A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Throughout the United States, co-teaching has silently become a major model for delivering instruction to special-education students in general education classes. The model pairs a general education teacher with a special education teacher.

Although co-teaching has great promise for helping special-education students, it also has many pitfalls. And the research examining its ability to improve students’ academics is in its infancy; in other words, we have little proof that it dramatically improves academics.

To address many of the issues in co-teaching, Drs. Gloria Lodato Wilson and Joan Blednick have authored a brief, clearly written, insightful book for teachers, administrators, and parents that examines the pitfalls and promises of co-teaching. Especially important for parents is chapter 10, Addressing Parent and Student Issues. In a question and answer format, it asks and answers the following questions:

• What are some of the concerns of parents regarding the co-taught classroom?
• Which co-teacher does the parent of a special-education student contact?
• What kind of homework demands are appropriate for students in a co-taught inclusive class?
• Should parents of children with special needs join both SEPTA [Special Education Parent-Teacher Association] and PTA?
• Are students with special needs accepted by their peers in a co-teaching environment?
• Are students with special needs stigmatized in inclusive classrooms?
• How are the needs of the general education students met in an inclusive setting?
• What do students think of co-teaching?
• How do teachers respond when students ask why there are two teachers in the classroom?

If your child is in a co-taught classroom, I urge you to read this book in its entirety. The reasons are simple: the more you know about co-teaching, the better you’ll be able to influence your child’s IEP and work cooperatively with his teachers. In addition, knowledge of co-teaching will help you determine if it’s progressing as it should and if it’s likely to benefit your child.

To hear Drs. Wilson and Blednick discuss co-teaching’s promises and pitfalls, listen to our radio show this coming Monday, 1/30/12 at 9 PM EST. Below you’ll find the needed information.

Reference

Wilson, G. L., & Blednick, J. (2011). Teaching in Tandem: Effective Co-Teaching in the Inclusive Classroom. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

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 To Help Children: The Special Needs Talk Radio Network

The Special Needs Talk Radio network is dedicated to helping parents and teachers help children with special needs. For a description and schedule of its six shows, go to http://specialneedstalkradio.com.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

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 Monday’s Radio Show

Co-Teaching: Promises and Pitfalls

• When: Monday, 1/30/2012, 9 – 9:30 PM EST

• Where: http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential
• Guest: Drs. Gloria Lodato Wilson and Joan Blednick

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 Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds

(www.reading2008.com)

PsychologyToday.com wrote that Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds was one of the three “best books about education published in 2010. Recommend [it] to your friends.” On our blog, an English teacher and author wrote that Beating the Odds “is one of the best books, if not the best book on education published this year.”  A Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism called it “a great book.” A parent wrote, “Your Reading Disabilities book is by far the best resource I have found regarding the IEP and IDEA and providing understandable and concrete suggestions and implementation strategies.” Another wrote, your book is “fascinating and effective.” On Amazon, a professor of special education called it “a fantastic resource… well-written, practical… an essential guide.”

The KansasCityExaminer.com cited our blog as one of the ten best special needs blogs of 2010. The Coffee Klatch awarded it a Coffee Klatch emblem, signifying excellence.

We thank these and many other reviewers for their kind words. And we hope that our book and blog helps lots of children, parents, teachers, IEP Team members, and schools. It’s why we keep plugging away. – HM & GB

I. M. Greedy

I know there are some good charter schools run by honest do-gooders who help kids. Just look at the KIPP schools and the Harlem Children’s Zone. Good for them. Hooray. Whoopee. But they don’t want what we want: money, money, and lots more money.  So, if you want wealth, if you want lots of free taxpayer money, join me.

Look, I took a few college courses. Didn’t like college. Never came close to graduating, but in the charter world, that’s unimportant. So, how can we make millions of dollars in education without knowing much about education or spending much of our own money? I have the answer, a plan that will make us look like good Samaritans, do-gooders, and make us rich. Hear that cash-register: Ker-ching! It’s simple: Let the state pay for our private schools—opps, our publicly-funded (and poorly regulated) charter schools.

Here’s my seven point plan. Let’s do what people in other states have done in bits and pieces. But here, we’ll do it all.

