FINfacts
NewsletterVolume 9, Issue 5
:: close window :: print newsletter ::
FINfacts
Newsletter
Volume 9,
Issue 5
Childcare Center in Fulton County Shines Through
By Shannon Mugrage
I remember the first day I dropped my daughter, Sophie, now 27 months, off at an in-home daycare. She was ten months old at the time, and she was not the only one who cried and had separation anxiety that day.
Quality childcare is difficult to find. Almost anyone with children can relate tales of less-than-satisfactory experiences with childcare, especially parents of children with disabilities. Families are more diverse everyday, and with statistics showing an increase in dual income or single parent households, the need for quality childcare is rising. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in the fall of 1996, 13 million preschoolers—including 6 million infants and toddlers—were in childcare. Furthermore, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows 59 percent of mothers with infants under age one were in the work force in March of 2000. Finally, the New York Times reports that percentages of single mothers with jobs rose to 71.5 percent in 1999, increasing sharply from a steady 58 percent from 1986 to 1993.
In Fulton County, Star Shine Nursery and Preschool has an open-door policy regarding enrollment of children and exemplifies a staff with a willingness to learn about kids with special needs. Director Elaine Krause, herself a parent of a child with special needs, says she knows where parents are coming from when faced with the task of finding adequate child care. Star Shine has accommodated speech pathologists, physical therapists and other specialists to come work with students who require such intervention, and Krause concludes that the center will work with families with special needs “as much as we can.” She considers herself an advocate for her own child and says open communication is the best policy. “I am really up-front with my parents. I talk to parents about issues with their child, and if it’s more than we can handle, we recommend assessment.” She sums up her center best: “When I look at a child with special needs, we can give quality care, lots of love, and in the long run, if one-on-one support is needed, we are willing to accommodate specialists in the facility.”
With the help of communication and partnerships between parents, staff and the Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Star Shine has managed to pull it all together for one family. See Celebrate the Successes on page 4 for more details. In that spirit, this issue of FINfacts celebrates the successes of childcare for children with special needs, offering further tips for success in locating quality childcare in northwest Ohio. In the pages to follow, please find resources for parents and professionals about childcare, check-lists and first-hand accounts from parents of children with disabilities.
Childcare Resources
http://www.ohioworks.com includes 3,500 state-licensed child care providers. Click on “Information on Service Providers,” then click on “childcare,” and find your area.
http://www.state.oh.us/odhs/cdc/index.htm allows users to search for specific types of childcare and see information about facilities and whether or not a facility has received any licensing complaints.
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/chcaflyr.htm lists childcare centers and your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
http://www.naccrra.net is the site for the National Association of Child Care Resources and Referral Agencies and is a wealth of resources with links to Child Care Aware, a tool for locating the childcare resource and referral agency in your area, and other important links. It also links to The Daily Parent, a newsletter for working parents.
http://www.occrra.org covers Ohio laws for providers and links to providers specific to a particular area.
http://www.nccic.org, the site of the National Child Care Information Center, is hosted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with links to other childcare sites for both parents and professionals and includes a host of childcare topics and publications.
The eight public television stations, located in Athens, Bowling Green, Kent, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Cleveland and Toledo offer viewers the PBS Kids Ready to Learn service. Each station has a Ready to Learn coordinator and provides opportunities for parents, caregivers and interested adults to attend workshops that show how kids can best benefit from the programs shown on PBS Kids. The workshops demonstrate how to view a program actively, connect with the story and provide a sensory learning experience to maximize the impact of what kids watch on TV. The ideas are flexible and can be adapted to each child’s individual needs, regardless of developmental age or ability.
One of the workshops that may be offered by your local station is called, “We’re All the Same Inside.” Developed by WGTE in Toledo, the two-hour presentation is aimed at daycare providers and gives an opportunity to examine attitudes regarding the inclusion of kids with special needs in the child care setting. Each Ohio public television station operates independently, and some workshops may not be available in all areas. Call your local station and ask for the Ready to Learn coordinator who can provide a schedule of upcoming workshops, or call Kathy Smith, Director of Early Learning and Outreach at WGTE/Toledo at (419) 252-2638 or e-mail her at Kathy_Smith@wgte.pbs.org.
