Mom Next Door / Amanda Lang

Connecting with other special needs moms has helped Amanda Lang cope with her daughter's diagnosis.

AGE 44 HAILS FROM Richardson LIVES IN The Lakewood area of Dallas ALMA MATER Southern Methodist University SIGNIFICANT OTHER Michael, husband of 16 years—they went to junior high and high school together but didn’t date until they reconnected at SMU. OFFSPRING Daughters Neely, 10, and Virginia, 6. “I specifically wanted two girls—I was terrified of having boys!” CAREER Working for Yves Delorme for 20 years as a store manager and now sales representative

LIFE IS FULL OF UNCERTAINTIES for us all, though some people’s lives are fuller than others’. Amanda Lang’s older daughter has been healthy since birth, but worries about her younger daughter began almost immediately. Fast-forward almost two years and more questions than answers, and the Langs finally received a diagnosis for Virginia: Rett syndrome, a rare genetic neurological disorder with no cure—and total uncertainty as to what Virginia’s future might hold.

But the family’s daily life is far from doom and gloom. In fact, Lang’s marriage has strengthened since Virginia’s diagnosis. “We both admit it’s hard, but it’s really changed us as people,” she says. “Our relationship is stronger because we know that we’re in this together.” Meanwhile, their older daughter, Neely, has grown into a confident, independent

It is not uncommon for parents to quickly attend to childrens’ reactions when they scream, cry, and have a tantrum, only to discover that the response is exaggerated. For example, your child drops ice cream on the floor and they choose to scream, which would be an unmatched response. Your solution: emotional regulation, and this often has to be taught. So instead of saying “stop screaming” or giving a consequence, try these steps:

► Talk about emotions as a lesson prior to a crisis. (Use chart below)

► Validate your child’s emotion -

“sounds like you’re sad”, or hurt, frustrated, etc.

► Brainstorm with your child specific situations where it is ok to scream, cry, pout, be frustrated or happy (For example scream- someone scared you, cry- your body is injured or someone said something unkind, frustrated- can’t open a box, etc.) ► When a crisis does occur and the response is unmatched, pull out this chart and walk through the lesson again.

► When a crisis occurs and your child self regulates emotions, praise them.

Having these conversations about emotions will strengthen your relationship, validate feelings, and teach emotional regulation in a positive way. Most importantly, celebrate when your child has chosen to react appropriately because it’s mastery of a life skill!

Therapy and Beyond provides ABA, Speech and OT for individuals with autism.

preteen, and the whole family has learned I assume you immediately asked her doctors to relish life even more than before Virginwhether Virginia could have it? Yes, but I was ia’s diagnosis—despite the uncertainties. told she didn’t fit the “typical” diagnosis. The

When did you first suspect that somediagnosis usually occurs in older children thing might be wrong with Virginia? Almost who hit milestones and then start regressimmediately. Neely was an easy baby, so I ing, not babies who never meet milestones to knew what was normal and what wasn’t. begin with. So, the testing and dart throwing After bringing her home from the hospital, continued. Virginia struggled with almost everything. When did Virginia receive her official diagBreastfeeding and bottle feeding were hard. nosis? Our insurance policy changed, and we She wasn’t gaining weight and was sleeping were finally able to have a test performed that almost all the time. We were having such would test for almost any possible diagnosis. problems with feeding that we were referred Six weeks later, and a week before Virginia to a gastroenterologist. They wanted to turned 2, I was driving down Knox-Henderson perform a swallow study to figure out why and got a phone call telling me that she did in she was turning blue and choking so often fact have Rett syndrome. I pulled into a parkwhen feeding. ing lot and immediately

