Resources- Boston and Nationwide

Boston, MA Resources: 

• Federation for Children with Special Needs- http://www.iser.com/FCSN.html 
  

                 95 Berkeley Street, Suite 104
                      Boston, MA 02116

• Boston Public Schools- http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/node/226
• Boston After School & Beyond- http://www.bostonbeyond.org/
• Boston Youthzone After School Programs- http://www.bostonyouthzone.com/afterschool/
• Massachusetts Special Education Advisory Council- http://www.doe.mass.edu/boe/sac/councils/sped.html

Internet/Nationwide Resources:

• Internet Special Education Resources- http://www.iser.com/index.shtml
  
• Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice- http://cecp.air.org/
• IDEA Homepage- http://idea.ed.gov/
• FAPE (Free and Appropriate Education) Homepage- http://fapeonline.org/ 
• Council for Exceptional Children- http://www.cec.sped.org/am/template.cfm?section=Home

Instructional Suggestions

Educating students with  and without Special Needs can be both a challenging and rewarding experience for all teachers alike. Along with that, there are many instructional strategies designed to enhance learning. Here are some websites/tips offering area-specific information about instruction:

• Emotional Behavior Disorders:  http://cecp.air.org/interact/authoronline/january98/ineffective.htm
• Learning Disabilities and ADHD- http://www.ldonline.org/educators 
• English Language Learner or Bilingual Students- http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/tl-strategies/be-principles.shtml

• Other Key Tips for Instruction:
  1. Create participatory, inquiry-based classrooms
  2. Maintain high expectations for all students
  3. Teach ELL through content-area instruction
  4. Use thematic units
  5. Incorporate culturally familiar learning strategies
  6. Use a variety of strategies when teaching literacy
  7. Provide appropriate and valid assessment
  8. Recognize that students use different languages to learn
  9. Offer a variety of assessments
  10. Make appropriate accommodations 
  
  

Parents Rights

What are my responsibilities as a parent? 

As a parent you are in the best position to advocate for your child, and in order to do that you must be aware of what you can do to ensure that your child receives the services and accommodations she or he needs. 

1. Stay informed. Understand your child's diagnosis, how it impacts her or his education and what can be done at home to help.
2. Understand your child's IEP. If you have questions, do not be afraid to ask. If you still have questions, continue to ask until you completely understand the process, the IEP, and how this will help your child's education.  Do not sign an IEP unless you understand and agree with the contents.  
3. Speak with your child's teacher. Teachers often have similar concerns as parents and welcome the opportunity to discuss them. 
4. Get it in writing. When possible obtain written documentation from teachers, administrators, or other professionals working with your child describing any behavioral or academic concerns they may have. 
5. Know your rights. 
6. Play an active role in preparing your child's IEP or Section 504 plan. Make suggestions, and speak up if you feel a goal, objective, or accommodation is not appropriate.
7. Keep careful records. This should include any written documentation you have obtained, communication between home and school, progress reports and evaluations. You should also keep a copy of any letter you send to the school. Keep these records well organized and in one place, they may be very useful. 
8. Try to maintain a good working relationship with the school while being a strong advocate for your child. 
9. Communicate any concerns you may have about your child's progress or IEP or 504 plan.  Schedule meetings to ensure you and the school are on the same page. Find an unobtrusive way to communicate on a regular basis with your child's teachers, perhaps using a communication notebook. 
10. Encourage your child everyday and devise a system to help with homework and other school projects. 

Source: http://www.help4adhd.org/education/rights/idea

Specific Parents Rights:

1. You have the right to refer your child for special education services. 

2. If you consent in writing to the special education and related services for your child but do not consent to all of the components of the IEP, those components of the program to which you have consented must be implemented without delay. 

3. If at any time subsequent to the initial provision of special education and related services, the parent of a child revokes consent in writing for the continued provision of special education and related services, the public agency must stop all special education services. 

4. You have the right to have your child assessed in all areas of suspected disability. Materials and procedures used for assessment and placement must not be racially, culturally, or sexually discriminatory.

5. Assessment materials must be provided and the test administered in your child’s native language or mode of communication. 

