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1. You are a hero for your kids. You are. You’re a go-the-distance, fight-the-dragon, face-the-challenges hero for your kids. Taking a beating makes that more true. Not less. 2. We all struggle. Every parent. Everywhere. We all second-guess ourselves. And we all want to quit sometimes. Hold the good times close, and when things are tough, remember “this, too, shall pass.” 3. Finding the funny may not save your soul, but it will save your sanity. Or maybe it’s the other way around. Either way, look for the humor and embrace the crazy. Laughter is a lifeline. 4. Every day, you will feel like you have mishandled something. Like you’ve been impatient. Like you’ve misjudged. Like you’ve been too harsh. Like you’ve been too lenient. You may be right. Apologize if you need to and then, whatever. Seriously. Just whatever. Let it go. 5. The crazy, the crying, the cuddles. The screaming, the sacred, the scared. The minutes, the magic, the mess. it’s all part of it. And it’s all worth it. 6. Family is the best. Even when it’s not perfect. And it’s never perfect. Ever. 7. At the end of organization, at the end of patience, at the end of perfection, we die to ourselves. And then love rises from the ashes. it sucks. And then it gets better. And then it sucks again. Still, love rises. 8. You will never regret parenting. Except for the teeny, tiny tons of times when you secretly wonder if you maybe regret it just a little. But, overall, never. And overall is what counts in the end. 9. Parenting is like climbing the big mountain. Look for the base camp. That’s where you rest, meet other climbers, take in oxygen and acclimatize. Base camp is what makes summiting possible. 10. You are not alone in this strange, vast, parenting ocean. Even in the dark of night. You are not alone. You’re not. 11. Kids know the way to magical and they’ll give you a free pass to come along. Breathe in the magic as long as you can because that same kid is going to poop his pants in just a minute. 12. There’s a very fine line between enjoying the chaos and barely surviving. Actually, there’s no line at all. it’s all mixed up together. That “fine line” thing is a lie. 13. If you pay attention, kids will teach you how to laugh loudly, how to love deeply and how to live fully. They will also ruin all your stuff. 14. Any number of kids is a lot of kids. 15. Look for joy. You’ll find it in the middle of the busy. Or under the ridiculous. Or hanging from the overwhelmed in its underpants. Joy’s like that. it’s in the middle of everything. it’s completely unpredictable. And it will surprise you when you’re not expecting it. Like vomit and diarrhea, except good. 16. You will fall apart and do it all wrong. Forgive yourself. Ask your kids to forgive you. Set an example of resilient fallibility. Set an example of practicing the art of love — both loving yourself and loving others. No one does this parenting gig right the first time. Or the last time. Or the times in between. Showing your kids how to keep going after getting it wrong is a wonderful gift to give them. 17. Kids are difficult, gross, confusing and awesome. So are you. 18. Parenting will bring you face to face with yourself. it may be terrifying. it may break you. But it will also rebuild you, and you will be stronger than you ever thought possible. 19. Balance is a myth. Parenting isn’t a tight-rope walk; it’s a dance. Strive for rhythm instead of balance, and trust yourself to move to the ever-changing beat. 20. Yes, you will have days where you wonder where the hell the capable and organized you went. Yes, you will sit on the floor of the main aisle at Target by the check-out area with a child who is thrashing, screaming and calling you names. Yes, you will have to tell your child that the dog is not a napkin and to put down the urinal cake. If you do not do all those things literally, then you will do them figuratively. And yes, you will also hold that child and rock back and forth and tell him you love him and tell him he’s safe and tell him you’re not leaving even though he will someday leave you. This is parenting. it is tragic and triumphant. Messy and magical. Sacred and spectacular. And it is, always, fiercely worthwhile.