Would you say started bawling. this is when your life started a new “I THINK IF How do you and Michael cope? For me, chapter? Definitely. I wasn’t nervous I TOOK THE I dove into the world of special needs moms, about our GI appointment at all until we got there. I got there and saw all these babies TIME TO SIT DOWN connecting with other moms and learning more about her diagnosis. Michael has handled it more with a combinawith feeding tubes and had a full-on AND REALLY tion of denial and hope. What does life look anxiety attack. Virginia’s swallow THINK ABOUT like for Virginia right now? She can’t walk study showed that liquid was going into her lungs when she swallowed, meaning it EVERYTHING, I WOULD or talk. She uses a motorized device to get around and a speaking device she controls with her eyes. She just recentwasn’t safe for her to eat orally. I felt BECOME ly had a G-tube placed in her stomach, a more like I’d been hit by a ton of bricks. A COMPLETE- permanent feeding tube than the one previously feeding tube was placed in Virginia’s nose so that we could safely tube feed her for the LY OVER- WHELMED.” placed in her nose. She now has a service dog named Radley who has become her protector. They have a special time being. bond and sleep together

Did things get every night. better after that? I What is the longwish, but she continued to miss all the early term prognosis? We don’t know. She will always milestones, which increased our desperalive at home but will likely outlive us. Possibly tion for an answer as to what was going on. Neely will care for her, or she may end up When Virginia turned 1, we began seeing living in a special home equipped to care for [our health provider’s genetics departadults with similar diagnoses. But who knows? ment], where we went through a series of They’re always running various medication tests, still searching for answers. Our insurtrials, so there is the possibility they could ance policy at the time would only cover come up with a cure or at least something that one test at a time, so the process took even could help. longer. It felt like we were just randomly How do you cope with that kind of uncerthrowing darts at different things. tainty on a daily basis? Between Neely’s school

When did you first learn about Rett and extracurricular activities, Virginia’s daily syndrome? My sister-in-law called me one needs, making sure I’m still investing in our day and told me to turn on the Today show. marriage and my job, I don’t have idle time to They were airing a segment about a little just sit down and think. I’ve learned to fly by girl with Rett syndrome who had almost the seat of my pants and roll with the punches the exact same symptoms and story as as they come. I think if I took the time to sit Virginia did. down and really think about everything, I

ABOVE // Amanda Lang says daughter Virginia—who has Rett syndrome— has a very special bond with her service dog Radley.

would become completely overwhelmed.

you work. How do you manage it all? We have a lot of help from Michael’s parents, and Neely has just become so independent. I have a great resource of special needs moms and I just love my job at Yves Delorme so much. Somehow it just all works out.

What about COVID—how has it impacted your family? We spend a lot of our time at home, so it hasn’t affected many of our daily activities. I was traveling a lot for work and haven’t done so since March, which has been so nice—to be home with everyone. The biggest interruption to our lives is that Virginia’s G-tube placement was considered an elective surgery so it got delayed until just recently.

How has Virginia’s diagnosis affected Neely? Neely has always been strong and independent. She knows our life is different than her friends’, but she never whines or complains about it. She goes to a different school than Virginia so she can have her own identity. She and I have recently starting drawing and painting together, which has been fun for both of us.

Has Virginia’s diagnosis changed your parenting style? If anything, it’s made me more laid-back. As we’ve gone through this journey, I’ve watched how the universe seems to come together at the right time, and so we just take things day by day.

for her? Yes. She had been in a typical day care setting for a while, but it had become more and more obvious that she just didn’t fit in. While we were still searching for answers, I kept hearing about The Rise School in Dallas. It was created for children 6 months to 6 years with varying types of disabilities. She could get an education, all the therapies she needed and social interaction with other children, all in one spot. Within one week of getting her diagnosis, a spot for her opened up.

Our time at The Rise School was fantastic. Our whole family connected with children and parents whose lives looked more similar to ours. For me, I finally connected with people in a way I never had before. Now that she’s 6, we’ve found a small kindergarten class at Lakewood Elementary created for children with varying diagnoses. She’s supposed to start there in the fall.

Over the last 15 years, the PNP Center has helped parents with a comprehensive brain-based assessment with an individualized treatment plan to maximize their child’s potential. Seen multiple times on the “Dr. Phil Show” because PNP is capable in the most complicated circumstances offering hope and direction.