Special Needs Institute Educates Providers
By Diane Frazee
FIN Regional Coordinator, Northwest Ohio
I have been a Family Information Network consultant for the past 14 years, and as such, I have seen trends come and go. When I first started out, childcare issues were not in the forefront for the families we served. Many families included a stay-at-home parent (usually mom) or a parent who worked part-time and could rely on relatives to provide childcare during their working hours. My, how things have changed! The necessity and desire for both parents to work coupled with the rise of single parent households have resulted in an increased need for childcare. The search for quality childcare can be difficult and is often compounded when the search involves a child with a developmental delay or disability.
Although the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination based on disability, many parents of children with special needs report difficulties and resistance from childcare providers. This is true whether childcare takes place in a center or by an in-home provider. In many cases childcare providers have no experience in caring for children with disabilities, and parents are reluctant to leave their children with an inexperienced provider.
Let’s think about this for a minute: when my daughter, Jamie, was born almost twenty-four years ago (wow! That sure gives away my age bracket!), I had absolutely no background in caring for a child who had multiple needs. Over time, though, I learned to do lots of things that I could not have imagined doing. However, I did not learn these things in isolation. There were plenty of interactions with professionals who guided me along the way. They showed me how to perform procedures such as tube feedings, positioning my daughter for optimal digestion and postural drainage needs, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the proper way to lift a child with cerebral palsy (CP). Now, why would I expect a childcare provider to come equipped with all the skills necessary to care for my child? Well, the truth is, I don’t. What I do expect is a willingness to learn. Some of the best teachers are all of the parents who are reading this newsletter and the professionals with whom you partner on a regular basis. A childcare provider who is willing to adapt and learn can be a wonderful addition to you and your child’s circle of support. Parents are number one in locating resources to enhance the childcare provider’s ability to properly care for a child with special needs.
In Toledo, a Day Care Task Force for Families of Children with Disabilities was established several years ago to look at some issues facing families who are seeking childcare. FIN provides leadership for this task force, and besides parents, participants include representatives from the Lucas County Board of MR/DD, YW Child Care Connections, YMCA, Toledo Day Nursery, Sunshine, Inc., WGTE, The Collaborative Network of Lucas County and many more. This task force quickly learned that childcare providers are not aware of their legal responsibility to accept children with disabilities, think these children will hinder their ability to care for other children or believe they can charge an additional fee or establish a trial period for these children. In an effort to educate childcare providers about these topics, a conference just for them has taken place in Toledo for the past three years. Spearheaded by the YW Child Care Connections, this Special Needs Institute attracted close to 150 participants this past March. Breakout sessions offered information on a variety of subjects related to special needs in order to equip providers with the skills necessary to care for all children. The next Special Needs Institute is being planned for March of 2002.
By the way, additional fees may not be charged to families whose children have special needs, and trial periods can only be established if that is the policy for all children entering that particular childcare location. See what I’ve learned?
Most childcare providers are good people who, like the rest of us, need information in order to perform their jobs well. Remember that together, you and your child’s daycare provider can establish routines and environments that will allow your child to grow to their greatest potential.
The childcare resource center for the northwest region is YW Child Care Connections, 1018 Jefferson Ave., Toledo, OH 43624. Call YWCCC at 419-255-5519, 800-632-3052 or e-mail: ccc@ywcatoledo.org.
Celebrate the Successes: “No for an Answer is Not
an Answer!”
By Shannon Mugrage
Finding quality childcare is a difficult task. Finding quality childcare for children with special needs is an even greater task. Lucas County is one of few places that has a person who specializes in finding childcare for children with special needs. Theresa Towner, Disability Specialist at the YW Child Care Connections had some positive things to say about one little boy’s experience with day care, and tips for parents of children with disabilities to aid in their search for quality childcare.
