 Contributed by: Katherine Horn Many times children do not know appropriate ways to manage their feelings or handle specific social situations. When this happens undesired behaviors can occur and become routine. One way to teach children what is expect is through using social stories. As a school social worker I use books and social stories every week with children to help them learn these skills. I have found that the books by Elizabeth Verdick and Martine Agassi to be well done and reinforce the behaviors that are expected. Most of the books in this series are written for the toddler and preschool level. They are great board books that state the expectation simply and are easy to go through. Some of the books are also offered for elementary age children. These books go more in depth into alternative behaviors and also give parental suggestions at the back. The nice thing about the books is they repeat the specific behaviors such as "hands are not for hitting" and state more appropriate behaviors "hands are for high 5s". These really are great books for kids. List of books in the series: Hands are not for Hitting Teeth are not for Biting Feet are not for Kicking Words are not for Hurting Tails are not for Pulling Germs are not for Sharing Calm Down Time Meal Time Clean up Time Pacifiers are not Forever Diapers are not Forever Sharing Time On the Go Time (release date this fall) Bed Time Listening Time Nap time Bye Bye Time Sharing Time 1 Comment School time is just around the corner... 08/18/2011
Homeschool: Another Learning Environment for Special Children How home education can help the adopted child February 01,2004 / Cyndie Odya Weis via www.Rainbowkids.com
children, the decision was based in part on practicality. "Six of the eight have special needs, and the bus ride to their school would have been more than an hour," says John of rural Bearville, Minnesota. Add to that the countless meetings they would have needed to attend to deal with educational and behavioral issues, and they decided it would make more sense to instruct their children at home. They would be able to pack instruction into every one of the limited "high attention" moments special needs kids have, they reasoned. For the Hays family, and many other families, home schooling is a viable and positive alternative to public or private schools. The Hayses are not alone in their decision to home school. According to a comprehensive 1998 study commissioned by the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), an estimated 1.23 million U.S. students are educated at home--87.7 percent of them by stay-at-home moms. The study, conducted by the director of the ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation, used 11,930 family questionnaires and standardized tests of 20,760 students to evaluate home schooling. Why do parents decide to instruct their children at home? While 78 to 83 percent of home schooling parents in the HSLDA study cite religious and moral reasons for their decision, Vicki Brady--Host of Home School U.S.A., a nationwide radio show broadcast from Colorado by the Home Education Network--says that the home schooling movement is clearly attracting people from all walks of life. Judy Grove, the Adoption Council of Canada's (ACC) executive director, reports that home schooling is a growing trend in Canada as well: "We’re seeing it more and more, especially in Alberta and B.C." ACC hears from parents who believe schools in their provinces aren’t responding to children’s needs. Says Grove, "Schools sometimes have [negative] assumptions about adopted children or about children of color." Because of this, some adoptive parents feel they can do better than schools at bolstering both their children’s academic achievement and self-esteem. Above all, adoptive parents, like most parents beginning home schooling, want to provide their children with a quality education, and they don’t trust that schools can educate their children as well as Mom and Dad can. Indeed, Brady and the Home Education Network claim that the largest growing population of home schoolers are those seeking superior academic training and those who, in the wake of school violence, want increased safety for their children. What about Socialization? Opponents of home schooling worry about socialization. Compulsory public education is designed to "normalize" children, help them to learn academics, and teach them societal norms so they can fit in with peers. Learning at home--with only parents and siblings--isolates children and makes them social misfits, claim skeptics. Research contradicts these claims, however, as 87 percent of home schoolers report that their kids regularly play with children outside of the family. On average, claims the HSLDA study, home schooled children participate in 5.2 activities outside the home, and 98 percent of them participate in two or more activities. "Because the students can choose the activities and therefore the social contacts, they are not pressured by their peers into things they don’t really want to do," says Brady. She also explains that home schooled students, without social pressures pulling them in undesired directions, can put more focused energy into chosen activities, developing leadership skills as they go. An Individualized or Combination Approach May Work Best While high social and academic success are the norm among home schooled children, there are times when a little public school can go a long way--even for the student schooled at home. Many schools allow kids to come to school for a subject or two or even three. Attending school for band or orchestra or for a math class can add the right mix for some. Some families find their children benefit from small doses of school, like academic subjects, music, or sports. Emma, 13, "got the best of both worlds," says her mom Lori. During seventh and eighth grade, Emma participated in band, volleyball, and soccer at a middle school, while completing other academics at home. "The peer pressure of seventh-grade girls, the gossip, and the cliques intimidated Emma," says Lori. "With two years at home, I think she has a stronger sense of who she is." Emma will return to public school this fall. Emma’s brother, Dylan, will also go to public