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2g “Michael and I are such homebodies. We love to visit nurseries like Nicholson-Hardie and garden together. We’re always doing something with the yard. We put in a pool this summer and it’s been a lifesaver.” NICHOLSON

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WE LOVE WALKING OUR THREE DOGS (BRENDA, BRUCE AND RADLEY) AND EATING AT MI COCINA IN LAKEWOOD— THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SO KIND TO US.

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Lori Eason is a Stitch Fix styling team leader and single mom to Cael, 15, and Thadd, 13, who has autism. The family— including their Yorkipoo, Betty—lives in Collin County near Lucas, just steps from the shores of Lake Lavon.

a tuesday in the life of

6:10AM Alarm goes off. Need a few more minutes. 6:20AM Out of bed. Make a latte and look at my work calendar. Start a load of towels. Grab Thadd’s whiteboard and write today’s tasks. 6:38AM Peek in to see that Thadd still has covers over his face. I’ll give him 15 more minutes. We’re feeling the schedule shift with the start of school.

Cael is at his dad’s right now, but I imagine he’s also feeling that shift. 6:55AM Wake Thadd. Turn off the house alarm and let our dog Betty out. 7:12AM Return to see Thadd’s still in bed. Gently nudge him awake. Lay out his clothes for the day and remind him of his whiteboard tasks: get dressed, comb hair, brush teeth and, as we like to say, “deo for B.O.” 7:21AM I jump in the shower. I have a day of (video) calls, so makeup and hair are a must. 7:45AM Thadd appears, dressed! Hair, teeth and deo aren’t done. Part of his ABA program addresses latency, so getting even part of this done on time, with few prompts—a win. Usher him to the bathroom to complete his routine, then return to my bathroom to finish mine. 8:07AM Into my home office to start work. Work through emails, but move to résumé reviews for the two interviews I’m conducting today. Thadd asks about breakfast. I remind him to reheat leftover gluten-free protein pancakes. (We’re working on independence, and he’s killing it with breakfast!) 8:30AM Thadd cleared his plate (yes!). I’m wrapping up résumé reviews and realize Thadd needs to get signed into school. He’s not thrilled. Tell him to breathe . . . I breathe . . . we breathe. Print assignments and schedule; today there’s less Zoom time and more independent work. Get him started reading a worksheet. Hope for the best there—I must return to my work. 9:20AM Hear in the other room that Thadd hasn’t stayed on task and has grabbed his iPad. I have a 9:30 call, so getting him back on track has to wait. 10:14AM Call over. Get Thadd set up for his next class. Back to my office to check my team’s schedule compliance. 10:47AM Thirteen minutes until my first interview. Pop my head around the corner and see that Thadd has left his worksheet (and is upstairs with Legos). Look at his schedule and see that we don’t have to log into Zoom again until later. Phew. Back to the office to put a whiteboard up reading “Mom’s unavailable. Don’t disturb until 11:45am.” Interview is starting. 11:48AM Interview over. Thadd’s still upstairs with Legos. I have another interview starting in 12 minutes. Thadd’s home ABA therapist will be here at 12:30; I text her that I’m locking myself in my office space instead of my usual space. I also give her the scoop on the day so far and his lunch. 12:50PM Second interview complete—no interruptions! Can hear upstairs that his therapist is here. He needs to log in for school soon. She’ll spend some of his 2.5-hour session helping him stay on task (as part of his latency and independence goals). Realize I better get back to my office—1 o’clock call starting soon. 2:02PM Finished call. Check on therapy session. Very few behaviors so far today—woohoo! Return to my office for a 2:30 call. 3:03PM Call is done. Debrief with the ABA therapist. The last period of Thadd’s day is PE, so he gets a snack then heads out to the backyard to swim. I’ll work from the living room now so I can see him while on my last call of the day at 3:45. 4:27PM Last call done! Take my laptop outside to catch up on email and screen new applications and résumés while Thadd swims. 5:56PM Thadd says he’s hungry. I realize I haven’t eaten all day. Close laptop and go inside to start dinner.

