Archive for category Special Education

Animation industry is undoubtedly one the fastest and prospering industries in the world. There have been lots if developments and advancements in the animation technology. With the increase of satellite channels and Internet, the animation industry is also booming rapidly. A large number of animation courses have been introduced in the market and animation institutes are also at large in every city and town of India.

Earlier animation movies and shows were aimed at children and were made in a moderate budget. The use of modern and advanced technology was limited. Animation industry was not quite a profit-making business and job opportunities were also lesser and unwelcoming.

However, in the last couple of years, animation industry has made a phenomenal progress. Today animated movies are made with the latest technology and special effects. An entire team of animators looks after it and a big sum of money is spent on the production of the movies. These movies are not just limited to children only but even mature audience, youngsters and family also enjoy such an entertainment. The best example for the latest animated movie is “Avatar”, which is made on a very high budget and equipped with the latest technologies and software of animation and multimedia.

Animation industry has come a long way from traditional 2 Dimensional images to the 3 Dimensional. 3D animation software is one of the most advanced and latest trends in animation industry. It is appreciated world-wide. All the latest animated movies are made with this technology only. The 3D version brings life to the animated characters and connects them directly with the audience. People of all ages enjoy the experience of 3D version and this was also proved by the unusual success of Avatar not just in the USA but overseas. India has also produced 3D version movies like “hanuman” or “Bal Ganesh”. These movies have also earned a huge appreciation from the Indian masses and are still popular among kids. The success of animated movies in India has encouraged the development of some new advanced animation software.

Today animation industry is not just restricted to movies but animators could find employment in other areas like TV soaps, News-papers, Magazines, advertisement agencies, websites, video games firms etc. Video game industry uses 3D technology and it is has one of the most thriving market in India and today game industry is thrice the size of Hollywood Industry. Therefore, people with a thorough knowledge of 3D animation technology can make a promising career in this domain. Animators working in a prestigious animated movie project earn a good sum of money. They need to work in a team with other animators.

Due to the constant developments and technologies in the animation industry, a number of courses have been introduced in the animation. Some of the important ones are mentioned below;

- Visual Principles and Syntactics
- Animation Scripting and Technique
- Photo Communication
- BA (Hons.) Design Ecologies
- Special Effects
- Computers for Animation
- Animation Enginerring
- 3D Studio Max Complete
- Z- brush
- Combustion
- System Management

There is no doubt the animation industry is prospering fast so is the career in this profession. You could choose a career in Graphic Designing or computer designing. They both promise a bright and flourishing future.

Some people would answer something such as “the ability to stay calm,” or “providing the right kind of structure,” or “keeping yourself healthy and well-rested.”

Although these are crucial for long-term success in raising a child with ADD or ADHD, the most essential parenting trait is trust.

A child with a disability of any kind has the potential to grow and develop beyond any expectations that adults in his life current hold for him, but only if he himself believes in his future. Without belief, he is limited to modest gains at best.

Children who believe in themselves and their outcomes are committed in their endeavors. We all know from experience that the things we are committed to are not only easier for us, they are the things we stick with until we complete them.

The messages you send your child influence his level of commitment through his belief about who he is and what he can accomplish

Think back to a time in your life as an adult when things were tough for you. It might be a particularly challenging time at work, a health crisis, difficulty in a relationship or a financial setback.

Now that you have that instance in mind, think about the people you interacted with during this stressful time. Did you feel criticized… judged… or did you feel their acceptance and willingness to be patient as you tackled the challenge?

It’s obvious that if you felt negative messages from others, it worked against you. You may have made errors… you might have lost your temper… you might even have given up.

Adults have far more coping strategies than children do. If you, as an adult, were influenced by the negative messages of others, think about what it is like for your own child.

Your child reveres you. Your child has no ability to separate your parenting messages from his or her sense of self-worth. Children get the meaning of parental messages twisted in their minds. Because children see their failures larger than they see their successes, and because they believe that failure is a sign of their imperfection, they believe that when they disappoint their parents, their parents don’t like or want them.

Parenting children with special needs requires that parents have a success-oriented belief system.

A success-oriented belief system is grounded in the understanding that today’s thoughts fuel tomorrow’s results. Parents who appreciate that their child’s success is grounded in a “can-do” attitude know how to foster resilience and persistence in their children.

Strategies for developing a success-oriented belief system:

• You uplift your child from a position of liking yourself. Commit to developing and maintaining a strong, positive self-image. Be on a quest for personal development.
• Be committed to positive change in the family dynamic. Be alert to identifying and committed to eradicating maladaptive parenting patterns. Begin to see yourself as your child’s mentor, not your child’s boss.
• See your child’s life in positive and goal-directed terms. Reframe the meaning of genetics to understand how little is “set in stone.” Understand that individuals with disabilities are capable of attaining and becoming more than anyone can imagine or believe! Commit to focusing on what will be, and not to giving undue emphasis to what currently is.
• Be comfortable with your child’s free expression. Never, never, never plan your child’s life to suit your needs or fulfill your desires. Believe in your child’s dreams, not your own dreams for your child. Teach your child to lead her life with purpose and clarity.

