The Kennedys' disability legacy

The disability community lost two great advocates in the Kennedy family: Eunice Kenndey Shriver and Ted Kennedy. The Kennedy family has a history of supporting disability rights issues. The following excerpts give tribute to their work. We need to make sure that work was not done in vain and continue to advocate for those with disabilities.

Small Steps, Great Strides

By Jack McCallum

Originally published in Sports Illustrated Magazine, December 8, 2008

On a steamy July 20th afternoon in 1968, Eunice Kennedy Shriver strode to the microphone at Soldier Field in Chicago and convened the first Special Olympics Games. It was only seven weeks after her younger brother, Robert, had been gunned down in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, and about five weeks before the Windy City exploded in violent confrontations between police and protestors at the Democratic National Convention.

The assassination and the violence had lasting political effects on the American landscape...and, in a much different way, so did the Games at Soldier Field.

With a crowd of fewer than 100 people dotting the 85,000-seat stadium, about 1,000 athletes from 26 states and Canada, all of them routinely classified in those days as mentally retarded, marched in the opening ceremonies and followed Shriver as she recited what is still the Special Olympics oath:

Let me win,
but if I cannot win
let me be brave
in the attempt.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, who would become a polarizing figure at the convention that August, attended the four-day event and told Shriver, "You know, Eunice, the world will never be the same after this."

While skeptics shook their heads and most of the press ignored the unprecedented competition, Shriver boldly predicted that one million of the world's intellectually challenged would someday compete athletically.

She was wrong. Today, more than three million Special Olympic athletes are training year-round in all 50 states and 181 countries. They run races, toss softballs, lift weights, ski moguls, volley tennis balls and pirouette on skates. There are World Winter Games, the most recent in Boise, Idaho, in February, and World Summer Games, which will be staged next in Athens in 2011. Documentaries, Wide-World-of-Sports presentations, after-school TV specials, feature films, cross-aisle Congressional teamwork and relentlessly positive global word of mouth have educated the planet about Special Olympics and the capabilities of the sort of individuals who were once locked away in institutions. Schooling, medical treatment and athletic training have all changed for people with intellectual disabilities as a result of Shriver's vision; more important, so have minds, attitudes and laws.

Disability Rights

In 1978, Senator Kennedy cosponsored the Civil Rights Commission Act Amendments of 1978, which expanded the jurisdiction of the Civil Rights Commission to protect people from discrimination on the basis of disability. Two years later, Kennedy cosponsored the Civil Rights for Institutionalized Persons Act, which enforced the rights of people in government institutions such as the elderly, the disabled, the mental ill, and the incarcerated under the Constitution. This law grew out of increased awareness of the unhealthy and inhumane living conditions and treatment of many people within government institutions, such as the case of the Willowbrook State School for the Mentally Retarded, which came to the forefront in 1972. Beyond assuring humane living conditions and basic rights to such individuals, the law details its protection of the religious practice of the institutionalized.

Senator Kennedy cosponsored legislation in 1984 requiring polling stations to provide physical accessibility for disabled and elderly people on federal election days. If this is not possible, polling places are required to provide alternative voting methods so that individuals in such a situation are able to cast a ballot. The law also holds that polling places must make registration and voting aids available for the elderly and people with disabilities. In 1986, Kennedy was an original cosponsor of the Air Carrier Access Act. This law required that facilities and services be provided to people with disabilities traveling by air. Accessibility requirements applied not only to the aircrafts but also to airports and terminals.

In 1988, Kennedy introduced the Fair Housing Act Amendments to extend the Fair Housing Act of 1968 to include people with disabilities and families with children. By expanding the law, theFHAAprohibited discrimination towards people with disabilities in the sale or rental of housing and in the terms, facilities and services provided. It also sets certain guidelines for remodeling and necessary modifications to a residence for both the landlord and the tenant.

On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted into law. Introduced by Senators Kennedy and Harkin, the ADAprohibited discrimination by a covered entity (employer, employment agency, labor organization, etc) against any qualified individual with a disability in job application procedures, hiring or discharge, compensation, advancement, training, etc. The law declared that no qualified individual with a disability shall be excluded from the participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination by a public entity, and also required accessible rail transportation and telephone services for persons with speech or hearing impairments.

