The troubled economy is on everyone’s mind. You can’t step into a nail salon, dry cleaner, or grocery store without hearing conversations about how bad times really are. Some say education is a recession-proof field, but those in it know this is not true. The budget votes are looming and everyone in the education world is on edge, waiting to see if their district’s budget will pass and for some, if their job will be safe. Core content classes such as mathematics, language arts and reading will always be offered, but “extras” such as art, music and physical education could be the first programs to be reduced or have their formats changed. Regardless of how each state and district handles their budget issues, here are some tips to make sure your child is not missing out on experiences that make them well-rounded and enhance their education.

• Take advantage of free programs! Check your local paper or library for extra-curricular events that are free of charge. Some local businesses offer “demo” classes or free workshop days. Exposing your child to a new activity without making a long-term financial or time commitment is also a good way to make sure he really likes it, without wasting your money.
• Hire a private instructor. Ask a friend (or a few friends!) if they would like to split the cost of at-home sessions, whether it be art classes, karate or music lessons. This could save you money in the long run, especially if you can provide the supplies the instructor may need, which cuts down on her overhead, and in turn your out-of-pocket expenses.
• Go on a family field trip! Depending on your budget and availability, this could be a weekly or monthly event. You can visit museums or galleries to expose your child to famous works of art they would otherwise only speak about in school. You don’t have to be an expert on the subject, either! Many museums offer guided tours or audio recordings to lead you through the experience. Does your family enjoy the outdoors? Take a day trip to a local beach and you have an instant science lesson, complete with a hands-on experience. Discuss the animals that live there, how erosion affects the beach, and how pollution affects the water. Remember, family field trips can be free, or at least only cost you the gas it takes to get there!
• Start a sports club in your community. Call some friends and meet at a local park once a month (or once a week if everyone’s schedule allows) to engage in some stress-free, just-for-fun games. The children can vote on the sport they play that day; this prevents burn out from playing the same sport every time and will limit those “Not again!” complaints you hear from your child so often. Less structure can be beneficial and this opportunity teaches your child about flexibility and compromise. All you need is a ball and some friends!
• Create a book club for your child and her friends. Have everyone put the name of a book they would like to read in a hat and pull out the next selection. Parents can take turn hosting the events, complete with healthy snacks. Parents should read the book ahead of time or consult the librarian to ensure the book is age-appropriate. Have a few questions in mind to get the conversation going. You may have to mediate the first few meetings to get the ball rolling, but once your children have gotten used to the format, they will have no trouble sharing their opinions!

America’s economic troubles are widespread and far from over. From boardrooms to classrooms, staff are looking for ways to cut costs and save jobs, while still maintaining the level of excellence they have created in the past. Your district’s budget is public knowledge and you should take the time to look it over.

Attend local board of education meetings to hear presentations about the budget and what programs will be impacted. Don’t be afraid to ask the board of education or your administrators questions; you have the right to speak up and be a part of the discussion about your child’s education.

Don’t forget about your school’s PTO. Many parent-teacher organizations sponsor fundraisers throughout the year that support school-based programs, after-school activities, or assemblies your child may participate in for free. Remember to volunteer for some of these events as it helps make you an active member of your child’s learning community.

Jennifer Cerbasi teaches at a public school for children on the autism spectrum in New Jersey. As a coordinator of Applied Behavioral Analysis programs in the home, she works with parents to create and implement behavioral plans for their children in an environment that fosters both academic and social growth. In addition to her work both in the classroom and at home, she is also a member of the National Association of Special Education Teachers and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

By Melanie Schuman Rattigan

Of the thousands of pictures I’ve taken over the years in Guatemala, it’s the faces that resonate most.  Of course it’s incredible to see mirror images of side-by-side volcanoes and yet incredibly sad to look at the homes people build from mud and sticks.

Fellow volunteers, many of whom I now consider friends, use these photos for fundraising purposes.  I use them to show friends and family why these trips are so important to me.  You always ask someone if it’s ok to take his or her photo beforehand.  It’s a common courtesy.  I can count on one hand the occasions someone said no.  Kids smile and giggle and with the invention of digital cameras, their faces illuminate when they see their own picture – probably for the very first time.  My first two visits I shot on 35mm and could not do this.

