I have been told by my son’s teacher that he hasn’t been keeping up with the written work load at school?
There are a number of issues to consider here. You need to first find out the “why” and the “when” to your son experiencing this challenge. Once you have some information about that you can then begin to ask the questions like does your son actually have a written output disorder or does he have difficulty tracking or does he lack strength or sensitivity in his hand? After you gather this preliminary information I can then help you to decide on appropriate assessment models, remediation and accommodation.
My daughter received a Ministry designation letter last year. Should she be getting an IEP?
By legislation, every child with a Ministry letter designation and who meets one out of the following criteria:
the student with special needs requires more than minor adaptations to their educational program
some or all aspects of the educational program provided to the student with special needs have been modified
the student with special needs requires more than 25 hours of remedial instruction by a person other than the classroom teacher
is entitled to an IEP process and an IEP. This would also include students in MACC programs as well as extended and life skills programs.
I have see ongoing challenges with my child since Grade 1. The teachers have all said not to worry about it, that it is just developmental. In Grade 5 I finally took him myself for a psycho-educational assessment and it came back with a Gifted/LD result. How can this happen?
The frustration that you have experienced is all too common. Most teachers who are teaching our children do not have any special education courses under their belt. Most universities do not require the completion of special ed courses to get Teaching certificates. Also the day long proD that some teachers receive do not it any way prepare them to see what you see.
I always tell parents to trust their own instincts as they are the experts on their children, gathering information and evidence on a day to day basis in a multitude of settings.
My suggestion to you is to see this experience as a catalyst for learning and change within your school. Invite the principal to work with the staff to track the feedback that you have given them over the years as it relates to the results of the current test to see if they can learn to see the signs in other children. Most of all focus on the future success your child will now be able to experience with the appropriate supports in place.
My daughter has been diagnosed with severe learning disabilities as well as some other neuro-biological disorders. My principal has told me not to pursue a Ministry designation as it will stigmatize my child. Is this true?
What is true is that your principal has chosen to make a certain meaning out of a Ministry designation. You can choose to make another meaning. You can choose to look at the designation as a vehicle for funding dollars for your child, an IEP, specific supports etc. It is completely confidential and for education use only. It does not get placed into some information bank that anyone can access. The choice is yours and I would hope that your principal will support you and your child and will encourage an environment of acceptance, inclusion and celebration in having your child at the school.
I was just at my doctor’s office complaining of hot flashes. He said that I was menopausal and I could start on hormone replacement therapy. Are there any other options for me?
Yes there are. There are many options today to traditional hormone replacement therapy. They include diet, supplements, herbs homeopathy and acupuncture. Once we go over your lifestyle and other possible triggers for the hot flashes I would be able to offer you a number of alternative choices both for temporary relief and for more sustainable future hormonal balance. The most important point here is that you don’t need to suffer through them and imagine that you have no other choices.
I want to protect myself from the flu but I found out that there is mercury in the flu shots. Do I have any other choices?
Yes you do. Each year the World Health Organization gives out its vaccine to be made into the standard flu shots and a homeopathic version. The nice thing about the homeopathic version is that it is coupled with an immune booster. You can contact me any time if you wish to pursue the homeopathic direction.
After doing my own research I have decided not to vaccinate my son. Is there anything else I should be considering?
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate that is the question. There are many answers to this question. You can choose never to vaccinate. You can choose to vaccinate when you feel your son's immune system is better established say at 5 years old. You can choose to only vaccinate if and when you may be travelling to specific countries like India and only those vaccines that would be protecting your son from say something like polio. You can choose to use homeopathic vaccines that do not contain any questionable adjuvants like mercury or formaldehyde. Only you can decide what is in your child's best interests. This is a very common question, a very personal question and one which deserves some sit down time to discuss.
