What: Community Advisory Committee Meeting
When: Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Time: 7:00 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
Where: Board Room, Dent Center (map)
1936 Carlotta Drive, Concord
The CAC sponsors this blog for everyone in the Mount Diablo Unified School District community who has an interest in special education and students with special needs.
Friday, August 28, 2015
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Feds: Most States Failing To Meet Special Ed Obligations
By Michelle Diament from disabilityscoop
July 14, 2015
Federal officials indicate that less than half of states are meeting their obligations under special education law.
The U.S. Department of Education says that just 19 states qualified for the “meets requirements” designation for the 2013-2014 school year. The rest of states were classified as “needs assistance” or “needs intervention.”
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Education Department must evaluate states annually on their efforts to implement special education programs.
The ratings carry significant weight. If a state fails to meet requirements for two or more years, the Department of Education must take enforcement action, which can include a corrective action plan or withholding funds, among other steps.
This is the second year that the Education Department has relied on stricter measures to assess compliance.
Previously, states were graded based on their adherence to procedural requirements like completing evaluations or due process hearings. Now, however, federal officials are taking into account student performance and functional outcomes for kids with disabilities in addition to compliance.
States were notified in letters dated June 30 of their standing.
For the ninth consecutive year, federal officials said that Washington, DC “needs intervention.” The same designation was given to Texas for the second year in a row.
States determined to “meet requirements” for the 2013-2014 school year include Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The Education Department said that the remaining states need assistance.
Article HERE.
July 14, 2015
Federal officials indicate that less than half of states are meeting their obligations under special education law.
The U.S. Department of Education says that just 19 states qualified for the “meets requirements” designation for the 2013-2014 school year. The rest of states were classified as “needs assistance” or “needs intervention.”
Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Education Department must evaluate states annually on their efforts to implement special education programs.
The ratings carry significant weight. If a state fails to meet requirements for two or more years, the Department of Education must take enforcement action, which can include a corrective action plan or withholding funds, among other steps.
This is the second year that the Education Department has relied on stricter measures to assess compliance.
Previously, states were graded based on their adherence to procedural requirements like completing evaluations or due process hearings. Now, however, federal officials are taking into account student performance and functional outcomes for kids with disabilities in addition to compliance.
States were notified in letters dated June 30 of their standing.
For the ninth consecutive year, federal officials said that Washington, DC “needs intervention.” The same designation was given to Texas for the second year in a row.
States determined to “meet requirements” for the 2013-2014 school year include Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
The Education Department said that the remaining states need assistance.
Article HERE.
EDUCATION: Language changing to describe students with special needs
By Stephen Wall/Staff Writer from The Press Enterprise
Published: Aug. 21, 2015 Updated: Aug. 23, 2015
Districts hope "people first" philosophy will create more respect for and acceptance of students with special needs.
CHANGING ATTITUDES
Schools are adopting new terms to refer to students with disabilities. Here are some examples of proper and improper language:
Say: People with disabilities
Don't say: Handicapped or disabled
Say: Cognitive disability
Don't say: Mental retardation
Say: Bob has a mental health condition.
Don't say: Bob is mentally ill.
Published: Aug. 21, 2015 Updated: Aug. 23, 2015
Districts hope "people first" philosophy will create more respect for and acceptance of students with special needs.
CHANGING ATTITUDES
Schools are adopting new terms to refer to students with disabilities. Here are some examples of proper and improper language:
Say: People with disabilities
Don't say: Handicapped or disabled
Say: Cognitive disability
Don't say: Mental retardation
Say: Bob has a mental health condition.
Don't say: Bob is mentally ill.
Say: Brain injury
Don't say: Brain damaged
Don't say: Brain damaged
Source: Kathie Snow,
www.disabilityisnatural.com
When Pam Bender began her education career 28 years ago, terms such as mentally retarded were common in school settings.
Some teachers weren’t sure how to deal with students who had severe disabilities, she said.
“There were times teachers didn’t want these kids in their classrooms,” Bender said. “They didn’t know what to do with them.”
Over the years, the term fell out of favor, as advocates pressured government agencies to remove phrasing they considered hurtful and offensive.
