Growing Up Special

 Today I did an interview with Louise Sattler who is the creative owner/operator of  http://www.signingfamilies.com.   Louise is an expert trainer at workshops and classes that teach American Sign Language to help people communicate with one another.  She is also a certified school psychologist who has an awareness of the importance of the need for families and community leaders to learn sign language.   Sign Language opens doors and bridges gaps for people who are hearing impaired, or who may have developmental delays or special needs.  Communication is something that many people take for granted.

         Put yourself in the position of a person who is hearing impaired, or a person who lives with special needs; and, consider some environments they they may experience differently than you; such as a trip to the hospital or emergency room.  How different would the experience be for you if you were the one who had difficulty making your needs known to the health care professionals.  Or say you are an elderly person who is experiencing hearing loss…how are you going to communicate with other residents or say the staff?   How about shopping or getting educational services at college or in elementary school?   How about ordering a meal in a restaurant?   Do you see how the quality of life can be improved for people impacted in this way?   Can you see how sign language could open doors for people if others in the community took the opportunity to learn it from someone like Louise or through her DVD’s?

Click on Image to listen to Interview

        If you are interested in learning more about Louise and her educational services please listen to the interview here:  http://www.rapidcashmarketing.com/lorrainesinterview/signingfamilies.htm

I’ve had the recent pleasure of “meeting” an extra-ordinary person with a calling on her life to teach communication skills through sign language to families.  Louise Sattler is a very interesting person who has had a variety of experiences in different settings, including the educational field where she was a licensed school psychologist, which has enabled her to work with children and their families to develop strong and effective communication skills.

I met Louise through an online contest, believe it or not.  It was run on Twitter.  I happen to have won a poetry contest; and the prize, that I chose, was a DVD that made by Louise Sattler.   Louise has a site called:  http://www.signingfamilies.com/ . There you will find all kinds of information about Louise and what she does; but, I didn’t know all of that, when I won the DVD.

I chose that DVD because of the title and what I could potentially use it for.  The title is, “Baby, Toddler, and Preschool Sign Language”.   I work with children in several capacities and I liked the idea of learning some sign language just in case I needed to know it in the future.  I was so excited when i got the DVD because, just watching it I could see the passion and the commitment that Louise had for teaching sign language to children and their families.

Bravery came over me and I approached Louise about doing an interview with me so that I could blog about what she does through her workshops, her speaking engagements and through her DVD’s.   Louise agreed to do that and I thought that I would share the news of what she does because it helps so many people.  By teaching sign language as a way of communicating it allows families to be more effective in advocating for their special needs loved ones.

http://www.signingfamilies.com/ caters to those who live and work with individuals with special education needs.  Signing isn’t just for the deaf communities…people who struggle with many issues of disability can benefit from communicating through sign language.   So if you work in education, in health- care, daycare, foster care, adoption, or you have a business or a family member who is impacted…this is a great way to brush up your communication skills so that you can strengthen your ability to communicate effectively in your relationships.

If you would like to contact Louise Sattler about her programs & her work she can be reached at Louise@SigningFamilies.com; or, you can contact her to do a workshop, give an interview or a presentation by calling her business line at:               410-715-9647       .    Louise is also on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Louiseasl . She is very down to earth and she also teaches in Spanish-she is bi-lingual.  Ask her about her programs….tell her that Writewhereyouare sent you and you will get a discount.    You can purchase her DVD’s at her site:  http://www.SigningFamilies.com/  or here on Amazon. com: http://bit.ly/913i5/. 

Ps.

  You can always stop by and see me also at:  http://www.writewhereyouareblog.com/ .

Guy began to leave his bed for longer periods of time.  His appetite improved.  He became strong enough to participate in a sheltered workshop program.  Then he went to his workshop eagerly and more often.

