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The Allegory of the Closet
The nightmares from childhood trauma are first lived, then never lived down. I woke up this morning around 4:30 am in a cold sweat. I was awakened from a nightmare. It’s a recurring nightmare for me. It’s the kind of dream from which one awakens and feels it just happened, that all the sensations felt…
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An open letter to Maryland State Education Association President Cheryl Bost
Ms. Bost, Ms. Ostenso, and Ms. Tayman I had the opportunity to view the public comment that you provided to the Calvert County Board of Education on Thursday, October 10th and wanted to reach out to you. Like you, I believe it is important that our schools are safe for students, teachers, and staff. Like…
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We need to work together
Perhaps you’ve seen this Facebook post, it has been shared heavily in the past few days. I’m interested in your thoughts? I’d like to begin by sharing a few of my initial reactions to this post. To begin with, the children that are being referenced here are elementary school children, likely with special needs, keep…
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From Paraprofessional to Restraint and Seclusion Advocate
Today’s guest author is Molly Hoffard. Molly is a mother from Lakeville, Minnesota. She’s a Partners in Policymaking graduate, an end of life doula, a nonprofit director and an advocate for developmental disabilities. As a college student, I was sent by a temp staffing agency to work for the public schools as a paraprofessional. On my…
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My Journey to Plan B
Today’s guest author is Jo-Anne Granstrom. Jo-Anne is a mother from Edmonton Canada and a strong supporter of the Collaborative Proactive Solutions model for behaviorally challenging children. I’m thankful for fabulous articles, like this one, that lets people know about Dr. Ross Greene. I’ll start with the following quote that hit home to me: “Just…
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Our visit to the Hill
My Granddaughter, Denise, 13, and I participated in the National Council’s Hill Day through NAMI’s (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Youth Move. If you clicked on the link, you saw that the first day was spent learning about effective advocacy, getting an update on the political climate and digging deeper into areas of interest. Nicolle…
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Public Comment to the Maryland State Board of Education
Today I visited the Maryland State Board of Education in Baltimore, Maryland. My goal today was to follow up on an email I had previously sent to Superintendent Salmon and the Members of the State Board of Education. While MSDE did reply to my letter they did not answer any of my questions. Watch the…
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The many names used for seclusion cells at schools
Rooms Don’t Calm Kids With Challenging Behaviors; Accommodations do. At one of my son’s schools, they called it the “calming room.” The thing is, walls don’t calm people. Many neuro-divergent children like my son need to be taught how to self-calm. Or better yet, avoid the crisis altogether with appropriate accommodations. At another of his…
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Talking about seclusion and restraint
I was recently interviewed by Cheryl Ann Poe for Advocating 4 Kids. We had a great conversation about seclusion and restraint. A big theme for the discussion is that parents can make a difference. At times parents may feel alone and powerless, but if we work together we can influence change. See the full interview…
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Talk to your kids
Something to consider as our children head back to school this year… Children often assume you are aware of everything that happens to them at school. If they are restrained and/or secluded they may assume that you are aware. Alternatively, they may feel shame or guilt for “getting in trouble” and not want to tell…
