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| B | A | C | K | G | R | O | U | N | D | _ | C | O | L | O | R |
Getting the Action You Deserve |
Kathi Borthwick is as an Educational Assistant
in the elementary school system. She is also an Early Childhood Educator and Program
Manager of the Ready, Set, Learn Program - one of the first to address early indicators
of learning issues and strategies for intervention using brain based research.
She is a parent educator.
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It's time to act. We have a situation that demands attention on a global level. A large segment of our population is facing many challenges during the next decade. We have made great strides in technology. Research is going gang busters. We know that children learn differently. We also know that early intervention and enrichment is the key in learning issues. We need to move fast and band together to get things moving. How many children and adults struggle needlessly? The general public is unaware of the scope and meaning of dyslexia. We are invisible. It is like the Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson. We need to push heightened awareness. Here are some practical suggestions for parents and students. Parent resource board Does your child's school have a parent resource board? It should! This is a bulletin board in a prominent place (hall) of the school with all the latest news in research, learning styles and methods of assessment. Approach the principal and offer to put one in place. I have found that the schools are swamped with all the changes in curriculum and appreciate the input. The Internet has been a godsend to parents and learners. Use it and share that information with other parents in your school area. Start a newsletter and have it distributed within the school board. Knowledge is power. Become an expert in your field. It garners huge respect from teachers and other parents. This leads to openness and discussion and rids us of the stigma and secrecy. There is a tendency to blame a parent for their child's disability. Lack of nurturing and parenting skills are seen by others as contributing to learning problems. We know better. Blame and ignorance is covering up the real issue. Our students need support for their learning and to have success in school. Let's alleviate this myth. Run for prominent positions in your school board and change the status quo. Student resource and technology center Does your college or university have a student resource and technology center, specifically for students with learning issues? If not, lobby for one. It's your education and you are paying. In my area there is one - prominent in every institution of higher learning. A large majority of the student population has some issues in post secondary education. These needs should be met by the administration. Get ideas on-line from other centers. There is an excellent one here at the University of Guelph. It attracts a large number of paying students from all over the world. We need our institutions to be current and answer the demands of a changing student population. Board's policy Do you know your board's policy on assessment and accommodation of exceptional students? Every school board should have one of these pamphlets for parents. It is your child's right to be assessed. It is necessary for a complete pscho-educational assessment every three years. It is also their right to have an individual program plan. If parents are concerned about their child's failure to progress in a regular class, nine times out of ten they are right. Learning issues can be masked by physical symptoms such as stomach ache, headache and behavior problems. The parent is the first and best teacher of their child. I train parents as teachers. My most important task is to let them know this - nobody knows your child like you do. If the school drags their heels with an assessment, then approach a professional such as a pediatrician, nurse, audiologist, ophthalmologist, etc. Many times they will mention discrepancies to you. This happened to me in every instance with my child. Ask them for recommendations and referrals. Don't give up if you think there is a problem. There are many checklists available, some on the Internet. These are excellent developmental guides. Don't wait Many times teachers will suggest you wait and see, that there is just a maturational lag taking place. In my area some children are not assessed until the end of grade three. Don't wait that long! Early intervention is the key to academic success. I run a program where pre-schoolers have been assessed as having future learning issues and we use various strategies including Brain Gym very successfully. Early indicators may include inability to cross mid-line and alternate feet on the stairs. With Brain Gym I had children crossing midline within 4 weeks. Risk is not destiny. Your child's strengths Find your child's strengths and promote them over his weaknesses. Usually this is an area where the child really enjoys himself and learning is effortless. Many children with learning issues excel in science and technology - both hands-on learning, which is highly neglected in many schools in favor of rote learning and written work. If this is the case in your school find an extra-curricular source. In my son's case the university has a mini-university in science, art and computers for three weeks in the summer where he could fiddle with electronics in the lab. Grad students run the programs for kids from 9 to 15 years old. If you don't have one, see if you can stir some interest in such a program. It is hugely popular here. It also generates extra income for the school. Computer learning is very valuable because it is non-threatening and the child proceeds at his /her own pace. I believe the future will be Internet learning. Be their own advocate Teach your children to be their own advocate. Tell their teacher how great they are in these areas. Many parents assume that the teacher will initiate but the reality is there are 28-30 children in each class and the teacher spends the majority of her day on behavior problems and paperwork. I have found that teachers generally are thrilled by positive feedback. Individual strengths should be included on the Individual Education Plan and there should be more strengths than needs. All areas of your child's development should be included. These are physical, emotional, social, intellectual, language (the PILES in early childhood education). I like to add creativity and the child's interests. Education Plan It is the RESPONSIBILITY of every educational body along with the parents and the students to have an Education Plan in place, by grade 7 at the latest, so that EVERY child graduates from high school. We are a credential based society and we must ensure that all students' needs are met through the educational system. As the parent or student, this will be up to you to get involved and INSIST that there be alternate means of testing in a high stakes situation where a graduation diploma is a result. Your child's future depends upon it. The brain is always growing Lest we forget that the brain is always growing as long as it is exercised. We know about the seven intelligences and that we all learn in different modalities. We are individuals. We have to fight the status quo that is stifling the learning process. Does your school allow oral testing? They should if that is your child's optimal way of leaning. Are there scribes available in the class to help you child take notes and peer tutoring? There are lots of ways to learn. If we want change we have to demand better. It's up to us, isn't it? Kathi
Borthwick References
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