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As you may already know, the Help Group in LA is a non-profit organization serving children with special needs, including autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, emotional disorders, learning disabilities, developmental delays and abuse. Every year, in the Fall, I try to attend their conference for the latest information on serving the special needs population.

Their innovation has reached new heights with the development of their vocational skills training program serving 18-22 year old young adults with autism. Among their training grounds is the Silver Lining Designer Resale Boutique, offering new, gently used, and vintage designer clothing, accessories and shoes. More importantly, it serves as a training center, enabling students to experience a real work environment in which they may develop life skills for long-term employment.

If you are in the LA area tomorrow evening from 4-8, check out their Girls’ Night Out shopping event!

Just thought I’d share an article that was sent to me by a colleague regarding the benefits of handwriting. Let us know your thoughts…The Many Health Perks of Good Handwriting.

If you haven’t already checked out Pretend City, you must. It’s truly a gem in the OC. It’s an interactive museum that allows children to experience community life.

Today, from 2-5pm, Pretend City is hosting an exclusive event for families with children with autism. It is a free event with registration. While today’s event is already sold out, Pretend City hosts this event regularly on the last Monday of every month. The next one is on July 25! Reserve your spots now: Family Autism Day Reservations.

Also check out other Pretend City Events!

The Center for Living Peace does it again. An innovative idea…teaching youngsters leadership communication skills. We need strong leaders!

Check it out: Center for Living Peace

Yesterday, I met with a local handwriting specialist. Kathryn Majewicz is a certified handwriting specialist, who uses methodologies and curricula including Handwriting Without Tears. Additionally, she is a board certified occupational therapy practitioner, who has worked in the field for over 15 years. While some educational professionals are recommending technology as a means for accommodating writing and spelling challenges, Kathryn cautions that while technology is useful for this purpose and many others, handwriting skills are tremendously advantageous. As adults, we still use handwriting to sign checks, write notes and to-do lists, fill in impromptu applications and other forms, etc. Additionally, an understanding of spatial concepts and propioception learned through handwriting can help with body orientation and even memory skills. Keep in mind, some learners are more tactile and kinesthetic. One of Gardner’s multiple intelligences is bodily-kinesthetic. Often, we see students with poor visual memory impacting orthographic spelling. Many of these students also have poor handwriting, sequencing, body and spatial awareness. Something to keep in mind when seeking services which best suit the child with special needs.

For more information on Kathryn Majewicz, please visit her website: OCHandwriting.

We are very fortunate to have access to some of the best resources for children with special needs. I recently received some information from one of our local psychologists, Dr. Perry Passaro. He has provided us with his insights regarding psychoeducational evaluations. Hope this helps some of our local families out there seeking support for their children…

A psychoeducational evaluation is designed to assess and quantify emotional, social, behavioral and cognitive (attention, memory, perception) factors that may interfere with a child’s educational achievement. The evaluation measures a child’s potential and any discrepancies between their potential and actual achievement. The results of these evaluations may be used by the school district to determine necessary services for your child to fully benefit from their education. The results from this assessment may be utilized by your school for the development of an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP).

The first step in the evaluation is a personal interview with the parents followed by an interview with the student. At these meetings we review historical information, current strengths and areas of concern. Between session work such as behavior rating scales will be assigned and completed before the second session by the student, parents and teachers. Subsequent sessions involve direct testing of your child for one to two hours at a time. Two or three of these sessions may be needed to complete the process. After the testing is complete the tests will be scored and a written report will be prepared.  The final step in this process is to review the results and recommendations with the parents/guardian and to provide you with the written report. Some parents present the report to their child’s school and use it as the basis to request appropriate services.  The report may also be used for entrance into special education programs at private schools. Sometimes, attorneys, advocates and/or parents request attendance at an IEP meeting and this can be arranged above and beyond the services described above.

Dr. Passaro is a licensed psychologist, a licensed educational psychologist, and is a credentialed school psychologist. He taught in the public schools and has taught at the university level. He has served as a school counselor, a school administrator, a special education administrator and school psychologist. Dr. Passaro has over twenty five years of experience as an educational psychologist. He provides independent educational evaluations at the request of special education attorneys, special education advocates and school districts.

