"We have to be careful we're not creating special education systems or IEPs by proxy. What I mean is that we're not creating a system of people who are standing in for the professionals."
How different will IEP's look in Ohio now that the changes from the 2006 legislative amendments are trickling down? Click on the title above and you'll be transported into another universe. I promise you. (Like me, you'll never come back!)
Remember parents, an IEP is not just a bunch of papers we sign off every few years to gauge our child's progress and special education for our child is not babysitting time. IEPs are the master plan outlining what your child is working toward according to their own ability. IEPs are the road map for your child's future.
It's unfortunate we have created so much paperwork in developing IEPs because it can take away from time that would be spent with your child. So make sure that somewhere in the design of the IEP is how a student's time will be accounted for while they are at school. More specifically, who will be implementing the IEP with your child on a daily basis. The IEP should identify the players working directly with your child the majority of the time and what they'll be doing on a daily basis.
We also have to be careful we're not creating a special education system or IEPs by proxy. What I mean is that we're not creating a system of people who are standing in for the professionals. What if for example, suddenly we had schools where only one teacher was required to teach other people how to teach in the classroom.
Make sure you know who is with your child most of the time, too. I've been reading a lot about students being found in restraints or left in isolation, for example. The reason why this happens is because children are left in environments where the majority of their time is spent with a well-meaning person who is not trained to be with them.
In some cases, an untrained or inexperienced person who is not familiar with your child's behaviors or needs can actually cause them to become agitated or aggressive. Many times they can enable or trigger behaviors that hinder progress.
It is so important you know the people with whom your child is spending the majority of his or her time. Is there a licensed special education teacher on the premises all the time? Are there licensed speech therapists? Are there licensed OTs/PTs or is one available to them to make the necessary adaptions/changes if needed? If there is a behavior issue, is there a behaviorist or psychologist ready to respond if needed?
The IEP should also identify how the IEP is being implemented. If the environment where all this is suppose to take place doesn't look right, if it looks too crowded or if there is sensory overload or not enough adults on hand, then that needs to be addressed in the IEP meeting. If you're not sure, ask the special education teacher his or her professional opinion about adaptions in the classroom that can be made for your child to help not hinder progress.
Most importantly, make sure you understand your child's medical diagnosis upside down and backward and the challenges it presents for your child. Are there limitations? What is the neurological situation? What is the potential range for your child's ability? What makes your child tick?
Forget about what the other kids are doing unless you think you see a child that matches in ability, current skill level, or developmental patterns. But be careful here, too, because what works for one child may be disastrous for another.
Think this through. IEPs were created for your child, not for what other children are doing. Look at what your child can do and start from there. The "I" still stands for "individual, " the "E" still stands for "education" and the "P" still stands for "plan" regardless of what changes we read.
Get to know the district psychologist and their theories, methodologies, and instruments they use mapping the personalized development chart identifying your child strengths and special abilities. Determine if this clearly describes what your child is capable of in the classroom. If not, find out if there an alternative that will reflect best what your child is capable according to their own ability.
Get to know your district representatives. If you decide the classroom is not beneficial to his or her learning style or pattern of development or behaviors, then talk about creating an environment that will help your child grow in their area of need and ability.
Make sure you have on board during your IEP meetings a board licensed special education teacher who will be working directly with your child making the special adaptions and changes in the classroom because very few teachers have the resources or the time to do this for your child. Most importantly, make sure there are present in the IEP meeting an OT/PT/Speech/Behaviorist/Vision Specialists/Interventionist Advocate and anyone else who can aid in creating a special education plan for your child according to his or her own ability.
They say parents are the best advocates, but I have learned early in the journey, it helps to get to know the experts who keep current with research & studies about your child's special diagnosis. Sometimes they can help explain better what your child's needs are in the classroom. Or if the classroom is not the place for your child, an environment that will allow your child to benefit from a special education based on their emerging skills and special abilities.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
May Flowers ...
I don't know what happened to the first part of May. I recall carrying 50 bags of mulch down a hill and 50 more here and there, but as I look out my window I am almost immobilized by the work I know that's out there this time of year.
I've had my vegetable garden in since late April and the perennial beds look good. I just haven't gotten around to throwing out the flower seed for my annual display of zinneas & cosmos because the beds are not ready.
Eric's death still is very surreal to me. Seeing him wasn't an everyday thing like it was for his family and friends. It was the special occasions to visit the big family that made our trips up to Cleveland seem like a family vacation and Eric was part of the experience. He was part of that anticipation.
We did manage to attend the Mother's Day Indian's game in Cleveland with the big family a weekend after the funeral. Everyone was there. Except Eric. We got through it. We managed. I guess we were grateful to be together even though our hearts are still breaking over his death.
Elisabeth's prom at McAuley was fun. It helped get my mind off Eric until I heard a parent talking about his 20 year old son at college. It seems like every person I've met since Eric died has a 20 year old son in college.
So naturally, when I start hearing these stories, I think about my brother and his family and wonder how they are coping for that minute. Are they finding light at the end of that grief tunnel?
I wonder if the person with whom I am talking ever thought that their son would die from injuries after falling 4 floors?
I am learning how to pray. I am learning how to connect again.
I have a few other things on my mind, too. I want to get a conversion mini-van to transport Elisabeth and her chair without having to rely on lifting her or her chair into the car. I am counting the days until I can leave the house without ever lifting her wheelchair in the car.