1. I’ll come up with a fancy name and idealistic image for our charters. Perhaps the name will include smart-sounding words like cooperative learning or self-efficacy or aesthetic appreciation or social-emotional intelligence. Who knows? I don’t know what these words mean, but they’re impressive, they’ll get us  $$$$$, lots of $$$$$.  As long as I come up with a good name that tugs at the heart of desperate parents and unemployed or young idealistic teachers, we’ll get plenty of students. And I’ll hire retired principals with doctorates, on the cheap, to give us credibility and protect us from state certification requirements. Retired principals may come and go, but they’re cheap and they look good.
2. I’ll hire teachers at low, low salaries. With all the slashing of school budgets, teacher firings headlining the news, and the pie-in-the-sky idealism of teachers, I’ll pay them quarters, not dollars. This is so easy that easy is too difficult a word. Yeah, that’s business. Ker-ching!
3. I’ll write a proposal to get the state to give us plenty of money for each student we accept into our charters. The typical reimbursement to charters of 90% of public school costs plus transportation is fine if each kid costs us only 50%. This gives us 40% free money. Ker-ching! With the massive greed and dominating ideology of politicians and the governor’s desire to starve old-fashioned public schools and make people hate them, and publicly fund free-enterprise charters, writing a proposal in this political climate will be easy. All I have to do is say the right things. We don’t have to do them, at least not soon. The name of the game isn’t reality; it’s Look-Good Public Relations.
4. I’ll establish three or four dummy corporations from which we’ll buy supplies, take trips, and pay rent. Just think of the profit we can make if the charters buy pencils from one of our dummy corporations at $5 a dozen, instead of the local 99¢ a dozen. Even better, as the charters’ Executive Director, at $563,000 annually, I’ll contract with our dummy travel corporation for deals we could get elsewhere at half the price. For $25,000 a month, our dummy real estate corporation will rent us buildings that should cost $2000 a month. Better yet, make rent $60,000 a month. It’s all legal. All approved by you as a member of our charter “community” board. No doubt about it, I’m a genius. Ker-ching! And you’ll get rich.
5. I’ll absolutely accept kids with disabilities or learning problems into our charters. The law requires it and we can get lots of sympathy pictures. No one will fault us for this, no one. And of course, very quietly but persistently we’ll force many of these kids back to the public schools.Yeah, for legality and public relations, we’ll keep a few. I’m not mean, but I know the three rules of business: profits first, profits second, profits always. Educating lots of kids with disabilities will destroy our test scores and cost too much. Let the old public schools pay for these kids. Case closed. Sayonara kids.
6. I’ll get plenty of publicity for all our charters’ wonderful achievements—real or not. Maybe I’ll get the governor to give our charters a great award and pose for pictures with us. He loves pictures celebrating success—his success. Like anyone’s really going to dig deep to check the claims in our press releases. Checking is too expensive, and if necessary, we can argue that student records are confidential. (Thank you privacy advocates.) And without whistle blowers, charter stories are boring–no good pictures; TV needs videos of fires or of old ladies getting mugged.
7. I’ll let the charters buy a private jet to fly us around the country to publicize our miracles. We’ll be famous, we’ll be esteemed, we’ll be gurus, we’ll be regulars on TV. No doubt about it—we’ll be rich. And the public and the kids? Sorry guys—smart people know life ain’t fair. Ker-ching!

Many people are afraid of using charters to get wealthy. Newspaper stories about the charter indictments in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and other states scare them. But we’re bolder, smarter, more knowledgeable about how the system works. Don’t worry. We won’t rip-off the state. Heck, the state is our golden goose. We’ll change the laws, not break them. We’ll work with politicians to make loose laws. And we’ll give them great-sounding, easy to remember talking points. Here’s one: Charters need lots of freedom to innovate. And we’ll get rich—Ker-ching!

Don’t believe we can do this? Look at the Michigan legislature. They’re unleashing charter and virtual schools. Forget the research—charters and virtuals everywhere. This week’s Washington Post says Michigan’s charter bills have very little, if any, quality controls. Just about anything goes. Smile: Lobbying and ideology always win. Ker-ching!

So, want to join the charter gravy chain? For a penny-pinching investment of $33,300, you’ll get 3% of the action. You’ll be an educational reformer. An innovative do-gooder. The public will love you. As the old public schools starve, taxpayers will love charters. At least until we get rich. Ker-ching!

Sincerely,

I. M. Greedy (My Pseudonym)

Huckster Town, USA

Link.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/michigans-embarrassing-school-reform-legislation/2011/11/22/gIQAwaQNwN_blog.html

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

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 To Help Children: The Special Needs Talk Radio Network

The Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

  Monday’s Show (11/28/2011): Monitoring Your Child’s Academic Progress

• When: Monday, November 28, 2011, 9 – 9:30 PM EST
• Where: http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential
• Guest: Dr. Erica Lembke, University of Missouri

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 Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds

(www.reading2008.com)

PsychologyToday.com wrote that Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds was one of the three “best books about education published in 2010. Recommend [it] to your friends.” On our blog, an English teacher and author wrote that Beating the Odds “is one of the best books, if not the best book on education published this year.”  A Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism called it “a great book.” A parent wrote, “Your Reading Disabilities book is by far the best resource I have found regarding the IEP and IDEA and providing understandable and concrete suggestions and implementation strategies.” Another wrote, your book is “fascinating and effective.” On Amazon, a professor of special education called it “a fantastic resource… well-written, practical… an essential guide.”

The KansasCityExaminer.com cited our blog as one of the ten best special needs blogs of 2010. The Coffee Klatch awarded it a Coffee Klatch emblem, signifying excellence.

We thank these and many other reviewers for their kind words. And we hope that our book and blog helps lots of children, parents, teachers, IEP Team members, and schools. It’s why we keep plugging away. – HM & GB

Origins of Sensory Integration in Occupational Therapy Practice

By Susan N. Schriber Orloff, OTR/L

I get a lot of phone calls with parents asking, “Can you give my child sensory integration therapy, the teacher thinks he/she needs it?”  The question never fails to take me off guard.  Can I “provide it” yes, but when I say I need to evaluate the child first, parents hesitate: cost, time, “stress” on the child, and the like.

So I think it is important to share the history of sensory integration, where it came from and what it can and cannot do.

Today’s new therapists bring a fresh, new outlook, with advanced theories that “old-timers” like me are readily putting into practice. But I do have one advantage: having been an OT for more than 35 years gives me a special historical perspective.

