A Fresh Look at IEPs

by Neva Fenno, M.S.Ed. MLIS

As we approach a new school year, our students with special needs will continue to come to us with complicated medical and educational needs. No one could have imagined how special education has grown and evolved. In 2001, 5,810,658 or 12.4% of all public school children in the U.S. have an IEP document on file.

IEP, as most of the readers of this blog will know, stands for Individualized Education Program. IEPs were mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and federal regulations detailed in Public Law 94-142 passed in 1975. Educators and parents who are involved with students in special education know that every single child identified as having special needs must have an IEP on file and that each child must be evaluated at least once each year. Many of these evaluations will occur early in the school year.

I don’t think anyone could question the need or the benefits of having an Individualized Education Program for each student found to have a disability. One could successfully argue that all children need an IEP. That, however, is not likely to happen. Schools don’t have the money to put such a process in place. Also, IEPs in and of themselves don’t guarantee any improvement in the teaching and learning process.

It is true that a good IEP describes how a student learns best, how the student best demonstrates that learning, and what educators can do to help the student learn more effectively. Unfortunately, some IEPs are drafted, agreed upon, and then placed in a drawer where they are seldom viewed until it is time for a yearly evaluation.  I know this may seem strange to the teachers and administrators who use IEPs properly, but believe me when I say that it’s true. Over time, there have been software products developed to help streamline the process, but some schools still keep old paper and pencil files.

An IEP should be a well-worn document by the end of the school year. Teachers should have them handy and review them often. Lesson plans should be annotated to include strategies for those students that need special attention based on those IEPs. Although special education classes tend to be smaller than mainstream classes, special education teachers still must have a separate IEP for every single student.  Some lessons can cover multiple IEPs. Others do not. Individualized instruction is difficult.  It has been tried time and again in mainstream classes and often proves to be overwhelming to the teachers.There is a movement, UDL (Universal Design for Learning) that is promoting the notion that all classrooms need to be designed for individual student needs. Professional development plans at the district level will increasingly provide training in UDL principles and practices.

If you are a teacher who reviews IEPs regularly, uses them to develop daily lesson plans, and makes sure you are doing everything necessary for your students to meet their IEP goals, you are to be applauded.

If you are a principal, it is your responsibility to make sure IEPs are developed and used properly. If you are a parent, I suggest that you be familiar with your child’s IEP. Look for progress reports that reference the IEP and monitor the papers and information coming home to you to make sure the IEP that was filed is being followed. Keep a calendar handy so you can stay on top of meetings and IEP review schedules.

An Individualized Education Program may be one of the greatest rights of the special needs child. Unfortunately, it is no more valuable than the paper on which it is written unless it leads both teacher and students to the accomplishment of the goals it contains.

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Grant Name:  Walmart Foundation Grants

Funded By:  Walmart Foundation – Partnering with Sam’s Clubs for Local Giving Programs

Description:  Giving to K-12 Public Schools/Districts, Charter Schools, Community/Junior Colleges, State Colleges and Universities; Private schools and colleges with current tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; and Churches and other faith-based organizations with proposed projects that address and benefit the needs of the community at large. See the website for eligibility requirements and additional information. The grant maximum depends on the facility to which you are applying. The community involvement coordinator or manager at the facility nearest you will be able to advise you as to the grant maximum for their location.

Program Areas: Adult Literacy, After-School, Arts, At-Risk/Character, Community Involvement/Volunteerism, Disabilities, General Education, Health/P.E., Homeless, Reading, Safe/Drug- Free Schools, Science/Environmental, Social Studies, Special Education, TAG, Technology, Vocational

Recipients:  Public School, Private school, Higher Ed, Faith-Based, Other

Proposal Deadline:  Local Giving:  December 1, 2013. 

Average Amount:  $250 to $2,500 (depends on individual store)

Telephone:  800-530-9925

Website:  http://walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving/9628.aspx

Availability:  All States

Favorite Product Review! Textured Grabber XT

Textured Grabber XT

Item # AP3662

“Easy To Store, Easy To Clean, Easy To Use, Durable, ‘Soothing!'”