Raising a child with special needs pulls forth from you power, clarity, and connection with your life’s purpose, and connection with the knowledge and ability to guide your life in more purposeful ways. If you are struggling in one or more areas of your relationship with your child, I suggest the best way for you to improve the situation is to rededicate yourself to 100% trust in your child’s ability and willingness to grow beyond your wildest expectations.

Overwhelmed by a diagnosis that requires your child to visit an occupational therapist? You’re not alone. Try not to focus on feeling like there’s a stigma involved with taking your child to therapy. Instead, recognize that occupational therapy is a life-changing and highly effective form of therapy for kids with a wide range of childhood developmental, physical and emotional disorders.

Here are some tips to help you manage your responsibilities as a parent of a child in occupational therapy:

1. Take lots of notes.

You’ll get a lot of information from your child’s therapist during the evaluation and initial appointments. Bring along a folder with your child’s medical history as well as a notebook for taking notes.

2. Ask lots of questions.

Don’t be afraid to ask plenty of questions. Don’t be embarrassed if you’re confused or not sure what to ask. This is new to you, and that’s okay. Occupational therapists are highly skilled in dealing with new parents and new patients.

3. Do your homework.

Chances are, your child’s occupational therapist will give you handouts and instructions for therapies to work on at home. These might be games, exercises or a “sensory diet” to assist with sensory integration. Follow through with your end of the deal by sticking to the instructions you’re given. Therapy is far more effective with the right support system at home during the time in between sessions. Consider looking up some sensory processing disorder books and resources to learn more.

4. Pay attention.

Unless otherwise specified, observe your child’s therapy. Note the way the therapist speaks to your child and the types of activities your child completes. Check out the types of therapeutic tools and sensory toys used. By simply watching, you’ll probably pick up on some great ways to manage your child’s behavior and communicate more effectively.

5. Be consistent.

Try not to miss too many appointments. While illnesses and vacations happen, it’s very important to be as consistent as possible. Your child will begin to know when to expect appointments. Consistently helps you meet milestones and assist the occupational therapist in his or her routines.

Power Factor, also known as PF, is the Cosine Angel between Voltage and Current. It is one of the most important performance measurement parameter for AC devices. DC devices don’t have issues with power factor because of non-directional voltage & current supply. Only AC loads affect PF. Resistive loads are unity power factor devices, capacitive loads are leading power factor devices and inductive loads are lagging power factor devices. PF actually means that when voltage is appearing across the load, still the current is not flowing through it (in case of inductive load) or the current has started flowing through the load but voltage has not appeared yet (in case of capacitive load).

Most practical AC loads/devices even generators/power supplies shows leading power factor due to the inductive nature. Because motors, generators, transformers are build using coils around iron cores, so these have inherent inductance.

AC power is expressed by P = V I cos ?, where value of cos ? represents of PF, if value of cos ? is close to 1 (for example 0.90) then that system is maintaining better power factor. Low PF systems are lossy, because it draws more reactive power form the generating side and may cause instability.

As lower PF is not recommended, so it is necessary to maintain the value of PF close to unity. Power factor correction devices (PFCD) are used to increase PF for systems suffering lower PF. The basic principle of power factor correction is to place a capacitor/capacitive load in parallel with the actual/inductive load. So the capacitive load tends to lead the PF while the real load lags in PF. This effect nullifies the lagging tendency of the PF and keeps is close to unity.

Power factor correcting methods are mainly 2 types. One is Active Power Factor Correction, which is used where PF varies widely over time due to different loading conditions. Another is Passive Power Factor Correction, which is used where loading condition is static.

Using an AC capacitor of proper value in parallel, is the most simple form of PFCD. This method is useful for static loads. Let, a lagging system’s PF is cos ? before correction and cos ?’ after correction, it draws Real Power P, then Reactive Power (before correction), Q = P tan ? and (after correction), Q’ = P tan ?’ required adjustment of reactive power, Qadj = Q – Q’ = P (tan ? – P tan ?’) required capacitive load Xc = V/ Qadj, Finally, we get the value of AC capacitor C = 1/ 2? f Xc, where f is the supply frequency.

Active PF control is required for industrial loads where load varies and in case of commercial or residential load where load may vary. One of the most common method for correcting PF in industrial loads is to use a Synchronous Motor if parallel with other heavy inductive loads. The amazing thing is this synchronous motor will draw Real power form the line to run itself, but it will feed Reactive power to the line. This reactive power is generated by Over Exciting the DC field of the synchronous motor, when over excited synchronous motors runs in leading PF mode that overcomes the lagging PF of other loads like Induction motors, Transformers etc.

Another way to achieve dynamic PF correction is performed using PF Control IC, where Power electronics are used with feedback control system to vary the Capacitance of a Variable AC Capacitor to achieve desired PF level.

Other methods for PF correction are placing Capacitor Banks in distribution lines. Long distance HV transmission lines, Underground AC lines also supply leading PF to correct PF due to inherent capacitance.