One - two - three. It could be weeks or months.
The vans are expensive. It's well over $40,000 for a decent one but I'm told not to worry by a soft spoken well-meaning sale person because I can pay it back over ten years. I hear that it's a special deal they have for people who need wheelchair accessible vans. I don't get it. Am I suppose to feel relieved by paying 9% in interest over ten years?
Tomorrow, I'm going in for tests that every 51 year old woman goes through when she's told she has an enlarged ovary and is overdue for a mammogram. I google "enlarged ovary" every now and then to check in and decide its a coin toss. Just like falling out a window.
Last week, I spent time searching for pictures of Eric that do not remind me of his death. Pictures that remind me of a time when I was motivated to throw my flower seeds in flower beds that I prepared each year. A time in my life when I wasn't worried about mammograms, ultrasounds, or putting a wheelchair in car.
I've had my vegetable garden in since late April and the perennial beds look good. I just haven't gotten around to throwing out the flower seed for my annual display of zinneas & cosmos because the beds are not ready.
Eric's death still is very surreal to me. Seeing him wasn't an everyday thing like it was for his family and friends. It was the special occasions to visit the big family that made our trips up to Cleveland seem like a family vacation and Eric was part of the experience. He was part of that anticipation.
We did manage to attend the Mother's Day Indian's game in Cleveland with the big family a weekend after the funeral. Everyone was there. Except Eric. We got through it. We managed. I guess we were grateful to be together even though our hearts are still breaking over his death.
Elisabeth's prom at McAuley was fun. It helped get my mind off Eric until I heard a parent talking about his 20 year old son at college. It seems like every person I've met since Eric died has a 20 year old son in college.
So naturally, when I start hearing these stories, I think about my brother and his family and wonder how they are coping for that minute. Are they finding light at the end of that grief tunnel?
I wonder if the person with whom I am talking ever thought that their son would die from injuries after falling 4 floors?
I am learning how to pray. I am learning how to connect again.
I have a few other things on my mind, too. I want to get a conversion mini-van to transport Elisabeth and her chair without having to rely on lifting her or her chair into the car. I am counting the days until I can leave the house without ever lifting her wheelchair in the car.
One - two - three. It could be weeks or months.
The vans are expensive. It's well over $40,000 for a decent one but I'm told not to worry by a soft spoken well-meaning sale person because I can pay it back over ten years. I hear that it's a special deal they have for people who need wheelchair accessible vans. I don't get it. Am I suppose to feel relieved by paying 9% in interest over ten years?
Tomorrow, I'm going in for tests that every 51 year old woman goes through when she's told she has an enlarged ovary and is overdue for a mammogram. I google "enlarged ovary" every now and then to check in and decide its a coin toss. Just like falling out a window.
Last week, I spent time searching for pictures of Eric that do not remind me of his death. Pictures that remind me of a time when I was motivated to throw my flower seeds in flower beds that I prepared each year. A time in my life when I wasn't worried about mammograms, ultrasounds, or putting a wheelchair in car.
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Boy Who Lived ... Eric Hansen
I am wrestling with labels again.
I'm wrestling with a "label" because of what I read in the newspaper and in blogs about my nephew, Eric Scott Hansen, the youngest brother of Brian and Andrew.
Eric was so much more than the 20 year old engineering student at Ohio University who died from injuries he sustained falling 4 floors. He was so much more than the consequences in the body I found his mother, father, brothers, grandparents, aunts and uncles & cousin grieving over in the hospital room last week.
His connection to life pulsated with love and energy and was held together by the strong bonds that were established by the faith-inspired family that created him.
Eric was the sum total of each and every life he touched beginning with his brothers and parents. For Elisabeth, he created that unique bond of familiarity, following in Andrew and Brian's footsteps, so he could be a part of her life, too. He made her laugh when he came into her space. He made her smile.
To his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and everyone else in the family, he was the personification of joy. Pure joy. To his coaches, scout leaders, teachers, and employers, he was brilliant, curious, charismatic, strong, and athletic. For his friends, he added light, comedy, and action.
Overnight, he tragically became the young college student who reminded every parent about getting that call from the police station or campus security. For families and friends, he made this reality unbearable.
Overnight, he became the Eric whose mother, father, and brothers reached out lovingly, comforting and consoling every family and friend waiting in line for hours to express their grief, shock, disbelief, and sorrow.
Overnight, he became the Eric eulogized by a very brave priest recalling the enthusiasm we see in every young life, the infectious personality he radiated, and the playful sarcasm that everyone remembers.
Overnight, he became the disclaimer label -- life is "fragile." A reminder for everyone in a wake of tragedy that our actions are consequential. Individually or collectively, good or bad, intentionally or unintentionally, our actions can sustain, save, or erase life in a matter of seconds.
I know, too, there are labels for the endless journey of grief and sorrow we experience when someone so young, so dear, and so precious in our life passes because we also use labels to connect to each other as a humanity. We use labels to heal people.
But I'm not ready to put a label on him or his life or his death or his family. Instead I will be searching for that "candy- coated popcorn, peanuts and prize" label found on every box of Cracker Jacks. It's the only label that has any real meaning for me.
In loving memory of Eric Scott Hansen
I'm wrestling with a "label" because of what I read in the newspaper and in blogs about my nephew, Eric Scott Hansen, the youngest brother of Brian and Andrew.
