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An Active Child: Do's and Dont's

10/7/2019

Do you have an ‘active’ student at home or in your classroom? Here are some easy tips for helping them to do their best at school and at home.

(Some of these tips do not need an IEP, some do.)

1. Give them multiple workspaces. Active children benefit from the ability to move around. Some children like to stand while they work. My son actually stood at the window sill. Others like to cocoon under their desks or in a corner. The point is to let them find, and even change, their place where they work. The outcome is getting the work done.

2. Limit the amount of busywork they have to do. If a child has demonstrated that they know the material eliminate the extra practice work once the concept has been mastered.

3. Keep them moving with a purpose! Errands and chores are the active child’s best friends. Often times they lack self-esteem and social awareness so being helpful is one of the best ways to alleviate those issues.

4. Have a group of ‘high-fliers’ in your classroom? Let them do a class newspaper, grade level newspaper, put up/take down bulletin boards or read to younger children.

5. Never use recess as a tool for modifying behavior. Recess is a necessary part of the day for the active child.

6. Never assign silent lunch. It is demeaning, demoralizing and negative.

7. Give them time after school to move around before starting homework. Utilize the above tips about workspace and movement. Keep elementary children near you but try not to sit with them as they do their work.

8. Incorporate movement and rhythm into learning. Whenever possible, have your child stand up and move while learning something new.

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The 6 Major Differences between an IEP and a 504 Plan

9/30/2019

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Many parents, and sometimes educators confuse 504 plans with an IEP (Individualized Education Plan). Both of these documents support children in the school setting but they do vastly different things.

Here are the 6 MAJOR differences at a glance.

Individualized Education Plan (IEP) - Addresses Academic Learning and Needs

The IEP is developed for children who meet eligibility criteria in one or more of the disability categories and are in need of specially designed instruction.
The IEP is a school based document that addresses curriculum needs and supports.
The IEP can significantly change academic content and amount of learning upon which your child will be assessed.
The IEP can and may significantly change the location of where the instruction takes place.
The IEP can and may include other support services (OT, PT and behavior support) beyond academic needs.
Accountability for the IEP is held through school based processes.

504 Plan - Addresses Access to what is offered in school.

The 504 Plan does not require a medical diagnosis. It does require a determination of impairment with substantial limitation to one or more major life activities.
The 504 Plan is based on Civil Rights Law providing equitable access to all opportunities in the school setting. Equal access under the law.
The 504 Plan can not change academic content, what is assessed, the location of instruction or the expected learning outcome.
The 504 Plan may change the amount of work that is required to demonstrate proficiency.
The 504 Plan does not provide additional support services (OT, PT). However, behavior support should still be included if necessary.
Accountability for a 504 Plan is filed through the Office of Civil Rights.

Let’s look at each of these differences in more detail.

The IEP is a school based document that develops unique learning goals and outcomes that are specific to your child’s needs. It clearly outlines how that learning will be measured and communicated to you. It dictates where, through what instructional modalities, and how much a child will be expected to learn.

The IEP can also include the services of therapists (Speech, OT, PT) as your child’s needs dictate. These support services can range from consultative to a full time learning environment in a separate setting or in some cases a different school than the school a non-disabled peer would attend.

The IEP is developed annually allowing for the increase, decrease or elimination of services completely. Parents must be included on the team that makes and agrees to all aspects of the IEP.

The IEP, in a nutshell, can change what, where and how learning takes place. It is a powerful educational construct that can modify a child’s learning goals significantly.

The 504 Plan is, in essence, a Civil Rights Document whose failure to deliver is handled through the Office of Civil Rights.

The 504 Plan is a document that ensures your child’s civil rights to access all opportunities in the school setting. It does not change, modify or eliminate the standard learning outcomes for a child.

The 504 Plan covers all facets of school life including extracurricular activities and sports.

The 504 Plan is developed annually based on need by persons knowledgeable about the student but does not have to include parents.

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Organization for Your Child with ADD/ADHD... Who Decides?

9/24/2019

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Want your ADD/ADHD child to finally get organized? Ask them what they need! They may not know yet but I can guarantee you it is not what you think will work for them - particularly if you do not also have ADD/ADHD.

Post-it notes and various lists are not the ‘love language’ of people, like me, who have ADD. A short list in the bathroom for morning and bedtime routine is a quick check. However, lists for school just look like more school work. What makes absolute sense to other folks becomes a blur of stuff that ADDers have a difficult time tracking.

Organization for the ADD brain must be Simple, Repeatable, Accessible and Quick. It also helps if it has an element of visibility. The less thinking about the process makes the system more workable.

Here are 8 ideas that have been successful for the children I work with as an educator, counselor and advocate. Some are paper/pencil and other tech friendly.

Establish a bedtime that reflects when your child is tired. I can not stress this enough. Lack of activity plus the ‘demand’ of going to sleep makes an ADD/ADHD brain more active. Lying in bed until sleep comes is counterproductive. Let your child listen to something they are already very familiar with. Keep the volume very low so the brain is distracted but not terribly interested. I still lull myself to sleep this way. If you use the computer for this, turn the screen off. No comedy as laughter wakes you right up. Nothing with commercials - they get louder and can have peppy music.
Clean out the backpack with your child EVERY DAY. Discuss what stays home and what goes back to school.
Repack the backpack together. Have your child repack the bag, telling you what they will do with each item. This needs to be done the night before, not the morning of.
Color code everything related to one subject. Notebooks, folders, book covers, etc. all need to be the same color for one subject. This easy system eliminates your child’s having to think about what to take to class or take home. For example, everything science-related is red then goes to class and comes home for homework.
Take Home and Take to School Folders. These should be taped to your child’s desk(s). One quick look, by you, or the teacher(s) insures the materials are on the way to where they should be going.
Take a photo of assignments that are written on the board - phone or computer.
Call, email, and text a classmate for the assignment. This is something your child needs to do. If they are young you certainly should assist them but it’s important they do the asking.
Have one homework folder that is turned into one teacher at the start of the day. The idea is to get the homework handed in. Homework on the computer? Make the screen saver HAND IN THE ASSIGNMENT!

