A child with special needs can be defined as one who differs developmentally from a normal child as a result either of a physical, mental, or emotional handicap, a developmental delay, or a specific learning disability. Both Special Needs Education Allowance and Supplementary Instruction allowances are available to assist families with the extraordinary costs of providing special educational or related services to their children with special needs. Parents should understand the medical clearance procedures that determine eligibility for the allowances and know which will play a role in the assignment process. Learning disabilities are the most frequently encountered developmental problem among Foreign Service children.
EVALUATION OF DEVELOPMENTAL PROBLEMS
Children with developmental problems will receive educational evaluations as part of the medical clearance process. As soon as it is suspected, parents should describe any developmental problem on the child's medical history form so that evaluation and treatment plans can be formulated early in the child's life. Experts in the field of special education stress the value of early intervention. Children with learning disabilities should not be thought of as abnormal; they simply have a different system for processing information. The key for parents and teachers is to discover what the child's processing system is and to help the child compensate with their strengths when fitting in, as far as possible, to the ordinary educational process.
Because developmental problems affect various areas of the child's physical and psychological health, the evaluations are often extensive. An evaluation of a child who is having trouble in school might include an educational assessment plus speech, hearing, and neurological examinations, and a series of psychiatric interviews.
PROCEDURE WHEN A DEVELOPMENTAL PROBLEM IS SUSPECTED WHILE AT POST
If a family is abroad and a developmental problem is suspected, the parents should have the child seen by the Regional Medical Officer, the Regional Psychiatrist, or the Nurse Practitioner. The parents should also obtain written reports from the school so that the problem can be fully understood.
It is unlikely that a full evaluation will be completed at post. The complexity of the issues requires the multi-specialty approach described above. For this reason, the assessments are usually done in the United States. A medical evacuation is usually not required and many families obtain the testing during R&R or home leave. If the school at post requests that a child be tested on an urgent basis or requires a mandatory interview prior to admission, the child and one parent may use the Special Needs Education Allowance for travel to and from a diagnostic testing site.
The Employee Consultation Service (ECS) will assist parents in making arrangements to have a child evaluated. See Chapter 1 for information on ECS.
CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR A CHILD WITH A DEVELOPMENTAL PROBLEM
The Medical Division will only give clearance for posts where the child's developmental needs can be met. If the evaluation is completed as part of the child's medical clearance examination, parents are required to obtain written confirmation that a school at the proposed post of assignment can meet the child's needs. The child will not be cleared for a specific post until that information is provided to the Medical Division.
If the evaluation is completed while the employee is in mid-tour, the child will be cleared to return to post. The school at post will then have the benefit of specific educational recommendations in attempting to develop a program for the child. Before the child is cleared for an onward post, however, a letter from the proposed new school will be required.
DESCRIPTION OF EDUCATIONAL EVALUATION
In Washington, Foreign Service families have used the following testing centers for educational evaluations: Kingsbury Center; the Lab School; and the Episcopal Center for Children. Outside Washington, the Employee Consultation Service often refers families to university-affiliated child development centers.
Typically, the educational diagnostician will meet first with the parents to get background information. Copies of school and/or medical reports provide additional background information. Testing is the next step. The diagnostician will select appropriate tests based on background information and observation of the child. For a child under age eight, testing may be done over two days, two or three hours per day. Over age eight, a child may complete the testing in one day. After the diagnostician reviews and interprets the tests, the results and recommendations are shared with parents in a meeting, followed by a written report which includes specific recommendations for the child's teacher.
For a discussion of some of the tests most commonly used to assist in the diagnosis and evaluation of developmental delays or learning differences see Chapter 3.
SPECIAL EDUCATION ALLOWANCES
According to the State Department's Standardized Regulations (S.R.276.8), " An employee with a child with special needs requiring additional education and related services may be granted an education allowance for that child by the authorizing officer in lieu of the school-at-post, home study/private instruction, or school-away-from-post rate."
