JasperTree

JasperTree was a wonderful adventure that was all too short lived! Our doors are closed for now, but we're hopeful that this won't be permanent. If you are looking for information regarding home education in Middle TN, please contact mthea.org. They would love to talk with you!

Middle Tennessee Home Education Association Middle Tennessee Home Education Association (MTHEA) is a home school support organization for the middle Tennessee area and is affiliated with the Tennessee Home Education Association.

FYI!!! **Parent/Child Stress Intervention Project**

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center is now undertaking research to determine the effectiveness of an adapted, 6-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) group intervention on the health, mental health and well-being of parents of children with disabilities. The MBSR curriculum is adapted to include pertinent lessons from our previously tested Positive Parenting (PP) intervention.

This study will also determine the feasibility and effectiveness of a group MBSR program on the participants’ children (age 5 –adult) with intellectual or developmental disabilities (DDs/IDDs), chronic illness or mental health concerns.

This study builds on promising preliminary results of the NIH-funded trial that showed a reduction in stress during and after the 6-week classes. We anticipate that the adapted curriculum will produce positive results for participants, both the parents and their children.

This project will enroll parents of children with disabilities and their children with disabilities. Parents and children will be asked to attend six weekly sessions of an hour and half each. The children’s sessions will include 15 – 20 minutes of intervention and the rest of the time will be spent in childcare with non-participant children.

Trained peer mentors will lead the parent groups, and a trained adult will lead the groups for their children with disabilities. Peer mentors are parents who have a child with a developmental disability, who are employed by Vanderbilt and who have experience teaching MBSR. The curriculum for the children has been adapted to the developmentally appropriate level. We will provide childcare for siblings who may also be attending. Classes will be offered at a convenient time and location. We will measure coping and stress levels with written and online questionnaires and by collecting cortisol (from saliva) from parents and offspring participants. Parents will have the option of providing two blood samples (15+ ml) so that we can identify additional stress-related biomarkers. Follow-up questionnaires and cortisol samples will be taken to determine the long-term effectiveness of the interventions.

If you are interested in learning more about this study, please contact a member of the research study team at (615) 875-5080 or [email protected].

Sensory Parenting Because data have shown that one in six children have sensory issues, Sensory World is most interested in exploring and creating distributors of our products in the USA and around the world.

Fun at the TreeHouse!

ATTENTION JasperTree Parents! Don't forget to bring the following items to class on Thursday: 1 empty CD case and 1 white T-shirt. We're planting seeds and painting Me-Shirts!

Not a parent of JasperTree? You're missing all the fun!!

I know this is real! Hopefully, there's not too much of that with our kiddos after a day at JasperTree! We're keeping it a stress free zone - as much as possible!!

Emotional world on the spectrum! The "delayed effect"

Many people see this delayed effect once the child comes home from school. If they are strong enough to "hold it together" at school, then the stress comes out as soon as they come home. When the parent approaches the school, they simply report that the child is doing well there. However, these children need the same supports (less demands, sensory diet, frequent breaks, physical activity, etc.) as the child who acts out frequently at school. We must realize that "holding it in" can be damaging to the nervous system, and take a great toll on the children.

Wise Words...

Seven Things I Wish Someone had Told Me When My Daughter Was First Diagnosed with Autism 1. You’re not alone. No, really, really not alone. About one in 110 of us are on the autism spectrum. Throughout the world, autism affects all races, social classes, religions, and income levels. You are going to meet some amazing people who are walking this road right with you. You may even find th...

What an AMAZING first day of classes we had at the TreeHouse!! We're looking forward to a great year of learning and growing together! (You really should think about joining us!)

This is the day that the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be GLAD in it!! Ready or not, HERE WE GO!!

Do you know about Natural Learning Concepts (nlconcepts.com)? They have a free download: "A Letter To My Teacher, 15 Things About Me." Might be interesting to do at the start of the school year!