“My grandson has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and has a tendency to bite his hands when upset or excited. Give him the grabber xt and his attention is immediately focused to chewing not biting.” – A satisfied Achievement Products Costumer

Product Overview:
Our popular chew tool now comes with 3 different textured surfaces! Each surface serves to add extra tactile sensations to the lips, cheeks, gums, and tongue. Can also be used to assist in transitioning individuals with sensory issues from puree to textured foods. It is sure to spark the interest of all age groups. For added interest try the scented versions. An XT version is also available for individuals who exert more jaw pressure. FDA approved. No latex.

To shop this product and similar products please click here:

Don Peek – Let’s Teach These First

This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to schoolfundingcenter.

 

 

Let’s Teach These First

Most classroom teachers have a curriculum that needs to be taught during the year.  I do think, however, that teachers need to focus on teaching three things first, especially if they are teaching children with disabilities.

Students at all age levels need to know how to stay out of danger.  This means fundamentally that they need to be able to read warning signs.  Of course, at first you think of the poison warning signs that appear on chemicals in the home, and those are certainly important.  But shouldn’t a student in a wheelchair also know the unwritten warning signs that could keep them safe.  If they are crossing a street in a wheelchair, they cannot be seen in the same way that a walking adult can.  They need to learn what extra precautions they need to take when crossing streets to be as safe as possible.

Be sure that the students with disabilities for whom you are responsible are aware of the normal danger signs, but also teach them the special dangers that are particularly related to their disabilities.  It may save their lives.

The second thing I believe we need to teach students with disabilities (as well as all other students) is how to get along well with other students and adults.  Most of these students don’t want sympathy.  They want to be treated like every other student.  What most do want from others is as much empathy as possible.  If they can get other non-disabled people to put themselves in their place, to recognize the disability but not to build the relationship based on it, they will go much further in social circles.

I do realize that socialization is a major problem for students with certain disabilities.  In fact, it can be one of the main issues with which some special education students have to deal.  Nevertheless, if these students can learn to carry on reasonable conversations and get the information from others that they need to be safe and function in mainstream ways, their lives will be much safer, fuller, and richer.  Can you imagine how lonely and frustrating it is for students who recognize they have problems socializing with others and have no idea how to remedy the situation.  Help them to learn these skill as well as you can.

The third major thing we need to teach all disabled students is how to read just as well as possible.  It doesn’t matter if you have a disability or not, reading still opens whole new worlds to us, and many times the worlds of the disabled are smaller than they are for the rest of us.  The more severely disabled the student, the more his or world revolves around that disability.  If those students know how to read as well as they can potentially read, at least it opens various topics up to them that they can enjoy.  It doesn’t matter in this case what they read.  Reading becomes an avenue for pleasure and for broadening their experiences.

Sure they can watch television and YouTube, but you have to read to some degree to even use them properly if you’re trying to find the topics you want.  Of course, as I’ve discussed in detail on this blog, reading is absolutely fundamental to any kind of success in other classes at school.  We may be a video nation, but there is still a ton of learning done and a lot of pleasure taken in being able to read well.

Teach your students, disabled and otherwise, to be safe in a dangerous world, to learn how to get along and converse with their peers and adults, and how to read just as well as possible.  If you do teach these 3 things, you are well on your way to shaping your students’ lives in a positive fashion.

 

Grant Name:  DonorsChoose.org Grants

Funded By:  DonorsChoose.org

Description:  DonorsChoose.org is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site, teachers register, and then submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals choose projects to fund.

Program Areas:  Disabilities, Special Education, All Other

Recipients:  Public School

Proposal Deadline:  No Deadline

Average Amount:  No set amount.

Website:  http://www.donorschoose.org

Availability:  All States

Don Peek – Getting Ready for School

This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to schoolfundingcenter.

