TTo the 7th issue of the Lanark, Leeds & Grenville Chapter of O.A.F.C.C.D.’s Newsletter!

Inside this Issue you will find
    - Self Esteem…for parents
    - Update on Beanie Baby Raffle.
    - Bridge Club donation
    - Keeping records
    - Empowering Oneself and Advocacy.

If you have any articles or suggestions for future issues please submit to Susan Richards or Connie Beckett.

Enjoy!!!
 

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We would like to thank Janet Yunker of Language Express for her interesting talk on gift suggestions at our December meeting. Also thank you to everyone who brought treats for us to munch on!

We would also like to thank Joan   Van Asseldonk for putting a display table at a Preschool conference in Ottawa in October.

Thank you!!!
 

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Membership Fees and donations are currently our only source of operating funds. Your membership Fees are very important to us and we need you to send your membership fees as soon as possible. If you have not yet joined, please do so as soon as possible. The Annual Membership Fee is only $15.00 ($5 of which goes to the local Chapter) . So please pay today!!

NOTE: Fees will be waived upon request.

Please complete and send this notice to make sure that your membership information is correct. Return to OAFCCD, Sharen Heath, 13 Segal Dr., Tillsonburg, Ont., N4G 4P4

Name: ___________________________________________________________

Address:_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Phone:___________________________________________________________
 

Parent: ___           Professional: ___ Specify:______________________

New Member: ___ Renewal: ___

NOTE: Membership Fees can now be paid at the local Chapter level. Please contact Susan or Connie for more information or to make a payment.

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The books say that to develop good self-esteem a child needs "to be respected, listened to and understood, to be praised and to succeed." All true, no doubt, but a parent might ask, "And what about me?" Being a parent is a demanding job. Parents have needs too and they deserve to be met.
Nurturing Yourself
 

• Take care of your body - To feel good about yourself, you need to look after your health: maintain a regular and healthy diet and get enough sleep. For parents of newborns, sleep can be a problem; take advantage of your baby's naps to rest yourself. Make time in your schedule for exercise. It will keep you in good mental as well as physical shape. To combat stress, experts recommend practicing a relaxation technique. This can be as simple as a few minutes of slow, deep breathing while you're waiting for the bus.

• Nurture your interests - Even though children take up a lot of your time, don't drop al your other interests. You're still a person apart from your role of parent. For some, personal satisfaction comes from their work; others find it in a hobby or volunteer activities. "Success" is hard to measure in parenting, and that makes it important to get recognition in other areas.

• Find support - Parents, just like children, need to be listened to, understood and encouraged. Being able to talk to a partner or to friends can boost spirits. Some parents, however, feel isolated and turn to their children for support. This is a heavy burden for young shoulders, weighted down too soon with adult problems. It's better to look for support from other parents who share your situation. You'll find them at playgroups, at school meetings, or at parenting courses. If informal support is just not available, or if the problems are more complex, it is a sign of strength to seek out professional counselling.

• Lack of time - Overworked parents often put their own needs at the bottom of their list of priorities. The result? That exercise session, the visit with friends, the romantic dinner for two all get put off to a tomorrow that never comes. You're setting yourself up for disappointment if your goal is to free up large blocks of time. It's rarely possible when your children are young. Be realistic and aim for a minimum time that you can devote to yourself every day - even if it's just five minutes of reading before falling asleep - and then enjoy it fully. Even preparing a simple cup of tea, when done with the intent of looking after yourself, can refill your reservoir of energy.

• Guilt - Parents often say they feel guilty taking time for themselves, time they could be spending with their children. But consider what example you want to give. When you honour your own needs, you provide a model from which your children can learn about both self respect and consideration for others. It's a question of finding a balance.

Looking after yourself doesn't mean abandoning your children. Think of the instructions airlines give in case of a sudden drop in cabin pressure during a flight. When the oxygen masks automatically drop down, the adult should first put on his or her mask before assisting an accompanying child. If the adult loses consciousness, the child is at risk.

So give yourself permission to nurture yourself. You'll be a better parent and, what's more, you deserve it, unconditionally.

