Parents’ Top Tips for Partnering with Your Child’s Teacher

At the beginning of the school year, every parent wonders about the new-to-you teacher. Will she understand your child’s individual learning or attention needs? Will she recognize your child’s special talents? Will this year be a successful collaboration between you and the teacher—or a struggle?
Unfortunately, there is no operating manual for your child that you can consult for easy answers to your questions. But you can learn from other parents who are experiencing the same situations. To collect helpful advice, we consulted members of our MVP (Most Valuable Parent) Research Club. These are parents who have signed up to participate in projects that help us better understand the needs of the people who visit our website.
We asked, “What tried-and-true steps or strategies have you used to foster a positive, supportive relationship with your child’s teachers?” Here are their top ten tips:

1. Help the teacher get to know your child.
2. Be collaborative.
3. Communicate, communicate, communicate!
4. Be even-tempered.
5. Put it in writing.
6. Join forces to help your child get organized.
7. Participate in the classroom.
8. Sweeten the relationship.
9. Stretch the teacher’s awareness of learning and attention problems.
10. Know your rights and responsibilities.

1. Help the teacher get to know your child.
Mark Condon says, “During the first week of school, tell the teacher about your child as a person—her likes and dislikes, strengths and weakness, general personality traits, and your vision for your child in the future. The more the teacher knows your child as a person, the better she can address your child’s specific situation.”
Debbie Penny meets with all her child’s teachers about two weeks after school starts. “I always have one or two goals for my son that I stress, like how to take notes or what to study for exams. It makes the teachers realize I am supporting my son and that together, we are partners in his learning.”
Likewise, Michelle Hall gives the teacher a list of study habits and routines she and her child follow at home, “so she knows where my daughter is coming from.”
Rhonda Jacobson also shares strategies with the teacher. “Keep the teacher informed about your child, including recent assessments, medical information, family situations—in other words, anything that will have an impact on your child's performance.”
“Above all else,” says DeEtte Wiberg, “I let them know how appreciative I am of them looking after my daughter's feelings.”

2. Be collaborative.
Patti Maddox tells us, “I have always stated at every school meeting that we are not the enemy. We look at this as a partnership, with the goal being to have our son succeed at education. We ask the teachers to tell us what we can do to assist them.”
Margaret Franco concurs. “Treat your child's teacher as part of your team. Ask him for help and strategies you can use at home with your child—then do it! Teachers appreciate it when parents do their part.”
Deborah Brownson says, “If the teacher wants to try a new strategy, I make a date in two to three weeks to see how the approach is working out. After trying their way, teachers may be more open to trying another approach.”
When the teacher alerts you to an academic or behavioral problem, Mark Condon advises, “Let the teacher know what actions you have taken with your child at home to correct these problems. It also sends a message to your child that all of you are a team that supports each other.”
Martha Randolph Carr says, “I'm very careful to pick my battles and be firm when necessary but without ever making it personal. No one wants to do a bad job, and very few teachers are truly mean-hearted. If a teacher appears overworked, I ask how we can do it together.”
But don’t concentrate solely on problems. Annette McMillian suggests, “When I see something positive happening to better my child's learning, I let the teacher know that she is doing a good job.”

3. Communicate, communicate, communicate!
Whether it’s by email, phone, notes, or in person, our parent advisors make an ongoing effort to stay in touch with their children’s teachers.
Sandy Barr says, “We communicate by email to ensure that important information, homework assignments, and project assignments are known.”
Kathy Foy also emails her son's teacher at least once a week. “With email we keep in constant contact at times that are good for both of us, with time to ask and answer questions.”
Michelle Hall says, “I make sure the teacher knows that I am open to any discussions and to contact me before a little issue becomes a big one.”
Mary Drabik adds, “Not only do I email questions and give information, I also occasionally send appropriate articles and even funny jokes.”
Carol Hudson believes that “having an open communication by way of notes and conferences with the teacher is a positive way of finding out how your child is doing in class. For example, find out what they are studying in science or history. Then talk over the homework with your child each night.”
Emilie Serratelli and her husband email, phone, and stop by for chats with the teacher periodically throughout the year. She says, “In all the communications, we reassure the teacher that she is a key player in the child's care team because she spends the most time with our child.”

4. Be even-tempered.
Mary Peitso advises, “Don't try to lay blame on anyone. Attempt to deal with the issues at hand in a non-adversarial manner.”
Amy Moore says, “Use ‘I’ sentences, not ‘You’ sentences—for example, ‘I am concerned that my child is stressing about too much homework,’ instead of ‘You give too much homework!’”
Nancy Ficaro always tries to be “as positive as I possibly can when working with my daughter’s teachers. I also let them know that I fully understand that working with a child who requires extra attention is not always easy, especially when they are trying to juggle the needs of the rest of their students.”
Pam Swayne reminds us that being “even-tempered” applies to your child, too. “When my child wants me to intervene at school, I don’t react emotionally. Instead, I have him write out a list of what he wants to talk to a teacher about. Then we both go in. He does the talking, and I support.”

5. Put it in writing.
Susan Morgan and her husband have found that the best way to partner with their daughter's teachers is “to put everything in writing and to document requests, questions, and notes. We are always well-prepared for the trimester conferences based on documentation to and from each teacher.”
Kim Klupenger also puts it in writing. “Every month, I write a brief summary of how my child is doing at home—what areas I am seeing improvement in, what we have been doing to further our mutual goals, and what struggles we have been experiencing at home.”