WHAT SHE’S LISTENING TO Willie, Fleetwood Mac, newer country WHAT SHE’S WATCHING Re-watching Downton Abbey for the third time FAVORITE INDULGENCE Really good pizza BEAUTY PRODUCT SHE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT Renée Rouleau serums and Tula 24-7 moisture cream SHE’S REALLY GOOD AT Most things artistic—sketching, painting SHE’S REALLY BAD AT Remembering to eat during the workday HABIT SHE CAN’T QUIT Morning lattes SHE WISHES SHE HAD MORE TIME TO Travel ONGOING PROJECT My garden GREATEST FEAR Thadd not being independent one day WHAT SHE DOES WHEN LIFE GETS STRESSFUL Turn on the music, head to nature FAVORITE PLACE FOR A NIGHT OUT Anywhere with live music FAVORITE SCENT I can’t pick just one! Ylang ylang, vetiver, lavender, chamomile. WORDS SHE LIVES BY Do what is right, not what is easy. NO. 1 ITEM ON HER BUCKET LIST Europe again—but this time hit France, Germany, Switzerland and Ireland. IF SHE HAD TO CHANGE CAREERS, SHE’D BE Back to my original career—architecture/design. Miss it very much. MOTHERHOOD IN FIVE WORDS Challenge. Reward. Grit. Doubt. Love.

6:10PM Put chicken in the Instant Pot for tacos. The Instant Pot saves the day! 6:45PM Sit down to eat and am told by Thadd that tacos are “too juicy”—a sensory issue for him. We work through it by him dabbing his tacos with a paper towel. 7:02PM Give Thadd a timeline for the night, including shower by 8:30 and bed by 9:30. He chooses to play on his iPad and draw before his pre-bedtime movie ritual. 7:30PM Kitchen’s clean (enough). I sit down with a glass of wine, return personal texts and calls, and check in with Cael since he’s at his dad’s. Realize Betty never got her soft food today (and she’s holding out on kibble), so I open a can for her. See the floor needs cleaning, so I run a quick vacuum over the hardwood. 8:20PM Give Thadd the 10-minute . . . then five-minute . . . then oneminute countdown to get in the shower. 8:31PM Hear shower water running. Success! 8:48PM Get Thadd set up for his movie in my bedroom (Lego Batman). Remember the towels in the washer from this morning. 9:20PM Go to give Thadd the 10-minute countdown and see that he’s already asleep. Don’t have the heart to wake him to brush his teeth, so I just turn off the TV. 9:37PM Fold towels. 10:53PM Yawn. Let Betty out, set our alarm and wash my face and brush my teeth. Collapse into bed, ready to do it all again tomorrow.

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Andrew Sapp and his autism service dog Nora grew very close over time.

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TAKING A BATHROOM BREAK IS RISKY when your son is a chronic wanderer.

Even locks and fences don’t thwart Andrew, an expert escape artist—he once climbed on the roof in order to get out of the backyard. “It was really scary, just constantly trying to figure out ways to keep him safe,” Sapp says.

But that day in Colorado, the family had a trained tracker on-site. “I didn’t panic—I just got Nora, and she found him right away.”

Nora was Andrew’s autism service dog. She could track him by scent, and in public he was sometimes tethered to her in case of bolting; Sapp also taught Nora to bark if Andrew tried to leave the backyard.

