Bridges4Kids News Digest

June 18, 2007

Bridges4Kids NewsDigest Topics

• National News	• Special Education Issues
• No Child Left Behind (NCLB)	• Michigan News
• Parenting/Parental Involvement	• Ask the Attorney/Advocate
• Early Childhood	• Upcoming National Events
• Disability News	• Upcoming Michigan Events
• Visit Bridges4Kids
• Where to Find Help For a Child

We’ll be back in the fall with another edition of the NewsDigest. Have a great summer!

National News	top
Do Longer Hours Equal More Learning? http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-07/CSM6-14-07.html Pressured to produce better students, 10 Massachusetts public schools pack more hours into their schedules. Now with time for project-based learning and collaboration, teachers in pilot schools throughout the state were "shocked" at how satisfying it was to teach a longer day, says Anne Wass, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association. Two New Grant Opportunities for Young People Youth Service America Venture Program Offers Micro-Grants for Young People to Start Social Ventures http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10007661/ysa Do Something Offering Weekly Grants for Young Social Entrepreneurs http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10007660/dosomething Parents Learn Alongside Kids in Literacy Program http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/education/20070515-9999-1m15parent.html Jose Perez is a fidgety 5-year-old and his teacher changes activities often to accommodate his attention span. Yesterday, his mother, Sylvia, was at his left elbow for 40 minutes, coaching him to put space between words, erasing mistakes, helping him with vocabulary. Harborside Elementary School lured his mother onto campus by enrolling her as a student at the kindergarten through sixth-grade school. Before she became a Harborside pupil, Sylvia Perez did not set foot on campus. The extent of her involvement was giving her children rides to and from school. Psychiatrists, Children and Drug Industry’s Role http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/10/health/10psyche.html When Anya Bailey developed an eating disorder after her 12th birthday, her mother took her to a psychiatrist at the University of Minnesota who prescribed a powerful antipsychotic drug called Risperdal. Isabella Bailey, Anya’s mother, said she had no idea that children might be especially susceptible to Risperdal’s side effects. Nor did she know that Risperdal and similar medicines were not approved at the time to treat children. [Must login to read this story.] Jacob Wetterling Foundation http://www.jwf.org/home.asp Educates families and communities to prevent the exploitation of children. Wisconsin Lead Lawsuits go to U.S. Court http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=598716 Too Many Children on Medicaid Not Tested for Lead Poisoning http://www.ehw.org/Lead/LEAD_Few_Tested.htm In Ohio HMOs are paid a lump sum fee, in advance, for delivery of Medicaid services. Researchers at the Government Accounting Office found that the system creates "an incentive to underserve or even deny beneficiaries access to needed care since plans ... can profit from not delivering services" (GAO 1997). Some 47,000 Medicaid-eligible children are born in Ohio each year (OHPa 2004). Considering this profit incentive not to screen, it is not surprising that in Ohio, the blood lead screening rate for one and two year-olds has yet to exceed 40% despite the requirement for HMOs to screen 100% of these children.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)	top
For more information on No Child Left Behind, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/ESEA.html
Parenting/Parental Involvement	top
Report: The Consumer's Guide to Toxic Chemicals in Cars http://www.healthycar.org/documents/healthycarguide07.pdf Everyone knows that cars are a major source of air pollution. But most people don’t know that it isn’t only what comes out of tailpipes that’s the problem; but what’s inside the cars as well. “New car smell,” for example, comes from toxic chemicals being released from plastics, foams and fabrics in auto parts such as the steering wheel, dashboard and seats. This reports tests over 200 new model vehicles for the presence of key hazardous chemicals and ranks them according to level of concern. Report: The Consumer's Guide to Toxic Chemicals in Children's Car Seats http://www.healthycar.org/documents/healthycarseatguide07.pdf Crash tests aren’t the only way to prove the safety of a car seat, according to this report by the Ecology Center. The report tests over 60 brand new infant, convertible and booster car seats and finds that while some are virtually free of the most dangerous chemicals, others are saturated. The report gives each car seat an overall rating, and ranks them according to level of concern. For more information on Parenting, Siblings, Adoption and Foster Care, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Parenting.html
Early Childhood	top
Parent-child Early Literacy Activity Materials Available for Free Forty-six home and community activities that encourage early language and literacy development in young children are now available for download. They are appropriate for children with disabilities as well as children who are developing typically. The materials are specifically designed to address the three key skills of 1) language development, 2) phonological awareness, and 3) general print awareness. Each activity includes 1) An activity description, 2) Hints for making the activity fun and developmentally appropriate, and 3) A form that helps parents and other caregivers interact with children and notice children's literacy skills. To download materials go to http://www.walearning.com and click on the purple button that says "Free Parent Education Handouts" on the home page. MI More Sought For Early Education Lawmakers should spend more on early childhood