This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody,
and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody
would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.
Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that
Everybody wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody
could have done.
- Author unknown
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
IHC complaint to Human Rights Commission
What’s New with IHC’s education complaint to the Human Rights Commission
December 2009
As you already know, on 31 July 2008 IHC lodged a complaint to the Human Rights Commission about Government practices which result in discrimination for children with an intellectual disability in their local school.
The Human Rights Commission has formally notified the Ministry of Education of the complaint and this means the formal complaints process is underway.
Within the last 6 weeks Crown Law has made an initial response to the complaint and we will be meeting with them and the Human Rights Commission in late January 2010 to discuss the parameters within which mediation can take place. IHC’s complaint alleges that the discrimination experienced by disabled children occurs as a result of a mix of factors including education law, policies adopted by the Ministry of Education, practices both at the Ministry and at individual school level and the omission to take coordinating steps to achieve acceptable outcomes for all school students, regardless of disability.
In the interim IHC welcomes the Ministry’s active role in resolving individual difficulties. In addition they have established a complaint register and have developed new information on the rights and responsibilities of parents and schools. Parents and caregivers should contact Nicholas Pole, Deputy Secretary, Special Education directly about any difficulties experienced at the local school or being unable to access resources to meet their child’s needs.
Nicholas Pole
Deputy Secretary Special Education
Ministry of Education
Review of Special Education
IHC has invited many other disability organisations to discuss a co-ordinated approach to submitting responses to the Government’s review of Special Education. The Review Consultation papers are expected to be released soon. Please encourage your local school and other organisations to make submissions to this important review.
Add your story to strengthen our complaint
There is still time for you to get involved. If you have a story to tell regarding the exclusionary issues within the mainstream education for children with an intellectual disability, please contact IHC.
You can now complete your affidavit in your own time by downloading the affidavit template from the Advocacy website.
For more information about participating, or for assistance with developing written accounts of your experiences, please contact:
Laura O’ Donovan
IHC Advocate
PO Box 4155
Wellington
Tel: (04) 439 4782
laura.o’donovan@ihc.org.nz
What you can do to support IHC’s Strategy for Inclusive Education
1. Writing a letter of support for IHC’s complaint (updates available) and strategy for Inclusive Education to your local or national media outlets will encourage the discussion in New Zealand.
2. Support, reference and promote IHC’s Hot Issues articles regarding inclusive education, the current special education review and other policy issues relating to education.
3. Take the Learning Better Together resources (research and DVD’s) to local schools and community groups. These resources emphasise how inclusive education can work and how it works.
4. Promote the Learning Better Together resources which are free and available from IHC (www.ihc.org.nz and from Larna Mills on (04) 471 5732).
5. Make an appointment to meet with the principal and/or Board of Trustees and ask how this school demonstrates inclusion and if they would be willing to pilot an inclusive school (IHC can help).
6. Ensure that Inclusive Education has a regular slot in school and community meetings- discuss IHC research and best practice DVD’s, the IHC Education complaint and the new Global Report Better Education For All – When we are Included too, which quotes New Zealand & IHC (http://www.inclusion-international.org/en/news/111.html).
7. Encourage parents to discuss inclusive education and how they would promote this global strategy in their school and community.
8. Make an appointment with electorate MP to hand over research and question re party policy.
9. Write letters of support for IHC’s Education complaint and the Inclusive Education strategy to your local MP.
10. Join the Inclusive Education Action Group at www.ieag.org.nz
A sample letter to editor/MP/representative supporting IHC’s complaint and the inclusive education strategy could include the following;
• Discrimination is being experienced by children with a disability and it should not be happening.
• Reference to Articles 2 (non-discrimination), 23 (rights of children with a disability) and 28 & 29 (right to education) in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC);
Disabled children have a right to education, and schools have a responsibility to educate all children. However the priority needs of disabled children are not special, they are basic.
• Inclusive education will improve the education system (structures, systems and methodologies) for students of all abilities, not just children with a disability.
• Make link between inclusive school settings and inclusive communities that welcome minority groups and celebrate diversity.
We hope that you will join us to address what has become a serious human rights issue for one of the most vulnerable groups in New Zealand.
Yours sincerely
Trish Grant
Director of Advocacy
December 2009
As you already know, on 31 July 2008 IHC lodged a complaint to the Human Rights Commission about Government practices which result in discrimination for children with an intellectual disability in their local school.