Eric was so much more than the 20 year old engineering student at Ohio University who died from injuries he sustained falling 4 floors. He was so much more than the consequences in the body I found his mother, father, brothers, grandparents, aunts and uncles & cousin grieving over in the hospital room last week.
His connection to life pulsated with love and energy and was held together by the strong bonds that were established by the faith-inspired family that created him.
Eric was the sum total of each and every life he touched beginning with his brothers and parents. For Elisabeth, he created that unique bond of familiarity, following in Andrew and Brian's footsteps, so he could be a part of her life, too. He made her laugh when he came into her space. He made her smile.
To his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and everyone else in the family, he was the personification of joy. Pure joy. To his coaches, scout leaders, teachers, and employers, he was brilliant, curious, charismatic, strong, and athletic. For his friends, he added light, comedy, and action.
Overnight, he tragically became the young college student who reminded every parent about getting that call from the police station or campus security. For families and friends, he made this reality unbearable.
Overnight, he became the Eric whose mother, father, and brothers reached out lovingly, comforting and consoling every family and friend waiting in line for hours to express their grief, shock, disbelief, and sorrow.
Overnight, he became the Eric eulogized by a very brave priest recalling the enthusiasm we see in every young life, the infectious personality he radiated, and the playful sarcasm that everyone remembers.
Overnight, he became the disclaimer label -- life is "fragile." A reminder for everyone in a wake of tragedy that our actions are consequential. Individually or collectively, good or bad, intentionally or unintentionally, our actions can sustain, save, or erase life in a matter of seconds.
I know, too, there are labels for the endless journey of grief and sorrow we experience when someone so young, so dear, and so precious in our life passes because we also use labels to connect to each other as a humanity. We use labels to heal people.
But I'm not ready to put a label on him or his life or his death or his family. Instead I will be searching for that "candy- coated popcorn, peanuts and prize" label found on every box of Cracker Jacks. It's the only label that has any real meaning for me.
In loving memory of Eric Scott Hansen
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
In Memory of Eric Scott Hansen
For Andrew, Brian, and Eric's loving family...
We use labels everyday in our life. Labels for acquiring knowledge and meeting challenges like a teacher in the classroom and a city planner looking for green space to create beauty and recreation. Parents use labels charting their child's physical, intellectual and social development to meet their needs here on Earth.
Hopefully, historians are truthful and honest labeling our human history because learning from our past helps us prepare for our future. We become better people. We solidify our connection to each other as a humanity while also healing. Just ask anyone labeled "genocide" survivor.
Right now, I'm wrestling with the one label describing the wake of our human condition. The one used to eulogize our beloved Eric.
Life is "fragile."
We use labels everyday in our life. Labels for acquiring knowledge and meeting challenges like a teacher in the classroom and a city planner looking for green space to create beauty and recreation. Parents use labels charting their child's physical, intellectual and social development to meet their needs here on Earth.
Hopefully, historians are truthful and honest labeling our human history because learning from our past helps us prepare for our future. We become better people. We solidify our connection to each other as a humanity while also healing. Just ask anyone labeled "genocide" survivor.
Right now, I'm wrestling with the one label describing the wake of our human condition. The one used to eulogize our beloved Eric.
Life is "fragile."
Friday, May 1, 2009
Special Olympic Prom Party
Come join McAuley girls for
A Night of Games, Crafts, and Dancing
May 15th
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Dress up in Prom attire or something fun and dressy!
Open to Special Olympic Participants 13 years old and under
Every child will have a McCauley partner!s
RSVP by May 11th to Special Olympics 271-2606
Parents may drop off children or stay to watch the fun!
A Night of Games, Crafts, and Dancing
May 15th
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Dress up in Prom attire or something fun and dressy!
Open to Special Olympic Participants 13 years old and under
Every child will have a McCauley partner!s
RSVP by May 11th to Special Olympics 271-2606
Parents may drop off children or stay to watch the fun!
Learning to Live on Less
When Life Throws A Curve Ball: Learn to Live on Less Program
with participating agencies Catholic Charities, Consumer Credit Counseling Service, and Nutrition Council
When: May 22, 2009 8:30 am until 12:15 pm
Where: Corpus Christi Church Undercroft 2012 Springdale Road
RSVP to Sandy Keier at (513) 241-7745 before May 15, 2009
with participating agencies Catholic Charities, Consumer Credit Counseling Service, and Nutrition Council
When: May 22, 2009 8:30 am until 12:15 pm
Where: Corpus Christi Church Undercroft 2012 Springdale Road
RSVP to Sandy Keier at (513) 241-7745 before May 15, 2009
Community Resource Information Fair
Join the Center for Infants and Children iwth Special Needs and the Special Needs Resource Dirctory for this free opportunity to meet with professionals, community agencies and companies specializing in:
Medical Support
Community Programs and Services
Recreation
Home Health
Financial Planning
Plus More!!!
June 1, 2009
10 am until 3 pm
Cincinnati Children's Fifth Third Bank Auditorium
(across from cafeteria)
Medical Support
Community Programs and Services
Recreation
Home Health
Financial Planning
Plus More!!!
June 1, 2009
10 am until 3 pm
Cincinnati Children's Fifth Third Bank Auditorium
(across from cafeteria)
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Transistion to High School and Beyond ...
Parents are invited to attend "Transistioning to High School and Beyond: Options, Services, and Supports" brought to you by Northwest School District in Partnership with Mt. Healthy Local Schools, Center for Regional Education Services/Hamilton County and Education Service Center.
