Reading is a skill and we are all aware reading fluency is critical. Learning to read can be a daunting task for learners with autism spectrum. However, by applying the correct coaching techniques and understanding the learner’s interest and learning capability, coaching a learner with autism spectrum to read can be much easier.

Conducive Environment 

Learners with autism spectrum disorder are vulnerable to distractions. They have the tendency to get distracted by sounds and brightness and may not be capable to filter out irrelevant details such as noises and visual information. They may get distracted from the sounds or noises coming from fans or even the air conditioners.

It is recommended to provide a quiet room for the learner. Ensure outside noise are kept to a minimum. And do not sit the learner facing bright sunlight or near to a flickering fluorescent lighting. Instead, try opting for natural light or reading lamp for the reading session, as this can...

 COVID-19 has not only introduced a global pandemic, but has also significantly changed the way we operate in our daily lives. Due to spatial distancing measures imposed because of the pandemic, the closure of both mainstream and special needs schools were necessary to curb the spread of the virus.

As a result, families made arrangements to incorporate home-based learning and also had to think of ways to ensure that the children can continue to learn and develop, and not regress in this unfortunate circumstance that we are in. Particularly for children with ASD, the regular face-to-face interventions they have been receiving from professionals had to be restricted and parents, in turn, may experience an increased level of stress during this period.

Though these restrictions are being lifted gradually, going about our days like how we used to before the pandemic might not be possible just yet. The aim of this post is to give some suggestions, summarised in 5 tips, to help...

Writing is an important skill for communication and especially in the education field when students are expected to write well and fast throughout their learning at school. In today’s world of technology, students are presented with lesser opportunities to practise their writing skills which may potentially be one of the contributors to a reduced speed in our students’ handwriting. This creates some concerns among parents on their children’s handwriting skills and speed.

There are many factors that can affect your child’s speed in writing, such as writing tools, body posture, etc. Here are some tips which can help your child to improve on his/her writing speed:  

1) Check the Writing Tools  Always use a good quality pen/pencil because it has a great significance on our writing speed and these days they do not cost much.

2) Body Posture and Technique

a. Maintain Good Posture

This is one of the easiest ways the child can do to improve his/her...

Have you ever worried, felt nervous or experienced uneasiness?

These are feelings of anxiety and are normal responses when we are faced with important life event or during a difficult situation e.g. getting married or giving birth or going for a procedure. It can also happen to our children as well e.g. going for exams.  

While we adults may be able to identify, express and calm our anxiety, our children may not be able to do that. So, how can we help our children when they are feeling anxious?

Firstly, we need to be able to identify what are the tell-tale signs that our child is experiencing feelings of anxiety.

Here are some tell-tale signs of anxiety in a child that you can look out for:  

Starts to be clingy

Very prone to getting cranky or irritable

Gets awakened by bad dreams in the middle of the night

Feeling tensed up and often fidgety

Avoid daily activities, such as attending schools or socialising with friends

Secondly, how can we help our child to calm those...

From gaming arcades, television consoles, handheld consoles, mobile devices to online gaming, video gaming is undoubtedly one of the most popular entertainment these days. But do you know that playing video games can help to boost your cognitive skills?  Here are 3 cognitive benefits of playing video games that you should be aware of:  

Improves Memory - A gamer typically has to understand the ins and outs of the game structure. To achieve this, the gamer has to read and comprehend the game instructions and tactics. Making efforts to memorize/remember the gaming instructions throughout the whole entirety of the game is required in order to be able to progress to the next level. That’s how videogames help in improving a gamer’s potential to remember.  

Enhances Multitasking Skills - There are so many details to take note of when playing video game. For example, a gamer has to remember to keep a lookout for oncoming enemies, when to launch an attack,...

“The future depends on what we do in the present!” -Mahatma Gandhi

Punishment or discipline? It’s an age-old debate, isn’t it? However, if dealt with the right attitude, care and consistency this would be an easy task.

The dictionary meaning of discipline is “the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behaviour, using punishment to correct disobedience.” However, the recent trends show a shift from using punishment as a tool to enforce discipline in a child.  

Punishment is about dominating a child: Instead of teaching the child the right ways to manage himself/herself, punishment may affect the self-esteem of a child. Mostly, it results in changing the manner a child thinks of himself. A UN agency  states that a serious punishment could make a child  consider “himself/herself bad", rather than thinking that “he/she has made a bad decision”  
Discipline teaches children...

Teaching is a huge commitment and to be an effective teacher, a lot of us are strongly focused on knowledge sharing but the core aim of teaching is also providing a comfortable and interactive environment. While teaching, knowingly, or unknowingly we make delicate mistakes that may affect the kids.  

Make sure you avoid doing these mistakes while teaching:-  

1. Yelling: No one likes being yelled at. Yelling at students will result in them developing a dislike for the teacher slowly and may result in distrust. If you want effective communication, you need to talk in a normal but stern voice and this would make teaching less complicated and a fun task.  

2.Teasing: It is a top-notch talent in case you are able to use humor in the study room and make students laugh, however, targeted comic stories or remarks that may seem like teasing can harm the students’ self-confidence. Avoid teasing or making fun of the child on the basis of voice, movement,...

When it comes to improving a child’s grades, parents would go all out to find the right tutor for their child. However, finding the right tutor can be quite a nightmare for some. Parents either ended up with an inexperienced tutor or the child isn’t able to connect with the tutor.

While some parents rely on referrals from trusted sources such as school teachers, friends, or family members, some parents would go through great measures by scouring the web to look out for the right tutor.

There are many factors parents should consider prior to hiring the best tutor. Here are 4 recommendations for parents to consider when hiring a tutor for their child.

Check Academic Credentials:

It is essential to check the tutors credentials in order to be able to know if the tutor has the ability to teach the subject matter. Parents may request for the academic credentials from the potential tutors and at the same time ask the type of academic training the potential tutor has in the...

As parents, it is essential for parents to interact daily with their child. Aside from helping to build the relationship between parents and the child, it also provides the parents insight into the child’s feelings and any struggles the child might be dealing with. In a way, this provides the child with some sort of reassurance and that the parents will be there in times of trouble.

It is important to keep things simple, avoid forcing the child, ask the right questions, pay full attention when the child is talking and maintain constant eye contact. Instead of asking basic question such as “how was your day”, you may consider the following 5 interesting questions.

What was the toughest thing you had to do today?

This enables to child to open up and share his/her struggles and most importantly the child knows he/she can depend on their parents for a solution. By having this communication with the child, it will help to boost the child’s confidence and eliminate...

Just like adults, children are also susceptible to all forms of stressors such as studies and the environment. That is why it is important to ensure the learning environment is conducive for a child. Getting the learning environment right for the child is extremely crucial. This enables the child to focus better, reduces stress, and promotes better engagement during lesson time.

Here are 3 common learning environments that could affect a child’s learning ability.

Cleanliness:

A clean learning environment is crucial as it maximizes the learning experience of the child. Dirty and messy environments would have a negative impact on the learning ability of the child as it can cause distraction and hence affecting the child’s overall performance during lesson time.

Lightning:

Lighting is an important factor that enables the brain's ability to focus. Dim lighting has a negative learning effect by making it difficult for the child to clearly see the words. Excessive lighting...