Before my first trip with Hearts in Motion, I searched for information on what the country is like.  I knew it was riddled with poverty and I knew not to drink the water (or brush your teeth with it or be caught singing in the shower) for fear of “traveler’s revenge.”  

Bathroom behavior is a commonly discussed issue on these trips for several reasons.  1) You learn right away you cannot flush toilet paper.  2) You travel with doctors and nurses.  3) You are pretty careful about what you eat and half the time, you still get sick.  This is not meant to scare anyone.  It’s a fact of life. 

Click here for more pictures.

What surprised me more than any book or article could say is just how friendly the people are.  I’m not saying that if I walk down the street in Guatemala City that people say hello.  They don’t do that where I live in New York City.  Yet in small villages or even larger towns, people welcome me. 

I’ve had the pleasure of traveling with a group that ingratiated itself in the community with hard work and dedication.  Perhaps that’s given me a sheltered view and for that I should be grateful.  I’ve seen plenty of machine guns when driving by military installations and banks (these are common sights in Latin American countries.) 

I don’t go out alone at night.  I just go out each day to help someone get medical care, a clean shirt, a new toy.  In return, I bring home souvenirs in the form of photographs and the occasional stomach bug.  A small price.

Click here to read previous “Hearts in Motion” blogs by Melanie Schuman Rattigan.

Melanie Schuman Rattigan is a coordinating producer for the FOX News Channel. Hearts in Motion is a non-profit 501 (c) 3, non-denominational organization that focuses on the needs of impoverished children and families.  It’s predominant focus is in Central and Latin America, but it also has several programs in operation in the United States. You can find out more information at www.heartsinmotion.org.

In the past few years, omega-3 fatty acids have become increasingly popular with their numerous amounts of health benefits. Omega-3 fatty acids work as an anti-inflammatory agent that helps reverse the processes of heart disease, cancer and many other conditions.  As of Monday, April 13th, new research has just been added to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on the effects of walnuts and fish on heart disease.

Researchers from Loma Linda University concluded that in healthy individuals walnuts lowered cholesterol more than fish, while fatty fish lowered triglyceride levels ultimately both reducing the overall risk of coronary heart disease. This study was conducted to show everyone including the healthiest of people how imperative and easy it is to simply add walnuts and fatty fish to their daily diet.

The American heart association recommends eating fish 3 times a week to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease. Using this as a guideline, the researchers found that healthy people who included fatty fish twice a week, decreased triglyceride levels by 11.4 percent. In addition, adding 1.5 ounces of walnuts to their eating regimen lowered their LDL levels by 9.3 percent compared to a control diet based on USDA recommendations. Studies have shown that walnuts can significantly reduce blood cholesterol. Walnuts are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, and they also help keep blood vessels healthy and elastic.

Some of the highest levels of omega-3 fats can be found fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, and salmon.  The reason for this being, that fish is a good source of protein and doesn’t have the high saturated fat like ones found in fatty meats.  

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of Skinnyandthecity.com.    She is also the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

The search for a “presidential dog” has dominated the headlines since President Obama’s campaign.  It has been reported that President Obama’s 10-year-old daughter, Malia, is allergic to dog hair, and thus starts the search for a “hypoallergenic” dog.  Many of my patients find themselves with the desire to have a pet, despite a pet allergy as well. 

There is a myth that pet allergies are caused by animal hair!  It is actually a protein found in pet skin/dander, saliva and urine that causes the allergy.  Hairless dogs are still going to have at least some allergen. Some dog breeds, are said to be “hypoallergenic,” as they shed less, but no dog breed is completely 100 percent hypoallergenic.  

In some cases, there are individual differences between breeds, and a particular pet allergy sufferer may do better with one breed as compared to another.  Lastly, it has been postulated that perhaps female dogs might produce less animal allergen, but the jury is still out on this one! 

You may look for breeds with shorter hair and less shedding, although there isn’t any real scientific evidence this will really help.  Some allergists have also advocated that there may be an advantage to keeping a dog that tends to keep their coat throughout the year. Also, there is a consideration to selecting a smaller dog, as these animals may shed less dander than a bigger dog.  Other factors discussed are the animal’s temperament or disposition that might make frequent bathing more feasible.