When a parent of a child with a disability approaches a potential caregiver, Towner said, “there is fear on both sides.” Herself a parent of a child with special needs, Towner is an advocate for inclusive childcare. She recently attended a regional Healthy Child Care America conference in Indianapolis this past August, and she is also active with the Special Needs Institute (see story, page 3) which trains daycare providers about how to care for children with special needs.
In a recent interview, Towner recounted the uplifting story of a boy, Robbie, who is three years old. Robbie attended two childcare rooms. Before transition, he spent most of his time in the toddler room of Star Shine, a nursery and preschool. But for two hours, four days a week, he attended the special education preschool through the public school system. His parents and the providers in the preschool decided it was time to officially transition him out of the toddler room at Star Shine but were concerned about his special needs. Robbie liked to put things in his mouth he was not supposed to, and his occupational therapist suggested he wear a chew necklace; whenever he had the urge to put something in his mouth, he chewed the necklace. This worked beautifully in the toddler room, where there were generally no small pieces lying around to tempt him. But the preschool room was another story: in addition to small parts of toys available for chewing, there were also concerns that there was not enough one-on-one support for Robbie. Robbie’s mother, Lori Marksch, said, “Transition was the hardest part for us. Robbie doesn’t understand—he’d mouth everything. One-to-one support is what he needed.” The director of Star Shine, Elaine Krause, began thinking about ways of meeting Robbie’s needs. It was at this time that Towner was called.
YW Child Care Connections has a disabilities services program that provides technical assistance to centers like Star Shine. Towner went to Star Shine to observe the preschool and toddler rooms and noted, “the staff had already made many accommodations” for Robbie. She said under the leadership of the director, Elaine Krause, “the staff had adopted a positive attitude about Robbie even though there was more work involved.” Towner organized a disability awareness program for the rest of the children in the preschool, all typical. She said, “the older children were very receptive and had a good attitude about the child.” She formed a curriculum of activities to help each typical child in the preschool recognize their own uniqueness, using crafts and stories to convey her message. Some children wore a sock on one hand with rubber bands to realize what life would be like without full use of that hand, while others wore Vaseline-covered goggles to understand what a vision impairment would be like. Towner was impressed with the children. “They acted very matter-of-fact about the topic of disabilities. They didn’t have the fear. They had some questions, but no fear.” Towner was equally impressed with the staff of the preschool at Star Shine. She said, “There was no complaining; there was just doing it. The staff knew there would be extra work,” in taking Robbie into the preschool, “and instead of complaining, they just did it. Ultimately, I think they just accepted him for who he was. The effort was truly there.” She concludes that this is the key to success: “If everyone around the child has a positive attitude, then inclusive child care will be a success!”
Krause considered one-to-one supervision for Robbie, and when finding funding became a barrier, she said, “‘No’ for an answer is not an answer,” and proceeded with inclusion. Robbie’s family had some funds from Family Resources through MR/DD, and the daycare selected a paid volunteer to assist Robbie during the upcoming school year. Krause said she would find a volunteer to come in if funds became unavailable.
Marksch offered insightful words and said her history with daycare has been “very rough.” She said, “Daycares are set up for ‘normal’ children.” She confirmed, however, that Star Shine has gone above and beyond in their efforts to accommodate Robbie.
Towner suggests parents of children with
special needs follow the same guidelines for finding childcare that
parents of any child would follow (see Tips). She says both parents and
providers “have to get over a fear of communication” about their children.
Ask questions that need asked and make suggestions to help providers learn
about your child’s specific needs. “After all,” Towner states, “providers
only know what parents teach them about their children.” Additionally,
when searching for quality childcare,
Towner suggests asking if the provider has an opening for a two-year-old,
not if they have an opening for a two-year-old with Down syndrome.
Finally, for additional information about childcare, contact the child
care referral agency in your area. For information in the northwest
region, contact YW Child Care Connections at 800-632-3052.
Healthy Child Care Ohio Gets Moving
By Deb Scott-Asakura,
R.N.
Nurse Education Consultant
Ohio has received funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to (1) begin collaboration with other state agencies involved with childcare services and (2) mobilize a health consultation network for children in childcare settings. This national effort is called Healthy Child Care America, and in Ohio, it is referred to as Healthy Child Care Ohio.