 

 

 

Getting Ready for School

 

As everyone knows, summer is fading fast.  Students have a full spectrum of feelings and attitudes about the beginning of school each year.  Both parents and teachers have to recognize that fact and prepare students for the very best start possible.  This is true for special needs children just as it is for other students.

For students who have felt bored during the summer, the start of school may be an exciting time.  Going to buy school supplies and getting to shop for new school clothes can be an adventure.  Typically students who do well in school look forward to school opening more than other students, but that is not always the case.  When students are very social and have been cut off from their peers during summer vacation, they will likely look forward to going back to school regardless of how well they actually do in their coursework.

Special needs children who do not do well in school and do not do well socially may dread the beginning of school.  Parents and teachers need to work and plan to make the transition from summer vacation to the beginning of classes as painless as possible.  That’s not always an easy task, but it is possible.  Buying clothes and school supplies may not be fun, but if you go to a game room and an ice cream parlor while you’re out shopping, it might at least make the trip tolerable.

I also want parents and teachers to know that just because a child hasn’t done well in school before and has never looked forward to starting school in the fall, it’s not out of the question for that pattern to change.  I’ve mentioned before that I have an autistic grandson.  He went to intermediate school and part of middle school in one state, then my son took another job and had to move him to another state.

The transition for my grandson was amazing.  When he went to the first school, he never had anything good to say about his teachers or his school.  Since he has attended his new school (now in his senior year), he has always looked forward to going to school and for the school year to begin.

He’s still autistic.  He still has the same problems at school and outside of school most associated with autism, but his attitude toward school and how well he does in school has changed dramatically.  I can’t help  but think that the attitude and actions of his teachers, the way the special education program is run, and the way other students are taught to respect special needs students all have had an impact on my grandson and his education in his new school.

Yes, his teachers have had to call home because of his behavior at times (especially when he changed his medication).  And, yes, some students have made fun of him at times (we are talking about a real middle school and high school here), but overall his experience with school has been dramatically different.

If you are a parent, regardless of the disability of your child, give some special thought about the problems your child might have returning to school this year.  If you are a teacher, think long and hard how you can make each special needs student feel welcome at school and as successful as possible.  Both the attitudes and actions of parents and teachers can have a dramatic impact on students as they return to school.  Never doubt that.  Be just as positive as you possible can with every special needs child.

 

Grant Name:  Tommy Wilson Memorial Grant

Funded By:  American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation

Description:  The Tommy Wilson Memorial Grant supports recreational programs for individuals with disabilities

Program Areas:  Disabilities, Special Education

Recipients:  Public School, Private school, High Ed, Other

Proposal Deadline:  December 1^st each year

Average Amount:  $500.00 – $1,500.00

Email:  AAPAR@aahperd.org/aapar/

Website:  http://www.aahperd.org/aapar/

Availability:  All States

Activity guide – Cushy Bean Pad

The team at Achievement Products asked our consultant, Occupational Therapist Scott Russo, to provide some activity suggestions for incorporating some of our favorite items into daily classroom activities or curriculum.

Scott has provided some really great and creative ways to use items (that may have been originally designed for typically developing children), in special needs environments.

Today we will look at the Cushy Bean Pad – 4 Piece Set.

 

Introduction:

The Cushy Beans Sit Cushion provides a portable seating option for almost anyone. The cushion itself is made from a waterproof material with three different machine washable covers, all in different textures. Therefore, you can tailor make the cushion for the child’s particular tactile needs. The micro-bead stuffing provides children with the ability to have a stable surface on which they can also move. The white inner cushion is waterproof and surface washable.

Activity Ideas:

·       The cushion can be used for adaptive seating in almost any setting as it is portable and easy to carry. It can be used to sit on or as a lap buddy placed on top of the legs.

·       Use the cushion for tactile stimulation. Have the child rank the covers in order of preference. Start with the most preferred cover. Place the cushion on top of the child’s lap and set a timer for a maximum time limit of choice while performing other activities. After that time limit has been achieved, remove the cover and move to the next in line. See if the child can tolerate the cushion on his/her lap for the same time limit. Repeat with the third cover.