In response the alarming level and increase in the victimization and violence against people with disabilities, Congress passed the Crime Victims and Disabilities Awareness Act of 1998. Kennedy cosponsored the bill, which directed the Attorney General to conduct a study on the issue and to include specific details regarding the crimes against people with disabilities and to include them in the National Crime Victimization Survey, an annual publication. In 2004, Kennedy was an original cosponsor of the Assistive Technology Act, which supported states in an effort to sustain and strengthen the capacity to meet the assistive technology needs of individuals. In addition, it would focus funding on investments in technology that could benefit those living with disabilities. Millions of Americans experience severe disabilities that affect their ability to see, hear, communicate, walk, or perform other basic life functions. This should not preclude any individual from enjoying full integration in the economic, political, social, and educational activities embedded in American life.

Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment

Senator Kennedy was a strong supporter of the Rehabilitation, Comprehensive Services and Developmental Disabilities Amendments of 1978. These amendments included a number of very important steps in disabilities legislation. It established a functional definition of developmental disability, created the National Council on the Handicapped and the National Institute of Handicapped Research, set a funding minimum for protection and advocacy services and authorized a grant for independent living services and opportunities for people with disabilities.

In 1982, Kennedy was one of the main cosponsors of the Job Training Partnership Act, which was designed to break down some of the barriers facing “economically disadvantaged” individuals and among them people with disabilities. Kennedy made sure to include provisions stating that people could not be excluded from the training program and the advantages it provides based on a disability or other classification. Four years later, Kennedy and Senator Quayle introduced amendments to the Act that afforded people with disabilities special consideration in the awarding of discretionary grants within this training program through the provisions of these amendments.

In 1986, Kennedy cosponsored the Employment Opportunities for Disabled Americans Act, which made work incentives for disabled individuals a permanent fixture of the Social Security Act. People working despite severe disabilities became eligible for special status to receiveSSIbenefits and Medicaid coverage. This special status was valid unless the impairment went away or their earnings exceeded an amount that zeroed out their cash benefits.

In 1999, Kennedy was the primary sponsor with Senator Jeffords of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act. The law and its “ticket to work and self-sufficiency” program expanded employment opportunities for people with disabilities through providing disabled Social Security beneficiaries greater support and more options. It also allowed for working people with disabilities to receive benefits from Medicaid and/or Medicare.

Assistive Technology

Senator Kennedy was an original cosponsor of legislation that provided funding to all 50 states in order to raise awareness about the potential of assistive technology to significantly improve the lives of people of all ages with disabilities. It also aimed to facilitate a coordinated effort amongst state agencies to provide and encourage the use of assistive technology for individuals with disabilities. Senator Kennedy cosponsored reauthorizations of the Act in 1994, 1998, and 2004.

Education

Senator Kennedy was an original cosponsor of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, which later became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The law served to amend the Education of the Handicapped Act and to guarantee a free and appropriate public education to children with disabilities, regardless of their severity, in all states.

Kennedy was an original cosponsor of the Handicapped Children’s Protection Act of 1986, which overturned a Supreme Court decision and allowed courts to award sensible attorneys fees to parents of children with disabilities winning in due process proceedings and other court actions under part B of the Education Act. That same year, Kennedy cosponsored amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act, establishing a new grant program aimed at developing an early intervention system benefiting infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. It also sought to provide and promote preschool programs for children ages 3 to 5 with disabilities.

In 1990, Kennedy was an original cosponsor of a bill that changed the name of the Education of the Handicapped Act toIDEA, changed the term from handicapped to disability, and added two categories to the amendment: autism and traumatic brain injury. It also reauthorized the programs under the previous act to provide improved support to students with disabilities particularly in the terms of computer access and assistive technology. In 1997, Kennedy was an original cosponsor of amendments that consolidated the original 9 subchapters of IDEAinto 4 subchapters. Among the other changes were the inclusion of special education in state and district-wide assessments, the promotion of mediation as an option to disputes between teachers and parents of children with disabilities, a provision that special education students be disciplined in the same way as other students, the continuation of services to adult inmates with disabilities who were eligible forIDEAprior to their incarceration, and the requirement of charter schools to meet the needs of children with disabilities and to receiveIDEAfunds from district schools.

In 2004, Kennedy was the sponsor and lead negotiator of the reauthorization of theIDEA, with a new focus on promoting better alignment of special education with general education and having school districts be accountable for the educational outcome of all students, including students with all ranges of disabilities.

