March 8, 2008

Parent Training Holds the Key

March brings with it a parent panic about the Annual Review of the IEP. New parents rollinto the system daily from early intervention and referrals in kindergarten through 12th grade. They contact me through this website or track me down in other ways. All they want is information and maybe some help. How does the system work? What do the evaluations mean? My district ignores everything I say. What do I do? Nobody calls me back from State Ed. What’s wrong with those people? The school sent me only the signature page of a proposed IEP I haven’t seen and told me to sign it. I thought there were laws about special ed. What happened? I have an IEP meeting coming up and my kid is a mess. How do I tell them they’ve screwed up and get my child the right help? There is no special ed parent group in my town. How do I start one?

I have no place to send this new generation of parents because the system is entirely broken. Help usually costs money and most parents don’t have it. Lawyers are useless unless you can afford them and all of the experts they insist you find and pay for. State funded parent groups give inaccurate information. The only thing that ever works is local activism and organization. That is how I started the first parent information center in 1977 and why it was so successful for 30 years. Parent training holds the key to reform, enforcement of the laws, and improvement of the special education system. But there is a huge difference between parent training and parent support. Parent support lets parents complain and do variations on “Poor Me” and “They should go to jail”. Parent training is about learning new and usable skills, a new vocabulary, self-discipline, negotiation, and, yes- the law. Tears are allowed once with me. You get a hug and a cup of coffee. Then I shake you or tap your hand and tell you to get your act together- that there is work to do. The goal of parent training is to give independence and security in the bargaining process of testing, IEP development, and placement. Parent support is a nice thing if there is time for it. It lets parents vent, share stories, and feel better by finding those with similar experiences. But it solves nothing and neither the child nor the parent learns to improve the situation. That is why parent support groups are popular with schools and parent training programs are often seen as a threat. If you are involved with a parent-training program, consider emailing me about what you are learning and if it helps you. I’m working on an idea to address this unmet need through this website and would appreciate your input.

Each week before writing this blog, I look at my “Gloves” box to see what clippings or downloading is there. Here are the recent contents:

1. Math as a learning disability is given a wonderful explanation at www.redorbit.com. Click on “Introduction to the Special Series: Mathematics and Learning Disabilities.” Of specific interest is the list of characteristics of students with math difficulties.
   
   
2. Current research suggests that TV be kept out of your child’s bedroom (A One-Eyes Invader in the Bedroom”, The New York Times, Tara Parker-Pope, 3/4/08).

Data suggests that it is directly linked to lower school scores, sleep problems, and weight gain in children.

3. NCLB (No Child Left Behind) has been found by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals to have more importance than IDEA because it is a newer law. (“NCLB Trumps IDEA, Appeal Court Rules”, Education Week, Mark Walsh, 2/20/08). When there is a conflict in the legal language between IDEA requirements and those in NCLB, NCLB wins.
   
   
4. America’s teens were found to be ignorant about history and literature in a phone survey conducted by Common Core, a new research and advocacy organization seeking the teaching of more liberal arts in the public schools. (“Survey Finds Teenagers Ignorant on Basic History and Literature Questions”, The New York Times, Sam Dillon, 2/27/08). In January, 1,200 17 year olds were asked 33 multiple choice questions about literature and history, taken from a 1986 test used by the federal government. A quarter of those interviewed were unable to correctly identify Hitler. Literature scores were even worse. The conclusion was that the nation has become obsessed with testing and basic skills due to NCLB- an unhealthy situation.
   
   
5. No special education case was accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court for this term. (“Justices Mulling Fewer Education Cases This Term”, Education Week, Mark Walsh, 1/30/08)
   
   
6. Grandparents serve as the primary caregivers for 20% of the 11.3 million preschool children. (“Families Help Care for Half of U.S. Preschoolers, Census Says, The New York Times, Ramar Lewin, 2/29/08).
   
   
7. Play is serious business for children. The New York Times Magazine of 2/17/08 devoted its cover and feature article to this topic. Loss of play in a child’s development can have life-long effects. Play provides the value of “interpersonal nuance” that is only achieved in a 3 dimensional world and using all five senses. It is a central part of neurological growth and development.
   
   
8. On 2/28/08 PBS featured the Brain Fitness Program and Brain Targeted Training. While I interpreted this program as a Fast Forward auditory training program for seniors, one aspect of it caught my ear concerning children and writing their IEPs.

It emphasized that the brain is a learning machine, remains plastic throughout the life span, and in order to remain fit must have effortful engagement in a novel activity. Sounds like every kid I’ve ever known. Seven concepts were itemized as critical and absolute in the learning process. Think of these as you prepare for your child’s next IEP and remember that the word “change” means “learning”:

1. Change can only occur when you are in the mood.
2. Change strengthens a variety of brain connections that last for a long time.
3. Neurons that fire together, wire together (This is my favorite one!). Memories are stronger with the more simultaneous input you have from many parts of the body. It is important to remember that the brain is a highly integrated organ. Remember this one when the IEP team tells you social skills are not the job of the school.
4. Initial changes are just temporary. (Because they passed the test today doesn’t mean they will remember the stuff next week.) The brain decides what to record based on how often it happens and under what circumstances.
5. Changing the brain is either a positive or negative memory. Every habit and stored new information is a result of brain plasticity, the ability of the brain to physically change based upon new learning.
6. Memory is crucial to learning.
7. Motivation is a key factor in brain plasticity.

So why is all of this related to parent training? Because parents and grandparents who are caregivers must have current information, know what it means, and use scientifically proven methods in designing individualized programs for their children. That is the thrust of NCLB and of IDEA. It is also part of the parent survival kit that learns to exert mental control over the desire to reach out and choke the fool across the table from you at the IEP meeting.