The effort reached the highest office in the land in 2010 when President Barack Obama signed a bill requiring the federal government to replace the term with “intellectual disability” in many areas of government.
In local education circles, the movement to alter perceptions is growing.
Inland school districts have adopted policies and practices urging the use of so-called “People First Language” to describe students with special needs.
For example, instead of referring to a student as an “epileptic child,” they are encouraged to say “child with epilepsy.”
The Moreno Valley Unified School District board of trustees passed a resolution in June calling for people-first terminology.
Putting the student first and the disability second can have a profound effect on how kids view themselves and are seen by others, said Pam Bender, the district’s director of special education services.
“When you start to change language, you start to change attitudes,” she said. “We’re trying to get away from the negative connotations of terms.”
Nicole Bowles is a parent of two children with challenges. Michael, 14, and Jacob, 13, have autism and are enrolled in special education programs. Jacob, who attends Mountain View Middle School, also has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, his mom said.
At 5 feet 7 inches, Jacob is taller than other kids his age and she said he struggles to fit in. She said he’s been bullied by classmates, including one instance last year when a classmate closed a locker door on her son’s head after an incident in a flag football game.
Michael, a freshman at Canyon Springs High School, hasn’t had the same kind of negative experiences as his brother. But she said he has hard time making friends because of his disability.
She hopes that changing the language will lead to more acceptance of her sons and others with special needs.
Article HERE.
www.disabilityisnatural.com
When Pam Bender began her education career 28 years ago, terms such as mentally retarded were common in school settings.
Some teachers weren’t sure how to deal with students who had severe disabilities, she said.
“There were times teachers didn’t want these kids in their classrooms,” Bender said. “They didn’t know what to do with them.”
Over the years, the term fell out of favor, as advocates pressured government agencies to remove phrasing they considered hurtful and offensive.
The effort reached the highest office in the land in 2010 when President Barack Obama signed a bill requiring the federal government to replace the term with “intellectual disability” in many areas of government.
In local education circles, the movement to alter perceptions is growing.
Inland school districts have adopted policies and practices urging the use of so-called “People First Language” to describe students with special needs.
For example, instead of referring to a student as an “epileptic child,” they are encouraged to say “child with epilepsy.”
The Moreno Valley Unified School District board of trustees passed a resolution in June calling for people-first terminology.
Putting the student first and the disability second can have a profound effect on how kids view themselves and are seen by others, said Pam Bender, the district’s director of special education services.
“When you start to change language, you start to change attitudes,” she said. “We’re trying to get away from the negative connotations of terms.”
Nicole Bowles is a parent of two children with challenges. Michael, 14, and Jacob, 13, have autism and are enrolled in special education programs. Jacob, who attends Mountain View Middle School, also has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, his mom said.
At 5 feet 7 inches, Jacob is taller than other kids his age and she said he struggles to fit in. She said he’s been bullied by classmates, including one instance last year when a classmate closed a locker door on her son’s head after an incident in a flag football game.
Michael, a freshman at Canyon Springs High School, hasn’t had the same kind of negative experiences as his brother. But she said he has hard time making friends because of his disability.
She hopes that changing the language will lead to more acceptance of her sons and others with special needs.
Article HERE.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
CARE Parent Network September 2015 Bulletin
From CARE Parent Network
What is Care Parent Network?
We are the Family Resource Center for families of children with special in Contra Costa County. We provide information, referral, resources, training opportunities and family support.
What is Care Parent Network?
We are the Family Resource Center for families of children with special in Contra Costa County. We provide information, referral, resources, training opportunities and family support.
Your Voice Counts
Your action is needed in two areas:
1. The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is seeking input on the plan to have Medi-Cal Managed Care take on the responsibility of serving children who are now served by California Children’s Services. There are many groups around the state that have concerns and would like DHCS to PLEASE extend the CCS Carve Out until there is data to show that CA Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans are ready and that DHCS is ready to monitor them. Children with special health care needs must continue to have protections and access to specialty care so they come to no harm.
* Go to: http://www.familyvoicesofca.org/your-voice-counts-dhcs-input-needed/ to give your input
2. The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Service Act provides for services for children and adults with developmental disabilities and those services have been underfunded for such a long time that many service providers are closing their doors.
