This book resulted from a national search for models of before- and after-school child care that served children and youth with disabilities. After an opening section which summarizes the results of a national parent survey, there are separate chapters that profile home-based (family child care) models, public school-operated models, models operated in partnership between schools and other organizations, and community-based models. Appendices include parent and provider surveys resource listings, and a quality checklist. At the time the book was published, the author was a research associate at the Wellesley College Center for Research on Women and editor of a nationally circulated newsletter on policy and practice in school age child care. The study was the first of its kind and the book remains the only one published on this subject.
This practical volume is designed to help school practitioners and educators build stronger connections with families and enhance student achievement in grades K-12. Beyond simply getting parents involved in schoolwork, the book describes how positive family-school relationships can socialize and support children and adolescents as learners throughout their academic careers. Identified are key pathways by which professionals and parents can develop common goals for learning and behavior, a shared sense of accountability, better communication, and a willingness to listen to different perspectives. The focus is on assumptions, goals, attitudes, behaviors, and strategies that professionals can draw on both to assess school-home connections that are currently in place and to implement new, more productive practices. Grounded in theory and research, the book features case examples, self-reflective exercises, and discussion questions in every chapter.
Often, the first place parents seeks assistance for a child with learning disabilities is his or her school. The resources below provide advice on effective ways for parents to communicate with teachers, principal, and special education providers, particularly when it comes to their child’s IEP (Individualized Education Program).
The negative behaviors we often see in the child with severe learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently turn into positive attributes in adulthood. Parents, take note: There is often a light at the end of the tunnel.
Kristin Ruedel, National Technology Implementation Expert
The goal of a sustained, school-wide technology implementation program is to meet the needs of all students. It takes a School Leadership Team to meet this goal.
School phobia/school avoidance/school refusal are terms used to describe children who have a pattern of avoiding or refusing to attend school. Different from truancy, these behaviors occur in approximately 2% of school aged children. Historically called “school phobia”, many researches now prefer to use the terms “school avoidance” or “school refusal.”