Health Care

In 1982, Kennedy was an original cosponsor of legislation that allowed for states to cover home health care services for particular children with disabilities under their Medicaid plans. This was intended to allow parents “respite” or rest periods with a trained professional helping to care for their child’s needs.

In 1990, Kennedy, along with Senator Hatch, introduced the groundbreaking Ryan WhiteCAREAct, which provided emergency relief to thirteen cities hardest hit by theAIDSepidemic, and also provided substantial assistance to all states to develop effective and cost-efficientAIDScare programs, aimed particularly at early diagnosis and home care. Other services included in the bill were drug treatment, dental care, substance abuse treatment, and outpatient mental health care.

In 1991, Kennedy sponsored legislation to reorganize the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration. Specifically, it separated the previously combined treatment and research branches of the department, which improved the capacity to effectively address both the prevention and treatment of substance abuse and mental health.

The Ryan WhiteCAREAct reauthorization of 2000 reaffirmed Senator Kennedy’s commitment to providing access for persons with HIVdisease to life-sustaining medications, medical care and other essential services. The Act authorized nearly $9 billion inHIV/AIDS services over the next five years.

In 2006, Kennedy won a 5-year-long battle to pass the bipartisan Family Opportunity Act. The law provides states the option of allowing families of disabled children to purchase health coverage through Medicaid. The bill passed as an amendment to the budget reconciliation bill.

In 2007, Senator Kennedy reauthorized the Ryan White Care Act of 1990. The reauthorization focused on quality of life issues, new and emerging therapies, and ensuring that funding for programs followed the people affected by the disease. Having over 15 years worth of information and recognizing that the disease had changed significantly, the focus was placed on prevention and issues of chronic care. It also acknowledged that the demographics had changed and the disease was now evident beyond the cities and in rural areas as well. Drug treatments had also advanced and people living with HIVwere staying alive 20 to 30 years beyond their day of diagnosis.

In 2008, after more than 10 years of effort, Senator Kennedy championed historic legislation to reform the inequities in the way mental health and substance use disorders are treated by the insurance industry. This legislation, co-sponsored by Senator Domenici, assured individuals living with mental health and substance abuse issues that there mental health benefit would be treated equally with the medical-surgical benefit regarding treatment limitations and financial requirements. This means that co-pays, out of pocket expenses, and deductibles cannot be treated differently than they way medical-surgical is treated. This legislation assured equity for 113 million Americans.

In July of 2009, Senator Kennedy succeeded in having theCLASSAct be included in the text of the Affordable Health Choices Act that was passed out of theHELPCommittee. This bill aims to provide the elderly and disabled with a daily cash benefit that allows them to purchase the services and supports they need to remain in and be productive member of one’s community.

Developmental Disabilities

In 1975, Senator Kennedy cosponsored legislation to create a “bill of rights” for people with developmental disabilities. The bill also provided funding for services for people with this type of disability, supplemented funding for affiliated university facilities and created state-based systems of protection and advocacy groups in all 50 states. Kennedy was an original cosponsor of the reauthorization in 1987, which updated the language of the 1975 law. It also gave greater independence to the State Planning Councils, fortified the authority of the state-based protection and advocacy systems in investigations into abuse and neglect, and established separate line items for funding and training in university affiliated programs.

The hidden curriculum

You've heard a great deal about the social studies or the science or the math or language arts curriculum. But, are you familiar with the term, "hidden curriculum?" These are the unwritten or implicit rules we were never taught but just seem to know.

The stress of the "first day of school" attire is one example of the hidden curriculum. (Do you remember it?) It's so important to be seen as wearing what everyone else is wearing and not stand out in any way, at least initially.

Students with disabilities are often "left in the dark" when it comes to an understanding of the hidden culture within the school. I will never forget the graduating senior girl with whom I worked many years ago. It was the tradition for seniors to wear the same shirt on class day, a shirt that was purchased prior to the actual day. This student was unaware of the tradition and was the only one to attend class day not wearing the shirt. I saw her later that day and she relayed the story with sadness and humiliation. Why did she not know? How was she left out? Who's responsibility was it to ensure that all students were aware of the tradition (hidden curriculum)?