Learning about occupational therapy in now-extinct “curative workshops” and working in state psychiatric facilities put me in a unique position to see the term and the theory of sensory integration being “born.”

Sensory Integration was revolutionary. For the first time, an occupational therapist, and a woman no less, was talking about neurology with the “big guys.” And there was then, as there is today, an enormous amount of skepticism.

Meeting Jean Ayres, PhD, the founder of SI theory and practice, was an experience. Her towering, bold theories emerged from a slight, soft-spoken and intensely shy woman. She was talking at a time when women were seen and not heard in the business or medical communities outside of nursing.

But she just went on putting herself in these all-male bastions of knowledge and repeating her message: The sensory system modulates and in a large part controls and dictates our motor and emotional reactions and actions. To quote Dr. Ayres exactly, she stated that hers was “…neurobehavioral theory…not fact, but a guide for action… supported by factual data and selected and interpreted in a manner that has been found helpful in hypothesizing about neurobehavioral events.”

She was, one might argue, the first occupational therapist to try to incorporate “evidenced-based practice” into occupational therapy treatment.

This guide for action is what sensory-based occupational therapy is. But it requires that the child and the therapist get on the “same page” and that requires an assessment of basic neuro-motor skills. Then goals can be established so that the program guides the child to a higher level of functional capacities.

In all the years that I knew her and trained with her direct “disciples” such as Ginny Scardina, OTR; Yvonne Norton, MS, OTR; and others, I never heard anyone say that they had “the answer” or “the only viable treatment method” for working with children. What Ayres did say, in more ways than one, was “if you can’t explain it, you shouldn’t be doing it.” That, in and of itself, changed not just the OT practitioner, but the OT educator as well.

So after a comprehensive discovery of the developmental issues, the individualized guide can be written. But it is a fluid document, not “carved in stone”. It should change and the child changes.

Children learn best through play and there is a lot of research to substantiate that how we run is how we read. And OT helps children run and play productively.

Susan N. Schriber Orloff, OTR/L, is the author of Learning Re-enabled, a guide for parents, teachers and therapists. The book is featured by the National Education Association. She also writes “Ask the Therapist,” a column in Exceptional Parent magazine, and is CEO and executive director of Children’s Special Services, LLC, an occupational therapy service for children with developmental and learning delays in Atlanta, GA. She can be reached on the Web at www.childrens-services.com or at sorloffotr@aol.com.

From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Linda Aragoni’s Interview of Howard Margolis

Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds was named one of 2010′s three best books about education by PsychologyToday.com. The book blends the reading and special education expertise of author Howard Margolis, Ed.D., with the educational psychology expertise of Gary G. Brannigan, Ph.D.

Although written for parents of children with reading or other learning disabilities, the book is one I recommend to writing teachers. As the sticky notes in my copy shown above attest, the book is one that gave me new insights into the reading-writing connection.

I asked Howard Margolis about some topics discussed in detail in Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds.

As a practical matter, how do you think teachers should define disability? Do we have to have a clinical diagnosis before we attempt to intervene?

Howard: A clinical diagnosis is not needed. Instead, teachers need to know what the student can and cannot do easily and what they need to do to help him learn what he struggles with.

In other words, if the student appears to be struggling, the teacher should focus on the struggle.

Howard: Teachers should do what they can to eliminate the struggle. First, they need to identify what’s important for the child to learn. Then, they need to figure out how they can successfully teach this to the child the next time they meet. This may mean analyzing what’s important into smaller tasks. The key is to make it easy for the child to successfully learn what’s important.

Knowing what learners struggle with ties in to one of the ideas that intrigued me in your book: the three levels of reading difficulty. Could you explain those three levels.

Howard: At the instructional level, teachers work directly with children—they instruct them directly. Teachers believe that if children make a moderate effort to succeed with materials at this level, they will, and they’ll feel satisfied. Children also believe they can succeed with materials at this level.

Anything easier is independent level material for children to work on by themselves.

Anything harder is frustration level material; too many materials at this level overwhelm children and cause burn out.

Is that why you say a struggling reader can’t improve by reading difficult material?

Howard: Occasionally, a struggling reader can handle difficult material if he’s strongly interested in the topic and has a good background. But struggling readers can’t handle lots of difficult materials. Again, too many difficult materials overwhelm and frustrate struggling readers.

You say struggling readers must become fluent readers or they won’t become proficient. What do you mean by that?

Howard: Slow, laborious reading is not fun. Children who read this way tend to avoid reading.

Moreover, slow, laborious reading interferes with comprehension. So much of a child’s mental resources are devoted to word recognition that comprehension and the joy of reading are lost.

I think a similar case could be made that teens and adults need to develop fluency in the writing process or they don’t become proficient writers.

Howard: I agree. To become a fluent reader requires a child to do lots of reading. Similarly, to become a fluent writer requires a teen or an adult to do lots of writing.

Another emphasis in your book is the importance of teaching explicit strategies. What do you mean by explicit strategies, and why are they important for youngsters who have reading disabilities?

Howard: A strategy tells youngsters what to do when. Simple strategies reduce confusion and make learning easier. For example, the RAP strategy: Read the paragraph, Ask what is the main idea, Put it and two supporting details on paper.

Are strategies good only for students with reading disabilities or other learning problems? Do they have value for those without disabilities?