The most amazing wonder of all was that after ten years, Guy Foster LEFT the nursing home to live in a Group Home setting, where he earns spending money from his job in a recycling center.  He has a network of people with whom he exchanges letters and jokes; he has a standing invitation to drum with a group of Indian friends. He even enjoys regular visitors to his apartment and phone chats.  He is proudly learning normal life skills.

At this writing, Guy Foster is 42 years young and full of vim, vinegar and vitality.  He encourages others every day with his greeting cards, his empathy and his love.  He also believes the world’s entire population should be drinking “his kind” of water!

What I would like to impart to anyone whose eyes have fallen on this page is this: Feed every family member organic whole foods when you can; pure, filtered water and lots of it.  Get adequate amounts of sleep and rest and balance that with movement, exercise.  Supplement everyone’s diets with whole foods supplements and add in green super foods and highly mineralized juices.  Not just fruit juices, but the supplemental juice products used by the ounce.  Use as much fresh, raw food as you possibly can because we all need the phytonutrients, anti-oxidants, enzymes and vitamin/mineral content that is so plentiful in fresh foods.  I’d also encourage anyone to boldly immerse yourselves in the study of body work-Reiki, Ortho-bionomy, massage therapy- whatever strikes your fancy.  Investigate the wonders of energy medicine.  Learn all you can about herbs, homeopathic remedies, Macrobiotic foods, Ayurvedic methods, and whatever else resonates with you.  Find a good chiropractor who understands that the body heals from the inside, not the other way around.  Any health practitioner worth his salt will teach you a variety of complementary ways of working with bodies that may not be “perfect” according to someone’s standard.  One more thing:  Make the kinds of memories that cause you to laugh so hard your face and belly hurt!

Families who avoid artificial sweeteners, MSG, soda pop, processed, packaged and micro waved food products as well as fluoride-laden dental products will notice a huge improvement in the quality of their lives.  These changes will be remarkable where issues are noted involving the nervous system, digestion, and elimination.

As soon as the physical body gets its needs met, the mental needs fall into line, along with the emotional and spiritual.  When those requirements are satisfied, fewer behavior issues are problematic, sleep is more refreshing, cheer is the order of the day and peace can reign in the busiest household!

Connie Baum

http://motherconniesez.blogspot.com

      Thank you Connie for sharing with us the experiences that you have had and the knowledge that you dont have to accept life as status quo…you can seek therapies that enrich the lives of our special needs loved ones.

The Care and Feeding of Guy Foster—Part One

The care and feeding of any family of kids is an important undertaking.  Every growing body needs lots of whole foods; good pure water; adequate exercise and sleep.   Every body requires large amounts of hugs and laughter to mature properly.  That’s what people have in common with one another.

I have had a lifelong interest in food, nutrition and all things pertaining to health so it was natural for me to gravitate toward healthy choices as I prepared meals for my growing family.

When we welcomed a certain charming three year old with multiple health issues into our family, it became all the more imperative to pay attention to what we all ate and drank and how we managed the care of our health.

The new kid on our block, Guy Foster, had four caretakers in three months before his arrival.  Prior to that, he had lived in two hospitals and he endured multiple orthopedic, exploratory, corrective and brain surgical procedures.  To be honest, Guy was an adorable, busy blob of humanity whose needs were monumental.

The most pressing issue was a shunt that keeps spinal fluid from collecting in his skull.  There were many other challenges, too, but the most persistent was the dreadful odor that surrounded Guy’s body.  No amount of scrubbing, no brand of soap, and no sort of deodorant offered any relief.  It was a major concern.

Guy’s health had its ups and downs.  When Guy was 29 he underwent a surgery that had a bad outcome.  That’s when it was decided he should live in a nursing home.   Only those who have gone through that process can appreciate the pain of that time in our lives.

During Guy’s tenure in the nursing home we discovered a new kind of water.  It had more minerals and oxygen so we thought it would be good to get Guy to drink that.  He even had a spray bottle for topical use. 

