Free iPad for Children with Autism

The HollyRod Foundation is accepting applications to donate free iPads to limited verbal/nonverbal children who experience Autism.

Link to application free IPAD for children with Autism:  http://www.azautism.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/HollyRod-2010-ipad-application.pdf

HollyRod foundation:  http://www.hollyrod.org/  (Click on top of page with IPOD picture and it takes you to the application as well). 

Eligibility requirements can be found via the links above.

Exciting Technology Advances

Here are two articles about some technological supports available to help the parents, advocates, and educators of children with special needs.  I am not personally endorsing either of these publications or products but wanted to make the information available to you so that you can take a look for yourself!

Enjoy!

App Store Special Education Section

IEP Checklist for iPhone

LRE Part III: The Bottom Line

I have given you a lot of information over the last three posts regarding the Least Restrictive Environment.  Within each of those, there have been details which could be expounded upon for multiple posts.

Here is the most important thing that I want you to gather from all of the information I have shared with you on LRE:

Special Education is NOT a place.  It is a combination of services, supports, instruction, modifications, people, and resources designed to help your child with special needs access the regular curriculum in the way that BEST meets his or her needs.

The question should not be "where should the special needs child be placed?"

Rather, the IEP team needs to ask, "How can we best enable this child to access the curriculum in the general education setting."

The question is how can this child be taught in the classroom alongside typical peers; not whether or not it is possible.


Only after all options and supports have been implemented and exhausted should removal from the general education setting be considered.  Being taught in the typical classroom is a right, not a privilege to be earned.

LRE - Part II: The Role of Goals

It is important to note that the Least Restrictive Environment is not a place.  It is a description of a learning environment.  It is important that in the advocating process, we are careful to not confuse LRE with General Education.

That is not to say, of course, that the General Education Setting is not the Least Restrictive Environment for a child with special needs.  In fact, in most cases education alongside typical peers in typical classroom settings with appropriate support IS the least restrictive, most beneficial place for a child with special needs.

The backbone of this entire understanding is the knowledge that Special Education itself is not, nor should it ever be, a PLACE.  The Environment that is least restrictive for the child should not BE Special Education.  The supports that are put in place to help maximize a child's learning potential are the Special Education resources.  And according to IDEA, as noted in my last LRE - Part I:

LRE means that, to the maximum extent appropriate, school districts must educate students with disabilities in the regular classroom with appropriate aids and supports, referred to as "supplementary aids and services, " along with their nondisabled peers in the school they would attend if not disabled, unless a student's IEP requires some other arrangement. This requires and individualized inquiry into the unique educational needs of each disabled student in determining the possible range of aids and supports that are needed to facilitate the students's placement in the regular educational environment before a more restrictive placement is considered. (http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/lre.osers.memo.idea.htm)

Every child has unique learning needs regardless of the nature and extent of his or her learning challenges.  In determining the LRE for your special needs child, it is important to consider and understand several things.  Today's post will focus on the impact of goals in the determination of placement in the Least Restrictive Environment.

The IEP team meets for an annual review or placement consideration.  Introductions are made.  Any new testing results (which should have been approved by the parent/guardian before administration) are presented.  Present levels of performance (PLOPs) are discussed including strengths and weaknesses as identified by the school staff and in relation to the child's disability.  Parent concerns are addressed.  Then comes the challenging part of the IEP - and often the part that is allocated the least amount of time.

I could spend an entire blog post (or twelve) on how to write implementable, measurable, solid goals for children with an IEP.  And maybe I will... at a later time.  For now, I want  you to consider this: The goals drive placement.

Right or wrong, this is how 99% of the IEP teams on which I have participated have made their placement decisions.  Can the goals be implemented in the general education setting with appropriate support?

It can get confusing here because "appropriate support" leaves a lot of room for ambiguity.  What one administrator may see as "appropriate" support may not in fact be what a student needs - whether that child needs more or less than suggested.  Additionally, it will take work to get all members responsible for IEP goal implementation to agree that everyone needs to be involved in the process of working on goal achievement.

Certainly there are situations when the speech or occupational therapist will have specific goals that he or she will work on during those designated sessions.  However, writing goals, reading goals, math goals, social goals, etc. should be able to work in both the self contained/special education setting as well as the general education setting with typical peers.

The key to determining if those goals are in fact applicable in both settings is understanding a very critical point: Having a child INCLUDED in the general education setting is not the same as having a child MAINSTREAMED in the general education setting.  I will note here that there are educational professionals who disagree with this perspective.  However, I have found in my practice that there is a significant semantic difference between the two.