Reprinted from The Canadian Association of Family Resource Programs
 

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Don't just see Disability
... see Ability

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Update on Mini Beanie Baby Raffle

The winners of the 3 draws were
R. Miller of Almonte,
Bernice Avery of Mallorytown
and Haley McIntyre of London.

Susan Richards won the Dinner for 2 at the Tollgate Restaurant in Bell’s Corners for selling 151 tickets. Marlene Hull was not far behind selling 117 and George Herr sold 75 tickets. Thank you to everyone that sold tickets.

Ticket Sales                                                            $ 537.00
Donations in lieu of selling tickets                           65.00

Expenses
Purchasing Beanie Babies, Lottery License        $ 159.60
Printing of tickets, mailing etc.

Total Profit from Raffle                  $  442.40

Getting the help we need for our children can be a very daunting task. One of the most powerful tools for facilitating this as we work with professionals is a record book, which contains, in an organized way, essential information about your child.

Fran Rice, a noted child advocate in the United States, believes parents are in a unique position to create one of these "books" to provide an organized record of information about their child. This record can accelerate the process of professionals gaining familiarity with your child and his/her history. The first task of any expert is to gather information--if you facilitate this process, the doctor/health care professional/educator can spend more time problem solving and intervening, instead of first having to reconstruct your child's "story".

The first step is to buy yourself a good sized three ring binder, a hole punch, some three ring lined paper and a set of dividers. This will become your permanent file for all the information you will need. Remember, the purpose is to record information--do this in a way that feels comfortable to you (i.e. point form notes, dictate to a typist, print, etc.). Next you need to label and arrange the dividers as follows:

* Profile You will record here the child's strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes. Who is this child?

* History You will record here the child's immediate family tree, health history, developmental history and any significant events in the child's life.

* Concerns - Current. Before each meeting with a professional, write down the concerns you have right now. This will form the basis of your initial discussion. Date these records.

*Concerns - Past. Keep past records, again dated including any action taken.

* Medical You will file here copies of any letter you have written to or received from doctors, letters from one doctor to another (obtain copies from you child's physician(s).

* Diagnostic or Treatment Reports Begin and maintain a record of any relevant medications your child has been prescribed (Doctor, name of medication, amount, date begun and why, any changes, date ended and why, benefits and side effects). Also file here copies of any articles or information you have shared with health professionals.

* Psychological/Social You will file here copies of any letters, reports, assessments, etc. dealing with psychological/emotional/social/behavioural concerns. If the document relates to the school, put a note in the "Education" file to say that "document" is in the Psychological file.

* Educational You will file here copies of anything about your child in school in
the past couple of years. This will include report cards, letters, notes, assessments, teacher rating scales, descriptions of your child as a learner, reports or other documents about case conferences, IPRC (Identification Placement and Review Committee) reports, any IEPs (Individual Education Plan). Ask your school for a copy of the "Information for Parents" about the IPRC and provisions for children with special needs. You are entitled to see and have copies of anything in your child's accumulated ("cum-file") record file, which is kept in your child's school. Be sure to see and read this file--it may contain some very important information! Also file here copies of any articles or information you
have shared with teachers or other education professionals.

Some general notes:
* Always keep a copy of everything for yourself--do not hesitate to ask for copies
* Make sure everything is dated
* This is your family's book--decide what you want to share with people you are dealing with. It may help to have a copy to give to the professional.

Once you have compiled this binder, keep it up to date. This will provide you with a valuable assessment tool. Many parents can pick up clues regarding their  child, simply by going back over the report cards and picking up key words - many will reappear report to report or year to year. This may provide valuable clues to the difficulties your child is experiencing or the areas where their learning is breaking down. Look wholistically at these reports-look for clues regarding social difficulties, recess or lunchroom difficulties, busing problems, etc. This type of binder is useful for doctors to assess and follow-up, for parents to prepare for meetings and for the child as they grow older and need to learn to advocate for themselves.

Within the group we often use the example of the parent as "general contractor", who seeks out and arranges the expert services. This binder will become your most essential tool in your efforts to construct a world for your child in which he or she can succeed!

CH.A.D.D. Toronto, Canada
Michael K. Tonjum,Ph.D.  drmt@parent.net
Taken from the following website - http://babyparenting.miningco.com/msubspec.htm