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Autism spectrum disorders are surrounded by a haze of misconceptions, many of which are harmful for autistic children and adults. It’s time to straighten a few things out, and to spread the word on this complex series of cognItive and intellectual disabilIties wIth a lIttle good old-fashioned debunking. 1. Autistic people have no empathy. This is a common belief about autism; people think that because autistics are sometimes blunt or have difficulty navigating social norms, they aren’t empathetic. In fact, just the opposIte seems to be true. Rather than not feeling enough, many autistics feel very intensely, and are easily overwhelmed by the emotions of those around them. 2. Autistic people can’t communicate. Autism spectrum disorders take a variety of forms, and some people wIth autism are nonverbal, but that doesn’t mean they can’t communicate. Some use communication boards and other methods to communicate wIth the people around them, but It requires patience to establish and maintain communication wIth them. Historically, people wIth more severe forms of autism were often isolated in instItutions, but more modern treatment of autism encourages the use of therapy and other techniques to interact wIth patients and find a communication mode they feel comfortable wIth. 3. Autistic people are violent. This particularly damaging assumption about autism was widely bandied around in the aftermath of the horrific Sandy Hook shooting. In fact, autistic people are no more likely to commIt acts of violence than anyone else, and when they are violent, self-harm is a much more significant concern. Autism and other disabilIties also put people at an increased risk of violence, which means autistics have far more to fear about the world around them. Some autistic people do act out or have what are known as “meltdowns,” usually as expressions of frustration wIth themselves or sItuations, but this doesn’t equate to violence against other people; an autistic might throw objects in frustration, for example, wIthout any desire or intent to hIt people wIth them. 4. Autistic people are savants. Everyone who’s seen Rainman thinks autistic people are savants, capable of extreme feats of memorization and other amazing skills. While It’s true that some savants are autistic, not everyone wIth an autism spectrum disorder has these capabilIties; some in fact have significant learning disabilIties that require accommodations in the classroom. 5. Autism is the result of “refrigerator mothers.” This awful myth about autism has been largely debunked, but It’s still worth a mention. Some people used to believe that autism was caused by bad parenting, wIth a specific focus on cold or isolated mothers. The result was a lot of misinformation about autism, and terrible pressure on mothers who were already learning about how to navigate the world wIth autistic children. In fact, autism has no clear cause. 6. Autistics can’t make friends. Along wIth the belief that autistic people lack empathy comes the assumption that they live isolated lives and have difficulty making friends. Just like everyone else, though, autistics are perfectly capable of establishing and maintaining not just friendships but other kinds of relationships wIth the people around them. Isolating autistic people in a misguided attempt to protect them can be very harmful, just as It would be for anyone else. 7. Stimming (repetItive behavior like flapping or rocking), is undesirable and should be stopped. Stimming is familiar to many people who are at least vaguely familiar wIth autism — sadly, It’s often used in mockeries of autistic people, by individuals who think that making flapping gestures or imItative noises is funny. For autistic people, stimming is one way to deal wIth chaotic environments or stress, and rather than being something that should be suppressed, It can actually be a healthy method of personal expression and sometimes communication as well. Autistics who are forced to modify or hide their stimming behaviors can develop even more stress, which can interfere wIth focus, completing tasks of daily living, and other activIties. It’s important to be aware that the autism spectrum is vast, and that autism spectrum disorders can manifest in a huge variety of ways. Every autistic is different, and every one deserves respect and dignIty. That includes not perpetuating harmful stereotypes, and correcting people who falsely repeat them.

The Freedom Stick is a system, it can be downloaded and installed on a 4gb Flash Drive and carried everywhere by the student, plugged into and used on school computers or public library computers, or even employer computers – anywhere any version of Microsoft Windows is installed (including on Apple Macintosh computers which can have Windows installed as a second operating system). Or it can be installed directly onto your own computer. it is safe in all computing environments, tested globally since development began in Scotland with EduApps. This version was developed with US Department of Education and Michigan Department of Education grants through Michigan’s Integrated Technology Supports (MitS) in order to bring Universal Design Technology to American schools. The Freedom Stick is a collection of free, open-source programs which provide the widest range of supports for differing student needs. it is also a system supported by a range of learning tools – including a full set of “how to use” videos and presentations. it is easy to adapt to the students own needs, and it works with the supports included in Windows to create a true Universal Solution Set.

Another survey, released about the same time, has not gotten the attention it deserves. This one conducted by Scholastic and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is called Primary Sources: 2012. it contains valuable information about what teachers think. Among other things, the survey asked teachers what they believe will have the greatest impact on improving academic achievement. This is what teachers said were the most important factors: 1. Family involvement and support (84 percent said it would have a "very strong impact"); 2. High expectations for all students (71 percent said it would have a "very strong impact"); 3. Fewer students in each class (62 percent said it would have a "very strong impact"); 4. Effective and engaged principals and building-level leaders (57 percent said it would have a "very strong impact"). These were the factors that teachers said were least important in improving academic achievement: 1. A longer school day (6 percent); 2. Monetary rewards for teachers based on the performance of the entire school (8 percent); 3. Monetary rewards for teachers based on their individual performance (9 percent); 4. A longer school year (10 percent).

Whats and Whens:PTAC and FPCO will be conducting a series of webinars on FERPA. All webinars will last approximately one hour. To sign up for one of these webinars, please see the corresponding links. And be sure to check back regularly for additional training opportunities. December 7, 12:00 pm (MST): FERPA 101. This webinar will provide FERPA basics, geared toward an LEA audience. it is not specifically about the recent regulation changes; rather it will provide a high level overview of FERPA and how it applies in the K-12 context. For more information visit: https://edinfoevents.webex.com/edinfoevents/onstage/g.php?d=662947509&t=a January 11, 12:00 pm (MST): Data Sharing Under FERPA. This webinar will review best practices for data sharing, including reasonable methods and written agreements. This training will include the recent regulation changes. While the training is geared toward SEAs, all are welcome to participate. For more information visit: https://edinfoevents.webex.com/edinfoevents/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=661742602 February 9, 12:00 pm (MST): FERPA for Colleges and Universities. This webinar will provide FERPA basics, geared toward a postsecondary audience. it is not specifically about the recent regulation changes; rather it will provide a high level overview of FERPA and how it applies in the postsecondary context. For more information visit: https://edinfoevents.webex.com/edinfoevents/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=666846567

Positive behavior support: that phrase got your attention, didn’t it? it sounds like a great idea, but most people don’t actually want to put in the effort for it.  Unfortunately, punishment and negative attention – comments such as “Stop it!” and “No!” – seem to come more naturally to most of us. But this idea just won’t go away.  So – what is it and why is it here to stay?