Atherton,+Doris++Inclusion+Strategies+for+Writing

//Hi all!// //My name is Doris and I couldn't be more proud to be here right now. I ////am a high school drop-out who used to believe that I wasn't destined for much and then after receiving my GED and some encouragement from my husband I decided to return to school. I was astonished when I, the first in my family, walked across the stage and received my Associates degree, and even more astonished when I was accepted into the MAT program. Reaching this level has increased my self esteem as well as my need to reach out to other students and impart the same confidence and love of learning that I have discovered. // //.// //My plan is to work with upper elementary students and I have a percolating interest in working with differently-abled students as well. My hope is that this class will add to my “tool box” for working with all students and that it will give me further insight into working with students who have varying disabilities. I am excited to teach, but I often worry about being able to reach all of my students and my ability to meet all of their needs. I know that if I am to stand a chance in this field I will need to stay well connected and informed. // //.// //My days are often filled with chaos, laughter, and excessive multitasking that I do pretty well on occasion! I have two 16 year old daughters and a 3 year old son. I love being with my family, even on their less than glorious days. My children enrich my lives terribly and I would have to say that without a doubt they come first in everything I do. They are my biggest source of motivation. // //.// //Due to a mild seizure disorder that I developed in my teen years, I often struggle with memory and retention. This has proven to be very challenging in the past years with regards to the vast amounts of information I have been expected to retain so I have come up with some clever and crafty ways to remember things. I often keep a notebook with me and jot things done as they come to me. I use electronic calendars, digital voice recorders, and mnemonic tools to name a few. One thing that I have been able to transfer from this experience is that I need to keep in mind all of the different obstacles that my students may or may not be facing and work with them to overcome obstacles. //

Inclusion Strategies in Writing
// Disabilities in writing affect a learner's ability to write words with correct spelling, appropriate word choice, and basic mechanics such as letter formation, grammar, and punctuation. People with LDs in writing may not understand the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent and often cannot distinguish the correct written word from the incorrect word. Learning disabilities in basic writing are also sometimes referred to as dysgraphia. // // Most people never consider the complexity and difficulty of the writing process. In fact, relative to all other academic activities, writing requires more basic skills than perhaps any other. Even during their earliest handwriting exercises, children must combine complex physical and cognitive processes to render letters precisely and fluidly. As writing tasks become more difficult, students must call on an increasingly wide range of skills to not only write legibly, logically, and in an organized way but also to invoke rules of grammar and syntax. This combination of requirements makes writing the most complex and difficult use of language. // // There is a lot more to writing than coming up with good ideas. Often, children with writing disabilities have no trouble forming coherent and creative thoughts, but the graphomotor, grammatical, and structural aspects of writing may require so much effort and concentration that their best ideas never get recorded. Below are a few ways to help children cope and even overcome these disabilities in order to be the best that they can be. //

Top 5 Things Learned

 * 1) // Writing disabilities refers to a WIDE range of skills from the inability to properly hold a pencil to forming fluent and complete sentences. //
 * 2) // There are a million resources out there for anyone to use and most are free. The downside to this is sifting through it all to find the ones that best suit your needs. //
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// Generally speaking, writing intervention strategies are useful for all students, not just the ones with a specific disability. //
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// Students with writing disabilities often benefit from the same techniques used to teach ELL students. //
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// There are so many tools, techniques, and strategies available and as such there is no reason that every student shouldn’t be successful if together we apply ourselves and commit to their success. There are too many ways to succeed for failure to be an option. //

<span style="color: #76923c; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Resources
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// 1. The “Pre-Referral Intervention Manual” by Stephen B. McCarney, Ed.D. and Kathy Cummins Wunderlich, M.Ed. // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">** RATING 5/5 ** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// The PRIM is bursting at the seams with intervention strategies designed to improve writing. There are specific strategies for everything from handwriting to sentence structure. The text is very user friendly and provides an abundance of interventions that you can choose from to fit the learner’s needs. // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// ~ // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// 2. [|Writing Disability PowerPoint Presentation] located on the Island Education Psychology website by Dr. Judy Rutberg-Self // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">**// RATING 4/5 //** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// This PowerPoint is full of valuable information ranging from legal aspects of students with disabilities (IDEA) to specific strategies designed to improve writing style and appearance. The reason it received only 4 stars is because it is rather lengthy (84 slides) and there are a few slides that seem out of place or are lacking explanation. Overall a very informative tool! // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// ~ // // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">3. [] media type="youtube" key="wRJyk_zeYp4" height="315" width="560" // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">**// RATING 