Category: Education

MOVING… Lessons Learned

Published on by LouiseSattler2 Comments

If you read my earlier blog about packing to move then you may recall that Hubby and I recently relocated from metro DC to the south shores of Los Angeles. When last reported the move was going smoothly.  However, now that we are moved in and almost all settled, I feel compelled to write a blog as “words of warning” to others.  So, here I go… the names of the actual moving company have been changed so no one gets all “legal” on me.

We contracted MOVING BUSINESS XYZ in order to pack and move our belongings and ship our two cars. My first warning that something would go wrong was when the “assigned person” to our move kept changing.  Not once, not twice but at least three times.

Since I am a bit “anal retentive” I decided to pack my sentimental, mostly non-breakable items myself.  That meant silly tzackos were placed in tons of bubble wrap in Rubbermaid containers.  I left the china and truly valuable breakables (like wedding and baby gifts) to the “official packers”.  WRONG MOVE as after we moved in and started to unpack it became abundantly clear that we were in for a major list of damages.  My Tupperware was keenly packed with tons of paper while my good crystal- not treated as well and SMASHED.  A baby gift to our daughter from my parents arrived in two pieces.  Only one word could describe the carnage – heartache.

So, in order to help others I am writing a list of what I wish I had known…

1- GET SEPARATE MOVING INSURANCE.  For some reason we missed this step. I guess we thought homeowners insurance would do the trick, but no such luck.  According to our nice attorney that we consulted via Legal Shield we were told that unfortunaltely for consumers, the law sides with MOVING BUSINESS XYZ.  They only have to pay 60 cents per pound. Thousands of dollars of damage resulted in much less of a claim for us.

2- PHOTOGRAPH EACH PACKAGE as it is packed. Video what you can of all your goods while the packing is occurring. This is how we remembered what didn’t show up- like tools from our garage.  Also, this is how we knew that a new BLUERAY player was gone and a VCR was placed in its’ box instead.

3- Take all your documents with you to stop any chance of identity theft.

4. Get the names of all your packers, movers and “handlers” – that way if something is wrong- such as credit card charges that you didn’t authorize, you may have a better chance at knowing who is to blame.

I don’t often write negative blogs, as I feel that many people do just that with absolutely no value. But, I hope that you see this more as an educational missive.

Thanks for reading and below is a photo of a local spot near our new home. I guess the aggravation may have been worth it , after all-

~Louise

Summer Reading Recommendations from Kids to Adults

Published on by LouiseSattler2 Comments

Hello Everyone!  Each year I receive a zillion books to review from publicists and authors. This year, I have chosen a select few to comprise my 2012 Summer Reading List.  Note, I could have written volumes, but I am choosing to spotlight just a few books. Many are niche, meant for only a select few – like School Psychologists. While others can be enjoyed by young and old.

Here are my recommendations, as random as they seem,  in no certain order:

ECHO’S REVENGE by Sean Ausin  Book 1  – Now this book is FUN! Sci-Fi meets Gaming meets Suspense meets Teen Angst!  I cannot write too much about this book as I don’t want to give the unique concept away. Let’s just say that it is way different than any other book I have reviewed this summer.   This is a combination book with an interactive website and engaging story all rolled in together. The story involves situations that on some degree will resonate with teen readers. When reading Echos’s Revenge, I couldn’t help but think it would make a good FATHER’S DAY gift for the Dad who enjoys the gaming world.   Also, have a kid at home who hates to read?  This book will rope them in as it integrates technology and terminology that tweens and teens LOVE! Available via Amazon here or the WEBSITE  Continue the fun with TWITTER 

SCARED SILENT  by Mildred Muhammad  Remember the DC Sniper and all the havoc John Muhammad caused almost a decade ago. I do. Vividly!  I was gripped from the first word that Mildred Muhammad put to paper. Her story unraveled with shear honesty and poignancy.  The writer is now an advocate and expert on domestic violence and the book integrates many lessons learned and “pearls of wisdom” throughout.  Recommended for mature tweens and up.  For more information about domestic violence and Mildred Muhammad go here: www.afterthetrauma.org  I am proud to call Mildred my colleague and friend via 411VOICES,

too

The School Psychologists Survival Guide by Rebecca Branstetter is a gem!  I only wish that this book was written back in the early 1980’s during my School Psychology training years. Chocked full of sage advice, information and templates to help out novice to seasoned School Psychs!  BRAVO to the author. AMAZON offer this title.

