You think your child has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or a Learning Disability… Now what? Did you know that federal law requires public schools to provide every student a “free and appropriate” education in the “least restrictive environment.” That's the good news. The bad news is that it’s not always easy to get schools to do that. Here’s a step-by-step process to ensure that your child gets what he needs. 1. Get an accurate diagnosis If your child is struggling, the school may ask for permission to perform an evaluation, but you shouldn’t wait for them to do so. You can initiate an evaluation by calling the school to request one. If the school refuses, or if you disagree with the school’s findings, you can obtain an independent evaluation to document your child’s need for special education services. (Depending on the situation, the school may have to pay for the independent evaluation.) 2. Meet with the evaluation team A multidisciplinary team consisting of the parent, a classroom teacher, special-ed teachers, and others will meet to determine your child’s eligibility for special-ed services, and how those services will be provided. If the team decides your child does not need Special Ed, the process stops. If you disagree, you can appeal your case in a “due process” hearing. 3. Decide which laws are applicable Two federal laws provide for free, public special education services: the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act. IDEA covers kids with very specific conditions, including mental retardation, emotional disturbances, hearing impairments, and speech and language difficulties. Kids may qualify for coverage if they frequently have one of these problems in addition to attention deficit. Some qualify under another IDEA category: “Other Health Impairments.” Their ADHD is so severe that they’re unable to learn in a regular classroom. Section 504 covers ADHD kids who don’t qualify for Special-Ed services under IDEA but who need extra help in the classroom. The law prohibits schools from discriminating against students because of physical and mental impairments. Just as the school must provide ramps for kids in wheelchairs, it must make modifications (such as preferential seating, extra time on tests, or help with note taking) for kids with brain-based learning barriers. 4. Develop a plan Whether your child qualifies under IDEA or Section 504, you should meet with the team to develop an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The IEP outlines your child’s unique educational goals and ways to meet them in the “least restrictive environment.” Make sure the IEP spells out exactly how the school will help your child meet his or her specific goals. “Nothing in the law says that teaching strategies have to be written into the IEP, so what we often end up with is a mealy-mouthed document with wishy-washy goals,” says Dixie Jordan, an education advocate. “‘Johnny will pay attention,’ ‘Johnny will complete his work.’ We put behavioral expectations out there and then punish kids for failing to meet them, rather than teaching kids how to meet them. And that’s what’s wrong with most IEPs.” 5. Stand your ground Know the laws and how to use them. Consider the case of 10-year-old Paul, a suburban New York student who needed a “collaborative” education program, according to his parents and independent evaluators. The school didn’t have a collaborative program, so the team simply left it off Paul’s IEP. However, tailoring a child’s IEP around which programs are available, as opposed to which programs the child needs, is in violation of IDEA. When school administrators refused to budge after the family met with them again, Paul's parents got a lawyer and filed for a due process hearing. The hearing officer ruled in favor of the family, and the school had to pay for Paul’s private school and his parents’ legal fees. 6. Get help Ask for team meetings whenever you think it's necessary to monitor your child’s progress and make changes to the plan. Take notes, keep copies of all documents, and if you sense a need to have an absolutely complete record, tape-record meetings. Afterwards, send the team a thank-you note, along with a synopsis of what went on at the meeting, just to make sure you’re all on the same page. If there’s any disagreement or impasse, you don’t have to go it alone. Free or low-cost education advocates and attorneys are available to attend team meetings with you throughout the year.© ADDitude Magazine. Reprinted with permission. For a free copy of 9 Ways to Have Success at School for Families Living with ADHD, Dyslexia and Other Learning Disabilities, visit www.additudemag.com/RCLP/sub/2728. Learning Disability? Maybe Not. 08/09/2010
