From: Ideal Lives [lisa.simmons@cox.net] Sent: Friday, January 24, 2003 8:09 AM To: unclebridge@earthlink.net Subject: Ideal Lives message =========================================== Ideal Lives Express – January 24, 2003 Practical Support for Special Needs! =========================================== Table of Contents: 1. Let's talk! 2. Letters to Lisa 3. Subscriber Contest 4. "Sites" Worth Seeing 5. Connections 6. Food for Thought 7. Discoveries on the bookshelf =============================================================== 1. Let's talk => Our website make over is almost complete at Ideal Lives and I would like to cordially invite each of you to stop by during our grand re-opening on February 1, 2003. I think you’ll find the new look much sleeker and more professional and I’m really excited about our new, expanded product line. If you don’t want to miss out, drop me an email. I’ll be glad to send you a personal invitation to the party along with a special grand re- opening surprise. mailto:lisa@ideallives.com?subject=invite => Recently 60 minutes and Good Morning America have featured segments on Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay (a young man with Autism) and a promising new teaching method his mother pioneered – the Rapid Prompting Method. Cure Autism Now is sponsoring this research. You can see a variety of news releases related to this new method as well as read some answers to “Frequently Asked Questions” at the CAN website: http://www.cureautismnow.org/index.cfm ============================================================ 2. Letters to Lisa Lisa, I work for a non-profit organization serving people with disabilities. I am looking for ways to encourage community businesses to employ adults with developmental disabilities. I don’t know where to look – can you refer me to any information on this subject? Thank you so much. Sue Sue It’s a great idea to start developing partnerships with the local businesses in your area. They will benefit by gaining good employees and your consumers will benefit by gaining good jobs. It’s a win-win situation, but you may need to educate your local business owners on the value your consumers have to offer. Here are some resources that I think you will find helpful in getting started. 1. Prepare yourself for the task. Read articles like, “Ready and Able: Ten Ways to Show Potential Employers You Have What It Takes” at: http://equalopportunity.monster.com/articles/looking/ Also check out the information at RecruitABILITY under “agencies” (they have good info for employers too). They talk about attitudinal barriers you are likely to face. http://www.disabledperson.com/recruitability.asp 2. Put together an information packet or introductory workshop for community business leaders introducing them to the idea of employing individuals with disabilities. Be sure to have your consumers participate in the workshop too! Include handouts like these: =>“Frequently Asked Questions” on developmental disabilities http://thearcsanfrancisco.org/faqs.htm => Disability Friendly Strategies for the Workplace http://www.disabledperson.com/articles/employmentpractices.asp => Tax benefits for Hiring the Disabled http://tinyurl.com/4swg 3. Affiliate yourself with established groups. By participating in the local chamber of commerce or the area Developmental Disabilities Council you can bring employment issues to the table as a discussion topic and increase opportunities and awareness community wide. This is also a terrific way to get to know business owners on a more personal level. That rapport can translate into more job opportunities for your consumers. To locate the DD council for your state visit: http://tinyurl.com/4rf1 To find out if your local chamber of commerce has an online presence, just type “the name of your city + chamber of commerce” into your favorite search engine. 4. Make sure you are ready with well-prepared job coaches. Check out online resources like this PDF newsletter on Job Coaching: http://www.scdcdt.org/Job%20Coaching%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf Or consider enrolling in one of the online workshops available at ROLL. ROLL is an interactive online learning environment developed in partnership with Rehabilitation Education and Change (REACH) at Michigan State University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It’s available to anyone with online access and offers workshops in Job Development and Job Coaching http://www.cec.uwstout.edu/roll/workshops.htm I would also recommend the following resource books for more detailed ideas: =>Get the Marketing Edge: A Job Developer's Toolkit for People With Disabilities by Dawn Langton, Dale Dileo http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1883302005/ideallivescom => Keys to the Workplace: Skills and Supports for People With Disabilities by Michael J. Callahan, J. Bradley Garner http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1557662762/ideallivescom => Basic Employment Skills - Work Trainer Edition by Robert W. Skarlinski http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1585320048/ideallivescom All my best to you and your future employees, Lisa Note from Lisa: For help finding resources on the topic you care about, send your own “Letter to Lisa” at mailto:lisa@ideallives.com?subject=letter or use the online form available here: http://www.ideallives.com/generic387.html If you would like help finding the information you need, but would prefer to maintain your privacy, I invite you to use our Research and Referral Services any time we can help. You can learn more about it at: http://www.ideallives.com/generic54.html =============================================================== 3. Our Latest contest: Creating Ideal Lives It’s a New Year and chances are you made at least one New Year’s resolution. The most frequently picked resolutions are health related ones – to lose weight or exercise more often. This year, however, I’d like to do something different. Let’s make a joint resolution to make the world a little more IDEAL for individuals with disabilities. If you’d like to get in on this resolution, just go to our community forum and post your tips, comments, and ideas on how to raise awareness about disabilities in your community. For every forum posting, your name will be put into a drawing. If you follow through on your idea and tell us how it went – you get a bonus and your name goes in the drawing twice! The winner -- selected at random on February 15, 2003 – will receive a complimentary copy of my special report, “Disability Awareness: Special Kids Don't Have to Feel Left Out”, containing all kinds of tools and information to help kick- start an awareness campaign in your community. To find out more about the prize: http://www.ideallives.com/generic419.html To post your first tip/idea: http://tinyurl.com/ltx ============================================================= 4. Sites Worth Seeing – Excellent sites for Non-US resources => ExploraLearning.com This site offers a professional directory of services available in Singapore as well as other informative articles, and product/tool recommendations. http://www.exploralearning.com/index.html => Spectronics Spectronics is Australia's major distributor of special needs software and assistive technology for students and people with disabilities and learning difficulties. Don’t miss the "Library" section of their website which includes informative articles, FAQs, and product reviews. Their idea sharing area has lots of fun activities too. http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/ => Deafblind UK Deafblind UK offers help and advice to deafblind people, their families and carers, and professionals working with them. A free 24-hour helpline is offered to everyone, including deafblind people accessing the telephone through Braille displays. Their website offers expert information, current news, and details about services they provide within the UK. http://www.deafblinduk.org.uk/home.html ============================================================= 5. Connections: Offer your opinion The National Organization on Disabilities (NOD) is looking for volunteers to beta test its new web site, which is scheduled for launch in February. Testing will begin next week, and involves a one or two hour time commitment from the testers. They are especially interested in feedback from computer users with disabilities on the accessibility of their new web design. If you would like to participate, you can sign up using the online form at http://www.nod.org/betatesters.html ============================================================= 6. Food for Thought: "8 Tips for Encouraging Self-Esteem in Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing" by Paula Rosenthal, J.D. 1. Let the child speak. Let the child speak for himself as often as possible even if his language is limited. Be patient and listen attentively. By doing this, you are validating that what the child wants or needs is important and that he is capable of communicating for himself. You will also be demonstrating important skills of attentiveness, listening and interacting. 2. Treat the child the same. Treat the deaf or hearing-impaired child the same as you would a child with normal hearing. Children are very perceptive. Giving in to a child, pitying him or making things easier for him can all backfire later. Never use the child's hearing loss as an excuse for inappropriate behavior. Other children in the family or classroom may also become resentful for any "special" treatment that is given to a deaf or hearing-impaired child. Or, they may learn by example and treat the child differently than their other friends and acquaintances. 3. Teach the child manners. Teach the child about manners and forming friendships as early as possible. As soon as your child is able, make sure he can properly introduce himself and be able to ask other children, "What's your name?". While younger peer friendships are often comprised more of physical activities than language interaction, children may be wary of approaching your child to play because he wears hearing aids, has a cochlear implant or doesn't speak as well as others. Help your child learn how to initiate contact with other children by role modeling and practicing often. By preparing your child, he will become comfortable making new friends. This is an important skill that will serve him well both personally and professionally throughout his lifetime. 4. Teach the child about hearing loss. When your child is able to understand, explain why he wears hearing aids or a cochlear implant and possibly an FM listening system and what these devices do for him. When a peer inservice is done for his class or camp group, include the hearing impaired child. Let him demonstrate the devices he uses to the other children. Your child should feel proud of what is a necessary part of his life. By participating in the demonstration with his peers, your child will be setting the tone for how he expects others to treat him. 5. Discover the child's interests and develop them. Introduce the child to a variety of activities and find the ones he enjoys. Help him cultivate his interests by signing him up for classes, joining clubs or doing the activities as frequently as possible. This can be athletics, music, dance, writing, photography, art, cooking, etc. A child's self- confidence will soar when he learns a new skill or hobby. Both you and your child will be proud of his accomplishments. 