New Story Schools in PA. Why Not Where You Live ?

       Today I had a tour of a New Story School in Lancaster Pa. Look them up, PLEASE ! these schools should be in every states in ever school district. Instead what happens is kids with extra special needs are sent to hospitals on a recycling  way any time they act up because they know how to get that break from school, know how to say just what will put them in a hospital. So what happens with their education? It causes a lapse, and they get behind. Or they will be sent to a residential facility.
    Keep your taxes in your own communities and demand to get a New Story where you live. Now, It doesn't have to be an actual New Story school, but a setting like new story in your own district in your state.
When schools have to send kids outside of the district to go to behavioral schools, your taxes will go up.

So support your schools by asking over and over again about implementing a New Story style facility within a building or building in your schools. This type of school has an autism feature and an emotional support feature. It also has an "apartment" set-up for life skills with a washer-dryer, bed, stove, fridge, kitchen cabinets, dishes and more. Students clean up at the end of every day. Their is a fun/game room,  sensory room, an outside play area, a small gym, a small cafeteria and kids pack lunches so they learn to use a microwave, a stove and whatever they need to assist with a lunch. They can take snacks, but no peanuts. as many kids are allergic. Staff are readily available. I saw one on one and Tss's are allowed.
  This is more than worth while. The High school piece-kids get to go to the grocery store and shop for their own lunch, using budgeting skills and I'm sure if parents can't afford that, there are other options.

Fight for this program. We also have many special teachers who are not valued enough who have worked with special ed kids and now not working. This would put every teacher back to work. Kids go a full day and parents are not called if kids need to be restrained to come and get them. The support staff handle this. It doesn't get any better for the kids who attend, the families who have these kids who need this kind of a school and the taxpayers who pay more to send kids out of the district to behavioral schools where mainly they just don't learn enough. They build football fields don't they? That's because football players are special kids. They build it on the school property. What about the kids who need to be,should be closer to home, and not have a 45 minute ride to go out of the district? Too bad they don't play football.

Free Education Law Center-offers HOPE

       Hello Parents

                    We don't know what we don't know until someone else lets us in or until we have the problem and search and search until we find answers. By then it may be too late. I live in Pennsylvania and there is an ELC here, and there is one in every state. If there isn't, there is one close by in a bordering state who will still help you at no cost to you.
            The Education Law Center is in business to make sure your child's needs are being met. So many children of all ages are becoming criminals because they have disabling issues, mental health problems not being taken care of in connection with education, So what do schools usually want to do? Suspend, over and over and then send to a lock down behavior school and finally a residential placement.
     None of that is an answer when your child's needs are not being met and isolation is not the answer. My local school appears to ignore the fact that the child in my care is on the autism spectrum. Sure they have told me, and the team that he gets sensory things to help him through. IS that the same as an autism class or school? No way at all.
   These children are choking in a sense to get out of the building for play, to be in a room or rooms with many sensory objects, to have hands on working materials like skilled crafts to teach a life skill which is a very calming method. We had the education law center involved and a pro bono lawyer who finally dropped out as the school said, we cannot keep this child as he's a danger to himself and others. So now they want to home school him at five hours a week. But I have found a school, Soaring Heights which appears to really meet his needs. He is on the autism spectrum and yet the school is telling me, that school is for people with autism. What are they missing? He is perfect for this school and should he get in and not make it, then at least   everything will have been done,
         Now what is needed once again for children with behavioral problems is early vocational training.
There are so many things to teach children and it doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg-Schools don't ever put football on the back burner do they? But they will put troubled kids on the back burner. So I say to all parents, call the Education Law Center, don't quit! You are all your child has.

Screaming Children in Public

         I had a chat with my son today who is a great dad. Part of the conversation had to do with screaming kids and how others see them and the parents. When these things happen in public, sure its annoying, it's irritating and upsetting. Here you are trying to shop and suddenly a piercing scream, verberates your thoughts and so what do you do as an outsider. You glare, over and over again. You complain and you judge.
         Next time, either ignore, ask mom or dad if you can help, or simply mind your own business and think. Think that maybe that child isn't just a brat, isn't just misbehaving and maybe mom and dad, either or, are very good parents, but know very well their child just may be autistic. You don't.
        You only hear the sounds, so please stop and say a silent prayer for those parents and that child, that they get though doing what they need to do. No one knows what's going on and the child may have  an illness too of some kind. We just don't know. Be patient, take care of your business and leave. Don't be so quick to assume. You know what's said about assuming.

