OFTP

Autism and Asperger

ABA Flashcards
Designed specifically for children on the autism spectrum, these picture cards have no background or words, just one object or shape per card. In this way they are as clear and straightforward as possible, to focus on the concept you are trying to teach and avoid confusing the child.

ABA Parents
A Yahoo! Group e-list for parents who are implementing an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) approach in educating their children on the Autistic Spectrum.

Aut-2B-Home
This email list is a collection of families who are homeschooling their autistic spectrum children full-time or part-time.

Autism Spectrum Disorders - Canadian-American Research Consortium (ASD-CARC)
60 researchers, clinicians, and parents from Canada and the US. One outcome of the research will be a national database in Canada. The researchers welcome the participation of homeschoolers in their studies. If you have an autistic child and are interested in finding out more about this research, visit the website or contact the Project Coordinator:
Helen Coo, Project Coordinator
National Epidemiologic Database for the Study of Autism in Canada (NEDSAC)
Ongwanada Resource Centre
191 Portsmouth Avenue, Kingston, ON, K7M 8A6, Canada
email: cooh@ (add post.queensu.ca to complete the email address)
Tel: (613) 548-4417, ext. 1153
Fax: (613) 548-8135

Curriculum suggestions:

ABLLS-Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills, by James W. Partington PhD. and Mark L. Sundberg, PhD.
Behavioral Intervention for Young Children with Autism, by Catherine Maurice, Gina Green and Stephen Luce
A work in Progress, by Ron Leaf and John McEachin
Teaching Individuals With Developmental Delays, by O. Ivar Lovaas

DTT-NET
A Yahoo! Health Group e-list where parents and professionals running home (and school) programs can discuss concerns and share their knowledge of Applied Verbal Behavior (AVB), which is a specialty within the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Other issues relating to autism will not be addressed on this list.

Grocery Pecs
Downloadable zip file of over 2000 realistic pictures from which to create visual aids. Designed to improve the shopping experience of families with children with communication difficulties (e.g. autism). Website includes simple directions for making visual grocery lists, flash cards, recipe cards, etc., from the pictures.

Help Us Learn
Help Us Learn is a complete self-paced training program for preparing parents, educators, students, teachers, therapists, service providers, friends & family to use Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) programs to work with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), & other developmental delays.

Homeschooling Children Who "Aut" to Be Home
Tammy Glaser shares her thoughts on homeschooling an autistic child: why homeschool, how to get started, socialization, and getting support. There are links to websites of other homeschoolers with autistic children.

Ooops...Wrong Planet! Syndrome
A website about Autism and Asperger by j. norman-bain, who has Asperger's Syndrome and 2 children with Asperger and autism respectively. An abundance of links, not only to sites about autism and Asperger's but to sites about possibly related disorders such as ADD.

Sites For Teachers
There are 15 pages of websites with free worksheets, printables, resources, unit studies, etc. It is geared to teachers of individuals with autistic spectrum disorders, related developmental disabilities, and children with special needs.

Verbal Behavior
The focus of this e-list is teaching verbal behaviour (VB) within a program of applied behaviour analysis (ABA).

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Blind, visually impaired, visually challenged

The resource we originally had listed here is no longer at the URL we had. We will try to replace it with other resources when time allows. Meanwhile, you may be able to find similar resources on your own by doing an internet search for the phrase "resources for blind children" or something similar.

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Deaf, hearing impaired, hard of hearing

Another Path: Homeschooling Your Deaf or Hard of Hearing Child
Articles, links to resources, lists of recommended books, software and toys for homeschooling a deaf or hearing impaired child.

Homeschooling Deaf and HoH Children -- e-list
"The focus of the list is on the particular challenges of homeschooling deaf and hard-of-hearing children, including IEP's, legal issues, and obtaining special ed services, as well as exploration of alternative educational approaches, presentation, and learning styles. All homeschool approaches are supported (from "school-at-home" to unschooling.)"

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Developmental disabilities

Intelligent Training Solutions
Mike Glavic, CUO
6381 Glengate Street
Niagara Falls, ON
Home: (905)357-7210
Cell: (905)348-4774
E-mail: itsol@ (add cogeco.ca to complete the email address)
Canadian home distributor-reseller and service facilitator of the Discrete Trial Trainer, an ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) based software solution for early and special-needs learners under the developmental age of 9. "I would be only too happy to do a demonstration for those interested in learning more about the D. T. Trainer, or give it free, for thirty days to try, for those interested in researching it that way. More information on this exceptional educational product resource can be found at www.dttrainer.com."