school this fall after completing an accelerated first-grade program at home. Though Lori will be glad to have her children back in public school, she is quick to add that there were many benefits to home schooling her children. "Emma is interested in sewing, cooking, gardening...she’s broadened her interests. Dylan got what he needed to stimulate his mind." Adoptive families may have additional reasons for trying home schooling. Laura Jasen home schools her three adopted children because their needs are so diverse--and so particular. Six-year-old Zach is cognitively delayed while younger sister Lexie is exceptionally bright. Halie, a four-year-old adopted from a Romanian orphanage at 22 months, has attachment issues. Zach flourishes in the limited playing field of home school, and his sisters support and encourage him. "Seeing the smile on his face is more important than an A," says Jasen. Halie, Jasen explains, "needs guidance, consequences, and limit setting. She is easily influenced by others and has trouble with social judgment." When asked if she decided to home school because her children are adopted, Jasen says, "No, it’s more the mix of kids we have. If I had children by birth and they had similar diverse needs, I’d home school them too." She’s happy to be living in Wisconsin where home schooling regulations are fairly relaxed. The Hayses agree that home schooling is practical for their children’s diverse needs, but, as John explains, "the single greatest reward is bonding. The one-to-one attention we give the kids promotes a bond we wouldn’t have otherwise." And parent-child relationships are especially important to John and Holiday since some of their children are diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder (RAD). "A lot of adopted kids have RAD," says John, "and [children] with RAD really need someone to be the authority and they need to know it’s a safe place. At home, they’re not exposed to instructors who don’t understand them. It’s the same with the fetal alcohol syndrome kids--their brains are different, and we help them overcome the confusion they feel." Rules and Laws In the U.S., individual states regulate home schooling with laws ranging from how to properly notify school systems about the parents’ intent to educate a child at home, to the ages of "compulsory education" in each state (most require that children aged 6 to 18 attend school or have an alternate plan for home schooling). Depending on the state, home schooling parents may: California requires home instruction to be in English, consistent with state laws recently passed for public schools. Some states, including Georgia, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Tennessee, require regular standardized testing, while states like Arkansas, Colorado, and Virginia require just an approved evaluation and documentation. A number of states--Utah and Texas among them--have no testing requirement at all. Visit the Home School Legal Defense Association web site (www.hslda.com) to view requirements by state. In Canada, where each province establishes its own regulations for home schooling, rules also vary. States and provinces may also govern the education of foster children. In jurisdictions where a child placed for adoption is considered a foster child until the adoption is finalized, there may be a period of time when families can home school their birth and previously adopted children, but not the newly placed child. Additional rules and laws may apply. In Wisconsin, for example, a foster child may be home schooled only if he is expelled from one public school and cannot attend another, OR if the child receives more frequent social worker visits, is taught from an established curriculum, receives regular evaluations, participates in extracurricular activities, and is likely to remain in the same foster home for at least six months. (Source: Conversation with Mark Mitchell, Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services) Despite published guidelines and organizations like the Home School Legal Defense Association that help parents in the home schooling process, parents still report problems getting school systems to support their efforts. In Clark County, Nevada one family sued the public school system after it refused to offer speech therapy services to their home schooled 12-year-old. U.S. federal law--the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)--requires that equal opportunities and necessary accommodations be offered to students with disabilities, so the 12-year-old's parents requested similar services for their son. If the parents win this landmark case, all home schoolers would be entitled to exceptional educational services. At present, only parents who establish private schools in their homes (as required in California and 11 other states) qualify for special services. Home schooling has many merits. Interest in the practice is high and systems are in place to support families who choose to educate children at home. When making the decision to home school, parents must consider their children’s needs and the family’s ability to teach children at home. If the situation will not support a home school, parents must take advantage of other opportunities. But if everything falls into place, home schooling may be just the safe and structured educational experience your child needs to do his best. If you are thinking about schooling at home, take these steps: Plan for ongoing evaluation--not only of academics but also of relationships and social development.  Contributed By: Celeste Haven
Adopting a toddler? This is the trend in international adoption, mainly because younger children are being adopted in-country and/or are not available for international adoption. Our family is in the process of adopting a three-year-old from Bulgaria and I have been reading many adoption books to better prepare myself. The Weaver’s Craft, is great for parents adopting a toddler internationally, domestically or through the foster care system. Karens Cottage Dolls 08/18/2011
    Tree of Life had the pleasure of interviewing Karen from “Karen’s Kottage,” a woman who makes the dolls with special needs. Pictured are our Bulgarian Coordinator's twins with their dolls.
