Many times when I'm planning for my younger articulation groups (k-2nd grade) behavior management is the biggest concern. Younger elementary kids have a hard time sitting quietly on the best of days. Then, add in

An art collage from May 2010

We have been having fun exploring some elements of springtime weather in preschool - wind, rain, rainbows, clouds and more. It's such a...

Let's face it, we all want our students to talk. We know we need to improve their expressive language to do that. But expressive language is more complex than just talking. Learn more in this episode of the Autism Classroom Resources Podcast.

Such a fun kids craft for spring! I love this little fairy house or gnome home or whatever you call it. So simple--and fun! Grab the free template here and get a paper roll because this is fun!

Alien Freaks aka Cute Li'l Guys (all following) about 4" in diameter, felt, thread, rice. designed by Gabriel, Ivy and me, sewed by me. Here's a thought: Do we value the special unique qualities that make us who we are? Or do we think those little quirks about us make us somehow wrong? Somehow not good enough? Freakish? Flawed? Ugly? I made these beanbags, by hand, for Gabriel's 6th birthday party. The plan was to use them in a beanbag toss game and then let the kids take them home for a goody treat. I had to squelch down my worries that they wouldn't want a dorky handmade goody treat. Or that my flubs in stitching would make these rejects. Or that no mom would want a kid to bring home a thing stuffed with rice. Or that the designs would not be cute enough. But guess what? Every kid, from 4 to 11 snatched one of these little babies up. They picked the ones they liked best and those were owned. Even the first attempts, the wonky little guys with wonky little eyes and wonky little tentacles. And you want to know what? Even the one that was left over... I took it. Mine, I said, defending it greedily from six year old paws. Mine. I pinned it up over my desk. They didn't understand the delicate curlycues and the subtle color scheme, but that one was mine. The kids liked the wonky ones better. Go figure. I'm even going to have to make replicas of some of the ones that went away for little girls who want friends for theirs. What is this all about? This is about trusting your own uniqueness, your own alien beingness, your own wonkiness. Someone out there will love you the way you are. Someone will love what you create with your own two wonky hands. And even if they don't, what you do is just the path towards you learning who you are, what you love, and how to make it. Trust. Keep trying. Look with unbiased eyes at what you do. Look for the loveliness, not the flaw. Imagine your work was created by someone else and see it for what it is, without your own feelings of unworthiness and not-good-enough-ness getting in the way. Loving yourself, is the key. Believing in yourself. Trusting in your vision and your process. Saying yes to who you are and what you do.

I can’t believe it’s September! For those of us in public schools, that means re-organizing and replenishing our bag of tricks. Books of course, are an easy and engaging way to expand language.

Fishin ' Anyone?? Ohhhh ...my kids would LoVe this! Aren't those fish CuTe ?!! :) I came across this idea @ Fr om an Igloo ...where Chr...

Fun and frugal sensory tub idea for Halloween or whenever you need some monsters.

Did you know this week is Children's Book Week ? It is & I have a fun book filled week in store for you! Today, I am going to ...

As my semester wraps up, I’ve started compiling ideas that I’ve used thus far! One of my clients was a very young artic client. He was incredibly cooperative and wonderful, so I got the…

Today's guest post is a fun DIY activity from Leann of Montessori Tidbits . Leann is a homeschooling Mom who shares things like her Top 25 ...

Over the last month I've noticed my little one, Alivia, stuttering quite a bit. At first I didn't think anything of it, but as it started to worsen and become more frequent I grew concerned. In order to establish whether she had control over it, I would remind her to take her time and think about what she wanted to say before she said it. This seemed to help. When I reminded her, she would pause for a good 5 - 10 seconds and then out her statement would come stutter free! This eased my mind a bit. Of course, being a first time parent, over protective, and a worry wart of sorts, I put a call into her Pediatrician anyway. DO YOU HAVE A CHILD THAT STUTTERS? Apparently, stuttering is pretty common in the toddler years. It can last anywhere from weeks, months, even years. If stuttering persists after the age of 5, professional intervention may need to be provided. My main concern was what can I be doing at home to help my child's stuttering? My doctor mentioned a few things over the phone which I thought were very helpful including: try to engage your child in fun, relaxed, and interesting conversation don't insist on correcting his/her words try not to make them repeat themselves (and don’t let them know when you can’t understand what they are saying) don't make him/her repeat themselves After doing some research online, I found WebMD post very similar tips. This made me feel better. There is something about consistency I find comfort in! In short, it looks as though I should just wait it out. Of course, I'll be keeping a close eye on her! When Alivia was born I remember thinking how innocent and helpless she was. It was amazing that she had to depend entirely on someone else (me) to take care of her. It was a rather frightening moment. It was also then I made a promise to her and myself that I would always do whatever necessary to keep her safe, healthy, out of harm’s way, cared for, and, most importantly, happy! Today, when I think I'm being overprotective, overly cautious, even outright ridiculously over the top with concerns and worries, I take a step back and remember I'm really none of those things. I'm just keeping a promise. If you missed my previous post Toddler Clothing: Recommendations from an Experienced Shop-a-holic, I hope you'll check it out! Also, if you haven't seen my poll (at the top of my page in my sidebar to the right), feel free to check that out as well! I'd really appreciate your vote! Technorati Tags: stuttering,child stutter,WebMD,pediatrician,consumer info,new image,NEW,alivia,child photography,toddler on carnival ride,cousins,esterina,carnival

A group of my favourite bloggers have come together to link up our most favourite and important posts from 2011 into a Best of the Best Celebration today! We have all chosen just one post from 2011 to highlight. If you are a blogger you can link up your very own favourite post below too!...Read More »

How to draw a monkey face with step-by-step illustrations and easy to follow directions.

We LOVE our Dot Marker Faux Tie Dye Crafts so I couldn't resist having the Lil Divas make some gorgeous Faux Tie Dye Spring Flowers...

Let the dice lead the way with these super simple ball and balloon games for kids plus work on math and counting along with gross motor fun!

Rachelle over at Tinkerlab has issued a creative challenge and the Lil Divas and I were intrigued & inspired to see what we could create ...

Here is a list (with links) of tutorials that I've shared here on Craft Therapy: Freezer Paper Stenciling Homemade Stamps-Part I Homemade Stamps-Part II Sea Salt Body Scrub Shrink Plastic Jewelry-Part 1 Shrink Plastic Jewelry-Part 2 Thrifty Magazine File I'll try and add more in the coming days. Peace & Love, Barb

This popsicle stick arctic fox craft for kids is a fun winter activity! Grab the FREE printable template and make it with kindergarten and elementary children!

my son was recently baptized...(read more about my religion HERE) omigosh. he's the cutest ever. love this kid. anyways...the family all came--and it was such a special day! i wanted a way for him to

Elephant toothpaste is such a fun science experiment that comes together in minutes with just 4 basic ingredients!

Let the kids have a little extra fun with this Snowball Playdoh. It's a fun activity to make any time of the year.