Correcting PF and sustaining close to unity is essential for healthy systems. Lower PF may cause higher current draw from the generating side, that increases thermal losses, thick conductor requirement and tendency to instability. So, it is essential to design proper PF correction system for better performance.

Special education is an often overlooked and underappreciated element of the larger education sector. Often, people correlate an education degree with grade school, high school or college teaching and administration. But there are a number of other equally important areas of teaching and education, like special education, that give service-minded individuals an opportunity to make a positive and lasting difference in students’ lives.

J.T. Watts is one teacher who chose a career in this education specialization. In his 41 years teaching, Watts helped children with varying learning disabilities and, he says, they helped him too. Many of the students Watt’s taught had dyslexia, a disability that causes people to reverse both words and letters.

Dyslexia is only one example of a learning disability. Special education teachers often help students with disorders that affect intake, processing, comprehension and retaining of information. Watts’ approach was to help increase his students self-esteem by teaching them methods of overcoming their confusion with words and letters. Watts implemented a strict memorization regimen of multiplication tables and state capitals. His students become so efficient that they were eventually able to compete with their teacher. Says Watts, “I did get beat one time on state capitals. I made a careless mistake and the students didn’t miss any. He never let me forget about it, either.”

Special educators, like Watts, employ a number of different methods when teaching special education students. Modifying the curriculum to best fit a student’s personal learning needs is a popular and successful tactic. When asked about the perks of his job, Watts replied, “I think it is the most difficult and stressful job in education. In the special education field, the teacher turnover is really high. But it is very fulfilling. It’s just worth it to see them progress. When the lights turn on, you can see it in their eyes when they start believing in themselves and say ‘Hey, I can do this. I’m OK.’”

So, you’ve recently learned that your child has a disability. When the shock and worry lessen, you will start looking for help. If your child is under age five, your local branch of Child Development Services will assign a case worker to aid with placement in appropriate programs and therapies. However, once your child enters the public school system, CDS exits and he/she will be assigned a special education teacher who will supervise his/her education needs in accordance to the financial abilities of the school district.

Above and beyond this, you are entitled to acquire a case manager who will set goals according to state regulations, follow your child’s progress through the public school system, and advise you of special programs, treatment, and funding available. These counseling professionals are employed by public health centers or nonprofit organizations.

As a parent, the first concern you may have is cost. Because this type of counseling is outside the realm of public education, funding is the responsibility of the parent. Do not be discouraged. Many agencies are willing to help parents acquire insurance provided by the state, designed specifically for children with special needs, even if you already have a primary insurance. Depending on your income, your child may qualify for your state’s version of Medicaid.

If your income is too high for Medicaid, your case manager will advise you of additional insurance programs like the Katie Beckett waiver program. The specific eligibility process differs from state to state. However, this waiver allows parents of children with medical or developmental disabilities to apply for Medicaid insurance coverage using exemptions from the standard Medicaid rules.

Another concern parents may have is the intrusion into their personal family life. Case managers typically make home visits once a month. While this visit is for convenience, it also serves as an observation of the child at home. They are not there to pass judgment, rather for the specific purpose of helping the family and the child. They will also perform observations in the classroom, and occasionally in social settings, depending upon the goals of the case management plan.

The benefits of case management can far outweigh any concerns. Your case manager will be well-trained and learned in the laws of the state. He/she can advise you of your child’s rights to special programs, educational accommodations, funding for therapeutic recreation, respite, and in-home support, and additional insurance. Thus, case management is a vital part of your child’s medical, educational, and/or social well-being. Learn more about the Katie Beckett waiver here.

Step One – Review your child’s IEP

The IEP is not just a bunch of pages. It is just like a contract between you and the school department. Look at the accommodations, goals, and service delivery to determine if your child is getting what they need to be successful. The accommodations should be things that are provided to your child. These are usually simple things, such as, quiet test area or extra time to complete assignments. These are not things that your child is doing or learning. The goals should be skills that your child is learning which will have the most impact on their overall learning. Services should be sufficient to ensure that the goals are being met.

Step Two – Reconvene the Team

You have the right to request a team meeting at any time during the school year. Make sure you request the meeting in writing. When the team meets, you should ask a lot of questions about what is being provided in the classroom and if it is helpful for your child. Find out if your child is making progress and if not, what can be done to help. The teachers in your child’s classroom are the best resource for this information, because you are not in the classroom. Don’t be afraid to let them know what you are seeing at home. Prior to attending the team meeting, get prepared with questions and issues ahead of time. Make yourself a bullet list so you don’t forget to mention everything.

Step Three – Get more information

If you can’t figure out what is missing, perhaps you need more information. You can get that with additional special education evaluations and assessments. Make sure that you request them in writing and try to be specific. For example, of your child is having trouble with reading, request a comprehensive reading evaluation. If your child is having behavior difficulty, request a functional behavioral assessment (fba). If you are not satisfied with the school’s assessment, you can request an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE).