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Do Not Spank your Autistic Child

admin — Fri, 27 May 2011 04:52:06 +0000

Many parents use spanking to discipline their children. For children with autism, the decision to spank the child is a very difficult and heart wrenching to make. Many autistic children act out to be violent and aggressive and do not react well to additional stress and violence caused on them.

Up to date, there is no consensus on the proper way to discipline these special children. But parents must take this important point to heart, when punishing an autistic child, you have to make sure he or she understands that the punishment is direct result of his or her behavior. There is useless to wait a long period of time after the misbehavior as the child will be confused and do not remember his fault that deserve the punishment.

Punishment in any form should have a sliding scale. The punishment severity should match the seriousness of the behavior. Punishing an autistic child is different from punishing a normal child. Methods like sending him to his room does not work. To make them understand better why he is being punished, there must be a consistency between mum and dad. Both parents must agree to punish using similar ways on certain misbehavior. Repetition and the same format of scolding is important because the child do not understand inconsistency. Routines make the child comprehend more.

Spanking in highly controversial, even parents with normal children are questioning its effectiveness. But I assure you spanking an autistic child is almost useless. Unless you want to bring a cane everywhere you go, like in public places, and risk getting a visit from welfare child services. Spanking can only be done at home but the autistic child does not register this. They cannot differentiate which make them more confused. Since the parents do not spank in public places, the child might want to repeat their misbehavior in public places which defeat the purpose of the punishment at home.

However hard, do not give up on your child, even with all the methods you have tried. Each autistic child is different and responds differently with each punishment. Keep searching for the many methods parents share online. Disciplining an autistic child is trial and error and when time comes, you will find a suitable medium to teach and care for your child.

6 Things That Parents Need to Know About Special Education Resolution Meetings

admin — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 01:13:02 +0000

Do you have a child with autism or a learning disability who is not getting needed special education services? Have you considered filing for a due process hearing? Would you like to know about resolution meetings, and if they could help your child get needed services? This article will discuss 6 things that every parent should know about the special education due process resolution meeting!

1. The resolution meeting is mandatory to parents who have filed for a due process hearing. Due process is a hearing that is held in front of a special education due process hearing officer. If you have filed for a due process hearing against your school district, you must attend the resolution meeting. Though the resolution meeting can be waived, if both parties agree in writing.

2. While attendance is mandatory, parents do not have to bring any evidence with them, or show special education personnel what their case is! In fact I recommend that parents bring only three things with them to the resolution meeting. A pen and paper to take notes and a list of things that they are willing to settle for.

3. School districts may not bring their attorney to resolution meetings unless the parent is represented by an attorney. Parents may bring advocates though, and I suggest you consider this.

4. In most states what happens at a resolution meeting is not confidential and may be brought up in due process. Some states such as Indiana, Ohio, and Texas do consider the resolution meeting confidential! Parents should not agree to sign a confidentiality agreement before a resolution meeting why? Because any thing stated at the meeting by school personnel can be used at due process, unless a confidentiality agreement is signed between the two parties.

5. In the states that do not make the resolution meeting confidential, parents may have the right to tape record the meeting, and use a transcript at the due process hearing. Check with your state board of education if you are interested in tape recording a resolution meeting.

6. If a resolution is reached between special education personnel and parents a written legally binding settlement must be developed and signed by both parties. Make sure that the written agreement is specific to what services the school district is going to provide the child: minutes of the service, who is going to provide the service, how long the child will get the service, and anything else that is important. This agreement is enforceable in any state or federal court.

Whether resolution meetings are helpful to settle due process cases depends on where you live, and your school district. I do think that it is helpful for parents to attend with an open mind, and listen to what special education personnel have to say. By knowing these 6 things you will be an assertive and persistent advocate for your child. Good luck!

Managing Tantrums in Autism Spectrum Disorders

admin — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 06:26:02 +0000

When dealing with tantrums and difficult behaviors in autism spectrum disorders, using behavioral approaches alone can sometimes fail. What is the missing piece to managing these behaviors that a behavioral approach alone may not address?