It's important to understand that the hidden curriculum is unique at every school. Do you and your colleagues acknowledge the presence of the hidden curriculum? How are you addressing this unwritten reality to meet the needs of all the learners in your classrooms?

Unfortunately, students with special needs are often ostracized as a result of their lack of insight into the hidden curriculum present at their school. The Autism Network addresses the unique challenges students on the autism spectrum experience:

Individuals who have ASD do not come equipped with the same ability to understand the hidden curriculum. As a result, they break a lot of social and behavioral rules without intent or even knowledge that they are doing so. This coupled with their difficulty in generalizing information from one situation to another leads them to making the same mistakes over and over again at a tremendous social cost.

Rick Lavoie addresses the topic in his book, It's so Much Work to be Your Friend, Helping the Child with Learning Disabilities Find Social Success.

“The Hidden Curriculum … consists of the unwritten, unspoken rules of school … its culture that includes shared norms, values, beliefs, traditions, rituals, and customs …In fact, success in the standard curriculum is often secondary to success in the Hidden Curriculum." (p. 253-255). “It is critically important that we teach the Hidden Curriculum to socially incompetent children with the same commitment and planning that we present the standard curriculum.” (p. 256).

How much do you know about the hidden curriculum and social success? Thanks to a recent post by Kate Ahearn at the Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs blog, I recently became aware of a resource, The 2010 One a Day Hidden Curriculum Calendar for Older Adolescents and Adults for those of you working with high school students. There's also a version for younger students, The 2010 Hidden Curriculum One a Day Calendar for Kids: Items for Understanding Unstated Rules in Social Situations. They retail for about $16 each or both for $22.

To learn more, check out these additional resources:

Council for Exceptional Children: The Hidden Curriculum - Unwritten Rules That Students with Disabilities Often Miss

Last One Picked, First One Picked On: Learning Disabilities and Social Skills DVD by Rick Lavoie (get it from your library)

The Hidden Curriculum: Practical Solutions for Understanding Unstated Rules in Social Situations by Brenda Miles, et al

from EdTech Solutions - Teaching Every Student

Safety at school

Being a huge proponent of children and adults with any kind of medical issue or special needs wearing identification/medical alert tags there have been a few posts on this blog about the issue before. My favorite false argument is that non-speaking students do not need medical ID because someone is always with them, which fails to take into account what could happen if that "someone" is the person who has a medical emergency. How will the non-speaking individual identify him or herself? Or give emergency information for his or her caretaker? Or give a phone number to reach someone else to help? Or assure emergency responders that everything is OK? Trust me no one is going to turn on and set up an AAC device. Medical identification is essential for all non-speaking individuals.


Beyond this medical identification can save precious minutes at school and other places in a crisis. If all the teacher/aide/school nurse has to do is call 911 and read the info off a bracelet/necklace/shoe tag then the ambulance will get their fast compared to the amount of time it would have taken to locate the emergency forms in the file cabinet/binder/desk drawer. This are minutes that count.

Zoo Bears ID carries some wonderful ID items for infants and children, including special needs children (such as shoe tags and zipper pulls for kiddos who will not wear anything else). Carrying some kind of ID is a must for all adults, period. N'Style ID offers a nice selection for Tweens and Teens. My personal advice is to go through Medic Alert for the toll free hot line paramedics/ERs can use to get your medical records and then print that on stylish or sensory appropriate ID. Yes, it costs more, but it is worth it. (As an insulin pumping diabetic who is allergic to penicillin I personally wear a Medic Alert bracelet with a pretty beaded bracelet for special occasions.)




Safety Tats are personalized, rub on tattoos (write on, stick on also available) sold in packs of 30 for about $20.00). You can order them to indicate I.C.E. (In Case of Emergency), Allergies, Medical Conditions, Special Needs or Original. School field trip sets can be ordered as well. Kids Kontact sells a similar product in Australia. FiddledeeIDs sells alert stickers and temporary tattoos and other medical alert gear. These are a nice options for family trips, day trips, vacations, and similar excursions to unknown and unfamiliar locations.



Another product that can increase safety for some individuals with special needs, especially those with limited or no-speaking skills is a special lunch box which clearly indicates food allergies and/or feeding issues. Allergators and STAT Kids both sell lunch bags which clearly mark lunch bags with a child's allergies. STAT Kids bags can be personalized (i.e. for pureed food, diabetic diet, ketogenic diet, choking precautions or food from home only); they also sell backpacks and fanny packs.