Healthy Child Care Ohio (HCCO) has specific, planned activities for the next year. The main goal is to enhance health consultation to childcare providers and settings and develop training and technical assistance for health providers specific to health, mental health and early intervention topics. BEIS is in the process of hiring a public health nurse specialist to coordinate HCCO. This position should be filled in the next few months.
BEIS has been involved in laying the groundwork for regional Child Care Health Consultants throughout Ohio. Funding will soon be available for regional Child Care Health Consultants responsible for providing health information, training and technical assistance to the childcare community in a specific region of the state. More information about this funding opportunity will be publicized soon. Typical tasks of the consultant will include discussing health issues with parents, linking childcare centers with the healthcare system, consulting with childcare personnel regarding health conditions that require special services, and developing a network with the Help Me Grow system located in each county.
BEIS will also be updating the Communicable
Disease Curriculum used to train childcare personnel in Ohio. A statewide
workgroup has been assembled to revise the curriculum and projected
completion is December 2001. Additionally, BEIS is planning to develop a
curriculum for childcare personnel working with children with special
needs.
While the issues of healthy, safe childcare with trained professionals are
important, so is the knowledge of how to recognize quality childcare. The
list below is taken from the National Association for the Education of
Young Children (NAEYC) brochure, “What are the benefits of high quality
early childhood programs?”
Quality childcare looks like:
Activities are Age Appropriate and individually suited to children.
To find childcare in your area, please go to www.occrra.org or call 614-224-0222 ext. 135 for your Child Care Resource and Referral agency (CCR & R). Your local CCR & R serves families, childcare providers and communities in many ways including helping families find reliable childcare, providing information or statistics related to childcare issues and providing training and resources for childcare providers.
More information can be obtained about the HCCO Initiative by contacting Deb Scott-Asakura at 614-644-8389 or dasakura@gw.odh.state.oh.us.
What is Tourette Syndrome?
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following information was provided by Sue Levi-Pearl, Director of Medical and Scientific Programs, Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc.
Named after a French neuropsychiatrist who successfully assessed the disorder in the late 1800s, Tourette syndrome is a neurobiological disorder characterized by tics—involuntary, rapid, sudden movements and/or vocal outbursts. The most common symptoms are eye blinking, head jerking, shoulder shrugging and facial grimacing. Vocally, tics can include throat clearing, barking noises, sniffing and tongue-clicking. Symptoms change periodically in number, frequency, type and severity—even disappearing for weeks or months at a time. Cursing, uttering obscenities and ethnic slurs are manifested by fewer than 15 percent of people with TS. Though these vocalizations - called coprolalia - are not intentional, too often the media seize upon this symptom for its sensational effect.
No definite cause has yet been established, but considerable evidence points to abnormal metabolism of at least one brain chemical called dopamine. Genetic studies indicate that TS is inherited as a dominant gene, with about 50 percent chance of passing it from parent to child. Males are three to four times more likely than females to exhibit Tourette syndrome symptoms. These and other symptoms typically appear before the age of 18, and the condition occurs in all ethnic groups.
TS is diagnosed by observing symptoms and evaluating the history of their onset. No blood analysis, X-ray or other type of medical test can identify this condition. The TS symptoms usually emerge between 5 and 18 years of age.
While there is no cure, medications are available to help control TS symptoms and range from atypical neuroleptics to neuroleptics, anti-hypertensive drugs and anti-depressants. Individuals react differently to the various medications, and it frequently takes some time until the right substance and dosage are achieved. Almost all of the medications prescribed for TS treatment do not have a specific FDA indication for the disorder. Many people with TS get better, not worse, as they mature. In a small minority of cases, symptoms disappear completely in adulthood. Children with TS have the same IQ ranges as the populations at large, but problems in dealing with tics often combined with attention deficits and other learning difficulties may call for special education assistance. Under federal law, an identification under the other health impaired category may entitle the student to an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Despite problems of varying severity, many people with TS reach high levels of achievement and number in their ranks as surgeons, psychiatrists, teachers and professional athletes.
