Ten Steps for Taming Anxiety, from HuffPo

From Huffington Post:

"Anxiety has become a regular part of our society and daily lives for our children (and ourselves). Worry and fear cause our children to feel bad, often cause parent-child conflict and stress, keep our children from fully experiencing life, and fully reaching their potential. As a psychologist, parent of worriers, and a pretty good worrier myself, I have learned that there are simple and effective strategies that kids (and parents) can learn to drive the Worry Monster away. Teaching kids about how fear and worry work in their bodies, and specific thinking and doing strategies to fight the Worry Monster, empowers them to take a stand against this bully."

Click here for 10 steps to tame the worry monster.

Is Dyslexia a real thing? How can you tell? What is dyslexia?

I recently found a very helpful resource for children and adults with dyslexia, and their families and teachers. 

Headstrong Nation, at http://headstrongnation.org/, is a non-profit dedicated to serving the dyslexic community. 

From the site: 

"Founded by Ben Foss in 2003, Headstrong Nation aims to end the isolation of the world’s largest (it’s true!) disability group by providing information about dyslexia, self-advocacy and new technologies. To do this we help dyslexic adults and parents of dyslexic children learn the facts, figure out how to play to their strengths and connect with others to form a movement dedicated to leveling the playing field for people like us."

"Animal School" video from Raising Small Souls

An insightful allegory, from http://raisingsmallsouls.com/

Requesting Evaluation, by NCLD.org

This article is excerpted from the NCLD's Parent Guide to IDEA. It outlines the issues and processes involved in requesting evaluation of a child for services through a 504 or IEP.

Taking the First Step toward Special Education

Who is this for?

This chapter is for parents who are considering asking for a formal evaluation of their child (testing to determine if the child has a disability) or who have received a request from the school to have their child evaluated.

Why is this important?

In order for a child to receive special education services, he or she must first be evaluated. A referral from the school or a request for formal evaluation from a parent sets into motion a host of legal obligations and procedures required by IDEA. It is important for parents to understand their rights and options during this process. 

What can parents do?

An important first step is learning how to organize concerns by keeping detailed records and then sharing relevant information during formal communication with the school. Parents can also learn more about the common signs of learning disabilities.

Because sometimes there's good news!

http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/iep-504-plan/four-important-signs-your-childs-iep-working?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=FB&utm_campaign=social_iep

Early Intervention and Autism

This article from the Huffington Post is why I do what I do. This Washington DC based story is not representative of my experience with district in Sonoma and Marin, but it inspires me to keep helping.

'We're Losing Our Little Boy': One Family's Heartbreaking Fight For Their Son's Education

Struggling with Test Anxiety?

From the Washington Post's Education blog article on Test Anxiety:

1. Spend ten minutes writing about your thoughts and feelings immediately before taking a test. 

While one might imagine writing about a looming exam would only heighten students’ anxiety, Beilock says the opposite was the case. “Writing about their worries had the effect of ‘offloading’ them onto the page, so that the students had more cognitive horsepower available to apply to solving problems on the test,” she explains. 

2. Remember what is important TO YOU.

“Music is important to me because it gives me a way to express myself when I’m mad, happy, or sad,” one participant wrote. In one study, this “values affirmation” exercise was shown to shrink the performance gap between white and black students by 40 percent.

3. Practice relaxation techniques.

“We had students lie on mats on the floor of their classrooms. They closed their eyes and we asked them to focus on their breathing, then on tensing and relaxing groups of muscles in their legs, arms, stomachs and so on,” Larson recounts. “Some of the kids became so relaxed they fell asleep!” A control group of students at another school received no such training. The study, which was published in the Journal of School Counseling in 2010, reported that the relaxation intervention had “a significant effect in reducing test anxiety.”

Career Planning: MappingYourFuture.org

I recently found a website, mappingyourfuture.org, that provides a variety of tools for exploring careers. Unlike a lot of what is available on the web these days, it is a free site, hosted by a non-profit public service organization. The site offers a wide range of tools, from a Show Me the Future game to serious financial calculators.

It's never too early to start talking with your student about life after high school!

Why I Do What I Do

From NBC News: Public-Schools-Delay-Deny-Special-Education Services

From the NCLD: IEP Stoppers

A terrific article from the National Center for Learning Disabilities. It lists 9 statements that should not go unchallenged in an IEP. I think #9 is particularly important. IEP Meeting Conversation Stoppers What do YOU think?

Common Core's Promise Collides With IEP Realities

Special education teachers struggle to make sure individualized education programs align with standards, by Education Week. An in-depth look at the issues that are emerging as schools initiate the implementation of the new Common Core Standards. I have had concerns for some time about the new standards, and how IEP goals can be written to address them, given the requirements for IEP goals currently in place. Still looking for answers.

Meeting the Needs of Students with Disabilities

"504 vs. IEP: Which One Is Right For My Child?" from http://theparentingplayground.com outlines the decisions involved in choosing between a 504 plan and an IEP.

Author Molly Matava does an excellent job detailing the process that parents face when they are looking for strategies to support their children's success in school.

The simplest way to differentiate the need for an IEP from the need for a 504 plan comes down to the need for specialized instruction in addition to accommodations. If a student needs more than accommodations, a student needs an IEP.