Howard: Mastering strategies can help lots of students. If, however, students are very good at doing something, they’ve probably developed their own strategy and don’t need another one. They’re achieving what they need to. In other words, a strategy is a means to an end and they’ve achieved the end without needing the teacher’s strategy.

Writing teachers sometimes tell me that teaching strategies takes the fun out of writing. Do you get the same comment from reading teachers?

Howard: No. If teachers are enthusiastic about a strategy, if they breathe life and interest into it, if they show students how the strategy will help them achieve something the students believe is important, and if the students are interested in what they’re reading and writing, they’ll probably find the work fun and the strategy a satisfying means to an end.

I suspect the teachers who tell me strategies take the fun out of writing were not very enthusiastic about them to begin with.

Thank you for sharing your insights about teaching students with reading disabilities with You-Can-Teach-Writing visitors. I enjoyed picking your brain.

Source: http://www.you-can-teach-writing.com/reading-disabilities.html

For an excellent website on writing, visit Linda Aragoni’s website:  http://www.you-can-teach-writing.com/

 YOU CAN TEACH WRITING:

RESOURCES AND STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING

EXPOSITORY WRITING IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND BEYOND

The Special Needs Talk Radio Network: It’s On The Air

The Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

Next Monday’s Show: Reading Disabilities

As many parents, teachers, and children know, reading disabilities can emotionally devastate children and frustrate academic success. It can destroy potential. To address this problem, Dr. Nancy Padak of Kent State University will talk about Helping Children Overcome Reading Problems.

When: Monday, October 31, 2011, 9 – 9:30 PM EST (Yup: the 31st is Halloween)

Where: http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential

If possible, also look at the Special Needs Talk Radio’s website (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/). See how its many experts can help you help the children and youth you care about.

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

On Saturday, The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) reported:

The Upper Arlington school district failed several dyslexic students, and broke federal education laws, because it refused to test children for disabilities and help them learn to read, a state investigation found. District officials, however, deny the state’s findings.

…. According to the complaint, officials refused to acknowledge that students had dyslexia and put them in remedial reading classes that weren’t designed for those with the reading disability.

…. “We struggled through the system with our daughter for three years and had to become experts in order to prove to the district that our child, in fact, did have a learning disability,” Doug Shanks, one of the parents, said in an interview.

…. Problems with identifying dyslexic students are common in suburban districts, said Earl Oremus, headmaster at Marburn Academy, a Columbus private school that serves students with dyslexia and learning disorders. He said districts often try remedial reading programs that don’t help dyslexic students before acknowledging the disability. “The longer you wait to intervene, the more damage occurs to the child,” he said.

For the full newspaper story, go to http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/09/24/ua-schools-broke-law-on-testing-state-finds.html.

In this era of draconian budget cuts, invisible disabilities, like reading disabilities and other learning disabilities, may well be ignored. Eligibility and Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams may be overwhelmed by the increasing number of students they have to serve, the lack of reading specialists, depleted teaching staffs, inadequate budgets for staff-and-teacher-training, stresses created by larger classes, the retirements of many experienced teachers and administrators, administrative pressures, and a host of other forces. Thus, children with reading and other learning disabilities need knowledgeable parents to respectfully and persistently advocate for their needs. You can find a wealth of information on special education laws, problem solving, and advocacy strategies in chapter 7 through 13 of Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds (www.reading2008.com,http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Disabilities-Beating-Howard-Margolis/dp/0615279007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287371499&sr=1-1).

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

howard@reading2008.com

www.reading2008.com

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The Special Needs Talk Radio Network: It’s On The Air

The new Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/ ) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

On Monday, September 26th, our guest will be Dr. Richard Selznick, Director of the Cooper University Hospital Learning Center. If your child struggles in school, if he’s a “shut-down” learner, Dr. Selznick will offer insight and practical tips for motivating and helping him.

Over the next few months, our guests will include:

• Dr. John Pellitteri, City University of New York, Strengthening Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence
• Dr. Tim Rasinski, Kent State University, Overcoming Problems of Reading Fluency
• Dr. Nancy Padak, Kent State University, Helping Your Children Overcome Reading Problems
• Dr. Richard Boon, University of Georgia, Helping Teenagers Improve Their Reading
• Dr. Erica Lembke, University of Missouri, Monitoring Your Child’s Progress
• Dr. Patrick McCabe, Mercy College, Developing the Confidence of Struggling Learners
• Staci Greenwald, Special Education Attorney, The Pro’s and Con’s of Public and Private School Programs
• Dr. J. Richard Gentry, Educational Consultant, Raising Confident Readers: Birth and Beyond
• Dr. Annmarie Urso, State University of New York at Geneseo, How Response-To-Intervention ( RTI) Can Unlock Your Child’s Potential

If possible, look at the Special Needs Talk Radio’s website (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/). See how its many experts can help you help the children and youth you care about.

• Listen to Maximizing Your Child’s Potential
• Mondays, 9 PM to 9:30 PM EST
• At http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential

Tonight (9/12/2011), learn about RIIFF – an easy, practical way to help children at home.

 Why Can’t We Be Friends?

Guest Post by Kathryn Burke

Executive Director

Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta

Alberta, Canada

Some memories are so vivid it almost seems like a DVD is being played in your brain when they are being recalled. The memory I want to share is like that for me – so vivid I am still able to recall everything from the smell of the room to the buzz of the fluorescent lights.