After six years of service, Nora died of cancer this spring. “I haven’t slept as well without her,” Sapp reveals. “I need my tattle-tale back!” have around. “I find that [for psychiatric dogs], the mere presence of the dog tends to be as valuable if not more so than the tasks that you’ve trained,” says Laurel Summerfield, executive director of Aretas Assistance Dogs, a nonprofit based west of Fort Worth. Maureen Bennett, president of local nonprofit IDEA Service Dogs, gushes about her own mobility assistance dog. “They’re always caring for you, they’re always watching you, they’re always aware of what’s going on with you,” she says. A dog might enable an adult with disabilities to live independently, or a parent to sleep soundly. “Having an autistic child that doesn’t sleep is like having a newborn for decades,” Sapp says. “The sleep deprivation was really getting to all of us.” She feared that Andrew would wander out of the house in the middle of the night, so Nora provided peace of mind simply by alerting Sapp if her son left his bed. “That right there, just the fact that I knew she would come and get me if he got At Your Service up, was priceless.” To many families, a BY YOUR SIDE Even though the terms service animal, emotional support animal, These organizations all have different processes and pricing for training service dogs; call to learn more about their methods. service dog is worth the four- or five-figure price tag. 4 Paws for Ability, the organization that trained Nora, has a $17,000 fee and therapy animal get used interchangeably, they don’t mean the same thing. Therapy animals are trained to comfort other people (like nursing home residents), not their handler. Emotional Aretas Assistance Dogs trains dogs for children with physical, developmental and psychological disabilities. Families get “weekend visitation rights,” if you will, while the dogs are in training with the pros before transitioning to full-time care. 817/330-9495; aretas.org that clients pay by fundraising. Sapp admits, “The tracking and the tethering alone—I would have paid double for that.” BRINGING LASSIE HOME support animals calm and comfort their handler, but aren’t trained for any tasks related to the handler’s disability. In contrast, service animals (legally, only dogs and miniature horses) 4 Paws for Ability, based in Ohio, trains all kinds of service dogs for children, including autism dogs, hearing and guide dogs, mobility dogs and medical alert dogs. The dogs are delivered to owners fully trained during a two-week orientation. 937/374-0385; 4pawsforability.org Just about every service dog organization does things a little differently. Some work with breeders; others adopt shelter dogs. Some assign a puppy to you; others help you select a puppy (or let the puppy perform specific tasks for people with disabilities, mental health disorders and some medical conditions. For a person with a physical disability, a service dog might open IDEA Service Dogs has a rigorous owner training program for mobility and medical alert dogs. IDEA helps clients (must be 18 or older) choose a puppy, then teaches them how to train their new companion in a small group setting. 817/437-3181; ideaservicedogs.org choose you—an integral part of Summerfield’s process). Some give you a fully trained dog; others work with you to train the dog yourself. Summerfield recommends calling organidoors, tug off socks or zations you might be pick up things that get interested in to get the dropped. Meanwhile, detailed scoop on their dog psychiatric service dogs selection process, training mitigate symptoms of mental disabilities by, for philosophy and background. While there is no example, lying across their person like an inter“right” way, there are a few things you want to active weighted blanket, or pawing impatiently avoid. One is getting a dog before you consult when their person needs an excuse to exit a a trainer, as most dogs just aren’t suited to stressful situation. And the pups are just nice to service work. “Getting help from a qualified

The Behavior Exchange offers a safer alternative to schools this fall for children with autism. Our child-to-therapist ratio is smaller than many special education classrooms, and our hives experience less overall foot traffic than schools.

Be sure to ask about insurance. We’re an in-network provider.

Two great ways to support the autism community.

autismspeakswalk.org HMS act.autismspeaks.org/ Dallas5K2020

Join us on wheels, on foot or online. Register today! person to select the right dog is so incredibly important,” Summerfield says. “We would love to never hear from anybody who’s already bought a puppy.”

Also steer clear of punitive training methods. “We do not want to train dogs on choke collars, prong collars, shock collars, where the dog learns, ‘If I make a mistake, I’ll be corrected, so maybe I just won’t do anything,’” Summerfield says. “We want a dog that will try any behavior that comes to their mind, and we can then reinforce that behavior, or not reinforce that behavior.”

Finally, beware of scams, as well as folks with good intentions but little experience. The last thing you want is to waste thousands of dollars on a poorly trained pup.

Once you’ve partnered with an organization, expect to wait months or years until you’re matched with a dog. (It was about a year after fundraising that Andrew met Nora.) And you’re not done when the dog finally comes home. “Even if you get a dog that’s already trained, you have to train your dog for its entire life,” Bennett says. “They get out of practice.” Plus, as your child’s needs change, you may have to teach your dog some new tricks.

That’s why getting a service dog isn’t a cure-all.

