THE UNITY OF ONENESS IN OUR WORLD

By webmaster | Published November 22, 2012

JACQUELINE SHOHET, Ph.D., PSYCHOLOGIST
Former member of the Executive Board of the Orange County Learning Disabilities Association
Dr. Shohet passed away in October, 2003.

Today, evidence is continuously presented to substantiate a philosophy of ancient peoples that we are one with our earth and all within it. Native Americans believe that we belong to the earth rather than that the earth belongs to us.

The moment of conception – at the union of the egg and sperm – begins the dynamic interrelation with our world as new life is created. (The controversy continues about abortion.) The new individual, the fetus, begins to interact with its surrounding environment and with all its inner elements. Mother sings, the fetus reacts; mother contracts a disease, the fetus reacts; mother ingests toxic matter, the fetus reacts.

In turn, the fetus alters it surrounding environment: mother is nauseated, her physical body changes, her blood supply and blood pressure alter, her emotions fluctuate. The fetus carries the heredity presented by the egg and sperm union which may impact the condition of the fetus as well as the status of its mother and eventually the total environment of the new individual.

At birth, the fetus, now called a child, carries with it the development of its own internal-external processes and physiology, brain-body biochemistry interactions, and all aspects of body structures – blood flow, movement, digestion, body temperature regulation, sight, sound, tactual-kinesthetic sensitivity, emotions, feelings, memory, capacity of learning – to list only a few of the child’s inner relationships.

The newborn child, by it presence, alters the environment by its noise, its food demand, its movements and seizure of space, its need for water and air, its interrelationships with others, its soiling, and its impact on all of the surrounding world.

To live effectively, we need to understand our inner dynamics as well as our impact on the world about us. We create changes – some are beneficial, such as better health practices which extend our lives; we discover comforts that bring pleasure and happiness. But we also harm our world by quick-fix approaches, proliferation of harmful substances and procedures that create a legacy of damage for our future because we did not anticipate or evaluate for long-term effects. For example, we dislike spiders and kill them, without being aware that they act as a control against a proliferation of harmful insects – mosquitoes that cause infections of malaria and encephalitis as well as house flies that bring numerous diseases. The absence of spiders requires us to use insecticides that poison us and our world. Currently entomologists are reproducing lady bugs to control harmful insects that damage plants, thus avoiding the use of environmentally harmful insecticides.

We have begun to question the impact of our practices as they may facilitate benefits or bring about damage to all stages of human and animal life. We note deformities, disabilities and maladaptions in increasing numbers. We ask why there is an increase in the incidence of children who have learning disabilities, autism, and attention deficit disorders. We note the use of mercury, lead, food chemicals, etc., poor nutrition and lack of medical care for many persons in our population. To answer these questions, we often accept quick-fix solutions.

We do attempt to rehabilitate and educate children who are impaired and who have been diagnosed as having learning disabilities and other handicaps. However, we are made aware of the high costs of their special education programs. At present, there are many persons seeking to cut back on the services for handicapped youngsters. There seems to be little regard for the ramifications of not providing remedial education to assist the handicapped children to learn effectively. Over time this curtailment of service can result in even greater social costs as the youngsters, who are poorly taught and lack skills, become dependents on society. Without marketable skills, the young people have difficulty finding employment and may slip into the welfare system, homelessness, and the justice system. Special education, in the long run, properly conducted, is an effective, economical support for the disabled young people to insure their transition into productive roles in society.

We cannot separate from the world about us; we are one with all its elements. To live effectively requires that we respect all aspects of ourselves – the inner processes and outer relationships – and all aspects of our environment with honesty, integrity, and humility. We can emulate the code of the medical profession, “DO NO HARM,” if we focus on understanding the problems, and the outcomes of our actions over time rather than giving in to impulsive practices.

The earth is our home, we belong to it, and when we try to understand our interrelationships with the earth and all who inhibit it, we can learn to live in peace. ###

JACQUELINE SHOHET, Ph.D
Orange County Learning Disabilities Association Newsletter Vol. 41, No. 4
July/August 2003

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The Importance of a Right Start in School

By webmaster | Published November 12, 2012

Piaget observed his own children as they grew up. He gave us valuable information about the kinds of activities a child of a particular age could accomplish. There were things that were easy for a seven-year-old but almost impossible for a four or five year old. Therefore, we know that there is a right time and a wrong time for a child to start formal schooling. A child with learning disabilities may be better off starting school a little later than usual to give his/her brain more time to mature.
Bonnie Bruce, M.A.
Orange County LD
September, 2003

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What Is Response To Intervention?

By webmaster | Published October 25, 2012

Questions have arisen in the educational, professional and parent communities regarding “Response to Intervention” (RTI). It is the intent of this article to clarify and provide basic information about RTI to answer such questions as: What is RTI? How is it implemented in public schools? How is RTI relevant to learning disabled children?

It is extremely important that those who are interested in the field of learning disabilities have basic knowledge about RTI. Numerous professional publications have been authored in the last few years that are related to RTI and as it pertains to special education and specifically serving the needs of struggling learners (who may have specific learning disabilities and / or “learn differently”).