Glasses Can't Fix ADD--or Can They? Farsighted kids literally can’t focus on up-close activities like reading. A whopping 90% of school-age children are not receiving comprehensive eye exams, according to The California Optometric Association (COA). That’s huge cause for concern since kids depend so heavily on their eyes to learn. (Close to 80% of kids’ learning is obtained through their vision.) Just as concerning is the fact that over half of so-called “problem learners” have vision problems, yet many go undiagnosed. Dr. Corinne Odineal, O.D. with Auburn Family Optometry, sees many kids with vision disorders misdiagnosed as learning disabilities. And kids who have true learning problems face compounded challenges with undiagnosed vision disorders. “Most of the ADD/ADHD kids I have seen have very poor tracking or focusing,” she says. “While you may not be able to rid them of ADD, you can certainly help their reading by helping their vision.” Dr. Melissa Barnett, Senior Optometrist at UC Davis, recalls how one of her young patients struggled in school until a routine eye exam revealed he had astigmatism in both eyes. “Astigmatism,” Dr. Barnett explains, “means the eyes aren’t perfectly round – more like footballs than basketballs.” After receiving glasses to correct the problem, “he just blossomed,” she says. The student fell in love with reading, started getting good grades, and was suddenly enjoying school. “I always recommend an eye exam before an IEP (Individualized Education Plan),” she says. That way, if a vision problem is found to be part of a student’s struggles, it can be addressed first. The COA also encourages parents to get kids’ eyes checked prior to heading back to class, and urges parents to watch out for these common vision problems: Amblyopia (Lazy Eye) Lack of development of one eye can result in the eyes not working together. Usually developed before the age of six, symptoms can include clumsiness, poor hand-eye coordination, tilting or turning the head to favor one side, or covering one eye while reading. Early detection is important for complete recovery. Hyperopia (Farsightedness) Farsighted children may easily read what’s written on the chalk board but not the book on their desk, because they see distant objects more clearly. Symptoms include headaches and fatigue while reading. School vision screenings, which only use a distance eye chart, will usually not detect this vision problem. Furthermore, because many school screenings are not performed by vision professionals, other clues may go unnoticed. Dr. Odineal often sees farsighted kids labeled with ADD or hyperactivity. “If kids have trouble seeing up-close, they’ll have a much harder time in school. They fidget, they don’t want to read. They literally can’t focus – because their eyes can’t focus.” Tracking (Eye Teaming) problems The “seesawing” image above illustrates how those with eye teaming problems see words on a page. When the eyes do not work as a team, it is difficult to track words or letters in a straight line. This can lead to avoidance of reading, eyestrain, and poor academic or athletic performance. Often the child’s reading level is significantly lower than his intelligence would suggest. The great news is that so many vision problems, once detected, can be fixed fast, and for the other conditions, in-office Vision Therapy (VT) is proven to help. Dr. Odineal’s daughter, who has both ADD and visual problems, began VT around age five to help improve her reading skills. Her mom happily reports, “She is a great reader now!” The California Optometric Association (COA) is dedicated to assuring quality vision health care. To find an optometrist near you who focuses on developmental/children’s vision, check out the “Find an EyeDoc” feature at www.eyehelp.org. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ RESOURCES CLOSE TO HOME: InfantSEE provides free comprehensive vision assessments to children in their first year of life, regardless of income level or insurance coverage. Many COA optometrists, including Dr. Odineal, participate in this program. First 5 Sacramento hosts free health and child development screenings as part of its Bright Futures initiative. For more information, call 916-876-6530. Some days it seems the only predictable thing about it is the unpredictability. The only consistent attribute—the inconsistency. No question: autism can be baffling. And though once thought “incurable,” that notion is crumbling in the face of ever-increasing knowledge. Every day, individuals with autism show us that they can overcome, compensate for and manage many of its most challenging aspects. Understanding an autistic child’s needs can have a tremendous impact on that child’s journey towards productive, independent adulthood. Autism is a “spectrum” disorder, but core elements exist. Here are ten things the every child with autism wishes you knew: 1. I am first and foremost a child. I have