When? April 2, 2009 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Who? Students with special needs grades 8-12 (Teachers, Counselors, and others seeking transition information)
Where? Northwest Education Resource Center 331o Compton Road, Cincinnati, OH 45251
For additional information, please contact Reena Fish at 513-205-8725 or Deborah Stroud at 513-922-2300
When? April 2, 2009 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Who? Students with special needs grades 8-12 (Teachers, Counselors, and others seeking transition information)
Where? Northwest Education Resource Center 331o Compton Road, Cincinnati, OH 45251
For additional information, please contact Reena Fish at 513-205-8725 or Deborah Stroud at 513-922-2300
18 or Older with a Disability Label?
Do you have a physical or mental condition that prevents you from working and earning a living?
At age 18, Social Security no lnger counts parents' income and resources when determining eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). If approved, you can receive up to $632/monthly in SSI and qualify for Medicaid, comprehensive health coverage.
To learn more about how you might qualify, Sue Denny, Social Security Administrator, will be holding workshop at Oak Hills High School at 3200 Ebenezer Road, Cincinnati Media Center.
This workshop is designed for parent who have a son or daughter 18-22 years old as of May 2009. During this session, you and your son or daughter will begin the SSI application process with SS representatives.
Seating is limited and advance reservations is strongly recommended by April 24, 2009. To register, contact Sue Denny at susan.denny@ssa.gov or (513) 357-5507
If you have general questions, contact Deborah Stroud, Work Study Coordinator at Oak Hills Schools at stroud_d@oakhills.hccanet.org or 513-922-2300.
At age 18, Social Security no lnger counts parents' income and resources when determining eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). If approved, you can receive up to $632/monthly in SSI and qualify for Medicaid, comprehensive health coverage.
To learn more about how you might qualify, Sue Denny, Social Security Administrator, will be holding workshop at Oak Hills High School at 3200 Ebenezer Road, Cincinnati Media Center.
This workshop is designed for parent who have a son or daughter 18-22 years old as of May 2009. During this session, you and your son or daughter will begin the SSI application process with SS representatives.
Seating is limited and advance reservations is strongly recommended by April 24, 2009. To register, contact Sue Denny at susan.denny@ssa.gov or (513) 357-5507
If you have general questions, contact Deborah Stroud, Work Study Coordinator at Oak Hills Schools at stroud_d@oakhills.hccanet.org or 513-922-2300.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Elisabeth's Science Project
A few days ago, I attended my daughter's science exhibit focusing on the human body made by her classmates at Bobby B. Fairfax. Except for the written descriptions on the wall, it was no ordinary science exhibit. The focus for her wasn't entirely about becoming more familiar with the function of each body part on exhibit there. The focus was to allow her to explore in an environment that challenged her individual area of skill and ability.
Elisabeth's contribution was explaining the "tongue." Instead of explaining the "tongue" through her usual fixation of self-stimming, her teacher gave her visual cues to explain the tongue using her techtalk. She also make a model of the tongue that was small enough to place in her hand for sensory input, but large enough so it wouldn't end up in her mouth.
Elisabeth was engaged in a purposeful and meaningful environment that was challenging for her. At the "hand" exhibit, she was reaching out to objects that that would buzz, clang, or crash on touch. At the lung exhibit, she was provided appropriate sensory stimulation holding baggies made to look like lungs that inflated and deflated on touch making a crinkly sound. I think her favorite was the "nose" exhibit station where her fellow student pressed a button to make a "sneeze" from a spray bottle.
What I learned from the students who put on the Science Exhibit at the school, is that when we create opportunities for children to learn according to their personal area of development, skill level, and ability, they will succeed.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Elisabeths' New Do
I really great stylist, Rachel Hayden, from Milford's Salon VIP did a beautiful job, don't you think?
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
My Daddy & I Went To A Dance!!!!
Springfield Township hosted the first annual Father and Daughter Dance following in the footsteps of a "Father and Daughter Dance" that's been part of Finneytown's tradition for many years... Here are a few photos of Elisabeth and her Dad!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Hurricane Katrina Long Term Recovery Research
Researchers at the Center for Disability and Development at Texas A&M
University are conducting a study on the long-term recovery survivors from
Hurricane Katrina who have diabetes or a disability. If selected,
individuals will participate in either an interview, telephone survey, or a
focus group and be eligible for up to $50.00 in compensation. Interested
individuals or their guardians (if applicable) should contact the Texas A&M
project using their toll free number at 1-866-578-4366. All calls will be
confidential and consent procedures will be carefully followed with all
potential participants.
We are conducting a study on the long term recovery of survivors from
Hurricane Katrina. We would like to ask your assistance in disseminating our
project information below to groups and individuals who might be interested
in participating. A flyer is also attached in the case you would like to
post this information.
Please contact Christy Knight, Data Coordinator, at
Texas A&M University at cnknight@ag.tamu.edu if you have further questions
or suggestions for other groups who we might be interested in disseminating
information about this study.
************************************************************************
Principal Investigator: Laura M. Stough, PhD
Department of Educational Psychology
University are conducting a study on the long-term recovery survivors from
Hurricane Katrina who have diabetes or a disability. If selected,
individuals will participate in either an interview, telephone survey, or a
focus group and be eligible for up to $50.00 in compensation. Interested
individuals or their guardians (if applicable) should contact the Texas A&M
project using their toll free number at 1-866-578-4366. All calls will be
confidential and consent procedures will be carefully followed with all
potential participants.