education, supporters of the Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC) claimed at their morning Capitol rally. The so-called Star Power rally drew 500 advocates, including the group's Executive Director Judy Samelson, who told MIRS the state has a choice between spending on early schooling or prisons. "We are not going to have an educated workforce. We are not going to be a family friendly state that businesses want to come and locate in." The alternative, she added, is to build the state around corrections, which she contends is the wrong message to send. Since 2006 the coalition has funded 21 Great Start Collaboratives in partnership with 57 Intermediate School Districts with a combined total of $3.9 million in public and private funding. Michigan has 670,000 children under the age of five and nearly 20 percent enter school with "serious issues that impede their school readiness including health and behavioral learning problems," Samelson said. [MIRS 5-29-07] For more information on Early Childhood issues, visit www.EarlyChildhoodMichigan.org
Disability News	top
Just Published! My Brother Has Autism http://www.lulu.com/content/845921 Wrightslaw Review of My Brother Has Autism: "In My Brother Has Autism, 8 year-old Melody describes experiences with her brother Michael who has autism. When we read Melody's book, we were surprised to learn how she views her brother. We were also surprised to learn that Michael, a talented artist, illustrated the book. My Brother Has Autism is useful to therapists, teachers, parents, and others who work with siblings of children with autism. As children read and discuss this book, they recognize things they have in common with their sibling - and discover positive qualities about their brothers and sisters with autism. My Brother Has Autism has been published as a paperback book and as an electronic book." Bridges4kids Featured Resource: The DD News http://theddnews.com/ News, information, and commentary for families and friends of people with developmental disabilities. Web-Based Asthma Program Helps Kids Manage Symptoms http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=80892 An Internet asthma-management program is highly effective in helping low-income black students manage asthma, according to a study at Detroit's Henry Ford Health System published in the first May issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The "Puff City" program teaches teens to focus on three core behaviors: medication adherence, rescue inhaler availability and quitting or reducing smoking. ONE BOY'S STORY: Music, sports have helped teen break out of shell http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007705060610 When he was younger, doctors predicted the best Nick Krishnan could hope for was an institutional life, something his mother, Shari Krishnan, never accepted. Today, Nick, 15, "has about as normal a life as anybody with autism as severe as his can have," Shari Krishnan of Bloomfield Township said. Autism Rates Rise, But So Do Hopes http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007705060609 The increase in autism cases is creating challenges for public schools across metro Detroit that are charged with providing a free education to all children. And the schools are searching for new approaches to reach them. "This is not a disability identification that has a lot of outside agencies, even doctors, who have the wherewithal to address it," said James Boogren, associate director of the Burger Development Center in Garden City Public Schools, the largest center for children with autism in the Midwest. Wayne County school districts have put tens of millions of dollars into Burger, which has 330 students ranging in age from 3 to 26 with various levels of impairment -- from students who can't walk or talk to those who can spend part of each day in a regular classroom. The school accepts students from all over Wayne County, with each student's home district paying their way. Rehabilitation of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders http://www.gwu.edu/~iri/pdf/32-nd-IRI-2007-Final-03-09-2007.pdf A manual for Vocational Rehabilitation counselors and their colleagues to help meet and navigate the rough waters for adults with autism in the real world of work. LDA of Michigan's Healthy Children Project Offering Conference Co-Sponsorships http://www.ldaofmichigan.org/conf.cosponsorships.pdf Several years ago LDA of Michigan joined as a LDA Healthy Children Project (HCP) state partner. The HCP project is dedicated to helping families learn about existing and emerging science linking certain chemical exposures to learning, behavioral, and developmental disabilities. LDA would now like to partner with other organizations to help inform families throughout Michigan about toxic substances in the environment, how they may impact children’s health, and to find out how they may join with others to make a difference in protecting the health of our children. Specifically, LDA would like to co-sponsor up to three (3) statewide conferences of 501(c)3 non-profit organizations which are dedicated to children’s health issues and family memberships. Those selected will receive $500 from the LDA HCP to help support their overall conference. To learn more, download the PDF information sheet and application form. For more information on Disabilities, Disorders and Diseases, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Disabilities.html
Special Education Issues	top