Inclusion affords a child with special needs to learn at his or her own pace alongside typical peers in the general education setting with supplemental supports at a pace that is appropriate to his/her learning needs.  This could include but is not limited to decreased workload, varied academic goals, and other "standards" adaptations as needed.  For example, a special needs child included with his or her typical peers may not be held to the same rigorous academic criteria as his or her classmates.  However, he or she will still be required to work on topic appropriate material that not only aligns with the curriculum and flow of the general education setting, but is also adapted in such a way that the goals from his or her IEP are being addressed.

Mainstreaming, on the other hand, assumes that once a child has met certain criteria, he or she is "ready" to move into the general education setting and learn the same academic curriculum at the same pace alongside his or her typical peers.

Inclusion takes work.  Writing goals that promote inclusion takes a lot of work.  Getting the IEP team to agree that the goals do promote and are able to be achieved in an inclusive setting can be an especially challenging and exhausting task.  But it is, I guarantee you, a task for which your child will be thankful.

It is not reasonable to assume that a parent or advocate can walk into a room demanding an inclusive education for a child with special needs simply because it is the child's right.  In my early advocacy, I often made the mistake of putting placement before goals.  This led to a lot of confusion and frustration.

If you want your child's least restrictive environment to be in the inclusive setting, you need to set up a case for the type of environment you would like to see him or her thrive in.  You can do that by recommending goals that will foster placement in general education and describing the type of learning environment you want for your child.

If you do not get the desired placement the first time, do not be afraid to go back and ask for it again.  Step away from the table, do some more research, and figure out how to paint an IEP picture for your child that will help you get closer to your goal.

LRE - Part I

This is Part One in a series on the Least Restrictive Environment.  The next sections of this series will be released over the course of the month of September.


The world of Education, and particularly the realm of Special Education, is full of acronyms.

One of those acronyms that you may frequently come across is LRE.  LRE stands for the Least Restrictive Environment.

As a parent or guardian of a child with special needs, your first reaction when considering school is to protect your child as much as possible.  You may be naturally inclined to desire a buffer to help cushion him or her from the world because, let's face it... the world doesn't always accept special as wonderful, unique, and full of potential.  Your child may have needs that threaten his or her health making it difficult for you to picture him or her participating in the swarm of 22+ other children in a classroom with one or two adults.  As a parent of a child with special needs - whether those needs are because of allergies, chromosomal differences, or Autism - you want to make sure that your loved one is protected.

Most often, schools offer this "protection" in the form of separate classrooms, separate tables, or separate educational opportunities tailored to meet "the specific needs" of your child.

While these "protective mechanisms" may at first thought appear to be ideal, I challenge you to ask yourself if it is really the best environment providing the most opportunities for your child to learn about the world around him or her and grow alongside his or her peers.

IDEA guarantees children with special needs the right to learn in the least restrictive environment possible with the maximum supports available.

Sec. 300.114 LRE requirements. 

(a) General. 

(1) Except as provided in Sec. 300.324(d)(2) (regarding children with disabilities in adult prisons), the State must have in effect policies and procedures to ensure that public agencies in the State meet the LRE requirements of this section and Sec. Sec. 300.115 through 300.120.

(2) Each public agency must ensure that--

(i) To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are nondisabled; and

(ii) Special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment occurs only if the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

(b) Additional requirement--State funding mechanism.

(1) General. (i) A State funding mechanism must not result in placements that violate the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section; and

(ii) A State must not use a funding mechanism by which the State distributes funds on the basis of the type of setting in which a child is served that will result in the failure to provide a child with a disability FAPE according to the unique needs of the child, as described in the child's IEP.

(2) Assurance. If the State does not have policies and procedures to ensure compliance with paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the State must provide the Secretary an assurance that the State will revise the funding mechanism as soon as feasible to ensure that the mechanism does not result in placements that violate that paragraph.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(5))

LRE means that, to the maximum extent appropriate, school districts must educate students with disabilities in the regular classroom with appropriate aids and supports, referred to as "supplementary aids and services, " along with their nondisabled peers in the school they would attend if not disabled, unless a student's IEP requires some other arrangement. This requires and individualized inquiry into the unique educational needs of each disabled student in determining the possible range of aids and supports that are needed to facilitate the students's placement in the regular educational environment before a more restrictive placement is considered. (http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/lre.osers.memo.idea.htm)

Educating a child in the least restrictive environment helps ensure that the WHOLE child is being educated.  Not only are academics part of a child's teaching, but social cues and mores, transition practices, and appropriate interactions are integral to the complete education of a child.

