Lies About Special Education Eligibility and 6 Ways to Overcome Them!

Are you the parent of a young child who thinks that their child may have autism? Do you think your child's reading difficulty may be related to a learning disability? Have you tried to have your child tested for special education eligibility and your school district said no? This article will discuss lies that are related to special education eligibility and 6 ways to overcome the lies for the good of your child.

Lies associated with special education eligibility:

1. We will test your child but we get to pick the tests, and the areas to be tested. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states that parents must give informed consent for testing (and to give informed consent the parent must know areas to be tested and what tests are going to be performed), and that the child is to be tested in all areas of suspected disability.

2. You must sign this medical release form so that we can get your child's medical records before we do the testing. Medical records are private under HIPPA and school districts do not have a right to them.

3. Your child is on the waiting list for testing, be patient. IDEA does not allow waiting lists for testing or special education services. Testing must be complete within 60 days after the consent form is signed.

4. Your child has a disability but it does not affect their education. To be eligible for special education a child must have two things: A. A disability, and B. Educational needs; that is it, nothing else.

5. Your child does not have autism but has an emotional/behavior disorder. Many school districts state that a child does not have a particular disability; without even testing them.

6. We do not do those type of tests for initial eligibility. Remember that IDEA requires a child to be tested in all areas of suspected disability.

7. We met and decided that your child does not meet the criteria for special education. Parents must be included in all meetings and receive a 10 day written notice for all meetings for their child. Also, parents are equal members in the team that make any decision about their child, including eligibility for special education.

6 Things that you can do to overcome these lies:

1. Go to wrightslaw.com and educate yourself about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Then you will know when you are being lied to.

2. Anytime special education personnel tell you that they can do something under the law; ask them for written proof of state or federal special education law that says that they can do it. Do this in writing, so that they cannot ignore you.

3. Try and find an advocate or another parent that is familiar with special education to help you navigate the system.

4. Put in writing all areas that you believe need to be tested, and the reason why. Recommend specific tests, if you are familiar with them. For example: If you think your child has Sensory Integration Processing Disorder (SIPT) ask for an Occupational Therapist that is SIPT qualified to test them.

5. Ask for copies of all of the written reports (includes testing and interpretation of testing), 10 days before the eligibility meeting, and ask an advocate or another parent to help you interpret the test results. That way you will understand what the test results say before the meeting.

6. If you are concerned that your child may have autism, ask for a Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). When you request the Cars, tell the school that you will expect them to send you the parent survey for the CARS.

By using these 6 tips you will be prepared for any lies told by special education personnel. Stand up to them because your child is depending on you!

JoAnn Collins is the author of Disability Deception; Lies Disability Educators Tell and How Parents Can Beat Them at Their Own Game! As an educational advocate for over 15 years she has successfully helped hundreds of parents navigate the special education system. For more advocacy skills and information on special education go to: http://www.disabilitydeception.com

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Overcome ADHD and Autism Without Drugs

ADHD symptoms include inattention or hyperactive-impulsive behavior that is abnormal for that age level and persists for more than six months.

Symptoms of autism include impaired social interactions, impaired verbal and nonverbal communication, problems processing information from the senses, and restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior.

The causes of ADHD and AUTISM range from sensitivity to vaccinations, digestive tract changes, the body's inefficient use of vitamins and minerals, environmental toxins, electromagnetic pollution from cell phones and cordless phones, food intolerances, medications, head trauma and extreme stress.

Neuroscience and brain hemisphere research has shown that the parts of the brain control movement also control cognition and emotion. Even minor delays in sensory motor development any child can cause dysfunction in behavior and learning. The brain stem, at the base of the brain, relays messages to other parts of the brain for movement and sensations. The cerebellum, a cauliflower shaped organ at the top of the brain stem, controls balance and coordination. The frontal lobe, the front one third of the brain, is responsible for initiation, planning/anticipation, follow-through, impulsivity control, judgment, reasoning, abstract thinking, smell, motor planning, personality, emotionality, speaking, integration of thought and emotion, and self-monitoring. If a child has to use all his energy to keep his body and emotions under control, then he will have little energy left to focus on the thinking tasks required of him in school.

Regardless of the causes of ADHD and autism, families of children with these developmental disabilities much find the best treatment available. Many therapists are finding that brain integration therapies which integrate primitive reflexes serve to stimulate the brain and improve attention, balance and coordination. This in turn frees the child to focus in school and improve behavior.