It happened a little over five years ago. It was a Saturday morning before a public lecture on the human rights of children with disabilities. I remember looking around the room and feeling somewhat smug. I figured an email notice I had sent out about the lecture was responsible for the attendance of a number of people. I had assembled an email list of people with an interest in special education and used it to send out notices that could appeal to the group, like the human rights lecture.

A parent from my son’s school, who had not heard about the lecture from me, came to greet me and ask if I could put her name on the “special education distribution list.” Another woman overheard our discussion and asked about the list, how it had started, and if she could join. I told her that I had assembled the email list from the names of individuals who had been present at events organized by the Parent Council at my son’s school, of which I was a member of the executive. I explained that the school was a specialized site within the public system for students with learning disabilities. Upon hearing this, the woman looked at me with a level of disgust as if I had grown horns, and loudly said, “I will have absolutely nothing to do with people who believe that children with disabilities should be segregated!”

I was momentarily stunned and silent. I was also overcome with a tsunami of feelings. A person had insinuated herself into a conversation I was having with another and then had done the verbal equivalent of giving me a full body slam. I was a parent simply doing the best for my son and along the way, trying to help other families and children. I felt then, as I still do now, that I did not deserve the treatment I received. My typical reaction would have been to simply walk away or ignore the woman’s comment. But that day, I acted out of character. I quietly but firmly replied: “I have two children with exceptional learning needs. One is in an inclusive setting and the other is in a specialized environment. I am married to a man who has a spinal cord injury. I know what it is like to live with people with disabilities. Just a few weeks ago, I sat in the Minister of Education’s office advocating for families like yours – for the need to increase funding for students with disabilities in all educational venues. You have the audacity to question me about the decisions I have made for my children. You know nothing about my morals or my ethics. You know absolutely nothing about me.”

The woman to whom I had directed my comments was stunned into silence. But she was then quick to back track and apologize, saying she did not mean to be insulting. I accepted her apology. I learned her daughter, impacted by both physical and learning challenges, was in an inclusive educational setting. There were problems – problems that ranged from other parents temporarily parking in the only wheel chair accessible spot by the school thereby impacting the woman’s ability to pick up and drop off her daughter through to complaints uttered at Parent Council meetings about the resources needed to accommodate her daughter’s special needs. The woman indicated she wanted her daughter to have as normal an education experience as possible, and that this was just not happening. I quickly realized that this woman was dealing with much anger but still silently wondered why she would direct that anger to me because of choices our family had made about our son’s education. I felt her anger to be misplaced.

In the intervening half decade, I have encountered other people who have disagreed, in principle, with the choices our family made for our oldest son to be educated in a specialized environment – specialized being a term I prefer to “segregated.” I have been witness to the war of words between the “inclusionists” and those preferring a specialized learning environment for their child. And, during the recent year long consultation on the direction of special education in our province, I have seen or heard heated discussions about the appropriate or preferred educational venues for students with exceptional learning needs – discussions that often devolved to become personal in nature. I have also witnessed people at conferences walking out of keynote sessions when the speaker mentioned successful educational outcomes for students with learning disabilities who were educated in specialized settings.

I am tired of all this precious energy being wasted.

We elected to place or son in a specialized school because we were convinced that without it, he would be dead.

Our son had been in an inclusive environment and had benefited from the extraordinary efforts of a teacher we still refer to as an angel. Her efforts to both learn about and accommodate our son’s needs were exemplary.  They could have served as illustrations for the preeminent text book on inclusion. But he was not thriving academically despite her extraordinary efforts; he was not making progress in an optimal inclusive environment. He needed more. He spoke about wanting to fly into the sun – because he was “stupid” and unable to learn like the other kids. This stopped when he entered the specialized school and an environment where all the kids were like him. For the first time in his educational career, he felt “included.” He felt like he belonged.

My husband and I fully expected him to be at the “new school” for about two years and then return to a regular classroom. He is now in his sixth year. He needs the specialized instruction – instruction that is unavailable in regular classrooms at the quality and with the consistency he requires to be successful. His needs are complex – he is very smart, severely dyslexic and dysgraphic. He continues to be challenged by social skills, time management and executive functions that often coexist with learning disabilities. For us, the decision about where our son would attend school has been predicated solely upon what we judged to be in his best interests in the short, medium and long term. We want him to be successful. We don’t want to mortgage his future.

Our decisions were also based and continue to be informed by what he cannot get in a regular classroom. Sadly, I do not believe that where we live, regular classrooms in their current state, i.e., an inclusive environment, are capable of accommodating our son’s needs and giving him the education he requires. I wish this was not the case.

Why is this so? First, please recognize my frame of reference is our city – our community.  Yet, I am convinced the same holds true in many cities and communities across our country and in other nations. I also want to say that I know teachers who are gifted, exceptional, and amazing individuals able to rise to the challenge of teaching students with a range of exceptional learning needs. I also believe teachers go into the profession wanting to be the best.