6. Join forces to help your child get organized.
Together, you and your child’s teachers can help your child get organized. As Robin Joslin relates, “At the beginning of the year my son's teacher established a folder method: every child has a folder in his or her backpack, so if anything needs to come home, she puts it in there and the kids don't lose things. She also checks each folder every morning for anything that has been returned. With the folder system, I know she gets my notes.”
Jana Boswell has a similar approach. “The teacher and my child keep a daily assignment book. At the end of each class my child stops by the teacher’s desk, has the teacher check what assignment she has written down, and has the teacher initial that day. It takes 15 seconds out of the teacher’s day, and it gives us something to follow at home.”

7. Participate in the classroom.
S. Barend advises, “Taking interest beyond your child helps foster a good relationship with the teacher. Nothing is a substitute for being in the classroom.”
Karen Peterson volunteers not only in her daughter's classroom, but also for her daughter’s resource teacher. “My goal is to relieve the teacher of some routine tasks, so that she has more time and energy to invest in creating ways to help my child succeed in school. I benefit greatly by being more connected to what is happening at school—especially since my daughter is so non-communicative about her day.”
Lana Baeten volunteers not only in her daughter's room, but for any teacher who needs help. “This helps me establish a relationship with the other teachers, which helps when my daughter advances to the next grade.”
One computer-savvy mother, Debbie Johnson, volunteers by using clipart to create calendars and signs they need in the classroom.
Jackie Brennan assists the teacher by making computer-generated forms, such as assignment sheets. “These efforts,” Jackie points out, “benefit all of the students.”

8. Sweeten the relationship.
Susan Weans suggests, “Show teachers that you are grateful. Buy them presents and cards. Ask them—sincerely—how they are. Give them things to pamper themselves.”
“Don't be afraid to be creative,” says Danelle Ivey, “On two occasions I recruited a few friends, and we cooked lunch for the faculty. Even if you work outside the home, you can still feel involved at school by donating serviceable outgrown school clothes or uniforms to the school for emergencies.”

9. Stretch the teacher’s awareness of learning and attention problems.
Teachers have a lot on their plates each day, especially general education teachers, who have to cover a curriculum with all kinds of learners. You can help them stretch their awareness about learning difficulties by providing them with well-researched information.
For example, Jil Lewis provides her son's teachers with “fact sheets about dyslexia and about how dyslexia impacts him specifically.”
Similarly, Danelle Ivey prepares supplemental material. “Most of the time a teacher is handed a stack of IEP papers with no background or knowledge of the child. Instead of assuming someone from the school would discuss and explain my child's IEP to the teachers, I did it myself. I explained the rationale behind certain modifications or what was meant by some of the more unusual items on the IEP.”
Adrienne Lopez says, “When you disagree with a teacher over your child’s education, it best to support your argument with facts. Many times I have emailed or printed out copies of articles from websites like SchwabLearning.org, with expert advice on helping children with learning disabilities or special needs. Many of the strategies I have suggested have helped other children in the classroom as well.”

10. Know your rights and responsibilities.
“The very best thing any parent of a child with special needs can do,” says Patti Maddox, “is learn the rules and laws that govern the schools. Find out what are the school’s responsibilities—and then make sure you understand your own responsibilities.”

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Emergency Preparedness for those with Special Needs

When Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast last year, people across the United States were horrified at the devastation that left so many people in desperate situations.

Since that time, most of us have become aware of the urgent need to prepare for a disaster. Tom Foley, CEO of the Southeastern Pennsylvania chapter of the American Red Cross, visited the Gulf Coast shortly after the storm hit. " Seeing the destruction up close was just overwhelming and really brought home the importance of preparation both for individuals and our country," said Foley. "I cannot emphasize strongly enough the need to create a plan for what families will do if they have to evacuate. Where will they meet up? Who is their emergency contact? What do they need to bring with them? For individuals with special needs, this advance planning is especially critical."

Parents and professionals can work together to determine what plans should be put in place based on the specific needs of children with special needs. Children, too, can become partners in safety when they are included in the process by helping to create "go bags," evaluating medical needs, planning for a potential evacuation, and increasing the awareness of safety issues for everyone in the family.

Go Bags
What goes in a 'go bag?' Below is a list of some information that is specifically for people who have children with special needs. For more general information on go bags, emergency preparedness, and creating a family disaster plan, contact your local Red Cross or visit the federal preparedness website at www.ready.gov. Go bags should include:

• A copy of wills that should list potential guardians if something were to happen to the parents. This and other important documents can be kept together in a water-resistant folder or envelope and then placed in a waterproof container.
• A list of the child's daily routines, including any specific instructions as well as calming techniques. Parents can also include items that will help kids keep calm (such as a stress, or squeeze, ball or a favorite book).
• An extra set of any medicines or medical supplies.
• Any special foods or feeding supplies.
• Current photos of all children to give to authorities should families become separated.
• Copies of health insurance information and identification documents.
• A first-aid kit that includes specific items that might be needed.
• Items to handle different weather conditions, such as battery-powered fans or emergency blankets. This is especially important when children's health issues make them more vulnerable to extreme temperatures.
• Any old eyeglasses or other medical equipment that can be used as backup.
• Any food needed for service animals or pets.