autism. I am not primarily “autistic.” My autism is but one aspect of my total character. Like you, I am a person with thoughts, feelings, and talents. I am still unfolding; we don’t yet know what I may be capable of. Defining me by one characteristic runs the danger of setting up an expectation that may be too low. If I get a sense that you don’t think I can do it, my natural response may be, “Why try?” 2. My sensory perceptions are disordered. The ordinary sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches of everyday life that you may not even notice can be hyperacute and downright painful for me. I may appear withdrawn or belligerent, but I am really just trying to defend myself from a world that is intrusively loud, blindingly bright, offensively smelly, and difficult to navigate. My brain cannot filter the multiple inputs and I frequently feel overloaded, disoriented and unsettled in my own skin. 3. Please distinguish between won’t and can’t. It isn’t that I don’t listen to instructions. It’s that I can’t understand you. When you call to me from across the room, I hear, “*&^#@, Billy. #$%$&*.” Instead, come speak directly to me in plain words: “Please put your book in your desk, Billy. It’s time to go to lunch.” This tells me what you want me to do and what is going to happen next. Now it’s much easier for me to comply. 4. I am a concrete thinker. I interpret language literally. When you say, “Hold your horses, cowboy!” what you really mean is, “Please stop running.” Don’t tell me something is a “piece of cake” when there is no dessert in sight and what you really mean is, “This will be easy for you to do.” Idioms, puns, nuances and sarcasm are lost on me. 5. Be patient with my limited vocabulary. It’s hard for me to tell you what I need when I don’t know the words to describe my feelings. I may be hungry, frustrated, frightened, or confused, but those words may be beyond my ability to express. Be alert for body language, withdrawal, agitation or other signs that something is wrong. 6. Because language is so difficult for me, I am very visually oriented. Show, rather than tell, me how to do something. And show me many times; patient repetition helps me learn. A visual schedule is extremely helpful. Like your day planner, it relieves me of the stress of having to remember what comes next. It helps me manage my time—and meet your expectations. 7. Focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can’t do. Like you, I can’t learn in an environment where I’m constantly made to feel that I’m not good enough or that I need fixing. Trying anything new when I am almost sure to be met with criticism, however “constructive,” becomes something to be avoided. Look for my strengths and you’ll find them. There’s more than one right way to do most things. 8. Help me with social interactions. It may look like I don’t want to interact with other kids, but I simply don’t know how to start a conversation or enter a play situation. Encourage other children to invite me to join them at kickball or hoops; I may be delighted to be included. 9. Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns. Meltdowns and blow-ups are even more horrid for me than they are for you. They occur because one or more of my senses has gone into overload. If you can figure out why my meltdowns occur, they can be prevented. Keep a log noting times, settings, activities, people. A pattern may emerge. 10. Love me unconditionally. Banish thoughts like, “If he would just…” Let go of self-fulfilling prophecies like “She’ll never.....” I didn’t choose to have autism. Remember that it’s happening to me, not you. Without your support, my chances of successful, self-reliant adulthood are slim. With your support and guidance, the possibilities are broader than you might think. I promise you—I’m worth it. Ellen Notbohm is the author of Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew and Ten Things Your Student with Autism Wishes You Knew. She is also co-author of the award-winning 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, a columnist for Autism Asperger’s Digest and Children’s Voice, and a contributor to numerous publications and websites. This article has been condensed from its original version. It can be viewed in its entirety at: http://www.ellennotbohm.com. © 2005 Ellen Notbohm The Wonders of Water 07/09/2010
