ARK's Blog

A new school year asks a lot of kids. New routines, new noise, new expectations, long stretches of sitting still, and far fewer chances to move than summer allowed. For a lot of people, chewing is one of the ways the nervous system stays steady through all of that. It's a normal, useful thing to do, and it tends to show up more when there's more to manage. Below are five signs that a chew tool ma …

Do bite mark indentations on every pencil sound familiar? Fingernails that are bitten down and potentially bleeding? Sleeves or shirt collars with holes in them? This is very common! Why? There could be many reasons behind chewing for both kids and adults, the main one being stress and anxiety. As we look ahead to the new school year starting next month for many kids, it's important to note that s …

In our last article -  Does Your Child Need Special Services at School? - we discussed the process and options for school interventions that lead up to an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), from RTI and 504 Plans to requesting an evaluation for special services.  This article will cover what happens from there, diving into IEPs. Once the evaluation is complete, some schools will c …

Do you think your child may need additional resources to effectively learn at school?  Written by a Special Education Teacher, this article is an introduction to the different tools and resources available to have your child’s needs met at school.   Whether you have general concerns or are already anticipating the need for special education, this guide will cover the …