"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do."-
John Wooden
"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."-
John Wooden
Hi all-
Two great quotes from basketball Coach John Wooden. The first one is in Nick's senior picture book and I think it is a perfect description of how Nick has approached his life.
Blessings:)
Amy
Monday, September 27, 2010
Great Quote
Hi all,
I LOVE a great quote, especially ones that have so much meaning to me. I'll try to post great ones I see from time to time. Do you have any great, inspirational, motivational quotes you'd like to share? If you do, please share them with us!
Blessings:)
Amy
"I always wondered why somebody doesn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody." Lily Tomlin
I LOVE a great quote, especially ones that have so much meaning to me. I'll try to post great ones I see from time to time. Do you have any great, inspirational, motivational quotes you'd like to share? If you do, please share them with us!
Blessings:)
Amy
"I always wondered why somebody doesn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody." Lily Tomlin
Monday, September 20, 2010
Happy 11th Birthday Isabella Grace Hyndman!
Happy Birthday to our girl! Today is Isabella Grace's 11th Birthday! Happy Birthday Bella:) We're so grateful you were born:) You Rock! We Love You!
Love,
Dad, Mom, Nick
Oreo, Ozzie, and Charger too:)
Love,
Dad, Mom, Nick
Oreo, Ozzie, and Charger too:)
Dad Defends His Daughter With Cerebral Palsy
Hi all,
Below is the link to an article about a Dad who defends his daughter with cerebral palsy against bullies on the bus. I know it may be controversial to say this but this man is my HERO. I say, good for him! I would have wanted to do the same thing. I have to wonder what the parents of these bullies think. Are they proud that they've raised kids who think it is "fun and cool" to bully other people with disabilities, or anyone else for that matter? Are they bullies themselves? I can't imagine. No one is perfect as a parent or a person, BUT if my kids EVER did anything like this, well they wouldn't think of it I would bet, but they wouldn't do it again, believe me. Someone needs to put these bullies in their place. And, what about the school tolerance of it and what about the bus company or school transportation where so much bullying occurs? Well, that would be a whole other blog, couldn't it? So, here it is below.
Blessings:)
Amy
http://digg.com/story/r/dad_defends_daughter_with_cerebral_palsy_against_bullies_on_school_bus_video
http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fabcnews.go.com%2FUS%2Fdad-loses-cool-threatens-students-bus%2Fstory%3Fid%3D11660119&sa=D&usg=AFQjCNHMSddKYoAC7s2DGAD4YdXlW0I3Og
Below is the link to an article about a Dad who defends his daughter with cerebral palsy against bullies on the bus. I know it may be controversial to say this but this man is my HERO. I say, good for him! I would have wanted to do the same thing. I have to wonder what the parents of these bullies think. Are they proud that they've raised kids who think it is "fun and cool" to bully other people with disabilities, or anyone else for that matter? Are they bullies themselves? I can't imagine. No one is perfect as a parent or a person, BUT if my kids EVER did anything like this, well they wouldn't think of it I would bet, but they wouldn't do it again, believe me. Someone needs to put these bullies in their place. And, what about the school tolerance of it and what about the bus company or school transportation where so much bullying occurs? Well, that would be a whole other blog, couldn't it? So, here it is below.
Blessings:)
Amy
http://digg.com/story/r/dad_defends_daughter_with_cerebral_palsy_against_bullies_on_school_bus_video
http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fabcnews.go.com%2FUS%2Fdad-loses-cool-threatens-students-bus%2Fstory%3Fid%3D11660119&sa=D&usg=AFQjCNHMSddKYoAC7s2DGAD4YdXlW0I3Og
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Mistakes People Make
Hi all,
I found the article below to be helpful/good advice. I found it at another very helpful website, www.wrightslaw.com.
Blessings:)
Amy
Mistakes People Make - Parents
by Robert K. Crabtree, Esq.
Because the stakes are so high, it is difficult for parents of children with special educational needs to advocate calmly and objectively for the educational and related services their children need.
