Princess+Tips

==Blog with practical comments and information on special education, early intervention, and disability law. == Tips for IEP meeting parent involvement- http://randychapman.wordpress.com/2007/11/06/ten-tips-to-parents-to-improve-participation-in-iep-meetings/

The link below is an article you can use to help in activities you can do with your child if they have cerebral palsy.Every child is different but it may come in handy to help you be more involved in activities at home. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/activities-for-child-with-cerebral-palsy.html Here is an Example of some things on the site:
 * Put your child down on the floor and let him or her explore the surroundings at his or her own pace. If you child tends to lie still in one spot, make sure you help him/her change positions often.
 * Take your child out to parks, gardens, zoos, playgrounds, markets and so on to help with sensory system development.
 * Play games that encourage crawling. Weight-bearing on one hand or both hands and on legs is beneficial for developing a good muscle tone.
 * Place toys at some distance so the child has to reach out to pick them or crawl over to fetch them. Make sure the toys are stimulating in color, shape, texture and smell, as well as easy to play with.
 * Encourage your child to put away to toys by himself/herself even if that takes up a lot of time.
 * __Enroll__ your child in gym classes or other physical exercise programs that also cater to special needs children.

Parents can get down, and frustrated wondering if their child can accomplish more than most would except. As a teacher, and parent we want our kids accomplish as much as they are capable of. There is a movie called "Conjoined for Life" which is the life of Brittany and Abigail Hensel. They are dicephalic parapagus twins which means they are conjoined. they are their own people, and have their own personailites as well as their own likes and dislikes. Brittany controls the left side while Abigail controls the right side. Though neither can feel the other side they are completely in sync with each other. Many people have questions that may never be answered, but the girls proceed to make progress, and accomplish as much as they are able to. This does lead to some questions in school on how they take __classes__. Each class is different based on the teachers. In some classes they take one test in other classes they take their own test. Keep in mind these girls are the only conjoined twins that have lived this long. They are now in college and have progressed positively through life. Here is a clip of one of their videos.

http://youtu.be/7ZUzi0RhBpM

So where does this leave your Middle School child and their disabilities? This movie may have nothing to do with your child's __disability__, but it can be used as a booster to remind yourself that all kids can adapt and learn. Schools are expected to adapt, and accommodate for each child. Though every child is different there are ways for the entire class to learn while having different tools to do so. For the school in Minnesota these are two girls sharing one body and each teacher deciders what is best for that class. My conclusion is to be patient and keep an open communication with the school, and all the teachers involved with your child. Remember that your child can learn, and keep a high expectation on your child's classroom.

Friendships We all know that friendships are a necessity in life but, can be hard to start and maintain. this is especially true for the children that have disabilities. here is a site to give you and your daughter some support for creating and maintaining friendships. []

This is a wonderful organization that is dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). As a result of their involvement with Best Buddies, people with IDD secure rewarding jobs, live on their own, become inspirational leaders, and make lifelong friendships. [|www.bestbuddies.org]