But, I believe we are failing teachers. As a result, we are failing students with exceptional learning needs. In the majority of Faculties of Education in our nation, pre-service teacher training in special education is not mandatory. It is entirely possible for a teacher to graduate from university or college without having had instruction on how to identify and program for students with learning disabilities or other exceptional learning needs. Yet, we expect these same teachers to be able to accommodate and successfully meet the needs of diverse student populations. We want our schools to be welcoming and inviting for all students, but we more often than not fail to provide classroom teachers with the tools, supports, professional development and mentorship they need to teach children with exceptional needs.

This reality is made more complex by other factors. The perception of equity can also be a concern. Some parents of so called “normal kids” – whatever normal is, may be resentful of resources used to accommodate the needs of children with special education requirements. This sentiment was expressed at our youngest son’s school – a school in which his learning needs were met in an inclusive manner.

Our schools are being increasingly evaluated on the basis of how well students fare on standardized tests.  Some parents are fearful that students with exceptional needs may “mess up the test results.” The emergence of competition between schools can have the unintended consequence of putting a negative spotlight on children with special needs because they may “screw up” the test scores.

The final nail in the coffin, so to speak, is the prevalent view that has been shared with me by people in senior roles in school districts and in elected trustee positions – specifically that education in specialized venues is expensive and that inclusion is not. I have not yet seen a well designed cost accounting evaluation of a high quality inclusive education program compared to education in a specialized environment. I suspect that if inclusion is done right, the cost per student would be relatively comparable in both environments though driven by different elements. This assumes, however, that the student in an inclusive environment has available to them a full range of programs and supports. There remains, however, a persistent and I believe unwarranted belief that inclusion is less expensive than specialized education. I will say with some confidence that “including” a child in an environment without supports and with a teacher who does not have the resources to address the unique needs of that child is certainly less expensive. But, I would not describe that as inclusion. I call it dumping. And in the long run, the societal costs of failing to address the needs of that child in any educational environment will eclipse the cost of doing it the right way in the first place. Cash strapped schools and districts may sometimes make operational decisions fuelled by budget considerations rather than educational outcomes. Ultimately, the needs of the student are not driving the system. The system is driving what the student gets.

If we deliberately tried to design a system of inclusion that was doomed for failure, it would be to do what we do now. A system doomed to failure would have no pre-service or continuing professional development designed to prepare teachers to program and support students with exceptional needs. A system doomed to failure would simply place a child with exceptional needs in a classroom without supports. A system doomed to failure would abandon the teacher, and would not provide him or her with the resources, mentorship and support needed to address the unique needs of that student. A system doomed to failure would not monitor or be accountable for the academic progress of students in included settings (or in any setting). Such a system would say it was acceptable if those students did not grow academically, or at a rate that was considerably slower than the pace in specialized environments. Sadly, many if not all of these things are what we do now.

There are pockets where exceptional things happening around inclusive education. Or, experiences can be great one year and horrible the next. My question is, and I think it to be a fair one: “Why are the pockets of excellence the exception and not the norm?” Why must so many parents struggle from year to year with uneven performance and support for their child with exceptional learning needs?

In my world right now, inclusion is not an option for my oldest son – not if we want him to emerge sane or whole and educated. But, I would continue to say to our current Minister of Education, and to anyone who cares to ask me:

“Our system MUST be changed to better support children with exceptional learning needs so that specialized venues or private schools are not the only options. We must do a better job in every corner of our system.”

So, let’s return to that incident on that Saturday morning and the woman who verbally slam-dunked me for my choice.

• I would say I vociferously support her choice to place her daughter in a regular school environment.
• I would say that I regret her immediate view that I was vile because our family made a different choice than hers – a choice fuelled by what we felt to be in the best interests of our son.
• I would say that I will continue to fight for and lobby for the option of choice. Rarely, does one size fit all, and we need to make decisions and monitor those decisions to see if they are relevant as the years go by. I would add that the most important criterion, in my opinion, is what is in the best interests of that student.
• I would say that I will continue to advocate for sustained and fundamental changes to our education systems to better address the needs of all learners, including those with exceptional requirements.
• I would say that I am saddened by acrimony and divisiveness between parties based on the educational venue of their child or the type of school in which they teach.

Being parents of children with exceptional learning needs is hard. Let’s stick together and collectively lobby for fundamental changes to our systems. We are wasting valuable energy that divides our community. We need all our energy to lobby for and work towards sustainable progressive change. Fighting takes away from that more important goal. Like the song says, “Why Can’t We Be Friends?”

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Kathryn Burke holds a master’s degree in sociology. In addition to starting the LDExperience, she is a writer and consultant. She is the part-time Executive Director of the Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta Canada. Before this, she held executive roles in hospital management and health policy. Kathryn can be contacted at:

Howard Margolis © Reading2008 & Beyond

www.reading2008.com

howard@reading2008.com

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Special Needs Talk Radio Network: It’s On The Air

The new Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/ ) is on the air. Each of its six shows is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

Staring September 12, Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I will host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (Mondays, 9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

Over the next few months, our guests will include:

• Dr. Steven Lange, Child and Adolescent Psychologist, Helping Children Overcome Sleep Problems
• Dr. Richard Selznick, Cooper University Hospital, Helping the Shut-Down Learner
• Dr. John Pellitteri, City University of New York, Strengthening Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence
• Dr. Tim Rasinski, Kent State University, Overcoming Problems of Reading Fluency
• Dr. Nancy Padak, Kent State University, Helping Your Children Overcome Reading Problems
• Dr. Richard Boon, University of Georgia, Helping Teenagers Improve Their Reading
• Dr. Erica Lembke, University of Missouri, Monitoring Your Child’s Progress
• Dr. Patrick McCabe, Mercy College, Developing the Confidence of Struggling Learners
• Staci Greenwald, Special Education Attorney, The Pro’s and Con’s of Public and Private School Programs
• Dr. J. Richard Gentry, Educational Consultant, Raising Confident Readers: Birth and Beyond

If possible, look at the Special Needs Talk Radio’s website (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/). See how its lineup of experts can help you help the children and youth you care about

On Tuesday, September 6, the new Special Needs Talk Radio network (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/ ) will launch six new radio shows.  Each show is dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth with special needs and their families.

