Special Education Law Blog

Cough Meds May Hurt More Than They Help

It is cold and flu season. Before you give your child with special needs cough medicine consider the following. Children with special needs frequently do not metabolize medications, even over the counter products, the same as their typcial peers, as a result of underlying physical, neurologic, immune or metabolic conditions. A recent report as to the risks of cough and cold medicines for younger children should especially be heeded for parents of children with special needs even if they are chronologically older per the packaging directions.  These risks are in addtion to the  body of research that some children with special needs are at heightened risk from serotonin inhibitors or SSRIs.

During years 2004-2005 an estimated 1,519 infants under the age of two were treated in U.S. emergency rooms for ailments related to bad side effects of cold and cough medicines.  Even scarier, in 2005 three infants aged six months or younger died and the underlying cause of death was found to be cold and cough medicines.  As a result of these alarming statistics the Food and Drug Administration has issued an advisory to parents to never give cold and cough medicines to children under the age of two, unless instructed to do so by a doctor.  As explained in the New York Times the FDA will convene a panel on October 18 to determine if more warnings are necessary.  The medications currently tell parents not to give to children under the age of two unless recommended by a doctor, but too many parents are failing to heed this warning and more drastic measures may need to be taken.

The Virtual Future of Special Education

The world continues to get smaller thanks to technology and the special education world is no exception. From specialists using video conferencing to touch base with clients to students using technology to express themselves, the possibilities seem to be endless.

 Recently in Washington, a school district used technology to discuss a student with selective mutism. The insight and knowledge that school personnel was able to attain would not have been possible without the technological advances. Students can also get evaluated and even receive therapy virtually. The growing access to early diagnoses and intervention will help students all over the county.

 These advances can also provide access to education for students who are unable to attend school due to health issues or other reasons. One of the most widely used practices of videoconferencing for special needs students is connecting students from remote locations to the classroom.

 

Autism and Elopement Behaviors by Nicole Jorwic

Elopement behaviors are among the highest priority behaviors and one of the most difficult challenges facing schools, parents and children with disabilities. The risks from elopement are obvious but too often schools are ill-prepared to address this issue. Children on the autism spectrum are more prone to  not be able to verbalize where they need to go and coming upon a stranger may bring about further anxiety. It is important that steps are taken to prevent such runaways and also that emergency personnel are trained to handle encounters with these children.  Here is a safety tool kit that can be very useful both in school and at home. Of course in this time of high tech devices there are also GPS devices to keep kids from eloping and to track to them if they do.

Good Resource on a Rare Seizure Disorder

I am presenting tomorrow at a conference on Dravet's syndrome which is a rare type of seizure disorder.  Here is an excellent resource on this rare disorder.  If your child has Dravet's it is important that you work to educate the school, especially the nurse and the SLP, since schools are often  slow to accept new information even on more well-known disorders such as autism or similar conditions.

Integrated Pest Management in Schools by Charles Fox and Amanda Windom

New research conducted by the California Department of  Health suggests a link between autism and in utero exposure to endosulfan and dicofol, organochlorine  pesticides that are banned in many countries, but still used in the United States.  The study, published by Environmental Health Perspectives, is the first to explore the connection between maternal residential exposure to organochlorine pesticides at different concentrations during key periods of gestation and risk of ASD (autism spectrum disorder) in children.  ASD risk increased with poundage of organochlorine applied and decreased with distance from field sites.  The study concludes that risk for ASD was consistently associated with residential proximity to organochlorine pesticide applications during critical periods of embryonic development.  The study also states that the possibility of a connection requires further study.

Many pesticides, rodenticides and other toxins applied in public spaces operate on the nervous system of the targeted pest. The application tends to be around base boards/floors where younger children spend much more time than adults or older children making them more vulnerable to the effects of these neurotoxins  Over time these chemicals can have particularly negative effects for students with special needs who often have immune system deficits or nervous systems that have already been injured in some way.  The effects of neurotoxins in schools, in my opinion, is factor that is rarely considered when IEP teams convene to consider behavioral or learning issues.  Only the most obvious situations, like overgrowth of toxic molds, are ever even considered as a problem typically because the effects are widespread and not subtle.