Resources for Teachers of Basic Skills
"Lesson plans, software, and links to other resources for teachers of people with developmental disabilities. (This site may also be useful for teachers of basic adult literacy, children, and people learning ESL.)"

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Gifted, talented

The Association for Bright Children of Ontario (ABC)
"The Association for Bright Children of Ontario is an all-volunteer, provincially incorporated support and advocacy group, with many chapters across Ontario. It is dedicated to providing information and support to parents of bright and gifted children/adolescents through newsletters, networking, an annual conference and local workshops. It offers the parents' voice to local school boards, educators, professional groups and the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training." ABC has a message board that includes forums for homeschoolers.

The National Foundation for Gifted and Creative Children
Articles, links, list of recommended books, a message board and an email list for parents of gifted and creative children.

The Rhode Island State Advisory Committee on Gifted and Talented Education
Overview of characteristics and behaviours of the gifted, and links to other websites.

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LD: learning differences, learning difficulties, learning disabilities, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia
ADD, ADHD

The National Association of School Psychologists states, "ADD/ADHD has come to act like a set of blinders...The many other potential sources of inattention are often times bypassed and not even considered."

A student at the Boston University School of Education is looking for research subjects for a study on social interactions of parents and their ADHD homeschooled children. If you would like to participate, please read the details on our Studies page and contact the researcher.

Audiblox: Resources for Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyspraxia
Audiblox is a system of cognitive exercises, aimed at the development of foundational learning skills. The website includes many interesting articles about learning, not just about learning difficulties.

Born To Explore! The Other Side of ADD
Articles that challenge the ADD label. Also has recommended books and discussion board. "There are many causes of inattention, fidgeting, impulsivity and lack of focus, the traits that define attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD). Doctors don't have the time or the training to look for these causes, so you will have to do it yourself."

CAPD Remediation Programs and Materials
List of resources for Central Auditory Processing Disorder.

Conquering Dyslexia
Dryden, Ontario
Terri Fedorchuk
Licensed and Certified Davis® Learning Facilitator
terri@ (add conqueringdyslexia.ca to complete the email address)
tel: 1-807-223-7769
fax: 1-807-937-4239

Home Schooling and Students in Special Education: Sorting Out the Options for Parents
Article by Jane Duffey in Preventing School Failure, re-printed on LDOnline.

Homeschooling LD/ADD Children: Great Idea or Big Mistake?
Chapter 10 of The LD Child and the ADHD Child: Ways Parents and Professionals Can Help, by Suzanne H. Stevens, re-printed on LDOnline.

International Dyslexia Association Ontario branch
Provides information, support and resources for parents of dyslexic children, as well as adults with dyslexia and professionals.

Trish Janas — Orton-Gillingham Remedial Specialist — Niagara
Literacy remediation. A homeschooling mother herself (and OFTP member), Trish has years of experience remediating literacy difficulties and has been trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach. She is currently fulfilling the requirements of her practicum, under the supervision of a Fellow of the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators.
Phone: 905-892-7924
Email: trishj_og_literacy_practitioner@ (add yahoo.ca to complete the email address)

Learning Tools Publishing
Books on how to teach reading and math to children and adults with "learning difficulties" ("learning disabilities," e.g. dyslexia) by teaching orientation and focus to help them harness their gift of 3-dimensional processing. Books include Magic Glasses, Touch the Sky (for teaching native learners), and Three Dimensional Learning. The methods taught in the books are also the subject of the author's tutoring services and programs for parents as teachers.

Master Academy in Mississauga
Introducing TIME - Transition Into Mainstream Education. The program is designed to help children with mild learning disabilities and other educational challenges to make a seamless transition into the regular school system after homeschooling. The program is offered for the first time at Mastery Academy in September 2006. In the TIME classroom the emphasis is on the most important skills a student will need in any classroom — literacy and numeracy. Students work in a small classroom of six students to one teacher using the Direct Instruction program as well as Math U See. Both programs emphasize mastery learning and are sequentially taught with all steps included in the process. Although the emphasis is on literacy and numeracy, students will be taught all other subjects (excluding French) in the provincial curriculum. Furthermore, students will have at their disposal all of the other neuro-cognitive treatments that Mastery Academy has to offer. The program is offered at a significant savings in the first year of its implementation. The tuition for one year is $15,000. For more information visit the website at www.masteryacademyschool.com or phone 905-502-8433.