by April Ham What swim lessons can do for your child It's Monday afternoon at the Berkeley High indoor warm pool. The sounds of laughter and kids’ splashing rise into the steamy air, mingling with the soft sunlight filtering in through the high windows. Children of all shapes and sizes are busily exploring the water and swimming, each in their own way, with the support and guidance of instructors. Some are swimming on their backs, heads supported by an instructor's shoulder, kicking up whitewater as they zip along the surface of the pool. Others are practicing arm movements, maintaining their balance and posture as they pull against the water. In the deep end of the pool, 14-year-old Bomun Ha is swimming strong, wearing goggles and a confident grin on his face. As he dives underwater with his equally goggled and grinning instructor, his mother, Young Ha, tells his story. Bomun, diagnosed with autism and epilepsy, has been swimming since he was 5 years old. His mother explains that the water is a "free medium" where he is constantly engaged and developing. Swimming has been a fun, effective, low-impact way for Bomun to strengthen his muscles, and, she adds, his nine years of lessons have made him feel successful and really raised his confidence. Bomun, along with the other children in the pool, is a member of SNAP, the Special Needs Aquatic Program. Founded in 1991 by Dori Maxon, physical therapist and director of Pediatric Contracting Services, SNAP is a non-profit motor development program for children with a variety of abilities and disabilities. The goal of the non-competitive program, as Maxon explains it, is “to enhance each child's self-confidence, pride and independence while fostering physical, social and intellectual skills." Here are just some of the benefits offered by swim programs like SNAP:
Ready for Lessons? 4 Things to Know and Look for · Warm pools: Water heated to around 92°F is especially therapeutic for children with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, or arthritis because it encourages flexibility and circulation. · One-to-one instruction: This allows instructors to tailor the lesson for your child's specific needs. Attending classes consistently with the same instructor also builds trust and friendships, which make any activity more fun and engaging. · How to hold your child: For younger children or those with physical disabilities, Maxon recommends starting the child in the vertical position, as opposed to the typical horizontal one: "It's related to safety,” she explains, adding that it also aids circulation and “[stimulates] the neurological pathways for pre-walking and bilateral coordination, communication, focus and intent." · Accessibility: Most public pools are ADA-accessible and offer ramps and wheelchair lifts to help swimmers in and out of the water. Looking for Lessons? These local spots offer special instruction for kids with special needs: SAN FRANCISCO Janet Pomeroy Center, 415-665-4241, JanetPomeroy.org Sava Pool,415-661-6327 La Petit Baleen, 866-896.3603, SwimLPB.com EAST BAY American Swim Academy, 800-810-SWIM, AmericanSwimAcademy.com Downtown Berkeley YMCA, 510-665-3215, BayMCA.org Little Dipper Swim School, 925-932-5861, LittleDipperSwimSchool.com SAN JOSE Joy of Swimming, 408-968-8035, JoyofSwimming.com DACA, 408-446-5600, DACA.org PENINSULA Betty Wright Swim Center @ Abilities United, 650-494-1480, AbilitiesUnited.org Could it be SPD? 05/13/2010
Children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)—a neurological disorder also known as Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID)—are often either hypersensitive or hyposensitive (with decreased sensitivity). No two children are affected by SPD in exactly the same way, and SPD can stand alone or be part of another childhood disorder such as autism, cerebral palsy, ADD/ADHD, and many other developmental delays. For these reasons, and others, it is often misunderstood and frequently misdiagnosed. But children with SPD often demonstrate certain atypical behaviors, and with early identification and intervention, kids stand a better chance of achieving better outcomes. SPD Warning Signs:
Help Is Near
Identification & Therapy An occupational therapist with specialty training and certification in Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SI Certification) can identify SPD. The evaluation may include observations of the child, standardized testing, as well as a parent report and reports from other professionals (such as your pediatrician, a speech & language pathologist, a physical therapist, psychologist or child development specialist). If your child is identified as having SPD, therapy can help. Children in therapy are assisted to organize their central nervous systems, so they can process sensory information in a more appropriate way, enabling them to improve their responses to everyday sensory stimuli. The sooner a child is diagnosed, the sooner intervention can begin. Check out the links in this online exclusive for support. Karen Fittinger, MS, CCC-SLP is a Speech & Language Pathologist with experience in early intervention. She is the owner of Bright Start Therapies in Sacramento and Roseville. She has also served as President of the Sacramento Speech and Hearing Association. 5 Ways to Make Outings Easier 04/01/2010
