Special Education Law Blog

"How to Get People to Like You" and Revisiting the Transition Plan

The Behavioral Analysis Program in the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division is responsible for the “thoughtful process of creating a positive interaction and possible relationship between two individuals, whether the goal is an interview, confession, or development of a confidential source.”  You may be asking, “Why am I reading about this in a special education blog?”  Because Robin Dreeke, who managed the FBI program for more than 25 years, has published a book entitled, “It’s Not All About ‘Me’:  The Top Ten Techniques for Building Quick Rapport with Anyone.”  In a nutshell, Mr. Dreeke is talking about the development of social skills, which is a critical piece of the special education puzzle for many of our students.  As we have discussed in previous blogs, social skills, or the lack thereof, is what trips up many of our students/children as they enter young adulthood.  Rick Lavoie, a social skills training expert, stated:  “Social skills deficits are the ultimate determining factor in the child’s future success, happiness, and acceptance.”  It’s not enough to be book smart in this world; you also need to have emotional intelligence and people savvy. 

Most of Mr. Dreeke’s suggestions, which are crystallized in a Time magazine article, may seem obvious to most of us.  Yet, they may not be to our loved ones with disabilities. Admittedly, most of Mr. Dreeke’s strategies are well beyond the scope of most of the client’s in my practice who are still dealing with communication basics:  vocal intonation, making eye contact, respecting personal space, etc.  But for students who are much higher functioning and capable of abstract thought and introspection, Mr. Dreeke is providing a blue print a la Dale Carnegie on how to make friends and generally succeed in life.  To quote the list provided by Time, Mr. Dreeke recommends:

1. The single most important thing is non-judgmental validation.  Seek someone else's thoughts and opinions without judging them.
2. Suspend your ego. Focus on them.
3. Really listen, don’t just wait to talk.  Ask them questions; don’t try to come up with stories to impress.
4. Ask people about what’s been challenging them.
5. Establishing a time constraint early in the conversation can put strangers at ease.
6. Smile, chin down, blade your body, palms up, open and upward non-verbals
7. If you think someone is trying to manipulate you, clarify goals.  Don’t be hostile or aggressive, but ask them to be straight about what they want.

These strategies are reminders of what many of our kids may need.  For some students, particularly those with autism spectrum disorders, the lack of social skills (as well as other functional living skills) can be deal breakers for them as they move into young adulthood.  As we have discussed elsewhere, many of these bright, young adults matriculate at colleges or in jobs and yet fail.  They simply don’t have complete skill sets to navigate independent living or post-secondary education. These points could be useful in thinking about and developing goals both in high school and in transition programming.

Emily Iland, an advocate and leader in the autism community, recommends going back to the transition plan for these higher functioning students.  Because they have been navigating high school on a college prep academic track, these students haven’t had room to address many of these communication and independent living skills and school districts may not even recognize that they are lacking.  Ms. Iland reminds us that these students don’t have to be handed their diplomas at 18; they can continue receiving services until they turn 21. 

It is during this transition period that perhaps many of Mr. Dreeke’s  recommendations can be integrated into solid transition goals that address pragmatic language deficits, including nonverbal body language, reciprocal speech, and initiating conversations as well as other functional and adaptive skills.  Keeping higher functioning 18-year-olds in high school may be a challenge—school districts are not used to not graduating 18-year-olds who have the requisite academic skills—and these higher functioning 18-year-olds, who legally are their own educational decision makers, may utterly balk at not graduating with their peers.  However, graduating from high school is a change in placement, and if appropriate can be challenged through due process and the accompanying stay put regulations.  It is possible that the student/family can demonstrate that the young adult is not ready for young adult life and needs additional transition services.   

I’m not necessarily recommending that every 18 year old with an ASD should continue into a transition program, but I am suggesting that families and school districts consider the student’s needs outside the academic curriculum.  The basis for this is of course, a strong and solid transition plan, which unfortunately receives very short shrift for the highest functioning special education students.  Mr. Dreeke’s recommendations for “How to Get People to Like You” simply reminds us of some of the skills our students will need as they transition into adulthood.

