|
June 13, 2007
ISSN: 1538-3202
Issue: 394
Subscribers: 50,374 | |
In This Issue |
| Summer School for Parents
Plan and Prepare
Parent Tools
|
Recommended Resource
Read The File: Do it Right! by Pete Wright in The Wright Way to Effective Advocacy published by Spectrum Magazine (June/July issue)
|
More Resources from Wrightslaw
|
Summer Sale Spectacular! 
Save $25!
on the complete package of
all Wrightslaw publications
Combo #4
$114.00 NOW $89.95
Order
|
Wrightslaw Training |
|
|
Are YOU Listed on the Yellow Pages for Kids?
Listings are Free! |
Contact Info |
|
Pete and Pam Wright
Wrightslaw
& The Special Ed Advocate
P. O. Box 1008
Deltaville, VA 23043 |
|
 |
|
|
 |
| | | |
| Copyright
© 2007, Peter W. D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright. All rights reserved. Please
do NOT reprint or host on your website without explicit permission. |
|
Summer is here and it’s time to recharge your batteries. What can you do to prepare for next year?
 First, spend time with your family - but save some time for yourself as well. Pull yourself (and your kids) away from the computer. Visit a park and take a picnic. Attend a ball game. Go fishing. Make plans to see the fireworks on July 4 – it’s just around the corner.
As the pace slows down, you can spend time building your knowledge and skills.
Summer School for Parents is a series of activities that will help you enjoy the summer and prepare for the next school year. You’ll find assignment #1 in this issue.
Your assignment this week:
- Take care of yourself and your family
- Write a thank you note
- Relax and read
- Plan and Prepare
Assignment #2 will appear in the next issue of The Special Ed Advocate.
Sign up free
today! l Read previous issues
|
|
| Summer School for Parents |
Take Care of Yourself and Your Family
Raising a child with special educational needs can be overwhelming. If you are not careful, special education can consume your life. Many parents drive themselves until they are exhausted and burned out.
Pace yourself. Listen to tapes about time management. Use a schedule to gain control of your life. Spend time with friends or family to recharge your batteries and regain a healthy perspective.
Read more Tips for Taking Care of Yourself.
Write a Thank You Note
You may not be the only person who is feeling burned out. As advocate and educational consultant Meredith Warshaw says,
"I worry that the people in the system who are helping me and our kids will get burned out and quit - which is the last thing we want to see! So, having discovered how much it cheers and reinvigorates me when I get thank you notes from clients or others I've helped, I've started a campaign to spread the cheer. It takes just a few minutes of time and ..."
Read Preventing Burnout in the People Who Help Us - and ourselves. One way to combat burnout is to thank a person who has helped you. Write a "thank-you" note to a teacher or educational provider who helped your child.
Learn more about letter-writing. Let Pam help you learn The Art of Letter Writing.
Relax and read . . .
- about empowered parents
Parent Empowerment by Becky Milton, the parent of a child with a disability. Her advocacy journey began 10 years ago when her son was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder.
Laura and Steve, parents of four children, describe strategies they use in Plans Are Our Safety Net. By forming a plan and thinking about possibilities, rather than giving up on their plan for their son, they modify their plan as circumstances change.
- about advocacy strategies (meetings, letter writing, etc.)
- about The Parents’ Journey. As a loving parent, do you want to learn how to transform your emotions into energy? Pam Wright explains how your emotions can be freed up to use in a positive search for information and solutions to the problems you face. Read The Parents’ Journey.
|
|
back to the top |
| |
Plan and Prepare |
Develop Your Master Plan
Your child's special education is a long-term project. You need a master plan. As a parent, your role is similar to that of a project manager - you organize, plan, monitor progress, anticipate problems, and keep the team focused.
You are the constant factor in your child's life. You represent your child's interests. If your child does not receive an appropriate education and master the skills necessary to be an independent, self-sufficient member of the community, you will deal with the outcome.
To learn about your role and long-term planning, read Planning and Preparation are Keys to Success. |
|
back to the top |
|
| Parent Tools |
Advocacy Strategies
“Thank you for developing such a meaningful website and tools for parents. Knowledge is so empowering. I’ve been studying Learning Disabilities and the Special Education process for more than a year. Until I found Wrightslaw, I was completely overwhelmed. ” – LK, from AZ
Getting Started l Advocacy Strategies
"From Emotions to Advocacy' should be printed in gold" – EB from VA.
 Pete and Pam Wright teach you how to plan, prepare, organize -- and get quality special education services in Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Edition.
This practical user-friendly book includes strategies, tips, references, warnings, and Internet resources. Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Edition includes dozens of worksheets, forms, and sample letters that you can tailor to your needs.
"A superb reference, From Emotions To Advocacy, 2nd Edition is very highly recommended reading for all parents of children in need of adapted or special education services ... " Midwest Book Review
"If I were asked to choose just one book to help me learn advocacy skills, this is it!" - Support for Families of Children with Disabilities
Advocacy Training
Check your calendar. Plan to attend a Wrightslaw Legal & Advocacy Training program soon. Check our schedule to find a training program close to your community. |
|
|
| We
are scheduling programs for 2007 and 2008. If you are interested in bringing a
Wrightslaw program to your community, please read our Conference
Information page. | |
back to the top | |