·       The cushion is ideal for fine motor strengthening. Have the child change the covers on the cushion.

How to Care for your Cushy Beans Sit Cushion and Covers:

·       Inner (white) cushion: Surface wash only

·       Covers: Machine wash cold, hang to dry

For more information about the Cushy Bean Pad – 4 Piece Set and other great items please visit http://www.achievement-products.com.

Don Peek: Let’s Teach These First

This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to schoolfundingcenter.

Let’s Teach These First

Most classroom teachers have a curriculum that needs to be taught during the year.  I do think, however, that teachers need to focus on teaching three things first, especially if they are teaching children with disabilities.

Students at all age levels need to know how to stay out of danger.  This means fundamentally that they need to be able to read warning signs.  Of course, at first you think of the poison warning signs that appear on chemicals in the home, and those are certainly important.  But shouldn’t a student in a wheelchair also know the unwritten warning signs that could keep them safe.  If they are crossing a street in a wheelchair, they cannot be seen in the same way that a walking adult can.  They need to learn what extra precautions they need to take when crossing streets to be as safe as possible.

Be sure that the students with disabilities for whom you are responsible are aware of the normal danger signs, but also teach them the special dangers that are particularly related to their disabilities.  It may save their lives.

The second thing I believe we need to teach students with disabilities (as well as all other students) is how to get along well with other students and adults.  Most of these students don’t want sympathy.  They want to be treated like every other student.  What most do want from others is as much empathy as possible.  If they can get other non-disabled people to put themselves in their place, to recognize the disability but not to build the relationship based on it, they will go much further in social circles.

I do realize that socialization is a major problem for students with certain disabilities.  In fact, it can be one of the main issues with which some special education students have to deal.  Nevertheless, if these students can learn to carry on reasonable conversations and get the information from others that they need to be safe and function in mainstream ways, their lives will be much safer, fuller, and richer.  Can you imagine how lonely and frustrating it is for students who recognize they have problems socializing with others and have no idea how to remedy the situation.  Help them to learn these skill as well as you can.

The third major thing we need to teach all disabled students is how to read just as well as possible.  It doesn’t matter if you have a disability or not, reading still opens whole new worlds to us, and many times the worlds of the disabled are smaller than they are for the rest of us.  The more severely disabled the student, the more his or world revolves around that disability.  If those students know how to read as well as they can potentially read, at least it opens various topics up to them that they can enjoy.  It doesn’t matter in this case what they read.  Reading becomes an avenue for pleasure and for broadening their experiences.

Sure they can watch television and YouTube, but you have to read to some degree to even use them properly if you’re trying to find the topics you want.  Of course, as I’ve discussed in detail on this blog, reading is absolutely fundamental to any kind of success in other classes at school.  We may be a video nation, but there is still a ton of learning done and a lot of pleasure taken in being able to read well.

Teach your students, disabled and otherwise, to be safe in a dangerous world, to learn how to get along and converse with their peers and adults, and how to read just as well as possible.  If you do teach these 3 things, you are well on your way to shaping your students’ lives in a positive fashion.
——————————————————-

Grant Info:

 

Grant Name:  DonorsChoose.org Grants

Funded By:  DonorsChoose.org

Description:  DonorsChoose.org is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site, teachers register, and then submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals choose projects to fund.

Program Areas:  Disabilities, Special Education, All Other

Recipients:  Public School

Proposal Deadline:  No Deadline

Average Amount:  No set amount.

Website:  http://www.donorschoose.org

Availability:  All States

Don Peek: Disability: Traumatic Brain Injury

This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to schoolfundingcenter.

Disability:  Traumatic Brain Injury

By IDEA definition, traumatic brain injury is “an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgment; problem-solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psycho-social behavior; physical functions; information processing; and speech. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma.”