Once the child's special need has been properly identified in conjunction with a medical/educational authority, the employee overseas, on behalf of the child, becomes eligible for the special education allowance for the child. This allowance is intended to assist the employee with the extraordinary costs of educating a special needs child overseas. It is available from birth to the 21st birthday. It can include the cost of schooling at or away from post during the employee's assignment overseas, preliminary diagnostic testing, and travel from an overseas post for an interview prior to enrollment in a school. Additionally, the $3,000 supplemental instruction allowance may be used.
There is an at post and an away from post special education allowance. The at post allowance is for schooling within daily commuting distance of the employees post of assignment, whereas the away from post allowance is applied towards a situation where the school is so far away from post to necessitate room and board (living with a relative or friend or in dorms, for example) as part of attendance. A child may be eligible for the away from post allowance when the necessary services required for his/her education are unavailable at post. With proper documentation, the authorizing officer may authorize reimbursement for allowable expenses up to the maximum school at post or away from post rate provided in the S.R.. A detailed explanation of all education allowances is available from the Office of Allowances.
Office of Allowances (A/OPR/ALS)
Room L-314, SA-1
Bureau of Administration
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC 20522-0103
Tel: 202-261-8700
Fax: 202-261-8707
Email: Allowances0@state.gov
Web site: http://aoprals.state.gov/
Resources
The Directory for Exceptional Children
Available from:
Porter Sargent
400 Bedford Street, Suite 322
Manchester, NH 03101 USA
Phone: 800-342-7470 (toll free USA & Canada) / 603-647-4383 (worldwide)
Fax: 603-669-7945
Email: info@portersargeant.com
Web site: http://www.portersargent.com
THE HOME/SCHOOL CONNECTION
In almost every case, the parent is the adult who has worked with his/her special-needs child most intensely over the longest period of time and is the best resource on dealing with the child. These parents need to work with their child's school system, but are often unsure how best to do it. The following suggestions, from the Northern Virginia chapter of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, could be useful to families living overseas as well as in the United States:
- Try to work with the teacher.
- Talk to the special education director if there is one.
- Talk to the principal.
- Talk to the teacher in the presence of the principal.
- Offer to help in the classroom as an aide, trip chaperone, etc.
WAYS TO HELP
The most important way that parents can help a learning-disabled child is to understand the way that their child processes information. Then the parent can ensure that information is given in the right way, at the right time, and in the right dose. The following suggestions can provide a framework to help the family cope with a learning disability. They are also suitable suggestions for dealing with any child.
Resources
Check the library for the following books.
The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) has a virtual “parent center” that contains guides and articles specific to raising a special needs child.
SCHOOL AND TESTING RECORDS
The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) suggests that families keep a file of documents and information on their special-needs child to ensure that the next school the child attends has adequate information for proper placement. Among the documents to be kept in this Educational Passport are the following:
The Individual Education Plan is a written statement of the instruction and expectations appropriate for the special-needs child. It should include a system for monitoring the child's progress as well as the following:
Parents should never surrender the original of their child's personal file to anyone. If a school or agency needs the information, a photocopy can be provided. When moving overseas from the United States, parents can ask their child's school to provide them with a copy of the special education and master file on the child.
Federal law requires all records of students enrolled in special education programs to be retained until students graduate or reach age 22, whichever comes first. Parents must request copies of any records from their area offices before their child graduates or leaves the school system, as these records may be necessary for social security or other benefits.
THE SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD OVERSEAS
There are advantages and disadvantages to educating a special-needs child overseas. On the plus side, overseas schools and classes are generally smaller than U.S. schools, allowing more individual attention to be given to a child and the possibility of providing minimal support to the learning-challenged child. A major disadvantage is that most overseas schools do not have the comprehensive special needs programs found in U.S. schools. Also, shifting student/teacher populations can hinder the continuity of special needs programs.
Parents of special needs children in the United States are familiar with the No Child Left Behind Act and IDEA, which mandates that public schools provide a comparable education for all children regardless of their special needs. As a result of this law, all U.S. public schools have special programs for learning-disabled (LD) and other learning-challenged students and/or inclusive individualized education in the regular classroom. Because of analogous legislation, Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DoDDS) overseas are also required to have special education programs which are available to Foreign Service families on a space-available basis. Many DoDDS schools, however, are centralizing special services and some schools have closed or will be closing.