At the very least ask parents to (or make for your child) a medical alert wallet card for free:

• free wallet card maker
• ID tags online
• 911 Med 411
• Caregiver Rx

via Teaching Learners with Multiple Special Needs

Easy Math Adaptations

Today I am going to share some of the strategies that I shared with my teachers. They are taking my class so that they can get a Master’s degree in Special Education and this course is a culmination of all that they have learned to this point. It is so exciting to see them teaching and interacting with the students.

In addition to the strategies listed, I have found some websites that also give great suggestions. They areAbout.com: Mathematics, Reading and Math Strategies, The Accent Center, and From Jim Wright: Intervention Ideas for Mathematics.

Here are the suggestions that I have given my teachers. If you have any other suggestions or links to great websites, I would love to see them. Please add them in your comments so I can share them with my teachers.

1. Use manipulatives to understand a concept.
2. Teach math vocabulary.
3. Use visuals and graphics to illustrate concepts to the students.
4. Have students make up their own word story problems.
5. Teach students how to use a calculator.
6. Teach money concepts using play money.
7. Teach time by using manipulative clocks.
8. Have students restate word problems in their own words.
9. Younger children can play sorting games.
10. Ask the student to tell the number that comes after (before, between) a designated number.
11. Give a pattern of numbers and ask students what comes next.
12. Use number lines.
13. Arrange by size and length.
14. Use flash cards, rolling dice, playing cards to teach computational facts.
15. Subtraction of 9s from teen numbers (16-9 = ?; 1+6 =7)
16. Puzzles cards with facts and answers on each piece

from Successful Teaching

Reading and Writing Strategies

Some of the things we are discussing are some strategies for teaching reading and writing and I thought I would share them here. I also found some websites that give great suggestions such as Reading a-z.com, Mindtools, and Just Read Now.

1. Ask students to retell or summarize the story.
2. Create graphic organizers.
3. Put pictures of story events in order.
4. Have students write their own reactions to stories and factual material.
5. Repeated reading: passages of 50 to 200 words long and at a difficulty level that enables the student to recognize most of the words. The student then reads the selection orally three or four times before proceeding to a new passage.
6. Reading predictable books
7. Language experience method: students dictate stories to the teacher. The stories then become the basis of their reading instruction.
8. K-W-L technique: Students think of and state all the knowledge they have on a subject. Each student thinks of wand writes on a sheet of paper what he or she want to learn from the reading. Students read the lesson silently and write what they have learned from the reading.
9. Highlighting multiple word meanings
10. Exploring sources of vocabulary using newspapers and advertising. Keep a list of new words.
11. Play word games like categories (name types of cars, or dogs, or buildings, or clothes etc.)
12. Word webs – like a graphic organizer; giving more details like “What is it?” “What is it like?” and “What are some examples?”
13. Point out syllables in multisyllabic words.
14. Teach word families (ex. At, cat, bat, rat)
15. Write in journals.
16. Use materials without words like comic books without captions or books with photos. The students figure out the story content from the pictures.
17. Written conversations – instead of saying what they wish to communicate to the class, they write the message and give it to the teacher or other students. Then the teacher or students respond in writing.
18. Patterned writing – the students use a favorite predictable book with a patterned writing and then they write their own version. (ex. Brown Bear, Brown Bear)
19. Express their ideas in pictures.

from Successful Teaching

Adapting Books

I picked up a PDF recently on how to adapt books. It's a simple, low-tech way to create more accessible books for all students. All it requires is a copy of the book, some zip-top bags, a stapler, and some tape. Have fun adapting books!

Adapting Books

from Teaching All Students

Inclusion Ideas

I was recently sharing with my class some information about inclusion and thought I would share it with you. I think inclusion can be great if it is set up right but if there is not enough preparation, planning, and communication between teachers, it can be a disaster. Too often strong egos and power struggles can undermine the whole process. Hopefully these suggestions will help an inclusion program be more successful.