Mistakes People Make: Advocates http://www.fetaweb.com/02/mistakes.advocates.crabtree.htm Because the non-lawyer advocate plays an extremely important role in the special education process, advocates must be mindful of the power of their role and the trust parents place in them. The more serious mistakes advocates may make are generally ones of excess. A Big Win For Parents! http://bridges4kids.org/articles/5-07/OCLB5-21-07.html Today the United States Supreme Court struck a blow for parent rights under IDEA by holding that Jeff and Sandee Winkleman have the right as parents to use the federal courts to enforce special education rights without having to hire a lawyer. Parents Don't Need Lawyer in Ed Cases http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2007-05-21-scotus-special-ed_N.htm Parents need not hire a lawyer to sue public school districts over their children's special education needs, the Supreme Court ruled Monday. The decision came in the case of an autistic boy from Ohio, whose parents argued they were effectively denied access to the courts because they could not afford a lawyer. Federal law gives every child the right to a free appropriate public education, which in the case of special needs children sometimes means enrollment in a private facility. Vision For A New Way http://www.visionforanewway.org/pages/index.cfm "A critical paradigm shift, which includes a change in mindset and behavior, is needed for any school to be in the forefront of providing effective options for children with disabilities." The Vision For A New Way website is designed to present a model for special education proposed by the Michigan Association of Public School Academies. It includes Tool Kits on Instructional Strategies, Technical Assistance Resources, Parent Resource Center, Building a Terrific Relationship with Your ISD, and Administration. It also includes current educational grant opportunities, special education resources and opportunities for professional development. For more information on Special Education, IEPs and Section 504, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Rules.html
Michigan News	top
Phase-Out Pharmaceutical Use of Lindane (PDF) http://www.mnceh.org/mnceh-lindane%20fact%2006.07.pdf Lindane is the active ingredient in some products used to treat head lice and scabies. Health professional organizations throughout Michigan have supported action to ban pharmaceutical use of lindane in Michigan. HB 4569 has been introduced to phase out lindane in pharmaceutical products in Michigan. Michigan Foster Education Resource Network (MI-FERN) http://www.mi-fern.org Farm Bureau CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) Bills Exit Senate Committee Despite Public Objections http://www.bridges4kids.org/Disabilities/articles/6-07/MIRS6-14-07.html "We had a good life. We used to have cookouts. We used to have friends over. My health was good. Then came the state-of-the-art hog barns. 4,000 hogs." Rep. David Law Going After Kids Driving/Talking...Again Rep. David Law (R-Commerce Twp.) is once again introducing legislation that would make it illegal for teenagers to use cell phones while driving. "Cell phones are a dangerous distraction for young drivers," Law said. "Driving habits are learned early and we must guarantee good habits are learned from the get-go. While mobile phone technology does not help protect our children, their first focus should be on the road, not on what is going on in high school. This is a huge problem that the state of Michigan cannot continue to ignore." Law introduced similar legislation in 2005. The 2005 bill would have prohibited anyone under the age of 18 from using a phone while driving. That bill, (HB 5133), made it through committee, but never got a vote on the House floor. Law newest cell phone driving bill is expected to be introduced in the coming days. [MIRS 6-11-07] Public Comment: Draft Personal Curriculum Guidelines & Survey The Michigan Department of Education has released a "DRAFT Personal Curriculum Guidelines and Survey." The Personal Curriculum refers to allowable changes to the new Michigan high school graduation requirements (the Michigan Merit Curriculum). Under state law, the Michigan Merit Curriculum can only be modified for three reasons: A student wishes to modify the mathematics requirement, a student wishes to go beyond the academic credit requirements by adding more math, science, English language arts or languages other than English credits, or a student with a disability needs to modify the credit requirements based on his or her disability. The personal curriculum (PC), requested by the parent, legal guardian, or emancipated student, allows the board of a school district or public school academy to award a high school diploma providing the student completes the PC including as many of the content expectations of the MMC as practicable. Read the Draft of the Personal Curriculum Guidelines at http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/Personal_Curriculum_198435_7.pdf The Public Comment period ends July 16, 2007. After reading the Draft, take the survey and comment at http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-38924---,00.html (Scroll down to the box for "Curriculum” where you will see the "DRAFT Personal Curriculum Guidelines and Survey." Revised State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report Revised versions of Michigan's State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR) are now available on the MDE website at http://www.michigan.gov/ose-eis. The revisions were made at the request of the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The MDE memo to OSEP about these changes is also posted there. The following revisions have been made to Indicators #1 and #5 in the SPP and APR: Indicator 1 - Graduation: Reset the graduation targets to show improvement over the course of 2005-2011 (See SPP pages 12-19). Indicator 5 - Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): Per OSEP’s request, the 2005-2006 data set now serves as a new baseline for LRE. The 2005-2006 data reflect more accurately the amount of time each student spends in the regular classroom, special education settings within regular education buildings and separate facilities. It is not possible to revise the 2004-2005 data set, which was based on the time a student spent with a special education provider, regardless of setting (See SPP pages 55-62).