The Human Rights Commission has formally notified the Ministry of Education of the complaint and this means the formal complaints process is underway.
Within the last 6 weeks Crown Law has made an initial response to the complaint and we will be meeting with them and the Human Rights Commission in late January 2010 to discuss the parameters within which mediation can take place. IHC’s complaint alleges that the discrimination experienced by disabled children occurs as a result of a mix of factors including education law, policies adopted by the Ministry of Education, practices both at the Ministry and at individual school level and the omission to take coordinating steps to achieve acceptable outcomes for all school students, regardless of disability.
In the interim IHC welcomes the Ministry’s active role in resolving individual difficulties. In addition they have established a complaint register and have developed new information on the rights and responsibilities of parents and schools. Parents and caregivers should contact Nicholas Pole, Deputy Secretary, Special Education directly about any difficulties experienced at the local school or being unable to access resources to meet their child’s needs.
Nicholas Pole
Deputy Secretary Special Education
Ministry of Education
Review of Special Education
IHC has invited many other disability organisations to discuss a co-ordinated approach to submitting responses to the Government’s review of Special Education. The Review Consultation papers are expected to be released soon. Please encourage your local school and other organisations to make submissions to this important review.
Add your story to strengthen our complaint
There is still time for you to get involved. If you have a story to tell regarding the exclusionary issues within the mainstream education for children with an intellectual disability, please contact IHC.
You can now complete your affidavit in your own time by downloading the affidavit template from the Advocacy website.
For more information about participating, or for assistance with developing written accounts of your experiences, please contact:
Laura O’ Donovan
IHC Advocate
PO Box 4155
Wellington
Tel: (04) 439 4782
laura.o’donovan@ihc.org.nz
What you can do to support IHC’s Strategy for Inclusive Education
1. Writing a letter of support for IHC’s complaint (updates available) and strategy for Inclusive Education to your local or national media outlets will encourage the discussion in New Zealand.
2. Support, reference and promote IHC’s Hot Issues articles regarding inclusive education, the current special education review and other policy issues relating to education.
3. Take the Learning Better Together resources (research and DVD’s) to local schools and community groups. These resources emphasise how inclusive education can work and how it works.
4. Promote the Learning Better Together resources which are free and available from IHC (www.ihc.org.nz and from Larna Mills on (04) 471 5732).
5. Make an appointment to meet with the principal and/or Board of Trustees and ask how this school demonstrates inclusion and if they would be willing to pilot an inclusive school (IHC can help).
6. Ensure that Inclusive Education has a regular slot in school and community meetings- discuss IHC research and best practice DVD’s, the IHC Education complaint and the new Global Report Better Education For All – When we are Included too, which quotes New Zealand & IHC (http://www.inclusion-international.org/en/news/111.html).
7. Encourage parents to discuss inclusive education and how they would promote this global strategy in their school and community.
8. Make an appointment with electorate MP to hand over research and question re party policy.
9. Write letters of support for IHC’s Education complaint and the Inclusive Education strategy to your local MP.
10. Join the Inclusive Education Action Group at www.ieag.org.nz
A sample letter to editor/MP/representative supporting IHC’s complaint and the inclusive education strategy could include the following;
• Discrimination is being experienced by children with a disability and it should not be happening.
• Reference to Articles 2 (non-discrimination), 23 (rights of children with a disability) and 28 & 29 (right to education) in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC);
Disabled children have a right to education, and schools have a responsibility to educate all children. However the priority needs of disabled children are not special, they are basic.
• Inclusive education will improve the education system (structures, systems and methodologies) for students of all abilities, not just children with a disability.
• Make link between inclusive school settings and inclusive communities that welcome minority groups and celebrate diversity.
We hope that you will join us to address what has become a serious human rights issue for one of the most vulnerable groups in New Zealand.
Yours sincerely
Trish Grant
Director of Advocacy
Friday, December 4, 2009
Understanding and Accepting Your Child's Learning Difficulty
By Peggy Schmidt
• Cited at the Scholastic Store http://www.scholastic.com/parents
Diagnosis of a child’s learning disability can be an emotional roller-coaster ride.
I first noticed that my son didn't have as much manual dexterity as other kids his age when he was in preschool, but the teachers and a developmental education specialist shrugged off my concerns.
