Parent

A Call to Advocacy

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August is upon us and before you know it school will be back in session.

Is your child ready? Do you know the services they should receive related to their disability? Are you worried about beginning another year of uncertainty, missed goals, and limited progress?

We can help you navigate those murky waters called “Special Ed.”

Call us today if…

  • You feel your child may have a learning disability
  • You don’t understand the ins and outs of the (IEP), Individualized Education Plan
  • You want to know your rights as a parent
  • Need help writing a letter to the school
  • Don’t understand the evaluations process, percentiles, outcomes etc…
  • Feel your child should be making more progress in academics
  • The school seems to be fluffing you off, saying she/he will catch up

Special Needs NJ has been providing families with “special needs” members for over 15 years in the areas of IEP interpretation, letter writing, IDEA law review, evaluation and assessment interpretation, understanding timelines, everything up to and including meeting attendance with your (CST) Child Study Team. Giving you the skills, techniques, and guidance to help you become the “BEST” advocate you can be for your child.

We understand ALL of the classifying categories; ALL of the related services, and most importantly How you can get the best possible program for your child to progress and become successful in their educational experience.

DON’T WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE….

CALL (973) 534-3402 and we will give you a free consultation.

Statistics show that children who get the proper services during the formative years of Kindergarten-3rd grade perform beyond their expected potential. Unfortunately we see most students because they are struggling and by 3rd grade they are 2-3 years behind, by 5th grade they are 3-5 years behind, and by 8th grade they are moving into high school with only a 5th grade reading level!

However, don’t despair if your child is already in this situation… it’s NEVER too late!

call, email, or fill out the service form right here on our page.

Our prices are conservative and very reasonable

Isn’t your child’s future worth it?

 

SNNJ also provides: Tutoring, Life Skills Coaching, Behavior Management

IEP review time!!

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This is such a crucial time of year for all of us “Special Needs” families.

It’s time for the dreaded annual IEP (Independent Educational Plan) review.

Please, Please, Please remember the following very IMPORTANT actions you need to take as you prepare.

  • The IEP and CST (Child Study Team) meeting is yours, NOT theirs!                                              This meeting is taking place because of you, your child, and your family
  • Come prepared                                                                                                                                                Make sure you prepare an agenda of what you want to discuss, see happen, plans and interventions “needed,” etc…                                                                                                            Don’t let them dictate the meetings time frame and events. Yes, you may want to discuss those evaluations and test scores, but it is NOT the only reason you are there. Make sure you have ALL re-eval documents a minimum of 10 days prior to the meeting. Understand what they mean and what are your child’s strength and weakness areas yes, but unless you need clarification…going over stats and percentages should not monopolize the time you have to meet.                                                      If your child is already classified and has been, chances are you are aware and agree that he/she has a disability and is entitled to services. So, get down to business after a short (15 minute) review of the evals.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            NEVER, deny or refuse triennial re-evaluations!
  • Parental Concerns is IMPERATIVE!!                                                                                                            Every IEP has a “Parental Concerns” section, it’s usually a tiny box only about 1/4″ wide….. This does NOT mean you have to fit all of your concerns here!                              Come with an already prepared, typed statement of your parental concerns (probably what you intend to discuss anyway) and formally REQUEST it be included in the official (LEGAL) document of your child’s IEP. This way it becomes a full part of that IEP and everyone your child works with will have access to your input.
  • Record, Report, Re-state                                                                                                                                 Most schools will send you a confirmation letter stating the time, place, and whom will attend the IEP meeting. It may ask if you intend to bring someone? If you request any other professionals and staff? and whether or not you plan to record the meeting?                                                                                                                                                        YES! You want to record the meeting!                                                                                              No, not to antagonize or catch them….. but to have a record for your own to review or for the review of others that may have been unable to attend (That parent out there earning the paycheck who can’t afford another day off the job).                                    You are emotionally involved. Therefore you may not remember or even understand what is being stated/proposed and you need to review the meeting later when you are in a calmer state.                                                                                                                                 The recording will also serve as a resource you can refer to in order to clarify the items discussed for your follow up summary.
  • Follow up summary                                                                                                                                           YES! ALWAYS follow up EVERY meeting, phone call, discussion, teacher email, notes and ANY contact you have with the professionals that service your child with a follow up summary….   “My understanding of what was discussed, proposed, implemented etc….”
  • Finally, and probably MOST IMPORTANT!!!                                                                                              Send ALL correspondence to no less than 3 people in your district ie. the case manager, head of special services, and the building principal. This will ensure you are heard! As well as provide a time stamped/documented record (always send via email) of your insights and perceptions. It also helps that others on your child’s case are aware that they are accountable to replying and taking actions by others within the system.                                                                                                                                                     A recent statement from a client…..”thank you- I did the “copy 3 people on email thing” the last 2 times- whew boy does that work! THANK YOU! “
  • Get support!                                                                                                                                                         If you feel you need some support or expert advice, contact us here at Special Needs NJ  (973-534-3402) to talk to an Advocate/Special Education Consultant

