind academically?
If your child struggles to learn basic academic skills, like the names of the letters and their corresponding sounds, math concepts including counting and number recognition, or writing letters and numbers – or shows frustration with academic tasks, you may want to look into individualized tutoring for them.

Read more about dyslexia at Could My Child Have Dyslexia? – EBL Coaching.

Dr. Emily Levy holds her Doctorate Degree and is the Founder and Director of EBL Coaching. She has been helping students of all ages build their academic skills with specialized academic tutoring and executive functioning coaching for over twenty years.

Other Related Blogs:
Building Pre-Reading Skills
Building Basic Reading Skills

The post Child Developmental Milestones by Age (1 Year Old to 5th Grade) appeared first on EBL Coaching.