Thank you so much Chanie. This really clarifies things for me and helps a
lot!

On 1/18/07, Phil'n'Chanie Rosenfelder <rosenfelder@...> wrote:
>
>
> >first of all , someone asked about gettign a child into a kitat
> >tikshoret, but teh person who recommended it was not clear WHY she
> >felt he needs a kitat tikshoret, so :
> >
> >LET'S TAKE A STEP BACK: why place a child in a kitat tikshoret?
> > the goal of a kitat tikshoret is: a classroom in which children
> > are taught (besides most of teh mainstream curriculum) in a
> > cognitive , step-by-step manner, HOW TO COMMUNICATE. they teach
> > such skills as:
> >- when a friend is busy, go to another frieNd to ask to play
> >- look at people when you want to talk to them.
> >- call people by name so they look at you before you begin to talk to
> them
> >- how to understand instructions (written and verbal) and how to
> >notice that you need to ask for help
> >and , in higher grades:
> >- when you go to the bus stop and discover you do not have money for
> >the bus, here are things you can do
> >- how to know when you are talking for too long and losing your
> >friends' interest
> >
> >so, ask yourself:
> >does your son need to learn those skills?
> >does he need to go through a "script" of what is going to happen
> >before any major changes in routine , so that he knows what to
> >expect and how he is expected to behave?
> >
> >and if he does, does he need these interventions so badly that he
> >needs to be in a special class (as in, is he failing at school or
> >completely miserable as a result of these deficits), or can he go to
> >a klinait tikshoret or cognitive-behavioural therapist
> >(psychologist, usually) and /or a social skills group once or twice
> >a week and learn? (with you guys getting instructions and
> >supplementing at home , of course) these types of skills are not
> >just for kids with Autism and such. many children need to be taught
> >social skills explicitly. there are some great books written for
> >parents to read with kids. i will send a list soon (and anyoen who
> >can bring them for me from golus would be doign agreat mitzva!).
> > also, the ministry of education has a thing called "sheot
> > shiluv", aka matia, which gives some mainstream students an hour a
> > week of professinal help in school, if teh school has enough hours
> > to help each chil who needs help
> >(here i must add that many children who are unhappy go to soem form
> >of expressive therpay. expressive therapy is really fun and a
> >great help for people who have undergone trauma / don't live in a
> >supportive environment / need an outlet - but accordign to what i
> >am readign abotu HFA- Asperger's , it has totally not proven itself
> >as a tool for teaching children or adults how to behave or get along
> >in the world. children (and adults) who are in emotional pain may
> >need expressive therapy, but it is not a replacement for life-skills
> >instruction.
> >
>
> > now, back to the original question:
>
> DOES YOUR CHILD NEED SPECIAL ED (note on Kinayn Hochma at the end) :
>
> >clarify why you / therpaists want teh child moved out of the school
> >he currently attends, ON PAPER. what do you / she want him to
> >achieve that he is not currently achieving? and then, if you are
> >convinced that he really could benefit from a special education
> >setting, the people who can tell you the procedure best are the folk
> >in your city's agaf hinuch.
> >but, i will repeat the steps:
> >1- define what your son needs from school that he is not currently
> >receiving - on paper, written up together with the proefssionals treating
> him
> >2- the professionals treating him should be able to write a summary
> >letter of what they feel he is "deficient" in , which you would then
> >take to the person doing the eval
> >3- a professional eval. you can go through shefi, i am just saying
> >that my experience has been that that involves a long long wait, and
> >when a child really needs special ed, long waits are not good.
> >(- if the child is assessed to have a baayat tikshoret, a
> >psychiatrist must confirm the diagnosis. you can use a neurologist
> >if the issue is ASD, as opposed to emotional challenges (Autism
> >Spectrum Disorders, includes aspergers and PDD)
> >- again, this is only if the child is assessed with ASD , you apply
> >to bituah leumi for a kitsba. the money is useful, and you need the
> >ishur to get other services)
> >4- you take all yoru evaluations and teachers' reports to the local
> >agaf hinuch and request a veadat hasama, at which they will decide
> >whether he is eligible for special serivces, and if so, what.
> >
> AND, AFTER ALL THIS, WHY CONSIDER KINYAN HOCHMA INSTEAD OF GOVERNMENT
> FUNDED SPECIAL ED?:
>
> if your child needs help in the classroom and / or at recess, more
> than a bit of extra review at home, BUT does not require the more
> therapeutic environment of a special education class (2 staff members
> at all times, very highly structured) highly or does not fit into
> the special ed class available for his grade because the options
> available for him are to low-level (academically or torani) , then we
> offer something different.
>
> more details upon request, this was not meant as an ad
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>



--
Devra Ariel
Mom to Elisheva, Akiva, Shira Rina, Chayim Zvi, and Moriyah

Every day and its challenges: www.dailychallenges.blogspot.com


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]