To start, we need to look at the reasons for behavior. According to behavioral approaches, most of the behavior we see results from one of three reasons: a request, seeking attention, or a sensory reason. Let’s look deeper at these three reasons for behavior and the ways we currently handle them.

Handling a request is fairly straightforward. To put it very simply, a request is usually something externally controlled by both reinforcing appropriate requests and not reinforcing inappropriate ones, such as a tantrum.

For negative attention-seeking behaviors, we can eliminate the behavior by not giving the negative behavior attention and give attention for desired behavior – very straightforward, and again, usually externally controlled.

The sensory reasons arise from both the external and internal events that a child experiences through the five senses, and may or may not be externally controlled.

In all of these situations, our internal responses – our feelings and thoughts about events fire us into action. In stressful situations, the resulting “knee jerk” reactions are often difficult to manage with a purely behavioral approach for a few reasons:

1. Thoughts and feelings are often lightning-fast, internally-controlled events, therefore difficult to manage through external behavioral modifications.

2. Thoughts and feelings can’t be measured, and as a result, behavioral approaches simply don’t address them. It doesn’t mean that these things don’t exist or aren’t important. It just means that they’re left out of the equation.

3. Behavioral approaches address the cause and consequence of behaviors – the beginning and the end. But internal responses (ie thoughts and feelings) happen in the moments between the cause and the consequence. By not dealing with thoughts, feelings and solutions at these moments, we leave a child to figure out solutions on his or her own.

4. Children on the autism spectrum have a limited ability to adapt to new or changing situations, solve problems, compare past to present, or see possibilities. Because of this, if a child never learns how to think through a challenging situation during the emotional moments, when faced with it again, the same behavior will probably repeat itself, no matter what the consequence, or how many times they’ve been through it before.

This situation calls for tools to deal with overwhelming thoughts, feelings and strategies in the moment before the tantrum, not just consequences after.

In the book The Explosive Child , Ross Greene talks about this situation. This book applies to any disorders that have limitations in problem solving and executive thought, including all PDD’s, including Asperger’s Syndrome, PDD-NOS, and all autism spectrum disorders, ADD, ADHD, and various other developmental disabilities.

In the book, first we pick our battles carefully, and then talk through our thought process out loud. This way our children can hear us think through situations before tantrums. This also creates a memory of how they triumphed in the situation without resorting to negative behaviors.

Progress is made in small increments, but as time goes on, tantrums should decrease, and you can even start to ask your child to contribute ideas about solving problems during those emotional moments. In doing this, you help your child learn how to solve problems and become confident about handling new, changing, or challenging situations. You’ll combine the best of all worlds, to the benefit of your child.

Social Skills Training for Parents and Educators: "Ground Rules? So What is Expected of Me?"

admin — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:39:05 +0000

The words you use to state your rules supply important directions for how to get somewhere. When someone gives you driving directions, can you get there with: 揟o get to my house go west and turn right in about 15 minutes? Too general. Too many possible choices. Vague. A well-stated rule is clear in its directions, describing exactly where you want a behavior to go.

Do your Rules Inspire Action? A rule answers the question “What is expected of me?” A well-phrased answer turns your rule into an action that can be clearly seen or heard. As an example, let’s explore a very short important rule, posted in every classroom and found in some way everywhere we go in life.

Listen to some of the many variations of how 揕isten!?/b> can look or feel when the message is put into the clearest of choice of words:

“Have your eyes looking at me when I am talking.” (Be socially appropriate.)

“Do what you have been asked ?right away!?(Sense of urgency)

“Be silent while I am speaking.” (I feel disrespected.)

“Close your books and look up to the front.” (Take an immediate action, please.)

“Put the game back into your backpack.” (Remove the distraction and give your full attention.)

Now you may say that we just know from the context of a situation what behavior is expected. True, for most…

A Case Study: What Does “Be Nice” Look Like for this Man with Autism?