For more information on Tourette syndrome, please contact the Tourette Syndrome Association Incorporated at 42-40 Bell Boulevard, Suite 20, Bayside, New York 11361 or at 1-888-4-touret. You can also reach the association by writing to ts@tsa-usa.org or clicking on the web site: http://www.tsa-usa.org.
Family Support Specialists’ Profile
One Proud Mom Talks About her “Great Bunch”
By Deb Krill
Family Support Specialist, Henry County
My name is Deb Krill, and I am married for the second time to a wonderful husband, Ken, who is a postman at our local post office. We have been married for thirteen years, and together we have four children: two from a previous marriage and our youngest two together. I love my job as Parent Coordinator and enjoy meeting and helping other families who face similar challenges as I do raising kids with special needs.
Our son, Doug, is 9 years old and was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder and depression at age 5. He is quite a challenging little guy, but I would not trade him for the world. With Doug I seem to be on the go a lot. Medication and medical advice from psychiatrists and psychologists along with behavior therapy are a must in his life. I like to say that Tourette syndrome is a hidden disability. It shows up in various ways, especially in the early years of life. Doug did have some developmental delays as a young child, as well as other symptoms such as hand flapping, echolalia, throat clearing and repeating words. It was through the early intervention program my daughter was involved in that these delays were brought to my attention. Doug got involved in the early intervention program at age two, and I am so thankful he did. In fact, it was with the support of early intervention and preschool that kept me going through the early years of his life.
Our daughter, Melissa, was born with Down syndrome and is a delight in our family. When she was ten months old, she underwent open heart surgery. It was a scary period in our lives, but with God’s blessings from above we prevailed. Melissa is doing wonderfully to this day. She is now in second grade and attends public school. For the most part she is taught in the special education class and also transitions in with the typical children during the school day. I am thankful she has the opportunity to learn right along with her peers and get the education all children deserve.
Our oldest son, Ryland, is twenty years old and also has Tourette syndrome. He was not diagnosed until the age of seventeen, however. It was a matter of putting two and two together after Doug was diagnosed. Growing up, Ryland had some quirky habits. He would constantly blink his eyes, and his neck and shoulders would jerk all the time. I sought medical advice but was told it was a nervous habit. As with Doug, Ryland also has some learning difficulties which are quite common with Tourette syndrome. His Tourette’s is more controllable than Doug’s and does not require having to take the medication that Doug does.
Our son, Dustin, is quite a teenager! He is
sixteen and another son with some problems. He suffers from insomnia, and
I have seen him awake for thirty-six hours at a time. But when he crashes,
he sleeps hard and it seems forever. We have seen what seems to be
countless specialists, but have received no answers at this time. Recently
we sought advice from the psychiatrist who Doug sees for medication
evaluations, and the psychiatrist has ordered a sleep study for Dustin. I
am very thankful we did. I have a feeling we will be getting some answers
that will shed some light on things soon.
This is my family, and I am one proud mom! My kids are a great bunch even
if we face many challenges. I love them deeply and feel quite blessed from
God that He has entrusted me with them all!
Tips
Childcare Checklist: Tips for Success
EDITOR’S NOTE: This checklist was compiled from information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and from the Toledo Day Care Task Force.
FINfacts is a FREE publication of the Family Information Network.
Mission Statement: The Family Information Network is a statewide parent network designed to keep family perspectives at the forefront of Ohio's Help Me Grow system by offering support through information and education to families of young children and the professionals who serve them.
The Family Information Network is supported by the Ohio Department of Health. For more information about FIN, please contact:
Kathy Arnold
Family Support Specialist
Bureau of Early Intervention
246 N. High St.
Columbus, OH 43266-0118
(614) 644-8389
To be added to the FINfacts mailing list or to change your address, please contact:
Kathy Wilson
Family Child Learning Center
143 Northwest Ave. Bldg. A
Tallmadge, OH 44278
(330) 633-2055
http://www.familychild.org/contact_us.htm
:: close window :: print newsletter ::