Special Needs Kids | Richmondmom.com

Children’s Museum of Richmond offers Play for All Richmond children with special needs

Play for ALL Initiative - Family Evenings
The Children’s Museum of Richmond

In efforts to bring the joy of play and discovery to every child The Children’s Museum of Richmond will hold an evening exclusively for children with special needs and their families. We invite your entire family for an after hours event featuring open play and discovery. Meet other children with special needs, their caregivers, and siblings.

These Family Evenings feature:
•A quiet ‘cool down’ room for difficult times and transitions
•Special sensory tables/ projects
•Open exploration of all exhibits including the Art Studio
Dates
September 24, 2010 from 5:00pm-7:30pm

November 12, 2010 from 5:00pm-7:30pm

January 28, 2011 from 5:00pm-7:30pm

March 11, 2011 from 5:00pm-7:30pm

April 22, 2011 from 5:00pm-7:30pm
Prices
$4.00 per person.
Membership benefits apply.

To Register:
Please register at least 2 weeks in advance at 474-7012 or (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Pre-registration and payment required.
We reserve the right to cancel due to low enrollment.

The New Community School
by

The New Community School is Central Virginia’s only college preparatory school for grades six through twelve devoted solely to restructuring the language foundation of dyslexic students, New Community focuses every month on turning dyslexia around.
The New Community Schooll believes that, even as late as high school, students with dyslexia can increase their proficiency in basic language skills. Daily, in small classes of two to four students, Language Fundamentals teachers present strategies designed to help students improve their reading, writing and spelling skills, thereby leading them to greater academic independence. New Community teachers know that students with dyslexia are capable of mastering the complex ideas that accompany college preparatory curriculum. Utilizing instructional methods that compliment alternative learning styles, teachers challenge the students’ intellect in academic courses.

Now enrolling students for grades 6 - 12.
Phone: 804-266-2494 Email: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

TNCS - Middle School Summer Program (rising 6-8th graders) July 14 - July 19, 2010
Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Keyboarding, Study Skills, Handwriting

TNCS - Summer Professional Institute June - July 2010
The Learning Abled Student (June 22 - 25)
Dyslexia: Introduction and Inquiry (July 12 - 15)
Cyber Safety (June 18 or June 22)
Teaching Cursive Handwriting (June 22 - 23)

Richmond Mom and Publisher Annie Tobey: her twins’ misdiagnosis

Great article and thoughtful insight by local publisher Annie Tobey of V Magazine for Women on the challenges she’s faced getting the care her twin sons needed while dealing with a rare form of arthritis. Annie is a champion for the upcoming Richmond Jingle Bell Run/Walk on November 21st.
Has your child had a misdiagnosis? Have you? (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) too so we can help other Richmond women.

Tailored outings for autistic children

Richmond moms, great article about specially-tailored outings for families of children on the autism spectrum.

Help for Richmond kids with Autism, Down Syndrome, and ADHD

Early Thinkers. Future Leaders.

The ThinkSmart Kids philosophy is based on the fact that the sky is the limit to what we can teach a young child. Children are naturally curious and crave to learn more. Sharmila’s curriculum is fun and interactive and works effectively for children between ages 12 months and 12 years.

ThinkSmart’s holistic “Right Brain” enrichment programs will unlock and nurture the giftedness in your child. The lessons are based on research from famous educators and brain development experts. Lessons are customized to each child and they receive new materials in a progressive manner, ensuring that the child is not bored with repetitive materials. Sharmila also works with children with Autism, Downs Syndrome and ADHD.

Sharmila teaches each child rich vocabulary, math facts and information on different subjects like science, geography, history, foreign languages like Latin and Spanish, word roots, world cultures, critical thinking, Yoga, BrainGym exercises and more! Please visit ThinkSmartKids.com for more information or call Sharmila, 804.794.4402.

Toner for Autism: Richmond mom LaTanya Edwards works for a cause

LaTanya Edwards is a Richmond mom and a woman on a mission. She’s taken her outstanding background working with autistic children to the “streets” and is partnering with Richmond businesses to help reduce their costs while benefiting Richmond children with Toner for Autism.

When I first met LaTanya, I thought, “This is someone that I want to get to know!” and upon our first meeting, my gut feeling was confirmed. LaTanya is fortunate to have two healthy children of her own, and cares so much about children on the autism spectrum that when she applied for a position as a sales rep for Toner for Autism. For each toner purchase a company makes, a portion of that purchase goes the autism educational institution of the purchaser’s choice, making it a “win-win” for both the business and the local school. Their logo says it all: “Why not Make a Purchase with a Purpose!”

LaTanya has partnered with the The Faison School in Richmond to help build their ability to provide services to children on the autism spectrum, which is terribly critical as there is currently no cure for autism. As many families are experiencing, the needs of an autistic child span many areas, including language, physical development, social needs, and more. Would you like to learn more about LaTanya and her work with Toner for Autism, and consider recommending it to your office manager or friends? Please contact her at: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) today and turn an every day purchase into support for Richmond parents and their kids.