We also acquired a magnetic mattress and pillow, along with a Far Infra Red comforter for the hospital bed on which he languished most of his days AND nights.  We slipped magnetic insoles into his shoes, much to the chagrin of his orthotics and prosthetics specialists. They just did not fathom the concept. 

The dietary people were unhappy, too.  They did not appreciate or value the purpose behind the juice or “green stuff”-barley grass-we provided to accompany Guy’s meals and the nursing staff complained bitterly, loudly, and often that the whole foods supplements we brought for Guy had not been sanctioned nor labeled by the pharmacy department.

As time passed, we opted not to use any medications in Guy’s treatment.  The medical staff at the nursing home became ENRAGED over that decision but as Guy’s legal guardian I had the right to make that choice.  It was in Guy’s best interest, after all.

Over time, the toxicity of the medications eventually left Guy’s battered body, leaving him more alert, more active.  The many surgical scars that covered much of his body had faded into oblivion.  Best of all, even his breath was sweet!  He was no longer plagued by the issue of odor!

Connie Baum

http://motherconniesez.blogspot.com

       Thank You Connie for your guest blog post!

        There is a disturbing story today regarding a young disabled man, with multiple disabilities, who was recruited into the Marine Corps for service.  I have to preface this story by saying that I love the Marine Corps.  I have many friends and family who have served and I am proud of them and the Marine Corps.  However, this story is disturbing because of the potential consequences for anyone unfortunate enough to be in this situation. 

        Our local school told us at the IEP’s this year, that with changes in special education requirements(sound like national or federal changes)…that students in the special education program are now being encouraged to pursue a certificate of completion, as opposed to a diploma, when a special education student nears the end of their high school career.  The reason being that for many of the students, the classes that they have already taken are not going to count towards graduation requirements.  Therefore, they will end up going to school longer.  For some students, it will mean that instead of 4 years of high school…they could end up attending classes in high school for up to six years.

        I think this is very unfair.  From what we have been able to understand so far, for those who insist upon a diploma as opposed to a certificate of completion…it will be almost impossible to attain.  In our school here in Michigan, the special education students will be blended into some regular education classes; and, then they will have what they are calling a workshop, which is supposed to be more like a 30 minute homestudy class, where they are supposed to get more help with problem classwork.  The issue is that many of those workshop teachers will be regular education teachers who are not trained to work with the special education students who require more help and in some cases specialized teaching techniques–something that will require more than 30 minutes time from a teacher who has to divide up those 30 minutes with a classroom of students who need help.

        This feels like a social experiment that is going to go horribly wrong.  I am frustrated because I have a child who is going to be caught up in the middle of these changes.  I have a son who also is a special education student who graduated in the last few weeks…he was able to get a diploma.  This is no small feat.  In this day and age of financial uncertainty, anything you can do to improve your employability is important…having a diploma is better for getting a job than a certificate of completion when it comes to getting hired.

        I was told by an administrative person that employers and schools of higher education are aware of these changes and are cooperating with these changes by honoring certificates of completion when it comes to going off to college or for getting jobs.  I do not believe this is true.  I firmly believe that most employers are unaware of these graduation requirement changes and will view a certificate of completion as being “less qualifying” for a job than a diploma. 

         First off, at this point…even many teachers and administrators are still trying to figure out exactly what all of these changes will mean for both staff and students.  Many parents of special education students are not understanding how these changes will impact their families.  It is the students who were already in high school and have completed a year or two or three towards graduation that are going to fall between the cracks.  I am already being told of students who were Juniors this year, who have discovered that this impacts when they will “graduate” and are dropping out of school because they do not wish to go to school for an additional year, or two longer, than they had expected.  When they also discover that many of them will not be able to get a diploma after all of their hard work….and will get something that appears to be less than a regular education student gets; I believe that even more students will drop out of school.

