Falling through the cracks simply means falling behind when everyone else is moving forward.   With teachers being more taxed than ever before, the risk of students falling through the cracks is on the rise. The education system expects a lot from today’s teachers, from individualized instruction to behavior management, … Continue reading →

You’re watching a program on an older television, and soon, it’s overtaken by static. This is what someone with Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS) experiences regularly. VSS is a rare neurological disorder where the entire visual field is obstructed by small flickering dots similar to TV static or snow. The dots … Continue reading →

Psychoeducational assessments are essential in determining a child’s eligibility for special education and related services. Typically, standardized testing evaluates a student’s background, cognitive functioning, processing, academic functioning, and social-emotional skills. The process will conclude with eligibility recommendations, as well as recommendations for the child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). You might … Continue reading →

For students who regularly use colored overlays in the classroom to address visual stress and visual processing problems, there are often questions and anxiety about whether they will be allowed to use this assistive technology on state and standardized tests.  The use of colored overlays on state standardized tests and … Continue reading →

Anxiety is a pervasive issue for many children. Since the pandemic, anxiety rates have nearly doubled [1] leaving students with impaired ability to learn, participate, and interact with others in the educational environment. While anxiety is a normal part of development, for example, feeling upset at school drop-off or having … Continue reading →

Visual sensory sensitivities are a common sensory issue in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). They may experience hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to certain visual stimuli, such as bright lights, flashing lights, or patterns. These sensitivities can cause discomfort, anxiety, or even pain. For example, an individual with ASD may have … Continue reading →

Every person’s brain is different, just like their fingerprint. And, since every brain is unique, it’s only fitting to accept that not all brains will respond exactly the same way to the same stimuli, event, or activity. The term neurodiversity embraces the unique ways individuals function and views differences among … Continue reading →

Autism and Visual Sensory Overload The world can be a chaotic and overwhelming place for individuals on the autism spectrum. They can be sensitive to their environments and have unusually delicate sensory systems (i.e., sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste) that can be easily overloaded. Visual sensory overload is caused … Continue reading →