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Struggling with debt can be a very stressful situation. Your finances can become a constant balancing act - trying to pay the ‘most important’ debts while paying what you can towards others.

Of course, any debt is a priority - and any problems repaying those debts should be addressed immediately. There are different types and levels of debt - and as such, there are different debt solutions that might be more appropriate for each individual’s circumstances. Here we look at two debt solutions: debt consolidation and IVAs (Individual Voluntary Arrangements).

Debt consolidation
Debt consolidation is a way of combining your debts and simplifying your finances. It is usually most suitable for people who feel they are able to repay their debts within a realistic timeframe, but not necessarily on the original terms. A debt consolidation loan can also be useful for people who simply want to benefit from the convenience of a single monthly payment.

A debt consolidation loan is essentially a new loan taken out to repay your existing debts, after which you will repay your new lender in regular monthly payments. This means that instead of dealing with several separate debt repayments each month, you will only need to make one.

It is also possible to reduce your monthly outgoings with a debt consolidation loan. By spreading repayments across a longer time period than the original debts, your total monthly payment will be reduced - but be aware that this will lead to you paying more in interest than if you had repaid the debt in a shorter space of time.

However, if you are consolidating high-APR debts, such as credit cards or store cards, you may be able to save money in interest, since the interest rate is often lower on a debt consolidation loan.

IVA (Individual Voluntary Arrangement)
An IVA is for more serious problems with debt - usually 15,000GBP or higher - and is generally considered a preferable alternative to bankruptcy. An IVA involves making reduced monthly payments to each of your creditors, based on how much you can afford.

Before you enter into an IVA, you will work with a debt adviser or Insolvency Practitioner to draw up a proposal for your creditors, detailing how much you are able to pay each month. This proposal will then be submitted to your creditors, who will be invited to approve (or reject) it. Creditors accounting for a combined 75% of your overall debts must approve the proposal for the IVA to go ahead.

If your proposal is approved, you will begin the IVA and make regular monthly payments to your debt adviser, who will distribute the money on a pro rata basis (based on how much is owed to each creditor). This will usually continue for five years, after which the remaining debt will be considered settled.

Be aware, though: an IVA is a significant financial commitment that will leave you with little or no disposable income for the duration. If you are a homeowner, you will also be expected to free up some of the equity in your home in the 54th month of your IVA (half way through the fifth and final year), and this amount will also be distributed amongst your creditors.

For more information on debt consolidation, IVAs and other debt solutions, visit Think Money or call free on 0800 074 4222.

School systems across the country are facing an uphill battle. With autism on the rise, school systems are taking in more and more students who are on the spectrum. Although many systems have trained staff in place, most districts are at a loss of what to do and how to handle the situation. Parents are becoming increasingly frustrated and in some cases, schools are being sued in order for a child to receive proper therapy.

This does not need to be the case if both parents and school staff work together to provide the proper environment. First and foremost, a school is not a place for a parent to drop off their child to be babysat, especially if that child has special needs. A school is a place for learning, social skills building as well as a place to learn life skills. Many parents of children with special needs put an enormous burden on a school to provide everything their child needs without providing any support. The reality is, if this happens, the child will fail and nobody wins.

The key to having success in school for a child with autism is to form a team mentality with the school and its staff. Take time to work together to create the environment to best suit the child, not the parents or the schools best interests. In order to do this, both sides need to be on the same page, speak the same language and understand where each other is coming from.

Raising a child with autism can be a daunting task. Parents of children with autism are frequently exhausted. A large number of children with autism stay up all night and finally fall asleep at 4 or 5 in the morning. Parents are working long hours and then have to come home to take care of a child who may have numerous challenges. Parents have spent every penny they have on therapy, and are reaching out for help in the best way they know how. Many times that way is to drop them off at school in hopes that by the end of that day their child as progressed in some way. At the same time teachers are attempting to work with every child in their class both typical and special needs to help them learn. Each child has their own challenge, but the addition of a child with autism can make a teachers day much more difficult, especially if that teacher does not know how to work with a child with autism. Furthermore, school systems have not been prepared to deal with this inflow of children with autism. They do not have the resources available to provide help, and when they do the cost can be extremely high. When all of these factors come crashing together, the powder keg is ignited and explodes into difficult, painful and sometimes litigious situation.

