ORGANIZATION SPOTLIGHT BY LINDA ZANI THOMAS From our families to yours, we are honored to present a description of the elements that make the Community Options, Inc. Red Ribbon Academy medical special needs day program work so well. Although told from the perspective of families of medically fragile adults with developmental disabilities, the basic premise of creation of a day program using self directed service options can be adopted for all types of developmental disabilities. […]
BOOK REVIEW This book is intended to provide parents of children with disabilities with the information they need to “make special education work.” Overall, I was very impressed with the theme and presentation. Chapter 1 was extremely helpful in describing the special education process. There is an explanation of referral, evaluation, IEP (Individualized Education Program), triennial evaluation etc. However, missing from “related services” were sensory integration and social skills, which are becoming increasingly common. There […]
BY RACHEL EZEKIEL-FISHBEIN “Making food appealing, delicious and fun is a way we can ensure our students get their nutritional needs met. Our students are no different than any other students; when you make food fun for them, they’ll want to eat it.”– HMS School Fourteen-year old Shannon Ward loves to eat, particularly chocolate and, specifically, Nutella, which is what she asked for this Christmas, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Yet, gaining weight has been […]
As future legislation is enacted, the success of deaf children should not be measured by how closely they emulate their hearing peers, but that they are given an education that will enable them to become successful human beings, not imitations of hearing people. When examining federal laws that have had significant impact on the education of the deaf child, one can begin with the sweeping educational acts of the 60s, then move to P.L. 94-142 […]
BY VALERIE LEITER In 2004, Congress added new transition requirements to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), striving to improve youth outcomes after high school. These new requirements say that the Individual Education Program (IEP) must include “appropriate measurable postsecondary goals” and the “transition services… needed to assist the child in reaching those goals.” They also give students the right to participate in planning once their IEP meetings focus on transition from school. It […]