Medical Matters
Families can work with doctors and caregivers as well as children and the rest of the family to determine needs. Strategize together to address these concerns:

• Make a list of any medications, including dosages and any special instructions (for example, if meds should be taken on an empty stomach or if there are specific ways to get kids to take them). This information can be put into envelopes of important documents kept in the go bags and also sent to friends/family members in other states, such out-of-state family emergency contacts.
• Ask doctors whether the medicines commonly given in case of disaster (such as certain antibiotics) are advisable, given the specific conditions or medicines normally used. Find out if there are any safe alternatives.
• Plan for power outages and how that might affect giving children medications or any devices that require electricity. Where possible, purchase manually powered items or consider investing in a generator, solar panels, or adaptor to use in the car (but remember that oil may be in sort supply in a widespread disaster).
• Parents can ask the doctors treating children with special needs for a complete copy of medical records, especially if this information can be put on disk. If a doctor's computer system is not compatible, ask his/her office to paste the information into an email that can then be downloaded onto a disk from a home computer. Parents can send a copy of the disk to emergency contacts or bring the disk to appointments. They can also ask the doctor's office to email any updates. Parents should scan any complicated medical charts into their computer and print out all medical information ahead of time for emergency contacts in case it is difficult to do so during an emergency.

Evacuations

• When children with special needs are involved, it is critical for their families to plan what they will do if they need to evacuate their homes or towns. They should, among other things:
• Ask school officials about what plans they have in case of an emergency. Where are the evacuation site(s)? How will they get students to those sites? What will they do with any service animals? What preparations have they made? Can families keep go bags at the school?
• Find out the emergency plans for the town or city by visiting its website or contacting the office of emergency management and the local Red Cross chapter. If a child has very specific, very complicated health needs, ask emergency officials what to do to plan for an emergency. In some areas, families with kids with special needs can register ahead of time if they might need assistance in evacuating.
• Plan different routes in case evacuating the city or town is needed and certain roads are closed or dangerous. Keep on hand maps and directions to the houses of family and friends or shelters in other states or areas.
• Find out which hospitals and shelters are capable of treating children with particular needs in areas to which they might evacuate.
• Investigate which animal shelters or veterinary offices/hospitals might be able to care for pets if evacuation is necessary. Most shelters do not allow animals except service animals.
• Locate pharmacies in any city to which families might evacuate. This is especially important if a medication is hard to find. Find out if the pharmacy is part of a chain and, if so, how medication information can be accessed in an emergency. Ask doctors for an extra paper copy of prescriptions and/or extra medicine to keep in go bags.
• Involve children with special needs and the entire family in creating a family disaster plan. Share this information with any babysitters, caregivers or medical professionals as appropriate.
• Make sure children have identification in case families get separated during an evacuation. ?If a child is too young to speak, consider writing his/her name, birthdates, parents' names, home address, and telephone/cell number somewhere on the child's body in indelible marker,? said Nancy A. McBride, National Safety Director of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. ?The information can be removed with rubbing alcohol after the emergency is over.?
• Put responsible adults in charge of keeping track of children during an evacuation if they are likely to wander off or get lost.
• Heed any mandatory and non-mandatory evacuations and other orders issued for the area. If people do evacuate, authorities often ask that they not to return until the official okay is given.

Safety Awareness

• "We learned how important it is for children to be able to identify themselves after Hurricane Katrina," said McBride. "Teaching them their names, address, telephone number, and parents' or guardians' names should be one of the first skills they learn. They'll need this information in their daily lives, but even more importantly, should they be separated from families in a natural disaster." Parents can:
• Teach children important contact information. Children can memorize their full name, address, home phone number, name of the school, parents' names, parents' work and cell numbers, and how to reach emergency contacts. Children can be quizzed on this information periodically to make sure they remember it. Be creative in teaching this information; make learning fun by taking contact information and using it in a song or rhyming poem. Families can also use cardboard and dice to create a board game where the goal is to get home. Rolling the dice, kids could land on a space that says something like "mom's cell phone number" and have to give that number correctly in order to not have to go back a space.
• Place an index card (which can be laminated at most office supply stores) with contact information in children's backpacks or sew labels into clothes. This is important for young kids or those whose cognitive levels make memorization difficult. Even kids who know their contact information might become flustered if faced with an actual emergency.
• Take a class on first aid and safety at a local community center or through the Red Cross. If a class might be appropriate for children, sign them up. Parents can teach kids about safety and hold family safety drills, such as what to do in case of a fire. Visit the websites of the Red Cross and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to find out other ways to keep kids safe.
• Post first aid and CPR posters in the home. Parents can laminate these posters and keep them where they will be of use, such as in the kitchen.
• Learn about and reduce the safety risks in the home by eliminating fire hazards, installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, keeping poisons out of the reach of children and practicing safety drills as a family.

The best way to survive a potentially life-threatening emergency is to prepare for one. "Being prepared gives both parents and children a sense of security, as everyone will know what to do if a disaster strikes," said Foley. "There is comfort in knowing that we are doing all that we can to keep our families safe."

For more information
Contact the American Red Cross at www.redcross.org; Federal Emergency Management Agency at www.fema.gov or www.ready.gov; or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at www.ncmec.org.

Take Action
Contact local, state, and federal political representatives and urge them to do more about emergency preparedness for all citizens, including those with disabilities. To find out how to reach government officials, visit www.congress.org. People can also contact local and state offices of emergency management to share any concerns or find out what to do in case of a disaster.

Terms to Know

• Go bags are bags stocked with emergency supplies and are kept where they can be grabbed easily in an emergency. Bags can be left near the front door of the home (but if there is a concern kids might get into supplies that are potentially hazardous, keep bags out of their reach) as well as in the car and at the office. These bags should be easy to carry.
• Out-of-state family emergency contacts are friends or relatives who live in a different area and are dependable in an emergency. These contacts can be called by family members to "check in" after a disaster, as it is often easier to call out-of-state during a local crisis. Since contacts live in another state and it is not likely that area will be also be affected by a disaster, families can send -- in preparation -- copies of important documents, current photos of any children, and copies (perhaps on CD) of any important family photos that would be missed should something happen to photos at home.
• Family disaster plans are created ahead of time so that everyone in the family knows what to do if disaster strikes. These plans cover topics such as determining what emergencies are possible based on where families live, stocking emergency supplies, and planning where to meet both in the community as well as if families need to evacuate the area.