For the first time in his life, Thomas at 35 was attending a Saturday night social for adults with developmental disorders. Thomas had High Functioning Autism. Upon arriving at the club, Thomas would quickly gravitate to the types of people who would be his perfect audience. He loved the limelight and good listeners who were not inclined to interrupt his long tales about his fascination with horse movies. If the ‘ wrong ‘ person wandered over, Thomas would protect his center stage by abrupt comments such as “Go away, you will interrupt me.” Or 揧ou won’t be interested in this.?From his own experience, Thomas knew what it felt like to be treated unkindly and he did express genuine sadness when we pointed out how he hurt people’s feelings. Tacked up in clear view on the club house wall was a poster: Ground Rules for Making Friends, and the first item was Be Nice to Others. Thomas made no connection between that rule and the screening process he created in his determination to share his fascination. Thomas truly did not know what ‘nice’ and ‘not nice’ meant in such a situation. To him, he was just 憇aying it like it is?and to others it was crushing. Thomas was baffled about what corrective action to take when his peers complained to program supervisors.

To help Thomas with his social skills and interpreting rules, we created a two step Action Plan.

1. Thomas was given this question to explore:

What do I need to do to be nice to others at the club?

Together we came up with:

Include everyone who wants to be in the group.

See if new people are interested in famous movie horses.

Think about how I would feel.

Stop at the decided upon time.

Self-monitor by looking at my watch.

2. Thomas helped to craft a statement for himself that would give him the words to create his ‘audience’ and also practice ‘nice’ behaviors.

揑 am talking about famous horses. Would you be willing to listen for a few minutes??When he began to feel territorial about his social circle, this question helped Thomas to handle his anxiety and get assurance that he would have his limelight time. It worked well – Thomas had plenty of time to talk to his satisfaction. We also set a time limit, which he would monitor himself, and step out of the limelight and practice his ‘audience’ skills. A support person would monitor this and in a matter of time, Thomas was able to estimate for himself when to call it quits.

To get him reflecting on the payoff of his new behavior, Thomas was asked the question: How does this new plan help you have a better time at the club? Thomas answered, “People invite me to sit at their table when I invite them to listen to my horse movie stories.” Thomas was able to connect how ‘being nice to others’ brightened up life at the club.

Remember to choose your words so that they vividly teach the how-to’s of being social.

3 Important Requirements For Special Education Tuition Reimbursement!

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 07:52:26 +0000

Are you the parent of a child with Dyslexia, learning disability, or autism that receives special education services? Are you concerned that your child is not learning? Have you considered placing your child in a private school and asking for tuition reimbursement? This article will discuss 3 needed requirements for parents to ask for reimbursement for a private special education placement.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) allows parents to seek reimbursement for private school tuition, but only if certain requirements are followed by the parents. The section of IDEA that covers tuition reimbursement was not changed in 2004 when it was reauthorized.

The requirements are:

1. The school must have been found by a hearing officer or court to have denied your child a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)! If a hearing officer or court finds that your child was not denied FAPE then the school district is not responsible for reimbursing private school tuition.

2. The private school must be appropriate to meet the child’s educational needs.

Tuition reimbursement is not only for those children that have previously been in public school. A recent US Supreme Court ruling also allows reimbursement if a child with a disability has been in private school (but public school must deny FAPE), and if a child has been found not to have a disability and denied eligibility for special education services (which is a denial of FAPE)!

3. Before a parent removes a child with a disability from a public program they are required to do the following:

A. At the most recent Individual Education Plan (IEP) meeting parents must state their concerns and reasons why the proposed IEP denies their child FAPE and their intention to place the child in a private school and seek tuition reimbursement from the public school OR

B. 10 business days before you take your child out of the public school program a letter needs to be written which contains the following: Specific concerns in detail about why the proposed IEP denies your child FAPE, your reasons for rejecting the proposed IEP, why your child will be harmed or damaged if put in the school districts proposed program, and a statement of your intent to enroll your child in a private program at public expense (tuition reimbursement)!