I am going out on a limb here and much of what we say is a lack of executive functioning in our students. This is a demand for our young children to do things their brains are not yet able to manage. Many of our youngest children have multiple teachers for academic subjects. Regardless of how cohesive a team of teachers are they do not do everything the same way, at the same time. Handing in homework is a classic problem as teachers ask for it at different times and in different ways.

What is the link between the doing and realizing success? The child with ADD/ADHD often does not see the connection between doing any of the above and overall success. Help them to see that. Whether it is having more time for choice activities at the end of the day, a small monetary reward for success, or the best option, success in school (grades), make the link repeatedly for your child.

One last tip... for school-based accommodations you may need to open your child’s IEP/504. If you’re unsure of how to approach this, please contact me at kswilson2358@gmail.com

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The Challenge of School

9/3/2019

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My oldest grandson starts back to school this week. Actually, as I write this he is off to his first day. He is in 2nd grade. The other night he shared his concern for the coming year.

We talk a lot about what is happening in his life. Not planned talks, but those lovely, unexpected, casual things that happen when you are in close proximity - but not making eye contact. He does not feel pressured to say anything so he says a lot of deep, important stuff. Thoughts and feelings that need to be stated and heard. Not necessarily things to be solved. Rather they are concerns to be acknowledged and discussed.

We sat next to one another on the sofa, he had a game system in his hand, I was looking at pictures on my phone with his younger sister. He began to share that he was nervous about going back to school. This surprised me. He is a strong student, states he loves school and has not missed a day since starting kindergarten.

Open House was successful. He got the teacher he wanted and was able to spend time with his teacher from last year. He has 7 boys in his class that are buddies of his. Best of all, George the guinea pig, will be his first classroom pet! A pet that can go home with you! So why the nerves?

When I asked why he was nervous, he told me that he was afraid that what he would have to learn this year would be hard. I told him that he was probably correct. Learning is usually difficult, at first. However, that is what learning is. It is work. Hopefully, manageable and doable work, but work nonetheless. If you already know it, it is not learning. I told him that learning takes effort.

We talked about all the things he has learned already not just the school stuff, like reading and math, but some other hard things. Everything from brushing his teeth to riding his bike, learning to swim and play soccer to eating with a fork and waiting for his turn.

As we sat there we watched his younger siblings actively learning. His 6 month old brother is learning to crawl. He moved forward, fell on his face and got up again, and again and again. Sometimes he smiled, sometimes he cried yet he kept going.

Outside, his 5 year old brother was climbing on the monkey bars, rubbing his behind after he fell off, as he too, tried and tried again. Right next to us his 3 year old sister was practicing her communicating abilities so she would be able to express more complex needs and wants. It is a struggle but she keeps trying.

None of the grown-ups in their young lives have told them to stop trying. We might want to when the task seems daunting yet we haven’t. He needed to be reminded, as all kids do, of all that they have already accomplished. How effort can make the difference.
My grandson is one of the ‘lucky’ kids who right now easily grasps academics. That is not to say the school day is easy. I am sure he wants to kick the soccer ball across the gym, because he can. He would love to show his classmates that he can scale the doorway in his classroom. He much rather run in the hallway than walk and he’d rather do it himself, then wait for someone in his group to get it done. His extra effort into controlling his energy in the school setting.

I focused on effort because effort is the only thing within his or any student’s control.

What I did not tell him is that school moves at a different pace than real life. While effort is the secret sauce of learning anything. Learning in school is often a ‘time bound’ process. He and his siblings can practice, practice and practice until they master a skill. They are not required to move on before mastery is achieved. Unfortunately, it is not how school works.

School may be the most challenging environment our children will ever be in. It is regimented, full of new stuff they do not know and are expected to learn at a predetermined place, pace and time. They are in close proximity with people all day long. Some they like and some they do not. They eat, play, work, sing, read, write, add, subtract and go to the bathroom when schedules say they should. The day is long with little relief from routine demands.

While schools can flex instruction, pace and modify learning within their framework it may not be enough to support your child’s learning even with their best efforts.

So, what is the take-away from all this? School success is based on your child’s individual efforts and their ability to do the work independently. It is vital that the school sees what your child does, independent of your efforts. Helping with homework is one thing, reteaching at home on a nightly basis is another. Endless tutoring, trainings and study sessions often mask what is really happening, or not happening for your child.

If your child is not learning as expected you must let the school see the struggle. Schools only address what they see. Worry less about grades and more about learning. Let them know what goes on outside of class in support of the school day.

In my experience as an educator and advocate, many of our most struggling children are putting in the greatest efforts to learn. Their school day is often endless, with countless hours of homework and unfinished classwork to complete. Weekends are consumed with projects that take extra time. Do not let this type of pattern become routine. It is much easier to break this pattern in 2nd grade than in 8th.

Teachers know what is happening in the classroom. You need to let them know what is happening at home. Together, you will be better able to create a learning environment that successfully supports your child.

Not sure if your efforts are too much? Reach out today for your 15 minute free call. Put your fears to rest - take action now.

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An Active Child: Do's and Dont's

The 6 Major Differences between an IEP and a 504 Plan

Organization for Your Child with ADD/ADHD... Who Decides?

The Challenge of School

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