6. Avoid labeling. Do not use a child's hearing loss as a descriptive term unless it is necessary to the discussion. Some children and their parents may be offended by having them referred to by their physical challenge. Remember, the child is many things, not just deaf or hearing impaired. 7. Teach the child self-acceptance. Don't hide the hearing aids, cochlear implant or assistive listening device. Make these devices a natural part of the child's daily life. It is important for both his self-esteem as well as his hearing benefit. If you try to protect the child by covering up his assistive devices, he will come to believe that they should always be kept hidden and they are something to be ashamed of. A child who cannot accept his hearing loss will encounter much more difficult obstacles as life goes on. 8. Acknowledge both success and attempts at success. One of the best ways to boost your child's self-confidence is to acknowledge his academic and social efforts whether they are successful or not. By doing this, you are showing him that your love is unconditional and not based on the outcome of his efforts. Motivation to try should not be inspired by the possibility of a reward from the parent or teacher. Offer the child praise, not money or gifts, for both his efforts and his achievements. This way, the child will not feel that he deserves praise or love only when he accomplishes what he set out to do. Children with hearing loss often face many obstacles growing up. Early development of self-esteem, self-confidence and self- acceptance are instrumental to their success. Use these tips at home and share them with the professionals who work with your child. Together you can ensure a bright, confident future for your child. Paula Rosenthal, J.D. is married and has two children. She, her husband and daughter are all hearing impaired. Her son has normal hearing. A law school graduate, Paula is the publisher of http://www.HearingExchange.com, an online community for people with hearing loss, parents of deaf and hard of hearing children and professionals. She is also a writer and speaker on hearing loss and related issues. To learn more about her, visit this page: http://www.hearingexchange.com/aboutus.htm. To contact her, send an email to publisher@hearingexchange.com. Copyright 2002-2003 Paula Rosenthal and Taylor Rose, Inc. All rights reserved. ============================================================= 7. Discoveries on the Bookshelf Browse through our recommended titles or follow the link to Amazon.com - the earth's biggest bookstore. Ordering online from Amazon.com is secure and easy. And for every book or product you buy through these links, Amazon will donate part of the proceeds to Ideal Lives. Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/ideallivescom Special Recommendation for This Week *** Special Children, Challenged Parents: The Struggles and Rewards of Raising a Child With a Disability Usually when I review a book for the Express I'm looking for one that's reader-friendly (a quick read, written in understandable language, and offering practical ideas). By that definition, this book may not fit -- read on to find out why I included it anyway! Is “Special Children, Challenged Parents” written in understandable language? Yes. Does it offer practical ideas? Definitely. Will it be a quick read? Probably not. You see, Dr. Naseef's book is going to touch your emotions. This is perhaps the most honest book I have ever read on the grieving process of parents struggling to accept and raise a child with special needs. By sharing his own story and those of other parents he has interviewed and worked with, Dr. Naseef discusses why this process is so hard and what parents can do to survive the process and come out on the other side. But perhaps Dr. Naseef's most valuable contribution is his message for fathers. Fathers very rarely fit comfortably into the role of fathering a child with special needs and Dr. Naseef's unique qualifications as both a father and a psychologist have given him rare insights to help other Dads facing this challenge. This may not be an "easy read", but if you're a parent struggling with your emotional responses to your child -- it is definitely a "must read". http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1557665354/ideallivescom Have you read this book? Share your thoughts and reactions to it in our community forum at: http://tinyurl.com/ltx ============================================================== => If you know someone else who might enjoy the Express, I hope you'll click the "Forward" button and send it along. Please include a note so they'll know it is not spam! We never send the Express uninvited, and we NEVER share, sell, or rent our mailing list to anyone. Your privacy is safe with us. => Anyone can subscribe to the Express by sending a blank e- mail to: mailto:ideallives-subscribe@topica.com => If you have a product that offers exceptional value & convenience for members of our community, our current advertising rates are available at: mailto:ideal_advertising@sendfree.com We specialize in REAL world solutions for REAL world challenges! Lisa Simmons, The Ideal Lives Project Author, Consultant, & Disability Researcher Web Site: http://www.ideallives.com Copyright © 2003, Ideal Lives Publications, All rights reserved. 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