It is no secret that there have been significant concerns about the effectiveness of special education programs in public schools for many years. One important publication: Rethinking Special Education for a New Century includes a chapter titled Rethinking Learning Disabilities authored by Lyon, Shaywitz, Torgeson and other nationally prominent researchers (Publisher: Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, 2001). This publication /chapter title may best describe the thoughts of many in regard to special education. While public schools may be well-intentioned and want to serve struggling learners, the lack of a consistent implementation of effective, research-based practices, present lack of appropriately trained and/or credentialed teachers / specialists, coupled with the ever-present lack of program funding in public schools, has resulted in inadequate service and outcomes for many special education identified students.

In the past, special education support for students with learning disabilities has often been delayed by a practice that has commonly come to be known as “wait to fail”. California Department of Education (CDE) regulations have required public schools to largely base identification for Specific Learning Disability (SLD) on a “severe discrepancy” between a student’s measured intellectual ability and his / her standardized achievement test scores. For many struggling learners of “normal” intelligence, this “severe discrepancy” could not be documented until the third or fourth grade (or later); thus, services were delayed until the young child had “failed” for several years and become a “discouraged learner”. The educational and life-success as well as personal adjustment outcome for many of these late-identified special education students has been discouraging, not only for these students and their families, but for society as a whole.

Just prior to, during and after the re-authorization of IDEA (IDEIA 2004 – federal special education regulations), much public and professional debate has occurred regarding how to best educate “high risk” learners. Out of this debate, a professional consensus has developed that supports the implementation of what has come to be known as Response to Intervention or RTI. The RTI philosophy and practice is based on the implementation of effective early intervention strategies in the general education classroom rather than the “wait to fail for special education support” model

A non-inclusive list of basic RTI concepts regarding educating struggling learners follows:

  • Public schools must provide a unified educational system for all children at risk of academic failure. For example, children with learning disabilities are general education students first, and responsibility for their education is a shared responsibility between regular and special education.
  • All children with “learning problems” should have effective intervention, whether they are “special education – identified” or not.
  • Early intervention is likely to prevent the development of more severe academic delays that eventually lead to placement in special education programs “for life”.
  • General education teachers should be trained to implement research-based screening assessments to identify students who require early intervention.
  • General and special educators should be trained to team together to meet the needs of struggling learners, regardless of special education identification or classroom placement.
  • Interventions for struggling learners must be research-based in terms of documentation of effectiveness.
  • Educators must implement interventions with “fidelity” (e.g., interventions must be accurately implemented in accordance with the recommended research model.)
  • There must be administrative support and follow-up with general education teachers to insure that RTI is being implemented effectively and that student positive “Response to Intervention” is the outcome.

It can readily be seen that RTI, and its implementation, is a very complex process. Presently, most Orange County public school districts are in process of training of staff, beginning implementation of RTI “model programs” at school sites and the monitoring of assessment intervention student response.

Guidelines for Parents: As always, parents are children’s “first teachers” and must be active participants in their child’s education. Here are some guidelines for parents in regard to RTI and its implementation in public schools:

  • If your child is a struggling learner, ask for a conference with your child’s teachers to discuss your concern and ask to review the teacher’s in-class assessment of your child.
  • A parent, or school staff, may initiate a meeting to discuss a student’s needs. This team may be called a Student Support Team (or SST) and parents are integral members of this team.
  • At this meeting, it is important that school staff provide information and “hard data” about your child’s status as a learner. Your child’s teacher should be able to articulate how he/she has assessed your child’s learning progress and what are areas of need that should be “targeted” to advance your child’s education.
  • A specific intervention plan should be put into place to address your child’s specific needs. This plan should provide specific interventions (e.g., an intervention plan that is limited to “watch” or “monitor progress” or “child will do homework” is not a meaningful plan). Parents should ask for a copy of the intervention plan / outcome statement from the SST meeting.
  • Regular dates for review of this plan should be in place to accurately determine if your child is “responding to intervention”. If your child is not “responding to intervention” your child’s intervention should be intensified in terms of duration, intensity or program implementation. Special education assessment and identification may be an outcome at this stage of the RTI process.
  • Parents retain the legal right to request special education assessment from public school staff at any time. It is important to note that, at this time, “eligibility” under the category of “learning disability” (SLD) includes the “severe discrepancy” component described earlier in this article. If parents wish to pursue a public school special education assessment, the request for such an assessment should be put in writing, signed and dated and mailed to the school district Director of Special Education. School districts are required to respond to the parent request within fourteen days of its receipt.

Remember: A core purpose of RTI is for all students to receive a quality education in general and/or special education. RTI guidelines require consistent and regular assessment and modification of a student’s educational program.

Author’s note: The implementation of RTI has been subject to much professional debate, writing and discussion. This article is by no means an exhaustive explanation of RTI. It is hoped that this article will provide basic, practical knowledge about current educational thought and practice and stimulate discussion among those interested in serving learning disabled students. (March 17, 2007)

Linda Herrick is a Licensed Educational Psychologist in private practice in Orange County. She serves families with children between the ages of 18 mos – 14 yrs old. Her professional interests are: early intervention practices, specialized child assessments and parent-professional collaboration. Contact information: (714) 849-9123 or LHerrick@socal.rr.com

Linda Herrick, M.S., L.E.P. Licensed Educational Psychologist, member OCLDA
Published in the Orange County LDA Newsletter, Vol 45, No. 2
March/April, 2007

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