Primitive reflexes are designed to help the baby survive. Rooting and sucking and swallowing are all reflexes that allow the baby to feed. In response to a sudden fall or a loud noise, the baby throws out arms and legs. This startle reflex is called the Moro reflex. Postural reflexes develop as the child learns to coordinate sensory input and to crawl. These reflexes help the child to stand and to sit upright and to develop conscious or voluntary control. By the age of two, if the child was given ample opportunity to move freely, these reflexes should be integrated.

There is a feedback loop in the brain from the brain stem to the frontal lobe that helps integrate sensory input and movement. Our emotions, language abilities, impulse control and higher level thinking skills such as reasoning, planning, organizing and problem solving depend on this loop to be functioning well. As a flower depends on its veins to carry nutrients from the roots to the leaves and then to carry the sugar that the leaves produce back down through the stem, so we depend on our neurological net to be running smoothly in order to function at our best.

At the top of the brainstem is the basal ganglia, which enables us to sit still. The basal ganglia has nerve nets connected to the thalamus, the cerebellum and the frontal lobes, all of which have a role in learning, motor control, and emotions. So, if certain developmental processes are not in place, then sitting still actually lulls the child to sleep. The child must move constantly in order to focus and concentrate on what he hears. In order to compensate for this, many schools are providing balls as chairs in classrooms to improve learning. But, brain integration therapies actually correct the problem by stimulating the brain.

There are several organizations that offer drug free therapy for ADHD and autism, and other developmental disabilities.

The HANDLE Institute (Holistic Approach to Neurodevelopment and Learning Efficiency) provides a sensory and motor-based program for children with neurological disorders. Many of the movements in this program target integration of postural reflexes and correction of the vestibular system (the system in the inner ear that is responsible for balance and spatial organization).

The MNRI method (Masgutova Neuro-sensory-motor Reflex Integration) was developed in Poland by Dr. Svetlana Masgutova, Russian psychologist. The main goal of the Masgutova Method is to activate developmental processes through the integration of primitive reflexes and primary motor patterns with natural learning resources. Dr Masgutova runs camps in Poland for families with children suffering from neurological disorders such as Autism and ADHD. Children receive six hours of motor and sensory reeducation in the course of a week. This allows them to go back to the early developmental patterns they missed and fill in the gaps. Parents receive training in how to work with their child for continued development. This July, Dr Masgutova will be bringing her Family Camp to Plymouth, Minnesota.

Rhythmic Movement Training is another form of brain integration therapy. It was developed by Kirsten Linde,a Swedish psychiatrist, Dr. Harald Blomberg,also a Swedish psychiatrist, used it for himself to overcome the effects of polio. He has been successfully treating children with ADHD, Autism and other neurological disorders for over twenty years without the use of stimulant drugs and has received approval from the Swedish Medical Board. Rhythm and pattern stimulates the development of the cerebellum and basal ganglia. This produces greater symmetry, smoothness, coordination of movement, which in turn supports behavior and learning.

My son, Angel, has always been excessively hyperactive. He literally climbed the walls everywhere we went. My mom was ashamed to take us to restaurants because he spent most of the time throwing silverware and crayons across the room and rearranging the furniture. I received constant phone calls about Angel's behavior in preschool and kindergarten. I was at the end of my rope.

After learning about the benefits of an additive free diet and seeing the benefits of Rhythmic Movement Training at my preschool from certified RMT instructor, Mary Gazca, I decided to eliminate food additives from my family's diet and regularly do the exercises with my son at home.

I found that I was able to handle stress better and learn new skills, like drawing and organizing and setting appropriate boundaries with manipulative people. Now as I work from home I am able to plan my day efficiently. When I take my son to public places, like church or gatherings with other children, I can actually interact with other adults without having to worry about who Angel is going to hit or where Angel is going to climb. Simple handwriting homework that used to take 30 minutes to an hour, complete with pencil banging, rocking in the chair, and doodling has been reduced to 10 or 15 minutes.

As scientific research reveals the importance of the role of the parts of the brain that control movement and behavior, more and more parents of children with autism and ADHD are seeking help from brain integration therapy instead of drugs. Parents can work with their children doing simple, fun exercises and begin a journey to find relief from the stress that these developmental disabilities cause and reach toward higher learning.

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