Experts Offer Views On Navigating Special Education

By Nancy K. Crevier

Danbury Schools psychologist and Newtown resident Joan Nash moderated the second in a three-part series directed at identifying childhood delays in development, Tuesday evening, November 18, at the C.H. Booth Library. The program, coordinated by library adult program director Kim Weber and children’s librarian Alana Bennison, focused on how to negotiate the special education maze.

Charlie Manos, director of pupil services in the Danbury Schools, and Ann Rose, a child advocate and attorney, and mother of two special needs children, joined Ms Nash in providing the audience with suggestions and resources so that children with special needs have all of those needs met in the best and most timely manner. Mr Manos is also a licensed marriage and family therapist practicing in Ridgefield.

Both Mr Manos and Ms Rose likened the relationship of caregivers and the school system to a marriage, with Ms Rose adding the caveat that it is like a marriage “with no possibility of divorce.” The events that happen between families and schools can foster and enrich that relationship, said Ms Rose, or not.

In the area of assessing and determining the best course of intervention for a child with special needs, emotions can run high, said Mr Manos. “Keep in mind that the first time a diagnosis is made, it’s a challenge to the family. It does cause a strong reaction,” he said. There may be a sense of grief that accompanies the diagnosis of a child as having needs outside the normal range, as caregivers grapple with altered expectations of dreams held for that child. It may be a time of anxiety as the uncharted waters of special needs services are entered.

While many children are identified with special needs even before they enter preschool, Mr Manos reminded those present that between birth and age 5, “a lot of growth is happening. What looks like a severe disability at one age many not look so severe at an older age, or it may manifest itself differently as the child grows.”

The state Birth to Three program is a good source for evaluating the very young child and finding support and resources prior to the child entering the school system, said both of the speakers. Once a child is of preschool age, it is time to “hit the ground running,” said Ms Rose. “Make sure that evaluations take place in all areas of concern. It will help develop specific goals for the intervention, and that is very important,” she said.

Schools have certain responsibilities to children with special needs, said Ms Rose, including assisting with social skills and behavioral issues in the form of counseling, one-on-one work, group counseling, and other methods suited to a child’s individual needs.

“Parents, teachers, and focused training groups are an integral part of achieving social skills,” said Mr Manos, adding that the training has to fit different special needs and that interventions must be tailored to the individual child.

The PPT Experience

Most likely, parents and schools will become part of a planning and placement team (PPT), a multidisciplinary team to address a child’s concerns and determine what evaluative terms to use. It is this team that may be particularly overwhelming when it is first put into play, said Ms Nash. “But remember, you are an integral part of that team,” she added.

Ms Rose offered suggestions for dealing with the daunting experience of the PPT and wading through special needs lingo that may initially be off-putting. “Ask for evaluations in advance of each meeting so that you have time to ‘digest’ them. Remember that the parent has an equal say in what takes place, as a part of that team. If you need to, write a letter listing all of your concerns to the school district, what you want addressed, any proposals for interventions, and get it to the district before a PPT meeting. It’s a great modality of communication to be heard, and then everyone is on the same page at the meeting,” said Ms Rose.

Mr Manos reminded the audience that it is perfectly all right to bring an advocate with to a PPT meeting. “Another person can be an extra set of ears and eyes during a time of great tension,” he said.

A PPT meeting may involve not only several people, but reams of papers as well, Ms Nash said. “You may go to a meeting and hear all of this stuff and it may make you feel good, so you are comfortable going ahead and signing any papers that need signing to get the ball rolling. Or, you may not be so sure and need some extra time. That’s okay,” she assured the group. “You have rights as a parent; you don’t have to sign papers on the spot,” she said.

Mr Manos also reminded caregivers to accept a first diagnosis with some caution, particularly if it is made at the first meeting of the expert and the child. “We forget that there are reasons kids misbehave that are not disorders. Rule out other, normal things — like anxiety, depression — that cause kids to have these behavior issues. Always ask how a diagnosis was made. Have other reasons been ruled out? How was this conclusion reached? We’re very quick in this culture to diagnose,” he said.

Time and again throughout the evening, the panel members emphasized the importance of asking questions, getting answers with which one is comfortable, and being an educated consumer when it comes to a child’s special needs support. “There is a lot of over overlap of disorders, so make sure all are addressed,” urged Ms Rose.

The final program in the series, “Learning About Additional Services in the Community,” will be presented Tuesday, December 2, at 7 pm, in the meeting room of the C.H. Booth Library. The panel will include occupational therapist Lynn Friebel, music therapist Barbara Baker, aquatic therapist Gina Bradbury, and pediatric occupational and recreational therapist Cindy Freedman. The program is free and open to the public, but registration is requested by calling 426-4533.