Mason, Nora. "Emergency Preparedness for Those with Special Needs." Exceptional Parent 01 May 2006. 15 Aug. 2007

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Changing Roles

Getting school district leaders to understand
By Dr. Anthony C. Hollander

I was recently asked to present to the Nassau Country Elementary Schools Principal’s Association. They wanted more information about autism in terms of both the nature of autism and the issues related to the effective management and education of autistic children in public schools. There exists several major controversies associated with district-based programs for children with autism. One issue is the expenditure of money for special education versus the gifted and talented programs. Allocation of space is another major issue. Shared space is another. A big issue is that of effective strategies and the resulting impact upon the “personality” of the school building and those that have become accustomed to such an environment. After all, how many public schools are used to screaming outbursts, or tantrums, or really weird self-stimulatory behaviors?

I began to become a bit overwhelmed with what I would present to these individuals. I certainly did not want to overwhelm them or get them to stop thinking in terms of district-based programs. On the other hand, if they were to develop such programs, I wanted them to really know what aspects of best practice they had to keep in mind in order for these programs to be more than baby sitting services.

The thought occurred to me that the more I labored over what to say to them, the more and more clear it was the principals themselves, had really no idea about the population, and, perhaps even more importantly, they had no idea about how their jobs would be radically changed over night.

There it was right in front of me. I was going to cover autism from a neuron-bio-behavioral, educational, and management aspects. This was going to be a simplistic overview of autism, however. What I really wanted to do is share with them how their role is going to change. My presentation focused on several categories of change: (1) increased need for oversight of the program; (2) increased need for interactions with the families and the children themselves; (3) increased need for an ongoing staff development program, and continuing education, and accountability, and program development and program evaluation practices, and issues of best practice; and (4) and intensified relationship with increased numbers of consultants and specialist coming in and out of their buildings every day. In other words, they would no longer be able to just principal any more.
With regard to the aspect of oversight, I asked them to sit back and envision a walkthrough of their respective buildings. Here is the short list of the issues I believed they had to become acquainted with: different curriculum structure and goals; increased noise levels; increased confusion amongst everyone from the school nurse, to teacher to even the lunchroom personnel; increased contact with problematic behavior that was part of the syndrome, and not simply an isolated event; increased need to fully understand the role of the consultant, and how to hold the consultant accountable for their respective roles; increased paperwork demands such as incident reports, bus problems not only with the child but also with bus personnel; increased need to be clear about IDEA, NCLB, IEP, CSE and building team meetings; increased need to understand special diets, medications, side effects of medication, and contacts with psychiatrists, neurologists, even chelation experts to name only three; the potential for increased contacts with CPS, and potential for increased contacts with lawyers.

Basically, everything they had been doing for years was about to be tossed upside down for them. Then, it occurred to me that they were really taking on a role more like that of the director of a mental health center. When I pointed this out to them, there was both laughter, applause, and a realization that it was exactly these issues that were causing them all to consider early retirement!

Given the short period of time I had to spend with the principals, I had to focus my comments on things that would make the process run as smoothly as possible. It was imperative that principals look forward to working collaboratively with families. I was quick to point out that families know their kids really well, and in order to help the school, people should really try to listen to what parents have to say.

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Transition to Work: Helping Teens Prepare for Typical Employer Questions

Once a young person with learning disabilities (LD) leaves school and enters the world of employment, she faces a new set of challenges. No longer can the young person count on the relative comfort of school settings where LD is understood and the necessary services planned for. Beyond the friendly confines of elementary and secondary school is a world in which the term “learning disabilities” may be familiar, but is not necessarily well understood.
Challenges typically begin on a young person’s first day on the job, but they can even come into play in the process of seeking employment. This is true across the country, despite the fact that progressive, equal opportunity legislation, namely the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has been in effect since 1992.
Because employers often don’t understand LD and relevant laws, an individual with LD must understand and be able to articulate a number of issues related to her concept of “self.” Such awareness is consistent with the expectations of adulthood, when one is supposed to become more independent and autonomous in thoughts and actions. To explain effectively the impact of her disability in an employment setting, a young person must understand and act on these three main competencies that relate to self: self-knowledge, self-disclosure, and self-advocacy.

Concepts of Self

Self-knowledge is important because a person with LD needs to have a solid understanding of her profile as a learner and as an employee. That understanding should include the type of LD she has, and how it manifests itself in a variety of tasks. She must understand her strengths and weaknesses, as well as any accommodations necessary in order for her to perform job-related tasks efficiently and effectively. Examples of workplace accommodations are using a calculator or spell checker to perform job tasks, or finding a quiet area to work.
Self-disclosure of her LD is a process that allows a young employee to broach the subject of her disability with a prospective employer, or with a current supervisor or co-worker, and explain how it affects her functioning on the job. How positively she conveys her ideas about challenges helps frame how positively others think of them in both professional and personal interactions. When a young adult discloses her LD, it can be viewed by the employer as taking a pro-active stance regarding her disability, which can instill confidence.
Self-advocacy is an ongoing process in which the person with LD makes a positive, matter-of-fact statement of her specific needs for accommodations related to her LD, in order to effectively meet a job responsibility. To make those accommodations clear to a prospective employer, a young person might describe: how co-workers or technology can support job productivity; how job tasks can be restructured so that they can be performed efficiently; or how alternate approaches to tasks can keep the disability from interfering with efficiency.
When a person with a LD has a firm understanding of these competencies related to “self,” and how they apply to her and her LD, the questions listed below should be easier to respond to in an effective and efficient manner.