If you are a parent considering this course of action I would notify the school district at an IEP meeting and write a letter; this way they cannot say that they were not notified. Hearing Officers and Courts can reduce reimbursement if these rules are not followed. Also take the time to research your states policies and procedures for tuition reimbursement and Case law on the subject! Good luck in your fight for a free appropriate public education for your child!

9 Things to Include in a Special Education No Consent Letter For Seclusion and Restraint

admin — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 06:41:28 +0000

Are you the parent of a child with autism or emotional disturbance that receives special education services? Are you concerned about the use of restraint and seclusion for your child’s negative school behavior? Would you like to learn 9 things about what to include in a No consent letter? This article will discuss restraint and seclusion and things that should be included in a letter making it clear to special education personnel that they do not have your consent to this on your child.

Children with disabilities have the right to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states that school districts need to consider the use of positive behavioral supports and plans if a child’s behavior interferes with their education or the education of others; but most do not do it.

Prone restraints, which means that the child is face down has been responsible for several deaths in the US, because it restricts the child’s breathing. Seclusion can be very scary for a child causing emotional distress. Children can be left alone for long periods of time in a room and not be able to escape.

A No Consent Letter will make it clear that your school district does not have your consent, to use these techniques on your child. Below are 9 things to be included in the No Consent Letter:

Item 1: School District Name and number (if you know the number) and address. Name of the person you are sending the letter to.

Item 2: Date that the letter is sent.

Item 3: Give child’s name, birthdate, age, and school that the child is attending.

Item 4: Give the child’s disability and also state your concern about your child’s behavior, and schools response. For example: My child Alex has autism and has had many behavioral challenges over the years. Because of these challenges I am concerned that District ___ will use aversive interventions on my child. These interventions could be: restraint, seclusion, physical management, seclusionary time outs, forcible holding, dragging, use of ties and straps, slaps, deliberate humiliation, or deprivation of nutrition or exercise.

Item 5: Make it clear that you are not giving permission for any of these strategies to be used on your child. For example: This letter is to make it clear that I have not authorized or given consent to any of the above strategies being used on my child.

Item 6: Add to the letter that IDEA is clear that the appropriate way to handle behavior is by getting a functional analysis of behavior (FBA) and having a positive behavioral plan developed by a trained person. Add that you would also like to be part of the team that does the FBA and develops the positive behavioral plan.

In addition add any things that have helped your child calm down when they become upset or agitated. For Example: In the past Alex has been allowed to separate himself on a chair in the back of the classroom to calm himself down. This has been very successful in preventing outbursts.

Item 7: Add to the letter that if my child’s behavior worsens I am asking that an IEP meeting be held to discuss research based ways to handle negative behavior.

Item 8: Give the number of a person that would be able to go to the school to help in any emergency situation.

Item 9: Thank them for their attention to this matter and I would also let them know that you will be holding them accountable if they use restraint and seclusion on your child, without your permission.

You must be proactive in the matter of restraint and seclusion and your child. To hide your head in the sand could cause your child to be injured or in the worst situation killed! Your child is depending on you to protect them so that school is a safe place to learn and grow!

JoAnn Collins is the mother of two adults with disabilities, and has helped families navigate the special eduation system, as an advocate, for over 15 years. She is a presenter and author of the book “Disability Deception; Lies Disability Educators Tell and How Parents Can Beat Them at Their Own Game.” The book has a lot of resources and information to help parents fight for an appropriate education for their child. For a free E newsletter entitled “The Special Education Spotlight” send an E mail to: JoAnn@disabilitydeception.com. For more information on the book, testimonials about the book, and a link to more articles go to: http://www.disabilitydeception.com

4 Important Areas of Transition For Your Child Receiving Special Education Services

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:43:39 +0000

Do you have a child with autism that is 16 years of age or above, receiving special education services? Do you worry about what will happen to your child, after they are no long eligible, for special education services at the age of 22? Would you like to learn what 4 areas need to be considered when you are writing a transition plan for your child? This article will discuss four important areas of transition, that must be included ,when special education personnel write a transition plan for your child.

