SSSA Notes

September 2015

Greetings!

I hope you are all doing well. This has proven to be one long difficult month. Daniel's behavior has been extremely difficult to say the least. Lots and lots of meltdowns. As soon as he hears the word "no" or "not now". It's like a switch goes off and then he goes off. He's in puberty now and I'm praying that this doesn't continue for the next four or five years. He's been aggressive, angry, and spends quite a bit of time shouting. My dogs are particularly sensitive to Daniel's moods and I've noticed that they are spending increasing amounts of time (by their choice) in my bedroom.

I find myself being exhausted and irritable a lot of the time (maybe I'm the one in puberty. Lol). It's difficult to get anything done with all this drama going on. It's taken me five days to write this letter (I hope you like it. Lol). I'm only getting it written now because my Mom took pity on me and took him to her house for a couple of hours. Thank God for my Mom.

I wish this letter could be more upbeat. It's just that I write what I feel and today I'm not feeling all that upbeat. We have had some good experiences this month. I took Daniel go karting a couple of weeks ago. It was the first time he's ever done it by himself. My friend Teri practically had to hold my hand during the whole process. When he got off he said "i bumped into a lot of things but it was fun. I'd do it again". Maybe by the time we get through puberty I'll be able to say we "bumped into a lot of things but it was fun". Sounds like a good philosophy.......if we survive it.

Sincerely,

Kellie Penny

SSSA President

Daniel go-karting

What Should Future Teachers Know

Words I Wheel by

Emily Ladau

......This, then, leads to the first idea I'd want educators-in-training to consider. Students in special education programs are going to grow up. I know this sounds obvious to the point of almost being silly, but "special" can be the kind of thing that follows people throughout their lives. Students who have diverse academic needs still deserve to receive an education that both brings them to and meets their fullest potential. Second, the best kind of education is inclusive education. I'm not entirely denouncing programs that are targeted for students with disabilities, but all students deserve the same opportunities. Segregating students with disabilities from their peers sends the message that differences are bad, and that separation is the norm, and this is an incredibly harmful line of thinking to promote. Of course, in inclusive classrooms, differences between students of all abilities will be evident from time to time. In cases like these, I cannot stress enough the third thing I hope teachers will heed: please, please do not tokenize students or call them out in front of everyone. I can't tell you how many times teachers called unwanted attention to my disability in unnecessary ways, all the way from kindergarten through college. For instance, teachers would say things like "Everyone stand up, but you don't have to, Emily." Everyone knew I use a wheelchair and it was obvious I couldn't stand up, so why point it out? The best bet is to plan ahead to make an activity work for all of your students so it will run smoothly and you'll avoid encountering accessibility obstacles.

In This Issue

Advice for Future Teachers

Video Corner/Chicken Dance!

SSSA

Video Corner

Talented Bike Riders!

Delia Thomas Shares:

At 18 months we were told my son would probably never walk and his future was uncertain and not hopeful. Luckily we didn't listen! He not only walks but is training for a 3K Race, plays baseball and competes in Special Olympics snowshoeing, track and golf. This summer my husband went outside and was surprised when my son called down to him, "Look Dad, look at me! I can ride my bike!"

Harper during a balance bike camp this summer. Her PT set up a 6 week camp for Harper and a couple of other kids. She did wonderful!

Harper is riding her bike!

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The Real Life Struggles of Having a Big Toddler

by Erin Piccione

Both of my kids are on the tall side for their age group. My husband and myself are generally pretty tall people and I have a brother who is about 6 foot 4. Tall runs in the family so I wasn't surprised when I had lengthy kids. Everett, my 2 1/2 year old, is also pretty "muscular" for his age. He is just bigger than most of the kids his age which is why he often gets mistaken for a child much older. We've run into a few struggles regarding this in the recent months which is w hat inspired this post.

1.Diapers.

Just because my kid LOOKS like he should be out of diapers doesn't mean that he's ready to be potty trained. On the outside he may look like a 4-5 year old to you but that doesn't mean he is. The looks that I get when people think he's much older and still in diapers is astonishing.

2. Attitude. They call it the "terrible twos" and "threenager" for a reason. My toddler behaves like a toddler, a wild one at that. He really isn't old enough to know better. He's acting like most of his peers his age and not like the kids he may look like.

3. Socialization. When we go places with other children he usually gets lumped in with the older kids and then they're curious to why he can't talk like them. I've seen other parents get nervous because of his

size that he was going to "hurt" their kids. That fear is could be legit though, not because of his size, but just because the boy likes to rough-house. Ask his little sister.

4. Clothing. It's hard to find things that are long enough but

don't fall down. Seriously, the struggle is real.

Click to read on.......

Back to School

articles/websites to help parents understand the IEP

Do any of you bring donuts or pastries to your child's IEP?

How about the INDIVIDUAL in the IEP? Think about how you would want to start a meeting about yourself? For me, I would like to start it with a little sweetness and I would like to be present.

These are 2 of many things I have done differently in my son's meeting.

Have any of you heard about or seen a training about Wright's Law? Wright's Law is an excellent training for parents and professionals about the IEP process. Go to the Wright's Law Website, sign up for the newsletter. Pete and Pam Wright, co-founders and faculty at William and Mary Law Institute of Special Education Advocacy have excellent information on the Wright's Law website.

Remember, it is not about fighting the school or teachers, a collaboration has to happen or your child will lose.

Reach out to Peapods: Partners in Education Advocacy. Their website has a lot of useful information as well.

Creating an IEP for your child is a process. Going to your IEP without understanding the process makes it seem like a fight. The IEP process and meeting should not be a fight. Here are a few articles that might help you understand the IEP process: