The Choice Group

     We found this great article by Teresa Thomas on DisabilityScoop.com !  We need more outreach committees actively creating awareness and an inclusive environment for all students to learn and play.  We especially loved that they were calling it Ability Awareness, "because we want kids to focus on the fact that we all have abilities even though we're different."  That's the message we try to send out through our work at The Choice Group- that skill, talent, and hard work aren't exclusive traits but can be fostered in inclusive workplace environments. Kids Get 'Ability Awareness' Training by Teresa Thomas, Mail Tribune/TNS | January 26, 2016 MEDFORD, Ore. – Hayden Allen, 9, gestured wildly as he tried to communicate instructions to his classmates without using words. As he acted out “arranging toy cars in a row,” his classmates guessed that he was counting, dancing and even flying. Hayden finally gave up. “It was hard and frustrating, ...

Just in time for school to start, we thought we'd share with educators some advice and requests from parents of children with disabilities.  Numbers 8, 11, 12, 15, 16, 20 to be particularly inspiring! Article written by Melissa McGlensey from TheMighty.com 22 Things Parents Want Special Educators to Know Before School Starts As back-to-school time draws near, we know parents have a lot on their minds (and to-do lists). Jumping into a new school year with a new special educator can be daunting for moms and dads. So  we asked our parent readers what they wanted their children’s special educators to know . Here’s what they had to say: 1. “Read the IEP and, as my special educator, please tell the inclusions teachers to read it, too. I do appreciate you… But I am still the parent and we need to be a team.” —  Doreen Duran 2. “A lways communicate with parents. We want to know everything going on — improvements, failures, what they’re doing, are they making f...