Disclosing One’s Learning Disability
It should be noted that the choice to disclose one’s LD in a job setting is a very personal one. Some individuals decide not to disclose their LD because of the stigma they experienced during their school years, as well as the uncertainties of discussing LD from a personal perspective. Other young people with LD want to disclose their disability because they want to take advantage of the rights and concomitant opportunities afforded them under the ADA. No matter what choice a young adult makes, the decision is mediated by the issues of self listed above.
Without question, if a young person is to disclose her LD in an employment setting, she should be able to discuss fully the kinds of questions below, which employers typically ask. The following ten questions have been derived from years of research and scores of interviews with employers and adults with LD in employment settings. They represent the most basic ideas and concerns of employers. In addition, for each question, commentary is provided to assist a young person to frame her thinking, based on her specific LD.

Ten Typical Questions Employers Ask Applicants with Learning Problems

“What exactly is your disability?”

This basic question gets to the heart of the matter. The invisibility of LD is very perplexing for most people, including employers. In essence, if you cannot see it, how can you understand it? It can seem very abstract. The most easily understood disabilities are ones that are sensory or physical in nature. It is easier to comprehend the challenges of blindness or deafness, as well as impairments that require use of a wheelchair or crutches. Moreover, accommodations for those disabilities are easier to grasp, as well. So, it is important to be specific about one’s own LD whether it is dyslexia, auditory processing, attention deficit, memory deficit, or another disorder.

“What does the term ‘ learning disabilities’ mean?”

“Learning disabilities” (LD) is an umbrella term encompassing many issues. The term has been part of the national conversation for a good number of years, but unfortunately it’s still not well understood by the general public. The key for the young person is to know exactly what her learning disability is and be able to describe clearly to an employer how it manifests itself, and which compensations or accommodations she uses to “work around” it.

“Aren’t learning disabilities the same as mental retardation?”

A 2000 Roper-Starch poll revealed that the majority of people in this country thought learning disabilities were the same as mental retardation. But nothing could be further from the truth. Each is a cognitive disability, but the prospects for adjustment to the demands of daily life are markedly different between the two conditions. By definition, a person with LD has average to above-average intelligence. A person with mental retardation, on the other hand, has below-average intelligence and faces significant challenges in adapting her behavior to meet the demands of daily life. Consequently, the vast majority of persons with LD will engage in competitive employment, while those with mental retardation will not.

“What kinds of accommodations do you need when you work?”

Many employers are eager to be good corporate citizens, so they are willing to provide reasonable accommodations for persons with LD. However, they are not LD specialists and they must rely on employees with LD themselves to know or figure out the accommodations they need in order to perform productively at work. Accommodations might include the use of assistive technology, or the kinds of accommodations that worked for learning and testing during the young person’s school years.

“How can you be most effective and efficient in your work?”

Since all employers have an eye on productivity, they are most interested in facilitating workplace conditions that promote effectiveness and efficiency. It is the responsibility of the young person with LD to know what she does best, and under what conditions she does her best work. In addition, she needs to be fully aware of challenges to productivity caused by her learning disability so she can arrange for job accommodations. Employers seem open to new ways to accomplish tasks, but they rightfully monitor how tasks are accomplished in the workplace, in order to maintain smooth processes and procedures.

“When we train you, can you tell the trainers how you learn best?”

Employee training is commonplace in competitive employment. Change is constant, and new ways of doing things are frequently introduced to employees. Whether it is new paperwork, more advanced computer applications, or innovative sales strategies, training to update skills is important. An employee with LD is expected to participate in training and articulate her need for specific training accommodations if necessary. This knowledge is usually an extension of a young person’s understanding of how she learns best, which she probably figured out while in school. For example, she might let the employer know that she learns best by listening to training content, or by seeing a skill modeled. She might indicate that written materials work better for her when they include graphics that organize or emphasize the important points, such as bullets and boldface print.

“Can you work well with people?” “Can you work on a team?”

A lot of what happens in the workplace has social and interpersonal underpinnings. Whether interacting with colleagues and supervisors or communicating with clients and customers, social skills are very important. The learning disabilities literature is filled with research that demonstrates that, from childhood to adulthood, persons with LD demonstrate deficiencies in social skills. In employment settings this can determine whether a sale is closed, an order arrives on time, or a bottleneck in production is cleared up.

Employers are very interested in social skills, and they track them from the interview process on. It is important for an individual with LD to understand her social and communications styles and to demonstrate proficient social skills during the interview and on the job. For example, during a job interview, it is important to be able to establish rapport with the interviewer, to listen carefully, and to stay on point when responding to a question.

1. “Can you be given a lead role in a work group?”

Not surprisingly, much of the transition literature focuses on getting one’s first job. Yet once hired, an employee is often expected to eventually take the lead on some projects, which opens up the possibility of job advancement. Therefore, it is important for employees with LD to see beyond their initial job role and to envision taking the lead when asked.

“Are you an organized person?” “Can you describe your organizational style?”

Because workplace efficiency leads to greater productivity, organizational style becomes an important criterion for hiring an employee, as well as for evaluating her performance. A young person with LD should be able to articulate her style, whether in time management, task management and tracking, or meeting deadlines. The key is to know one’s style and be able to describe it in order to show how individual organizational style will mesh with the tasks or overall purposes of the business or organization.

“Can you work as well as the next person?”