“I talk as many people out of service dogs as anything else, because it just isn’t the right solution for everybody,” reveals Summerfield. “A lot of parents are really looking for a dog to ease some of the burden at home, but they don’t always realize that before it gets better, it’s going to get worse, because now you’ve got a whole other living being to take care of.”

Whether you should invest in a service dog depends on your child’s needs and your family’s capacity to care for the dog. Would a dog fit into your family’s lifestyle? Does your child even like dogs? Some children with autism, for example, are scared of animals; if they’re not already accustomed to a family pet, they may be frightened of a furry new housemate.

And, of course, the money: Can you afford dog food, regular vet bills and unexpected expenses—on top of that pricey initial investment? Bennett did a rough estimate of the cost four or five years ago. “I figured that it costs probably between $2,000 and $3,000 a year easily to support a service dog,” she says. “A service dog needs equipment. It’s like having a pet, and then maybe even more money than that.”

BELOW // During a two-week orientation, 4 Paws for Ability clients get to know their service dog and hang out with other special needs families.

We are fortunate in DFW to have a wide variety of child care centers and schools tailored to meet special needs. Whether you have an itty bitty one or a young adult, you can find a program that’s right for your family. Here are some options to consider:

Multiple locations, DFW area abc-pediatrics.com Ages/Grades: 3–10yrs Total Enrollment: 12 Before School Program: No After School Program: No Our program focuses on individual intensive therapy in a social environment. We provide ABA and other therapy services. See ad on page 38.

2020 E. Hebron Pkwy., #130 Carrollton, TX 75007 camdenhill.com Ages/Grades: 6wks–6yrs Total Enrollment: 100 Before School Program: No After School Program: No We create a rich, stimulating school environment for students, families, and staff to support the optimum development of the child.

16150 Preston Rd. Dallas, TX 75248 fairhill.org Ages/Grades: 1st–12th Total Enrollment: 130 Before School Program: No After School Program: No Fairhill provides a traditional school experience for students with learning differences grades 1–12. The studentcentered curriculum focuses on differentiation, multi-sensory experiences, and executive function development. It is a community of dedicated, caring, and experienced educators that empower students to succeed. See ad on page 31.

401 W. Washington St. Rockwall, TX 75087 marigoldlearningacademy.com Ages/Grades: PK–3rd Total Enrollment: Varies Before School Program: Yes After School Program: Yes We help kids with special needs diagnosed with autism or any similar spectrum. See ad on page 53.

Multiple locations, DFW area starcatchers.org Ages/Grades: 8yrs–Adult Total Enrollment: Varies Before School Program: Yes After School Program: Yes Starcatchers is designed specifically for children and adults with special needs. Students shine through drama, music, dance, and visual art classes and productions. These programs improve development of social, communication, motor, and cognitive skills. All fall programs will meet virtually.

2018 Allen St. Dallas, TX 75204 notredameschool.org Ages/Grades: 6yrs–23yrs Total Enrollment: 150 Before School Program: No After School Program: Yes Notre Dame School of Dallas educates students with developmental disabilities and facilitates their integration into society. With one teacher for every 5 students, we work to prepare students for independence in an atmosphere of love and genuine concern. See ad on page 50.

9407 Midway Rd. Dallas, TX 75220 oakhillacademy.org Ages/Grades: Preschool–12th Total Enrollment: 150 Before School Program: Yes After School Program: Yes Oak Hill Academy is dedicated to providing customized academic and social-emotional programs not found in traditional learning environments. From preschool through high school, we offer an individualized curriculum with a whole-child approach, preparing our students for life after graduation. See ad on page 41.

6025 Sports Village Rd. Frisco, TX 75033 pediatricsplus.com Ages/Grades: 6wks–6yrs Total Enrollment:100 Before School Program: Yes After School Program: Yes Pediatrics Plus is a state-of-theart medical facility that offers a developmental preschool and therapy services for children with special needs including; ABA, speech, physical and occupational therapy. See ad on page 51.

For more options, visit our directories for Special Needs Child Care and Schools at dfwchild.com/directory.

ABOVE // IDEA Service Dogs says they train “teams,” not dogs, because the handler and the dog go through the entire training course together.

