Spectrum Services Parent eNewsletter

Parent eNewsletter

As the holiday season approaches, we're often asked by parents and family members, “What are some gift ideas for my child?” Our Ellenville staff put their heads together, and came up with several things to think about when picking out gift items for children with autism.

Some toys or activities come with many small pieces that could be potentially dangerous. You want to make sure they are big enough to not be a choking hazard. Also, look for items that have smooth edges and aren’t sharp or prickly. You want to look for items that have different types of textures (smooth, soft, bumpy, or scratchy).

Many toys now come with age range recommendations right on the packaging. When looking for items remember that the age range given is just a suggestion. Often times, children with autism have specific interests, or their play skills do not match the age listed on the toys. That is ok! If you think your child will enjoy it, get it! Always keep in mind where the child is developmentally vs. age appropriate.

If you are struggling with ideas for gifts start with your child’s interests. Do they like sensory items or a familiar television/movie character? Find items that channel their interest and can expand their play.

Here are some favorite items that our expert staff have recommended as suggestions:

Tactile books

Magnetic animals and tiles

Pretend food (whole or can be cut)

Pop beads (come in a variety of sizes)

Legos (duplo, medium or small)

Kinetic sand, playdough, slime, putty

Television/Movie toy figure sets (Peppa Pig, Cocomelon, Mickey Mouse etc.)

Ball drops

If you are still needing ideas you can always reach out to your child’s family service coordinator or class team for suggestions.

Enjoy the holiday season!

Other Student's in

Your Child's Photos

Please keep in mind the privacy of other families, and so if classroom or clinical staff send you a classroom photo of your child, but there are other children in it, unless you can edit out the other children, please don't share on social media. Thank You!

As winter approaches, we need to be prepared for inclement weather delays and closings.

Our schools follow the school district in which they are located. In Kingston, we follow the Saugerties school district, and in Ellenville, we follow the Ellenville school district.

Sometimes your home school district may have an inclement weather closing for the day, even if Spectrum Services is open. If this happens, then there will be no bus transportation provided. If you feel it is safe to drive, you may transport the child to/from school on these days.

Notifications are covered by most local news sources, and our webpage has a notification bar at the top of the page on days we're delayed or closed. Messages are also texted and emailed out to those parents on School Messenger.

If you're not signed up to receive our texts and emails, please contact your Family Service Coordinator.

A Trifecta of Viruses

This year we are seeing a “trifecta” of three separate contagious respiratory illnesses, all of which usually include a cough, runny nose, fever, and a sore throat, and can be easily diagnosed by testing.

All three can be spread by coughing, sneezing, and touching infected surfaces. Hand washing, wearing a mask when around others, covering the mouth when sneezing, disinfection of surfaces, and avoiding crowds are proven ways to stop the spread of these infections.

RSV - Most children have already been infected by RSV by their second birthday. In most children, these cold-like symptoms usually resolve between 1-2 weeks. Your child should be seen by their medical practitioner if RSV is suspected. In addition to the symptoms...[for the rest of this article, Click Here].

Holiday Gift Card Drive

This time of year can be very challenging for some members of our school community.

Our Family Service Department invites families to make a contribution to our annual Gift Card Drive by sending in pre-purchased gift cards from local markets such as grocery stores, Walmart or Target, or other shops where food or gifts can be purchased.

Every single dollar donated will go directly to one of our families this holiday season. If you have any questions, please contact Denise Hanlon in our Family Service Department at ext. 174.

Absence Reporting is Important

Did you know that you are required to report your student’s absence from school? There are two simple ways to do so.

Telephone: Dial 845-336-2616, Ext. 400, and leave a message to report an absence: Give the day & date, your name, the student’s name, the classroom name, and the reason for the absence (illness, medical appointment, dental appointment, etc.).

Electronic: Go to the Spectrum Services Homepage, and under Parent Info select Student Absentee Notification. simply complete the quick and easy form and select submit. The process takes less than a minute.

Upcoming Parent Groups and Workshops

At Spectrum Services we believe that parents must be partners in their child’s educational program. For this reason we offer Parent Support and Parent Workshops free for any parent of a child with a developmental disability. Funding is provided through grants from the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities. Click on any of the workshops below for details and Zoom link.

Using Verbal Behavior (VB) Strategies at Home Part 2

Tues. 12/6 12:30 – 2:00 Remote only, or 6:30 – 8:00 In-person at Our Kingston School and Remote

Many of these educational strategies used within the school environment can be easily be used within the home or community. We will look at teaching functional life skills by making small but important changes based on the way our children learn. How can we use the natural home environment to teach greater language skills, promote positive behavior, encourage social development, and nurture each child’s interests and motivation? You don’t need to sit with your child to do “formal instruction” but you can add meaningful teaching experiences into your home routine to promote these skills. Facilitated by Denise Hanlon, LCSW, and Leah Siuta, Family Service Department Head, Home and Community Based Program Coordinator

Parent’s Discussion Group - Sibling Discussion Group

Wed. 12/14 6:30pm – 8:00pm

In-person at Our Kingston School or Remote

Our parent discussion group offers caregivers the chance to share parenting experiences, educational and management strategies, community resources, upcoming conferences and new research. We can also offer support to one another in an informal and comfortable setting. Our special sibling discussion group is for the brothers and sisters ages 5-12 and includes various fun activities designed to help children learn many new ways of playing and interacting with their sibling in a fun manner. Childcare is available for CSS students, alumni, and their siblings. Facilitated by Leah Siuta, Family Service Department Head, Home and Community Based Program Coordinator

Fun Home Activities for Your Child

Tues. 12/21 12:30 – 2:00pm In-person at Our Ellenville School and Remote

Play and activities allow children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, physical, cognitive, social and emotional strength. Play is important to healthy brain development. With winter break soon approaching come join us to learn about activities to do at home with your children. This presentation will provide sensory rich and academic learning activities to do while home. This presentation will give engaging and fun activities that parents and children can do together. Presented by Donna Lewis, Special Educator

We are grateful for Spectrum Services Annual Sponsors, who support our students and families.

70 Kukuk Lane, Kingston NY 12401 - 4 Yankee Place, Ellenville, NY 12428