1. How did you begin making the dolls? I started making dolls back in the early 80's when Michigan was in a recession and money was very tight for Christmas one year. I made my children each a doll that looked like them wearing a pair of pj's that matched the pj's "Santa" made them. Susies Shoes 08/18/2011
 Contributed by Kay Jarobe
As adoptive parents bring home their children, they often find that the children place unexpected values on objects or activities. Items that may hold little significance to a child raised in a family, can be extremely important to one raised in an institution. The same can be said for sights, sounds and activities that are commonplace to children raised in the U.S. These experiences are sometimes overwhelming to our adoptive children when they first arrive in their new environment. Grants 06/16/2011
We share this in hopes that it is helpful to our families in need of help with their adoption finances. If anyone uses this service please let us know how it worked for you. The "American Grants and Loans Database" is now available. Our daily updated Database contains more than 2800 financial programs, subsidies, scholarships, grants and loans offered by the US federal government. In addition you will also have access to over 2400 programs funded by private corporations and foundations. That is over 5200 programs available through various sources of financial providing organizations. Businesses, students, researchers, scientists, teachers, doctors, private individuals, municipalities, government departments, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies, nonprofits, foundations and associations will find a wealth of information that will help them with their new ventures or existing projects. Our data is updated on a daily basis from over a hundred governmental and private organizations to provide you the most up to date information available online today. It is both Keyword and Agency searchable to accurately search your programs by specific fields of interests. It is also available with IP recognition for libraries and educational institutions. This system allows your members to access the Database without user names or passwords. It is the perfect tool for libraries and educational institutions to use as a reference guide for students who require funds to pursue their education. It is also widely used by municipalities and law enforcement agencies to seek funds to improve community safety and economical development. Contents of the Database: -Web link to program announcement page -Web link to Federal agency or foundation administering the program -Authorization upon which a program is based -Objectives and goals of the program -Types of financial assistance offered under a program -Uses and restrictions placed upon a program -Eligibility requirements -Application and award process -Regulations, guidelines and literature relevant to a program -Information contacts at the headquarters, regional, and local offices -Programs that are related based upon program objectives and uses Programs in the Database provide a wide range of benefits and services for categories such as: Agriculture Business and Commerce Community Development Consumer Protection Cultural Affairs Disaster Prevention and Relief Education Employment, Labor and Training Energy Environmental Quality Food and Nutrition Health Housing Income Security and Social Services Information and Statistics Law, Justice, and Legal Services Natural Resources Regional Development Science and Technology Transportation Access to the Database is $119.95 for a one year subscription. To order please call: 1 (800) 681-1356 Two special Children, is one or both yours? 06/09/2011
We have a beautiful waiting six year old boy with Marfan’s Syndrome and we have a waiting six year old deaf boy if any families are interested in starting the process or interested in more information please contact us at kay@toladopt.org Invitation to the 2011: Bulgarian Adoptees Picnic/Reunion WHO: Families who have adopted, are committed to adopt, waiting to adopt, or considering to adopt a Bulgarian orphan. If you need to travel by "samuleta" (airplane), PLEASE let me know. WHEN: July 22-24, 2011 WHERE: Hueston Woods State Park, a very picturesque location just northeast of Cincinnati, OH. WHAT: · Bulgarian Cultural Activities · Arts and Crafts · Water Activities · Hiking · Bonfires WHY: · Because we have adopted, are considering adoption, or are waiting to adopt an orphan from Bulgaria. · Because we will all have adoption experiences to share. · Because it will be wonderful to meet and share our stories · Because it will let our little Bulgarians/Americans hang out and understand that they are not alone in their journey and assimilation into American culture. · Because we plan to incorporate Bulgarian culture to keep our children's culture alive. · Because the siblings of our Bulgarian children need to hang out and share their own stories about their Bulgarian brother(s)/sister(s). · Because it is a great excuse to get away and to just have a... great time! 1. Interest: YES, NO or not this year but possibly in the future. 2. Address and Phone #. 3. Accommodation Type: lodge, cabin, camping or other. 4. Overnight guest? Lodge and Camping require 2 night stay. 5. Number of adults and children, include name, gender and ages for children. 6. Do you have any ideas to share? For more information: http://bulgarianadopteesreunion.blogspot.com/ Thank you! Reunion Committee Waiting Children 05/23/2011
Tree of Life invites you to tour our Waiting Children section which is updated frequently. We have beautiful waiting children from several countries; please request the password to visit these little ones today! Contact Us for more information! We at Tree of Life would like to share this class with you, coming very soon to Portland Oregon. NAFA's Baby & Toddler Care Class for Adoptive Families There are spots available for last-minute registration! Register now: information@nafaonline.org When: This Saturday, May 21st Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Where: Legacy Meridian Park Hospital Cost: $50 per family (includes one year NAFA membership) This is a great class for all families, whether you are adopting domestically or internationally. The class receives rave reviews from participants but it is only offered three times per year, so don't miss out! Pre-registration is required -- click here for more information NAFA's Play Group Don't forget -- Bring your little ones out for a fun FREE morning! When: This Saturday, May 21st, 10:00 a.m. to noon Where: Fulton Indoor Play Park, 68 SW Miles St, Portland (just off Barbur Blvd at Terwilliger) Cost: Free! for NAFA members Who: Infants to kindergarten Come join us for a fun-filled family morning! For more information, email Mary at ladiebug772001@yahoo.com Northwest Adoptive Families Association www.nafaonline.org information@nafaonline.org | Welcome to our Blog!Tree of Life Adoption Center strives to provide you with the most current up-to-date information in regards to the adoption world, our programs and post adoption resources. ArchivesNovember 2011 CategoriesAll |
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