Mayfield City School District
Parent Mentor News
January 2013
Partner *Support* Grow
Baby It’s Cold Outside!!!
With the cold weather comes cabin fever! Here are some ideas to get rid of some pent up energy and have some good old fashioned fun!
· Playground World, Chesterland (440.729.0909) Free Play M-W-F, 10-11 AM.
· Mayfield Adaptive Recreation ( 440.461.5163) mayfieldvillage.com
Activities include: Game Nights, Indoor Water Exercise, Basketball, Zumba, Ice Skating, Yoga, Music, etc.
· Lake Metroparks (440.954.4178) lakemetroparks.com
Activities include: Astronomy, winter hikes, Discovery Days, Fun Day: MLK Day Jan. 21
· Also try leapinfo.org, solonrec.org, beachwood.org, orangerec.com
New 504 Plan Policy/Procedures
Recently, the Mayfield City School District adopted a new policy regarding the district's procedures for the identification, service, and dispute resolution for students who may qualify for a plan as defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act/Americans with Disabilities Act. The policy can be found on the Mayfield website (www.mayfieldschools.org<http://www.mayfieldschools.org>). Information can be found under the Community tab/Required Postings.
Parent Resource Night for parents/families of children with disabilities. Find community resources available for you and your child.
When and Where: THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2013 7-8:30 PM, MCHI Multi-Purpose Room.
All parents of children with special needs invited! Attend and enter to win a gift certificate to Toys ‘R Us.
Focus: Autism Spectrum Disorders
~Appreciate all our different abilities, with all our strengths and challenges J.
In this month’s newsletter we are focusing on Autism Spectrum Disorder (or ASD). ASD is a neurological condition that affects 1 in 88 individuals nationwide. ASDs are also known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs), which include Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, PDD-NOS (Not Otherwise Specified), and the less common Rett’s Disorder and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. Autism Spectrum Disorder is considered a developmental disability because it affects typical brain functioning. Symptoms of ASD may include difficulties in motor coordination and attention, intellectual disability, social skill and emotional difficulties, as well as physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances. Some persons with ASD excel in visual skills, music, math and art. (Source: autismspeaks.org).
Did you know??? Individuals with ASD have strengths and challenges that vary person-to-person, existing on a spectrum. No two people with ASD are the same.
STRENGTHS MAY INCLUDE:
· An exceptionally good visual memory
· Ability to learn rote material easily
· Exceptionally good long-term memory
· Visual thinking
· Ability to take in large chunks of information quickly
· Ability to perform highly precise tasks
· Perfectionism
· Reliability in adherence to rules or schedules
· Honesty and integrity
· Extreme agility
CHALLENGES MAY INCLUDE:
· Difficulty with social skills
· Delayed speech
· Speech and language challenges (including difficulty making inferences, and understanding double meanings or sarcasm)
· Inappropriate emotional reactions
· Anxiety
· Difficulty with transitions
· Sensory Sensitivity (sensitive to lights, sounds, smells, touch, tastes, etc.)
· Fine/Gross Motor Delays. (source CT-ASRC.org)
All Mayfield Families: If you suspect your child may have an ASD, you can get a free assessment. For 0-2 yrs old, contact Help Me Grow 216-698-7500. For 3 years and above, contact Mayfield School District, at 440.995.6800. Early detection and treatment can make a difference.
Find more information about ASDs at milestones.org, CT-ASRC.org, and autismspeaks.org
Friendships: Children with Autism are more often bullied, rather than the perpetrators of violent behavior
In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, some media reports speculated that Adam Lanza, the suspect in the shootings, may have had Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of ASD). As a result, parents may want to know: are children with ASDs dangerous when they have a meltdown, and could this behavior lead to a similar tragedy in our school? The fact is, most experts agree, and studies have shown, that children and adults with Autism are more likely to be the victims of bullying behavior, rather than the perpetrators of violence.
· “There is absolutely no evidence or any reliable research that suggests a linkage between autism and planned violence,” (The Autism Society. 12-16-12.)
· “Autism is related to different ways of processing information in the brain, but not in those areas related to violence,” (Dr. Donnah Nickerson-Reti, neurodevelopmental psychiatrist in Boston, MA). Generally, people on the autism spectrum tend to be driven by rules and logic, making them highly cognizant of laws that shouldn’t be broken and taking extreme efforts not to break them, she said. (boston.com)
· “Aggression and violence in the ASD population is reactive, not preplanned and deliberate.”(Dr. Max Wiznitzer, a pediatric neurologist and autism expert at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland.) Read more: “Groups: Autism Not To Blame for Violence” (CNN, 12-17-12.)
· Because kids with autism often struggle with social interactions and language, up to 63 percent of children ages 6 to 15 with ASD have been bullied at some point. The numbers were highest for children in grades 5 through 8. (study from Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Interactive Autism Network, Spring 2012)
Q: What can Parents/Schools Do to Support Kids with ASD (or any other developmental disability)? A: A lot! Parents and Educators can do so much to support these kids, and to prevent bullying.
· Teach social skills to children with ASD in the classroom. (Mayfield teachers, counselors, and outside agencies, like PEP and Bellefaire JCB, provide this invaluable intervention.)
· Teach all parents how to teach social skills/positive behavior strategies in the home (This is achieved through Parent Mentor educational programs--- LOOK FOR THEM THIS SPRING!--and Positive Education Programs at MCHI.)
· Use programs, such as Mayfield’s PATHS program, to teach kindness and tolerance to all children (both typical and developmentally different) in the classroom.
· Teach the “hidden curriculum” (social skills we assume kids know, but may not know…like the difference between “equal” and “fair” ) to all children at teachable moments in the classroom, lunchroom, gym, BUS, and playground.
· Parents can model and expect kindness, compassion, and tolerance at home (our most important tool!)
· Educate all children, typically developing and developmentally different, about ASD and other developmental disabilities, and how to problem-solve when disputes come up.
· Reach out to a parent with a developmental disability. Don’t be afraid to ask a parent of a child with a disability for information and tips!!!
· Teach tolerance and compassion. These skills are already included in Mayfield School’s PATHS program. But it doesn’t stop there. Parents and educators can teach these skills on the anywhere, and by modeling and expecting kindness and tolerance towards each other at all times at school and at home.
· APPRECIATE AND LOVE DIFFERENCE! It makes the world more interesting!
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ABOUT THE PARENT MENTOR
I am a parent of two children in the Mayfield School System, one of whom has an identified developmental disability. I am also a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice. Every day both of my children teach me, and challenge me, to appreciate all our wonderfully different abilities.
What I Do
As Parent Mentor, I guide and assist families through the special education process. I also provide information and resources to parents and school personnel. If you have a question about the special education process, I can answer it for you or put you in touch with someone who can. The Parent Mentor project is funded through the Ohio Department of Education. For more info, go to mayfieldcityschools.org, drop down menu Parents.
When to Contact Me
· For help with planning or changing your child’s 504/IEP
· If you need help getting services for your child
· If you need a willing, compassionate ear
· For suggestions for future programming
· To join my database (for email notices about future events and programming)
How to Contact Me
Natalie A. Senra
440.995.7484