Ask the Attorney/Advocate	top
Bridges4Kids Exclusive: Ask the Attorney with John Brower Visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/AA.html for dozens of John's previously posted Q&As.
Upcoming National Events	top
These are NEW calendar listings that have been added this week, along with events taking place this week. To view a complete calendar of National events, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Conferences.html Pittsburgh Employment Conference for Augmented Communicators WHEN: August 3-5, 2007 WHERE: Sheraton Hotel, Station Square, Pittsburgh, PA FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Bob Conti by phone at 412-885-8541, by fax at 412-885-8548 or by email at minspeak@minspeak.org Teaching Communication Skills to Children with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities with Dr. Vincent Carbone, BCBA WHEN: December 10-12, 2007 WHERE: Doubletree Hotel Augusta, 2651 Perimeter Parkway, Augusta, GA 30909 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Tammy Evans at te1969@netzero.com or 706-831-1107.
Upcoming Michigan Events	*top*
These are NEW calendar listings that have been added this week, along with events taking place this week. To view a complete calendar of Michigan events, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Conferences.html Autism Treatment Interventions for Social Workers WHEN: June 22, 2007 from 9:30am - 12:30pm FOR MORE INFORMATION: Click here for more information and a registration form. Free Workshop: Mediation and Facilitated Individualized Educational Plans WHEN: August 7, 2007 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. WHERE: Wexford-Missaukee, Career Tech Center, Lake Superior Room, 9901 E. 13th Street, Cadillac, Michigan 49601 DESCRIPTION: Wanda Joseph, Michigan Special Education Mediation Program. Workshop for families of children with disabilities who receive or may need special education. Lecture, discussion, group activities to introduce the Mediation Process and Facilitated IEPs. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information or to register, contact Jessie Morton at 800-292-7851, ext. 467. Sylvan Learning Center's ACT Preparation Courses WHEN: August 7 through 30, 2007 (T/W/Th 2:00-4:00 p.m.) WHERE: 3290 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 160, Troy, MI 48084 DESCRIPTION: The Troy Sylvan Learning Center offers preparation for the ACT statewide exam. NO COST for initial test; $695 for course. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information or to register, call (248) 822-7188. Parent Leadership Camp WHEN: Friday & Saturday, August 10 & 11, 2007 WHERE: East Lansing, Michigan DESCRIPTION: The training is free to parents and caregivers of children with serious emotional, mental, or behavioral challenges. This intensive skills training will help you prepare for leadership roles related to children’s mental health. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information contact the ACMH office at 1-888-226-4543 (parent line). Free Workshop: Mediation and Facilitated Individualized Educational Plans WHEN: August 13, 2007 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. WHERE: Manistee United Methodist Church, 387 First Street, Manistee, Michigan 49660 DESCRIPTION: Wanda Joseph, Michigan Special Education Mediation Program. Workshop for families of children with disabilities who receive or may need special education. Lecture, discussion, group activities to introduce the Mediation Process and Facilitated IEPs. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information or to register, contact Jessie Morton at 800-292-7851, ext. 467. Life without Limits through Assistive Technology WHEN: October 8, 2007 from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. WHERE: Marriott Hotel at Centerpoint, 3600 Centerpoint Parkway, Pontiac, Michigan, 48341 Oakland County DESCRIPTION: The second annual Life without Limits through Assistive Technology Conference and Expo will feature keynote speaker Mr. Snoopi Botten on "My Life without Limits." 4 Conference strands, 3 breakouts in each strand: Working through AT Issues, Obtaining AT for Adults, Obtaining AT for Kids, and Employment and AT. NO COST to people with disabilities and their families; $35 for non-profits; $50 for all others. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit http://www.ucpdetroit.org for more information or to register.
Bridges4Kids NewsDigest Staff Deborah Canja Chief Executive Officer deb@bridges4kids.org Jackie Igafo-Te'o Director of Information Technology & Information Systems jackie@bridges4kids.org Bella Djordjevski Resource Assistant news@bridges4kids.org