We are conducting a study on the long term recovery of survivors from
Hurricane Katrina. We would like to ask your assistance in disseminating our
project information below to groups and individuals who might be interested
in participating. A flyer is also attached in the case you would like to
post this information.
Please contact Christy Knight, Data Coordinator, at
Texas A&M University at cnknight@ag.tamu.edu if you have further questions
or suggestions for other groups who we might be interested in disseminating
information about this study.
************************************************************************
Principal Investigator: Laura M. Stough, PhD
Department of Educational Psychology
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Support Group: Parents of Children w/ Neurobiological Disorders
For parents, grandparents, caregivers and others who are concerned about a child experiencing SERIOUS EMOTIONAL Disorders or has been diagnosed with or exhibits symptoms of a neurobiological disorder or mental illness.
When? The first Saturday of each month 1-2:20 p.m.
Where? At Children's Hospital, College Hill Campus, 5642 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati 45224
Sponsored by NAMI Hamilton County, call the NAMI office 513-351-3500 for more info.
Facilitated by Carin Ives
NAMI of Hamilton Country is a partipating member of Community Shares of Greater Cincinnati
When? The first Saturday of each month 1-2:20 p.m.
Where? At Children's Hospital, College Hill Campus, 5642 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati 45224
Sponsored by NAMI Hamilton County, call the NAMI office 513-351-3500 for more info.
Facilitated by Carin Ives
NAMI of Hamilton Country is a partipating member of Community Shares of Greater Cincinnati
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Parent/Family Leadership Series
Found this information in Elisabeth's backpack and thought it looked interesting for families who have children who are not cognition-track students. (I guess that means kids who are severe or delayed in cognition development...)
Starting Dec. 11, 2008, State Support Team 13, in collaboration with regional trainers, will offer interactive, hands-on, sessions related to Special Education System topic. Family members may attend all or any of the sessions. A $20 gift card, to help defray expenses, willbe provided to parents and family members at each session (one card per family.)
Sessions will be held at CRES (former SERRC building) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. the 2nd Thursday of each month, December through May. The sessions will cover basic informaiton about topics related to the needs of learners with disabilities, including an intervention/prevention model fo learners who are not successful in school, adademically or behaviorially. Ohio's new operation standardss will be applied to each topic area.
Those who attend all six series sessions willb e invted to attend more advanced, in-depth, training at a Spring Leadership Institute in May and June of 2009.
When:
December 11, 2008 Special Educati
January 8, 2009, Intervention and Evaluation
February 12, 2009 IEP Development
March 12, 2009 Behavior Planning
April 9, 2009 Transition (Birth to "World of Work")
May 14, 2009 Communication
Where:
CRES 1301 Bonnell, 3rd floor
Cincinnati, 45215
To register:
Call Terry 563-0045
Questions about Series call Sue Bitsko 513-674-4261
In case of bad weather, please call 563-0045 for information
Starting Dec. 11, 2008, State Support Team 13, in collaboration with regional trainers, will offer interactive, hands-on, sessions related to Special Education System topic. Family members may attend all or any of the sessions. A $20 gift card, to help defray expenses, willbe provided to parents and family members at each session (one card per family.)
Sessions will be held at CRES (former SERRC building) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. the 2nd Thursday of each month, December through May. The sessions will cover basic informaiton about topics related to the needs of learners with disabilities, including an intervention/prevention model fo learners who are not successful in school, adademically or behaviorially. Ohio's new operation standardss will be applied to each topic area.
Those who attend all six series sessions willb e invted to attend more advanced, in-depth, training at a Spring Leadership Institute in May and June of 2009.
When:
December 11, 2008 Special Educati
January 8, 2009, Intervention and Evaluation
February 12, 2009 IEP Development
March 12, 2009 Behavior Planning
April 9, 2009 Transition (Birth to "World of Work")
May 14, 2009 Communication
Where:
CRES 1301 Bonnell, 3rd floor
Cincinnati, 45215
To register:
Call Terry 563-0045
Questions about Series call Sue Bitsko 513-674-4261
In case of bad weather, please call 563-0045 for information
Monday, November 17, 2008
Accepting the Retarded ....
We lived next door to a group home in Roselawn for 11 years which proved to be an eye opening experience in preparing for Elisabeth who was not born yet. This article is a constant reminder about the uphill battle against ignorance and fear which is the only real handicap our family and friends face in life:
From the
Accepting the Retarded, As Long as They're Old...
By JOSEPH BERGER
Published: November 14, 2008
EASTCHESTER
Long Island Westchester
Connecticut New Jersey
THE house on Claudet Way looks unremarkable — another handsome ranch on a winding suburban lane of comfortable families, lingering empty nesters and ghosts that haunt the shrubs at Halloween time.
What makes the house stand out is its residents — four elderly men and three elderly women who are mentally retarded. The house is a group home, an effort to let the residents feel the same delights of suburban living that others do by placing them in a residential rather than institutional setting.
So far it has worked out. After 14 years, the neighbors, some of whom first objected to a group home locating on the block, have more than made peace with it. Children even drop by for treats at Halloween and get big smiles and waves from the residents.