Preparing for Inclusion:

1. Identify the purpose of Inclusion and what it means for the students. Inclusion is necessary to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Strategies and projects may actually end up helping all of the students in the classroom.
2. Identify the roles of each teacher. Each teacher should have equal power and one teacher will not be used as a glorified aide.
3. Identify times and places for planning and the importance of communication. When and where will we plan for the lessons? Both teachers need to give input and share the responsibility of teaching the lessons.
4. Identify problems solving strategies that will happen when conflict occurs. If the teachers are having a problem, how will you work to solve this problem?) This needs to be agreed upon before a problem arises.
5. All of this needs to take place before classes start.

During the School Year:

1. Brainstorm ideas for teaching a certain topic. Try to think outside the box in order to make the topic interesting and meet the different learning styles of the student.
2. Don’t be afraid to try something new.
3. Look at alternate ways to assess the learning. Offer different options and allow the students to choose.
4. Review the lesson and make sure each teacher understands their role.
5. Evaluate the lesson afterwards to see how the next one can be improved.
6. Don’t take criticism personally but rather a way to help better meet the students’ needs.

Nine Types of Adaptations:

· Size – reduce the number of problems as long as the student can show the skill is mastered.
· Time - extra time may be needed, timeline given to complete the task, or tasks broken down into time chunks.
· Level of Support – peer buddies, tutors, teaching assistants
· Input – visual aides, concrete examples, hands on activities, cooperative groups
· Difficulty – allow use of computer, simplify directions
· Output – verbal response, podcast, drawing, Voicethread, comic strip
· Participation – find roles that student can be successful doing (helper, assistant etc.)
· Alternate – adjust the goals for the student
· Substitute Curriculum – different instruction and materials for the student.
from Adapting Curriculum and Instruction in Inclusive Classrooms: A Teacher's Desk Reference, by Deschenes, C., Ebeling, D., and Sprague, J., 1994.

Great example of inclusion that works:

South Paris Collaborative Site : http://www.herricks.org/webpages/spcollaborative/
Lisa Parisi and Christine Southard teach fifth graders in NY. Lisa is the general ed teacher and Christine is the special ed teacher. They decided to make this a true inclusion classroom and combined their names to form the South Paris Collaborative classroom. Both teachers have equal sized desks and equal say. They spend a lot of time in planning and communicating with each other. They also use the Universal Design for Learning to plan lessons for their classes and meet their students’ needs. Technology is used every day in their lessons and they collaborate with other classrooms around the world. This is a great example of how inclusion can work successfully in the classroom

Universal Design for Learning (http://www.cast.org/)
“Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for designing curricula that enable all individuals to gain knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm for learning. UDL provides rich supports for learning and reduces barriers to the curriculum while maintaining high achievement standards for all.”

Resources:

Inclusion home page http://www.uni.edu/coe/inclusion/

Special Education inclusion article: http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr320.shtml

from Successful Teaching

Talk of the Nation: Attitudes towards the intellectually disabled

Pop Up IEP (responses to common statements)

The Pop-up IEP

Click on the quote to see good responses and support for your responses.

1."Sorry... we don't have the money."	2."We're not convinced your child needs that."	3. "I have 400 other children in this building."	4. "We assess your child using only teacher observation."
5. "The general education teacher couldn't be here today."	6. "We're the professionals, we know what's best for your child."	7. "Let us get back to you on how that might work."	8. "I don't have the authority to make that decision."
9. "Your child is doing great compared to other deaf/hh kids."	10. "If you don't teach your child to sign, he'll use it anyway when he grows up. You better do it now."	11. "If you teach your child to sign, she will never learn to talk."	12. "We took the liberty of filling out a 'draft' IEP... please sign here."
13. "Your child will have to use signed exact English. We don't do ASL here."	14. "Your child is two years delayed in language... we can't really expect more than that."	15. "You must be in denial, your expectations are too high for your child."	16. "We don't need to write that suggestion down in the IEP, we'll do the best we can to get that done."

Copyright © 2002 NCLID - Developed by "Families for Hands & Voices"
- Permission to use for educational purposes granted.

http://www.handsandvoices.org/articles/education/popup/pop_index.html

Transportation to school

Your child is entitled to transportation under related services in the IEP. This does not always mean that your child has to ride a "special" bus. Your child is entitled to LRE (least restrictive environment) and this includes the bus ride to and from school. Your child's ride should also not be longer than needed, and s/he should not have a shortened school day (unless medically needed) just because s/he rides specialized transportation (if needed).

