I am the proud mother of two young children that were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder a few years ago. One is now in grade one and the other will register for kindergarten in the spring.
As a teacher, I already had some experience with IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) meetings which helped me a great deal with my son’s first IEP. I was able to also inform my husband which also did a lot of research on the matter so he was already well prepared to face our son’s IEP.
Over the 17 years of teaching experience that I possess, I soon discovered that most parents tend to lack both information and confidence in their role and what type of services they can obtain for their child.
One of the sad things that I also have learned is that depending on the school, the services vary and if you do not ask for them, you will not necessarily have them offered to you either.
Both my children are situated on opposite ends of the spectrum, my daughter being on the higher end making her diagnosis “light Autism” while my son is non-verbal which puts him on the lower end, diagnosed with “moderate to severe Autism”.
Having both their special needs, they also need different services. For example, my daughter needed some physiotherapy but my son benefits from the use of the sensory room at school as he is hypersensitive in several areas.
What does the term “special needs” really mean? Well, it simply means that your child needs special services and material to help him grow and reach his full potential in life. Henry Winkler, the actor known as the Fonz in Happy Days, who gave an amazing presentation as a keynote speaker at the NMSA (National Middle School Association) annual conference held at Minneapolis two years ago, explained his challenges with Dyslexia and the way education and his parents helped him out succeed in life. He also made it clear that his Dyslexia made him a child with special needs. This child has grown up as a successful man and actor cherished by his fans. One of the things that I remember the most is the fact that he thanked both educators and his parents for not giving up on him.
All this made me realize that the role of a parent of a child with ASD is not only to raise him with love and patience but also to provide him with the best services, materials and tools possible to help him live a full and happy life. And one of the multiple roles that a parent has to fill is the role of advocate. It does not matter if your child is verbal or not, if his diagnosis is light, moderate or severe on the spectrum. You have to remember that your child has a disorder that affect his communication skills and makes him unable to fend for himself. But foremost, your child is four going on five years old and sees you as his voice. The person that he can trust will fight for him, his best interests and his rights.
As your child advocate, it is not only your role to fight for your child but also to research the various schools, their services and all the opportunities that are available to your child. Do not enter the meeting room like a bull in a china shop as doors will be closing on you…and your child. Don’t be shy! Ask questions; investigate the various services that can be offered to your child. Meet with various school administrators, school divisions and the people responsible for the special needs programs.
For instance, in several schools where I taught, the following services which are provided in my son’s school were never an option there. Such services are: Music Therapy, occupational therapy activities including: bowling, skating and swimming, sensory room, physiotherapy equipment such as a swinging beam, a modified bike, a weighted vest, a special chair, a pressure vest, the use of PECS (Pictures Exchange Communication System), the participation to Special Olympics activities and more.
Another tip that I can give you is to set up a meeting with the administrator of your school prior to the first day of school. Share with them your child’s habits, needs and explain to them how to deal with their frustrations, hypersensitivities issues, needs, routines and more. Introduce your child to them. At the IEP meeting, ask them for the creation of a social story book to introduce your child to his new surroundings by looking at various pictures in advance: future teacher(s), classroom, gym, teacher aid, music room, sensory room, secretary, administrators, etc. You will see the level of anxiety diminishing in both your child and you.
Let your love for your child guide you. Be your child’s advocate and his voice.
By: Sylvie Leochko
Posts Tagged ‘Special Needs’
My Child has Autism! What is My Role in His Education?
January 1st, 2010Special Tax Deduction For Special Needs Cases
December 30th, 2009
A child is diagnosed with several developmental disorders along with delayed motor, cognitive and social developmental skills. Specialists confirm that the child will need a support program for two conditions if he/she were to attend college.
