Susan Traugh

As the school year begins, Special Ed Teachers really have their eyes on the end-game for their students in transition. The year or two until students reach adulthood travels by in a flash and teachers need to feel like they've done all they can to prepare their students for life after high school. Whether or not you use Daily Living Skills or Transition 2 Life, it is important to answer certain questions as you plan a student's transition program. If you need them, there are assessment tools with Daily Living Skills that allow you to assess what skills students have or need.

Check out my new blog "Life with Bob--Parenting Children With Mental Illness" on HealthyPlace.com. I'll be talking about my journey parenting my three adult children with mental illness (and other disabilities) and how it has affected both their lives and mine. I'm excited for a chance to talk about this issue and am looking forward to an open exchange with any of you who would like to join the conversation.

While bar-b-ques might be a little overwhelming, there's no reason our kids can't enjoy summer-fare meals prepared in a safer way. Follow this link to watch the free video modeling the steps to making a hot dog, or use the plan laid out here: Microwave hot dogs and beans can form the basis of a fun and enjoyable meal and give students the satisfaction of doing it themselves. 2) Microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes depending on oven. Add a little fresh summer fruit and you have a great summer meal!

Facebook's most common "likes" include these topics, with each getting 9 million or more "likes." Set a timer for one minute and allow one student to talk about everything they know about the chosen topic. The goal for each student is to build on what the previous student said. Allow students to converse on a regular basis using these popular topics so that they can practice having true conversations.