Tips that can help reduce dog allergy suffering:

• Create a pet-free bedroom

• Wash bedding in hot water

• Bathe your dog frequently and have a non-allergic family member perform grooming

• Use a HEPA air purifier, double bag and/or HEPA vacuum cleaner/home A/C,  and as well as vacuuming carpets, cleaning walls

• Shampoo carpeting frequently or better yet, go with wood or washable tile/linoleum flooring

• Increase time your pet spends outside, when the weather allows
 
• Visit an allergist to discuss treatment options
 
Nevertheless, there are no guarantees that an individual who is truly allergic to pets (about 10 percent if those with allergies) will tolerate living with a pet dog or cat.  What I have found helpful is actually trying out a pet on a “temporary or trial basis” for a future pet, to ensure a successful ending to this story.  An even better strategy is to begin allergy treatment before getting a pet if you are allergic, including allergy injections! 

For more information on pet allergies go to: http://www.aaaai.org/media/news_releases/pressrelease.asp?contentid=8326

For for home and animal allergy management tips check out: http://www.allergyandasthmarelief.org/animal_allergens.html

Dr. Clifford W. Bassett is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine. He is the current vice chair for public education committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. No information in this blog is intended as medical advice to any reader or intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition.

The tragedies are coming one after another.  In Binghamton, NY, Jiverly Voong kills13 at the American Civic Association.  In Pittsburgh, Richard Poplawski guns down three police officers.  In Graham, Washington, James Harrison kills his five children and then shoots himself.  All told, 57 people have died in multiple killings in the last month alone. 

What’s behind the carnage?  Could our troubled economy, with rampant job loss and the specter of home foreclosure weighing on our collective psyche, be pushing people over the edge?  Or is the answer to be found in the minds of a small number of people who have been quietly gathering rage and losing control for many months or years.

I think the answer is both.

Mass murderers have one thing in common:  They have lost the capacity for empathy.  They no longer see others as fully human, so they don’t worry over causing them to suffer.  They no longer see the life stories of others as sacred, so they don’t worry over bringing them to a violent end.  I believe this chasm of inhumanity opens because mass murderers have stopped valuing their own lives.  They are dehumanized to the extent that depression or paranoia or rage — or all three combined — have displaced everything else inside them—including love, whether for themselves or for others.

The road to becoming a murderer may have its roots in childhood, when abuse and neglect begin to make a child shut down his or her emotions, in order to stop feeling so much pain.  That dark psychological process can cast a long shadow, preventing the future killer from resonating with the pain of others.  Unrestrained by empathy, it leaves that person freer, in a terrible way, to be violent. 

It might well be the case that those who shut down emotionally and begin storing paranoia and rage inside them have less “hearty” or resilient nervous systems.  Maybe they have lower levels of serotonin than others among us who would preserve our humanity in the face of equally traumatic events.  Maybe they have absolutely no one who is obviously proud of them or shows concern for them or at least shares kind words with them.  Maybe they are unlucky enough to have head injuries that erode their capacity to control their emotions and leave them with shorter fuses.

But while the roots of the paranoia and rage that fuel mass killings may run bone deep, today’s stresses can set ablaze the deepest cauldrons of emotion.  We have among us many, many people who are on the edge psychologically.  They do not have reservoirs of self-esteem to carry them through job losses that make them feel like failures — as workers or fathers or husbands.  They cannot draw on stores of optimism to believe that things will turn out alright in the end, because things were not alright for them, often from the very beginning.  They may already be suffering with depression that can, in some of its forms, lead not only to anxiety and irritability, but also to paranoia and thoughts that life is not worth living.  Perhaps they have already turned to bankrupt strategies to keep their emotions at bay, including alcohol or illicit drugs, substances that lower self-control and are involved in the majority of violent crimes.

These are the people who are at risk to become the next Jiverly Voong, Richard Poplawski or James Harrison.  They are a job loss, a divorce or a repossession away from utter hopelessness that can tap their underlying stores of self-hatred and hatred for others and lead them to project it outside themselves, in an explosion of violence. 