Overseas schools assisted by the Department of State are independent, autonomous institutions not covered by U.S. legislation. They are not required to provide any special education for their students. Parents who plan to take a special-needs child on an overseas assignment must have direct contact with prospective schools at post in order to thoroughly investigate the resources available.
CONSIDERING POSTS
Based upon evaluations, recommendations from the child's current teachers, and family experience, parents should decide on their child's educational needs. In looking at posts, all available school literature should be reviewed. Be alert to warning signals about a school's limited program. Contact the school directly for specific information on placement, program, procedures, and resources. Consider whether community resources such as counselors and recreational and medical facilities are available at the post. The Employee Consultation Service will assist parents in determining the availability at post of medical resources, psychological resources, speech therapy, or other special services. Additionally, the Overseas Briefing Center has post-specific reports and some intranet postings address special needs specifically. If there is a CLO, contact the office to see what resources are available at the time. Consider acquiring some tutorial training in order to assist your child at post. Review all alternatives, from hiring a tutor at post to a career change, before making a final decision.
Parents may want to begin an investigation of special needs resources overseas by contacting the Office of Overseas Schools (OOS), ECS, and CLO at post. The OOS annual Summary School Information project (called Infoschools when published) gathers information on the staffing, resources, and programs for special needs children. Infoschools can be accessed through the intranet or by contacting OOS. Parents may also contact the appropriate Regional Education Officer for first-hand information about a particular school's program. Because special education programs overseas change rapidly, parents should also contact the school directly and request information on programs that address their child's needs. Sending specific information about the child will enable the school to give an informed reply. Contact information for schools can be found on the OOS website.
It is critical that parents allow enough time for the relevant State Department offices (Employee Consultation Service, Office of Allowances, the Office of Overseas Schools, CLO) to research appropriate special needs resources at post. Additionally, parents may want to join a Yahoo group such as FSSpecialNeeds to talk to other foreign affairs agency parents who may have been in a similar situation in deciding on which posts to bid.
ESTABLISHING PARENT SUPPORT GROUPS
Several successful networks for parents of special-needs children have been established at overseas posts. In Bangkok, the parents support group has become formally affiliated with the National Center for Learning Disabilities and is moving beyond the advocacy stage and into the realm of family support. Following is a comment on the group by one of its members:
A parent's group will be successful if they can show that there is a convergence of interests among the various players. In the early meetings, there should be no school personnel in attendance. The reason is that these gatherings are generally dedicated to dispelling a great amount of pent-up frustration and anger. Parents have to take a long-term view of the problem and think in terms of what can be accomplished over several years, though this is in direct conflict with the pressing personal need that their child has at the moment.
Other Parent Support Networks have been established overseas and if there is not one at your post, you may be interested in starting one!
No matter where in the world you are, there are virtual support groups, such as FSspecialneeds (this group is specific to employees who are or would be under Chief of Mission overseas and their spouse/partner), that allow parents of special needs children to connect with each other to share stories, experiences, information, and ideas.
WASHINGTON AREA PROGRAMS
All Washington area public school systems have special education programs for mentally, physically, and emotionally challenged children. Some still contract out some of their special education cases, but many have moved to academic integration, sometimes called inclusion, of the student into regular classes. For information on programs in the following districts, contact the appropriate office:
