Special Education Help for Staff & Parents, Precision Education

As we enter into 2009, I’m simply ready to explode with the information I’ve learned and gathered to pass onto the special education community. You see, for the past 13 years I’ve been able to make progress with special education teams by leading parents and staff to creative, effective solutions. Together, we didn’t rely on the minimums the law required or the changes coming to IDEA. We simply made it happen.

So in 2008 I took the time to put together all the strategies we’ve been using into a simple, easy to use plan for both parents and staff. You definitely don’t need one more thing to do, but what if I could give you tools to get things done easier?

Now, laying out the plan would be overwhelming, so you’ll be seeing things in bits and pieces to help you make a difference little by little in your child’s/student’s education. Let’s get started:

The new Monday buzz word: Integrity

Don’t you wish we all had more integrity? Or maybe we all have integrity, but nobody believes us. Integrity is strict adherence to a set of values. What are your values as your role on the special education team? Are you honest and fair to each and every person on that team? Have you fulfilled your role to the fullest to assure the child is receiving the education the need?

If we all had just a little more integrity when focusing on special education needs, the trust in the environment would build. With trust and integrity, progress for the child could be be made.

What does integrity truly look like for special education? Here are a few examples:

Parents- You’re honest about the skills you see at home from your child, you communicate openly and in a positive manner with the staff and you treat the team as you wish to be treated.

Staff- You’re honest in your accomplishments with the child, truthful data is taken and is recorded consistently. You complete your role (teacher, therapist, admin) not only at the minimum of what is required, but from the passion that drove you into this field.

Your Action: Today, take some time set your standards of integrity. Knowing what you expect of yourself and what you expect of others will set the foundation for the child’s success.

As 2008 comes to a close, I’ve taken several moments to reflect on what I’ve learned about IEP’s this year. I’ll be discussing points in detail in our January newsletter, but here’s a quick overview:

1. The IEP structure and expectations have not changed much in the past 12 years since I started as a teacher in this field.
2. I catch myself saying things to clients that my mother said when designing my brother’s education in the 80’s, not good!
3. The current generation of parents in special education have higher expectations than ever before and the system is lacking support to carry out the expectations.

Taking into consideration what I’ve learned and what has been working for clients, 2009 will be focusing on Leadership within the IEP team. Parents and Staff will have opportunities to learn new skills for IEP Design & Accountability, all while focusing on teamwork for the child.

It’s going to be an amazing year. Are you ready to come along for the ride? Opportunities will be available for parent IEP reviews, staff development and team coaching with parents and staff together. Through teleconferences, on-site visits and group workshops we will continue to make change for children in special education that only the hopeful have imagined.

Find the joy in today and everyday, but especially during the holidays. As a parent with children with special needs, you have accomplished more than many since celebrating last year. When you watch your children think about what they are doing right at that moment that they couldn’t do last year.

Is it opening presents? Staying in the room with family? Eating your family’s traditional meal? Playing with cousins? Telling you what they want for Christmas?

Whatever the moment, savor it, memorize it and then don’t forget to thank the entire team who got them there, most of all, you.

People roll their eyes or pat me on the back when I say I work with parents of children with special needs. Lawyers or traditional style advocates give me tips on how to put boundaries on the people I work with. They describe their horror stories of how they had to listen about the parents chaotic day, when all they wanted to do was talk about what needed to get done for the child’s education.

Here’s my secret. What I really think about working with parents. I LOVE it!

I have recognized that all relationships are personal. There is no such thing as a business relationship. With that perspective I can listen, enjoy and learn from a parents day and the side bar stories they tell me while we are talking about special education.

If you tell me that you can never sit down for a family dinner because of your child’s needs, I see opportunity for assisting you in creating change at home while relating the skills back to education. Your needs for your family & child can truly drive the IEP!

So next time we’re talking and you think about apologizing for the side story that you just told me. Don’t even bother. No apologies necessary. Simply keep on talking and opportunities will present themselves for a great future.

Just received notice from a client that they received word from their admin that requested changes to the IEP she/we put in writing would be fully accepted.

Step one is accomplished and now we need to get down to step two: Accountability.

We will get all the changes made officially in the IEP in 2009, but the hard part comes next, making sure they are done. Parents often ask for changes and stress about whether or not they can negotiate with the team. I never worry about the negotiation, but I do hold my breath until I see follow through.

To the administration, thank you for working over the weekend to make this happen for this family. We appreciate your efforts and look forward to many great changes in 2009. I hope you know how much your personal 10 minutes of time this weekend to send out the email meant to this family and a less stressful holiday.

Cheers,
Catherine

P.S. Are you ready to make change in 2009? Now scheduling staff & parent trainings/coaching sessions. Email us to find out how we can make daily life easier in the world of special education