HOOSIER HEARTLAND ADOPTION NEWSLETTER
Volume 3 Issue 2 September 2009
In this Issue:
Welcome!
Back to School IEP time!
An Adoption Story
INFORMATION STATION
SNAP CONTACTS:
Ann Arvidson
Pre/Post Adoption Services Specialist
317-234-4500
North West SNAP
Ivraline Applewhite
219-881-2043
North East SNAP
Krysta Young
260-458-6498
West Central
Denise Halliburton
317-232-4415
East Central
Marty Ogden
812-663-6768 ext.268
South Central
Beth Dillon
317-738-7113
South West
Brenda Stoner
812-254-0024
SNAP Program Manager
Helen Stevenson
317-234-4505
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Welcome!!!
Back to School Time - and all that it means…
As the calendar moves into autumn most of our children are heading back to school and for many of us this means a “change” for our children. Whether our children like school or not there is always some resistance to getting back into the routine after a summer where life is a little “looser.” Why do we have to go to bed while it is still light out? I need a new back pack! Buying clothes and supplies, watching ads or going to “give aways” at churches so they have what they need. Making arrangements for after school care or making sure your “latchkey” child has a good plan for staying home alone. It is exhausting just thinking about it and we haven’t started school yet!
Attending school is so important and many of us worry about how our children will make it through another grade - the pressure of doing well and behaving all day is sometimes difficult for those kids who have suffered layers of trauma in their lives. It is hard to be good at home and school both so be sure to give your kids a break when they get home and they seem a little more “off the wall” than usual. They really need a break to make the shift from school to home as many of us do after working all day.
IEP meetings are called for some kids, open houses for all, and remember one of the most important things to do is connect with the teachers your student is working with this year. You can use email which many teachers will claim “is the best way to reach me.” A notebook passed back and forth may be the best for you but, let them know what is “going on” with your youth. We don’t want to label our children or give the teachers some “self fulfilling prophesy” for the child either. Teachers must be allies in the schooling of our children so as a parent we need to align ourselves with them and, let them know we want to help. So often we complain about what they are not doing for our child - we must help them see the lens with which our child views the world and we can do this because we know them best.
Helping educators open their window of tolerance for our child’s behaviors or learning disabilities by letting them know the strategies you use at home to get things done may help and vice versa. Most importantly please recognize what a shift this is for our children. Whether it is Elementary School, Middle School, Jr. or Sr. High School there are big changes physically, emotionally and spiritually for our children. Help them make every day at school this year a great day!
Ann Arvidson, editor:
(submissions welcome!)
Back to School Time and the IEP
by
Mary Lovett, Program Specialist with IN*SOURCE
Back to school time is a busy one for all parents, but for parents of students with Individualized Educational Programs (IEPs), it can bring on downright anxiety! Did my child read enough over the summer? Did I follow any of those teacher suggestions for activities? What if they’ve forgotten everything they learned last year?! Perhaps they’ve developed some new sensory or behavior issues.
You felt fairly confident when you left the Case Conference Committee meeting last spring; the IEP you helped develop seemed solid. By the way, where is that copy of your child’s IEP?! If you’re asking yourself the above question, perhaps it’s time to get a little more organized. Most of us don’t like to admit it, but we could all use some improvement in this area. As an adoptive parent, you are probably more organized than the average parent. You know that kids need routine and structure to feel secure and build self-esteem. Some of them don’t do well without knowing what to expect each hour of the day.
Speaking of routine and structure, your student’s IEP should be specific to these as well. It’s time to get out your student’s IEP and re-familiarize yourself with it. Do you know who your child’s teacher of record (TOR) is? Having the name and phone number of this person handy is a must! This person is charged with making sure your child’s IEP is implemented as written.