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Office of Special Education
District of Columbia Public Schools
825 N. Capitol St., NE, 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 442-4800
Fax: (202) 442-5517/5518
MARYLAND
Anne Arundel County
Division of Special Education
Anne Arundel County Public Schools
2644 Riva Road
Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone: (410) 222-5000
Howard County
Department of Special Education
Howard County Public Schools
10910 Route 108
Ellicott City, MD
Phone: (410) 313-6742
Montgomery Country
Department of Special Education
Montgomery County Public Schools
850 Hungerford Drive
Rockville , MD 20850
Phone: (301) 279-3125
Web: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/
Prince George 's County
Department of Special Education
Prince George’s County Public Schools14201 School Lane
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
Phone: (301) 817-3142
Web : http://www1.pgcps.org/
VIRGINIA
Alexandria
Director of Student Services
Alexandria City Public Schools
2000 North Beauregard
Alexandria , Virginia 22311
Phone: (703) 824-6650
Fax: (703) 931-0187
Web : http://www.acps.k12.va.us/
Arlington
Arlington Public Schools
1426 North Quincy Street
Arlington, VA 22207
Phone: (703) 228-6040
Fax: 703-228-6298
Fairfax County
Fairfax County Public Schools
8115 Gatehouse Rd.
Falls Church, VA 22030
Phone: (571) 423-4100
Fax: (571) 423-4137
Web: http://www.fcps.edu/
Falls Church
Office of Special Education and Student Services
Falls Church City Public Schools
803 West Broad Street
Suite 302
Falls Church , VA 22046
(703) 248-5630
Web: http://www.fccps.k12.va.us/
Loudoun County
Office of Special Education
Loudon County Public Schools
21000 Education Court
Ashburn Virginia 20148
Phone: (571) 252-1011
Web: http://www.loudoun.k12.va.us
Prince William County
Office of Special Education
Prince William County Public Schools
P. O. Box 389
Manassas , VA 22110
Web: http://www.pwcs.edu/
Stafford County
Special Education Center
Stafford County Public Schools
1729 Jefferson Davis Highway
Stafford, VA 22554
Phone: (703) 720-3336
Web: http://stafford.schoolfusion.us/
PRIVATE SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Before parents consider enrolling their children in a special-needs school, it is essential that the child have a complete educational evaluation, including recommendations for appropriate programs. Chapter 3 describes tests often used in those evaluations. Parents should also be aware that some Washington area public school systems will pay to have students attend one of the private schools in the area when the public system cannot provide an adequate program for the child, but this occurs most frequently as a result of a court order, not solely on parental request.
The Independent School Guide to Washington, D.C. and Surrounding Area lists all private schools with programs for children with special needs. Three highly regarded private day school programs for the learning disabled are:
Lab School of Washington
4759 Reservoir Road, NW
Washington, DC 20007
Phone: (202) 965-6600
Website: http://www.labschool.org/
This school, for children in grades K-12 with learning disabilities, also offers diagnostic services, tutoring, an after-school program, and career counseling.
Kingsbury Day School
5000 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20011
Phone: (202) 722-5555
Website: http://www.kingsbury.org/
This school is for children and adults with learning disabilities and also offers diagnostic testing and tutoring.
The Chelsea School
711 Pershing Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: (301) 585-1430
Website: http://www.chelseaschool.edu/
This school is for children in grades five through twelve with language based learning disabilities.
Resources
Washingtonian magazine’s Special-Needs Private Schools in DC, Maryland, & Virginia
Caring for Kids with Special Needs
Available from:
Peterson's Guides
Web site: http://www.petersons.com
LEARNING-DISABILITY CHARACTERISTICS
It is estimated that six to ten percent of the population of the United States has a specific learning disability, and it is reasonable to assume that the Foreign Service child population has a similar profile. The causes of learning disabilities have never been determined; a variety of circumstances before, during, and after birth can contribute to this condition. Some learning-disabled children are also gifted and talented.
Many people think of learning disabilities as a single condition which causes a person to reverse letters and read words backwards. However, a learning difference may occur in reading, spelling, math, organization, or motor performance, such as handwriting. A child's difficulty with learning may involve one or more of these learning disabilities.
Visual Perception Disability - Difficulty distinguishing subtle differences in shapes, reversing letters like "d" and "b" or "p and "q", or confusing "E" and "3."
Auditory Perception Disability - Difficulty distinguishing subtle differences in sound. LD children may confuse words such as "blue" and "blow" or "ball" and "bell." Some may have an auditory lag and cannot process spoken messages as fast as others.
Sequencing Disability - Mixing up the sequence of events, beginning in the middle, moving to the end, going on to the start.
Abstraction Disability - Difficulty understanding the concepts behind words or images, e.g., knowing how to vote but not understanding the concept of representative government.