       This is devastating; special education students are already at a disadvantage in many areas socially and in the job market.  This is just one more (large) obstacle to having some level of independence and success.  There needs to be a public outcry at the injustice of it all…on a local level and on a larger scale.  Do you have any knowledge or experience with these changes?

      I was disturbed this past week by a news report of a special needs student who was left on his special needs bus.  The bus aide allegedly knew, according to news reports, that the student had fallen asleep on the bus but allegedly didn’t notify the bus driver.  It was reported that the aide was late for church or some appointment and didn’t take measures to ensure that the student was delivered to his destination.  That student was left on a freezing cold bus for over 19 hours without relatives knowing where he was.  If those accusations are proven to be true…it is unacceptable…both morally and legally.

        The student ended up being hospitalized because of the temperatures that he was exposed to while on that bus overnight on New Year’s Eve.  The family of this student was both horrified and outraged.  The student is on the mend…but, there may be residual fear that that student has to struggle with.

       In those kinds of situations…the disabled are at the mercy of the person who is responsible for their care in those moments.  The thing is…as a parent…you really have to rely on the personal responsibility and the integrity of the caregiver’s value system.  Will they care for your loved one in a safe and caring way, as you yourself would?  How do you ensure that your loved one is properly taken care of in your absence?

        When you leave your special person in the care of others you have to be convinced of that individual’s competancy.  When that caregiver fails to protect or neglects to provide safe and appropriate care…who is responsible?  Is it the individual…the agency, school, or system that they work for?  It is accountability that helps to prevent devastating situations from taking place.

        I think a big part of the equasion is that you develop a close and personal relationship with the care provider.  You try to make sure that there are checks and balances set up to hold people accountable.  The bus situation could be avoided if there is a system that does a final check of each bus seat before the aids/drivers leave the bus at the end of a shift.  Alot of school systems have a check list…the bus drivers and aides must complete a walk thru of the bus before finally putting a sign on the bus window or door that verifys that the bus is free of any riders when the aides/drivers leave that bus. 

       This was a horrible story; but, it is also an experience to learn from.  Any real life situations that you could share that would help another family?

        When you first become a parent you think that love will conquer all things that get in your way while you parent your child.  However, there are somethings that can’t be conquered.  You can’t undiagnose a child who has been labeled special needs; and you can’t be the biological parent of a child that you didn’t give birth to.   As a parent, your greatest tool is love…but love isn’t enough to make bad situations go away.

          However, you can find ways to improve aspects of the quality of your children’s lives; and yours, as the parent of a special needs child or the parent of an adopted child. No matter what the situation, or what the diagnosis is…it doesn’t change the fact that you love your child.

       Disppointment is a real life shadow when experiencing obstacles raising children with challenges.  It can’t be avoided.  But love isn’t enough to change limitations imposed by a specific diagnosis…but, love is enough to find ways to still enable as much independence as possible.  When love isn’t enough to fill up the empty spots left by the void of a biological parent in their lives…it is enough to show compassion and empathy to help them understand that the empty spots don’t have to lead to destructive behaviors. 

         The truth be told; special needs children and adopted children need a strong advocate in life, in school, and in medical settings.   No one knows your child better than you, the parent, and no one will fight harder for them; to get the things that they need, when they need it.  Parents are on the front lines of battle for their child. 

         When love isn’t enough to magically make everything perfect and ok…it is enough to give you the courage and strength to face the challenges before you and your child; and to find ways to be successful and achieve the milestones in life, that you know your child will benefit from.  Love is enough to provide acceptance and encouragement to be growing as a person to be the best person that they can be.

        Tonight a speach was given that was wonderful to hear.  Whether you are a Republican, a Democrat, or an Independent person politically; it was good to hear Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for Vice President declare that “when” she and John McCain are elected…families of special needs children will have an advocate or friend in the highest offices in the United States government.  That is something that we families have needed for a very long time!  So, i say kudos to her for raising the awareness of the American people.  She is the parent of a young baby who is affected by Down’s Syndrome.