People First Language

Talking about people with differences can become a touchy subject.  Everyone seems to have an opinion and sometimes we end up offending people, even if we try not to offend.

For me, disability impacts me personally, so I recognize that I can be sensitive about it.   In my case, I have a son who has autism.  It gets under my skin when I hear people say "he's autistic," or "he suffers from autism," as examples.  When I refer to my son, I say "he has autism" because, for me, his autism is not the only thing that I believe defines him.  You will never hear me say he "suffers" from autism.  I just can't define my son as "suffering."  If anything, he "flourishes."

Here's a simple thing to consider.   Put the person first, this is called person-first language.   It suggests people to say things like "Susie has Downs syndrome," rather than "she suffers from Down syndrome," or "she's Downs."

Imagine if we did this for people who might not have a disability, but have definable qualities.  For example, bitchy Joanne, mean Robert, cheater Peter.  I'm obviously try to make a point here.  Why offend a person who has a disability or someone who loves them, when it's just so easy to put the person first.

You may still end up offending someone who believes their disability or difference does define them, but you might be less likely to do so.

Examples of People First Language

Say This	Not This
people with disabilities	the handicapped, the disabled
people without disabilities	normal, healthy, whole or typical people
person who has a congenital disability	person with a birth defect
person who has (or has been diagnosed with)...	person afflicted with, suffers from, a victim of...
person who has Down syndrome	Downs person, mongoloid, mongol
person who has (or has been diagnosed with) autism	the autistic
person with quadriplegia, person with paraplegia, person diagnosed with a physical disability	a quadriplegic, a paraplegic
person with a physical disability	a cripple
person of short stature, little person	a dwarf, a midget
person who is unable to speak, person who uses a communication device	dumb, mute
people who are blind, person who is visually impaired	the blind
person with a learning disability	learning disabled
person diagnosed with a mental health condition	crazy, insane, psycho, mentally ill, emotionally disturbed, demented
person diagnosed with a cognitive disability or with an intellectual and developmental disability	mentally retarded, retarded, slow, idiot, moron
student who receives special education services	special ed student, special education student
person who uses a wheelchair or a mobility chair	confined to a wheelchair; wheelchair bound
accessible parking, bathrooms, etc.	handicapped parking, bathrooms, etc.

How is the Skill Measured?

"The devil is in the details"

When developing your child's IEP (Individualized Education Plan) goals with your child's school team,  make sure you understand how your child's progress toward their goals is going to be measured.

In my experience, some parents may not pay attention to the details in their child's IEP goals where it explains that it will be measured by "observation," "pre and post-line data," or "work samples," to name a couple of examples.  

I simply want to encourage parents to take a look at the goals and make a note of how they are measured being measured.

It's Not About Access Anymore

Believe it or not, there was a day when children who had disabilities were turned away from the school house doors.

Thank goodness, those days are over.  Today, students who have disabilities are entitled to an "Appropriate" education in addition to be allowed in the building.

No, I Have Not Met The Student

I am frequently asked by IEP team members if, as the special education advocate,  I have met the student for whom I am advocating.  In fact, many team members have been quite offended if I haven't.

Let me explain, as I recently did to a director of special education, why I will not apologize or back pedal for not meeting the student.

I am a special education advocate.  I am not a speech and language pathologist, special education teacher,  regular education teacher, psychologist, social worker, occupational therapist or physical therapist.  As a special education advocate is it my role to work with parents toward the goal of getting an appropriate program in place for their child under the rights they have in the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).

The IEP team must consider the professional recommendations of professionals who evaluate and make recommendations about a students education based on their area of expertise, such as a speech and language pathology, psychology, occupational therapy, psychiatry, etc..  As a special education advocate, I am not the professional who should have an opinion based on a field in which I am not an expert regarding their education program

While it's always a bonus for me to meet the student, I do not believe it is my role to be a member of the team who dictates intervention, programming or specific evaluations.  However, I can certainly be that professional who guides the team toward the professionals who can.

I am the person on the team who is ever mindful of parents and students rights under the IDEA.  And believe me, I have plenty to say about that!