• When my son started kindergarten, we had him tested by an occupational therapist, who recommended therapy to help him develop his gross and fine-motor skills. Halfway through first grade, my son's teacher and the school's principal suggested he undergo a battery of psycho-educational tests.
• His scores mirrored those of other children with learning disabilities: dramatic ups and downs, and a sizeable discrepancy between his IQ and his performance. He qualified for special help from the school district.
• As a second grader, his reading and writing problems continued, but my husband and I thought he was making progress. So I was shocked when I was told by my son's teacher, the school principal, and the school's special education consultant that he needed more intensive and specialized help. Maybe, they suggested, he needed to go to a special school. I was devastated. My husband was upset. Were they right? Or were they overreacting?
• It took months of agonizing, soul-searching, and investigation for me to realize that my son's self-esteem and learning might improve at a school that specialized in helping students with dyslexia. The next two years at the Charles Armstrong School, which serves the dyslexic learner, proved to be critical to his gaining building-block skills and experiencing success.
• Whether you pick up on difficulties your child is experiencing on your own or have them pointed out to you by educators or other professionals, it's critical to act on what you learn — the sooner, the better. There are many interventions that can make a difference in your child's life, whether he's 5, 10, 15, or older. It is never too late to get help.
• Diagnosis and intervention are a complicated process. It can be hard to cope with the emotional reaction you may have to a diagnosis by professionals.
•
Negative Emotions Are Okay
When you finally learn what your child's problem is, you will probably experience a great sense of relief. Your observations weren't off the wall. You weren't being overly sensitive. With a diagnosis in hand and experts who have suggestions on what will help, things are going to be all right....but not right away and not without continuing advocacy on your part.
• You will soon realize that there is no one prescription that will solve "The Problem." Perhaps the toughest news of all is that "The Problem" will never go away, although interventions can help children learn more effectively or better control their behavior. Once this realization occurs, it's likely that you'll experience negative emotions. But it's important to allow yourself to have them.
• Here are some of the most common emotions parents experience:
• Grief. You mourn for the loss of the child you thought you had or wanted. When you realize that your child's difficulties are going to interfere with your own hopes and dreams for him, it's natural to feel a sense of loss. But unless you acknowledge that loss, you cannot begin to value your child for who he is.
• Self-blame and guilt. Parents feel they should be able to protect their child from painful struggles. And when they cannot, as often happens with a child who has special needs, they feel guilty about something done or not done. But blame is not productive for parents or the child.
• Anger. You may feel angry with your child for being the way she is or for requiring too much of your time, or your emotional or financial resources. Or you may feel angry with your spouse for what he does or doesn't understand or do. You may feel upset at how the rest of the world treats your child. Feeling angry is inevitable; channeling your negative energy into positive action can help you, your child, and your family.
• Frustration. Raising any child has its frustrating moments; parenting a child with special needs multiplies those times. The more you understand about your child's needs and how those needs impact the stages of childhood, however, the easier it will be to keep this emotion in check.
• Depression. At times, you may feel depressed because you realize how hard it is to help your child or feel sorrow for how hard things are for your child.
Learn as Much as You Can
You can minimize depression by educating yourself about your child's problem and becoming a knowledgeable and forceful advocate for him. The more you know, the more empowered you will feel, say educational therapists. What's more, you will be able to ask intelligent questions, better evaluate answers and recommendations, and pursue solutions that are likely to help your child.
• Read, listen, and watch. Well-regarded books, audiocassettes, and videotapes are available. Check with your local library or at the library of a parent support center.
• Check out advocacy organizations. You can connect with other parents, identify educational professionals in your area, and find out about recommended resources. Try contacting organizations such as Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CH.A.D.D.), the Developmental Delay Registry, the International Dyslexia Association, LD Online, the Learning Disabilities Association of America, the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities, the National Parents Network on Disabilities, and the Schwab Learning Center.
• Attend lectures and seminars. Many parent support groups and advocacy groups regularly feature speakers at their meetings. You do not need to be a member or a professional to attend, although you may be asked to contribute a $5 to $10 fee.
From Be Your Child's Best Advocate by Peggy Schmidt, available at Xlibris. Copyright © 2001 Peggy Schmidt. All rights reserved.
By Peggy Schmidt
• Cited at the Scholastic Store http://www.scholastic.com/parents
Diagnosis of a child’s learning disability can be an emotional roller-coaster ride.