3/5 //** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// This video doesn’t provide any strategies or interventions and that is why I gave it only three stars, but I felt it had to be included. The video is made by a young man who has a disability that affects his hands and as such he is not able to hold a pencil the way the majority of us do. His inspiring video shows how he has overcome this obstacle and not only can he write legibly, but he is also a great artist! His self esteem appears to be lacking, but his skills are not! // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// ~ // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// 4. //// [] // media type="youtube" key="IhFYufexyV4" height="315" width="560" <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">**// RATING 5/5 //** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// This video demonstrates several devices that can be very helpful with a physical disability that limits their writing abilities. The creator shows the tool and uses it to demonstrate its’ effectiveness. Some are quite simple and ingenious, while others seem a bit more arcane, but they all serve a purpose. // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">~ <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// 5. Assistive Technology // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">**// RATING 5/5 //** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// This website does a great job at presenting the many different types of assistive technology available to students/people with disabilities. It gives instructions on how to use most of them as well as pros and cons with some. This website should be a first stop for all teachers who have a student with a disability. // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">~ <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// 6. Graphic Organizers: 5WH organizer+ Main Idea // <span style="color: #4a442a; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">**//RATING 5/5//** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// Many students who have writing disabilities struggle with the components of the story. This graphic organizer helps them to gather their thoughts prior to writing so that they may create a more complete piece of literature. It would have received a higher rating if it had some guiding questions within each heading. Efficient tool! // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">~ <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// 7. Colorin` Colorado // <span style="color: #4a442a; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">**//RATING 5/5//** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// During my research I have come to discover that many of the same strategies and techniques that benefit ELL students also benefit students with writing disabilities and vice-versa. This site is designed to benefit ELL students, but as mentioned, will benefit any student needing modified writing instruction. The site sports a multitude of links as well. // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">~ <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// 8. Sentence frames. // <span style="color: #4a442a; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">**//RATING 3/5//** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// Sentence starters and sentence frames are a great way to help give students with writing disabilities a jump start into writing. It has been determined that these students often need explicit instruction and guidelines to get them writing and this tool does just that. This site is merely a sampling of sentence frames, and isn’t very cohesive, but it contains the bones of the strategy with some great stepping stones which is why I chose to include it. // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">~ <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// 9. Overcoming Dysgraphia // media type="youtube" key="q0WkTVH-UaA" height="315" width="560" <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">**// RATING 5/5 //** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">// This final video is the story of a young man with diagnosed with dysgraphia and the techniques that he and his mother used to “overcome” his disability. It is both heartwarming and informative because the boy and his mother talk candidly about the strategies they used and the problems he triumphantly moved passed. Skills taught and learned leading ultimately to success…what a great way to end! //

= //Community Based Learning Project// = //** The Unique Perspective **// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Formerly Josephine County Developmental Disability Services, or DD services, Community Living Case Management is a non-profit organization that is contracted by the state to provide help and support to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//The mission of Community Living Case Management is to respectfully and proactively facilitate services, supports,// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//and solutions; and to advocate for individuals and families that we support; to coordinate with providers, and// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//community partners and to assist people in achieving self determination and making quality life choices.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//This organization typically begins working with families/guardians and children when the child is approximately age 4. Generally, the family has already been working with the early intervention team and that team makes the referral for services when the child is ready to transition into the world of academia. The organization serves variety of children and typically works with them from preschool/kindergarten until a specified transition time. Their services include intake and eligibility determination, service coordination, protective services, residential supports, employment or employment alternatives, foster care and foster care recruitment, and other services as needed including support through IEP processes, finding and obtaining funding for supportive services and technologies, and referrals to other services.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//I had a unique opportunity to interview a case manager who brings special insight to her position as a case manager. The case manager I interviewed, Krista, is a former client of CLCM. She is a single mother of 3 boys, two of which are developmentally disabled. Her oldest son, B, was born with severe autism while her middle son, C, has asperger’s, and her youngest, J, is typically developing. B is currently living in a group home in the valley and doing well, C is on schedule to graduate from high school this spring and is applying to colleges and J is a well adjusted teen enjoying middle school and “having an older brother with a car”! Krista has been actively involved in working with her children, their intervention teams and other peripheral agencies related to her children, and organizations that work with disabled individuals. She has run the spectrum from the grieving mother to advocate and I believe that she offers valuable insight, thought and perspective to this interview and to this field.//