SNNJ SUMMER 2015

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Summer Programs at Special Needs NJ, LLP

Newton, NJ (Sussex County)

Providing Help to Students with IEP’s

Join “The Crew”    image3941

A Saturday work crew that helps keep things working,   repairs, clean ups, vehicle maintenance, painting, woodworking etc…. This group is for High School students to put their learned skills to real life practices. The aim of this group is to educate towards “un-entitlement!” Many of our youth have a sense of entitlement, they want what they want! In this Saturday work crew young men and women learn how to take care of things they “want” to have. We teach the use of measurement through building projects, how to do upkeep on a vehicles, cleaning of the pool, maintenance of gardens and paths, use of kitchen tools, budgeting, and much, much more.

Details page 2 click here for full newsletter

Parents support group: support for parents with classified children, forum for questions and advice, expert seminars & program presentation, or just a night of relaxing.

Special Back to School info August

More on page 2

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Tutoring clubs: These are tutoring sessions provided in our center for academics, ABA & IM therapy, and life skills practices to keep students with IEP’s from regressing in their skills.

Page 2
CLICK HERE FOR FULL NEWSLETTER

Teens & Tweens

SUMMER CAMPs

 2 week sessions starting June 15, 2015, held Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays from 9am to 2pm. This group is for young men and young women grouped as 5-8th grade, and HS age with an IEP who wish to connect with other teens in the area.

Campers will learn many life skills such as making shopping lists, shopping, cooking, kitchen safety, working together with others, following directions, properly channeling anger, coping skills, how to make friends/ conversation skills, craft and woodworking projects, plus fun events; swimming, hiking, horseshoes, and games

Each camp will be limited to 8 students per session; lunch is included each day, and additional tutoring sessions available from 2:00-4:00 pm on Monday and Wednesdays.

Price: $650.00 per session covers supplies, food, transportation for outings, end of session pizza party & Bon fire etc… additional $100. to stay for tutoring M&W Requirements: must have IEP, and pre-camp interview

DATES:

1. June: 15-26 HS

2. July: 6-17 5-8th grade

3. July: 20-31 HS

4. Aug: 3-12 5-8th grade

5. August: 17-28 HS Camps may be cancelled if minimum of 4 students each is not met

CONTACT US NOW: (973) 940-6923

CLICK HERE FOR FULL NEWSLETTER

ADVOCACY

Special Needs IEP Coaching2 Comments

We believe that the well-informed parent is a child’s best advocate.

We are here to support parents who may need assistance in advocating for their child. We offer consultation or direct assistance to parents to help ensure that communication with school personnel results an individualized educational program that meets their child’s needs. We support a collaborative approach that empowers parents to work together with school personnel.

Our approach seeks to avoid the pitfalls of poor communication and respects disagreement.

However, if disagreements arise we can assist you in pursuing solutions, by means of consultation, or direct assistance in negotiating on your behalf.