But now the house is at the center of another of those not-in-my-backyard flare-ups. The residents at Claudet Way need to move out to a setting better able to deal with their accumulating frailties — one that at a minimum is suited to wheelchairs. In their place, Westchester Jewish Community Services, the nonprofit agency that operates the home, wants to move in six men in their 20s and 30s who have developmental problems.
Some neighbors are protesting, making their objections known to the agency and to local government officials. They say they worry about these younger, sturdier men wandering onto their lawns and walks. They worry that cars belonging to visitors will clog the tranquil street.
“I care about them molesting children who won’t be able to go out unattended,” said Paul D. Warner, a retired professor of auditing who has lived on the block since 1971.
“It’s not right, because they shouldn’t put that much stress and fear on the parents,” said Lois Schneider, a former schoolteacher who raised a son and daughter a few doors away. “I mean, children should be able to play, and there shouldn’t be a fear that they might be accosted or bothered.”
The agency has been through this kind of tumult with almost every one of its 12 group homes in Westchester, which accommodate a total of 85 men and women. And according to Dale Wang, the agency’s director of community relations, in 30 years the agency has not had a single serious case of harm to a neighbor.
“People are afraid of what they don’t know,” she said.
Residents of the suburbs tend to want their streets to be as close as possible to the soothingly normal land of “Leave It to Beaver” and “Dick Van Dyke.” But outside 1960s television, suburban families are seldom typical. Families split up in divorces, others come from foreign cultures, others include children with disabilities, and a neighborhood sometimes has to deal with the ripples. In the case of mentally retarded children, society has to find ways to allow them to function as independently as possible as they grow up.
Steven R. Yellen, the agency’s assistant executive director, said mentally retarded people, like everyone else, have a right to live where they choose.
A model for what the neighbors on Claudet Way can expect is not too far away on Cannon Lane, a similar group home for younger men. On Election Day, the seven residents — all between 30 and 60 — came home from jobs doing mailing or stacking books, and then, as most Americans did, they went off to vote.
Jeffrey — the agency asked that last names be omitted to protect the residents’ privacy — had made up his mind.
“Don’t forget to vote for Obama,” he urged his housemates. “He’s a good senator.”
Warren, looking skeptical, thought otherwise. He was voting for John McCain.
“He’ll make a good president,” Warren said. “He knows what he’s talking about.”
Upstairs, Michael, a bashful, balding man of 31 who works part time in the Larchmont Public Library, was tidying his already orderly room. Michael sometimes gets annoyed with housemates for borrowing his CDs without asking. But he also has a sign pinned to his bookshelves that lists “10 Things I Like About Myself,” including “I like that I am funny and I make people laugh.”
The agency has not yet picked out the six younger men who would be moved to Claudet Way, but it says it will screen them and provide a staff of about 18 to care for them. It will permit some residents to move freely about town and require round-the-clock supervision for others.
“We don’t think this is a scary place,” Ms. Wang said.
Usually, the agency sets up a house after receiving requests from enough parents who realize that they won’t be around forever and that their grown children will need to learn to live on their own. In the case of the Claudet Way house, the agency, which commonly takes clients from all religions, also wants to set up a kosher home for the offspring of observant Jews.
The agency is accredited and financed by the State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, and the move — which would require renovations to the ranch house — is being delayed during the austerity of a fiscal crisis. The older residents will remain for now. Nevertheless, the agency is preparing for the day the project resumes, and it expects the controversy to die down.
Ms. Wang knows from experience. She was here 14 years ago when there was a hubbub over the first residents at Claudet Way.
“I also remember that months later when we had a holiday party, the neighbors came by,” she said. “And everything was very friendly.”
E-mail: joeberg@nytimes.com
From the
New York Times
Accepting the Retarded, As Long as They're Old...
By JOSEPH BERGER
Published: November 14, 2008
EASTCHESTER
Long Island Westchester
Connecticut New Jersey
THE house on Claudet Way looks unremarkable — another handsome ranch on a winding suburban lane of comfortable families, lingering empty nesters and ghosts that haunt the shrubs at Halloween time.
What makes the house stand out is its residents — four elderly men and three elderly women who are mentally retarded. The house is a group home, an effort to let the residents feel the same delights of suburban living that others do by placing them in a residential rather than institutional setting.
So far it has worked out. After 14 years, the neighbors, some of whom first objected to a group home locating on the block, have more than made peace with it. Children even drop by for treats at Halloween and get big smiles and waves from the residents.
But now the house is at the center of another of those not-in-my-backyard flare-ups. The residents at Claudet Way need to move out to a setting better able to deal with their accumulating frailties — one that at a minimum is suited to wheelchairs. In their place, Westchester Jewish Community Services, the nonprofit agency that operates the home, wants to move in six men in their 20s and 30s who have developmental problems.
Some neighbors are protesting, making their objections known to the agency and to local government officials. They say they worry about these younger, sturdier men wandering onto their lawns and walks. They worry that cars belonging to visitors will clog the tranquil street.
“I care about them molesting children who won’t be able to go out unattended,” said Paul D. Warner, a retired professor of auditing who has lived on the block since 1971.
“It’s not right, because they shouldn’t put that much stress and fear on the parents,” said Lois Schneider, a former schoolteacher who raised a son and daughter a few doors away. “I mean, children should be able to play, and there shouldn’t be a fear that they might be accosted or bothered.”