Certainly there occasions when it is arguable that a child should be in a smaller learning environment with one on one attention.  However, it is important that these placements and situations, if chosen, are still as unrestrictive as possible in order to maximize the child's learning potential.

Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.
~ Lady Bird Johnson

Perhaps one of the most significant facets in helping a child achieve an education in the least restrictive environment is believing that the child is capable of performing without restrictions.  I am in no way endorsing "throwing a child to the wolves", so to speak, in order to prove that he or she is able to do certain things.  

I am, however, encouraging a paradigm shift from seeing what the child's limitations are to embracing the child's strengths and capitalizing on them in order to provide an environment that is not overly restrictive.  Evaluate the child's capabilities based on the child rather than on the test scores, evaluations, and diagnosis of the child.  

It is always possible - and much, much easier on everyone - to add in additional supports as needed; however, it is significantly more difficult to remove unnecessary supports once perceived dependencies have been established.  

It is a proven fact that children will try to live up to the expectations set for them. 

IDEA Part(A)(c)(5). Over 20 years of research and experience has demonstrated that the education of children with disabilities can be made more effective by (A) having higher expectations for such children and ensuring their access in the general curriculum to the maximum extent possible.  

By setting higher expectations for our children with special needs, we are not only assuming and encouraging competency, but also empowering them to work towards achieving success.  By eliminating the focus on the disability of the child and focusing on the possibilities and strengths of the child, we as parents, educators, and advocates are significantly more effective in supporting the potential for success and providing our children the opportunity to learn and grow in the least restrictive environment.

Jennifer Cardenas

The Most Important Question

Why?

As children, our naturally inquisitive nature prompted us to question everything.  Why do I have to go to bed?  Why do I have to eat my veggies?  Why does the moon come up at night?  Why do dogs have wet noses?

Now that I am a mother, I find myself falling into the trap of answering "Because I Said So."  However, "Because I Said So" is not a good enough answer when it comes to advocating for your child.

As parents, we expect that we should be able to trust the school to always do what is best for our children.  We put our faith in the fact that they are the "experts" and will always do what is "right" by our kids.  We all too often accept "Because I Said So" as the answer to our questions.

You are the only expert on your child.  

If you want something to happen and truly believe that it is possible and best for your child, but the school is not supporting your wishes, ask them WHY.  

If you are faced with a "policy" or standard that does not seem to make much sense, ask WHY it is in place.  

If you don't understand or accept "Because I Said So" as a viable excuse from your school (which you never should!!), ask them WHY they "SAID SO".

Asking WHY does not make you confrontational.  It helps you become an informed advocate for your child.

I was recently in an IEP with a family and was told that in a school of over 800 students, there were no children enrolled who needed services similar to those that the child for whom I was advocating needed. As a result, the family was being asked to place the child in a different school elsewhere in the district where his needs could be met.  I knew that there were other children zoned to my child's home school with similar disabilities and needs, and I wanted to know where all of these children were and what the school was doing about this conundrum.

What did I do?  I asked WHY.

Why are there no other children in this school who require similar services?  Why are there no accommodations in place to support the needs of this child and other children with similar needs?  Why does this child and other children with similar needs have to be unnecessarily restricted and sent outside of their home school because they have additional learning needs to achieve success in the general education curriculum?  

I was met with chair shifting, diverted eye contact, and pencil twirls.  

And the answer I was given told me everything I needed to know: The representatives from the school didn't know why.

After several more rounds of "The Why Game", we were able to secure placement in the child's home school, in the least restrictive environment,  with the supports needed to achieve success.  

While there are no guarantees that asking WHY will always achieve the desired outcome, using this simple three letter word is an important tool to freely use when advocating for your child.  

To be an effective advocate, you don't need to be a legal expert, have additional degrees, or complete extensive training.  The first step in being the BEST advocate for your child is to ask the most important question.  

WHY?

Until you clearly understand the answer and get beyond "Because I Said So", keep asking.  You will be well on your way to becoming the best advocate you can be. 

Food Allergies

Food allergies in children are becoming much more prevalent.  Whether they are simply being identified and diagnosed more, or our children are developing more food intolerances, it is a fact that these reactions can be severe and even fatal.

So what can be done to help protect our children with food allergies when they are out of our sight and in the care of others at school?

