United States
2020- present: Associate Director of Thought Leadership & Expertise, Understood
2013-2020: Writer and Senior Expert, Family Advocacy and Education, Understood.org
2006-Present: Freelance writer, specializing in education and parenting.
Bylines: Understood.org, Edutopia, Educational Leadership Magazine, ASCD Express, Education.com, Principal Magazine (NAESP), National PTA's "Our Children," Parenting Special Needs Magazine, Education Week, Inclusion From Square One, Circle of Moms, and more.
Expert resource for: NPREd, Education Week, Associated Press (AP), The Atlantic, Washington Post, The Hechinger Report, Education World, USA Today, Prevention Magazine, and more.
Winner of a 2017 SmartBrief Education Editor’s Choice Content Award
In the age of COVID and chaos, social media, and sky-high rents, it's harder than ever to be an adult. No wonder so many young people have trouble adulting, aren't feeling it, and don't know how to begin.
By Amanda Morin As we headed into what has been traditionally known as Autism Awareness Month, it's the first year I don't feel a pit of dread in my stomach. In part, that's because of the National Autism Society of America's push to make April "Autism Acceptance Month."
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to "get to know you" a bit better. Can you share the "backstory" behind what brought you to this particular career path? I come from a family of educators. My grandmother was a teacher and both of my parents were school psychologists.
My middle son became an adult in 2020. He was among the first wave of teens who jumped feet first into a world changed by the pandemic, economic uncertainty, and with the lack of typical celebrations that mark the transition from "kid" to "adult."
When it comes to "adulting" people often think of skills like cooking and financial literacy, but they don't always think about the art of communication. If we want our teens to be successful, it's essential that we teach them to communicate clearly and respectfully as they venture out into the world on their own.
When an educator at the workshop would repeatedly whisper to tablemates, Causton would eventually call their loved one-in front of the whole workshop-and tell them about the behavior. The point was this: Adults feel shame when they're called out in front of their peers and get reported to a loved one-and this is what some teachers do to students when using behavior charts.
Preschool students work hard at playing. They incorporate what they see in everyday life into their play, and they incorporate the skills and knowledge gained during play into their everyday lives. This is certainly true when it comes to reading readiness.
Books & Recent Articles
What Is Empathy?: A Bullying Storybook for Kids
From scavenger hunts and word puzzles to educational apps and imaginative play, On-the-Go Fun for Kids! offers 100 engaging activities they'll want to do again and again.
Children with special needs who succeed in school have one thing in common--their parents are passionate and effective advocates.
Using the word "educational" can be the quickest way to lose a child's interest. But the games, projects, and experiments in The Everything Kids' Learning Activities Book are so much fun, your kids won't even know they're learning!
Preschool students work hard at playing. They incorporate what they see in everyday life into their play, and they incorporate the skills and knowledge gained during play into their everyday lives. This is certainly true when it comes to reading readiness.
With the coronavirus pandemic, all of us are experiencing loss of some kind. Many people have lost loved ones. Others have lost jobs. Some losses have been larger than others, but the common thread is that we're all feeling a collective sense of loss and lack of control over our lives.
The coronavirus pandemic has turned all of our lives upside down. The lines between work and home, school and home, and parenting and teaching have blurred. Parents are pressed to find space and time for everyone while also trying to manage big emotions—our children’s and our ownHow to Answer the “What Ifs” When Your Child Struggles
In the past few weeks, I've read, listened to, or watched dozens of news stories about parent-formed "pandemic pods." What started out as a way for a few families to safely spend social time together has taken on a whole new meaning.
The coronavirus pandemic is bringing new challenges to special education and distance learning. Learn what accommodations can look like during distance learning for students who receive special education services.
Many families feel stressed about back-to-school this year. And some kids may be so anxious that they resist or refuse school. That's true whether they're going back to a school building, continuing distance learning, or doing a mix of both.