On Monday evenings, September 12, Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and I will host Maximizing Your Child’s Potential (9 PM – 9:30 PM EST, http://specialneedstalkradio.com/maximizing-your-childs-potential).

Future guests on our show will include:

• Dr. Steven Lange, Child and Adolescent Psychologist, Helping Children Overcome Sleep Problems
• Dr. Richard Selznick, Cooper University Hospital, Helping the Shut-Down Learner
• Dr. John Pellitteri, City University of New York, Strengthening Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence
• Dr. Tim Rasinski, Kent State University, Overcoming Problems of Reading Fluency
• Dr. Nancy Padak, Kent State University, Helping Your Children Overcome Reading Problems
• Dr. Richard Boon, University of Georgia, Helping Teenagers Improve Their Reading
• Dr. Sarah Allen, Educational Consultant, How Neuropsychologists Can Help Parents Develop Quality IEPs
• Dr. Erica Lembke, University of Missouri, Monitoring Your Child’s Progress
• Dr. Patrick McCabe, Mercy College, Developing the Confidence of Struggling Learners
• Staci Greenwald, Special Education Attorney, The Pro’s and Con’s of Public and Private School Programs
• Dr. J. Richard Gentry, Educational Consultant, Raising Confident Readers: Birth and Beyond

If possible, look at the Special Needs Talk Radio’s website (http://specialneedstalkradio.com/). See how its lineup of experts can help you help the children and youth you care about.

HM © Reading2008 & Beyond   www.reading2008.com

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Ever wonder why your child behaves in troubling ways that drive you crazy: dawdles, won’t read, fights with David and Brian? We can’t explain everything that might influence his behavior, like his genes, his DNA, his neurology, his body chemistry, or David and Brian’s behavior. We know little about these. But we can tell you about PEATERR (pronounced Peter).  PEATERR identifies many important factors that cause behavior. Using it might help you learn what’s currently causing your child’s troubling behavior, an important step in finding solutions.

PEATERR (Peter)

PEATERR stands for Physiology, Experience, Action, Thought, Expectation, Reinforecement, and Relationships. First, we’ll define the words and pose questions to explain them. Then we’ll show you how you might use PEATERR to help your mythical 10-year old son, Charlie.

Physiology refers to your child’s physical needs. Does he get enough quality sleep? Does he eat a nutritious diet? Are his allergies under control? Do his ears and throat hurt? Must he sit in class far longer than his body can tolerate? Daily, does he get enough aerobic exercise?

Experience refers to what your child has seen or is seeing, what’s happened or is happening to him. Was he humiliated when reading aloud because he read terribly in front of his class? During recess, did his classmates tease him about his “crappy” reading? Did they ridicule him? Did the sudden death of his dog make him highly anxious about death and short-tempered with classmates? Is he regularly rewarded (reinforced) for skipping homework?

Action refers to what your child did or does; it involves physical movement and relates to experience. When he skips homework to play basketball, does he feel rewarded for doing something he loves and avoiding something he hates?  When he worked diligently to complete his homework, an action, did he experience failure because the homework was too difficult?

Thought refers to what your child tells himself. When other kids teased him for his “crappy” reading, did he tell himself, “I’m stupid. I’ll always be stupid”? When he worked diligently to succeed on his homework, but earned a failing grade, did he tell himself, “I’ll never do homework again. No matter how hard I try, I’ll always fail. Face it—I’m dumber than cement”?

Expectation refers to what your child thinks will happen. Expectations are often wrong, but in many children’s minds they’re accurate, they’re real, they’re facts. Does he think that working hard on homework will inescapably result in failure and shame? (If so, it’s smarter to avoid homework.) Does he expect that diligent efforts to improve his reading will frustrate and shame him in front of his peers? Or does he think that diligent efforts will lead to success, satisfaction, and self-respect? Does he think it will help him achieve a personally important goal?

Reinforcement is what all children (and adults) want. Positive reinforcement refers to giving children something they want for engaging or not engaging in specific actions. For example, a child who greatly values his teacher’s praise will likely increase his attention when he expects her to say, “Charlie, I liked the way you carefully examined the diagram.” Negative reinforcement generally refers to an action that removes or stops something a child wants to eliminate, minimize, or prevent. If, for example, a child desperately wants to escape from his sweltering classroom and his teacher announces that anyone who earns a “B” on their work and turns it in before 11am can leave early for recess, he’ll probably work hard to successfully complete it before 11am (as long as he expects to succeed). If children greatly value a reinforcer, know how to earn it, and believe that with reasonable effort they can, they’re likely to try.