Here are some common mistakes that undermine parents' ability to obtain appropriate services:
1. Viewing the special education process as the moral equivalent of war, fighting that war with a "scorched earth" approach, and letting personal animosity toward administrators and/or teachers distort one's judgment about what is best for the child and what is realistic to accept;
2. The opposite mistake: trusting administrators and teachers too uncritically; assuming that if they are "nice" they are also competent and interested in serving the child's best interest; not questioning slow, or nonexistent progress as long as the child, parent and teacher have a cordial relationship;
3. Taking an "all or nothing" approach: waiting too long before getting good independent advice, then insisting on instant delivery of needed services rather than steady progress toward the right program;
4. Failing to understand that the special education process sometimes requires that the parent educate the child's special education team about the child's disabilities and needs (the school system may not be willfully refusing to meet the child's needs; they may simply not understand those needs);
5. Not trying a program or added services, even on a temporary basis, when they are offered by the school system -- holding out for an alternative program only to have a hearing officer decide the untried program might have worked;
6. Attempting to "micro-manage" the details of a child's life in school; even if parents don't feel things are going well, their efforts to control the child's day usually backfire when the hearing officer concludes that the parents were over-protective and didn't let the school professionals do their job;
7. Focusing on minor, nonprejudicial procedural missteps by the school (e.g., the parent who already knows her rights who says, "Aha! Gotcha! School district forgot to give me the rights brochure!") instead of focusing on the substantial issues in the case;
8. Not consenting to school evaluations;
9. Choosing the wrong independent evaluators: e.g., "hired guns" who only say what the parents want them to say, and have a reputation for doing so; those who will not follow through by observing programs, attending team meetings, etc.; those who do not have training or experience to evaluate a child like yours;
10. Not providing copies of independent evaluations to the school, or not providing them in a timely way;
11. Not responding in a timely way to proposed IEPs;
12. Not documenting issues with the school; not sending letters to confirm agreements with the school or to record important conversations with school personnel.
13. Seeing the school system as a monolith ("All those teachers are incompetent [or wonderful!]"); failing to look carefully at alternatives within the system for this year and at next year's teacher possibilities.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More "Mistakes People Make" Articles by Bob Crabtree
Mistakes People Make: School Districts. What makes parents angry? Parents are angry when school personnel take actions that undermine trust, create a negative climate that destroys peace of mind, and deliver inadequate services to the child. Want to learn more? Read article
Mistakes People Make: Independent Evaluators. To make their case for services or a specific program for their child, parents usually need a competent, credible independent evaluator. Serious mistakes by evaluators can make undermine their credibility or render their opinions powerless. To learn about mistakes independent evaluators should try to avoid, read this article.
Mistakes People Make: Advocates. Because the non-lawyer advocate plays an extremely important role in the special education process, advocates must be mindful of the power of their role and the trust parents place in them. The more serious mistakes advocates may make are generally ones of excess . . . Read article
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Articles by Bob Crabtree
Discipline: Suspension, Expulsions and IEPs. Read this article by parent attorney Robert Crabtree to learn about functional behavioral assessments, behavior intervention plans, long-term suspensions and expulsions, the child's rights, and what parents can do to protect these rights. Learn how to request a behavior assessment, an expedited hearing, and how to invoke "stay put."
The Paper Chase: Managing Your Child's Documents. "If you have kids with special educational needs, you can be overwhelmed with paperwork in no time at all . . ."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meet Robert Crabtree
Bob Crabtree is a partner at Kotin, Crabtree, and Strong, LLP, a general practice law firm in Boston, MA. Among other areas of practice, Bob concentrates in special education and disability law. This article was originally published by the Family Education site at www.familyeducation.com
Contact Info:
Robert K. Crabtree
Kotin, Crabtree & Strong, LLP
One Bowdoin Square
Boston, MA 02114-2925
Phone: 617/227-7031
Facsimile: 617/367-2988
Email: rcrabtree@kcslegal.com
Website: www.kcslegal.com
Copyright © 1999-2010, Peter W. D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright. All rights reserved. Contact Us
I found the article below to be helpful/good advice. I found it at another very helpful website, www.wrightslaw.com.
Blessings:)
Amy
Mistakes People Make - Parents
by Robert K. Crabtree, Esq.
Because the stakes are so high, it is difficult for parents of children with special educational needs to advocate calmly and objectively for the educational and related services their children need.
