Author: Julie Ryder

“Is this an acceptable threshold of student injuries?”

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

….that’s a question I had to ask at a recent IEP meeting, after a student sustained recurring injuries, multiple times per week for many weeks.

The answer from the principal was, thankfully, no.

Recurrent “mysterious” school injuries can have many causes… including the student falling or walking into things due to vision or motor coordination issues, playground altercations, bullying, abuse, or self harm. 

A child may be unable tell you the origin of their injuries due to limited communication skills, or they may be unwilling to share what’s happening due to fear of the consequences of honest reporting.

What would your expectation be from your school team if your child was getting injured at school weekly?

“Surely that’s been ruled out at this point”

Tuesday, April 30, 2024

At a recent IEP meeting, we were brainstorming how to overcome school refusal for a 5th grader.  The student’s records showed, among other things, a history of behavioral rigidity, sensory sensitivity, emotional dysregulation, and social skills deficits.

When we requested autism testing, a team member responded, “surely that’s been ruled out at this point.”

No.  No, it wasn’t ruled out. 

Despite hallmark symptoms of autism, autism testing had never been done.  The student had a medical diagnosis of ADHD, given by a psychiatrist. He had been previously assessed by the school district in “all areas of suspected disability,” but no one had previously suspected autism.

Please.  Never assume a disability has been ruled out.  

Advocate Late Night

Thursday, Mar 21, 2024

Shout out to David Beinke, a.k.a. “Special Ed Marine” and “Advocate Nomad,” for leading an impressive program called “Advocate Late Night” through COPAA, the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates. 

The program brings advocates from all around the country together twice a week for continuing education, case review, mentoring, and peer to peer support. 

I was the lucky member of the week who was selected to have my case presented to a board of peers, and the insight I gained from seasoned veteran advocates was absolutely indispensable. 

Thank you to David, his co-chair Cynthia Daniels-Hall, and the peers who chimed in on my case!  

COPAA Conference 2024

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

The past four days at the annual COPAA conference have filled my cup! 

I took a whole day course on resolving special education conflicts and spent another whole day learning about how to get students the proper interventions for dyslexia.

I learned how to help students struggling with school attendance and about the latest in assistive technology.  I learned how to address the growing problem of students being sent home from school, and I honed my negotiation skills. One of my favorite presentations was a summary and analysis of the chart topping special education legal cases of the past year.

But the best part of the conference by far was the wonderful people I met.  What an amazing group of people advocating for change in our education system and supporting the students who need it most.

Hats off to COPAA for putting on a fantastic conference! 

Children’s Workshop, San Diego, CA

Thursday, February 8 2024

What an impressive school tour I had the privilege of participating in today.

The Children’s Workshop, located just off Miramar Road in North San Diego County, provides special education and therapy programs for students with communication, learning, social, and behavior challenges.

As I walked up to the building, I noticed a large sign out front that read, “Catch Them Being Good.”  You can surely write anything on a sign, but as I went on to observe the teachers in action, I found that the philosophy was applied in practice. The positive words and tone of voice the teachers used as they worked with students was impressive!

I was equally impressed by the use of occupational therapy embedded into the school day without removing students from their learning environment.  I observed a student easily relinquish a preferred device when his teacher pushed him in a swing for some calming vestibular action before requesting the device. It was a beautiful thing to watch!

One of the highlights of my visit was learning from Director Alicia Ritter that meetings are held with parents every 6 weeks to review student progress. During those meetings, videos of the student’s performance on each documented goal is presented to parents!

Oh, and did I mention that student instruction takes place in a village of little forts? I think the parents and I secretly wanted to enroll in this school ourselves. 

This school is the gold standard for intervention programs, and it sets the bar high for future clients I serve.