Voice Your Choice

Are you interested in schools in Illinois?

Check this out: www.schoolchoiceillinois.org

School Choice Illinois would like to initiate an open dialogue about the School Choice Movement in Illinois as well as what is happening nationally regarding educational policy. We are a public advocacy organization that seeks to inform and therefore empower citizens to become active in their child’s education and their surrounding community’s possibilities.

You can add to the discussion or begin your own!

This line caught my eye: "One size does not fit all." That concept is often associated with special education, but I remember one high school principal, in Northfield (I believe), who told an audience of teachers and parents that he believed every student should have an IEP(Individualized Education Plan). He got a huge round of applause for that statement!

Take away recess? No!

Should teachers take away recess from kindergartners, first graders, second graders?

You know. The class is noisy. The class won't quiet down. It's a beautiful day outside - sunny, warm, nice breeze, pretty clouds. A few kids are antsy, talkative, wiggling around in their seats.

You're the teacher. You're big; they're small. You're standing; they're sitting. You're in charge; they're not. So you tell them to quiet down or they won't get any recess. Then you tell them that, if they won't quiet down, they'll miss both recesses that day! That all of them will miss recess, if the few don't quiet down.

Good move; right? WRONG! You have just bought yourself a day of disruption, more discontent, more stress. For you and for them.

Any parent will tell you that kids need recess. I asked my 5th Grade granddaughter recently what the best part of her school day was. "Recess!"

They need to get outside and blow off some steam, so that they can come back in and try to sit through hours more of listening, sitting, "learning." Remember... you are on your feet, moving around. They are not.

Don't take my word for it. Yesterday's speaker at MCC, Eric Guy, gave exactly that advice. Too bad that there weren't hundreds of teachers in the MCC Conference Center to hear him.

And today Kirk Martin's e-newsletter from www.celebratecom.com includes this admonishment to teachers who find themselves with a disruptive child in the classroom: "Side tip for teachers: please never ever take away recess. It does not motivate kids and ends up hurting you because a child who doesn't get exercise will have more attention and behavior issues. Instead, give the child a purposeful mission--have the student create a poster or pick up trash on the playground. 'Let's see how much trash you can put in the bag in 7 ½ minutes.' He lost playtime, but now he has a job to do and is connecting with you in a positive way. This is HUGE. Be sure to praise for a good job picking up trash."

Great Relationship Seminar Today

Today's seminar, A New Perspective in Dealing with the Challenging Behaviors of Chidlren and Adolescents, at MCC was absolutely first-class. Eric Guy, M.S.W., L.S.W., from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, addressed a group of parents and clinicians from 8:00-4:00PM and provided a wide amount of information to help the audience understand and interact with their children and clients who are affected by behavioral and emotional disturbances.

Eric is the type of speaker you want in front of an audience. All day he spoke from the front of the stage, only occasionally retreating to the podium to cue a video clip for projection onto the large screen. Eric didn't "lecture" - he spoke from his heart with valuable information and personal stories.

You can learn more about Eric at http://www.centerforvictory.com/

Eric will return to McHenry County for a Level 1 Certification and Intensive Attachment Training. The 2 1/2-day Intensive will be November 19-21 at MCC. Check out his website and http://www.allchildrenwanttolearn.com/

For more information on the Intensive, contact Natalie Eckman at eckman.natalie@yahoo.com or Dawn Carmichael, L.C.P.C., in Rockford at 815.968.5342

Today's program was sponsored, in part, by FamiliesETC (Families Empowered to Change), part of the Family CARE Project of the McHenry County Mental Health Board, and now located in McHenry in the former offices of Family Services at 5320 West Elm Street. Contact mary@familiesetc.org for information about parent support groups and other trainings.

Need Special Ed Help?

The Special Ed Advocacy Center (“SEAC”), established April 2004, is a non-profit, §501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization whose mission is to ensure that children with disabilities in the Chicago metropolitan area receive all appropriate educational services provided under current law. The SEAC service area includes: Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will Counties.

The SEAC accomplishes its mission by providing free legal representation to low-income parents and caregivers of children with disabilities seeking to obtain appropriate educational and early intervention services for their children; educating parents and caregivers, school personnel and others through conducting programs concerning their rights and responsibilities under current special education law; and increasing public awareness and understanding of special education law.

Between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008, the SEAC assisted 497 families by answering intake calls and representing parents and caregivers; conducted two dozen educational seminars; and participated in numerous educational programs for law students, educators and the special needs community.

The SEAC is ready to assist with any special education issues that arise during the school year.

General brochures are available in English and Spanish.

For more information, contact Jill M. Dressner, Executive Director/Attorney at Law, c/o SPECIAL ED ADVOCACY CENTER, 1935 S. Plum Grove Road, PMB #274, Palatine, IL 60067; via telephone (847) 736-8286; by fax (847) 397-7011; by email at seac@specialedadvocacycenter.org; or visit its website at http://www.specialedadvocacycenter.org/

Behavioral Specialist - Thursday at MCC

On (this!) Thursday, September 17, Pennsylvania-based behavioral specialist Eric Guy will present a day-long seminar at McHenry County College. Registration begins at 7:15AM. The seminar will be 8:00AM-4:00PM in the Conference Center of the College at 8900 West U.S. Highway 14, Crystal Lake (for you out-of-towners).

To register, contact Natalie Eckman. The fee is $25.00
eckman.natalie@yahoo.com
847/669-1044

Eric Guy, MSW, LSW, is the owner and director of Center for Victory based in Beaver Falls, PA. He is an internationally recognized specialist in the treatment of behavioral and emotional disturbances in children and adults.

Mr. Guy currently lectures and provides consultations on various topics including foster care and adoption; trauma; attachment and bonding; and residential treatment.

Through the therapeutic process, Mr. Guy's goal is to use the knowledge and experience he has gained to increase the feeling of security, address issues and help one reach new conclusions about his or her life experiences.

Individuals and families are provided with intensive customized programming that empowers the individual or family's awareness and understanding of dysregulation in today's world.

Research indicates 87% of children who demonstrate the most disruptive and disturbing behaviors have experienced trauma.

Early life trauma creates an indelible imprint upon the child’s brain that often times goes years without being adequately addressed.

Unfortunately these children seldom receive the support needed to help mend these emotional injuries. In fact, many conventional therapies and parenting strategies unwittingly add to these injuries rather than promote healing.

Many such children go on to be diagnosed with common mental health disorders like:

• Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
• Conduct Disorder (CD)
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Childhood Depression

Such disorders are correlated with severe behaviors such as: Lying, stealing, hoarding, gorging, aggression, defiance, self-mutilation, and learning difficulties.

This course offers specific, step-by-step strategies and interventions to these troublesome behaviors. If you were ever looking for simple insights to severe behaviors that can have an immediate impact, this is the seminar for you!

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:

• The root cause of severe behaviors
• Why anger is necessary to survival
• The impact of stress and trauma on the developing brain
• What fear has in common with stress and severe behavior
• A guaranteed effective, step-by-step technique for overcoming lying
• The connection between stealing, self-mutilation, hoarding and addiction
• How to understand the “Child Addict”
• How to use a love-based consequence model for severe behavior
• How traditional consequences are fear-based and can do more harm than good
• How Bruce Perry’s research on the brain can change the way we see severe behavior
• What is truly at the root of defiance
• Why control as we’ve learned it causes more power struggles
• How to create the “Therapeutic Environment” without a lifetime of therapy
• Specific steps to immediately impact your child’s positive outlook on life
• Specific parenting techniques that foster love and openness, and the ones that create more stress and fear. And WHY!