6. If you disagree with the results of the assessment conducted by the school district, you have the right to ask for and obtain an independent educational assessment for your child from a person. 

7. A parent is entitled to only one independent educational evaluation at public expense each time the public agency conducts an evaluation with which the parent disagrees.

8. You have a right to inspect and review all of your child’s education records without unnecessary delay

9. Have an interpreter provided at any stage of the Special Education Referral Process 

Source: http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/fp/

Homework Tips and the Homework Hotline

Below you will find Homework Tips and other Information about completing Assignments 

1. Homework Tips for Teens:

• Use an Assignment Book- Don’t rely on your memory alone. Instead, write down each and every daily and long term assignment. You can even use the assignment book to break long-term projects down into manageable chunks. Assigning each chunk to a different evening spreads the work out over time, and helps prevent you from procrastinating because each piece is more manageable.
  
  
• Follow up on missed work- Don’t rely on your teachers to find you and tell you what you missed. It’s your responsibility to get that information from each of your teachers. Make sure you understand the directions and write it in your assignment book. Another good idea is to get a homework partner. Find a reliable classmate you can call when you are absent to see what was missed. That way, if you are feeling up to it, you might work on some of the assignments on the evening of your absence. Double check with the teacher upon your return to make sure you have everything.
  
  
• Time Management-Make sure you set aside a block of time each day to complete homework. This can be especially challenging if you are involved in a lot of other activities. Make homework a priority: don’t try to get it done in the car on the way to practice or while rushing to school in the morning. Try to find a balance between school, friends, family, and activities. 
  
  
• Study Environment-Make sure you have a quiet, well-lit place (preferably a desk) to do your work. Some people need music or background noise to help them work, and others need total silence so try out both and see what works for you. Minimize interruptions (such as the TV, phone, or other family members) so you can concentrate and get things done. Make sure all of your supplies are on hand before you start, and stretch or take a short break every so often. Attack more difficult projects first, when your energy level is highest.
  
  
• Double-check-When your homework is done, re-check your assignment book to make sure you haven’t missed anything, and double check your work for mistakes. Make sure you put everything back in your binder or in a place you can find it easily the next morning. 

• Set Goals- Keep your priorities in order, and remember what you want to accomplish. Try to stay calm even though homework, tests, and projects can seem intimidating at times. 

Source: http://youthdevelopment.suite101.com/article.cfm/homework_tips_for_teens 

2. Homework Hotline

Make use of any homework hotlines or teacher-websites so that you do not lose track of upcoming assignments/homework. I will offer my students a homework hotline and/or update the website each week with assignments. 

The Special Education Referral Process

In order to be eligible for Special Education Services one must fulfill certain requirements as mandated by IDEA. 

Always Remember that as a parent you have rights when it comes to your child's education. 

1. A parent, professional, or school personnel must identify a student as possibly needing special education and related services 

2. Within 5 school days of receipt of a referral the district must notify the parents and seek consent to evaluate the student before any assessment begins 

3. Within 30 days of parental consent, officially trained specialists evaluate the student in question

4. Within 45 days of parents' consent the evaluation team determines eligibility

- The evaluation team must include:

> Parent

> Special Education Teacher

> Regular Education Teacher

> District Representative

> Person Qualified to Interpret Evaluation Results

> The Student if over 14yrs. of age

> Others if possible

5. Within 45 days of parental consent for evaluation the Team will develop and write an IEP(Individualized Education Plan) for all eligible students 

6.  At the IEP Meeting:

- After the IEP is written the Team determines placement 

7.  Parents must consent to the IEP and placement within 30 days of receiving the IEP

8. Throughout the IEP period, qualified professionals will provide special education and related services 

9. At least as often as the parents of  non-disabled students receive written progress reports, the school will measure progress toward IEP goals and report that progress to parents in writing 

10. The Team will review and rewrite the IEP at least once a year

11. The school will reevaluate the child at least every 3 years 

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

ADHD

• IDEA Definition: "a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequently displayed and more severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development" 