Making Sense of ADHD: A Workshop for Parents, Teachers and Clinicians

Commonwealth Parenting presents “Making Sense of ADHD” on May 2, 2009, 9am-1pm at St. Mary’s Hospital. Featuring a panel of Richmond’s leading professionals, this workshop will include:

•R. Baylor Rice-Licensed Pharmacist
•Colleen Kraft, M.D.-Pediatrician
•Shelly J. Lane, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Occupational Therapy, VCU
•Steve Butnik, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist
•Glenn Weiner, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist

Discussions will include:
•What is ADHD and what is the cause?
•How is ADHD diagnosed?
•What are the treatment options, and which is best for my child?
•Is it ADHD or is it SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder)?

$55 per person, Advance Registration required (804) 545.1272, www.commonwealthparenting.org

Letter from a Special Needs Kid’s mom
by Richmond mom Toni Boxley, aka Vershaun's mom

Today has been exactly one year since my son Vershaun’s death from Adenovirus. It’s crazy because his birthday and the date of his death were both in the same week. I think that made it even harder to deal with.

My son was in the early intervention program and he received speech therapy, occupational therapy and special education. I think early intervention really makes a huge impact on a child’s development (if you have the right therapist for your child). I think that is where things get a little tricky and confusing with early intervention. Initially, I think for the most part parents don’t know where to start to receive services for their children (I know personally I didn’t have a clue!). I decided I would ask my son’s pediatrician and she referred me to the Parent, Infant and Toddler group. At least now I had a referral and I thought I was a phone call away from solving all of my son’s developmental problems. Well, I was far from receiving the help I so desperately needed for my son. If you don’t know anyone who receives early intervention services, it is a very overwhelming process. I called the Parent, Infant and Toddler group hoping my son would have a speech, occupational therapist and an educator all by the following week (wishful thinking). I had so many evaluations, appointments, forms, and procedures to go through before Vershaun could get on a list to receive services.

The first step to getting quality services for your child is knowing your options. I had never heard about early intervention before having my son and I was very green to all of this. I think for a lot of first-time moms it’s hard to determine if your child needs services because you don’t have another child to compare them to! I thought maybe Vershaun is just a little slower to catch onto things and that he was just developing at his own pace. Also, (I know this was definitely true in my case), parents tend to be in denial about their child needing services. I don’t care who you are no parent wants to believe their child is “slow” or falls under the special needs category. If you are lucky you will get appointed to a Service Coordinator that is dedicated to ensuring your child is first priority and receives every service needed to help them thrive. Unfortunately, my first go at this my son was not appointed to a coordinator that was committed to his needs and it made our experience a very negative one.

My phone calls were not returned and I felt like my child was not a high priority. As my coordinator, she didn’t talk to me about my options with early intervention . . .and the occupational therapist finally admitted that she worked mainly with adults than with children and could not seem to “reach” my toddler son. I was very thankful that she told me so we could stop wasting each other’s time but at the same time I wasn’t sure where to gain other services. This whole rocky situation went on for awhile and I finally learn about an instructional playgroup for toddlers with delays through an organization called ARC (Association of Retarded Citizens). I soon found out that ARC offered early intervention services as well and that is where we found my son’s special educator and speech therapist. Through dealing with ARC, they informed me of my many options and how my son’s services didn’t have to come from just one organization. That was so very helpful to me because it is important to find therapist that are compatible for your child and in my son’s case that meant choosing this therapist from here and this educator from there. In the end, he had a service coordinator from children’s hospital (who I am still friends with today, Karen Christian), an occupational therapist from therapy resources (unlike his first OT Vicki Williams knows her stuff and my son knew not to play around with her because she meant business and she made him work very hard, and I thank her for that!) and a special educator and speech therapist from ARC. Although it took awhile to find my son’s early intervention “dream team” it was well worth going through the obstacles to find these wonderful people who played such an influential part in my son’s short life here on earth. These were not just therapist but people who truly love my son and cared about him.

My son thrived and developed so much during early intervention and I am here to testify to anyone that early intervention is so necessary and important to special needs children. It definitely could be the deciding factor between early special education and special education all throughout your child’s life. Contact (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with comments.

Early Intervention Services (Infants to age 3 years)

ARC Association of Retarded Citizens: wonderful instructional playgroup for delayed toddlers (that my son was a part of). It really helps children with social skills issues and transportation is provide in certain areas.

Childrens’ Hospital: great service coordinators and is better suited for children needing long term care and feeding issues (they have a feeding clinic for failure to thrive children). They also have a wonderful dental clinic.

Therapy Resources: If you are located in Ashland/Hanover location this is a good organization also for therapy services. My son’s Occupational therapist (Vicki Williams) came from here and I would recommend her to anyone. She also works for the Hanover County school system.

Medical Home Plus is a great resource organization that helps parents find all sorts of information concerning their special needs children. They are a great group for additional on anything concerning special needs and their founders are former pediatricians and very knowledgeable. They can help with finding in -home care, equipment and other services.

