Which is the better number?

 Which is the better number? 

 

Which is the better way to go if you are looking for an appropriate special education for your child?  There is section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act and there is PL101-476 which is the Public Law of the 101^st Congress that passed the 476^th piece of legislation better known as IDEA.  

Let’s start with Section 504.  This section of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act says that organizations that receive federal funds  (almost every school district) must make accommodations for people with disabilities. That requirement includes staff as well as students.  In a school setting the accommodation might be smaller classes, longer test times, or even additional breaks.  Many school districts will default to 504 plans for good reasons.  They are generally less expensive to provide. There is little paperwork involved. And most importantly from the school’s perspective, there is no enforcement mechanism if the plan is never implemented or only partially so.

Parents like 504 Plans because they are quick to implement and children do not have to have a specific diagnostic category to have access.  They only need to have a “disability”.  

On the other hand, PL101-476 is much more difficult to put into place.  The child must be formally tested and be determined to have one of the 13 disabilities described in the law. Once that happens, a school team, including the parents, meets to construct an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for the child.  These plans can sometimes be contentious because they include not just the educational objectives for the child and the specific instructional supports, they also must include any additional related services such as speech, occupational therapy or counseling among several others.  Parents generally want more; school districts often want less. The other major difference between the 504 Plan and an IEP is that the IEP is a legally binding contract for services between the child’s parents acting on behalf of the child and the school district.  It is NOT, however, a guarantee that the instructional objectives outlined in the plan will be achieved.  IEP meetings need to be held at least once a year to be updated as the child’s needs change.

So which is the better way to go?  Well, that depends.   If what a child needs is an easy tweak to a typical educational program then the 504 Plan may fill the bill.  But if what a child needs is a full rounded, enforceable, contract for service then there is no question- the lower number 476 delivers on the goods more so than the higher number 504.

Birds, Bees & Disabilities

 Birds, Bees and Disabilities

 

People with disabilities learn sex ed in classes just like everyone else.  That’s enough-right?  Well not exactly.  There are multiple wrinkles to the needed sex ed for folks with disabilities.

Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernadino Counties has created a six- session curriculum called “Equal Voices” that teaches people about sexually transmitted diseases, birth control, consent in a relationship and the perils of online dating and predatory relationships.

Many people with disabilities are naïve when it comes to relationships.  Even when they get a lot of love from family and friends, an individual may strongly want to bond with a partner. This need makes them very easy targets for predatory relationships.

Because people with disabilities usually have fewer sexual relationships, they lack the experience of being able to tell how sincere the other person is.  People with disabilities need to know enough about themselves to understand their own personal boundaries so they can tell their partners which behaviors are ok and which behaviors make them feel uncomfortable.

Sadly, some people with disabilities feel grateful for any partner/sexual relationship so they are afraid to say “no” for fear this will be their one and only chance for a partner relationship.  Families who work out ways for their offspring to live independently in group homes or supported apartments, don’t include advice on sexual relationships now that their children are living outside of the family home. Living independently will include dating and perhaps bringing someone home.  People with disabilities are often seen as asexual by the non-disabled community.  That is not the situation at all and explains why these individuals are such easy prey for those who would take advantage.  

It is also true that individuals with physical disabilities may need alternative methods for achieving sexual satisfaction.   Able bodied individuals generally have not thought of what those alternative methods might be.

Sex for people with disabilities begins with self-respect and self-appreciation so that people with disabilities can enter into relationships on an equal level playing field and not one of gratitude and thankfulness which can make the individual easy pickings for an unbalanced predatory relationship.

 

 

Can't Nobody Get This Right

 Can’t Nobody Get this Right?

 

The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ)made a big splash a few weeks ago with its grades for Maryland Colleges of teacher education.  Simply put with the exception of McDaniel, they were all terrible.

The Baltimore Sun jumped on the issue and immediately equated the ratings to why kids can’t read and are failing the state tests. Of course, no effort was made to evaluate either the organization or the method being used to make the determination.  Only 46% of the State’s 4^th graders are proficient in reading according to those tests. 

The first thing that needs to be known about these ratings is the method used by NCTQ.  Did the National Council send trained researchers to visit campuses and sit in on classes?  The answer to that question is nope.  Well then, did the organization send surveys to graduates to ask how their undergraduate programs have served their professional needs.  Again, the answer is nope nothing like that.  Did the organization review the credentials of the faculty to see if they were qualified to prepare and teach people to teach.   Again, no. Well then how did they come to their conclusions? Answer, they reviewed the descriptions in the college catalogs of the courses being taught.

The emphasis on the review was how much in depth was the teaching of phonics and phonemic awareness.   Instead, Maryland schools taught what is called “balanced literacy”.  That is in addition to word attack and decoding, Maryland schools also taught reading comprehension and literature- both of which are the point of reading!  Doesn’t do much good to decode words if the reader doesn’t get any meaning out of the sounds they are producing.

All of Maryland colleges and universities that prepare teachers are accredited by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE).   The AACTE sends teams of professionals into the schools and they stay for most of a week.  They visit classes, interview staff and students, review and evaluate coursework AND talk with graduates regarding how well prepared they were to enter their chosen profession.  The review process isn’t easy.  Lots of paperwork is submitted in advance of the site visits.  So, when a school does get accredited it means something.  And yes, sometimes as a result of the review a school is put on probation, that means something too.

The Baltimore Sun and NCTQ did a disservice to the schools that are doing a comprehensive job of preparing future teachers.  They are getting it right and in the right way.