Reinforcement strengthens the behavior it immediately follows (whereas lack of reinforcement weakens it). It increases the likelihood that the behavior will occur again. Frequently reinforcing children for the wrong behavior, like whining, creates problems for everyone. So when your child engages in troubling behavior, ask, “Is anyone intentionally or unintentionally reinforcing him for the behavior? When he whines, does he get what he wants? Does removing him from reading for disrupting the lessons act as a powerful reinforcer that will encourage more disruptions? For him, is removal welcome escape from an intolerable situation?”

Relationships are what life is about. They define life. Children, like all people, will generally work to please people they respect, who treat them with respect, who treat them fairly, who listen to them, who respond quickly, sensitively, and appropriately to their needs and feelings. Typically, do your child’s teachers treat him with respect or do they belittle him? When your child makes a mistake, do you typically try to understand his needs or pierce his ears with screams? Typically, do your child’s teachers work to know and understand him, or do they treat him as a number without needs or feelings? To an extent, children’s behavior reflects how adults treat them. It also reflects how other children treat them. Does your child have several good friends, or is he lonely? How do other children treat him?  In general, how do his classmates act? How do they express their values?

Using PEATERR to Help Charlie

As you read each paragraph in this section, ask: “To which PEATERR factors does this paragraph refer?”

If Charlie is exhausted, anxious, and inattentive in school, and he sleeps little at night, sleep deprivation may be causing his school problems. To find out, you may want to try Dr. Stephen M. Lange’s suggestions for improving sleep (http://www.reading2008.com/blog/sleep-adhd-and-learning-disabilities-how-do-we-get-to-sleep.htm). If his suggestions don’t work, see a physician or psychologist who specializes in and is trained in sleep disorders.

If Charlie refuses to read, despite having a kind, knowledgeable, and skilled teacher who gives him reading materials at his identified reading level, check if he’s having headaches, visual problems, frustration with the reading materials, or anxiety about the inevitable failure ahead.

If he continues to mutter, “I’m stupid,” if he throws his book on the floor, screaming, “I’ll never understand this stuff,” and he ignores your words of comfort and encouragement, read about Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) or Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) for children. These therapies can reverse the destructive things children automatically tell themselves. See a qualified clinical or child psychologist, trained and skilled in using CBT or RET.

If he usually completes his homework, but rarely submits it, explore the possibility that he prefers a grade of zero to embarrassment or the ridicule of his friends.

If the rewards you promised him for reading more books aren’t working—he won’t invest the slightest effort—ask yourself three questions: (1) “Does he value the rewards nearly as much as I thought he would?” (2) “Does he think the task is too difficult?” (3) “Does he want to please or disappoint me, or does he even care?”

Limits of PEATERR

PEATERR is not magical or all-powerful. Sometimes, it will not immediately help you solve the problem. But like a good detective, you need to find and follow the clues and test their validity. PEATERR is a good place to start. Rather than chaotically and haphazardly looking at everything, PEATERR quickly points you toward likely clues that may prove highly informative. Once the clues have given you plausible ideas about the one, two, or more current causes of the problem, you can test their validity; if they’re valid, you can probably figure out how to minimize or eliminate the troublesome behavior. But finding the current causes is often hard detective work, with some false leads. Thus, testing your leads is necessary. It’s just part of solving the problem and helping—not blaming—your child. So good luck using PEATERR in your detective work!

HM © Reading2008 & Beyond

www.reading2008.com

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A Note on Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds (www.reading2008.com)

Psychology Today.com recently wrote that Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds was one of the three “best books about education published in 2010. Recommend [it] to your friends.” On our blog, an English teacher and author wrote that Beating the Odds “is one of the best books, if not the best book on education published this year.”  A Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism called it “a great book.” A parent wrote, “Your Reading Disabilities book is by far the best resource I have found regarding the IEP and IDEA and providing understandable and concrete suggestions and implementation strategies.” Another wrote, your book is “fascinating and effective.” On Amazon, a professor of special education called it “a fantastic resource… well-written, practical… an essential guide.” The Kansas City Examiner.com cited our blog as one of the ten best special needs blogs of 2010. We thank these and many other reviewers for their kind words.

And we hope that our book and blog helps lots of children, parents, teachers, IEP Team members, and schools. It’s why we keep plugging away. – HM & GB

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

For an excellent podcast on how to get and keep special education services in tough economic times, go to www.reading2008.com. Click the podcast button (top, right) to download the May 26^th podcast by Michael Inzelbuch, Esq.

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A Note on Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds (www.reading2008.com)

Psychology Today.com recently wrote that Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds was one of the three “best books about education published in 2010. Recommend [it] to your friends.” On our blog, an English teacher wrote that Beating the Odds “is one of the best books, if not the best book on education published this year.” A Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism called it “a great book.” A parent wrote, “Your Reading Disabilities book is by far the best resource I have found regarding the IEP and IDEA and providing understandable and concrete suggestions and implementation strategies.” Another wrote, your book is “fascinating and effective.” On Amazon, a professor of special education called it “a fantastic resource… well-written, practical… an essential guide.” The Kansas City Examiner.com cited our blog as one of the ten best special needs blogs of 2010. We thank these and many other reviewers for their kind words.

And we hope that our book and blog helps lots of children, parents, teachers, IEP Team members, and schools. It’s why we keep plugging away. – HM & GB