Amid COVID19, parents are struggling to figure out how to be teachers, and teachers are struggling to figure out how to accommodate differences in their new learning environments. We're all trying to adapt-and to manage challenges that look like learning and thinking differences.
Recent Media Quotes
We all want our kids to be confident and have a healthy self-esteem! Here are five tips to help your kids feel good about themselves. There are so many things we teach our kids, from the time they're tiny little babies until they're ready to head out into the world on their own.
"He had a hard time paying attention, following directions, he had what a lot of people thought of as behavior issues, he would have meltdowns," said mom of two sons Amanda Morin. "Our younger son who is 10 he was diagnosed much earlier along...
For ideas on how to best set up accommodations for learners in a remote learning environment, check out examples compiled by educator-author Amanda Morin.
“Students can step back and learn at their own pace, and also communicate with teachers in a more comfortable way,” said Amanda Morin, a senior expert at Understood, a nonprofit providing learning resources to educators and families. (The change has not been as positive, Ms. Morin emphasized, for students with physical disabilities, who have lost access to in-school support specialists.)"
What Is Empathy? A Bullying Storybook for Kids is a children's picture book about social and verbal bullying, which many children encounter every school year. Author Amanda Morin states a clear intention for her book before introducing a highly relatable tale told, alternatively, from the perspectives of Sofia and Ava.
According to Amanda Morin writing for understood.org, “The goal of brain breaks for kids is to help their brains shift focus.” She explains that breaks can include exercise, guided meditation or quiet activities. She also offers two ways to schedule breaks, by time intervals (which tend to work better for younger learners) or by a number of tasks completed (which can benefit older students).
SCARBOROUGH - Local author and former educator Amanda Morin has released her first children's book the goal of which is to teach young students how to be empathetic. "What is Empathy? A Bullying Storybook for Kids" follows best friends Sofia and Ava, as they reach a potentially friendship-ending situation and learn how to see the problem through each other's eyes.
Articles
Principals must be conversant in special education terminology to collaborate with parents. By Amanda Morin Consider this scenario: You're sitting in a meeting concerning an individualized education program (IEP), and the discussion over placement or programming gets heated.
To all the parents who are worried that my son is in their child's class: I heard through our mutual friend that you were asking whether my son is in the same class as your child. I wondered why my phone wasn't blowing up with the "whose class is he in?"
As a mom of three wonderfully frustrating kids of varying ages, all of whom have very different ways of approaching learning, I've heard "I don't want to go to school" more than a few times as summer vacation comes to its inevitable end.
Once parents feel empowered to share their thoughts in a productive way and an IEP team knows that the parent wants to understand the process better to be an equal participant in the team, the job of the advocate is done.
You already know we're all here because we want to answer the question, " How do we start schools that aren't already inclusive?" We all come from different backgrounds and entry points, but share the mission of creating a more inclusive world.
If you're wondering whether learning and attention issues may be the reason why your child is struggling in school or at home, you're not alone. One in five kids have dyslexia, ADHD, or other learning and attention issues, and with the right support, they can thrive both inside and outside the class...
Are discipline and punishment the same thing? People often use the terms interchangeably, but there is a difference between the two. Discipline is a way to teach kids to follow rules or correct misbehavior. There is negative discipline and positive discipline. Punishment is a form of negative discipline.
Guest blogger Amanda Morin is a parent advocate, a former teacher, the Content Development Manager at Understood.org and the author of three books, The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education, The Everything Kids' Learning Activities Book and On-the-Go Fun for Kids: More Than 250 Activities to Keep Little Ones Busy and Happy--Anytime, Anywhere!
Many people think the words "tantrum" and "meltdown" mean the same thing. And they can look very similar when you see a child in the middle of having one. But for kids who have sensory processing issues or who lack self-control, a meltdown is very different from a tantrum.
"Kids will do well if they can" is a basic mantra that Dr. Ross Greene, acclaimed psychologist and director of Lives in the Balance, asks parents to keep in mind when dealing with kids. Moms will do well if they can, too, although when it comes to discipline, we don't always do it as well as we can.
