Monterey Bay Forum

The overall goal is to get everyone on the same page: you as parent, MD, therapist, regular ed and special education teacher(s), school nurse, school psychologist, and any government agencies that are involved (e.g., County Mental Health, Child Protective Service for children in foster care).

Unfortunately, what often happens is that the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. You as parent need to get in the driver’s seat and see that all the “horses” – school, professionals, hospitals, government agencies — move ahead in the right direction.

And that should include that everyone knows what the others have learned. So, make sure that Releases to share information are signed so everybody can communicate, receive records and communicate.


Here’s an example. An elementary school child is in foster care and receives services through Child Protective Service and County Mental Health. To clarify diagnosis the County wants the child to go to nearby Stanford Hospital (LPCH). So what needs to happen? Hopefully, CPS and County Mental Health will see that their mental health records together with the the child’s pediatric MD records and appropriate school records accompany the referral.

Another example: You as parent have concerns and go to your pediatrician. The pediatrician thinks that your child needs additional assessment and your doctor refers to a large, near by hospital complex (UC-SF, Stanford Hospital, Kaisier Permanente). Be sure that you as parent take along with you all relevant school assessments, school grades, and medical records. Get all the players on the same page. And be sure that all the players can talk to each other and exchange information.

Here’s some general ‘how to’ directions for parents of a child with ADHD or Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD): (more…)

Roughly 1 in 6 persons get a check in the mail from the government. That’s a huge number of people dependent on the government. It’s time to reduce that dependency.

Lots of people think that it’s wrong to cut social security. Yes, it’s wrong to cut benefits to those who paid into SSI, have retired and who rely on social security.

How to responsibly cut the federal deficit and encourage independence? Time to trim Social Security Disability benefits (SSI-D) to children and youth ages 3-21. Let’s reduce SSI-D payments to children and youth 1) assessed inaccurately or 2) who have “out grown” their diagnosis. Children change rapidly. Assessments should be accurate and up to date.

Another way to cut government deficits is to require proof of citizenship to obtain government funded services such as the regional center services. (The regional centers serve persons with low cognitive IQ abilities, requiring treatment similar to persons with low cognitive IQ, autism, seizures and cerebral palsy.) (more…)

DrCameronJackson@gmail.com
Every child with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) needs regular measurement of the child’s abilities to see if the IEP “fits”, or if the child has “outgrown” it or that it is not appropriate and needs to be changed. Regular measurement of the child’s progress typically is done every three years.

But some children’s IEPs are never “measured” again after the initial placement in a Special Day Class (SDC) placement – the most restricted educational placement. That’s wrong. It harms the child. It wastes money. The system must be more accountable.

What to do? Taxpayers speak up!

Maybe its time that parents of special education students got vouchers that followed their disabled students and could apply for any school of their choice? When parents of children of special education have more choice it’s highly likely that the quality of the education will improve. (more…)

Four hours a week of school during the summer for a 4 year old autistic child is NOT sufficient. Understandably the parents sought another solution. But the parents did not NOTIFY the school when they sought private school solution. See below story. Lesson to be learned: put it in writing. give sufficient notice before seeking other solutions. How much time sufficient notice? Enough to get the accounting department to operate — so 30 days should be sufficient notice.

Parents of autistic boy got only $2,957 compared to 20 K they sought

BY SADIA LATIFI,
“A state review officer awarded partial reimbursement to an Orange County family who enrolled their 4-year-old special-needs son in a private preschool.

“Both parents and the Orange County Schools system made procedural errors in providing services for Owen McWhirter, who has autism, according to review officer Joe Walters.

“The school system’s errors deprived Owen of educational services for months, the decision said. Because of this, they failed to provide him with the “free, appropriate public education” required by law.

The school system did provide an adequate Individualized Education Program for Owen at the time, however, according to the decision.

Families work with the school district to create an IEP. While Owen’s IEP team agreed on goals last summer, the family thought the services prescribed — about four hours a week of special instruction — were inadequate.

“When the family and school reached an impasse, Owen’s parents enrolled him in a private preschool that let him have specialists on hand. Even after they enrolled him, they continued to request services from Orange County and filed for due process last fall.

Owen’s parents, Nicole and Arran McWhirter, took the matter to an administrative court in Raleigh where a state judge agreed.

The original decision, which the school system appealed, said the school system should reimburse the McWhirters for their educational expenses.

The new decision awards the McWhirters $2,956.60, which is about $20,000 less than the reimbursement they sought. Review officer Walters said this was partly because the McWhirters failed to give the school system adequate prior notice when they enrolled Owen in a private preschool.

The school district and the McWhirters now have 30 days to file an appeal in state or federal court.

Note the legal time both sides have to file an appeal: 30 days. Had the parents given the school district 30 days more than likely award would have been larger.

Cameron Jackson cameronjacks@gmail.com 831 688-6002
sadia.latifi@newsobserver.com or 919-932-2002

The Crysalis Program which assists children with autistic spectrum disorders was started years ago and achieved a fine reputation in the community of Santa Cruz. It was an innovative and eclectic program. The woman who started the program, Fran Bussard, retired a few years ago.

Currently, the Morgan Autism Center is operating the Crysalis program in collaboration with the Santa Cruz Office of Education. This is the first year of operation through the oversight of the Morgan Center.

The Morgan Foundation in partnership with Santa Cruz County Office of Education provides one-to-one intensive services to toddlers and preschoolers with ASD. Where the Crysalis program is located:

Struck Preschool
984 Bostwick Lane
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 475-0290

Before the Morgan Center took over the Crysalis program for a while was run by the Listen Foundation. This is what I could find about that program from looking at local records:

“Two Santa Cruz County Office of Education classrooms, operated in collaboration with the Listen Foundation, integrate several methods and strategies such as TEACCH floor time, applied behavioral analysis, and sensory integration to teach social, communication, academic, and functional skills to address the needs of students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) The Listen Foundation is a private non-profit agency serving individuals with Autistic Spectrum Disroders (ASD) and other developmental disabilities since 1982. For informaiton about the Listen Foundation go to: www.listenfoundation.netListen Foundation.

The Listen Foundation Office is located at:

303 Potrero #29-103
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831)426-7234

“The Chrysalis Program began in September of 1996 as a result of research indicating that intensive early intervention is a critical factor in the education and treatment of young children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). It is a highly structured program that promotes the emotional, social, behavioral, and cognitive development of each child. There is a strong emphasis on choice and communication.”

For more information about autism on the PAGE at top is a video of classic autistic symptoms in a young boy. O number of blogs concerning autism are also listed on the PAGE for autism.

Cameron Jackson, Ph.D., licensed psychologist 831 688-6002