When an employer asks a question like this, the challenge for the young adult with LD is to be able to hear the question behind it, without becoming upset or defensive. What employers often wonder — perhaps unconsciously — is, “Am I taking a risk in hiring this young person?” It’s up to the young adult to approach the question positively and matter-of-factly. The key is to communicate self-confidence, as a means to instill confidence in the prospective employer or boss. In order to do this, the young person must understand, be articulate about, and be able to convince the employer of, her strengths and abilities, and her knowledge of effective ways to “work around” her LD in the job setting.

Competence, Self-Awareness Key
It’s important to remember that, even if a young person brings the Americans with Disabilities Act to bear on the employment process, there is no guarantee that she will be hired. ADA is an equal opportunity law, whose purpose is to provide job applicants with LD a “level playing field.” It is not an affirmative action law. Whether the young person with LD has the qualifications to do the job (with reasonable accommodations, if needed) is the ultimate criterion for hiring her and, subsequently, for evaluating her job performance.
These questions that employers typically ask can serve as a partial “checklist” of important job search and employment skills for a young person with LD. In order to answer them effectively, young people in middle school and high school should be encouraged to think about and become competent in self-knowledge, self-disclosure, and self-advocacy, particularly in relation to their LD. They must understand and be conversant about their LD as it applies to productivity in the workplace. Young people who are able to master these competencies are more likely to be competitive in job seeking, and successful as an employee.

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How to Keep Learning Alive over the Summer

Sheldon H. Horowitz, Ed.D., is the Director of Professional Services at the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD). Prior to his arrival at NCLD in February 1996, he served as the associate director of the Learning Diagnostic Center at Schneider Children's Hospital, Long Island Jewish Medical Center (LIJMC) in New Hyde Park, NY. His publications include text reviews, chapters, and articles in the areas of fetal alcohol effects in children, language-based learning disabilities, and a monograph on disorders of hyperactivity, attention, and learning disabilities in adolescents.

Summertime is a child's big break from the school-year routine, and it offers a variety of informal opportunities for children to reinforce the learning experiences of the previous nine months. This can be particularly helpful for students with learning disabilities (LD). Summer learning can help children deepen their understanding of what they've already been taught, prepare them for the next school year, and give them opportunities to explore subjects that interest them in greater depth. It's also a great time for a child to build social skills, through sports, craft classes, slumber parties — most anything that involves interaction with other kids. So, here are a few ideas that can help parents build a rich and rewarding summer experience for a child with LD:

Everyone likes routines, and while you want to leave room for spontaneity, it's a good idea to work with your child on setting up a schedule that can help them balance activities focusing on academics with free time. And academic activities don't need to be dry — take advantage of the long hours of daylight to visit cultural sites, study nature, attend summer theater or outdoor concerts, even just studying outside during the day. In many communities, libraries and museums also plan special summer activities. You can help make these summer experiences more meaningful by finding a subject the child is interested in and planning activities that will enhance that interest. For example, if your son or daughter is interested in the environment, you could take them out to study a local wildlife habitat or wetlands, do some research at a library, let them volunteer for a local community action group, or take them to visit a natural history museum. You can also encourage them to keep a journal or scrapbook that will help them think through and organize their experiences and deepen the overall learning experience.

If your child seems receptive to something that might be a little more academic in nature, you could review skills and school subjects with them, decide which areas need work and devise a project that will help build strength in those subjects. For example, if a child needs to build strength in written communication, the two of you could work together on a summer writing project. You might go through the following steps: deciding on a topic, researching information, creating an outline, writing a rough draft, revising, and creating a finished document. Give the child feedback at each stage and, throughout the process, these steps will help the child learn more about both the process of paper-writing and organization, and allow them to learn more about a subject they enjoy, without the pressure of a grade.

Of course, the project doesn't need to be so formal, if you feel your child would do better with a little less structure. You and your child could become "pen pals" for example, exchanging letters with each other or with friends and relatives. Or try projects that might involve writing a letter to the editor of a local newspaper, or letters to favorite sports figures or celebrities, asking for a photo or an autograph. The more meaningful the project for the child, the more enthusiasm it will generate and the more interest your son or daughter will show in doing a good job and learning from the process.

Try to incorporate your child's interests into summertime family activities as much as possible and help them to explore a subject in depth. It is sometimes easier to get children who are resistant to doing school projects to complete an independent project on a subject they like, particularly if the project involves direct experience. One example could be learning more about the destination of a family vacation, particularly if the trip will be to a location rich in history — for example, a Civil War or Revolutionary War battlefield or historic Old West sites in places like New Mexico or Arizona. Activities could include: conducting library and computer research, doing background reading, visiting local art and history museums if they have relevant holdings, and perhaps creating artwork or keeping a journal. Such projects can help students put learning in context and connect learning across subject areas.

Also, have your child help out with chores around the house. A combination of tasks that call upon both the strengths and weaknesses of a child can give them the opportunity to work on different skills and to contribute to the family as a whole. Activities can include taking care of pets, tutoring siblings, taking out the garbage, cleaning up a garage or basement, mowing a lawn, painting and gardening. Remember, however, that there is no one way of doing things; allow for imperfections, and gently offer help when you think it's truly needed.

Chores can also overlap with teaching your child self-care skills. Sample tasks might include: letting them pay for purchases and asking them to count the change, having them help with the laundry, helping make dinner, and learning to shop for groceries. Demonstrate the steps involved in these tasks as explicitly as possible, particularly for children who learn best by doing.

If your child is older, consider opportunities for teenagers and older pre-teens who may be ready to volunteer in the community or to work at a paid job (and see the accompanying article by Shirley Kurnoff on summer jobs for children with LD). A summer job can really bolster feelings of competence and self-worth. Offer help and advice on managing and saving money, and on learning the social and communication skills needed to be successful in the workplace. Also, if accommodations are needed, make sure that the child can communicate his or her needs in a way that will be understood by the employer.