Let’s examine that IEP and see if it measures up. A well-written IEP will emphasize:
· Involvement in the General Education Curriculum as much as is believed appropriate – with specified supports
· Involvement of Parents and Students in planning and implementing the plan
· Expected Results that show improvement
During a Case Conference, it’s a good idea to have a check list with you, to make sure the elements to achieve the above points are present in the discussion, and what’s written into the IEP. Some things that should be included are:
ü The student’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance
ü How much the student will participate in general education classes – and – activities
ü Measurable, annual goals that the student can be expected to accomplish within the next 12 months
ü For a student taking alternate assessments, (ISTAR in Indiana), a statement of short-term instructional objectives
ü Specific special education services/placement, and the goals to be worked on in their Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
ü Related services and supplementary aids and services which will help the student benefit from special education
ü How the IEP will be communicated with school staff who will implement it
ü A provision for attaching written opinions
Most school districts are now using ISTART 7, the Indiana Department of Education’s online version of the IEP form; it makes sure the Committee covers all of the components. It doesn’t guarantee that the best interests of the child are being pursued – only people can do that, but it does produce a draft copy that you can take away with you.
If the IEP doesn’t sound as if it’s stated in positive, outcome-oriented terms, you may want to reconvene the Case Conference Committee to discuss its contents. If the IEP appears well-written to you, give the school a couple of weeks to try it out at the start of the new school year. Don’t give it too much time; this is your child’s education, and the school year is only so long. Most kids haven’t been in school all summer; give them a chance to get back in the swing of things as well.
Find out if there have been any personnel changes over the summer; if so, you and your child need to meet these new people. Even with the same teachers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, and students they worked with the previous school year, this year will be unique. Something will be different about it, and you need to prepare your child for this inevitability.
You will definitely want to request a Case Conference if this is a transition year for your child – from preschool to kindergarten, from elementary to middle or junior high, or if your child is entering high school. Even though there was, (hopefully), much preparation last spring, a very different situation is in store for them. If there’s been a major change in your child’s life – a move from one home to another, a death in the family, a divorce, or other family trauma, you should ask for a Case Conference. You will certainly want the school to know if your child’s adoption has been finalized, or if there’s been an unexpected delay in that finalization. Anything that affects your child’s well-being will affect their education; keep the lines of communication open with the school, particularly with the teacher of record (TOR).
Keep in mind that the IEP process is a collaboration between you and school personnel; do your best to develop and maintain a working relationship with them. You may not count them among your BFFs, but you should have some mutual R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Have a good year! And for those “bumps in the road,” contact one of the Program Specialists at
INSOURCE.
Phone: (574) 234-7101
Toll-free: (800) 332-4433
Fax: (574) 234-7279
E-mail:
Online: www.insource.org
Adoption Story: “The Journey”
If you have ever flown a plane then you know that some things have changed in the service received when you are on board. It used to be where you purchased an airline ticket and were scheduled to fly during meal time then you’d be served a meal. The steward would provide you with a blanket, pillow, food, drink, and anything else they were able to provide depending on their resources. The resources have changed, but the mission has not. Now, more so than ever, with the changing of times, safety is paramount. The pilot has a single goal of flying the plane and getting everyone to the final destination safely. The stewards are charged with a single goal of caring for the passengers and tending to their needs.
I liken my experience as a foster parent to this scenario as I am the steward. I have had approximately 14 passengers (foster kids) since 2004—give or take a few as they were suppose to be “respite” and some turned into placements—their flight got delayed! Nevertheless, I have been their steward, charged with the single goal of tending to their needs. That in and of itself has presented challenges based on the wide range of needs of the current passengers. However the most difficult discipline is making sure I don’t get in the cockpit and try to fly the plane or direct the pilot!
My most recent passenger was a fragile 3 month old bundle of joy. His big brown eyes and sweet smile captivated everyone who was in his presence. This little miracle baby had endured seventeen fractures at such a young age and it was clear there was a purpose planted in his heart as he was already living it out at just 3 months old!
During our “flight” I had to remind myself I was simply the steward on the plane and not the pilot. I had fallen so in love with this little man that I didn’t even take the time to look at his ticket…sure enough, he had a connecting flight. I consulted with the “Pilot” of the plane. In all honesty, I asked Him if we really needed to honor his ticket as I’d prefer for him to stay on my flight. However, he advised that I should just trust Him as He was able to see the big picture. So He safely landed the plane so this little bundle of joy could catch his connecting flight.