1. Characteristics

• Impulsivity
• Hyperactivity
• Inattention
• Coexisting conduct/academic problems

2. Demographics

• 3 to 7% of school-age children are identified with ADHD (between 1.9 and 4.5 million students)
• approximately 2 to 4% receive stimulant medication
• fewer than 1% are identified under IDEA as other health impaired 
• approximately 75% are male 
  

3. Education and Assessment

• 53% of those identified with ADHD under IDEA spend most of the day in general ed. classrooms
• placement settings are similar to those for students with learning disabilities
• criteria from DSM-IV-TR are used for identification
• multiple methods are used to document ADHD, including interviews with parents and teachers, rating scales, and observations in multiple settings 
• functional behavior assessments provide the most useful info. for instructional and behavioral planning 

4. Outcomes

• approximately 30% have no symptoms of ADHD as adults
  
• approximately 25% have conduct disorders that continue as adults
  
• approximately 25% develop major depression as adults 

Source: Special Education for Today's Teachers (2008) by Rosenberg, Westling, and McLeskey

Autistic Spectrum Disabilities (ASD)

There are 5 disorders that fall under Autism Spectrum Disabilities: 

A. Autistic Disorder

• severe developmental disability characterized by an early age of onset, poor social development, impairments in language development, and rigidity in behavior 

B. Asperger's Disorder

• sustained and often lifelong impairments in social interactions and the development of restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities

C. Rett's Disorder

• following typical dev. during first year of life, a genetic deficit, almost exclusively affecting girls
• rapid deterioration of behavior, language, and purposeful hand movements as well as retardation and seizures

D. Childhood Disintegrative Disorder 

• rare condition in which a typically developing 3 to 15 year- old child experiences a rapid loss of language, social, motor, and toileting skills 

E. Pervasive Developmental Disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)- 

• vague designation used to describe children who resemble those with autistic or Asperger's disorder but differ in a diagnostically significant way (like age of onset) 

__________________________________________________________

1. Characteristics:

• pervasive, lifelong difficulties in social interaction skills and deficiencies in communication
• extreme and rigid interests and behaviors
• low rates of eye contact, or gaze, to others
• lack of attention to multiple dimensions of a task
• stereotypical and repetitive movements and behaviors
• social isolation
• limited receptive and expressive language skills
• difficulty understanding personal and interpersonal emotions/behaviors 

2. Demographics

• approximately 120,000 children diagnosed with autism in 2002
• a 500% increase in children with ASD served under IDEA in the past 10 years
• 4 times as many boys as girls are identified 

3. Assessments/Education Programs

• rating scales, observation protocols, and semi-structured interviews
• transdisciplinary functional behavior assessments
• general education classrooms
• specialized programs in public or private schools
• residential programs 

4. Outcomes

• lifelong and chronic disability
• ongoing problems with social aspects of life, jobs, and independence 
• success depends on early intervention, quality and stability of the network supports, cognitive ability, and symptom severity 

Source: Special Education for Today's Teachers (2008) by Rosenberg, Westling, and McLeskey

Learning Disabilities

 Students with LDs also fall under the majority (high-incidence disabilities) of students receiving special education services. 

1. Characteristics:

• significant discrepancy between potential and achievement
• trouble focusing during class
• impulsive and immature social skills
• poor motivations
• overreliance on teachers and peers
• poor language and cognitive development
• delays in learning- reading, math, or both
• disorganized approach to learning
• memory, cognitive and metacognitive problems
• disorders of hyperactivity and attention
• perceptual, perceptual-motor, and general coordination problems

2. IDEA Definition

"a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, speak, read, write etc... The tern includes such conditions as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia."  

3. So What Does that Really Mean?

• IQ within normal range
• significant discrepancy between academic achievement and expected potential
• not caused by other factors such as: cultural differences, ed. opportunities, poverty, other disabilities
• intrinsic to the individual involving central nervous system, processing info., ability to learn 

4. Possible Assessments for Learning Disabilities:

• standardized achievement tests
• informal reading inventories
• formative evaluation
• authentic assessment 

Source: 1999 Allyn & Bacon