These brain injuries may happen more often than you think.  About 1,400,000 people have traumatic brain injuries each year.  For children 0-14 years traumatic brain injuries annually result in 435,000 trips to the emergency room, 37,000 hospitalizations, and almost 2,700 deaths.  In 2007, nearly 25,000 school-aged children received special education services for traumatic brain injury.

Some of the greatest problems from traumatic brain injury arise in school.  Educators may not realize that the difficulties a child is having are the result of injury and may misdiagnose the child as having a learning disability, emotional disturbance, or an intellectual disability.  In many cases as a result of misdiagnosis, the child does not receive the educational help and support he/she needs.

Children who are already in school when they have an incident that results in traumatic brain injury may have a host of problems.  Not only have many of them lost some of the skills they once possessed in both the academic and social areas, they can remember how they were before the injury and have trouble adjusting to a new, lower set of skills that they now are forced to live with.

If that were not bad enough, both classmates and teachers also remember them pre-injury and often have trouble adjusting their expectations for those who have received traumatic brain injury.  This is especially true if the injured person shows no physical signs of injury.

It is tremendously important for parents to contact school officials before their child returns to school. Special education services should do a thorough evaluation of the child.  Using that evaluation, special education professionals, teachers, parents, and administrators should agree on an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) that will best serve the child’s educational needs.  It is imperative that this plan remain flexible in the early stages to see exactly what works best with the individual child.

Of course, it is not only the child who suffers from this type of injury.  Parents see their child change dramatically literally overnight.  Both parent and child may benefit from counseling because of the dramatic changes brought about by a traumatic brain injury.  It doesn’t matter if the injury is caused by a car wreck, a fall, a bicycle accident, or some other way, the results generally mean a change in lifestyle for the child especially, but also for the rest of the family.

When a child receives a traumatic brain injury, he/she may exhibit physical disabilities, difficulties in thinking, or social, behavioral, or emotional problems.  Early diagnosis and intervention are essential, and it is vital that parents, special educators, and other teachers and administrators work together to help the child cope with such an injury.

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Grant Info:

Grant Name:  Let’s ALL Play

Funded By:  National Inclusion Project

Description:  Let’s ALL Play brings an inclusive recreational experience to children with disabilities. Through training, staffing, and scholarships, Let’s ALL Play gives children with disabilities the same experience as those without. Children with disabilities and their peers who are typically developing come together to participate in recreational activities such as swimming, arts and crafts, community service, physical fitness and more.

Program Areas:  Disabilities, Special Education

Recipients:  Public School, Private school, High Ed, Other

Proposal Deadline:  9/15/12

Amount:  $10,000.00

Contact Person:  Aron Hall

Email:  aronhall@inclusionprojects.org

Website:  http://www.inclusionproject.org/level_2.php?id=3

Availability:  All States

Don Peek: Deafness and Hearing Loss

This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to schoolfundingcenter.

Disability:  Deafness and Hearing Loss

By IDEA definition, deafness means a hearing impairment so severe that a child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, that it adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

When a child shows any signs of hearing loss, parents should take immediate steps to have that child examined.  Since most communication skills are developed before the age of 3, it is imperative that parents have their children examined at the first sign of hearing loss and begin a program to counteract that loss.  Early recognition of hearing problems is so important, most states require hospitals to test babies for hearing loss before they ever leave the hospital.

If deafness or hearing loss is not detected at birth, parents and teachers need to be aware of the signs of hearing loss or deafness.  Deafness or hearing loss may be present if a child:

1.      Does not respond consistently to sounds, especially his or her own name.

2.      Asks for things to be repeated or often says “huh?”

3.      Is delayed in developing speech or has speech that is unclear.

4.      Turns up the volume on the TV and other electronic devices.

Again, since speech is tied to hearing, it is vitally important that a child be diagnosed with a hearing loss as soon as possible and appropriate measures taken.

