Special Education Scoop
February 2023
In This Issue
Destination Life
ECSE Corner
Speech Spot
Daily Schedule
Should I tell my child they have a learning disorder?
Assistive Technology
The Center on Disability and Development Information
Medicaid Waivers
Texas Transition Next Steps to Independence: Skills and Strategies
Resources
Important Dates
Destination Life Regional Transition Fair and Conference
ECSE Corner - Cooking with Children
Does your little one want to help you in the kitchen? Do they play with pots and pans? Or in a play kitchen? Did you know that having your young child help you in the kitchen is possible? I know I was scared when my daughter was little, but I did find ways to have her assist in a meaningful way. And, as a bonus, it helped increase her communication skills. Check out the blog below for tips on how to make it work for you and your child in the kitchen.
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/i-helped-mama-too-cooking-tiny-helper
Speech Spot
Post-secondary planning—transition after high school—should be a part of every student’s annual IEP meeting, and it is an important consideration while also working on current educational needs. A component to consider during this planning is your child’s communication strengths, challenges and post-secondary goals. Here are some questions the team and families can ask:
· What are the student’s post-secondary employment or educational goals? How will those settings differ from current academic settings? What vocational or academic specific skills will the student need to succeed in the setting?
· What successful communication skills can the student carry over to post-secondary settings? What communication skills should the student target to succeed in their desired post-secondary setting?
· What roadblocks will the student face when transitioning to their desired post-secondary setting?
· What experiences can we offer students at school and in the community to prepare them for their desired post-secondary setting?
· How will the team monitor the student’s communication progress toward reaching goals needed to successfully transition?
These questions should allow the team to develop useful goals in support of what your child wants to do after high school.
Daily Schedule
Many students with disabilities benefit from visual schedules to help them complete tasks more independently. To help your child become more independent in their morning routine, consider using the checklist schedule below. You can laminate or put this in a sheet protector. Your child can then use a dry erase marker to check off as they complete the tasks on the schedule.
Need more resources, talk to your child's teacher for help.
Should I tell my child they have a learning disorder?
By The Health News Team | July 9, 2019
All children are different and progress at their own pace. However, there are common milestones parents and caregivers watch for as a child develops through play, behavior and activity.
If there are concerns that a child is developing differently than their peers, then parents, caregivers and early childhood providers will typically monitor the child’s development. While any difference might simply be a case of a child developing at a rate slightly slower or faster than their peers, it might also be a sign that a child has:
- A learning disorder, such as dyslexia
- A developmental disorder, such as autism spectrum disorder
- A behavioral disorder, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Children with diagnosed disorders often need assistance and specialized care, instruction and services. Parents, health care providers, educators and specialists work together to find the right treatment for each child to ensure their social, emotional, physical and educational needs are met.
You have a diagnosis — now what?
Once a diagnosis is made, parents often struggle with how to discuss their child’s challenges with them. While some may want to provide their child with an abundance of knowledge about their disorder, others may worry their child will be made to feel self-conscious or treated differently if news of their diagnosis is shared.
Dr. Tonya Henderson, a board-certified pediatrician with Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group, strongly recommends that parents share a child’s diagnosis with them, but take their specific age and development into consideration when deciding exactly what and how much information to share.
“As parents, we want to protect our children and sometimes the instinct would be to shield them from knowing about a diagnosis that might make them stand out from their peers,” she says. “In my experience, children are very intuitive and observant. Often, they know something is different and a diagnosis can come as a relief because a reason for their challenges and ways to address them are identified.”
According to Dr. Henderson, the information parents share will change as a child ages and is able to understand their diagnosis in a different way. For example, you may tell a 5-year-old with dyslexia that it’s “tricky” for her brain to read, but not to do lots of other things. On the other hand, you might explain to a 16-year-old that dyslexia is a neurological condition that affects the way his brain processes information regarding phonemes (the basic sounds of speech) and graphic symbols, such as letters and numbers.
Regardless of age, fostering an environment where a child is encouraged to talk about their diagnosis or other concerns is ideal. “I always encourage good communication,” Dr. Henderson says. “Parents should reach out to their child's care team if they have questions or if their child has questions that they can’t — or don't know how to — answer.”