<span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Interview Notes://
<span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: Please tell me about the company that you work for.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: The only non profit organization in the state for kids with developmental disabilities in the county. It used to be called DD services and was run by the county. The state took over about 6 years ago and hired CLCM to help provide services to families.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: What is your position?// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: I am a service coordinator for children with developmental disabilities ages birth to 18 years old. We provide a wide array of services including case management and grant writing for communication devices.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: What does a typical day look like for you?// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: Well, there is no such thing as a typical day. Some days you think you are getting caught up on case notes all day because you didn’t schedule anything and the next thing you know someone on your case load is sitting down at DHS with one of their kids saying I’m done and you need to place them and then you start the process of jumping through crazy hoops getting a hold of the regional crisis office and trying to gain authorization to start searching for homes. And there is other stuff that goes on with people just dropping into the office. I do a lot of annual plans as well. I have 65 kids on my case load and I have to go out at least once a year to their home and evaluate if they are getting the services they qualified for and that they need as well as talking to the parents or guardians to see if there is something that they need that they can’t afford or if they have an occupational or speech therapist that is suggesting any kind of equipment. Then I begin to try to apply to get them the funding or help they are searching for. I spend a few months after making the annual plan trying to get a hold of all of the things that we agreed on put in place.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: Are you part of the early intervention team?// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: Typically early intervention can handle a lot of the services that we provide and so they hand over their kids to us around 4 years old when they begin transitioning into pre-school. We get a lot of referrals around 4 years old and 16 years old. At 16 years old it’s time to start thinking about transitioning and there is a lot of stuff involved.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: So do you only deal with children?// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: I am dealing with children in the beginning usually, but they are growing and moving on to transition to adult services and then I begin to work with the transition case manager and he is going to the meetings with me until I am done with my job and then he either hands them over to another case manager or Creative Supports which is another partner organization.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: You mentioned DHS before and parents reaching that breaking point. Do you find that you have a significant number of families that cannot handle having a child with disabilities?// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: Well, it does happen. It definitely happens and sometimes that breaking point sneaks up on people like it did with me. People are trying to stay committed and they are going to try and try and then they reach a point where you just can’t do it anymore. There’s nothing wrong with that. We have some really great relationships with parents and foster parents and kids that have turned around so much. It’s probably hard for the parents to accept that their child is doing better without them but it’s commendable that they put the needs of their child first and put themselves through this even though it is uncomfortable and painful having your child outside of your home. It’s what I had to go through with B. I was committed to keeping him in our home and he grew so much taller and stronger than me and when he would have angry moments I could no longer protect him, myself or my other children. It wasn’t a matter of what I wanted anymore; it was a matter of what he needed. He is thriving in his new environment and I get to enjoy him more now. On a side note, the caregivers in B’s group home are all the same age as him and they are working diligently to include him in their subculture. They help him style his hair and consistently and persistently encourage him to attend public events and eat different foods, something he wouldn’t do at home. He has a place where he fits now and there are so many of them that they are better able to supervise him and meet his needs.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: Do you feel like you are significantly qualified for your position because of your background?// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: Yes, I would say that when I go into a home and I am talking to someone about their child there is a total turn around…there is total relief on their face when I tell them that I have been there, I have been where they’re at, I’ve been through this system, I have done this too…suddenly they are so much more trusting. They have somebody that really understands and it’s rare that that happens. When you have a child with a disability you have a different life you have to start living and when you find somebody else who’s doing the same thing it’s like WOW…somebody actually made it through, maybe they do things differently, but they made it. When parents find out that my son lives in a group home they tell me that they could never do that and I explain to them that it came to a point that I no longer had a choice and it begins to open their eyes to the idea that this could be their reality otherwise they are going to spend their golden years taking care of their children. I can tell when they aren’t open to it and I let them know that I understand. I was there…there was no way my son was going to leave my home. Maybe theirs will stay; it’s what works for them. They need to understand though that their kids don’t want them to stop living and that it could mean opening doors to opportunities to them. B would never have gained the social skills and life skills that he currently has if he had remained in my home. Plus his communication has increased so much from being exposed to different people and services.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: The other members of you team, other case managers, do any of them come from similar backgrounds?// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: There is one case manager who has a daughter with Down syndrome. It’s funny because her client list is rich with kids that have disabilities similar to those of her children and so is mine. I guess we found our niche. But it is important that we are familiar with the types of disabilities that our clients are living with. However, there are a lot of kids who have multiple disabilities…they tend to go hand in hand.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: Can you tell me about a particularly trying case and why it is so?// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: I have a young man on my case load that has FAS who was removed from his family a year ago. He was taken into custody by the police and put in a group home in Portland while he was stabilized for emotional disturbance and then he began trying to get him closer to home. Once home he had another incident and was again removed from the home and then he went to the Josephine County juvenile detention facility which is where I met him. There were issues with another partner agency and he ended up going to his grandmothers, which didn’t work out and he went back to his family’s house and the partner agency shouldn’t have allowed that to happen but it did and when there is a change in residency I have to update the annual plan and I was very happy to see this family back together again but sadly two days after I updated the family’s plan there was another incident and he was again arrested and removed. We are currently looking for another group home for him. This case is frustrating because agencies have made mistakes, some of his issues are not being addressed and they are further complicating other issues, and there just doesn’t seem to be a solution present right now. It’s frustrating and saddening. I look back and think how differently it could be for him right now if things had been done differently early on.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: Your story makes me think of the young man in over in Medford that was killed by police recently. He was a depressed person pleading for help and I can only imagine how stories like that might impact families who are in similar situations. They may begin fear calling for help. Your thoughts?// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: I tell me families to be proactive. When they have children that have anger and aggression they need to go get training, get certified so that they can safely put that child in a hold to protect them and so that they can safely defend themselves. Take charge!// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: Do you attend IEP meetings for children that are in your case load?// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: Yes, but it depends. I don’t just show up, I need to be invited. Sometimes we are invited by teachers because they know they need us or they know the family needs us. There are times when the family invites us because they are frustrated with the school. We advocate for them and help them understand what’s going on. There is a lot of confusion between parents and teachers…it’s like they are talking two different languages and the parents need an interpreter. Sometimes we help prevent the melt down when we are all there to talk about YOUR child. These meetings become really emotional.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: We have talked about IEP meetings and making parents comfortable during this time. In your professional opinion as a case manager and mother what are some things that you would recommend to make parents feel more at ease?// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: I think parents need to be educated about it first. I recently sent out a flyer explaining IEP training and I went through that when I was a parent. They’re put on to help them go through that. How would you do an IEP if it was set in front of you? It’s a monster and you would have no clue so you have to get in there and learn and know what you are talking about, and you have to have the confidence to ask for resources…to ask for what your child deserves and not just sit there and wait for someone to hand you something. You can do that, and you can hope and pray that you have someone on your side but you are way better off figuring out what you need and advocating on your own. We go with many parents who don’t feel confident and a lot of times that is the parents of the younger kids and kids on the autism spectrum because that is a whole different ball game and there is a whole different language that you have to learn. That’s really difficult at IEP meetings when they begin throwing around terms and you just get lost. Parent’s need to go in informed and teachers need to use more friendly language.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: What are some specific things we can do to make IEP meetings more parent friendly?// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: From a parent perspective when you go in and the IEP team out weighs you own it becomes intimidating. All of these people are coming in to make decisions and vote and your one little vote doesn’t count for much against all of theirs but it is the one that should count the most. Another problem is that it would be really difficult with so many people, but those people are necessary. I went to one recently where the principal, the school psychologist, the classroom teacher, the resource room teacher, an SOESD autism specialist, a respite care provider and myself at this meeting. Yes there were a lot of people, but we were there on her team to help her use her voice and advocate for herself. I took it a step further and got there a few minutes early to discuss her concerns with her and to walk in the door with her. To me, that made all of the difference. When I was going to these meetings with all of these professionals it felt really intimidating, but if I could walk in the door with someone from my team I would feel more confident and it felt easier to navigate. It felt like buddy muscles!// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: Where there things that happened in your IEP meetings that made you feel frustrated or angry?// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: K was taken off of his IEP and placed on a 504 without my consent. I didn’t know anything about 504. The school told me that they invited his autism specialist and they hadn’t so I was alone in this meeting and felt powerless. They told me this was better for him. The school dropped the ball and I began to think that he was just being watched or something and not receiving services. It wasn’t until the SPED teacher contacted me the next year and told me what a 504 was that I realized he wasn’t getting the services he needed and I demanded that he be put back on his IEP. I had to have his specialist help me to get his IEP back in place because academically K is doing wonderfully, but socially he is lacking and without those skills he cannot be successful in the world.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: What are some traits you like to see in parents? What are some that you don’t particularly like?// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: When I show up for a home visit and the parent has taken the time to clean and dress the child up. They take pride in their children. I recently went to a home of a girl with severe cerebral palsy and her foster care provider has taken the time to teach and learn sign language with the girl. The gestures may not be exact because of the severity of her disability, but they can communicate with each other and is teaching others to communicate with her as well. She is committed. I don’t like it when parents don’t keep appointments, they lack follow through. When they won’t do their part it makes it harder to do my part. I have some that won’t sign paperwork for me. How am I supposed to get funding and services to these families? I think that they confuse me with DHS. They really don’t want me in their homes and are resistant until they get to know me and what it is that I am doing (generally speaking).// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: Do you see in differences in the ways that families react based on economic status?// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: No, I think that regardless of how much money you have when you find out that your kid has a disability it’s just as devastating. There is the same sense of desperation and everyone is reaching for a hand to guide them. It’s a process you have to go through, money or not.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: What are some ways that you encourage parents to be more participatory?// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: I give them access to everything I think they need or could benefit from, things that are available to them such as training or respite care. Giving them a break gives them power and gives them a little bit of themselves back. I try to show them how to get involved in this life and be more active and networked and try to find ways to bring them together. I want them to continue to live. Having a child with a disability can cause you to become detached and I don’t want that for my families.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Q: Do you have any words of advice for teachers working with students and families of students with disabilities?// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//A: Be supportive, knowledge is power, don’t be afraid to ask parents, be involved, let them know you care about them and their child, don’t just give lip service but follow through, be creative and find ways to not only include the student but to help them shine.//

<span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Reflection://
<span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//I think the most important thing I took from this interview is to be involved. Be involved with the student and their families, be involved in the processes, be involved in the community of people living with disabilities and try to help blur the lines that separate us.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Being a youth is hard enough; kids are trying to find themselves as well as where they belong in our culture, they are growing in so many ways with each passing day that the moment they believe they have it all figured out everything changes again. I truly believe that every child wants to feel valued, respected, and appreciated. Parents are not so different. Their lives have been forever altered and they have to “find a new way to exist” according to Krista. Navigating these turbulent waters can be tricky for the experienced seaman, and it’s perhaps even more complicated for a child with a disability or a parent who is coming to terms with the new life they will be living.// <span style="color: #c95818; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//As teachers there is so much we can do to help illuminate the path ahead of them by being informed and supportive. Language seems to play a rather large role and as students it is daunting to try to remember all of the acronyms; imagine a parent who is trying to learn these terms as well as learning about a disability and dealing with the challenges that life provides every day. We don’t have to make things more complicated for parents. We can use clear and concise language that anyone can understand and while IEP meetings and much of the world of academia is structured in a formal way, we can make it a more inviting experience by keeping things simple. There are rules and regulations…let’s make this understandable and questionable by parents and children, let’s show up together and let the family know whose side we are really on which should be theirs. Krista explained to me that while the grand gestures are appreciated and sometimes necessary, the small ones are just as important. Children are children, regardless of ability, and they simply want to be loved, honored, and cherished. Their family’s needs aren’t any different and they all deserve our respect.//