The parents are referred to a particular school that has courses designed for the child’s conditions. The school offers students with learning disabilities the help they need in order to be successful in completing their college curriculum and become competent and successful in their chosen field of study, thus making them responsible and productive members of society. Unfortunately, the school does not offer any actual college courses. Instead it provides a 12-month program that includes tutoring and specialized social, academic, and independent living skills in order to help the students be successful in a college environment. The school determines that the child is in need of the specialized remedial training prior to and while attending college because of one of her conditions.
The parents are now facing more than the normal college tuition and expenses. Luckily though, in a Private Letter Ruling 200729019, the IRS has stated that a parent may deduct as a medical expense the tuition paid to a special school for the benefit of the special needs child. This means that the IRS now looks at whether the taxpayer could deduct as a medical expense the tuition they paid for the child to attend the school.
Regulation §1.213(d)(1)(v)(a) states that ordinary education is not a medical expense. Section 213 defines medical care as amounts paid for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease, or for the purpose of affecting any structure or functions of the body.
Ordinary education is not and has never been medical care; the cost of medical care includes the cost of attending a “special school” for the mentally or physically challenged individual if the primary reasons the child attends the school is to alleviate a physical or mental handicap. IRS regulations also state that the cost of care and treatment of a mentally or physically challenged individual at an institution is within the meaning of “medical care”.
“Special school” (sometimes referred to as institution) within the meaning of IRS regulations are determined by the content of its curriculum is to help the student to compensate for or overcome a handicap. Parents may therefore deduct as a medical expense the cost of their challenged child’s participation in a course that was specially designed to meet the child’s needs.
The IRS will allow as deductible medical expense for the tuition paid to these special schools based on the following facts:
· The school was established to help children with special needs.
· The child was diagnosed with certain developmental disorders and the school focused on some of those disorders.
· A physician recommended the child attend the school.
If you would like further information or to ask questions on this matter, please visit my blog, TaxResolutionaries, to post comments and questions. If you are in need of tax debt assistance, please seek a reputable firm to assist you in resolution.
By: Sharon Raines
Long Island Schools Putting Fewer Students in Special Education
November 15th, 2009
Over the last couple of years, Long Island schools have been placing fewer students in Special Education classes. Instead, some students at Long Island schools with special needs have been receiving tutoring to help them keep up with their school work.
Mainstreaming Students in Long Island Schools
On the face of it, mainstreaming special needs students attending Long Island schools into a regular classroom as much as possible makes sense. If the special-needs student can attend classes with his or her peers, there is a cost savings for the board of education. No matter what we want for our children attending Long Island schools, there are only so many dollars available for education.
For too long, children who were “different” were kept away from the mainstream. Students in the regular education stream didn’t have a lot of opportunities to get to know them or interact with them. Special Education students were the object of suspicion and/or ridicule, simply because other students didn’t understand them; all they knew was that these other children were different. Being different was not something to be celebrated at that point.
Any measure that helps students attending Long Island schools learn to be tolerant of others can only be for the good. Humans tend to be suspicious of things (and people) they don’t understand. With time, mainstreaming can help to reinforce the idea that there is no “Us” and “Them” at Long Island schools. All students are in the environment to learn together and to learn from each other.
Long Island Schools Need to Ensure Students Don’t Fall Through the Cracks
It would be most unfortunate if, in the interest of saving a few dollars, students who need to be in a different learning environment to do their best work were denied access to Special Education programs. We shouldn’t be too quick to either segregate students from their peers or to push them into the mainstream learning environment in Long Island schools.
Instead, we need to take the time and allocate the appropriate resources so that a thorough investigation is conducted when a student is having trouble learning at Long Island schools. Only with a proper diagnosis of a difficulty, can a plan be implemented in Long Island schools to address that student’s needs.
Our children are our most valuable resource. When they don’t get the support they need to become effective learners, we are setting them up to fail in life. It would be far better for teachers and administrators at Long Island schools to find out what the students’ needs are and find the resources to meet them, whether in the regular classroom or an alternate one.
By: Patricia Hawke