The Individual with Disabilities Education Act require a transition plan and needed transition services on the plan, for all children with disabilities who are 16 years of age. Some states require that the plan be developed when the child is 14 and ? so check with your state board of education and see what the age requirements are in your state.

Transition Services means a coordinated set of activities, designed in a result oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement, of the child with a disability to facilitate movement from school to post school activities.

There are 4 areas that must be addressed in the transition plan, these are:

1. Employment is defined as competitive, supported etc. Transition assessments may be done in the area of employment to determine Strengths, weaknesses, preferences and interest of the student in developing post school outcomes. You may request a functional vocational evaluation, if you think that your child needs it. It is important to have high expectations in the area of employment so to help a child reach their full potential.

2. Post Secondary Education is defined as college 2 yr. 4 yr, trade school, vocational school based on student preference. The transition goals should help bring the student to the place they need to be in order to go to post secondary education.

3. Post Secondary Training is defined as vocational training, independent living skills training. This is different from #2 because this training is usually given by an agency that works with adults with disabilities. This would be appropriate for students with moderate to severe disabilities, though high expectations should still be expected. Hopefully this training can be given in the community and not at the agencies building (most people refer to such as sheltered workshops). Community is always better!

4. Independent Living Skills training if needed, and is defined as, activities of daily living, functional home skills, cooking, shopping, housework, money skills, budgets, transportation, recreation/leisure, and future planning.

I believe that all students regardless of the level of their disability must be given functional skills training and independent living skills training. It will help the adult become as independent as they can be, and will ensure that they reach their full potential.

If you make sure that your child’s transition plan includes these 4 areas: Employment, Post secondary education, Post secondary training, and Independent Living Skills training, your child will be on their way to reaching their full potential as an adult.

JoAnn Collins is the mother of two adults with disabilities, and has helped families navigate the special eduation system, as an advocate, for over 15 years. She is a presenter and author of the book “Disability Deception; Lies Disability Educators Tell and How Parents Can Beat Them at Their Own Game.” The book has a lot of resources and information to help parents fight for an appropriate education for their child. For a free E newsletter entitled “The Special Education Spotlight” send an E mail to: JoAnn@disabilitydeception.com – For more information on the book, testimonials about the book, and a link to more articles go to: http://www.disabilitydeception.com

Homework – Where Should Your Kids Do Their Homework?

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:10:27 +0000

When deciding where your children will do homework, your goal should be to set up a location that, over time, will reinforce their abilities to focus and concentrate. By using the same location and props day after day, you can help your children learn to work more effectively. Wherever you decide, try to be consistent about using it so that eventually your family thinks of it as the homework zone.

Ideally, your children should be doing their homework in a quiet location that’s not full of distractions. It may be tempting to send them to their bedrooms, but that may not be the best location. It’s all too easy for a daydreaming child to completely forget about homework in the quiet of her own room, or even to fall asleep! Children who are easily distracted may find the excitement and stimulus of their bedroom toys too difficult to ignore. And for parents, it can be difficult to monitor what’s going on when the kids are in the other end of the house. Most families need a more public location.

For many families, the kitchen or dining room table is the perfect spot to do homework. Parents can be as close as necessary while doing their own activities. Just take care to have fascinating phone conversations and watch interesting TV shows in another area of the house.

Start to build up a homework focus by setting a consistent tone every day. First, when it’s homework time, remove everything that’s not homework related from the table and then pull out a tray filled with all the pencils and papers and other tools that your kids may need. Over time, the tray becomes a signal that it’s now time to focus on homework.

Depending on your child’s independence, you may want to be sitting at the table too, or just walking past the room periodically. The goal should be to move in the direction of having your child be responsible for his or her own homework. If you need to be present, at least try to have your own activity to do at the table while supervising and assisting your child.