Additional information may be found at www.AnxietyAndDepressionCenter.com

If you would like to schedule an appointment or speak directly to Dr. Passaro please call (949) 222-2848 or email him at: PPassaro@AnxietyandDepressionCenter.com

The Anxiety and Depression Center – A Cognitive Behavior Therapy Treatment Center specializes in cognitive behavioral treatment for adults, adolescents and children.

Many studies suggest that CBT, along with anti-depressant medication may be the most effective and efficient way to treat depressive disorders. The combination of medication and CBT may also be the treatment of choice to minimize relapse. Considerable evidence suggests that adding CBT to anti–depressant medication may create the quickest and most durable treatment effects.

Over the last 10 years specific CBT treatment protocols have been developed and refined for the treatment of panic disorder, social anxiety, OCD, PTSD and GAD.  Anxiety treatment protocols generally involve some combination of cognitive therapy, overcoming behavioral avoidance, anxiety management strategies and learning acceptance and tolerance of certain amounts of anxiety and psychological distress.

The Anxiety and Depression Center was begun by Dennis Greenberger, Ph.D.  Dr. Greenberger trained with Aaron T. Beck, M.D. and Judith Beck, Ph.D. He is a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, an international organization that certifies the competence of cognitive therapists.   He co-wrote Mind Over Mood, one of the best selling cognitive therapy books that was named by the British Association of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies as the most influential cognitive therapy book ever written.

The Anxiety and Depression Center is staffed by seasoned clinicians. The treating staff includes Dennis Greenberger, Ph.D. Perry Passaro, Ph.D and Shanna Farmer, MFCC. Dr Greenberger is a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. He co-wrote Mind Over Mood, one of the best selling cognitive therapy books that was named by the British Association of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies as the most influential cognitive therapy book ever written.

Dr. Passaro  has the specialized expertise of applying CBT principles to working with children and adolescents. Shanna Farmer, MFT has years of experience utilizing CBT with children and adolescents.

Most of the patients we see complete a course of CBT in 12-24 sessions. It is our goal to provide state of the art, results oriented, and empirically guided CBT protocols delivered in a compassionate and individualized manner. If you decide that CBT is indicated for your patient we hope you will consider referring them to the Anxiety and Depression Center.

For more information, visit their website.

PLANNING FOR AN EFFECTIVE IEP

The Law Offices of Jeffrey A. Gottlieb  and Paul Eisenberg, Educational Advocate is providing a free workshop for parents of special education children on the subject of effectively managing an IEP meeting for success.

Pre-registration by phone is required.  Bring your questions; time will be made available for parents to ask questions.

The workshop objective is to provide parents with additional “tools” for success at an IEP meeting.

Date:               June 23, 2011

Time:               9:30 am to 12:00 pm

Location:         19200 Von Karman Avenue, 5th Floor (the boardroom),

Irvine, California 92612

The following is the workshop agenda:

IEP related law

Preparing for an IEP meeting

Success at an IEP meeting (the art of negotiations/collaboration)

Preparing for/managing due process

There is no fee for attending. HOWEVER, PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED BY PHONE, so call 562-699-2412 to reserve a seat. Parking is free on the street; no validation for on-site parking.

Paul Eisenberg

Educational Advocate

(714) 235-3319

Website: www.advocate4mykids.com

Jeffrey A. Gottlieb, Esq.
Special Education Attorney
www.specialeducationattorneyatlaw. com
(562) 699-2412

Website: www.specialeducationattorneyatlaw.com

Any man can be a father.  It takes someone special to be a dad.  ~Author Unknown

To all the dads out there…Have a wonderful father’s day! Thank you for being present for your children!

Mark your calendars. November 21-22 will be the California Association of Private School Education’s (CAPSO) Triennial Convention in Long Beach, CA. I will be presenting three workshops through Alternative Designs for Special Education (ADSE) on reading instruction, math instruction, and technology in education.

CAPSO is an organization made up of private, independent, and non-profit school educators promoting educational excellence. Please visit the CAPSO website for more information.

ADSE supports private schools in the development of special needs programs. For more information, visit the ADSE website.

Hope to see some of you there!