* Let your State Legislator know that: a) service providers need a one time 10% increase to help stop the decline; 2) the legislature needs to reform the funding rates to adequate levels; and 3) until the system funding reform is in place, provide an annual 5% increase. Go to: http:// www.capwiz.com/thearc/ca/issues/alert/?alertid=66721626&type=ST and enter your zipcode.
Bulletin (English) HERE.
Bulletin (Spanish) HERE.
Your action is needed in two areas:
1. The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is seeking input on the plan to have Medi-Cal Managed Care take on the responsibility of serving children who are now served by California Children’s Services. There are many groups around the state that have concerns and would like DHCS to PLEASE extend the CCS Carve Out until there is data to show that CA Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans are ready and that DHCS is ready to monitor them. Children with special health care needs must continue to have protections and access to specialty care so they come to no harm.
* Go to: http://www.familyvoicesofca.org/your-voice-counts-dhcs-input-needed/ to give your input
2. The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Service Act provides for services for children and adults with developmental disabilities and those services have been underfunded for such a long time that many service providers are closing their doors.
* Let your State Legislator know that: a) service providers need a one time 10% increase to help stop the decline; 2) the legislature needs to reform the funding rates to adequate levels; and 3) until the system funding reform is in place, provide an annual 5% increase. Go to: http:// www.capwiz.com/thearc/ca/issues/alert/?alertid=66721626&type=ST and enter your zipcode.
Bulletin (English) HERE.
Bulletin (Spanish) HERE.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
OSEP Dear Colleague Letter on Speech and Language Services for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
By Melody Musgrove, Ed.D. Director Office of Special Education Programs - U.S. Dept. of Education
July 6, 2015
Dear Colleague:
It has come to our attention that there are concerns in the field regarding services delivered to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In particular, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has received reports that a growing number of children with ASD may not be receiving needed speech and language services, and that speech-language pathologists and other appropriate professionals may not be included in evaluation and eligibility determinations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B, or in meetings to develop the individualized education program (IEP) or individualized family service plan (IFSP) under both Parts B and C of IDEA. Some IDEA programs may be including applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapists exclusively without including, or considering input from, speech language pathologists and other professionals who provide different types of specific therapies that may be appropriate for children with ASD when identifying IDEA services for children with ASD.
OSEP places a high priority on ensuring that infants, toddlers and children with disabilities are identified as early as possible under the IDEA and that appropriate services are provided, including to infants, toddlers, and children with ASD. Under Part B of the IDEA, each State and its public agencies must ensure that a free appropriate public education (FAPE) is made available to all eligible children with disabilities (34 CFR §§300.101 and 300.17). Under Part C of the IDEA, each State must ensure that each eligible infant and toddler with a disability has available early intervention services that are designed to meet their developmental needs as identified by the IFSP team.
When conducting an evaluation under Part C of the IDEA, the evaluation must identify the child’s level of functioning in each of the following developmental areas: cognitive development; physical development, including vision and hearing; communication development; social or emotional development; and adaptive development (34 CFR §303.321(b)). Similarly, when conducting an initial evaluation under Part B, the public agency must ensure the child is assessed in all areas related to the suspected disability, including, if appropriate, health, vision, hearing, social and emotional status, general intelligence, academic performance, communicative status, and motor abilities (34 CFR §300.304(c)(4)). In addition, the IFSP Team must include a person or persons directly involved in conducting the evaluations and assessments (34 CFR §303.343(a)(1)), while the IEP team must include an individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results (34 CFR §300.321(a)(5)). The IDEA’s IEP and IFSP processes are designed to ensure that an appropriate program is developed to meet the unique individual needs of a child with a disability, and that services are identified based on the unique needs of the child by a team that include the child’s parents.
Page 2 – Lead Agency Director
We recognize that ABA therapy is just one methodology used to address the needs of children with ASD and remind States and local programs to ensure that decisions regarding services are made based on the unique needs of each individual child with a disability (and the child’s family in the case of Part C of the IDEA). We are sharing for your reference, and we encourage you to review, relevant guidance released by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, “Clarification of Medicaid Coverage of Services to Children with Autism” (July 7, 2014; http://www.medicaid.gov/Federal-Policy-Guidance/Downloads/CIB-07-07-14.pdf) and “Medicaid and CHIP FAQ: Services to Address Autism” (September 2014; http://medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/faq-09-24-2014.pdf).