 

 

Let's Not Demonize Persons on the Autism Spectrum

In these days of mass media, we all wince whenever the dreaded words “Breaking News” flashes across our TV or computer screens because we know somewhere there has been a tragedy, accident, disaster, attack, or some other dreadful event.  And when we hear the words “shooter” and “school,” parts of us, that we thought already numb, are once again shocked as we hear of new losses and new sorrows.  I suggest that those of us who are parents of children with special needs, particularly those of children who are on the spectrum, may have additional reactions that cause us to brace inwardly.  In addition to the pain we feel for the victims of these shootings, we tense as we wait to hear more information about the shooters.  Fairly quickly we begin to hear neighbors describing the alleged shooters as loners, bullied oddballs, or quirky kids who never could make eye contact.  By the time the news pundits begin their evening television rounds of opining, we begin to hear the speculation that this shooter had Asperger’s syndrome or that shooter had autism.  And as parents, we fear for our own children on the spectrum, not because we believe they are potential school yard shooters, but because we are afraid others will fear our children, who will become even further stigmatized. This fear was validated this week in an op ed in The New York Times by Dr. Andrew Solomon titled, “The Myth of the #‘Autistic Shooter,’” who cogently argues that linking autism with murder is leading to scapegoating of some of the most vulnerable members of our society. 

Jobs for Persons with ASDs

This post is the second in the series related to employment. Springtime graduations are exciting times in a family’s life. Whether the student is exiting high school or receiving a college degree, the family’s pride follows their loved ones as they venture out into young adulthood where they either begin post-secondary education programs or step into their careers.  Yet it is still an anxious time for parents, even when their child is “typical” and appears to possess both the academic and social savvy to progress through young adulthood.  How much more fraught with angst is it when parents know that their child is not ready even though the diploma has been awarded and dutifully framed in the family home.  Parents know that the deck is stacked against their children with disabilities, even when they are higher functioning, such as those students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

Employment and the Disabled: Extent of the Problem

I am publishing a series of blogs on employment related to people with disabilities. This is the first of 4 posts. The Code of Federal Regulations states that the purpose of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 is to prepare students with disabilities for further education, employment, and independent living (CFR 300.1[a]). So what happens for students with disabilities once they either receive high school diplomas or complete their transition programs?  Are they employed?  Are they under-employed?  What kind of incomes are they earning?  We, and our children with disabilities or those students for whom we have advocated, have all worked too hard, exerted too much energy, and shed too many tears to have everything we’ve struggled for end when the school bus no longer picks up our children.  We need to look at what we are preparing our loved ones for once they no longer receive special education services.  With these thoughts in mind, we are exploring in different blogs what the employment outcomes are for persons with disabilities.  Although some of the data is extremely discouraging, there are bright spots that we can all hope will translate to rewarding careers/work lives for our loved ones with special needs.

The Journey of a Family

I have known this family for years. They are dedicated and willing to go to great and heoric lengths to allow their son to progress and realize his potential. This heart-warming video captures his journey, that of his family and many families acorss the world. Families like this one need to have more celebrations for their efforts and their love.

The Importance of Sensory Integration Therapy

Sensory integration therapy (SIT) has been one of the treatment mainstays for thousands of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, ADD/ADHD, or other developmental disorders.  According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), approximately 5 to 15% of children in the general population have sensory processing issues.School-based and private occupational therapists and parents have brushed, swung, and bounced on balls countless children in an effort to improve their ability to process sensory input.  Yet, the effectiveness of this therapy, despite accolades it has received from therapists and parents, has been questioned.  Now a new study by Lang et al that assesses the benefits of SIT by reviewing 25 existing studies adds additional fuel to the debate.  In a nutshell, the study authors state that SIT is neither effective nor research-based and that agencies (such as schools) that are mandated to provide research-based interventions should not be using SIT. 

Lang et al culled electronic data bases for different studies that purported to measure the effectiveness of SIT.  To be included in the Lang review, the study had to meet certain inclusion criteria; namely, at least one participant had to be diagnosed with an ASD and some form of SIT had to be implemented in an effort to ameliorate the symptoms of the ASD.  The SIT was then classified as positive, negative, or mixed depending on its effectiveness.  Additionally, the methodological rigor of the study was examined to determine if the study had a true experimental design that among other things could be replicated. 

