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About Special Education |
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Adopting a Child with Special Needs |
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There are tens of thousands of children in the United States who have special needs and are waiting for permanent homes. In the past, children who have special needs have been generally considered harder to place for adoption than others, but in reality, many children with special needs can be successfully placed. The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 has focused more attention on finding permanent homes for those children who have special needs as well as making certain that they have the post adoption services they need. When used in adoption, "special needs" may include several factors, and sometimes vary from one state to another. In general, children with special needs have... |
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Special Education Needs Causing Financial Crisis in California Schools |
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Now, I am all for special education for children with disabilities. I attended school at a time when such children were either put into “special” schools or thrown in with the general student population to sink or swim on their own. It was a terrible inequity. It finally was addressed in the 1970s with a law designed to correct such discrimination by giving these children the civil right to an equal opportunity to learn. The law covered children from birth to age 22, guaranteeing them the right to a free and “appropriate” public education. It is the ambiguous word “appropriate” written into the law that is creating a crisis for the California schools, according to Nanette Asimov, staff... |
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Toy Ideas for Children with Cerebral Palsy and Special Needs |
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One of the more common problems with mainstream toys is that they are meant to be used with two hands- often times children with cerebral palsy will have limited use of one side of the body or the use of only one hand. Toys should be fun and children should have a feeling of accomplishment or success when playing- not frustrated or reminded of what they cannot do. Many of the commercial toys on the market can be adapted or used by children with cerebral palsy. There are many toys that you can buy at any toy store or department store that are affordable and fun to use. Look for toys that can be used with one hand.
Musical instruments are great for this- a trumpet, harmonica, ... |
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Navigating the Special Education Maze
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As a school psychologist, as well as the mother of a child with a chronic health condition, I understand all too well the intimidation that accompanies entering the “bargaining” sessions of IEP meetings. There are ways, however, to stack the proverbial cards in your favor. Read on…
To begin with, be prepared for anything. Keep accurate documentation and note the dates and times that everything occurs. I’m not exaggerating – EVERYTHING. Every phone call, every progress report, etc. Nothing is more intimidating to IEP teams than a parent who has prepared for their meeting. A parent with a Plan of their own is scary for us, because what if we look like idiots, or offend you? That’s why you have to come into meetings prepared for anything, almost as if you’re documenting for a Due Process hearing. You never know, you might have to “go there.”
Second, know your rights. Ask for a copy of your State’s Parental Rights in Special Education (PRISE) for your review before you attend any meeting at all. You can find the PRISE for your State by entering a search on Google.
Third, know you’re an active participant and that no one can force a program on you or your child. For example, some schools will hand you an IEP that they’ve already devised before you got there, with hopes that the meeting will go quickly and you’ll just sign and leave. But that’s like going to an Italian restaurant and all that’s on the menu is spaghetti. Your child is unique and to truly devise an individualized plan, all of those involved should plan on spending at least one hour talking through the parts of the plan that are going to affect the child academically and socio-emotionally.
Know what you want before you go in there. Have a Mission in mind, know your goals, and outline your strategies before you even step foot in that room. For example, you’ll need goals for your child. Make sure you’ve broken them down to the smallest components before you ask for them – you’ll be surprised how much more you get out of your request.
I.e., Goal: I want my child to be able to get – and hold – a job when they graduate.
Well, that’s plain, isn’t it? If you broke it down, however, you’d have:
I want my child to learn:
How to respect authority;
How to type;
How to honor time commitments;
How to respectfully interact with peers;
Etc.
Now, doesn’t that look more like what you were thinking?
You may not get all of them, but you’ll get some – and that’s way more specific than “get a job,” so there’ll be a bit more work required of your Team. Good.
Third, know you’ll run into snags. There will be red tape you’ll have to circumvent; you’ll meet people whose goal it is to keep children from receiving services (yes, after all of those years of education, you would think we’re all in this for the children. Yet some of our colleagues are actually naysayers); you’ll hear all about how “this is not how we operate” when you present documentation proving otherwise; etc. You’ll certainly learn a lesson in frustration tolerance.
If you’re lucky, you won’t have to deal with any of the above. But I doubt it.
Fourth, learn from the negatives and appreciate the positives. You will also learn some positive things, such as knowing when to give up. By this I don’t mean walking out on your plan, but knowing when to compromise.
Fifth, know your child is entitled to individuality. If you look at evaluations, they might all seem the same. You don’t want your child’s IEP to be just like everyone else’s, or they’ll be ignored. Trust me on this one. I have seen 1,000’s of IEPs and rarely does the school hold itself responsible for child failure. It’s always “Johnny X” or “Johnny’s mom Y.” Make sure your child’s IEP delineates what has NOT been done for him – not just what has been.
You just want us to fix what you’ve done wrong.
Did that statement infuriate you? It’s what most school staff thinks when you demand fair treatment.
My advice? Listen more than you speak and ask very specific questions – questions that merit elaboration on the part of your Team. Most of all, remain respectful. No one likes a bully, or someone who blames everything on everyone else.
Oh, and smile graciously as you lay your tape recorder on the conference table.
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A Quick Note
From The Publisher...
If you like the article above, you may be
interested in the following article which is also related to Special Education...
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10 Ways You Can Advocate For Your Child With A Learning Disability |
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Did you know that you are the most important person in your child’s life? Of course you did. But did you know that parents of children with learning disabilities can also be their child’s most effective advocate. What exactly is an advocate? An advocate is someone who speaks up for someone else, or who acts on behalf of another person. As a parent, you know your child better than anyone else, and you are in the best position to speak for him and act on his behalf. Here are 10 ways you can do that: 1. Realize from the beginning that advocating for your child takes a lot of time. Advocating involves a great deal of research, meeting time, and communication. That’s a given. But the end result will be a successful,responsible, happy young adult who will be able to survive the pitfalls of the real world. 2. Be informed. The more you know about what is going on with your child, the more comfortable you will be in helping others understand him. Here are some ways you can become informed: a.Read all you can about learning disabilities (especially your child’s learning disability). b.Attend conferences. That’s a great way to learn and make contact with other people faced with similar issues. c.Ask questions - seek answers. d.Join a support group if there is one available. You can learn a lot from a support group. 3. Become familiar with the rules and regulations that apply to your child’s special education program. You request copies of the regulations from your local school district office (the special education office, if your district has one) or from your state Department of Education. If you have difficulty understanding these rules and regulations, don’t be afraid to ask the special education director or your child’s special education teacher to explain them to you.... |
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