At least 50% of all deafness is genetic.  That is why most states require testing within hours of birth.  Other causes of hearing loss at birth may be certain infections during pregnancy and complications during pregnancy.  If a child has no hearing problems at birth, they still may develop a problem as a result of such things as:  a buildup of fluid behind the eardrum, ear infections, childhood diseases, and head trauma.  Hearing loss can also be a characteristic of other disabilities such as Usher, Down, Crouzon, Treacher Collins, or Alport syndromes.

Once again, regardless of the cause, early detention and intervention are imperative since deafness and hearing loss are so closely tied to the development of communications skills.

The latest government statistics showed slightly more than 70,000 students qualified for special education services under the category of hearing impairment.  That is slightly more than 1% of all special education students in the United States.

Fortunately for both parents and teachers an abundance of help is available if a child is suspected of having hearing problems.  The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides for free evaluation of any child suspected of having a hearing problem.  If the child is less than 3 years old, states are mandated to provide services.  Over 3, parents should contact their local public school district for screening and special education services.

Deafness is a disability that can impact the remainder of a child’s life whether it is present at birth or develops later.  Parents and teachers need to be alert for any sign that a hearing disability is present.

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Grant Info:

Grant Name:  Tommy Wilson Memorial Grant

Funded By:  American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation

Description:  The Tommy Wilson Memorial Grant supports recreational programs for individuals with disabilities

Program Areas:  Disabilities, Special Education

Recipients:  Public School, Private school, High Ed, Other

Proposal Deadline:  December 1^st each year

Average Amount:  $500.00 – $1,500.00

Email:  AAPAR@aahperd.org/aapar/

Website:  http://www.aahperd.org/aapar/

Availability:  All States

Don Peek – Disability: Developmental Delay

This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to schoolfundingcenter.

Disability:  Developmental Delay

Children develop many skills in their early lives.  Parents often worry that their children are not turning their heads quickly enough, crawling at the proper time, or beginning to speak at a certain age.  While many of the time parents’ concerns are overblown, it is good for parents to regularly check their child’s progress and make sure the child is indeed developing properly.

The development of each of these skills is often called a developmental milestone.  Two children born at the same time may develop certain of these skills months apart, but both should develop the skill within a particular range of time.  It’s when these skills are not being developed properly or within this broad range that parents should begin to take action.

A parent’s first step should be to take the child to a pediatrician.  Most of us are so tuned in to using the Internet these days, it is likely that a parent will have already researched developmental delays and the proper timeframes for children to develop certain skills before they ever consider going to the expense of taking the child to a pediatrician.  All of that research is fine, but a competent pediatrician can give a parent certain assurances.  Doctors are very aware that children do not develop at the same pace, and while some children show slow steady growth, others have bursts of development which allow them to catch up with other children.

However, the pediatrician may see true signs of developmental delay and suggest the parent have the child go through developmental screening.  This evaluation should be done by a highly trained professional and should show the strength and weakness of a child in five areas:

1)      Physical development

2)      Cognitive development

3)      Communication development

4)      Social or emotional development

5)      Adaptive development

The results of this evaluation should be used to determine if a child needs early intervention services.  These services are a very important resource to children who experience developmental delays.  These services may include assistive technology, hearing services, language services, counseling and training for the family, medical services, nursing services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and/or psychological services.

States have an obligation to help children experiencing developmental delays.  The Child Find system operated by each state can assist with screenings and evaluations.  These are usually performed free of charge.  A pediatrician typically makes the referral to the state’s Child Find system.

Once a child reaches the age of three, the local public school system has the responsibility to evaluate a child with signs of developmental delays and to provide services to children who are determined to actually have developmental delays.  This responsibility is defined in IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Again, parents with children under three should contact their pediatrician for a referral to the state’s Child Find system for evaluations and services.  If their children are three or older, those parents should contact the local public education authorities for evaluation and services.

It is not uncommon for parents to worry about their children not crawling, walking, or talking when they feel they should.  If, however, a child is not developing within certain broad guidelines easily found on multiple sites on the Internet, parents should get their children to a pediatrician to begin the evaluation process to truly determine whether a child has developmental delays and needs special services to remedy those delays.

