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We continue our interview with Pam Lindemann. Pam has been advocating for children with special needs for over 10 years and is the founder of an organization called Panda for Parents. Panda for Parents helps parents get what they need in the public school system. Through Panda for Parents, Pam offers a free support group for parents. The support group meets the last Friday of each month and allows parents to help each other and learn how to best advocate for their child in the school system. Following is a conclusion of our conversation with Pam.

1. What lead you to become an expert in advocating for children with special needs? “Twelve years ago my first daughter was born, Kathryn. She was born with a congenital brain problem resulting in her brain not separating properly. She suffered a lack of oxygen which resulted in Cerebral Palsy. She was in the hospital for a long time and the Neurologist told us she wouldn’t live past the age of three. So now here we are 12 years later and Kathryn is a beautiful girl. She has Cerebral Palsy, she doesn’t walk, she doesn’t talk and is dependent of my husband and I for everything. But she is such a joy. When I realized what it meant to have Cerebral Palsy I knew, in order for her to have the best possible shot at life, it was going to be up to me to help her navigate through life and a big part of that is going to be in the public school system. So I started looking for jobs that would pay me so I could learn all this stuff. It was just so overwhelming. I did a lot of work for organizations and helping families. I learned a lot about helping Kathryn and helping other families. A few years later my son Jonathon was born. He is a very healthy kid and he also has some sensory issues that cause some learning difficulties. I’ve always thought it is funny to be given two kids on opposite sides of the spectrum. It enables me to be a lot more empathetic with a whole bunch of different types of children with disabilities. And so I started teaching by sharing what I knew with other parents.”
2. Why are IEP’s important versus just working individually with a child’s teachers? “Here is what I think, our teachers are absolutely phenomenal teachers, as are therapists and administrators, in the public school system. There are some people of whom I am eternally indebted because they did wonderful things for Kathryn. That being said, it is also extremely challenging to educate a child with special needs. It’s challenging to educate a typical child in the school system. An IEP is the most important thing to have for your child in the public school system because it gives them rights. It gives you avenues that you wouldn’t have with a typical child. When our children go to public school a parent really does not have very many rights. That child goes through the public school system and we hope they’re taught well and come out well. A lot of children definitely do but as we know a lot of children in the public school system do not come out knowing how to read, write or spell. When you have a child with special needs, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) gives the parent the opportunity to meet with the school and teachers and hold the teachers accountable for what their child learns and doesn’t learn.”
3. What testing is involved in getting an IEP? “When you have a child that has been diagnosed with a special need then you have to go to the public school and request a psychosocial-emotional evaluation. I always recommend that the parent write a letter to the principal. It has to be requested in writing. I always recommend parents do everything in writing. The school system is not allowed to evaluate a child without a parent’s permission. The school will give the parents the paperwork and the parents sign to give their permission. That’s how parents know the process should have begun. Then a psychosocial assessment will be done, they will have a social worker talk to the parents and child, find out about the child’s history, determine if their were challenges around the child’s birth, and review the home situation including information about siblings. The type of testing will depend on what the child’s needs are. They will assess the child to see where they are cognitively. Where are they emotionally? Do they have a lot of behavioral problems or do they not? Every child is unique. The purpose of this testing is to come up with an evaluation that says this is where the child is right now. These are the strengths and these are the weaknesses. This is where we think she needs help. This is the type of school or classroom we think she should be placed in. This is the first step to determining what type of services the child needs.”
4. How long does the school have to complete the testing? “Once you sign a document that gives the school permission to do the evaluation the school system has to complete the evaluation within 60 days. If they do not have it completed then they are in violation of the laws that govern children with IEPs and the parent needs to go to the school and say they signed a document to have testing and it’s been over 60 days and either you do the evaluation and get it done now or I have the right to request an independent evaluation done outside the school system at the school systems expense.”
5. When you have an IEP, what do you do if the school is not performing the accommodations on the IEP? “The first thing is to have an IEP meeting. Make sure the teachers, principal, therapists and everyone is there. Start at the very basic level. Make sure everyone understands that these are the accommodations. This is what has been agreed in the IEP meeting that these are the things the child needs to succeed. Not all teachers, it’s sad to say, come August read everything on the IEP for the child. It’s an overwhelming process, or whatever the reason, many times they have not read a child’s IEP and may not be aware of what the accommodations are. So make sure the teacher understands exactly what is on the IEP and why it is needed. If that doesn’t solve the problem then you work yourself up the ladder. Write a letter to the principal and explain you are still having problems. And then ask for an IEP meeting with district personnel. Many times the district level personnel can help. If after all of this you are still having problems then you can file a complaint with the State Department of Education. And a lot of times you can get success that way.
6. You offer a workshop for parents, can you please tell us about that? “Sure, this is what I call the Advocacy 101 Seminar. It’s a great workshop for parents who have children in the school system with special needs and are frustrated and want to learn how the school system works. It’s a six hour introductory course on a Saturday. We go over the basics of what the laws are, why the children are allowed in the school system and the federal laws that support that, what parents should say and can say, and what they are allowed to ask for. We go over a lot of examples of what people have done in meetings that have worked for them and might work for another parent. The workshops are small enough so we can focus on specific problems a parent might be having in the school system. We talk and help them decide what they can do to hopefully get problems changed.”

To attend this helpful workshop and connect with Pam and her helpful support group and services for parents please visit the Panda for Parents website at www.PandaforParents.org .

Remember no one will fight harder for your child than you will!

We hope you enjoy the conclusion of our interview with Pam. It is our mission to connect families with medical, educational and special needs resources. If we can help you please contact us at www.BrightFeats.com.

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