 Parents don't have to give up on family vacations or dinner at a sit-down restaurant simply because their child has autism. While each child with autism has his or her own needs and challenges, there is hope. These simple strategies can help kids with ASD learn to communicate, avoid sensory overload, and prepare to experience new places: 1. Talk to your child before you leave, so he knows where you are going and what to expect when you arrive. If your child is non-verbal, use picture cards. 2. Pack headphones and sunglasses. Controlling noise and light can help prevent children with autism from becoming overwhelmed in new places. 3. Get restaurant menus ahead of time, and help your child select what he might order. If your child is non-verbal, make a picture list of what he wants to order, so he can present it at the restaurant. 4. Before the trip, pack items that meet your child’s unique sensory processing needs, such as a squeeze toy, weighted blanket or weighted vest. 5. Remember to pack his favorite objects, such as his favorite toy, blanket or book. The unexpected often happens. If your first trip is unsuccessful, try to determine what factors you can change to make subsequent trips more enjoyable for you and your child. Is there a better time of day to go? Is there a better place to sit in restaurants, or can you make your child feel more comfortable by bringing favorite items from home? Each outing is a learning experience that can help make the next one easier. Clarissa Willis, Ph.D. is the author of five books from Gryphon House, Inc. (GryphonHouse.com), including My Child Has Autism: What Parents Need to Know. Wishing on a Basket Full of Stars 03/03/2010
 In 1996, a pregnant Heidi Cartan underwent an emergency Caesarian section after experiencing a sudden stop in her baby’s movement. The baby was born blue due to lack of oxygen. Doctors inserted a breathing tube into his mouth and down his throat, fracturing his second vertebra in the process, Heidi says. Two and a half months later, she and her husband returned to the doctors with their baby boy, Noah, who was unable to keep food down and cried nonstop. He was readmitted to the hospital.Tests showed brain damage. Although it is not known if the brain damage was present at birth, geneticists theorize that Noah, now 13, has an underlying genetic condition that explains certain aspects of his current disability, such as his need for a feeding tube, hip problems and high comprehension but a lack of speech. The vertebra fracture landed him in a wheelchair. Noah was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, which refers to a number of neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood and permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.During the first few years, Heidi says she was almost constantly on the verge of tears, feeling like she was “outside looking in at a life she thought she and her husband would have with their son.” A Friendship Meant To Be “In the beginning, I was exhausted, constantly worried about whether Noah would even survive and desperate to just be a mom. I was pretty isolated because Noah was not well or strong enough for me to belong to a moms' group. And at that time, I could no longer get together with friends unless they came over to see me,” says Heidi, a no-nonsense woman with a bright smile and easy-going nature. Noah vomited 15 to 20 times a day, making even a short trip to the grocery store impossible. Slowly, things started to improve and at about age 2, Noah was finally stable enough to take short trips outside. Heidi and her son began visiting the neighborhood park. But Noah wasn’t integrated with the other children and Heidi wasn’t a part of the usual circle of moms who sat on the sidelines, chatting and supervising. “He couldn’t go on the swings, or sit in the sand area or do any of the things the other kids were doing. But I was trying to be a mom—this was my first kid,” she reflects. Sarah Lundgren, a tall woman who looks you straight in the eyes when she speaks, was very pregnant the day she brought her 2-year-old Emma to the park—the same day she approached Heidi. She now believes she must have seen the sadness and confusion on Heidi’s face.