Here are some common mistakes that undermine parents' ability to obtain appropriate services:
1. Viewing the special education process as the moral equivalent of war, fighting that war with a "scorched earth" approach, and letting personal animosity toward administrators and/or teachers distort one's judgment about what is best for the child and what is realistic to accept;
2. The opposite mistake: trusting administrators and teachers too uncritically; assuming that if they are "nice" they are also competent and interested in serving the child's best interest; not questioning slow, or nonexistent progress as long as the child, parent and teacher have a cordial relationship;
3. Taking an "all or nothing" approach: waiting too long before getting good independent advice, then insisting on instant delivery of needed services rather than steady progress toward the right program;
4. Failing to understand that the special education process sometimes requires that the parent educate the child's special education team about the child's disabilities and needs (the school system may not be willfully refusing to meet the child's needs; they may simply not understand those needs);
5. Not trying a program or added services, even on a temporary basis, when they are offered by the school system -- holding out for an alternative program only to have a hearing officer decide the untried program might have worked;
6. Attempting to "micro-manage" the details of a child's life in school; even if parents don't feel things are going well, their efforts to control the child's day usually backfire when the hearing officer concludes that the parents were over-protective and didn't let the school professionals do their job;
7. Focusing on minor, nonprejudicial procedural missteps by the school (e.g., the parent who already knows her rights who says, "Aha! Gotcha! School district forgot to give me the rights brochure!") instead of focusing on the substantial issues in the case;
8. Not consenting to school evaluations;
9. Choosing the wrong independent evaluators: e.g., "hired guns" who only say what the parents want them to say, and have a reputation for doing so; those who will not follow through by observing programs, attending team meetings, etc.; those who do not have training or experience to evaluate a child like yours;
10. Not providing copies of independent evaluations to the school, or not providing them in a timely way;
11. Not responding in a timely way to proposed IEPs;
12. Not documenting issues with the school; not sending letters to confirm agreements with the school or to record important conversations with school personnel.
13. Seeing the school system as a monolith ("All those teachers are incompetent [or wonderful!]"); failing to look carefully at alternatives within the system for this year and at next year's teacher possibilities.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More "Mistakes People Make" Articles by Bob Crabtree
Mistakes People Make: School Districts. What makes parents angry? Parents are angry when school personnel take actions that undermine trust, create a negative climate that destroys peace of mind, and deliver inadequate services to the child. Want to learn more? Read article
Mistakes People Make: Independent Evaluators. To make their case for services or a specific program for their child, parents usually need a competent, credible independent evaluator. Serious mistakes by evaluators can make undermine their credibility or render their opinions powerless. To learn about mistakes independent evaluators should try to avoid, read this article.
Mistakes People Make: Advocates. Because the non-lawyer advocate plays an extremely important role in the special education process, advocates must be mindful of the power of their role and the trust parents place in them. The more serious mistakes advocates may make are generally ones of excess . . . Read article
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Articles by Bob Crabtree
Discipline: Suspension, Expulsions and IEPs. Read this article by parent attorney Robert Crabtree to learn about functional behavioral assessments, behavior intervention plans, long-term suspensions and expulsions, the child's rights, and what parents can do to protect these rights. Learn how to request a behavior assessment, an expedited hearing, and how to invoke "stay put."
The Paper Chase: Managing Your Child's Documents. "If you have kids with special educational needs, you can be overwhelmed with paperwork in no time at all . . ."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meet Robert Crabtree
Bob Crabtree is a partner at Kotin, Crabtree, and Strong, LLP, a general practice law firm in Boston, MA. Among other areas of practice, Bob concentrates in special education and disability law. This article was originally published by the Family Education site at www.familyeducation.com
Contact Info:
Robert K. Crabtree
Kotin, Crabtree & Strong, LLP
One Bowdoin Square
Boston, MA 02114-2925
Phone: 617/227-7031
Facsimile: 617/367-2988
Email: rcrabtree@kcslegal.com
Website: www.kcslegal.com
Copyright © 1999-2010, Peter W. D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright. All rights reserved. Contact Us
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Nick's Senior Pics
Hi all,I am attaching some of Nick's senior pictures. He had them taken in August. Some of his pics are with his service dog, Charger, from Assistance Dogs of America, Inc. Also, some are with Isabella. We love them! Karen McKenzie did a GREAT job taking them! Check out her website at http://www.kmseniors.com/. She is going to be posting Nick's pics up for friends/family that want to order some (we are sending some wallets to friends and family soon!) at www.kmseniors.com/Nick.
There are about 90 pics so there are so many more great ones in addition to the pics I'm putting on here. If you're interested in seeing them, check out the link above or go to our group on Facebook called "Cerebral Palsy Family" and I put the entire album on there. We'd love it if you'd like to follow us on Facebook! By the way, I love all of them, but the one of Charger and Nick looking into each others eyes above, shows the bond, love/devotion between them. We had fun getting Charger the sunglasses and bow-tie too:)
Blessings:)
Amy
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