I hope this clarification is helpful to the speech language pathologists and others represented by your organization. If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact Susan Kauffman at susan.kauffman@ed.gov or Dawn Ellis at dawn.ellis@ed.gov.
July 6, 2015
Dear Colleague:
It has come to our attention that there are concerns in the field regarding services delivered to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In particular, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has received reports that a growing number of children with ASD may not be receiving needed speech and language services, and that speech-language pathologists and other appropriate professionals may not be included in evaluation and eligibility determinations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B, or in meetings to develop the individualized education program (IEP) or individualized family service plan (IFSP) under both Parts B and C of IDEA. Some IDEA programs may be including applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapists exclusively without including, or considering input from, speech language pathologists and other professionals who provide different types of specific therapies that may be appropriate for children with ASD when identifying IDEA services for children with ASD.
OSEP places a high priority on ensuring that infants, toddlers and children with disabilities are identified as early as possible under the IDEA and that appropriate services are provided, including to infants, toddlers, and children with ASD. Under Part B of the IDEA, each State and its public agencies must ensure that a free appropriate public education (FAPE) is made available to all eligible children with disabilities (34 CFR §§300.101 and 300.17). Under Part C of the IDEA, each State must ensure that each eligible infant and toddler with a disability has available early intervention services that are designed to meet their developmental needs as identified by the IFSP team.
When conducting an evaluation under Part C of the IDEA, the evaluation must identify the child’s level of functioning in each of the following developmental areas: cognitive development; physical development, including vision and hearing; communication development; social or emotional development; and adaptive development (34 CFR §303.321(b)). Similarly, when conducting an initial evaluation under Part B, the public agency must ensure the child is assessed in all areas related to the suspected disability, including, if appropriate, health, vision, hearing, social and emotional status, general intelligence, academic performance, communicative status, and motor abilities (34 CFR §300.304(c)(4)). In addition, the IFSP Team must include a person or persons directly involved in conducting the evaluations and assessments (34 CFR §303.343(a)(1)), while the IEP team must include an individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results (34 CFR §300.321(a)(5)). The IDEA’s IEP and IFSP processes are designed to ensure that an appropriate program is developed to meet the unique individual needs of a child with a disability, and that services are identified based on the unique needs of the child by a team that include the child’s parents.
Page 2 – Lead Agency Director
We recognize that ABA therapy is just one methodology used to address the needs of children with ASD and remind States and local programs to ensure that decisions regarding services are made based on the unique needs of each individual child with a disability (and the child’s family in the case of Part C of the IDEA). We are sharing for your reference, and we encourage you to review, relevant guidance released by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, “Clarification of Medicaid Coverage of Services to Children with Autism” (July 7, 2014; http://www.medicaid.gov/Federal-Policy-Guidance/Downloads/CIB-07-07-14.pdf) and “Medicaid and CHIP FAQ: Services to Address Autism” (September 2014; http://medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/faq-09-24-2014.pdf).
I hope this clarification is helpful to the speech language pathologists and others represented by your organization. If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact Susan Kauffman at susan.kauffman@ed.gov or Dawn Ellis at dawn.ellis@ed.gov.
Sincerely,
/s/ Melody Musgrove
Melody Musgrove, Ed.D.
Director
Office of Special Education Programs
Letter HERE.
WORKSHOP: Obtaining Health Insurance Coverage for Mental Health & Autism Treatment
From the Autism Health Insurance Project
Has your child been denied health insurance coverage for mental health or autism treatments? Speech therapy only covered in-part? Psychiatrists not paid for? ABA, OT, Psychologists? Are the denial letters or explanation of benefits too much to decipher? Come to our workshop and learn how to obtain health insurance coverage of mental health and autism treatments.
WHAT: Hands-on workshop on Obtaining Health Insurance Coverage for Mental Health & Autism Treatments. We will answer your specific questions. Bring your denial letters.