3 good reasons to share a child’s diagnosis with them
Dr. Henderson notes that there are many benefits to helping a child understand their diagnosis and treatment, including:
- Kids are observant — if they see concern on a parent’s face and know it pertains to them but don't have an understanding of why, then they may assume there is a reason to be afraid or that they have done something wrong. Knowing more can help relieve some of that fear.
- Children will understand why they are receiving special care and will likely be more motivated to adhere to their treatment plan.
- Children will feel comfortable enough to freely ask questions to clarify any fears or misconceptions that may arise over time.
Along with discussing their disabilities, parents must also talk to children about their strengths. It is equally important to identify role models to show that people with a similar disorder have found success and happiness — and remind them that it’s likely they will do the same one day too.
Talk with your child’s doctor if you have concerns that they are not reaching developmental milestones.
Source: https://www.sharp.com/health-news/should-i-tell-my-child-they-have-a-learning-disorder
Assistive Technology
Do you have a student who is using a form of Augmentative and Alternative Communication also known as AAC? Wanting to know more about the pages, and vocabulary, or have questions? An easy way to see some basics are by using the following sites depending on the application.
https://www.assistiveware.com/on-demand-aac-training-videos
https://us.tobiidynavox.com/pages/on-demand-training
https://touchchatapp.com/videos?category=11&page=1
https://www.assistiveware.com/on-demand-aac-training-videos
Not sure where to start? Feel free and email Kameron.davis@pfisd.net to setup any training with your students AAC device!
The Center on Disability and Development Information
The Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University would like to offer training at no cost to Texas parents and caregivers of children up to age 22 with core features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parents and caregivers will learn how to improve their child's communication skills. This service is provided by a grant project entitled Coach to Communicate (C2C), sponsored by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
The training includes a 1-hour self-paced webinar that teaches behavioral strategies to increase communication use in children with ASD. Once complete, parents can choose to be paired with a coach for a more intensive 12-week training specific to their children’s communication needs (again, at no cost to parents). Coaching is offered in English and Spanish.
Educators and service providers are also invited to complete free modules, including Coach to Communicate, to learn evidence-based strategies for autism and behavior. We currently offer webinars for over 30 different training topics. To see training modules available, enroll at https://prep.catalog.instructure.com.
We have had great experience in working with service providers and would like to develop a partnership with ISDs, schools, parent support groups, and ASD service providers to reach as many families as possible. Thank you for sharing our recruitment materials with parents, service providers, or teachers in your institution or school district. I have enclosed our recruitment materials in English and Spanish for your review. If you need hard copies of the recruitment materials or have any questions, please feel free to contact us at TAMUAuParent@tamu.edu.
Medicaid Waiver
What is a Medicaid Waiver? A Medicaid waiver allows the state to assist individuals and provide some long-term services to those with disabilities. Most of these waivers assist after adulthood, however please look at slide deck to see what waiver can provide and what are the age ranges. If an individual meets eligibility requirements, they can receive services they need in their own homes or other community settings, instead of having to go into a nursing facility or institution. You may apply and/or qualify for both Medicaid benefits, as well as Medicaid Waiver programs.
In Texas, there are several different waiver programs that offer a broad range of home and community-based services to people with disabilities and elderly citizens. There are different rules and funding amounts for each of the different waivers.
You do not need to be on Medicaid to be placed on the interest list. Most of the interest lists take years until a person is able to be considered for services. It is important to get on the interest list as early as possible.
Texas Transition Next Steps to Independence: Skills and Strategies
Resources
Important Dates
January 4 - March 10, 2023 - Third Nine Weeks
February 20, 2023 - Student HolidayMarch 4, 2023 - Destination Life Regional Transition Fair and Conference
March 13-17, 2023 - Spring Break
March 20 - May 25, 2023 - Fourth Nine Weeks
April 7, 2023 - Student/Staff Holiday (Bad Weather Day Make Up)
May 25, 2023 - Early Release/Last Day of School