02/23 Emu Poster

Harrison struggles to write and draw easily.  He worked hard to create the following poster for Achievement 5a for his Cub Scout Bear Badge.  He is only 5 more requirements away from earning his rank.  We will have completed those in the next two weeks and he should be awarded his rank at the Pack Meeting in March. Here is his poster of a favorite animal!

2/22 A New Year

Many things have changed in our life.  Harrison has grown in so many ways.  Here are some highlights so far this year!

Summer is Here!

It has been awhile since I have updated everyone on Harrison and what is new!

It is amazing to look back at September 2010 when school first started and see a young man who was willing to try anything and determined to be successful in First Grade. I am so happy that Harrison is ready for Second Grade and the new adventures that that will bring. For those checking in we are still not receiving any Special Education IDEiA Services from Spokane Public Schools. We are looking forward to a 3rd year in our neighborhood school. The growth that he has had this year is directly related to his new found confidence and friendships in Cub Scouts.

This year Harrison and his Dad decided that they were going to try Cub Scouts. There is not an active pack at our elementary school so while going to yard sales last summer we found a Pack that met at a nearby school. Harrison and Dave joined the Pack and started their Scouting Adventure. We decided to start the scouting program based on Harrison's grade not his age so that he would have access to the entire program.

Harrison and Dad met with the Pack on Wednesday evening and worked hard toward the Tiger Badge Achievements with the group. With a pretty small pack with peers in the Tiger Den who were 1.5 years younger than Harrison it became clear that he needed to be with age appropriate peers as he would strive to meet them at their social and skill levels and more importantly he could do it and he wanted to be with the kids his own age. One of the joys of the Scouting Program is that accommodations are not a new concept to them. Harrison did wonderfully and achieved his Tiger Badge in January. They have awesome literature on line that describe autism and ASD related issues to leaders and other parents in such a positive way.

By February our family made a decision to leave that Pack and join another group who was better prepared to meet our unique needs in Scouting. It was bitter-sweet however a good choice.

We chose to move to Pack 479 in Spokane Valley at Trent Elementary. They were kicking off the annual Cub Scout Honey Sale. Harrison asked if he could have a Honey Tasting Party and invite our friends, family and neighbors to come, buy honey and support Harrison with working toward going to Day Camp this summer! Over 50 guests arrived to the Honey Tasting Party purchasing over $800 worth of Honey that day. When we finished the Honey Sale, Harrison sold 114 items totaling $1396. Harrison earned 4 entries into the Grand Prize Drawing, a $50 Walmart Gift Card, and self confidence that many have never seen from Harrison.

Harrison joined the Pack as a Wolf and worked hard in the 8 weeks before the end of the Pack year to earn his Wolf Badge. He learned to cook on a BBQ, made a food pyramid chart, visited a Park, to name a few things. He was so happy to receive his Wolf Badge and new Bear Book. Harrison has been showing his true leadership skills and is gain confidence each time that he meets with the Den. We are hoping to see those leadership skills transfer to the school setting this next year.

The best part of this past year is the acceptance and true friendship that has grown between Harrison and the boys from the Pack. Our biggest success comes with Harrison making his first "real" friend. As the parent of a child with Autism you always hope that your child with make a connection with another person their age and with the same interests. Harrison's friendship with the cub scouts in his pack is a dream come true for us. Harrison has been accepted just as he is, and is not only expected by his peers to do his part in the pack but also to be part of their non-scout lives with sleep-overs, play dates and all! Every Mothers Dream!

This summer will be full of fun! Harrison is going to Cub Scout Day Camp- Wild, Wild, West and Blast off! Space Camp, Shoot It! Build It! Burn It! Blow it Up!, Al American Sports, the Avista Stadium Scout Night and Camp Out, Cub Scout Family Picnic, Cub Scout Family Camp, SHOCK Scout Night, and Cub Country Resident Camp with Dad! Vacation Bible School, the Buddy Builders Group at Therapy!, Spokane Indians Baseball, and Fireworks...not to mention all the regular stuff that kids do in the summer! It is going to be busy and fun!

Parenting a child with Autism is not easy, but it is rewarding when you see the hard work pay off, and your child attempt to do the things that they love, and most importantly make a friend all on their own!

Same Issues different School Year!-Call to Action!

This year I decided that I was unwilling to settle!

Education Reform and Drop-Out rates are all the buzz in our School District. I did my part in contacting my legislators with the following asking them to consider the "Real Cost" of not fixing our education system and how it impacts my son and his peers in the future! This is my opinion and what our family truly believes. (Insert Soap-box warning here!)

I would like to let you know that ending segregation/discrimination of Special Education Students into self-contained classrooms is another measure that needs to be address in education reform.

A thought to ponder and share: The Department of Education provides federal funding to provide educational services to individual states and School Districts who practice segregation and discrimination. Please consider that making parents (not respecting parent choice of the neighborhood school placement) choose to receive special education services for their child dependent on placement in a self-contained classroom not at their home neighborhood school is the same as sending Children of Color to another school because of the color of their skin which they can not help. This is our current situation for the past 18 months. You are welcome to contact us to discuss our educational issue further.