 THE MAFIA HAIRDRESSER by jon- david. This book is pure joy! Maybe I enjoyed it because it was written using my new hometown as it’s backdrop.  Or perhaps because I had a blast hanging out with the author at his book signing in Chicago.  Or, perhaps because it is a fun and sultry story which made me escape for a few hours while on an airplane. Regardless, I sincerely enjoyed this easy to read book and am banking that you will, too! Book not yet launched nationwide except on website:  http://mafiahairdresser.com/

The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders (and their parents) by Elizabeth Verdick and Elizabeth Reeve, MD.  I have to admit I waited and waited to receive this long anticipated book.  Finally, in my humble opinion,  a book that relates to kids on the spectrum because it incorporates actual stories from their lives in their own words!  I loved the format, readability and the content!  Another big thumbs up to authors for tackling a tough subject and giving voice to the very group it impacts – kids with Autism!

BOOKMARKED – Teen Essays on Life and Literature from Tolkein to Twilight.  Edited by Ann Camacho.  I am not sure every teen will grasp this book wholeheartedly. but, I am hoping they will. Some of the stories are so raw and honest you feel like you are sitting with these teens at a coffee shop engrossed in their storytelling.    Many of the stories are about courage, anguish and often reflect hope. Honestly, the biographies of these young authors were for me as compelling as the essays themselves.  Another great find by our friends at Free Spirit Publishing. 

CAROLE KING  –  NATURAL WOMAN  by Carole King.  Confession… I have been a HUGE fan of Carole King’s since I heard the first cut from her long heralded TAPESTRY album. I think I own every album she has made since then, too. I have seen here in concert, met her at a fundraising event in the early 1980’s and have followed her career for over four decades. I guess that makes me a “groupie”.  This book for me was a must have for Summer.  It did not disappoint.   If you are a big fan of singer/songwriters, music from the 1960’s and 70’s or just love a great biography – then be sure to sit down with NATURAL WOMAN sooner than later! Available in a zillion places!

My meeting jon-david, author of the MAFIA HAIRDRESSER in Chicago, March 2012

First Signs to Introduce to Young Children

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Today I received an excellent question on my SIGNING FAMILIES FACEBOOK  page.  It was a very caring grandmother requesting information about First Signs for her young four year old granddaughter who is having sensory and learning challenges.. Where should they start? How can the school support their efforts and vice versa?

I have added a slideshow at the end of this blog to help answer this question. 

Here are my basic rules for teaching sign to children whether they are deaf / hard of hearing or have developmental challenges.  (These rules also can apply to teaching children “just because”.. which makes me all happy inside to think that so many are learning ASL for fun and to make communication bridges.)

1- Introduce signs that are in the child’s enviroment. Concrete signs.  Daily activities or objects.  Nothing that is abstract or not pertinent.

2- I always suggest learning a few signs such as MORE, WANT and FINISHED at the onset of ASL learning, too. These not only help with transitions but also can help with promoting positive behaviors.

3- Signs like I LOVE YOU and GOOD JOB will help the older child who is learning sign language feel comfortable.

4- Don’t use ASL in isolation. Have everyone in the child’s immediate environment learn ASL so that the child is an equal member of the family. Nothing is worse than a holiday celebration, an incidental conversation or a trip to the store where people are chatting all around you but you understand virtually nothing or very little. This is the scenario that has been retold to me time and time again by my deaf friends.

5- Learn only FIVE to TEN signs at a time.  Your child will be able to tackle more, but try to learn and introduce the new  signs in to your basic everyday conversation. Anymore than that and you may feel overwhelmed.

6. Involve your child in to the local deaf community. And, yourselves!  There is a wonderful deaf community waiting to embrace you and share the rich culture that has been part of the fabric of Deaf Life here in the United States.

7. Read up on great resources and also indulge in social media to help you explore for more.  See my resource link page on Signing Families for more info.

FIRST SIGNS LIST

MORE

DRINK

EAT

SLEEP

BATH

PLAY

MOMMY

DADDY

COME

GO

FINISHED

TIME FOR

WANT

DON’T WANT

HELP 

FRIENDS

BOOK

POTTY

WAIT

CAREUL

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Parenting Children with Special Medical Needs

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Through the years I have worked with families who have been put to a great parenting test –  raising a child with difficult health needs. Whether it is a child with a disease that is most often treatable, such as asthma to the disabling and terminal diseases, such as Tay-Sachs, the worry, fear and fatigue of dealing with medical jargon and doctors is daunting.  As a Psychologist, I never seemed to have at my finger tips a good reference to help  parents that they could digest in the quiet of their own home.  That is why I was pleased to receive and view Parenting Children with Special Medical Needs: Love and Logic Tools for Raising Resilient Kids.  This two DVD series by Foster Cline, MD, Lisa Green and Charles Fay, PhD – is full of practical tips and solid information for parents who find themselves with a chronically ill child.