There are many such people in the world.  They are victims of life events beyond their control who then victimize others, exponentially.  Psychological arithmetic is sometimes cruel:  The suffering of one person can multiply itself into the suffering of many.

This economy and these times are dangerous potential triggers.  Anyone who says otherwise should sit with me in my office and listen to some of the good and decent people, many from fine families, many with histories of great success, with wonderful potential futures, who can’t see any future for themselves, anymore. 

Anyone who says otherwise should listen to these “lucky” people, now down on their luck, who irrationally see themselves as permanent failures — not just economically, but personally.  Then imagine if you were the product of trauma, with only the most fragile sense of self, thinking the world was already against you.  Imagine how a pink slip hits you then.  Imagine if it comes with news that your wife is leaving you or cheating on you — with a real man.  Imagine if you stop thinking you’re a man at all, not even a human being, that everyone is laughing at you, that you’re powerless and forgotten and destined for nothing but emptiness.  Imagine trying to contain all that. 

Some people don’t.  Instead of containing it and processing it, they project it.  Economic chaos makes that outcome more likely.  The sooner we stop denying that fact, the sooner we can begin putting in place the needed resources to reach out in a real way to those who think — wrongly — that they are beyond help, and prevent the deaths we can.

Dr. Keith Ablow is a psychiatry correspondent for FOX News Channel and a New York Times bestselling author. His newest book, “Living the Truth: Transform Your Life through the Power of Insight and Honesty” has launched a new self-help movement. Check out Dr. Ablow’s website at livingthetruth.com or e-mail him at info@keithablow.com.

Everyone knows the stirring heroic story by now of the kidnapping and rescue of Captain Richard Phillips. But there is a medical back story that has been submerged beneath the tremendous skill shown by the Navy SEALS. That is the endurance of Captain Phillips himself.     

Consider that Phillips was held captive on the Maersk Alabama lifeboat for 5 days beginning last Wednesday, and during that time, he was reportedly subject to temperatures approaching 100 degrees. It is doubtful that he received much food or drink, and he was clearly under great stress. I doubt he slept more than a few hours per night.

These medical observations only deepen my admiration for this man and his acts of heroism. He was clearly dehydrated, undernourished, and exhausted at the time of his rescue, and during his previous attempt at escape. He is not only a man of great courage, but also one of stamina and strength.  

From a purely physiological point of view, we all have an untapped reserve of strength and endurance that may help us to survive under challenging circumstances. As I described in my book “False Alarm; the Truth About the Epidemic of Fear,” the mechanism is known as fight or flight, or acute stress response. In response to a bodily threat we experience an outpouring of hormones, adrenaline, noradrenaline, the steroid cortisol. Our eyes dilate to see better, our hearts beat faster and harder, we are ready to fight or to flee.  
 
None of us will ever respond any better than Captain Phillips did. His body was as strong as his mental resolve. 
 
Consider that this man is 53 years old, older than this doctor. Compare that with the Navy SEALS, many of whom are in their late teens or early twenties and in top physical condition. Phillips appears to be in good physical condition, but not compared to one of the SEALS. I don’t know whether Phillips exercises regularly, but I suspect he does, and he looks fit. But nothing could have prepared him for this ordeal, except for his great courage, and the spare powerpack that the body and brain have known as fight or flight. A good thing for America, Phillips and the navy chose to fight.

Dr. Marc Siegel is an internist and associate professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine. He is a FOX News medical contributor and writes a health column for LA Times, where he examines TV and movies for medical accuracy. Dr. Siegel is the author of “False Alarm: The Truth About the Epidemic of Fear“ and “Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic.”  Read more at www.doctorsiegel.com

Today I read an incredibly tragic story about a 2-month-old baby in Pennsylvania who died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) because her parents were allegedly too drunk and high on cocaine to notice.

The parents, Jennifer Nicole Gaster and Daniel Keith Martin II, both 30, stood trial Monday on child endangerment charges alleging that after a night spent snorting cocaine and drinking beer and vodka, the couple was too incapacitated to notice their baby was dying.

This is not the first time we have seen a parents with a history of drug and/or alcohol abuse lose a child to SIDS. In February of 2007, a Michigan woman pleaded guilty to charges that claimed high levels of cocaine in her breast milk had killed her 5-month-old daughter. Although the cause of death was originally thought to be SIDS at the time the baby died, further testing proved otherwise, and at the trial, the mother admitted to using cocaine two or three times the day before the baby died.