When I met his forever mommy for the first time my heart was immediately filled as I was reminded of “the big picture”. This little boy and his new mommy were simply yet perfectly made for each other. What a peace to know that I had served this young man on his journey in life and how rewarding to see him make his connecting flight!
My thanks to the author, for future submissions:
INFORMATION STATION
Homework Help for Grades 6-10
For your older student who needs help with math or science 1-877- ASK -ROSE at the Rose Hulman Institute of Technology is a great service. They have textbooks from school systems all over the state and trained tutors can help your child solve that problem when you can’t!
Hours: Sunday through Thursday from 7-10 EST September – May
Students may also submit questions, find educational links, and submit questions via the Homework Hotline web site: http:www.AskRose.org
“Take a C.H.A.N.C.E. on Kids”
(Reactive Attachment Disorder Training of Trainers)
If your family sees a therapist or you are part of an LCPA please encourage them to look into the “Take a CHANCE on Kids” program that is still being offered across the State. Have your interested parties contact the Children’s Bureau website
http://www.childrensbureau.org/html/chances.cfm
Contact Sarah Hahn, Program Coordinator at the Children’s Bureau 317-545-5281 est. 230 for more information.
Scholarships to Arts Program in Indianapolis
The Indianapolis Art Center in Broad Ripple is a not for profit community arts organization that strives to make art accessible to all people and enhance peoples lives through art. The faculty are all professional artists and trained to stimulate awareness, flexibility, independence, observation, communication, courage and self-esteem in their students. They offer scholarships for both financial and one especially for children with special needs.There are classes after school and on Saturdays this Fall. Some of the benefits of the arts are feeling a sense of worth, expressing construction curiosity and exploratory behaviors, believing in a promising future with opportunities, cultivating the inquiring and problem solving habits of the mind for life long learning, and respecting diversity in a pluralistic society
There are clasees being offered this upcoming semester. If you are interested in learning more about the classes, program offerings, and scholarships contact:
Anne Minnich-Beck
Associate Director of Education
(317) 255-2464 x222
ABeck®I ndplsArtCenter. org
www.lndplsArtCenter.org
NEW BOOKS!
Heather Forbes who co-authored the first edition of Beyond Consequences, Logic and Control, has now published the second edition and it is wonderful to read the fruits of her labor. Also, her newest book Dare to Love, is a Question and Answer format full of how to handle some very difficult behaviors that our children present us. This love-based approach allows us to see our children for who they are, not their behaviors. The layers of trauma our children have suffered in their lives changed their view of the world around them. These two books give us an opportunity to “parent differently” when presented with the challenges we face as parents of adopted children. Both books are available on her website along with a plethora of other services the Beyond Consequences Institute offer: www.beyonddconsequences.com
Internet “Places”
Perspective Press has developed a blog!We're calling it "Perspectives on Challenged Family Building." You'll find it on our website www.perspectivepress.com Every few weeks one of our authors may take a turn blogging on his or her area of expertise. Readers are encouraged to post questions or comments, and the expert will provide short answers in comments or perhaps an expanded answer in a blog entryto come.
childtrauma.org Dr. Bruce Perry’s website has information, online “classes” and news for people who live and work with children who have suffered trauma in their lives. His book The Boy Who was Raised as a Dog is a MUST read for foster and adoptive parents.
Coachingfor-life.com offers 100 days of Inspiration, quarterly Eletters, and Juli’s blog. Find out what is happening and new offerings on the website.
You can find our newsletter at in.gov/dcs link to Permanency, then Adoption and all our issues of this newsletter links can be found there. PLEASE send or email this newsletter to a friend or colleague!!!
The Post Adoptive Services for your region are listed on the in.gov/dcs website under Permanency, then Adoption and look for the Statewide Services. Call Ann Arvidson at 317-234-4500 and you may email her at ann. we want to help you before your family is in crisis.
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