There are no bells and whistles with this DVD.  You won’t see a fancy video montages nor will you see a glossed over approach to the topics presented.  Some sections are heart wrenching, such as hearing a parent talk about learning to love again after the death of their child.  Others parts include very timely issues – such as when a child is bullied because of their disease.

This video will help to provide parents with resources and some “food for thought”.  Also, there is complimentary information available at the end of the video.

I plan on donating this video to a local library in order to make it available to any parent who is searching for any and all information to help negotiate the difficulties of parenting a child with special medical needs.

To order the DVD yourself, please go to www.loveandlogic.com

THANK YOU!

Published on by LouiseSattler2 Comments
To all those who have served in the military, past and present,  thank you.  Without your service and acts of bravery, people like me wouldn’t have the freedom to write this blog.
 

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MAP SKILLS

Published on by LouiseSattler2 Comments

This blog is not new, it was offline and updated with a new image.  

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Map skills.  Yep, that is the topic of this new blog.  Plain. Simple. Basic map skills. The kind you learn in third grade when the teacher points to a place on the wall sized classroom map .  Remember?  She/he then will ask where  is your school located? This then proceeds to a lively interactive lesson where each student takes turn pointing to where they were born, traveled and more!   Some lucky kids may even get to point outside of the contiguous United States.  Some teachers even asked kids to use all their colored pencils to draw maps and more! Gosh I loved map skills day!

Now keep in mind… many of the maps looked like the one above. How many third graders grew up thinking that Alaska and Hawaii were so close together and near Texas or even Mexico? Isn’t Alaska close to Russia?

Now you may be wondering why I am perseverating on map skills .  Well, quite simply it all started with a conversation between hubby, a sales clerk from a box store and myself. You see hubby and I are in the throes of moving from metro DC to metro LA. (What can I say- we like the metro- life…sorta).  Anyway- we decided to go shopping for a washer and dryer since the new digs doesn’t come equipped and I am long past laundry mat days.  While in the box store the nice sales clerk told us all about the “in store specials”. However, when we pointed out that our items were probably going to be purchased in our new home state of CALIFORNIA this was how the rest of the conversation continued:

Sales clerk:  “Electric across country may be different than we use here in Maryland.”
Hubby:   “We are only going to California“

Sales clerk:” They may use a different kind of electric, like you know voltage.“

Me: (Using my inside my head voice)… Seriously, we need to pull out a map and have a bit of a lesson about what constitutes the United States!

 

Now just in case you are wondering here are a few helpful facts….

California has been part of the United States since September 1850

Electric in New York, Maryland, Iowa and even California is the SAME.

According to the CA.gov website… More than 13,000 of California’s wind turbines, or 95 percent of all of California’s wind generating capacity and output, are located in three primary regions: Altamont Pass , Tehachapi (south east of Bakersfield) and San Gorgonio (near Palm Springs, east of Los Angeles).  

And… according to an educational website 37% of United States citizens failed to find the United States on a basic world map.

Obviously, map skills need to continue beyond the third grade.  Next week maybe we will discuss basic life skills, like balancing a check book or knowing how to sew a basic hem.

 

map courtesy of google

Helping to Save the Lives of Children with Autism

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April is Autism Awareness Month and I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce all of you to a new joint venture between Debi Taylor, Spirit of Autism, and myself.  Together we are trying to help educate and potentially save the lives of children with Autism.  For a number of years I have trained emergency medical personnel on how to interact and communicate with children with special needs, many who use sign language. Debi, is a paramedic and the mother of a son with Autism.  We are “Tweet pals” and have become fast friends and colleagues.  Our mission is to help EMS and others be able to assist children and adults with Autism during medical emergencies or disasters.

If you are interested in learning more about our programs please connect here via SIGNING FAMILIES:  INFO<at>SigningFamilies<dot>com

To be able to receive our two  emergency cards below for the sweet price of $1.99 (US customers only receive free shipping), again send us an email:  INFO<at>SigningFamilies<dot>com

For bulk rates for Schools/ PTOs, Hospitals and EMS organizations please also connect at the email above or via SigningFamilies.com

Thank you!

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Four Actors, Four Stories

Published on by LouiseSattler4 Comments

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Today I have the privilege to interview four up and coming talent who are represented by THE LINICOMN AGENCY.  Not newbies. Not seasoned. These up and coming actors are savvy, smart, full of acting chops and raring to go! Listen to their stories and perhaps consider them for your next casting. (Connect via TheLinicomnAgency.com)

 

LISTEN HERE at 11 am EST or via PODCAST /iTUNES:  BLOG TALK RADIO 411 VOICES NETWORK

Without further adieu.. meet Erica Taylor, Alex Ortiz, Britanni Johnson and Allison Victoria!