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Grant Info:

Grant Name:  IWP Foundation Educational Grants

Funded by:  Innovating Worthy Projects Foundation

Description:  Giving on a national basis; giving internationally if agency is recognized by the United Nations to provide support primarily for the education, service, and care of disabled and special needs children, and pre-school programs. No grants to individuals.

Program Areas:   Community Involvement/Volunteerism, Early Childhood, General Education, Health/PE, Math, Reading, Science/Environment, Social Studies

Recipients:  Private School, Other

Proposal Deadline:  12/31/12

Average Amount:  $1,000.00 – $8,000.00

Telephone:  305-861-5352

Email:  info@iwpf.org

Website:  http://www.iwpf.org

 Availability:  All States

Don Peek – Disability: Emotional Disturbance

This post is authored by Don Peek, a former educator and past president of the training division of Renaissance Learning. He now runs The School Funding Center, a company that provides grant information and grant-writing services to schools. To learn more, or to subscribe to the School Funding Center Grant Database, go to schoolfundingcenter.

Disability:  Emotional Disturbance

Over the next several weeks I’m going to discuss a number of disabilities.  The first I want to discuss is emotional disturbance.  Remember, any handicap must adversely affect a student’s educational performance before it is considered a disability under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).  Children could have a mild emotional disturbance but still function well in the standard classroom.  Those children would not have a recognized disability.

Children who do have emotional disabilities that affect their educational performance fall into five categories.  They have:

1)      An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.

2)      An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.

3)      Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.

4)      A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression

5)      A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.

This term includes schizophrenia, but does not include students who are simply socially maladjusted unless they have additional characteristics of emotional disturbance.

Many more male students are identified as having an emotional disturbance than girls.  This is probably due to teachers making most of the referrals.  Boys tend to exhibit outward, disruptive behavior when they have an emotional disturbance while girls tend to internalize and exhibit more anxiety and depression.

It is recommended that teachers and parents follow some guidelines when dealing with emotionally disturbed children.

1)      Choose your battles.  Ignore the small stuff that does not truly disrupt the environment.

2)      You may think children are misbehaving deliberately when in reality the behavior is beyond their control.  Try to figure out what triggers bad behavior and change the circumstances if possible.

3)      Teachers and parents need behavior charts.  This will help detect trends and triggers and can also help you positively reinforce proper behavior.

4)      All students have some strengths.  Use them to motivate students and to help them have experiences with success.

5)      Keep lines of communication open between home and school.  It is imperative that the two be consistent in dealing with an emotionally disturbed child.

While it is almost always difficult for teachers and parents to deal with students who are emotionally disturbed, can you imagine what it’s like for each of these children?  What if people looked at you funny?  What if you didn’t have friends?  What if you said inappropriate things at inappropriate times?  What if you were depressed and simply didn’t care what was going on around you or so anxious that you felt paralyzed much of the time?

Being emotionally disturbed is certainly no fun.  Just remember that as hard as it may be, these children need the uncompromising love and support of their teachers and their families.  Do your part.

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Grant Info:

Grant Name:  Citi Foundation Grants

Funded by:  Citi Foundation

Description:  Giving on a national and international basis, with emphasis on areas of company operations to support organizations involved with education, health, employment, housing, disaster relief, financial counseling, human services, community development, and economically disadvantaged people. The foundation utilizes an invitation only process; unsolicited proposals are not accepted.

Program Areas:  Arts, At-Risk/Character, Community Involvement/Volunteerism, Disabilities, Early Childhood, General Education, Health/PE, Math, Reading, Science/Environment, Social Studies

Recipients:  Public School, Private School, Higher Education, Other

Proposal Deadline:  None

Average Amount:  $10,000.00 – $250,000.00

Telephone:  212-559-9163

Email:  citigroupfoundation@citigroup.com

 Website:  http://www.citifoundation.com

 Availability:  All States