These resources may help you plan for transportation for your child with a disability:

Transportation to School
The following documents describe procedures some communities use in regards to transporation to school for children and youth with special health care needs.

• Georgia School Bus Driver Training Manual p.208 How to disconnect or cut wheelchair securement and occupant protection equipment, and other support equipment (air tubes, feeding tubes, etc.). Knowing how long the student can survive with interrupted support equipment; page 139 Transporting Students with Special Needs
• Emergency and Rescue Procedures: A Guideline Manual for School Bus Involvement - page 20: Exercise caution: some pupils have catheters or are tube fed. The hoses or tubes have to be anchored somewhere and sometimes are anchored to the wheelchair. If straps are severed and the pupil is pulled from the wheelchair to evacuate them, any bodily (including internal) hookups to the pupil are likely to be ripped from the body and possibly cause severe internal problems.
• Special Needs Student Transportation: p. 52: Whether students should be evacuated in their wheelchairs or removed from their wheelchairs before evacuation. Exercise caution: some students have catheters or are tube fed. The hoses or tubes have to be anchored somewhere and are sometimes anchored to the wheelchair. To evacuate them bodily might rip hookups to the student which could cause severe internal problems.
• Transporting Students with Special Needs, U.S. Department of Transporation

When Your Child With Special Needs Goes to School

Have you talked to your school nurse? Has your child recently been in the hospital? Has your child’s care plan changed?

Your child deserves appropriate care at school. Working with your child’s care team can help your child stay healthy at school. Your child’s care team may include your child’s doctor, school nurse, principal, teacher and others. Plan ahead with them before your child goes to school. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or share ideas to get the help your child needs.

Before your child goes to school, talk with your child’s care team about:

• When your child will be ready for school
• Expectations for your child’s care and treatment at school
• Your child’s pain, discomfort, or energy level at school
• If your child will need to miss school, have a hard time concentrating or difficulty learning skills
• What supplies, equipment or adaptations your child may need at school, like crutches, a wheelchair or g-tube feedings
• How your school nurse or school can help you, and what services they provide
• Transportation for your child to and from school (be sure to talk with your child's bus driver)

Prepare for school:

• Gather any medicines and forms needed for school
• Create an emergency plan and list of phone numbers for you, your child’s care team and other contacts
• Fill out and distribute your child's In Case of Emergency Form, Contact List, and Care Notebook's School Contact List

Once your child has entered school, be sure to keep updated on:

• New behaviors or feelings your child may have, and the need for counseling
• Changes in your child’s activities, like gym class, lunch, outdoor recess, where to sit in class and field trips

Will the real professional please stand?

The following lists how a "real" professional acts.

1. They don't make judgments about me based on what other people say.

2. They come to meetings on time.

3. They don't talk about other cases during their meeting with me.

4. They don't reject my ideas.

5. They don't assume my child can't learn.

6. They recognize my child's strengths.

7. When giving me bad news, they do it tactfully and with compassion and in a private (if possible) place.

8. They don't have to take time to read through their files at the meeting to find out who the meeting is about.

9. They don't assume that their way is the only way.

10. They don't try to force issues.

11. They will admit they are wrong, or that they don't have the answer.

12. They don't pretend to have experience or know how to deal with an issue if they don't.

13. They are flexible.

14. They don't try to rush through a meeting.

15. They don't continually glance at their watch.

16. They are honest with me.

17. They are aware of my rights and they let me know what they are.

18. They don't try to impress me with their titles.

19. They don't resent my input.

20. They truly care about children.

It may seem that all professionals would act in this manner, but its one of those sad facts of life that they don't. One of the most professional people I know is my daughter's aide. I have no idea what education she has, but the manner in which she treats me is respectful of myself and Krystal. She is contentious and kind.

Our pediatrician is also a person who treats me with a great deal of respect. He always gives me credit for being able to care for her. He follows up on all the questions I ask him and he will admit to not having all the answers.

Both of these people act professionally. If either of them made a suggestion I would probably do what they suggested, because I don't have all the answers either. They have given me reason to trust them.

© Copyright 2001 Pat Linkhorn

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Pat Linkhorn is the Editor of Special Education at About.com and a professional advocate for families with children who have special needs. She is also an experienced parent and has two girls with special needs - autism and blindness due to prematurity.http://thelinkto.com/linkhome