I first noticed that my son didn't have as much manual dexterity as other kids his age when he was in preschool, but the teachers and a developmental education specialist shrugged off my concerns.
• When my son started kindergarten, we had him tested by an occupational therapist, who recommended therapy to help him develop his gross and fine-motor skills. Halfway through first grade, my son's teacher and the school's principal suggested he undergo a battery of psycho-educational tests.
• His scores mirrored those of other children with learning disabilities: dramatic ups and downs, and a sizeable discrepancy between his IQ and his performance. He qualified for special help from the school district.
• As a second grader, his reading and writing problems continued, but my husband and I thought he was making progress. So I was shocked when I was told by my son's teacher, the school principal, and the school's special education consultant that he needed more intensive and specialized help. Maybe, they suggested, he needed to go to a special school. I was devastated. My husband was upset. Were they right? Or were they overreacting?
• It took months of agonizing, soul-searching, and investigation for me to realize that my son's self-esteem and learning might improve at a school that specialized in helping students with dyslexia. The next two years at the Charles Armstrong School, which serves the dyslexic learner, proved to be critical to his gaining building-block skills and experiencing success.
• Whether you pick up on difficulties your child is experiencing on your own or have them pointed out to you by educators or other professionals, it's critical to act on what you learn — the sooner, the better. There are many interventions that can make a difference in your child's life, whether he's 5, 10, 15, or older. It is never too late to get help.
• Diagnosis and intervention are a complicated process. It can be hard to cope with the emotional reaction you may have to a diagnosis by professionals.
•
Negative Emotions Are Okay
When you finally learn what your child's problem is, you will probably experience a great sense of relief. Your observations weren't off the wall. You weren't being overly sensitive. With a diagnosis in hand and experts who have suggestions on what will help, things are going to be all right....but not right away and not without continuing advocacy on your part.
• You will soon realize that there is no one prescription that will solve "The Problem." Perhaps the toughest news of all is that "The Problem" will never go away, although interventions can help children learn more effectively or better control their behavior. Once this realization occurs, it's likely that you'll experience negative emotions. But it's important to allow yourself to have them.
• Here are some of the most common emotions parents experience:
• Grief. You mourn for the loss of the child you thought you had or wanted. When you realize that your child's difficulties are going to interfere with your own hopes and dreams for him, it's natural to feel a sense of loss. But unless you acknowledge that loss, you cannot begin to value your child for who he is.
• Self-blame and guilt. Parents feel they should be able to protect their child from painful struggles. And when they cannot, as often happens with a child who has special needs, they feel guilty about something done or not done. But blame is not productive for parents or the child.
• Anger. You may feel angry with your child for being the way she is or for requiring too much of your time, or your emotional or financial resources. Or you may feel angry with your spouse for what he does or doesn't understand or do. You may feel upset at how the rest of the world treats your child. Feeling angry is inevitable; channeling your negative energy into positive action can help you, your child, and your family.
• Frustration. Raising any child has its frustrating moments; parenting a child with special needs multiplies those times. The more you understand about your child's needs and how those needs impact the stages of childhood, however, the easier it will be to keep this emotion in check.
• Depression. At times, you may feel depressed because you realize how hard it is to help your child or feel sorrow for how hard things are for your child.
Learn as Much as You Can
You can minimize depression by educating yourself about your child's problem and becoming a knowledgeable and forceful advocate for him. The more you know, the more empowered you will feel, say educational therapists. What's more, you will be able to ask intelligent questions, better evaluate answers and recommendations, and pursue solutions that are likely to help your child.
• Read, listen, and watch. Well-regarded books, audiocassettes, and videotapes are available. Check with your local library or at the library of a parent support center.
• Check out advocacy organizations. You can connect with other parents, identify educational professionals in your area, and find out about recommended resources. Try contacting organizations such as Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CH.A.D.D.), the Developmental Delay Registry, the International Dyslexia Association, LD Online, the Learning Disabilities Association of America, the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities, the National Parents Network on Disabilities, and the Schwab Learning Center.
• Attend lectures and seminars. Many parent support groups and advocacy groups regularly feature speakers at their meetings. You do not need to be a member or a professional to attend, although you may be asked to contribute a $5 to $10 fee.
From Be Your Child's Best Advocate by Peggy Schmidt, available at Xlibris. Copyright © 2001 Peggy Schmidt. All rights reserved.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