The agency has been through this kind of tumult with almost every one of its 12 group homes in Westchester, which accommodate a total of 85 men and women. And according to Dale Wang, the agency’s director of community relations, in 30 years the agency has not had a single serious case of harm to a neighbor.
“People are afraid of what they don’t know,” she said.
Residents of the suburbs tend to want their streets to be as close as possible to the soothingly normal land of “Leave It to Beaver” and “Dick Van Dyke.” But outside 1960s television, suburban families are seldom typical. Families split up in divorces, others come from foreign cultures, others include children with disabilities, and a neighborhood sometimes has to deal with the ripples. In the case of mentally retarded children, society has to find ways to allow them to function as independently as possible as they grow up.
Steven R. Yellen, the agency’s assistant executive director, said mentally retarded people, like everyone else, have a right to live where they choose.
A model for what the neighbors on Claudet Way can expect is not too far away on Cannon Lane, a similar group home for younger men. On Election Day, the seven residents — all between 30 and 60 — came home from jobs doing mailing or stacking books, and then, as most Americans did, they went off to vote.
Jeffrey — the agency asked that last names be omitted to protect the residents’ privacy — had made up his mind.
“Don’t forget to vote for Obama,” he urged his housemates. “He’s a good senator.”
Warren, looking skeptical, thought otherwise. He was voting for John McCain.
“He’ll make a good president,” Warren said. “He knows what he’s talking about.”
Upstairs, Michael, a bashful, balding man of 31 who works part time in the Larchmont Public Library, was tidying his already orderly room. Michael sometimes gets annoyed with housemates for borrowing his CDs without asking. But he also has a sign pinned to his bookshelves that lists “10 Things I Like About Myself,” including “I like that I am funny and I make people laugh.”
The agency has not yet picked out the six younger men who would be moved to Claudet Way, but it says it will screen them and provide a staff of about 18 to care for them. It will permit some residents to move freely about town and require round-the-clock supervision for others.
“We don’t think this is a scary place,” Ms. Wang said.
Usually, the agency sets up a house after receiving requests from enough parents who realize that they won’t be around forever and that their grown children will need to learn to live on their own. In the case of the Claudet Way house, the agency, which commonly takes clients from all religions, also wants to set up a kosher home for the offspring of observant Jews.
The agency is accredited and financed by the State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, and the move — which would require renovations to the ranch house — is being delayed during the austerity of a fiscal crisis. The older residents will remain for now. Nevertheless, the agency is preparing for the day the project resumes, and it expects the controversy to die down.
Ms. Wang knows from experience. She was here 14 years ago when there was a hubbub over the first residents at Claudet Way.
“I also remember that months later when we had a holiday party, the neighbors came by,” she said. “And everything was very friendly.”
E-mail: joeberg@nytimes.com
Monday, November 10, 2008
Bridge School News Network Interview
I came across this interview with Pegi Young put together by kids from The Bridge School which is known for teaching specialized communication for children who are experiencing global or developmental delays in speech. Here's another interview with their famous supporter, Rock-n-roll legend Neil Young. Looky here!
The interview is a reminder that however we as a society either perceive or define as "loss" or "disability" will be our kid's only handicap in life. It is also a reminder that survival is a gift. A blessing. And that as parents we have a direct responsibility to teach our children all the survival skills they need for their future regardless how they come into this world.
Since no one can prepare us for this journey, it is even more important for parents to educate themselves about different teaching aides, methodologies, and technologies that will help children access their right to a special education according to their ability.
How parents go about accessing these resources will vary depending on each child's ability or special diagnosis. Generally, it's best to find the advocacy organization in town once a medical diagnosis is identified by a medical professional. Just google in the name of the "diagnosis" and "Cincinnati" and "advocacy" and start there.
Every community should have a Bridge School. But we don't. I think the closest thing we have in Cincinnati is the Perlman Center. The therapists at Perlman provide evaluations that will determine the best technologies for child's ability.
If your child is not following a typical pattern of cognition development, MR/dd schools are geared for non-curriculum track. Also try the Springer School which is a private school on the eastside of Cincinnati focusing on learning disabilities.
We must also pay attention to what our politicians are doing. Schools that are having difficulty passing tax levies in communities already paying high property taxes are schools that are in need of strong advocacy. So it is very important that we sound the bell educating our representatives at the local, state, and federal levels of government to make sure our children are not lost in the financially drained mainstream schools. We need to hold these politicians accountable. We need to hold the schools accountable.
Make sure you know who these people are.
The interview is a reminder that however we as a society either perceive or define as "loss" or "disability" will be our kid's only handicap in life. It is also a reminder that survival is a gift. A blessing. And that as parents we have a direct responsibility to teach our children all the survival skills they need for their future regardless how they come into this world.
Since no one can prepare us for this journey, it is even more important for parents to educate themselves about different teaching aides, methodologies, and technologies that will help children access their right to a special education according to their ability.
How parents go about accessing these resources will vary depending on each child's ability or special diagnosis. Generally, it's best to find the advocacy organization in town once a medical diagnosis is identified by a medical professional. Just google in the name of the "diagnosis" and "Cincinnati" and "advocacy" and start there.
Every community should have a Bridge School. But we don't. I think the closest thing we have in Cincinnati is the Perlman Center. The therapists at Perlman provide evaluations that will determine the best technologies for child's ability.
If your child is not following a typical pattern of cognition development, MR/dd schools are geared for non-curriculum track. Also try the Springer School which is a private school on the eastside of Cincinnati focusing on learning disabilities.
