Entries by MarianAdmin

Inclusion Might Just Change the World

Children don’t come with manuals.  Parents read books and listen to podcasts and follow blogs and try to keep their head above the child-rearing water.  And all the while the little people are absorbing the world around them which can be absolutely frightening but can also be so incredibly beautiful.   My son has been […]

Peer Models – One Mother’s Thoughts

One mom recently shared her feelings about her daughter as a peer model in a Language Enrichment class. Her daughter is enrolled in the same class as her nephew, who has an Autism diagnosis. My daughter has learned to give her cousin “squeezes” when he feels overwhelmed or screams. He LOVES it! And it has […]

A Magical Vacation for ALL Children

Summer is just around the corner.  You may have started to think about a summer family vacation.  Guest blogger, Jo Varnum, shares her tips for a Disney vacation for ALL children – including those children with Autism.   My husband and I love Walt Disney World, so when we found out that our son was […]

Protein Balls

Looking for a change in the snack routine?   Tired of your kids asking for “sweets” that you don’t want to give them?   Need some REAL FOOD for dessert?   Try these FUN protein ball and bite recipes that your kids can help you make!! (I’ve made some notes for each to let you in […]

Slow Down!

Last spring at one of my son’s soccer games, I was feeling that “motherly” frustration at my son’s performance. I stood on the sidelines shouting things like, “Stay in your own lane!” “Turn around!” “Pay attention!” “Keep running!” etc… My husband looked at me and gently said, “Angie, he is doing well. You cannot expect […]

What are special needs?

What are special needs anyway? Here is how I see it: all children are special and all children have needs so basically all children have special needs. We are a society of labels…what is yours? ADD, ADHD, OCD, ASD, PDD, and the list goes on and on and on! What if some of these charming “man-made” labels were […]

Time to Start Packing!

  It’s time to be packing those school lunches again.  Ready or not, here they come…. It can be easy to fall into the traps of convenient processed foods or lunches that look like everyone else’s. A pre-packaged food isn’t always faster and usually not healthier. Start this school year out with a bang by […]

Three Ways to Get your Pantry Ready for School

Can you believe it’s time to start thinking about school? As the dietitian supporting Marian Hope, I wanted to share with you not only a fab back to school deal on real food products, but also an upcoming event to get your brain back in the school lunch game. Oh, and a super easy and […]

“Inclusion” versus “Successful Inclusion”

For years I have been trying to figure out “successful inclusion” for children with special needs. Inclusion is when a child is included into the same activities as other children despite their challenges.  This does not necessarily equal successful inclusion. Successful inclusion varies depending on the child’s needs. In my eyes, successful inclusion is when […]

Inclusion is Challenging, but…

Just because inclusion is challenging, does not mean we deny children the opportunity to be included. Marian Hope Academy is a school that is rooted in Christian principles, has high standards and expectation for all children and includes children of all learning abilities. The reason many schools do not accept those with various learning needs, is because they lack the education, training […]