IEP Tip: “You don’t need an advocate. An advocate is going to create problems when none actually exist and make you worry. We’re here to do what is best for your child. Just trust us. ” What do you say when a school says one or all of the above? The reason most parents hire educational advocates is because their attempts to work with the district have not been successful, when they are worried something is missing or needs to be addressed differently. Ironically, the person telling a parent they don’t need an advocate is most likely the person who led the family to seek outside help to begin with. Let’s cut to the chase: Comments like the above should never be said by a school to a parent. They should never be said during a team meeting. It’s not professional. You should refuse to participate in such conversation. “We’re here to talk about Johnny and his needs, let’s stay focused on him”. If someone approaches you outside a team meeting and says the above, tell them “Thank you for your feedback. This is a decision I’ve made for my child and (name of advocate) is helping us understand all of this. We hope you treat her as part of the team as we are all here to help Johnny”. You don’t owe them an explanation. Those strategies are easier said than done, aren’t they? Advocating for your child is hard enough. Being asked to defend your choice to hire an advocate to the school I imagine is akin to getting a root canal. Excruciatingly uncomfortable.

A good advocate won’t create problems, she will help support you to obtain your vision for your child. A good advocate will be honest and explain why things are, or maybe are not, reasonable. A good advocate will, to the extent the district is willing, collaborate with the team. She will support you by absorbing some of the stress of the process and pro-actively work to fix problems. The “biggest” barrier to a child’s success is when the parents and school lack the ability to meaningfully communicate. We are used to getting complained to by schools who are frustrated by what they view as a family’s demands. However, it’s never okay to call out someone’s profession. At a recent meeting, an administrator showboated her obvious frustration that a family brought someone (SNNJ) in to help them in front of me. If there is a work product of mine the school takes issue with, that’s fair. After all, I do ask tough questions when there is shoddy work products/service delivery involved that negatively affect a child. Insulting the advocate makes the person doing it look petty and makes the parent feel more uncomfortable.

I love my job & the families I choose to work with. I truly enjoy working with most school-based teams, but I don’t live under the illusion that districts love an advocate’s presence at a meeting or in the background. The majority of the folks I’ve worked with on the “other side of the table” are kind, competent professionals who work very hard to do what a child needs and view me as a team member and not as the enemy. The best partnerships I have with school team members are when they recognize I have the trust of the family, and that when a parent trusts someone, hard work can get done. (The districts I work with most successfully and most often also recognize I know the process well, what a kid’s unique needs indicate they require, and that I am realistic in the feedback given to parents).

The bottom line: if the district goes out of their way to tell you, you don’t need an advocate, it’s a pretty good sign you do need one.

Call us today for a free consultation: Special Needs NJ (973) 534-3402

FREE Parents Seminar

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SPECIAL NEEDS NJ, LLP

      Services for families with “Special” needs

          Presents their inaugural Seminar for parents:

                 

 The “ABC’s” of Special Education

 

About:  This seminar is an overview for parents that have a child struggling in school that may need services and those parents that already have a classified student. Learn how to advocate for your child,  what you need to know to get the best IEP, Individual Education Plan, for your child, and “What do all these letter’s mean?” Learn the definitions/descriptions of NJ’s classifications for Special Education students. Hear from a neuropsychologist, Special Educator, Advocate, and parents that have been through the process.

When:    Friday November 1, 2013      7:00-9:00 p.m.

Where: 93A Spring St. Newton NJ, 0786 (next to the Red Cross, under the clock) additional parking in back lot off of Trinity St.

Registration required: FREE        Call:  (973)534-3402 to register

Email: specialneedsnj@hotmail.com

Please register by Oct. 30, 2013

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Encourage Positive Behavior

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Encourage Positive Behavior
Children crave attention, positive or negative. Sometimes a child may be misbehaving just to get
attention. Here are some ways to encourage positive behavior:

  • Give more attention for positive behaviors than for negative behaviors (at home & at school)
  • Provide choices between two acceptable options
  • Provide reassuring routines and tell the child in advance if the routine will change
  • Involve the child in setting limits
  • Model the desired behavior

Listen and Give Your Child Your Full Attention

Help your child to identify her feelings
Keep it simple

Praise
Children will respond better to praise than to criticism. Praise teaches children to seek positive attention.
Praise the positive behavior
Use specific praise for genuine accomplishments
Praise small steps towards the desired behavior
Give praise immediately and frequently
Mix praise with unconditional love
Teachers can send a note home to tell parents about positive behaviors

For Professional Help contact Specialneedsnj@hotmail.com or call (973)534-3402

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How to Discipline a Child: Part II

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How to Discipline a Child: Part II

Natural and Logical Consequences

The use of natural consequences involves letting the results of behavior provide a learning experience.