PROJECT PET coat.” If your child has sensory needs, be So maybe a service dog isn’t the right fit sure to choose a dog that eases, rather than for your family—a exacerbates, their issues. plain ol’ pet dog can offer some of the same intangible “THEY’RE Also consider that some breeds tend to be barkers, some breeds require lots benefits, such as comfort and comALWAYS of activity, some breeds are quite excitable—do your panionship. But before you adopt CARING research to find a dog that fits your lifestyle. the cutest canine at the shelter, here are three points to ponder, courtesy of Summerfield: FOR YOU, THEY’RE Who is going to train the dog? Even if you’re not teaching the dog to open doors or track a wayward child, you want your fur Does your child have a natural enjoyALWAYS baby to reduce the general stress level, not add to it ment of animals? Again, dog is not WATCH- with wild behavior. “Can a well-behaved, well-mannecessarily kid’s best friend—you don’t want to make your child uncomfortable by introducing a pet. ING YOU, THEY’RE nered, well-trained dog work wonders for a kid? Sure,” says Summerfield. “But a bouncing, leapingon, licking-in-the-face dog What type of dog would be best? ALWAYS that’s stealing all their toys may have just the opposite “I’ve seen kids with autism who literally AWARE OF impact.” Exposing your child would not touch a dog that had a coat—they only want the singlecoated, short-coated WHAT’S GOING ON to therapy dogs (who are typically well-trained) may help you gauge whether a pet or service dog would be a welcome addition to dog. They don’t even want to touch WITH YOU.” your household. In fact, it was Andrew’s kinship with a Labrador; they a couple of therapy dogs at certainly don’t want school that prompted his to plunge their hands into a collie’s coat,” mom to start the service dog search. Summerfield explains. “But I have other For the Sapp family, getting a dog was the kids who get their comfort out of runright call—and still is: Andrew’s hoping to bring ning their hands through a long, plush home a new companion by next summer.

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IF YOUR STUDENT HAS SPECIAL NEEDS, you’re probably familiar with admission, review and dismissal (ARD) meetings. But even if you’re used to ARD, you may be uncertain of how the pandemic is affecting decisions and services for your kiddo. We caught up with Dustin Rynders, supervising attorney at Disability Rights Texas, about what parents need to know.

All decisions about the education of a student receiving special education services are made by an ARD committee that includes the parent. The committee determines academic and behavioral goals, accommodations, the amount and focus of any related services, and where the services will occur. The committee can also determine if the student needs assistive technology, such as a laptop, and if the student needs any compensatory educational services to make up for any time when instruction didn’t meet the student’s needs.

ARD meetings occur at least once per year but can occur more frequently when needed.

Parents or the school can request an ARD meeting whenever the student’s plan needs to be reviewed or changed.

learning that ARD committees must consider in determining compensatory education and future educational services.

want to consider requesting this year? Some parents may need in-home training on how to support virtual learning. Others may need to request more synchronous instruction, or a change in schedule for their video-based services for a student who is sharing a computer. Some districts may offer in-person instruction, but students with medical conditions may need to remain virtual or receive homebound instruction as accommodation to reduce risk.

mend? As members of the child’s ARD committee, parents check “agree” or “disagree” at the end of every meeting. WhenWhat is ARD? ever a parent checks “disagree,” a reconvene meetARD committees bring together ing is scheduled to allow tion services and ARDs? school and family stakeholders to make others in the district to The pandemic has credecisions related to a child's special get involved in problemated a huge need for education services. solving the parent’s conschool districts to hold cerns. An outside facilitaARD meetings for high tor can also be arranged. percentages of students to adjust programming. Parents can also use the TEA complaint process, They have also had to figure out how to deliver mediation or even due process hearing system more services remotely, provide technology to to resolve complaints. students who don’t have it and support parents How can parents ensure their children get comwho are struggling to provide in-home support. pensatory services if their usual special education While some districts held an amazing number services were delayed or canceled due to COVID, of remote ARDs and seemed to work very hard and make sure they continue meeting their IEP to provide direct instruction and related services goals? Parents can request compensatory educa(like speech therapy) virtually, others offered tion in an ARD committee if insufficient serviclittle more than suggestions about where pares kept their student from making meaningful ents could find existing homeschool resources. progress. The parent should keep track of what Sometimes these disparities existed between services weren’t provided as well as any inforcampuses in the same districts or even teachers mation showing that the child has regressed or within the same school. failed to make meaningful progress because ser