Finding the Appropriate Placement for Students with High Functioning Autism

The fundamental challenge in finding an appropriate placement for the student with higher-functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome is meeting the child’s emotional or behavioral needs yet not short-changing him or her academically.  Notwithstanding the various challenges the student may have related to the disability, the student may likely be extremely bright.  Many day therapeutic day programs are well-equipped to help the student develop social skills and learn to maintain a sense of equilibrium, but many programs lack academic rigor for the student.

A recent due process case from Massachusetts recognized this placement tension for a student with Asperger’s whose parents had unilaterally placed him in an out-of-state private residential program that they believed better met his needs.  The hearing officer, in agreeing with the parents, stated that although the school district was not required to provide a program that would maximize the student’s potential to ensure FAPE, the school still needed to consider the student’s potential in order to determine whether or not he was receiving “meaningful benefit” from the IEP.  To be meaningful, the student must be able to progress, even when his potential is high. In this particular case, the student had challenges with reading fluency and poor social skills.  Additionally, he could be argumentative and withdraw socially.  Yet the student was very talented mathematically and desired to attend college where he would study math. The hearing officer stated that the placement proposed by the school failed to provide FAPE.  Although the program specialized in students with Asperger’s and could help with the social skills and learning issues, its three teachers, none of whom had content certification, could challenge the student academically.  The program, which was unable to offer students any science labs, had also not sent any students on to college. This relatively flexible view of the FAPE requirement is new twist and one that is not applied in all cases, making this case very interesting to see if it gets applied in other cases.

Autism Society Reponse to Newtown Tragedy

I am still reeling from the depth and magnitude of what happened last week with the killing of so many young children and their heroic teachers and staff. I am not sure when, if ever, I will be able to make any sense of this extreme violence. However, in the media frenzy that always follows such events there have been irresponsible statements attributing autism as a possible explanation. Below is the Autism Society's reponse on this issue.

Sleeping Difficulties Prevalent in Students with ASD

Many children have difficulty sleeping.  But a disproportionate number of children with special needs have sleep problems.  Anywhere from 49 to 89% of children with autism spectrum disorders, 25 to 50% of children with ADHD, and 34 to 86% of children with cognitive impairments are estimated to experience sleep difficulties.  Additionally children with other syndromes, such as Angelman or Down syndromes, are also reported to have sleep difficulties.  But what is not known is if the learning problems cause the sleep problems, or if the sleep problems cause the learning problems.  Dr. Bonuck and her associates from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine attempted to answer this question in a prospective study just published in Pediatrics by looking for an association between sleep difficulties in young children with a later need for special education services.

 Prospective studies follow a specific population (or cohort) over time, identify certain risk factors, and see how these factors affect outcomes over time. The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (also known as ‘the Children of the 90s’ study) is one such cohort that had enrolled approximately 85% of pregnant women in Avon, England in 1991-1992, allowing for a large population-based study.  The initial cohort in the study, which was used by Dr. Bonuck and her associates for their research, comprised more than 13,000 infants, but children with any known condition that might lead to a disability or was associated with a disability were excluded. 

Educating Students with High Functioning ASD: Part 2- A Personal Story by Marilyn Green Rebnord

In doing research on finding appropriate placements for students with either high-functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome, I got side tracked by a little jewel of an article that had appeared in a magazine published by the National Education Association.  Titled “Square Pegs:  Kids with Asperger Syndrome are Hoping You’ll Help Them Find a Place in the Classroom that Fits Just Fine,” the article quotes Lucas, a young man with Asperger’s who had just graduated high school.  According to Lucas, “You’ve heard people say we don’t want to be square pegs in round holes, we want to be square pegs in square holes.  To me that means we don’t need to be fixed.  We’re not broken people.  We just need to be understood.” What Lucas is asking for—understanding--is what is essential to ensure a successful placement for the child with high-functioning autism or Asperger’s.

 Teachers who are willing to go the proverbial extra mile may discover that children on the spectrum can contribute enormously to their classrooms.  These children can shine brightly with a teacher who appreciates who they are and shows classmates by example how to treat the child with autism or Asperger’s with respect.   Children who are placed with rigid, top-down disciplinarians are probably not going to do so well.  Everyone—the child, the teacher, the principal, and the family—are going to be miserable.  And some children simply cannot have their needs met in a mainstream classroom.