When responding to inappropriate behavior a logical consequence is one that fits the behavior.

Example of Natural Consequence:

The child forgets his homework. Instead of bringing it to school, the parent allows him to experience the consequences of missing recess and/or having to do it over.

 
Example of Logical Consequence:

 

After telling your child NOT to ride her bike in the street, she does so anyway. The parent takes her bike away for a specific time period.

  • Allows children to take responsibility for their actions
  • Use consequences in combination with positive techniques
  • Follow through with consequence promptly
  • Be consistent; empty threats do not work

NOTE: These approaches cannot be used in situations where the safety of the child or another person is a concern.

Provide a Functional Communication System ~ Behavior is Communication

Without a functional way to communicate needs, wants and feelings, a child will become frustrated.

Negative behaviors can be the child’s attempt to make others aware of his needs, wants and feelings.

  • If a young child cannot express that he is hungry or thirsty, simple sign language may enable him to convey these basic needs
  • An older student who has no way to participate in class discussions is likely to act out to gain the attention of his teacher and classmates
  • Assistive technology may be needed by some children

Teach Replacement Behaviors ~ Provides the child with more appropriate responses

Gives the child a better, more acceptable way to behave; replaces undesirable behaviors with more acceptable ones.

  • Teaches the child other options
  • Acknowledges that the traditional telling the child to just “stop the behavior” will not be effective because the child does not know an alternative way to behave
  • This strategy can include providing the child with scripts for common situations
  • Can also include teaching the child to use visual imagery, such as a stop sign
  • If a child curses when angry, provide more appropriate words to use

Are you struggling with disciplining your child?

For Professional help contact Specialneedsnj@hotmail.com or call (973)534-3402

 

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How to Discipline A Child

Special Needs IEP Coaching4 Comments

Discipline:

As parents one of our most difficult tasks is how to discipline our child. The goal is to find the strategy that will work for both you and your child. Remember, what works with one child may not be a good approach for another.

The word discipline means “to teach.”

Teaching children appropriate behaviors can be very challenging  for  parents. Teachers also struggle with inappropriate behaviors that interfere with learning. It is helpful when parents and teachers work together and share information about positive behavior interventions.

Here are some basic tips to get you started:

1. Be positive – Let your child know you love him and appreciate him. Notice appropriate behavior.
Praise and acknowledge his efforts!
2. Identify the specific behavior that needs to change.
3. Focus on only one behavior at a time.
4. Be consistent – decide on the rule, the expected behavior and the consequence or reward – then
stick to it!
5. Recognize the small steps toward progress or change.
6. Let your child know what to expect – Go over the rules and consequences with your child.

Whether the inappropriate behavior is happening at home or school it is important to figure out the
reasons for it. A Functional Behavioral Assessment or FBA,  is a formal evaluation used by schools to gather
information about problem behaviors.
An FBA uses the ABC approach. This approach can also be helpful to parents.
A Antecedent (what factors led up to the behavior)
B Behavior (what is the behavior of concern and how serious is the behavior)
C Consequence (what does the child achieve with the behavior: ex: attention, avoiding a too
difficult task, removal from the peer group)
The information gathered by using this A, B, C approach can then be used to determine the reasons for the
behavior. It can also provide a foundation for developing positive ways to change the problem behavior.

 

For professional help; contact Specialneedsnj@hotmail.com

or call (973)534-3402

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Special Education Advocacy

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Newly Classified-Need Help Understanding IEP

What’s a parent to do?

Has your child recently been classified as having special needs at school and you don’t know what to do next?

Stick with me and I will get you through!

Welcome to my page!

I am a Special Educator that provides services to parents, students, basically families of all those of us that just don’t live within the box of mainstream society.

