Expanding our Understanding of Youth With Multiple

Disabilities in Our Schools and Communities

Kyle McCurdy, MSWTiffany Saucer, MSWCorina Casco, LCSW

60%of children entering foster are at risk of

developmental delays

Nearly one-half of foster children have learning disabilities or developmental delays and need special education services.

Services we provideO RCL 12-DCFS funded program for

minors and/non minor dependents with “multiple disabilities”O Mental HealthO Medical ConditionsO Intellectual Disabilities

Services we provideO 6 Regional Center Group Homes (6 bed

homes)O 3 Children HomesO 3 Adult Homes

O Funded by either Regional Center and/or DCFS

O Children and Adults meet the following criteria:O Intellectual DisabilitiesO Medical ConditionsO Developmental Delays

Definitions

A medically fragile child may:O Have chronic health care conditions such as diabetes,

traumatic brain injury, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy (CP)

O Be a transplant recipient and require special health care support, such as tube feedings, oxygen therapy, suctioning, tracheostomy care, or a ventilator

O Have limited mobility and require special health care support due to paralysis or chronic disease.

According to IDEA, Multiple Disabilities means

O Two or more impairmentsO (such as mental retardation-blindness,

mental retardation-orthopedic impairment, etc.), the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in a special education program solely for one of the impairments.

***The term does not include deaf-blindness.

Why not deaf-blindness?

O Deaf-Blindness represents a separate disability category under IDEA. It also includes two different disabilities.

O Difference between the labelsO (1) If a child has only two disabilities, and those

disabilities are deafness and blindness, and the child is not reported as developmental delays, that child must be reported under the category "deaf blindness".

O (2) A child who has more than one disability and is not reported as having deaf blindness or as having a developmental delay must be reported under the category "multiple disabilities”

Who We ServeO Residential (Types of Medical

Conditions) Spina Bifida6%

Developmental Delay/ID9%

Epilepsy/Seizures6%

Diabetes, Type 135%

Diabetes, Type 221%

Other medical DO24%

Who We ServeO Residential (MH)

Mood Disorder6%

Adjustment Disorder15%

Depression26%

Psychotic Features6%

PTSD9%

ODD/DBD15%

Dysthymia12%

Reactive Attachment DO6%

Anxiety6%

Autism26%

Seizure Disorder13%

Cerebral Palsy5%

Intellectual Disability45%

Other disabling condition11%

Who We ServeO Group Homes

Pedro

•DCFS involvement

•Possible Termination of Legal Guardianship

•Has educational Rights

• Intellectual Disability

•Seizure Disorder•Hx Elopement•Physical Aggression

•Latino Male

10 years old Autism

Group Home

Grandmother-Legal Guardian

Presenting ProblemO Elopement from schoolO Legal Guardian not involved in the

IEP and services needed O Legal Guardian is developmentally

delayed

Lucy

• Depression • PTSD• Substance

Abuse

• Mom just passed away

• Insulin dependent

• Latina

16 year old

Diabetes

Mental HealthFamily

Presenting ProblemO Failing all classesO Conflicts with Peers & teachersO Not attending school

O Multiple truanciesO Due to medical appointments

What can you assess?O Is the family and/or student connected to

Regional Center and/or DCFS services?

O Does the family and/or student have a representative to assist with support and linking the treatment team together?

O Are they overwhelmed by the services provided?

Needs of Parents (both voluntary & involuntary out of home care)

O Navigating school systemO IEP/504 PlansO Understanding educational rights and

policiesO Support

O Feeling overwhelmed by various individuals involved in their child’s care

O Feeling different & isolated

O Navigating school systemO Nursing needs

O SupportO Obtaining homework if missing class

due to medical/psychiatric appointments

O Feeling different & isolated

Needs of Foster Youth in the school setting

Experiences O 80% of children don’t feel understood

by school representatives because they are in foster care or due to their medical conditions

O 90% of children don’t feel their nursing needs are being supported

O 70% of parents feel that they are treated poorly because their children are in foster care and/or have multiple disabilities

ResearchO As parents place their children and lose

control of daily decision making, they experience stress specifically regarding the navigation of bureaucratic systems.

O Bureaucratic challenges include: 1. Communication break down2. Navigating red tape 3. Broken promises4. Care taker turn over 5. Short handed staff

Systems our families might encounter

Families

School System

Family System

Court System

Mental Health SystemDepartme

nt of Children of

Family Services (DCFS)

Regional Center

Out of home care

Hospital System

Take into considerationO Parents with court involvement

O Who retains educational rights?O Parents voluntarily placing their

children experience bureaucratic stress, trauma, fear and worry.

O Transitional YouthO Conservatorship

Tips

O Family Centered approach to student/family

O Find out who your local Regional Center isO Office of Right’s Advocacy for that

RCO Who is your DCFS Educational

Consultant is?O You ask CSW for a 1361 Referral

ResourcesO Los Angeles County Care Coordinator - Call 211 or visit www.211LA.org

O Los Angeles County ACCESS Line (mental health services) - (800) 854-7771

O Disability Rights California- (213) 427-8747 or www.disabilityrightsca.org

O Task, Team of Advocates for Special Kids- (866) 828-8275 or

www.taskca.org

O Public Counsel- (213) 385-2977 or www.publiccounsel.org

O Family Resource Center Network of Los Angeles County

www.familyresourcenetwrklac.org O Alliance for Children’s Rights- www.Kids-alliance.orgO http://dcfs.co.la.ca.us/edu/specialeducation/index.htmlO http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/O Office of Client’s Rights Adocacy

http://www.dds.ca.gov/ConsumerCorner/docs/CRAList.pdf

ReferencesO Carta, J.J., Schwartz, I.S., Atwater, J.B., & McConnell, S. R. (1991). Developmentally Appropriate

Practice Appraising Its Usefulness for Young Children with Disabilities. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 11(1), 1-20. DOI: 10.1177/027112149101100104.

O Eikeseth, S. (2009). Outcome of Comprehensive Psycho-Educational Interventions For Young Children With Autism. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 30(1), 158-178.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2008.02.003.

O Ernest, J.M., Heckaman, K.A., Thompson, S.E., Hull, K.M., & Carter, S.W. (2001). Increasing the Teaching Efficacy of a Beginning Special Education Teacher using Differentiated Instruction: A Case Study. International Journal of Special Education, (26)1, 191-201.

O Flaherty, L.T, Garrison, E.G., Waxman, R., Uris, P.F., Keys, S.G., Glass- Siegel, M. & Weist, M.D. (1998). Optimizing the Roles of School Mental Health Professionals. Journal of School Health, 68: 420-424. DOI: 10.1111/j.1746-1561.1998.tb06321.x.

O Jackson, J.B. & Roper, S.O. (2014). Parental Adaptation to Out- of- Home Placement of a Child With Severe or Profound Developmental Disabilities. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 199(3), 203-209. DOI: 10.1352/1944-7558-119.3.203.

O Jaress, J. & Winicki, E. (2013). Our Children with Chronic Illness in School: Finding and Bridging the Gap [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from: https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum- Instruction-and-Assessment/Special-Education- Services/Documents/IDEAS%202013%20Handouts%203/Our%20Children%20with%20Chronic%20Illness%20in%20Schools.pdf

O McDonnell, J. (1998). Instruction for students with severe disabilities in general education settings. Education & Training In Mental Retardation & Developmental Disabilities, 33(3), 199-215.

O National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Autism Spectrum Disorder. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd/index.shtml#part1