Memory Disability - Difficulty with either short-term memory or long-term memory.
Language Disability - Difficulty responding to questions because of inability to organize thought, find the right words, and speak.
Motor Disability - A gross motor disability is difficulty using large muscle groups (trouble walking, running, climbing, or riding a bicycle). Fine motor disability is difficulty using small muscle groups (slow, poor handwriting).
In A Parent's Guide to Learning and School Problems, Robert B. McCall describes the following characteristics of the learning-disabled child. It is important that parents realize that all children may have some of these traits some of the time; however, the learning-disabled child exhibits them persistently:
As a result of one or more of these traits, the learning-disabled child may also be socially isolated, immature, or disruptive.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), sometimes in concert with hyperactivity (ADHD), may also be seen in conjunction with or separate from other learning challenges.
COLLEGE AND THE LEARNING-DISABLED
Being admitted to the college of their choice and having a successful experience can be an exciting challenge for learning-disabled (LD) students. The information on the college admissions process in Choosing a College or University is as relevant to the learning-disabled as it is to other students.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects all disabled students against discrimination:
No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States, as defined in section 706 (20) of this title, shall, solely by reason of his or her disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance or under any program or activity conducted by any Executive agency or by the United States Postal Service.
Specifically, Section 504 prohibits discrimination in the following ways:
TAKING THE SATS, AP EXAMS, AND PSAT/NMSQT
Students with learning disabilities who wish to take any College Board test can do so on the same dates and at the same test centers as their peers. The Services for Students with Disabilities option provides for appropriate accommodation based on the student’s documented disability and will offer accommodations in the four main areas of presentation, responding, setting, and timing/scheduling. The accommodations may include, amongst other options, a reader, auditory amplification, tape recorder, frequent breaks, multiple day testing, or a private room. Student’s scores sent to colleges will not be flagged and will be reported in the same manner as test scores received by students who did not require special testing accommodations.
Resources
Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD)
College Board
P.O. Box 6226
Princeton , NJ 08541-6226
Phone: (609) 771-7137
Fax: (609) 771-7944
Website: http://www.collegeboard.com
Email: ssd@info.collegeboard.org
POST GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Some students may need a little extra time to transition from high school to college and may want to consider a post graduate (PG) year. Reasons for pursuing a PG program are as varied as the programs offered. The student may be emotionally young or academically unprepared to jump right into college. Perhaps he/she wants in improve grades, take some AP classes, work on writing skills, fell behind in high school due to a family emergency or crisis, or went to a large high school and is seeking personal attention to improve academic performance and skills. There are both day and boarding schools (and combinations) that offer the PG program, though the day schools tend to focus more on academics whereas the boarding schools may focus more on the student’s entire development. Information on PG programs can be found in independent school guides such as Peterson’s and The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS),
SUMMER PROGRAMS
Special summer programs and camps for children with various learning difficulties are available in the Washington area and elsewhere. Listings of a few of these programs are available on FLO’s Summer Camp Resources website and in Washington Area Summer Programs of FLO’s Education Options for Foreign Service Family Members.
COLLEGES WITH FACILITIES FOR THE LEARNING-DISABLED STUDENT
Almost all colleges and universities offer some level of additional learning assistance. An increasing number of colleges recognize the need to offer special services to the learning-disabled college student. A number of directories and lists have been published giving information about these schools and their programs.
Resources
Peterson’s Colleges With Programs for Students With Learning Disabilities or ADD (2006)
You can also visit Peterson’s website at http://www.petersons.com to search their electronic database for colleges and universities that provide services for students with special needs.
Colleges with Programs for Learning Disabled Students
Links to LD programs at various colleges and universities.
Post Secondary Options for Young Adults with Learning Disabilities
From The Learning Disabilities Association website: http://www.ldanatl.org
Questions and Answers from LD Online about college and college prep for students with learning disabilities and ADHD
George Washington University’s HEATH Resource Center – online clearinghouse on postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities
Information provided by the Family Liaison Office
Contact the Family Liaison Office
