The first day of school is just around the corner... are you and your child ready?
If you haven't already, prepare your special needs child for the upcoming changes he or she will experience. If you are an advocate for a child with special needs, get in touch with the family and see if they have any questions or need any help preparing the child for the transition into the new year.
Review your child's IEP! Chances are the IEP for the upcoming school year were agreed upon sometime last spring. A lot can change over the 90 days of summer. Take a close look at the IEP, the goals, supports, etc. and make sure that you are familiar with everything outlined for the new academic year. Now is not the time to request major revisions to an average IEP. However, if there have been changes that need to be addressed such as a new diagnosis, additional needs, etc., it is important to get in touch with the school and make sure everyone is on the same page.
Many schools have an open house for students prior to the first day of school. However, for children who have difficulty with transitions, more than one introduction to the new teacher or the new room may be needed. If you have a child who struggles with change, contact your school and ask to arrange an additional opportunity to visit the classroom. When you go to the school, take pictures of the classroom, the teacher, etc. and excitedly look over them prior to the first day to help create familiarity with the new environment. Knowing what to expect can help decrease anxiety for both you and your child. And seeing your excitement and comfort will help your child feel at ease as well!
Going back to school can be an exciting yet stressful time for every family. Take proactive steps now to help make the process comfortable for you and your child. You will be glad you did and though he or she may not say it, your special student will be thankful too!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Victory for Georgia Students
The following was originally written and posted on July 8 by Leslie K. Lipson, Staff Attorney with the Georgia Advocacy Office. Many thanks to her for allowing me to share this here and for her unending advocacy efforts for Georgia's children!.
Congratulations to all who helped and are continuing to help fight this battle for Georgia Students!
Rule Passed
July 8, 2010
Today is a historic day for Georgia public school students, as the State Board of Education voted unanimously to enact Rule 160-5-1-.35 which prohibits the use of seclusion, prone restraint, mechanical restraint, and chemical restraint. The Rule will limit the use of physical restraint to those situations involving imminent danger. Additionally, the Rule requires schools to notify parents within one school day that their child has been restrained. Before today’s historic vote, schools could restrain or seclude any student, at any time, for any reason.
The Safe Schools Initiative commends the Department of Education and the State Board of Education on this inaugural action to limit these dangerous practices. However, one key safeguard is noticeably missing: there are no provisions for reporting incidents of restraint beyond informing parents. Oversight, data collection and analysis are pivotal in identifying schools that need additional support to appropriately maintain a safe educational environment. After receiving overwhelming public support for data collection, the Board decided to withhold data collection about individual districts until the federal government mandates such practice. There is federal legislation considering the issue that is currently in committee, but the timetable and outcome are unknown. The Board publicly announced its eventual intent to collect outcome data; but the timeline, methodology, and stakeholder access to information are all unknown.
The Safe Schools Initiative is a collaborative effort of five organizations – The Georgia Advocacy Office, the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University, the Institute on Human Development and Disability at the University of Georgia, and Parent to Parent of Georgia – to end the restraint and seclusion of students in Georgia schools.
For more information about the Safe Schools Initiative, please contact Jenny Holland at (404) 885-1234 or jholland@thegao.org.
Congratulations to all who helped and are continuing to help fight this battle for Georgia Students!
Rule Passed
July 8, 2010
Today is a historic day for Georgia public school students, as the State Board of Education voted unanimously to enact Rule 160-5-1-.35 which prohibits the use of seclusion, prone restraint, mechanical restraint, and chemical restraint. The Rule will limit the use of physical restraint to those situations involving imminent danger. Additionally, the Rule requires schools to notify parents within one school day that their child has been restrained. Before today’s historic vote, schools could restrain or seclude any student, at any time, for any reason.
The Safe Schools Initiative commends the Department of Education and the State Board of Education on this inaugural action to limit these dangerous practices. However, one key safeguard is noticeably missing: there are no provisions for reporting incidents of restraint beyond informing parents. Oversight, data collection and analysis are pivotal in identifying schools that need additional support to appropriately maintain a safe educational environment. After receiving overwhelming public support for data collection, the Board decided to withhold data collection about individual districts until the federal government mandates such practice. There is federal legislation considering the issue that is currently in committee, but the timetable and outcome are unknown. The Board publicly announced its eventual intent to collect outcome data; but the timeline, methodology, and stakeholder access to information are all unknown.
The Safe Schools Initiative is a collaborative effort of five organizations – The Georgia Advocacy Office, the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, the Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University, the Institute on Human Development and Disability at the University of Georgia, and Parent to Parent of Georgia – to end the restraint and seclusion of students in Georgia schools.
For more information about the Safe Schools Initiative, please contact Jenny Holland at (404) 885-1234 or jholland@thegao.org.
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