“Sarah extended herself to me,” says Heidi. “I remember… I was pretty frayed.” The two moms bonded instantly. At the time, they were both in their mid-30s with first children around the same age and lived just blocks from one another. A month or so after their first meeting, Sarah gave birth to a healthy baby boy. She and her husband named him Dean and brought him home. Life was good. A month later, for reasons unknown, Dean contracted meningitis, which caused cerebral palsy and severe vision impairments. The couple was not prepared for this sudden change—they had no guideline on how to raise a child with special needs. Sarah, who had bravely and graciously extended a hand to Heidi, now desperately needed help herself. “Sarah showed up at my door one day looking for help and advice,” says Heidi. “It was meant to be,” adds Sarah. Their friendship was quickly strengthened as they began sharing ideas on feeding, teaching, coping and playing with their young boys with cerebral palsy. Pool Your Resources Then one day Heidi took Noah to a pediatrician appointment. The doctor asked if she would be willing to speak new mother, Stephanie Spaid, whose son Aaron was born with cerebral palsy. Heidi happily agreed.Aaron was the first child for Stephanie, a former art and foreign language teacher, and she was in need of advice, help and friendship. Their boys had similarities: Aaron and Noah require feeding tubes, are in wheelchairs and are legally blind.“Heidi was totally helpful,” says Stephanie, now 41 and also raising Sebastian, 7, Eva, 5, and Audrey, 3, with her husband. “I thought ‘this is a really nice person, I need to pick her brain.’” Within about a year, Heidi and Sarah convinced Stephanie and her husband to move to the same flat Mountain View neighborhood just blocks from downtown and close to parks and schools. “That way, you pool your resources,” explains Stephanie. And pool their resources they did. They started a summer camp out of their homes when the boys were around preschool age. “Summertime motivated me because it got really long and I had a child who needed to stay active and engaged, but had a lot of physical limitations,” says Heidi. They rotated the location of the camp, organizing different activities for the boys and their other children. Stephanie, who played in an Irish band with her husband, held music fests for the children, complete with pizza and an audience seating area. Children with cerebral palsy, especially those who are blind or have limited sight, need to stimulate their other senses, so Heidi hung beads and a “sling swing” from the ceiling, and put bells, pipe cleaners, felt and cardboard cutouts along the hallways for the boys to discover with their hands.“Tactile stuff,” says Heidi, who now also has son Matthew, 6. The three moms shared teaching ideas, too. When Sarah was teaching Dean, who is blind and has minimal speech, simple words (such as star) she put different sized stars in a basket for him to touch. “I had a metal star, a pine cone star, a stuffed star, and pretty soon Dean was saying 'star,'” she says. “The star basket” was something Heidi's and Stephanie's children with cerebral palsy used too. In addition to sharing their teaching ventures, the moms also swapped ideas and successes on how to make the situations they encountered a little easier. Heidi was the first to take her child on an airplane and recommended to the other women that they too get the front row seats, which are more spacious, giving them enough room to change a diaper if necessary. “Being with them brought a lot of joy in a time when I could have been feeling really overwhelmed. I was not looking for a gripe session. I was looking for women who loved their kids equally and could move forward with their lives,” says Sarah, who has two other children, Nate, 5, and Emma, 13. Life's Simple Pleasures Last summer the three families attended the Tuolumne Trails camp, where children with serious medical conditions can swim, play games, sit by the camp fire, do arts and crafts, and go on “wheeling trails” with their parents and siblings. Tuolumne Trails is an opportunity for kids to be kids—where sisters and brothers who are not disabled spend one-on-one time with their siblings who are, enjoying life's simple pleasures in nature. It's also an opportunity of respite for parents. “As one mom put it, ‘we don’t need time away from our kids we just need time that isn’t so much work,’” says Jerry Baker, 58, who built the camp with Paula Baker, using their life savings and a little more. Located in Groveland, about 30 minutes from Yosemite National Park, the 80 sprawling acres of Tuolumne Trails are specially designed and ideal for families who have one or more children with a special need. “We built a place where 10 year olds will be 10 year olds, if they have special needs or not,” he says. Families sleep together in spacious cabins, eat together in the dining hall and can fish, swim, practice archery or play pool volleyball. “Disability can be really, really isolating,” says Heidi. “Your life can become really small. I can’t just call up the neighborhood teen and say, ‘Can you come over while I go out for a drink with my friends?’” Having two friends who have experienced the journey with her, understanding her life and the challenges she and her family face, has been a huge blessing—perhaps even more than she could have wished for. |
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