Does my child need to see a speech pathologist?
by Richmond Mom Lisa Wright, M.S. CCC-SLP

It is never too soon to see a professional if you think your child is delayed in communication. Many parents consult their pediatrician first, and some pediatricians readily refer to a speech pathologist while others are less aggressive and choose to “wait and see”. When parents have a feeling that something is not right, they should pursue until they get answers that they are satisfied with.

Speech and language develop on a continuum. “Normal” describes a wide range of skills. Comparing your child to another child is not always the best way to judge what is “normal”. Typically, girls develop language faster than boys. Boys usually do not start talking until they have mastered walking and running. Second of third children of verbal older siblings are often late talkers. Children in bilingual households are able to learn two languages simultaneously, but will at a slower rate. Children who, as infants, have trouble with feeding, reflux or recurrent ear infections may develop language at a slower rate.

Listed below are behaviors that may be considered red flags for communication delays:

6 months
• no response to loud sounds
• limited response to familiar voices or faces
• unresolved feeding difficulties
• lack of babble

9 months
• babbling and vocal sounds that disappear
• no efforts at nonverbal communication (waving bye-bye, reaching to be taken)
• no interest in games such as peek-a-boo
• a lack of interest in toys

12 months
• no noticeable increase in babble or vocalizations since 9 months
• no interest in pictures or books
• an inability to follow simple commands (stop, come, sit)
• eats only pureed foods
• limited imitation

18 months
• a vocabulary of less than 15 words
• no attempt to imitate words or gestures
• repetitive behaviors
• unusual response to particular sounds, textures, movements or foods

24 months
• does not use two-word phrases
• a vocabulary of less than 50 words
• unable to retrieve familiar items on request
• lack of social interaction and interaction with toys
• a loss of skills

3 years
• does not talk in sentences, does not string sentences together
• does not use the sounds /p, m, h, n, w/
• does not play appropriately with a variety of toys
• does not eat a variety of foods
• becomes easily over stimulated or under stimulated

4 years
• cannot tell a story or relay information
• does not know first and last name, age
• does not use the sounds /b, k, g, d, f, y/
• cannot name 4 colors or count to 10

The speech therapist process in Richmond, VA:

If your child is 0-2 years of age and you want an evaluation, contact the Early Intervention Programs for your area. These programs provide evaluation and therapeutic services for speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and education/cognitive development. When you make your appointment, a case manager will help determine what evaluations your child will need and assist you with scheduling. You may work with an early intervention team or you may be given a list of providers from which you choose.

If your child is found eligible, you’ll work with the therapists to develop and Individual Family Services Plan (ISFP). This plan describes your child’s strengths and weaknesses and outlines specific goals to be addressed in therapy. Early intervention services are typically rendered in the home of the child, and the parents are financially responsible for these services, though medical insurance and government funds can offset the cost.

If your child is 3 or over, but not yet in kindergarten, then you should call your neighborhood school to request an evaluation. This request may be handled by the staff at your home school, or you may be referred to a preschool assessment team. After your referral, an evaluation will be scheduled. If your child demonstrates at 20 or 25% delay (this varies by county) then he or she will be found eligible for services. If there is a delay in more than one area (communication, motor, cognitive, social), then he or she may qualify for preschool special education services. An Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be written to record strengths, weaknesses and goals to be addressed in therapy.

Preschool special education services are offered in a variety of ways including part-time or full-time classrooms specially designed for preschoolers with disabilities, enrollment in regular preschool classrooms with support from special education educators, or consultative support. Program options vary from county to county and from school to school. Inquire about all options before placing your child.

If your child qualifies for speech therapy only, then that service is provided free of charge by the school system. Parents are responsible for transportation to and from therapy and there is no guarantee that the therapy can be provided at the child’s neighborhood school.

If your child is enrolled in school and you have concerns about his or her communication skills, you should first consult with the teacher. Request a child study meeting (in writing). By law, a school has to honor a request for child study. A child study team consisting of you, your child’s teacher, an administrative staff member and any other staff who may potentially be involved (i.e. the speech pathologist) will meet to discuss your concerns. The team will decide if an evaluation is warranted. After the evaluation, the team will reconvene to review the testing results and decide if your child qualifies for services. If your child qualifies there will be another meeting to write an IEP.

Be forewarned, the process to acquire services in the school can take several months. The services are free of charge, however. For more information about parents’ legal rights for special education, consult www.wrightslaw.com.

For various reasons, many parents choose to seek services privately for their children. The services can be in addition to or in lieu of what the school offers. Large facilities such as Children’s Hospital, and MCV, and The Childhood Language Center offer a variety of services in a variety of settings.

There are other smaller private practices that offer services as well, such as this list. Fees for services vary depending on the provider; health insurance may cover some or all of the cost. When choosing a private provider, inquire about fees, billing practices and insurance coverage. Your provider should be licensed by the state of Virginia and have a Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA (the American Speech and Hearing Association).

This article was written by Lisa Wright M.S. CCC-SLP. Lisa has worked as a pediatric speech pathologist in a variety of settings including schools, clinics and hospitals for 20 years. She currently has a private practice in Glen Allen, VA. Lisa can be reached at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).