With inclusion comes questions, both from parents of students with disabilities and from parents of students who don't have disabilities.
Featured Expert
"Amanda Morin, an education writer/author, parent advocate, and former teacher, knows many parents simply won’t be able to take advantage of the clarified policy, especially if they are low-income."
Experts say this delay can impact kids when they finally do enter school. “We know ‘wait and see’ doesn’t work,” said Amanda Morin, an expert at Understood, a nonprofit that gives parents resources and information about learning and attention issues. “So kids who are not getting services at younger ages will most likely need services when they get into school.”
When Amanda Morin's younger child, Benjamin, was about to start school, her older son, Jacob Lewis, then in 7th grade, told his family that they should switch school districts. "He was really adamant that he didn't want Benjamin to be viewed as a problem," Morin said.
Amanda Morin, who researches and writes about attention issues as a teacher, parent advocate, and mother of two children with attention issues, says the best work with ADHD students starts with “presuming competence..."
"Parents of special-needs children are ecstatic about this decision, according to Amanda Morin, a parent of two children with IEPs and a contributor for the parent website Understood.org. Morin said, “I’m thrilled, because I think it really empowers parents to feel confident when they go in the door [of an IEP meeting]. They can say that the law says that this program must be tailored so my child makes progress.”
Provide the school with work samples, the historical record and any diagnostic information, says Amanda Morin, author of "The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education" and an expert for Understood, an organization that supports parents of children who have learning and attention issues. Be specific. Parents can say, "My child isn't reading at grade level," or "English causes more outbursts than math."
Does your child seem anxious about school? Is it something beyond typical stress? A big challenge for parents is figuring out where to turn for support and information when their kids are struggling. Parents often wonder whether it's anxiety or some other issue making school difficult.
“Conferences can be intimidating for both parents and teachers, but they don’t have to be. It’s a time to be collaborative, confident and to communicate clearly,” says Amanda Morin. Morin has ten years’ experience as a classroom teacher and early intervention specialist and is the author of The Everything Kids’ Learning Activities Book.
"When a student is mostly doing well, the school can sometimes be hesitant to evaluate him for special education services,” says Amanda Morin, an expert at Understood and the author of three books on childhood learning issues. "But academics aren’t the only thing to consider. There are other challenges that can point to learning and attention issues, too. These can include things like trouble making friends or managing emotions."
Amanda Morin speaks with Sue O'Connell about ways parents can be supportive of children in the classroom.
Podcast Appearances
Discover In It, a podcast for and about families of kids with learning and attention issues from Understood for Parents. Hosts Amanda Morin and Lexi Walters Wright talk with families of kids with learning disabilities such as ADHD, dyslexia, sensory processing issues and dyscalculia-as well as str...
About the guest - Amanda Morin worked as a classroom teacher and as an early intervention specialist for 10 years. She has been working as an education writer since 2007 and played an integral role in launching Understood.org in 2014.
In this episode of the Parenting ADHD Podcast, I'm talking IEPs and 504 Plans with former teacher and educational advocate, Amanda Morin.
This week's episode is a special back-to-school episode to help families prepare for easing into the coming school year with as much confidence and serenity as possible. I'm grateful to be joined by Amanda Morin, a writer, parent advocate, a former educator...
In advance of an October 22nd dyslexia awareness event at USM, we'll discuss dyslexia, a learning disorder that involves difficulty in reading. It is widely believed that dyslexia is often undiagnosed or diagnosed too late.
Amanda Morin and Robert Rummel-Hudson join The Inclusive Class Podcast this week! Amanda Morin is an advocate and author of The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education. Robert Rummel-Hudson is author of Schuyler's Monster. Together.
Today we have Amanda Morin from the National Center for Learning Disabilities and the amazing online resource Understood.org. We talk about the transition back to school for students with disabilities.