Photo of a young girl with Down syndrome writes with a pencil while her teacher sits beside her, smiling and offering guidance. They are seated at a table in a bright classroom, with a mint-green basket in the foreground.
It’s called clickbait because it’s hard to pass up without clicking. “Five top travel destinations for this year.” “Top movies coming this fall.” The intent is to attract attention, and those curious viewers will click on a particular webpage. Some clicks are malicious and may result in data mining or spreading a virus. Most are pure advertising….and everything in between.
This time of the year, it may be a list of needs in back-to-school items (a list the grandma in me appreciates for gift ideas). New pencils, backpacks, shoes, and lunchboxes that were “must-haves” decades ago may not be all that’s needed in 2025. The old-time lists are even less relevant and can be short on suggestions if your student has a disability.
Teachers may or may not have easy access to some of these. Whatever you can do to help your child will be much appreciated. Our hope this month is that you will help us build a list of back-to-school items that you have found that are new to the market or most helpful in making the first day of school a little more special.
Here are a few we found:
- Fidget backpack. Search and you can find a wide range of bubble covers, zippers, or other fidgets. But any backpack can become a fidget backpack by just attaching a few items to a carabiner or by a key chain.
- Sometimes a silicon chew necklace can be one way for the student to deal with the uncertainty of a new environment. They also have silicone sleeves for pencils that can provide for those who need the oral stimulation without destroying the pencil.
- Both wearable bracelets and Medic Alerts for food allergies, in addition to conversations with the school nurse and teachers, can help avoid a hospital trip.
- Pencil Grips come in a variety of shapes, colors, and designs for those little hands that are trying to learn the fine motor skills needed in writing their ABCs.
- Mini loop scissors work for left or right-handed students and are great for almost any age with low coordination, diminished hand strength, or just delays in learning this basic skill.
Help us compile a list of your favorite adaptive options to include in classrooms throughout Northeast Indiana. As Joni shares in her column, too many teachers are spending their own dollars to help their students get the most out of their school day. Together, we can do better.