Traces of cocaine can remain in breast milk for more than 48 hours after a woman uses it — and the transmission from mother to infant has been linked to respiratory failure, seizures, increased cardiovascular risk, central nervous system damage, irritability and addiction — just to name a few.

Babies are at high risk for SIDS if they:

o          Are born to mothers who smoke or use drugs

o          Have low birth weight or premature infants

o          Are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke

o          Sleep in a crib packed with soft objects and loose bedding

o          Are placed to sleep on their stomachs

o          Are between the ages of 1 and 6 months

Please be advised that most drugs are transmitted through breast milk. If you are abusing any kind of drug – especially cocaine – the effects can be deadly.

I was very happy to learn Tuesday that the last of the Suleman octuplets is finally home  to be with his brothers and sisters. Jonah ― the last to be sent home ― was the smallest of the bunch, weighing just 1 pound 8 ounces when they were born nine weeks early.

Click here to see pictures of Jonah and his siblings.

But now, the real challenge begins. Let us not forget that these infants were premature and that this last baby stayed in the hospital for almost 12 weeks. There is a lot of data that has been published and analyzed looking at some of the hurdles that premature babies must overcome in their early years.

To me ― as a person who delivers babies for a living ― I also have three of my own ― I am aware of the significance of paying attention to the way kids grow and develop, and how important that attention is in preventing some of these children from failing to meet their full potential.

For parents of full-term infants, paying close attention to developmental milestones is sometimes an afterthought. But for parents of premature babies, keeping track of movement, visual, social and developmental milestones could make a world of difference in identifying problems and finding solutions to meet their needs.

Most premature babies meet their milestones and catch up by the age of 2. But depending on how early an infant is born, their development may lag anywhere from 6-8 weeks in development usually during the first year of life.

It’s important to use your child’s adjusted age when tracking his or her development. For example, if your baby is 21 weeks old, but was born five weeks early, his or her adjusted age is 16 weeks (or 4 months).

Now let’s take a look at some of the milestones the American Academy of Pediatrics says parents can look out for around 16 weeks…

Motor:
o Brings hands together, or to mouth
o Lifts head and pushes on arms when on tummy
o Reaches for objects
o Turns or makes crawling movement when on tummy

Language:
o Turns head to follow familiar voices
o Laughs and squeals
o Combines sounds more often (for example, “aaah-oooh”, “gaaa-gooo”)

Activities:
o Grasps more and reaches for objects
o Brings objects to mouth
o Increases activity when sees a toy

Social/Emotional:
o Is increasingly interactive and comfortable with parents and caregivers
o Shows interest in mirrors, smiles and is playful
o Is able to comfort himself

For more guidelines and milestones at different ages, click here.

Remember: Always watch for progress and do not be afraid to ask for help from doctors, teachers or other family members.

Again, I am pleased that all eight of the children have made it home safe ― I just hope that Nadya Suleman pays as much attention to their progress as she has to publicizing their births, because it should always be about the kids.

With the wide selection of sugar-filled items in the stores today, children want nothing to do with eating healthy. Unfortunately, childhood obesity is common these days. In fact, a recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that 16.3 percent of children and adolescents 2- to19 years old were at or above the 95th percentile for Body Mass Index (BMI) — or in other words, obese.

Eating breakfast in the morning jump starts your brain and your metabolism for the day, preventing mid-morning fatigue and overeating at lunch and snack time. Researchers have confirmed overwhelmingly that kids get a boost in brainpower, behavior and calorie control when they have a nutritious breakfast to start the day. Children who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight, which in the long term can lead to the development of chronic health issues. 

Fiber and protein are the two nutrients that take the longest to digest and provide the combination of foods that keeps serum glucose levels consistent, leading to improved energy throughout the day as well as feelings of satiety without a lot of calories. It is important that your child’s breakfast, as well as lunch, snack and dinner include fiber and protein for feelings of fullness and satiety, and for overall health. Below are some nutritious and delicious breakfast options for your kids to enjoy:

Tanya’s Breakfast Options:

• Fiber One Caramel Delight cereal or any cereal with 5 grams of fiber with skim milk with a banana
• 1 bowl of Quaker Oatmeal with peanut butter and an apple
• Low-fat or fat-free yogurt with blueberries and ½ cup All Bran Bran buds
• Scrambled eggs with turkey bacon and a whole wheat bagel
• Frozen whole grain waffles such as Nutrigrain waffles with fresh berries
• Thomas’ Light Multigrain English Muffin with eggs and low-fat cheese
• Egg white omelet with vegetables and whole wheat toast
• Breakfast smoothie (low-fat yogurt, low-fat milk, fruit, and blend!)
• Peanut butter and jelly on whole-wheat pita

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of Skinnyandthecity.com.    She is also the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

Spring signifies the beginning of a new baseball season, new gardens to plant, and longer days. For educators, parents, and students across the U.S., spring also signifies the time for standardized testing. The merits of these standardized tests are constantly debated, but like it or not, they are certainly happening this year and your child’s testing date is rapidly approaching. Because standardized tests can affect classroom placement for the following academic year, parents are usually as anxious about the process as the children taking them. Here are some tips for helping your child get ready for the standardized tests in any state.

• Leave your child a detailed to-do list of activities around the house. For example, Make your bed after you brush your teeth. When you are finished, underline this sentence. Following written directions are an important part of testing, and your child needs to attend to the order and specificity of directions, or his or her answer could be marked incorrect. Attending to written language will support them in all content areas being tested.
• Find ways to bring the curriculum to life! Show your child the way the skills he or she attains in the classroom can be applied in the real world.
• To bring math to life, include your child in the weekly grocery shopping and have him compare prices,   calculate savings, or find the average cost per item from the total bill. You can take notes on these items in the store and do the work at home where there are less distractions and you can guide your child through the mathematical process, if needed.
• To support reading skills, cut out an article of interest from your local paper and have your child read it. (Remember to read it first so you can help him answer questions he has trouble with!) After he has read the article, ask a series of comprehension, or “wh” questions such as “Who participated in that event?” “Where did the event take place?” or “What time was the event finished?”  The skill of recalling basic information from a reading entry is an essential building block for success in this area. In addition to the basic comprehension questions, ask your child to infer things from the article, such as “Why do you think that person enjoyed the event?” The skill of drawing a logical conclusion from the information  presented develops his abstract thinking skills, which comes into play frequently in the open-ended question portion of standardized tests.
• Remain an active participant in your child’s nightly homework, even as she gets older and gains more independence. Keeping abreast of the content area throughout the year makes it easier for you to remember the material come testing time, and also establishes a comfortable routine between you and your child. She will be more open to your assistance if you have been offering it all along.

Don’t be afraid to ask your child’s teacher for a packet of review work or have him or her suggest materials to use at home. Becoming familiar with the content and layout of the test will help you feel more in touch with your child’s testing experience. Your child’s teacher most likely has a clear picture on areas your child may be struggling with or could use extra support in. You are maximizing your child’s study time by communicating with his teacher.

Make sure your child is well-rested and eats a well-balanced diet throughout the year. This is especially important the week of testing. Your child’s biological needs must be met as a pre-requisite for optimal focus and energy. Translation: Children cannot do their best if they are tired and hungry! Make sure your child has a protein-packed breakfast, such as eggs and whole-wheat toast. Stay away from sugary cereals and breakfast bars, as the sugar will wear off around the start of testing and your child will experience a “sugar crash,” leaving her jittery and/or lethargic.

Stay calm! Your child will undoubtedly pick up on your anxiety and stress related to the test. Reassure your child that no matter what ― you are proud of his or her hard work!

You and your spouse may be raising your child, but clearly it takes a village to educate her. Educators, administrators, and parents must work together to ensure each child has the greatest success possible in their standardized testing experience.

Jennifer Cerbasi teaches at a public school for children on the autism spectrum in New Jersey. As a coordinator of Applied Behavioral Analysis programs in the home, she works with parents to create and implement behavioral plans for their children in an environment that fosters both academic and social growth. In addition to her work both in the classroom and at home, she is also a member of the National Association of Special Education Teachers and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.