So, add this page to your favorites and stay tuned for invaluable information, resources, events, and yes even advice of how to get through that IEP meeting, diagnostic testing, or Child Study team phone call.

You’re not alone!

We can get through this together.

I’m so glad you’re here and look forward to helping you through the challenges of advocating for a special family member

Call Special Needs NJ today 973-534-3402 to start services for you and your child.

Related articles
•Top IEP Tips for Parents (pattidudek.typepad.com)
•Advocacy: Special Education (specialneedsnj.wordpress.com)

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Bullying and the Special Needs Child

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Bullying and the Special Needs Child

Recent research indicates that a child with a disability is more likely to be physically or verbally bullied than typically developing peers. As a special needs teacher/care provider, and therapist with over twenty years experience, I can attest to this data. However, by teaching children to understand that not everyone sees the world the same way, parents can facilitate understanding and healthy interaction between all kinds of children. Developing  social skills and an action plan to prevent bullying can decrease the odds that kids will be bullied, or that they themselves will become bullies when faced with situations that produce social anxiety.

Although children with disabilities are more likely to be the object of bullying, sometimes they are tagged as the bully, often as a result of low self-esteem or being bullied by others. No matter how your child is affected by bullying, these steps can go a long way in preventing this hurtful practice:

When a Special Needs Child is Bullied:

  • Talk to the child about situations that invite bullying.      A child with developmental delays such as Down Syndrome or Asberger’s syndrome is many times to trusting and friendly. Because he does not understand the concept of others playing tricks, he becomes an easy target. You as a parent can help with some simple advice. For example, you can talk to your child about where to sit on the bus for example; when possible sit near the driver or a friend. Sometimes knowing where to be and where not to be can stave off confrontation with bullies.
  • Teach your child about body language. This is very hard for children who are autistic or with learning disabilities,  because they often don’t pick up on social cues such like facial expression, stance, and body language. Help them to understand that a bully will most likely demonstrate quick or jerky movements,      use a loud voice, and distorted facial expressions. Teach your child to assess… “Is this person too close to me?” “Is he speaking very loud?” If so, your child needs tools to use confident body language of his own.
  • Using appropriate social language is a skill many Special Needs children almost never learn. Children with     language delays and processing difficulties cannot come up with a quick response to verbal bullying on their own. Practice confident positive social language (not threats). Try role play practicing scenarios with your child at home, so that he is prepared for a bully if  it comes his way.
  • Children need be ready to take safe action like  leaving the situation or going an adult. A child with a disability which causes her to think very concretely could be reluctant to approach an adult because she thinks she may be creating a problem.  We need to teach them to overcome these feelings, using hypothetical examples, and emphasizing that it is responsible to report unsafe bullying situations.

When the Bully Has Special Needs:

Often the child with a speech difficulty or the child who leaves the “regular” classroom for special instruction is teased and ridiculed by his peers. This child may have been teased for poor academic or social skills, and may look for someone who is weaker in those areas. Bullying in this case may also be the result of misreading social cues or lacking the communication skills to ask for something appropriately. Developing skills in social confidence can reduce the tendency to bully. Here are some examples:

  • Explain the rules. Talk about when something is his and when it is not. Sally’s turn on the swings is just that – Sally’s turn! Whether or not another child wants to swing at that moment it is not an option because someone else is taking a turn. Fair play is an incredibly difficult concept for Autistic and Asperger’s children so extensive practice and role play are important.
  • Teach them body language. Make sure your child knows that a head shake, turning away, or standing up to someone (as well as the verbal “No”) means no. This body language should tell the child to stop. If your child is struggling to pick up on social cues, practice different scenarios at home, role play and discuss what  happened afterward. Reading or telling some of these scenarios at bed time may help to solidify the concepts.
  • You also must use appropriate social language! Help your child practice using her words, not actions, to get what she wants. If she wants to play with a ball or borrow a pencil, remind her to wait for a positive response before just taking the item she wants.

Parents of typically developing children should explain that children with special needs may be struggling with the aforementioned social skills. This is an opportunity for them to take a leadership role and show respect to their classmates. They can help stop the cycle of bullying by supporting their special needs peers.