We must also pay attention to what our politicians are doing. Schools that are having difficulty passing tax levies in communities already paying high property taxes are schools that are in need of strong advocacy. So it is very important that we sound the bell educating our representatives at the local, state, and federal levels of government to make sure our children are not lost in the financially drained mainstream schools. We need to hold these politicians accountable. We need to hold the schools accountable.
Make sure you know who these people are.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Respite Care in Cincinnati, Ohio
My personal experience as been with the Redwood Rehabilitation Center on Orphanage Road off Dixie Highway in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky. It is a stellar organization and should be used as a model for the excellent care facilities.
the Arc of Hamilton County has several programs to help with cover costs for respite services:
Family Resource Services Program can help families pay for respite services. A sliding fee scale is used to determine the percentage a family will pay for services. The program provides funds for families who are eligible to receive MRDD services.
Parents' Night Out can provide funds to hire a sitter for a child with a disability.
The Children's Home of Cincinnati offers a Child Care Program for day care and kindergarten readiness for children ages 3 months through 5 years of age. Children with special needs are accepted, but they must be able to function in their day care and preschool program settings.
Evening Star is a program of Fellowship Baptist Church in Mainville, Ohio, that provides respite services once a month for families that have a child with a disability and their siblings. Families do not have to be church members to participate.
Max's Home a day care center for medically fragile children, is a division of Maxim Healthcare Services. It provides medical treatment, adaptive education and respite for families who have children with special health care needs. Infants and children ages 6 weeks through teenagers are eligible for treatment.
MR/dd
has respite services available for eligible families. Contact your Service Facilitator to begin the process.
Nat. Child Care Information Centerdeveloped by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides information and resources on child care and early childhoold education.
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services provides a daycare facility locator.
St. Joseph Home of Cincinnati
offers a respite program with 24-hour personal and medical services for medically fragile and developmentally disabled infants and young adults.
the Arc of Hamilton County has several programs to help with cover costs for respite services:
Family Resource Services Program can help families pay for respite services. A sliding fee scale is used to determine the percentage a family will pay for services. The program provides funds for families who are eligible to receive MRDD services.
Parents' Night Out can provide funds to hire a sitter for a child with a disability.
The Children's Home of Cincinnati offers a Child Care Program for day care and kindergarten readiness for children ages 3 months through 5 years of age. Children with special needs are accepted, but they must be able to function in their day care and preschool program settings.
Evening Star is a program of Fellowship Baptist Church in Mainville, Ohio, that provides respite services once a month for families that have a child with a disability and their siblings. Families do not have to be church members to participate.
Max's Home a day care center for medically fragile children, is a division of Maxim Healthcare Services. It provides medical treatment, adaptive education and respite for families who have children with special health care needs. Infants and children ages 6 weeks through teenagers are eligible for treatment.
MR/dd
has respite services available for eligible families. Contact your Service Facilitator to begin the process.
Nat. Child Care Information Centerdeveloped by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides information and resources on child care and early childhoold education.
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services provides a daycare facility locator.
St. Joseph Home of Cincinnati
offers a respite program with 24-hour personal and medical services for medically fragile and developmentally disabled infants and young adults.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Wright's Law and IEP
Wright's Law Web site has a great ARTICLE about writing IEPs or "individualized education plan."
From our own experience, it involves first identifying the child's strengths & abilities. What is this child capable of doing? This might involve having your child accessed by a team of early childhood experts before meeting with the school's psychologist.
To connect with the early childhood experts you need to contact an intervention team through a specialized organization or advocacy group. (DSA, NCPA, CAB, etc.) Most children's hospitals locally will have a list of local organizations and agencies that provide early intervention and education for new parents. It is CRITICAL that parents begin this journey early before the child is 3 years old.
Initially, our daugher's psychological accessment put her at a very, very young age so we wrote her IEP based on measurable goals and objectives according to her abilities based on where she is "developmentally." Her education plan isn't focused on academics. Not yet, anyway. Her education plan is focused on what SHE can do, not what her peers are doing.
We would have her in a classroom with her peers if that would be appropriate for her but it's not. She isn't anywhere near their "cognition" so she attends a therapeutic-based school where the focus isn't driven by academic standards or achievement.
That's our choice and fortunately we still have this alternative thanks to "continuum of alternative placement."
From our own experience, it involves first identifying the child's strengths & abilities. What is this child capable of doing? This might involve having your child accessed by a team of early childhood experts before meeting with the school's psychologist.
To connect with the early childhood experts you need to contact an intervention team through a specialized organization or advocacy group. (DSA, NCPA, CAB, etc.) Most children's hospitals locally will have a list of local organizations and agencies that provide early intervention and education for new parents. It is CRITICAL that parents begin this journey early before the child is 3 years old.
Initially, our daugher's psychological accessment put her at a very, very young age so we wrote her IEP based on measurable goals and objectives according to her abilities based on where she is "developmentally." Her education plan isn't focused on academics. Not yet, anyway. Her education plan is focused on what SHE can do, not what her peers are doing.
We would have her in a classroom with her peers if that would be appropriate for her but it's not. She isn't anywhere near their "cognition" so she attends a therapeutic-based school where the focus isn't driven by academic standards or achievement.
That's our choice and fortunately we still have this alternative thanks to "continuum of alternative placement."
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