According to Science Week pesticide poisoning is a commonly under diagnosed illness in the U.S. and can resemble acute upper respiratory tract illness, conjunctivitis, and gastrointestinal illness.  Studies have also shown a 50-70% increased risk for Parkinson's Disease with exposure to herbicides, insecticides, and pesticides.  Exposure to chemicals, including pesticides can cause multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), a disorder which is triggered by exposure to chemicals in the environment.  Use of chemicals in schools can prevent children who have MCS from having access to a mainstream education.  For example, two children in Maryland were forced to attend a home school program when their school was being reroofed and sprayed with pesticide. (case law 18 IDELR 1041).
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Myspace for My Special Kid By Amanda Windom

When it comes to websites like myspace there is an innate fear that parents often succumb to without exploring the possible benefits. While there are dangers, there are also benefits, discussed below, which are too often overlooked.  Many children with disabilities are socially isolated and have little opportunity to express thoughts, participate in meaningful communication with peers, or otherwise fit in with mainstream society.

This is a site that may allow these teens to do just that.  Myspace is a free website that allows people to set up a profile including pictures, personal information, music, and videos, among other things.  Once a profile is set up the user can share pictures and messages with anyone else who has a profile and is approved as a friend.  Profiles can be set to private which prevents anyone who is not approved from viewing.  Myspace is easy to use and very popular with both children and teens. The site was developed for teens and adults ages 14 and older, but it is easy for children of all ages to join.  A child is best protected by a parent who  educates themselves, and their children, about the risks and benefits of myspace.

Make Requests for Accomodations On High Stakes Testing Now

Even though it is January, it is time now to make requests for accomodations on high stakes testing such as the SAT , ACT  and Advanced Placement [AP] exams. Every year in March and even in April parents come to me with requests for help in appealing declination decisions for high stakes testing. Very often the problems center on the age of the evaluations which substantiate the needed accomodations, the validity of the evaluations or the documentation contained in the IEP or other student records.  In the Spring there is almost no leeway to correct gaps in documentation.

T’was the Night Before Christmas Break by Lori Miller Fox

T’was the night before Christmas break, when all through my head,
I knew nothing was scheduled, but worry, and dread;
The boredom was lurking around the corner with fear,
The anxiety of knowing vacation was near;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
After putting on their orthotics, and getting their meds;
And me with my ice cream and dad with his beer,
Were worried, so worried that vacation was near.

Where Do Your Candidates Stand On Special Education ?

With mid-term elections set for later this week, there is a lot of cliche verbiage about being "for education". Unfortunately, "education"  for most candidates has little if anything to do with special education.  There are a vast number of families in this country who have a child, grandchild, niece/nephew or other relation with special needs. The problem is unlike other voting blocs we do not consistently vote our interests in elections, nor we even query candidates as where they stand on issues which effect our interests.  I dream of a time when issues relating to special education will be on the political agenda on a regular basis, just as other recognized issues such as gun control, taxes, race, foreign policy and crime.  If we as a community commanded the political respect that the elderly have achieved, the state of special education would look a lot different. It starts with identifying openly and repeatedly what our political priorities should be and then pressing them at all levels of elections. The following are some of my thoughts on political priorities:

Boo! Hoo! [Halloween for Kids With Special Needs] by Lori Miller Fox

Every year as Halloween approaches, I battle mixed feelings. For my “typically developing” daughter, it’s a day second only to her birthday. It’s a day when she can be a princess both inside and out, gather all the candy she and her dad can carry, and eat until she can’t fit one more Skittle or piece of Reese's into her tiny mouth.  For me, it’s a day when I too want to fit every piece of Reese's into my mouth but only to swallow the pain. 

Halloween, has always been a symbol of childhood. It’s a day when children can be children and live out their costume and candy fantasies. But for kids with special needs and their families, it can be a day of segregation, isolation and frustration.

Since many children with special needs can’t or have to limit their intake of candy, my son’s only enjoyment on Halloween was ringing the doorbells--a task, which in a wheelchair, was made very difficult by steps and stoops and shrubs and stares. So many unfamiliar “neighbors” tried to relieve their shock and saddness by dumping  handfuls of candy my son would never eat into a bag that he couldn’t hold. But then again, more for the grieving parents.

Now that my son is 14, I thankfully no longer have to worry about what kind of costume goes with a wheelchair, and I can avoid the painful “elementary school parade” for which upright posture was the only thing to be grateful.  And I can mindlessly answer the door and force a smile on my face as I pass out the Hershey bars.

Today as I look back on my Annual Autumn anxiety, I realize that as parents of children with special needs, we’re often the ones having to wear the costumes. And not only on Halloween, but every day.  From the smiles we paint on our faces to the stiff upper lips we rubber cement onto our chins.  As our children grow, we become the people they need us to be, to enable them to be who they are.