How To Stop and Prevent Bullying

October is National Bullying Prevention Month

Bullying can be a serious problem for children with disabilities.  Let's talk about what to do if you think your child may be a victim.

The first task is identifying the problem. Not all children will tell their parents what is happening: A child may be afraid of retaliation, or he may be feeling too helpless and humiliated. And, of course, some children may have language disabilities, or may not realize they are being bullied. In fact, only about a third of bullied students will report to an adult.

A child who is being bullied may come home with unexplained injuries, lost books or torn clothes. Headaches and stomach aches may increase, grades may suffer, she may have trouble sleeping, or there could be other signs that something is wrong. If you

Free Tutoring and Homework Help

Did you know, the Los Angeles Public Library offers free, online, one-to-one homework help? Professional tutors are available, all ages (K-12), all subjects, 7 days/week, 3:00p-10:00p. Adult learners may use the service, and Spanish-speaking tutors are included for math, science and social science. You will need a library card to access Live Homework Help, but the service is available throughout the U.S. (So if you're reading this from outside L.A., check your own library to see if it is part of the system.)

Prefer live help? The homework center at the Pacoima branch library offers trained staff and volunteers to help answer questions (grades 4-12), M/T/Th, 3:30-5:30 (W, 3:00-5:00); and the Downtown (Central) library hosts Math Mondays, 4:00-5:00, at TeenScape. (a few blocks from the 7th St. station, see "Buses In LA? No Way!").

(You can also access a boatload of academic and other courses at LAPL's online learning centers. See "Learn Something New Every Day".)

Best Kept Secret

Best Kept Secret premiered this weekend in Los Angeles and New York. In this new documentary,  special education teacher Janet Mino prepares her six students with autism for their graduation and transition from high school to adult life. The documentary opened Friday, and will continue showing at the Laemmle Playhouse 7 (Pasadena) through Thursday, 9/12. The documentary also will air on PBS' POV series, 9/23 at 10:00 pm. (Check local listings to verify dates and times.)

Have you seen it? We'd love to hear from you!

Get Organized!

The amount of paper that follows our children can be overwhelming, but an IEP binder can help you manage the flow and present a more effective case at your child's next IEP.

First, invest in a strong, medium-sized binder. The binder should be a manageable size -- it's just to help you at your next IEP meeting, not to store everything that's ever been said about your child.

Next, gather all documents -- school records, IEPs, assessments, medical records, etc.-- in one place. If you think you're missing something (old IEPs, evaluations, etc.),

Welcome!

to ALLYnceSchool, where we'll be posting and talking about issues important to parents of special needs children. I hope you enjoy our site, come back for more, and maybe join in on some of our conversations. Let us know what you think, what we're doing right, and where we need to improve!