We need to end discrimination in our School Districts. If you look at the costs associated with providing segregation to students who qualify for Special Education Services you will find that most of that cost is spent on Transportation to bus to another school and one-on-one services that are measured in minutes that on most IEP's do not total 300 minutes per day (typical number of minutes in an averarge school day) and can be provided at their neighborhood schools but districts have gotten into a this is how we do it model.

We cant afford the financial cost any longer and besides look at the APR testing for special education students-very few districts who allow segregation are meeting the standards....yet school districts who because of budget constraints are unable to segregate have students with special education services who are passing the APR.

Why? Those kids have the same disabilities as kids from the "Big Cities".

I believe it is because of FULL INCLUSION! Its CHEAPER, ITS the LAW, and ITS WHAT IS RIGHT FOR ALL KIDS!

Parents should not have to choose to attend a neighboring school to have their children receive the services they need if they live 5 blocks from an awarding winning Title I school!

I appreciate your attention and attempt in understanding my husband and my position on this matter. My son Harrison, 8 years old with Autism, is the future.

The current education system is setting up Harrison’s current peers to financially support him in the future instead of teaching all children to work together so that my son will be able to have livable wage employment without having to depend on Public Assistance for living expenses and Medical coverage.

That truly is the cost of not fixing this problem now!

It is amazing where passion comes from! I have found mine...ending segregation of children with Disabilities in Public School! What is your passion and what are you doing about it?

Gerriann!

Making sure Harrison Has a Voice and Stake in the IEP Process!

To My First Grade Teacher:

My name is Harrison I am going to be in your class this year and I will be 8 years old in December. I live with my parents David and Gerriann Armstrong.

I love to be outside, monster trucks, construction equipment, rescue vehicles, and sports. I am a season ticket holder for the Spokane SHOCK. I love to swim and take lessons often. When I am overwhelmed I like to ride my scooter to help me put things into perspective year round. When the weather is bad I swing on my therapy swings, especially my platform swing.

I have a dog named Buddy. I live 5 blocks from school. I have a friend named Jared (Ferris is his camp name) who hangs out with me to give mom and dad a break. He may come to school one day a week to help out in our classroom . We just need to decided which day of the week works best for us to have him! He can help with all kinds of things not just working with me! My mom is an approved volunteer and plans to help out often.

I have been in school since I was 3 years old.

I have a diagnosis of Autism that I received when I was 4 years old. My parents have invested a great deal of time, energy, effort and money in helping me to be the person that I am today and the person I will become in the future. I go to private Speech and Occupational Therapy on Wednesday afternoons from 1 PM to 3 PM.

This Past Summer Accomplishments:

• I went to summer day camp by myself for the first time. I swam everyday and played at Mission Park.
• I attended all the Spokane Shock Games except the playoffs- it was too loud. I have an autograph book that my mom made that I asked the players to sign for me.
• My dad and I completed many wood projects at Lowes Build and Grow Clinics. I made a monster truck, race car, a bug box, and a UFO to name a few.
• I attended 13 Spokane Indians Baseball Games. I have an autograph book that I asked the players to sign for me with their baseball cards.
• I spent some time with classmates from last year going to Discovery Park, Splash Pads, and Green Bluff.
• I spent a week at Grandma and Grandpas in the TriCities where I made a pine wood derby car with Grandpa using power tools.
• I had a great summer!

My biggest Accomplishments Last Year:

• I have learned to demonstrate the skill of reading to my teachers this past school year.
• I have attended multiple birthday parties outside of school with my classmates.
• I have walked to school alone with older kids from our neighborhood
• I have play dates with my classmates outside of school without my mom, dad or Andrea being there.
• I learned to dive into the deep end of the swimming pool at the YMCA.
• I spent Spring Break at my grandparents house in the Tri-Cites alone and had a great time riding my scooter with Grandma.

Areas for Improvement:

• Even with my medication, I have a hard time with directions if they are too long or have many steps.
• Penmanship is hard for me. I have a hard time making the letters and words appear appropriately. I know the correct strokes for the letters but they don’t always come out correctly.
• I don’t often color in the lines and drawing is hard too. I can trace well and I try hard to copy pictures or drawings when others work with me.
• I have a hard time waiting, especially in a line, while the rest of my classmates are joining us.
• I have not figured out how to demonstrate the skills required in math yet. Yet I can count and I recognize both large and small numbers in context of the community and money.
• I have a really hard time being first, I like to see what is expected and then follow along. A good example is roll call with a last name of Armstrong I am certain to be first or close to first most of the time.

Some things you should know about my character:

· Anxiety causes me to chew on things. I have rubber bracelets to chew. I will not swallow them or choke on them. Mom wants to work with you on moving to chewing gum instead of pencils, markers, the bracelets, etc. She will work with my team to get something in place.

