There are many reasons I am thankful that I work at The Lighthouse. I love my students, I enjoy being a teacher, but there is something I thank my lucky stars for almost every minute of everyday: our staff team. I am actually convinced that the most talented people in this field, in all of […]
Incidental teaching is an important part of learning for all children, including children with ASD. Incidental teaching allows you to take advantage of natural learning opportunities through things such as play, social skills and communication. At The Lighthouse Learning and Development Centre we are constantly using incidental teaching throughout programs and activities. Incidental teaching during […]
When one is cognitively flexible, a typical day of school may include transitioning with ease from topic to topic, subject to subject and emotion to emotion. Things such as having a supply teacher, moving to a different desk to work at and having lunch at a different time may be regular occurrences that do not […]
“Be willing to be a beginner every day.” – Meister Eckhart Two years ago I began my paid journey in education as an Occasional Teacher for the York Region District School Board. While this was certainly not the beginning of my journey as a teacher, there are many reasons that I’m pleased to be at […]
For all of human kind, communication is vital! Whether it is in a classroom, a personal relationship, on a professional sports team, or a working environment, the key to success will always be communicating effectively. For some people, functional communication comes naturally. For others, such as those on the Autism spectrum, it may not. Many […]
When starting a new behaviour protocol for their child, autism parents have always been told to withhold any reinforcer until their child does what they want them to do. While the long-term effects of this protocol will be worth it, having to follow it can lead to a tantrum or worse. 40% of children with […]
Unless you live in a bubble you know that recently the Ministry of Child and Youth Services (MCYS) has changed the structure of provincially funded treatment for Autism. For those who are unaware of what the changes mean, the coles notes version is that every child over the age of 5 will be discharged from […]
I think everyone in the autism community can agree that one of the first thing that pops into your head when meeting a child with autism is “I wonder why they’re doing what they’re doing”. I know that every time I interact with a child I haven’t worked with before I am very curious to […]
Over the past week, Autism intervention has been a hot topic of discussion in the news and media. Due to the recent changes in Government funding, Autism services of Ontario have been drastically altered.The ministry has made a change to increase Autism funding in Ontario by $333 million dollars over the next 5 years. The […]
