MPC Launches “Raising Our Children” Program

The Metropolitan Parent Center announces its new program, Raising Our Children. The goal of the program is to assist parents of children with disabilities whose children are experiencing behavioral difficulties at school. Advocates at Sinergia state this is an issue that is fast growing and is not being adequately addressed at many schools. In some cases, Schools are pushing students out of their schools for behavioral reasons without having conducted a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP), a process that should take place before a student is considered for a more restrictive placement. Failure of schools to properly conduct a BIP stems in part from the lack of professional training in this area and their disconnection with community resources.

Under the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students whose behavior impedes their or their classmate’s learning are eligible for support and services that will allow a student to benefit from instruction. Some inappropriate behaviors may include impulsivity, disruptiveness, anxiousness, or inattentiveness.

The Raising Our Children Program will assist parents by offering:

• Workshops on the causes of innapropriate understanding behavior, behavior management strategies, effective behavior interventions plans, and student’s special education rights
• Special education advocacy
• The shared experiences of other parents
• Connections to community resources
• Relationship-building between community resources, parents and their child’s school

If you have an experience in this area you would like to share, we would like to hear about it. For more information about Raising Our Children, please call (212)643-2840 ext 330.