This situation can be avoided if both school system and parent are willing to work together to attempt to solve challenges and celebrate successes. This means understanding each others language and communicating to each other about the child.

Parents know their child best and also spend the most time with them. The know if their child has had a bad day or if they did not eat a good breakfast. They also know what works will with their children and what reinforces them. All of this is knowledge that a teacher needs to know on a daily, weekly or quarterly basis. When a parent contacts a teacher and tells them about a negative or positive situation that happened at home, a teacher can either be prepared to counter act a behavior or praise and celebrate an accomplishment.

It is also extremely important for a school to be as open as possible. A school needs to develop a plan to over communicate with a parent and let them know all that is going on, so that both sides can work together to solve problems or reinforce positive actions.

Finally, the school and the parent need to be trained on how to work with children with autism. School systems need to have training in place not only for their Special Education Department, but also for their para professionals, and general education staff. Each person in this child’s life needs to know how to work on bad behaviors and reinforce positive behaviors. They need to be proactive, not reactive in their teaching to develop their student to the fullest potential. Parents need to be trained so that they can take what was learned at school and help develop skills and work on behaviors.

When both sides have open communication, are realistic about a child’s goals and work together the child with autism has a much better chance of success.

Garrett Butch is the father of a 6 year old with autism and the founder of Maximum Potential. MP’s courses developed by 2 PhD BCBA’s were created to empower parents and school systems to provide effective and affordable training to school systems. To see more visit www.maximumpotentialkids.com

This power yoga routine is excellent for a total body warm up before you begin your exercise program and, in fact, is a very good workout in itself. It stretches your muscles and works your breathing, as well as strengthens your arms, back, chest and legs.

It is important to breathe fully and to do each part of the exercise slowly. Do not hurry through this and concentrate on your breathing throughout.

You start in a standing position with your arms hanging at your side. Slowly breathe in deeply while you look to the ceiling and raise your arms overhead. Try to touch the sky.

Slowly bend forward, breathing out, and touch your hands to the floor. Keep your legs as straight as possible but it is important that you stretch down as much as possible. In the beginning, you will probably have to bend your legs. Your head is close to your body and you want to look between your legs. If you are limber, place your palms flat on the floor.

Breathe in and, holding the same position, lift your head and look forward.

Breathe out and walk your feet backward as you get into a pushup position. When you become efficient at this routine, you can jump back into position if you like.

Breathing in, lower your belly close to the floor, at the same time shift your feet so the top of your feet are flat on the floor and stretch your upper body upward. You stretch your neck muscles as well by looking up at the ceiling.

Breathe out and move your body so that the bottom of your feet are now flat on the floor and your butt is as high in the air as possible. Look between your legs. You are in an inverted V position.

Breathe in and walk your feet forward until you are back into the position where you are touching the floor with your head close to your body and you are looking forward.

Breathe out and lower your head so you are now looking between your legs again.

Breathe in and slowly stretch up, standing and reaching for the sky, looking at the ceiling.

Now breathe out and return to your starting position, hands at your side. You have just completed one set.

Your goal is to work up to five sets eventually.

Remember to concentrate on your breathing. When you breathe in, do it slowly and take in as much breath as possible. When you breathe out, exhale all your breath and try to touch your back with your belly button.

Do these before exercising or do them first thing in the morning to get your body ready to face the day.

Keith “Nickel” Langevin is the owner of the informative YOGA website http://www.fomayoga.com
For a F-R-E-E course to help get you started on your YOGA journey visit http://fomayoga.com/yogabasics

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