Please Don't Call Me "Mom"

My name is "Julie," please don't call me "mom"

There is nowhere I personally go in my daily life where adults call me "mom," so it is with great wonder that it happens to the mothers with whom I work at IEP team meetings with regularity.  Now for some reason, I don't experience that fathers are referred to as "dad" by staff.  It is a practice that seems to be reserved for mothers.

As a parent of a child with a disability and a special education advocate, this practice used by school staff  really bothers me.  It usually begins right at the beginning of the meeting when everyone goes around and introduces themselves.  Parents will say their names, usually followed by "I'm the mom or dad."  So for the rest of the meeting everyone on the team calls the mother "mom."

While the speech and language pathologist says "I'm Susie, the speech and language pathologist," nobody refers to her as "speech and language pathologist."  People around the table call her "Susie."

The cynic in me believes that referring to mothers as "mom"  lessens their position as an equal team member.  Being the "mom" to my sons is my greatest accomplishment in life, but I still want to be called by my name, it's Julie.

I have a solution for it.  As an advocate, I NEVER refer to the parents with whom I work as "mom," or "dad."  I call them by their names.  In this way, I try to model the behavior I would hope the rest of the team follows.  It rarely happens that team follows suit, by the way.

As a parent, when I am at my own IEP team meetings, if a staff member calls me "mom," I politely say "oh, please call me Julie."  I advise the parents with whom I work to do the same.

Perhaps you are not offended when IEP team members call you "mom" or "dad." I suppose it's a personal thing, but having attended hundreds upon hundreds of IEP team meeting with parents, my opinion is that parents should be treated equally on the team.  You are a member of the team and, it is my opinion, you should be called by your name, just as everyone else is.

No, You Shouldn't Have to Hire an Advocate!

I hear many parents and guardians say that they shouldn't have to hire an advocate to get their child an appropriate program.   I agree.  No one should have to hire anyone to secure an appropriate education for their child.  I truly wish that all school districts would provide all students who have disabilities a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) all of the time.  In the meantime......

No matter what measure a parent or guardian takes to secure an appropriate education for their child, the good news is that the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) is a federal law that exists to be ENFORCED!

So I say, if you are a parent or guardian and you retain a special education advocate to help you enforce the IDEA, learn as much about the process and the IDEA from your advocate.


Because knowledge is Power!

                                                                   

        

Early Dismissal Everyday is Not O.K.

All the middle school kids in your neighborhood get on the school bus together in the morning at 7:15 a.m.  All of the neighborhood kids get off the school bus at 3:15 p.m., like clockwork.   Except one.  One boy gets off the bus at 1:30 p.m. everyday.  Why does only one boy get off the bus at 1:30?

It's not a riddle.  It's something that happens too frequently to students who have disabilities.

I received a phone call from a parent who explained how her son's IEP (Individualized Education Program) stipulates that he be dismissed early everyday.  The IEP doesn't mention the actual time, but as it turns out, he is dismissed almost 2 hours earlier than regular dismissal time as a function of his behavior plan.

Her son has to earn staying in school, which is determined by his good behavior.

Know this please.  Every student has the right to stay in school all day!  Students who have a disability can not be held to a different standard from other students.

Let me help you look at this situation in a different way.  Let's say there are 180 school days in a year   and 7 hours in a school day.  So, let's take 180 and multiply it by 2 (hours).  That's 360 hours (of school)  Let's divide that by 7 (the hours of a school day).  That's about 51 school days.  That's almost one third of the school year.  Adds up, doesn't it!

This means that this student was denied the opportunity to be in school learning for one third of the school year.

While most situations may not be this extreme, no amount of lost school hours is O.K.  In this particular situation, where the student's behavior is the culprit for early dismissal, it would be appropriate to ask the school district to conduct an FBA (Functional Behavior Assessment) to determine the function of the behaviors in question in order to put a BIP ( Behavior Intervention Plan) in place.

All students have the right to be set up for success at school.  In this case, a really well-designed and implemented behavior plan is a good start.

And please know this.  Earning the right to stay in school should never be a part of any behavior plan or IEP.