Of course, don't focus solely on academics. Provide children with the opportunity to learn new activities or skills during the summer months. Swimming, roller-skating, tennis, and horseback riding, for example, are activities that children with LD can enjoy without the pressure of being graded. The more skills, interests, and hobbies that children acquire, the more they realize that their self-worth is not dependent solely on academic performance.

And, most of all, have fun!

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Special Education Tips and Strategies

Right now the process of advocating for your child seems overwhelming. There are new
relationships to build, IEPs to write, meetings to go to, and inevitable conflicts to negotiate. And
then there's the challenge of your child's file. Remember as you gain experience the whole
process will seem less daunting. Here are a few pointers to help you develop your skills in some
crucial areas. Remember, there's no substitute for practice, but hopefully these quick tips will
help you get started on the right foot.

Building Relationships
Knowing how to deal with people can make all the difference in successfully negotiating for your child. Here are
some tips on how to deal with some of the more challenging individuals you might run into as you advocate:
• The job of a gatekeeper is to keep people from bothering their superiors with unnecessary questions.
Remember that they're doing their job, even when they're making your job much more difficult. .Getting
angry with them won't help. Try to present your case to them logically and be persistent. Call as many times
a you need to in order to make headway, but always be polite.
• Make sure you have yourself under control whenever you engage in a conversation with anyone at your
child's school.
• Making people feel at ease with you is an incredible skill.
• When suggesting new ideas, do not attack. Acknowledge the power and skills of the person on the other
side. Suggest that your ideas might make things go smoother, but do not insist. Be firm and confident, but
not overly aggressive.
• Listen to people who know what they're talking about, but make sure you know enough yourself to be
certain of the accuracy of their statements. If you don't know if what they've said is true, ask for some
time to research.
• Seek to maintain a business relationship with your child's school. Don't bring too much personal information
into your relationships.
• Remember that you are an outsider to the school culture. Treat it with respect. Even if you think you know
all there is to know, someone will undoubtedly surprise you.
• Many school systems feel threatened by someone who is assertive and knowledgeable. When you speak or
bring up points in writing, try to keep from threatening the knowledge or credibility of any members on
your child's team.

IEPs
IEPs (individualized education plans) are documents that plan how your child will receive a free appropriate public
education. To make your child's IEP effective, review the following as you work with your school system.
• Make sure you are familiar with Appendix A of the Federal Code of Regulations.
• Know your child's current level of performance. Use objective data, such as psychology evaluations and
tests.
• Know what specific goals and objectives, such as the exact behavior or skill, that you feel your child should
attain. For example, if your child is having trouble reading at her grade level, know exactly at what grade
level she is currently reading, her reading-level goal, and the date by when she should attain this goal. (A
good argument for having a plan!)
• Question language that is vague or unclear. For example, insist that objective measurements (like test
scores) be used to access your child's success, not teacher statements or grades.
• Review and revise your child's IEP at least once a year.
• Expect and hold the school to the agreed upon method of reporting your child's progress.

Meetings. They can be frustrating and terrifying. And yet, they can be the center of action for your child's
education. Learn to use them to the best of your advantage:
• Try to keep the conversation focused. Don't allow the meeting to derail.
• Be positive. Suggest solutions. Don't wait for someone else to come up with the next idea.
• Go to meetings with support. When both parents are present, they are more formidable and powerful
opponents. If your spouse cannot be present, enlist another family member or friend to go with you.
• Suggest tape recording the meeting. Check your state's regulations on this before suggesting it to the
school.
• Treat everyone in the room, including yourself, with respect.
• Make eye contact.
• Don't let yourself be rushed or bulldozed if you are running out of time. You can always schedule another
meeting.
• Always debrief after the meeting. Write down what you remember, including key points and important
resolutions. Add your own opinions. Do this immediately.
• Write a thank you. Use it not only to thank the school for their time and concern, but also as an opportunity
to reiterate any open issues and key decisions.

Resolving Conflicts
Negotiating with your child's school is not always easy. Here are a few
pointers that might help you get what you want without making enemies.
• Don't forget that in a lot of conflicts, both sides can be right.
• Keep in mind that many school systems fear the expense of special education programs.
• Try to see your requests from their side. Ask yourself how you and your child appear to the school. How
can you bring both views into line?
• Always approach conflict with civility and respect for the person on the other side. Never seek to blame or
find fault. Do not speak with scorn.
• Ask lots of questions so that you can understand the point of view from the other side. This will help you
find solutions advantageous to both sides.
• Try to make your child seem as "real" as possible. Tell about your experiences with your child as a way to
help people understand what your child really needs.
• Compromise may be the key to getting most of what you want, even if you can't get all of what you want. (A
good argument for making a plan that prioritizes what you want for your child.)
• Keep a paper trail. Even though litigation is never anyone's first choice, being prepared for it can save you a
lot of trouble later.

The FILE
The most important thing you can do in your efforts as an advocate is to keep records. And to keep them
organized. Documentation is the only way you can truly know the progress your child is making and the way he is
being treated by the school system. Documentation is also the only way you'll be able to convince your child's team
of the validity of your child's needs. When you develop your child's file, keep the following pointers in mind:
• Keep a list of all the people who have ever seen your child for whatever reason. You can organize your list
by services, for example, medical, psychological, etc. You can even be more detailed if your child has
particular needs by organizing by specialty, for example, ophthalmology.
• Get a complete record of all your child's medical files. You usually need to send a written request.
• Get a complete record of your child's educational files. Again, you usually need to send a written request.
• Make copies. Never give your originals to anyone.
• Date all documents and file them in chronological order. This makes accessibility easy. You don't have to
remember the name of the doctor, clinic, or school.
• If you make notes (like dating) on your documents, use pencil.
• Use a three-ring notebook, so that you can easily add or access documents.
• Create a table of contents so that you know what you have.
• Add new information to your file immediately.