· I do not compete for attention unless it is my parents or Jared/Ferris’.

· I am a follower and will do things that my classmates ask me to do just as easily as if it came from an adult.

· Without prompting, I will not volunteer to answer questions, even though I know the answer.

· Just because I am not looking at you does not mean that I am not listening to you. I find it hard to look at you and listen to you at the same time.

· I am always listening to things around me. I have a hard time filtering out noise.

· Too much noise makes me nervous and makes it hard to do what is asked of me.

· I do not like to be spoken to loudly or be witness to others being spoken to loudly-it scares me. Mom sternly uses the phrase “Harrison NO!” when she needs me to stop immediately. I will stop.

· I hum or whistle uncontrollably when happy or nervous. It is a self calming response. It is not intended to make you crazy or be disruptive. I can not stop it, please don’t make me try, it just makes it worse.

· I love to be around other children, I do not always understand how to play or join in with them. If you see that I want to play or my classmates want to play with me, please give me the words or cues needed to join in with my peers.

A special note:

My parents believe in me and my abilities. They subscribe to the models of inclusion set by Temple Grandin and her mother Eustacia Cutler. Mom shares the “Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew” article and books by Ellen Notbohm with all who work with me…please don’t be offended it just explains why she does the things that she does and it has worked for both of us so far.

Rebuilding Together Project Photos

Spokane Public Schools-School Board Speech

I presented this speech on April 14th, 2010. I feel great about my decision to speak on something that is so dear to my heart. Change must happen and it needs to begin somewhere-no better person that me!:

Good Evening,
My name is Gerriann Armstrong, a parent of a child at Whitman Elementary. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak. I came this evening for 2 reasons. The first is the April is Autism Awareness Month. My son Harrison was diagnosised with Autism when he was 4 years old. We participated in the Preschool Program with the District and I would rate our experience as successful. The transition to Elementary School was not so much. Without getting into too much detail last year we fought a self contained placement in a Designed Instruction Classroom to the point of costing the district thousands of dollars in legal fees as well as our family. The end result is the most important…we choose not to take special education services from District 81 this past school year and trust what we knew to be true that my son could manage a general education classroom and learn. Whitman is our neighborhood school and they were thrust into the middle of this stand off and I want to recognize the Principal Bev Lund and the General Education Teacher Kari Hammond for the wonderful job of rebuilding a relationship with District 81 that was severely damaged last year. My son still receives no special education services however I have learned to trust the staff at Whitman and believe that they understand where the line of services is drawn. We have shared that we are not leaving the school and that whatever they are able to offer Harrison there is appreciated but that he will always have a seat (yes a desk) in a general education classroom- this way he knows and his classmates know that they all belong together!

Secondly, I am concerned about our districts test scores concerning No Child Left Behind or the Elementary and Secondary Education Act particularly the ones related to children with Special Education Services. According to the District AYP Message in the Annual Report Card 2009 that was sent home the week after spring break a justification was made that because smaller school districts have less students they were able to meet the requirements. Looking the Proficiency Goals for all the grades, the category of Special Education did not pass in a single category or grade level. I ask you why…if a smaller school district with less kids with less money, can do it why cant we? What is different in those districts? It is my belief and one that I think needs to be said is the difference between us and the small school districts that passed…they don’t have segregated self contained classrooms for their children with disabilities (DI classrooms) because they can’t afford them. I am saying we can’t afford them either at the level we are using them.

My son attended a special education Integrated Kindergarten last year…he learned how to do school however the belief was that my son had such low cognitive functioning that he was unable to learn in the general education classroom and that he would be a life skills kid- counting change and riding the bus. Life Skills are my job to teach as a parent I expect the school to provide the academic knowledge that he needs to be successful in employment or higher education. This year my son is working at grade level in many areas. Because of his disability we have areas of work that most other children do not…however we have private therapies that are helping in those areas. My son is learning in the same general education classroom that we were told he was too low in cognitive functioning to make progress there.

In a general education classroom my son is an active part of the class not just a “visitor” who comes to hanging out furthering the indoctrination of the stereotype that people with disabilities are different and therefore must be segregated from the “normal people.” My son needs a little more access to the teacher to understand the assignment but does not need an entirely different assignment or curriculum to learn. Teachers can teach from a cereal box if they need to and all kids can learn. Many parents do not have issues with the general education teachers- many of us have found that they are willing to try anything to make it work however the issues comes from the special education teachers or administrators who are saying without saying the words there is no money to provide the support your child needs and since we have the special education self-contained disabled only classroom down the hall or over at a neighboring school that is where we are sending you because its cheaper for us and you have unrealistic views of your child’s abilities. I am sure that none of you have been told that but there are many families who have been told that…too many who have children with Autism or Aspersers. I am calling for the development of best practices for educating children with Autism in our district. With 1 in 70 boys being affected we need to implement or replicate best practices in our state or if we cant find something that will work for us then we need to be the leaders that our children need and develop them. All our children will benefit!!!