WHEN: Wednesday, August 26, 2015, 11:30AM-1:30 PM
WHERE: 985 Moraga Road, Suite 208, Lafayette, CA 94549
RSVP: Please RSVP by making a $15 donation here. (We will keep track of your name for entry on Aug. 26)
COST: $15 in advance, $20 at the door, includes Paxtis's Pizza lunch & beverages. (Please pay through the donate button on our website and we will keep your name on file for the event. )
CONTACT: (510) 325-0975 or karen@autismhealthinsurance.org. Please come to our workshop! We will help you.
Paxti's Pizza will donate 10% of its profits from the entire day back to the Autism Health Insurance Project. If you are unable to attend our workshop, please consider having a meal at Paxti's.
Has your child been denied health insurance coverage for mental health or autism treatments? Speech therapy only covered in-part? Psychiatrists not paid for? ABA, OT, Psychologists? Are the denial letters or explanation of benefits too much to decipher? Come to our workshop and learn how to obtain health insurance coverage of mental health and autism treatments.
WHAT: Hands-on workshop on Obtaining Health Insurance Coverage for Mental Health & Autism Treatments. We will answer your specific questions. Bring your denial letters.
WHEN: Wednesday, August 26, 2015, 11:30AM-1:30 PM
WHERE: 985 Moraga Road, Suite 208, Lafayette, CA 94549
RSVP: Please RSVP by making a $15 donation here. (We will keep track of your name for entry on Aug. 26)
COST: $15 in advance, $20 at the door, includes Paxtis's Pizza lunch & beverages. (Please pay through the donate button on our website and we will keep your name on file for the event. )
CONTACT: (510) 325-0975 or karen@autismhealthinsurance.org. Please come to our workshop! We will help you.
Paxti's Pizza will donate 10% of its profits from the entire day back to the Autism Health Insurance Project. If you are unable to attend our workshop, please consider having a meal at Paxti's.
Workshop posting HERE.
Monday, August 17, 2015
MDUSD Welcome Back Conference for Parents on August 22nd 9:00-11:45
By Jonathan Eagan - MDUSD NEWS
On August 22, 2015, Mt. Diablo Unified School District is sponsoring a Back-To-School Parent Conference at Loma Vista Adult Center, 1266 San Carlos Avenue in Concord. This conference is designed to equip and empower parents to support their children throughout their school years. After the conference, school supplies and light refreshments will be available to attendees.
Bus transportation will be available departing Riverview Middle School at 7:45 a.m. and returning at 12:15 p.m. Childcare will be available for children ages 3-10. Please call (510) 833-6396 to reserve space for childcare.
Additional information about this conference will be posted on our District website at www.mdusd.org. If you have questions, please Call (510) 833-6396.
Check flyer (includes information in Spanish) HERE.
On August 22, 2015, Mt. Diablo Unified School District is sponsoring a Back-To-School Parent Conference at Loma Vista Adult Center, 1266 San Carlos Avenue in Concord. This conference is designed to equip and empower parents to support their children throughout their school years. After the conference, school supplies and light refreshments will be available to attendees.
Bus transportation will be available departing Riverview Middle School at 7:45 a.m. and returning at 12:15 p.m. Childcare will be available for children ages 3-10. Please call (510) 833-6396 to reserve space for childcare.
Additional information about this conference will be posted on our District website at www.mdusd.org. If you have questions, please Call (510) 833-6396.
Check flyer (includes information in Spanish) HERE.
Labels:
Back-To-School Parent Conference
Identifying and Reinforcing Islands of Competence in Children with Special Needs
By Robert Brook, Ph.D., 8/10/2015 - Social Thinking Articles from Social Thinking
To follow is an example of using a strength-based approach with a teenage girl on the autism spectrum. Lisa told me she loved to teach young kids how to do things, such as sing songs or draw pictures. She said, “I think young kids like me.” When her parents were asked about their daughter’s strengths, they described her as the “pied piper” of the neighborhood, emphasizing how other parents loved her to be a helper with their children.
Article HERE.