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Dysgraphia — Learning Disabilities in Writing

What is dysgraphia?

Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing abilities. It can manifest itself as difficulties with spelling, poor handwriting and trouble putting thoughts on paper. Because writing requires a complex set of motor and information processing skills, saying a student has dysgraphia is not sufficient. A student with disorders in written expression will benefit from specific accommodations in the learning environment, as well as additional practice learning the skills required to be an accomplished writer.

What are the warning signs of dysgraphia?

Just having bad handwriting doesn't mean a person has dysgraphia. Since dysgraphia is a processing disorder, difficulties can change throughout a lifetime. However since writing is a developmental process — children learn the motor skills needed to write, while learning the thinking skills needed to communicate on paper — difficulties can also overlap.

If a person has trouble in any of the areas below, additional help may be beneficial.

Tight, awkward pencil grip and body position
Illegible handwriting
Avoiding writing or drawing tasks
Tiring quickly while writing
Saying words out loud while writing
Unfinished or omitted words in sentences
Difficulty organizing thoughts on paper
Difficulty with syntax structure and grammar
Large gap between written ideas and understanding demonstrated through speech.

What strategies can help?

There are many ways to help a person with dysgraphia achieve success. Generally strategies fall into three categories:

Accommodations: providing alternatives to written expression
Modifications: changing expectations or tasks to minimize or avoid the area of weakness
Remediation: providing instruction for improving handwriting and writing skills
Each type of strategy should be considered when planning instruction and support. A person with dysgraphia will benefit from help from both specialists and those who are closest to the person. Finding the most beneficial type of support is a process of trying different ideas and openly exchanging thoughts on what works best.

Below are some examples of how to teach individuals with dysgraphia to overcome some of their difficulties with written expression.

Early Writers

Use paper with raised lines for a sensory guide to staying within the lines.
Try different pens and pencils to find one that's most comfortable.
Practice writing letters and numbers in the air with big arm movements to improve motor memory of these important shapes. Also practice letters and numbers with smaller hand or finger motions.
Encourage proper grip, posture and paper positioning for writing. It's important to reinforce this early as it's difficult for students to unlearn bad habits later on.
Use multi-sensory techniques for learning letters, shapes and numbers. For example, speaking through motor sequences, such as "b" is "big stick down, circle away from my body."
Introduce a word processor on a computer early; however do not eliminate handwriting for the child. While typing can make it easier to write by alleviating the frustration of forming letters, handwriting is a vital part of a person's ability to function in the world.
Be patient and positive, encourage practice and praise effort — becoming a good writer takes time and practice.
Young Students

Allow use of print or cursive — whichever is more comfortable.
Use large graph paper for math calculation to keep columns and rows organized.
Allow extra time for writing assignments.
Begin writing assignments creatively with drawing, or speaking ideas into a tape recorder
Alternate focus of writing assignments — put the emphasis on some for neatness and spelling, others for grammar or organization of ideas.
Explicitly teach different types of writing — expository and personal essays, short stories, poems, etc.
Do not judge timed assignments on neatness and spelling.
Have students proofread work after a delay — it's easier to see mistakes after a break.
Help students create a checklist for editing work — spelling, neatness, grammar, syntax, clear progression of ideas, etc.
Encourage use of a spell checker — speaking spell checkers are available for handwritten work
Reduce amount of copying; instead, focus on writing original answers and ideas
Have student complete tasks in small steps instead of all at once.
Find alternative means of assessing knowledge, such as oral reports or visual projects
Encourage practice through low-stress opportunities for writing such as letters, a diary, making household lists or keeping track of sports teams.
Teenagers & Adults

Provide tape recorders to supplement note taking and to prepare for writing assignments.
Create a step-by-step plan that breaks writing assignments into small tasks (see below).
When organizing writing projects, create a list of keywords that will be useful.
Provide clear, constructive feedback on the quality of work, explaining both the strengths and weaknesses of the project, commenting on the structure as well as the information that is included.
Use assistive technology such as voice-activated software if the mechanical aspects of writing remain a major hurdle.
Many of these tips can be used by all age groups. It is never too early or too late to reinforce the skills needed to be a good writer.

Though teachers and employers are required by law to make "reasonable accommodations" for individuals with learning disabilities, they may not be aware of how to help. Speak to them about dysgraphia, and explain the challenges you face as a result of your learning disability.

How to Approach Writing Assignments

Plan your paper
Pull together your ideas and consider how you want them in your writing.
Organize your thoughts and ideas
Create an outline or graphic organizer to be sure you've included all your ideas.
Make a list of key thoughts and words you will want to use in your paper.
Write a draft
This first draft should focus on getting your ideas on paper — don't worry about making spelling or grammar errors. Using a computer is helpful because it will be easier to edit later on.
Edit your work
Check your work for proper spelling, grammar and syntax; use a spell checker if necessary.
Edit your paper to elaborate and enhance content — a thesaurus is helpful for finding different ways to make your point.
Revise your work, producing a final draft
Rewrite your work into a final draft.
Be sure to read it one last time before submitting it.
National Center For Learn. "Dysgraphia - Learning Disabilities in Writing." Schwab Learning. 2003. 03 Nov. 2005

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