What’s your take on virtual ARDs? Do they vice wasn’t provided. TEA has prepared a handseem effective and accessible? Some parents like out for parents on compensatory services; you that virtual ARDs allow them to participate can find it on the TEA website, tea.texas.gov. without leaving office or home. Some parents do Schools shouldn’t take requests for compennot have sufficient cell phone data plans to allow satory instruction personally, especially during video participation in long meetings. Educators this time. Even if we work together and try to also vary in their comfort facilitating effective overcome challenges, what is possible in this virtual meetings. Overall, virtual ARD meetings time won’t work for all students. We have to have worked better than virtual instruction. accept that fact, put students first and plan for

Do you think virtual learning makes it more the challenge of helping impacted students catch challenging for teachers and administrators to up when they can safely return to schools.

gram (IEP)? Last spring, many districts assigned if they are learning virtually? Families and eduonline or packet-based assignments but didn’t cators should strive to be solution-oriented. assess student progress. With more preparation When something isn’t working, parents have to time, more districts will try to collect informadiscuss the issue with educators to see what can tion on student progress during virtual learnbe done. Everyone also has to accept that some ing this fall. Still, most students will need to be students will need compensatory services at the reevaluated at the conclusion of virtual learning end of this time. Parents who need more inforto see if they need compensatory education. mation or help navigating challenges with their Many parents will also have valuable informachild’s school can request advocacy assistance tion about how a child performed during virtual from Disability Rights Texas, drtx.org.

• 1-on-1 in center & in home ABA therapy • Social Skills • Community Outings • Naturalistic Teaching • Interactive Approach • Social Skills Group • Community Outings • Speech Therapy Available

817-849-5802 abainteractive.org

Now enrolling new Dallas location at 635 and Hillcrest!

Allen. Lewisville. Dallas. In-Home. 469-730-0925 www.TheHelmABA.com

Camp Summit is a residential camp for children and adults with disabilities where the emphasis is on the campers’ abilities rather than their disabilities. Traditional camp activities are adapted to each camper, provided in our barrier-free facilities, and implemented by trained, caring staff. Campers are grouped by age, providing the opportunity to make friends within peer groups while experiencing new adventures.

270 Private Rd. 3475, Paradise, TX 76073 972-484-8900 • camp@campsummittx.org campsummittx.org

Language Works/Rainbow Kidz provides low-cost, high therapeutic interventions and therapies both 1:1 and in small groups using the principles of ABA and the analysis of verbal behavior. We offer individual therapy, social skills classes, recreational classes, handwriting, sibling classes, Saturday classes and summer/holiday break classes at affordable prices.

2155 Marsh Ln. Ste. 132, Carrollton, TX 75006 972-306-3189 • gamblea@yahoo.com www.languageworksllc.com

“What’s Your Beat?” Looking for extracurricular activities for your loved one with special needs? Jasmine’s Beat provides Adaptive Fusion Dance and Adaptive Theater Dance classes with an optional sensory-sensitive recital! Led by Jasmine Mathew, a Recreation Therapist with over 20 years experience working with a multitude of populations with disabilities. Virtual/in-person (with masks).

Frisco, TX jasminesbeat.com

ROCKWALL & GREENVILLE Our program includes an on-site therapy clinic, where students receive ABA Therapy throughout the day in addition to participating in an accredited educational program.

401 W. Washington St., Rockwall, TX 75087 972-722-3892 • MarigoldLearningAcademy@gmail.com MarigoldLearningAcademy.com

To advertise in the DFWChild Special Needs Services section, call 972-447-9188 or email advertising@dfwchild.com

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