LD Online
Resources, articles, discussion forums, newsletter, calendar, online store of videos and books about learning disabilities.

LD Online's Bulletin Boards
LD Online's message boards include one for Homeschooling Students with Learning Disabilities

LD Resources
Resources, articles and discussion forums for the learning disabilities community. Maintained by Anne and Richard Wanderman.

"Learning Disability": A Rose by Another Name
An article by Jan Hunt on the Natural Child website:
"Labeling is disabling" because children believe what we tell them. If we must label something, let it be the learning environment, not the learner: instead of "hyperactive child", let's concern ourselves with "activity-restrictive" schools; instead of an "attention-deficient" student, we ought to worry about "inspiration-deficient" classrooms;...

Learning Solutions
Oakville, Ontario
Kim Willson-Rymer B.Sc.OT
Certified Davis Dyslexia Correction® Facilitator
kimwr@ (add cogeco.ca to complete the email address)
905 825-3153

Natural Health and Longevity Resource Center
Symptoms, causes and alternative treatments for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Learning Disabilities (LD)

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Learning styles

All Kinds of Minds - Understanding Differences in Learning
Non-profit organization dedicated to helping students who struggle with learning. Articles, links, recommended books, discussion group, newsletter.

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Left-handed

Gauche! Lefthanders in Society
The objective of this website is to communicate accurate information and simple coping strategies pertainent to left-handers living in a right-biased society.

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Special needs

Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities
This is part of the Ontario Disability Support Program available throught the Ministry of Community and Social Services. Go to E-laws to read the relevant Regulations.

Assistive Devices Program
Financial assistance from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care for certain assistive devices.

Children with Special Needs
Services funded and/or provided by the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services for children with physical, intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, mental health disorders, medical problems or those who need specialized services to participate in daily living activities.

Gentle Teaching
Gentle Teaching is a non violent approach to helping people with special needs and sometimes challenging behaviours.

Home Education Special Needs Webring
This Webring links sites together that promote and deal with Home Education of children with Special Needs.

Homeschooling Children with Special Needs
A page of links maintained by Michele Tanis. Resources are for all types of exceptional students.

Homeschooling Kids With Disabilities
Links to resources for people who are homeschooling children with special educational needs.

Homeschooling Kids With Disabilities -- e-list
Specialized e-list on Yahoo! Groups focused on homeschooling children with special educational needs.

HSSN Page (Homeschooling Special Needs/Medically fragile Children)
"An email group of homeschooling parents with at least one special needs child. The list was started by a group of parents from the Gtube list. Our focus has been medically fragile children, but anyone in the special needs arena is welcome to join our support group. Our listserv discusses, curricula, homeschool planning, medical diagnoses, sibling survival strategies ... anything to do with the joys and challenges of homeschooling your special needs children."

Kaleidoscapes Homeschoolers Message Boards - Special Needs
Once an interactive collection of message boards for homeschoolers, kaleidoscapes.com is now read-only. You can no longer post new messages and now need to do a keyword search to read specific messages from the archives.

Kaleidoscapes Refugees Homeschooling Forum - Special Needs
Some of the former Kaleidoscapes participants have moved the format to a new server, and continue to include a Special Needs forum among others.

Special Needs Home Education of Canada yahoogroup
An e-list for Canadian parents who have Special Needs children and are homeschooling them or considering homeschooling them. Open to any educational approach to home-based learning, and any religion, race or creed (--you are asked to please respect each other's lifestyles). Your child does not need to have an "official diagnosis" for you to join. Discussion of issues and concerns, exchange of support and encouragement, possibilities of meeting in person.

SNOW - Special Needs Opportunity Windows
The University of Toronto's SNOW Project lists resources and provides free online workshops and forums for educators and parents of students with special needs.

The Individual Education Plan (IEP) resource guide
The Ontario Ministry of Education provides this guide for teachers and others working on developing an IEP for children with special needs.

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