While homework is being done, try to keep distractions away from the table. If the kids need a snack or to make a phone call, have them move away from the homework zone. Over time, this will help reinforce the idea that the table is the place for homework.

Just as it’s important to set up the homework area, it’s equally important to shut it down. This will signal to your family that the homework time is over, and the table is now just a table. Have everyone pack up their backpacks, put away their work and remove the tray of tools. Add back the flowers or the napkins so you all can see that homework time is over.

Check out more homework management ideas in the other articles I’ve published here.

Patricia Robinson, MA, MFT is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in California. She has offices in Danville and San Ramon, CA and works with children and families and runs social skills groups and teaches parenting. Patricia focuses on kids with Asperger’s Disorder, High Functioning Autism, ADD, ADHD and Pervasive Developmental Disorders. She has an MA in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University as well as Engineering degrees from MIT. Please visit her at http://www.patriciarobinsonmft.com/

4 Tips For Giving 10 Day Written Notice For Private Special Education Placements

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:34:06 +0000

Do you have a child with autism or dyslexia that is not receiving a free appropriate public education (FAPE) from their school district? Have you found a private school that has the knowledge and experience with your child’s type of disability-perhaps a school devoted to children with autism? Did you know that parents that place their children in private schools because they are not receiving FAPE, can be reimbursed for the cost? This article will discuss 4 tips to help you in giving your school district 10 day written notice for a private school placement, due to lack of FAPE.

Tip 1: Contact a Parent Training and Information Center and try and get as much information as you can on how to fulfill the legal requirements for 10 day written notice. Every state has at least one PTIC, and most have experienced parents available to help other parents.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) deals with the issue of 10 day notice at 300.148; the category is called: Children With Disabilities Enrolled by Their Parents in Private Schools When FAPE is at Issue.

The law requires that at the most recent IEP meeting prior to removal of the child from the public school, you must inform the IEP team that you are rejecting the placement proposed by the public agency, state your concerns, and also tell school personnel of your intent to enroll your child in a private school at public expense. Reimbursement can be reduced or denied by a hearing officer, if Tip 1 is not carried out!

Tip 2: Bring a parent input statement to the IEP meeting before removal, and include the following: your rejection of the schools proposed placement for your child, your reasons for rejecting the placement, your concern that your child will not receive FAPE, and also your intent of enrolling your child in private school. Make sure that the input statement is attached to your child’s IEP!

IDEA also requires a 10 business day written notice prior to the removal of your child from the public school. Reimbursement can be reduced or denied by a hearing officer, if Tip 2 is not done!

Tip 3: Write a brief letter to special education personnel in your school district and state why you think your child is not receiving FAPE, why you are rejecting the proposed placement, and that you intend to ask for reimbursement for private school due to the school districts denial of a free appropriate public education. Even if you have written a parent input statement that is attached to your child’s IEP, send this letter also. Date the letter, keep a copy, sign the letter, and either hand deliver the letter to the special education office or send by the post office Certified with a return receipt.

Tip 4: Make your child available for any evaluations from your school district; prior to the actual removal of the child. If a parent refuses to allow their child to be evaluated, a hearing officer can reduce or deny reimbursement.

School districts can place a child in a private school at public expense. Though most parents must file for a due process hearing, to receive reimbursement for a private placement, due to lack of FAPE. Try and find an advocate, another parent, or a special education attorney who is experienced in due process hearings. Many parents have won the right to have their children educated in private schools, due to school districts inability to appropriately educate their children. Good luck!

JoAnn Collins is the mother of two adults with disabilities, and has helped families navigate the special eduation system, as an advocate, for over 15 years. She is a presenter and author of the book “Disability Deception; Lies Disability Educators Tell and How Parents Can Beat Them at Their Own Game.” The book has a lot of resources and information to help parents fight for an appropriate education for their child. For a free E newsletter entitled “The Special Education Spotlight” send an E mail to: JoAnn@disabilitydeception.com

For more information on the book, testimonials about the book, and a link to more articles go to: http://www.disabilitydeception.com.