Autism-The Amazing Kids Club-Do You Have One ?

     I live not far from a place called The Amazing Kids Club. It's a place for kids, ages up to twenty or twenty -two to come to who have some form of autism. They must however be diagnosed with PDD to get in, at least here with this particular club. If they do not have that diagnosis, a doctor once explained to, will usually make it so.
      In this club there are also many parents involved and they call themselves FOAK, Friends of Amazing Kids. Whatever you need to know, they can tell you or find out weather it be concerned about devices, insurance, therapy and making friends as well as being so supportive of one another. The guy who leads this group last time I went there was a vet and beside his twin sons who are autistic, this man is patient, stern, strong, smart and aware of what parents face as much as what is ahead for these kids.
    This club is in Hanover Pennsylvania. I've looked them up to see where others are available as I wanted one closer to home-don't we all. Hanover was the best choice and so I am glad to have had some time with them, learned about the club, the people who work there and the kids. They have an after school program as well as after school.
   This club offers computers, am inside trampoline, a room with crafts,a touch room and so much more. Summertime arrives and kids get to go out to parks, an ice cream day etc. They also learn life skills at the club.
     If you don't have one where you live, get some people together, get grants and start one. You won't be sorry

What Causes Autism ?

          Kids who are diagnosed with Autism are considered to be on a certain spectrum, such as Aspergers or PDD and more. But what we don't know is a cause and that's not unusual as we don't know what causes many disorders and illnesses. So what can we do to prevent as much as possible and what can we do once a diagnosis is made?
        First lets looks at the futures of kids with Autism. Each and every one is different. It depends on a variety of thing. What kind of parents do they have, levels of patience, stay at home mom or dad, insurance and supports. Supports such as family, doctors, therapies, education, outside social interaction and play. Play is so important.
      Pre -Plan your pregnancy-take care not to smoke and drink alcohol as well as eating natural as much as you can, plant based foods. It all helps in having healthy babies and we know too, many moms do this and still have a child with birth defects and other illnesses. Check our neighborhood well to see if you are near an old dump site, a water treatment center, anything even close to that. New Jersey has sold homes without revealing what surrounds them only to have people become ill, because of a smell that is making sure people do not open windows and are getting sick. There isn't any law that tells the new home buyer it has to be revealed.
      Planning a future for a child with Autism. Have structure and a regimen that you know or feel you know you can stick with from as early an age as possible.
Take care of yourself if you are planning. Buy toys that are sensitive to touch. Play calming music. Do not start with electronics-this is my opinion. As much as you can live a normal life from day one.
    Investigate your school supports systems. Here we have what is called The Amazing Kids Club-and it is amazing and they also have FOAK=Friends of Amazing Kids which are families who stick together throughout all kinds of traumas and dramas, needs, babysitting, and so much help you wouldn't believe :)
    Use family, friends and church friends as well.  Introduce them from the start so they will never be seen as strangers to a child with autism.
    Food. Food Food
     Sleep, Sleep Sleep both are so important for the whole family. Eat as natural as possible, no food colors, no preservatives. The best medicine is Farm Grown and on the table. Shop outside isles more than inside. Use diapers not pampers if you can. Give baby rub downs, lots of love, touchy hugs, continued so they will expect it and not be afraid of it.
   DANCE. Put music on and dance so again-they are used to it, happy sounds !
   You have to plan now for later. If you wait, so will your child. This is all partly my opinion and partly my experiences. As an added note-God Bless all of those Special education teachers.
    

Touch, Thurs. 9 P.M. a WOW Show

     I love this show from the first time I saw it. About a little curly-haired boy who has autism. He doesn't talk but communicates with numbers, sending his dad played by Keifer Sutherland, on what at first appears to be a wild goose chase, but they play out not to be.
     This little boy and his numbers mind is somehow connected to things in far away places and people and he always makes his dad take off. No speaking, no writing directions,  but just numbers and it's always for good. What a cool show. It's about time. I think this is a show that should be on earlier on a Friday or Saturday so more kids can watch. A dad with patience, immeasurable love and understanding, these two players make a great combination for entertaining TV.
   Do you know anyone with Autism? People with Autistic behaviors are not all the same because to put it simply, they are individuals. Thank you to all the teachers who work with these children.