(Note: Dr. Brooks was a keynote speaker at the 8th Annual Global Social Thinking Providers’ Conference, held June 2015 in South San Francisco. Attendees were very enthusiastic about his presentation, “Nurturing Motivation and Resilience in Children with Special Needs: A Strength-Based Approach” and infusing his positive ideas into their classrooms, clinics, and treatment programs. -Think Social Publishing)
Identifying and reinforcing strengths in our students or clients is a well-accepted practice today among mental health and other professionals, especially since the emergence of the field of “positive psychology” in the late 1990s. But it was not in vogue years ago. As a psychologist trained in the late 1960s and 1970s, I was taught to focus on “fixing deficits” in my patients rather than building on their strengths. For example, when I conducted an evaluation of a child I asked few, if any, questions of parents or teachers to elicit what they perceived to be the strengths of their child or student. I rarely asked children what they saw as their own strengths. I was more inclined to delve into a discussion about their problems rather than invite them to elaborate upon their interests and competencies.
This focus on deficits was prompted, in part, by the reason that most parents consult with a mental health professional such as myself. They do so because they have concerns or worries about their children’s behavior, learning, social skills, and development. While it is crucial to address these problems, I discovered that to place too much emphasis on analyzing and fixing deficits limits our ability to assist children with special needs to lead more satisfying, resilient lives. It is for this reason that more than 30 years ago I introduced the metaphor islands of competence to capture the strength-based approach I had adopted.
In a book I co-authored with my colleague Dr. Sam Goldstein, Raising Resilient Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (2011), we emphasize the shortcomings of a deficit model, which is even more apparent when working with or raising children with ASD. If clinicians and other caregivers spend most of their time in a reactive mode, constantly and frenetically attempting to fix the multifaceted problems these youngsters face, it leaves little time or energy to reflect upon and adopt a proactive approach that asks, “What are the strengths and interests that this child possesses, strengths than can be nurtured to bring this child a realistic sense of accomplishment and dignity?”
When I apply the metaphor of islands of competence in my clinical work and consultations, I raise a series of questions for parents (as well as teachers and other professionals) and children that include the following:
- What are two or three strengths or islands of competence your child/student possesses?
(I should emphasize that I always inquire of children and adolescents what they see as their islands of competence and if they respond they do not know, I suggest we spend some time considering that question. I have found that youngsters are very interested in doing so.)
- What would your child/student list as his/her islands of competence?
- How do you use and display your child’s/student’s islands of competence?
To follow is an example of using a strength-based approach with a teenage girl on the autism spectrum. Lisa told me she loved to teach young kids how to do things, such as sing songs or draw pictures. She said, “I think young kids like me.” When her parents were asked about their daughter’s strengths, they described her as the “pied piper” of the neighborhood, emphasizing how other parents loved her to be a helper with their children.
I presented this information about Lisa’s islands of competence in a meeting with her teachers. There was a palpable excitement as they brainstormed how to apply this strength in the school setting. One teacher observed, “It’s fun to think of Lisa’s strengths and not focus on what she can’t do.”
By chance, there was a nursery school right near the high school. Lisa’s teachers demonstrated an impressive ability to think outside of the box. They created a “class” for her called “child development.” It involved Lisa going to the nursery school four periods a week, interacting with the young children (under supervision), and then writing in a journal about her experiences. One of the teachers also served as an advisor to the high school newspaper and helped Lisa organize and write an article for the paper about her experiences in the nursery school. Thus, this activity reinforced cognitive, social, and emotional skills.
After the article was published, Lisa excitedly reported that a few other students at the high school (students who typically did not make an effort to speak with her) came over to say they enjoyed what she had written. Lisa’s mother told me, “These were very precious experiences for Lisa. Her self-esteem certainly has been given a boost.”
I believe that our capacity to truly touch the hearts and minds of children and adolescents will be compromised if we pay only lip service to their beauty, interests, and strengths. We must constantly search for their islands of competence.
BIO
Robert Brooks, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. He is an award-winning international speaker, author, and educator on the themes of resilience, motivation, family relationships, and staying positive. He has a special interest in applying a strength-based approach with people of all ages who have been diagnosed with ASD, ADHD, and other neurological issues. Visit www.drrobertbrooks.com to find many additional articles, along with links to his products and presentation schedule.BIO
Article HERE.
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