The first and perhaps most important thing is to make sure that your child with the allergy understands why he or she needs to avoid the trigger and learn how to most effectively protect him or herself from exposure.  Regardless of the severity of the reaction, your child needs to know what foods to avoid, why to avoid them, how to avoid them, and what needs to be done if exposure occurs accidentally.  Remember that empowering your child is the best and most effective step to successful advocacy.

The severity of the child's sensitivity to the allergen will determine what additional steps need to be taken to protect your loved one.  Familiarize yourself with the school's food allergy policy, if one is available.  You will need to work closely with your child's doctor to clearly understand how the child will react with exposure and what type of exposure will trigger a reaction (ingestion, airborne, etc.).  Once you and your doctor have identified the allergens, exposure factors, and reactions, you can decide what additional safeguards should be put in place to protect your child.

Regardless of the reaction, it is important to make sure the school is aware that your child has food allergies and provide them with an exposure action plan.  You will need documentation from your child's doctor stating the allergens, severity of the reaction, and what systems are affected by the exposure (respiratory, cardiovascular, etc.).

In cases where the reaction to exposure can be severe or life threatening, it may be beneficial to consider implementing a 504 Plan.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination in an educational program or institution on the basis of a disability.  By law, every student with a disability must be afforded a “free and appropriate public education.” A food allergy may be considered a disability under this law.  Public schools, as well as private preschools and daycare centers that receive federal funds, are required to comply with this law.

You will need to contact your school and work with your child's allergist to determine if a 504 Plan is appropriate for your child.  Do not assume that your school will automatically take the right steps to help protect your child.  It is important to involve all interested parties (teachers, principal, special education representative, doctor, school nurse, etc.) and provide clear and straightforward information to foster open and flowing communication.

The following information is from allergysupport.org and outlines how a child with a food allergy may qualify for protection under a 504 Plan.

Children protected under Section 504 are commonly those with ADD, ADHD, OCD, Diabetes, AIDS, Asthma (that does not affect educational performance) and allergy just name a few. The criteria by which a child with severe food allergy is eligible for protection under Section 504 is that the physiological condition / disorder of food allergy affects the respiratory, digestive, cardiovascular and skin body systems. The physical impairment of food allergy could substantially limit breathing during an anaphylactic reaction. In addition, the U.S. Office for Civil Rights U.S., Department of Education formally recognizes “allergy” as a “hidden disability.”

(“The Civil Rights of Students with Hidden Disabilities Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.”)

WHAT ARE HIDDEN DISABILITIES?

“Hidden disabilities are physical or mental impairments that are not readily apparent to others. They include such conditions and diseases as specific learning disabilities, diabetes, epilepsy, and allergy. A disability such as a limp, paralysis, total blindness or deafness is usually obvious to others. But hidden disabilities such as low vision, poor hearing, heart disease, or chronic illness may not be obvious. A chronic illness involves a recurring and long-term disability such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney and liver disease, high blood pressure, or ulcers."

(“The Civil Rights of Students with Hidden Disabilities Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 19743.”)

HOW DOES SECTION 504 HELP A CHILD WITH SEVERE FOOD ALLERGIES?

The legislators who wrote Section 504 purposely used broad and relatively non- prescriptive language so that the law would encompass a wide range of disabilities. Schools must give children protected under Section 504 an “individualized educational program” with “accommodations.” This program usually takes the form of a 504 Plan. The 504 Plan lists and explains the formal accommodations and modifications that will be made to the public school environment to ensure the least restrictive learning environment (LRE). The LRE must provide equal opportunities for children protected under Section 504 to the maximum extent possible as their non-disabled peers. A 504 Plan for a children with food allergy should have many components to address important food allergy issues so affected children have the best possible chance of staying safe.

One of the most significant benefits offered by a 504 plan is the protection of your child's right to be educated in the least restrictive learning environment (LRE).  This means that your school cannot discriminate against your child on the basis of his or her disability - or allergy.  It legally guides the school towards including your child with his or her peers to the fullest extent possible while still protecting him or her against the allergen triggers.

Do not assume that your school will automatically include your child in the LRE simply because a 504 Plan is in place.

Because food allergies are a relatively new problem facing schools, you will need to be diligent in ensuring that your child is not being unnecessarily separated from his or her peers.  It is not uncommon for schools to be overly protective and restrictive of children to avoid negative outcomes (allergen exposure and reaction) and limit litigation possibility.  Working closely with the school and your child's doctor and maintaining free flowing and transparent communication is the best way to protect your child's rights.  


Remember that only you, your child's physician and your school district can work together to create an allergen exposure plan that is appropriate for your child.


For additional information, please visit the following links:
Allergy Support.org
Food Allergy Initiative