Touchpoints for January 2008
Dates to Remember
Presidents Birthdays: February 15th and 18th no school
Spring Break: March 17th to the 21st no school
Annual Fund Drive: Ongoing
Auction: April 19th at the Great Hall at UCSD
Welcome to 2008!
Staying on Top of What’s Happening!
You are being e-mailed this newsletter as well as the Board Meeting minutes. If you review these documents, you will be well informed about the preschool happenings and business. I had an e-mail from a parent on the budget committee who really felt that many parents may not know all the work that goes on behind the scenes. Examples of that are the work of the budget committee, the auction committee, the diversity sub-committee and the administrative organization sub committee. You will receive a finished budget for school year 2008-2009 with a written narrative to review and vote on. The narrative explains expenses so you can see where the money goes and how well it is used. The other committees are working both towards creating a more socio-economically diverse community of families and towards the most efficient and supportive administrative model for the preschool. All of the above are aspects of the cooperative that make it such a great educational setting for children and families.
Many Thanks to all of you
The Annual Drive is one that is focused on bridging the gap in staff benefits. Due to the cost of health and retirement benefits, our staff cannot get fully covered. Our preschool is totally funded by tuition. We are sensitive to that issue for parents as well. Staff costs for fully covering benefits come form their salaries, which are not always meeting the cost of living. Several staff work two jobs to make ends meet. We have a unique and very gifted staff here. Any amount you can give to help bridge the gap is very much appreciated. Thank you.
Patty E.
Panning Ahead for the Oldest Grades
My youngest son, Michael graduated from College over two years ago and I am now dealing with both the Parent Plus loan and the Stafford student loan.
I am sharing that, as I want to give you the heads up for your financial planning for your children’s college education. My son will soon be taking over his loan, but this has been such a learning experience for me.
We have the good fortune to have a dad here at the preschool that can get information for us on how to plan for future educational expenses and is able to present this information to you. If you want a general information forum in the spring, please e-mail me to let me know and Debbie Smith can help set it up. Please e-mail or speak to me or Debbie regarding this idea. I have inserted his information below:
Andrew Smith (Emma's dad in Rene's class) is a Financial Advisor with Sagemark Consulting, specializing in comprehensive financial planning with business owners, executives and individuals. He has volunteered to provide information to UCP parents and grandparents about how to deal with the growing problem of future education expenses for our kids.
Topics covered will include:
* College Education costs have been outpacing inflation for 20 years
* Estimated future college costs
* Available options including tax deferred growth and tax free withdrawals
* Benefits of starting to save early
* Borrowing vs. Saving
* Strategies for staying on track
* How to set up a plan that fits your needs
* Investment options designed for the target time horizon
Back to the Youngest Grades-----Registration for fall of 2008
In March you receive registration forms for fall of 2008. You automatically have a priority for the time slot you have now. If you desire a change, you will need to request it on the form. Sometimes we can honor that request and sometimes we are unable to. As mentioned above, you will receive the budget to approve first.
As you know, your existing contract runs through July. In August, we typically have a summer program that runs three weeks. That registration takes place in the spring.
Construction in the fall
The First UU Church will be under-taking a construction project in the fall of 2008.. The first phase of the construction will focus on the building across from the preschool wing. It is the Bard Hall and adjoining building. They will be creating a two-story building that is multi-purpose. This phase will also create a new and much safer entry to the parking lot. The new entry will be at the corner of Front and Arbor Streets. That will be a huge improvement that we have wanted for years. However, as you can guess, there will be some disruption to the physical space. The most impacted area will be the patio where the children currently big wheel. We will need to create alternative ways/places to ride bikes. The Staff and Board will be planning to KEEP THE SITE SAFE AND WORKABLE FOR THE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN.
Quick reminder regarding pick up times
Prior to the start of this school year, there was lots of discussion regarding part and half day pick up times and we tried to create a pick up that worked for children, parents and staff. We finally came up with the answer. It would work best if the pick up for part and half day in all the preschool classes were at 12:15. It is important to get there by 12:15. It is hard to explain what happens when there is late pick ups, but it is a problem. This is a huge transition time when we need to create a smooth move to rest time. Please help us out. There are also fines for late pick- ups for this reason.
Toddler pick up is noon.
If there are any questions, please ask me. Patty
Vision and Speech and Language Screenings
February 19th will be the day for the Vision Screening for children in the pre-school who are three years of age and above. You will be getting this information in your family’s pocket in your child’s classroom. Remember that this is a screening and not a full evaluation.
We are also currently connecting with Children’s Hospital to set up the Speech and Language Screening.
Recommendations are made if further follow up is needed.
We have many resourceful parents in the school. Bob and Kelly Gralewski teach a parenting class called: Redirecting Children’s Behavior. The information is posted below:
A parenting course for the times we live in
Redirecting Children’s Behavior
From Toddlers to Teens: A Positive Approach to Parenting
About Your Instructors:
Kelly and Bob Gralewski, certified RCB instructors, are married and have three boys. They took their RCB course together in 2005 and believe that the tools they gained help make their lives more peaceful and their children more cooperative.
Course Details:
Where: 655 West Broadway, Suite 1410
San Diego, California, 92101
When: March 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31, 2008 from 6:30 - 9:15 p.m.
Cost: $395 per person. One guest is welcome at no additional charge. All course materials are included as is one hour of private consultation upon completion of the course. Creative financing options or scholarships are available if necessary for those who are motivated to take the course.
To enroll or to receive more information, please contact
Kelly at 619.818.6254 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or
Bob at 619.818.6255 or
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
WORLD PEACE BEGINS IN YOUR HOME
Below is an article from Sunday’s San Diego Union/Parade Magazine. I thought this was a good beginning look at a special need we have been working with more in the last 15 years at the preschool. Patty
What Do We Know About Autism?
By Dr. Ranit Mishori
Published: January 27, 2008
For resources and more information on autism, HYPERLINK "applewebdata://A79869B4-E004-400E-A58E-12DDC9BF1F80/health/articles/autism_resources"click here.(
As a child, I learned how autism turns a world upside down. In our house, it was my little brother who was diagnosed at 3. In the search for a treatment, parents will go to any lengths. I saw that with my parents, and I see it now as a practicing physician. Much has changed in the field of autism, but the need for parents to make decisions in a bewildering terrain has hardly changed at all.
A diagnosis of autism usually rests on three distinctive symptoms: difficulty with social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive actions or obsessive interests. These behaviors can range from mild to disabling.
Parents may first notice that something is wrong when their child fails to babble or point by age 1 or to speak by 16 months. Some autistic children don’t smile or make eye contact. Others seem to be hearing impaired or do not know how to play with toys. There also are cases in which a child who appears to be making normal developmental progress abruptly loses language or social skills.
Is Autism an Epidemic?
Until the 1940s, there was no autism—in the sense that it was an unrecognized condition. In 1988, when Dustin Hoffman’s Rain Man brought a version of autism to life on film, many of us first heard about it—as an odd, almost-fascinating disorder which was also, apparently, rare.
Fast-forward to today. Autism is front-page news. Celebrities talk about it, Congress ponies up millions for research, and the numbers are startling: One in every 150 American kids has some form of autism, says the Centers for Disease Control. The last 15 years in particular have seen diagnoses rates soar. “It is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the U.S.,” says Dr. Andrew Zimmerman, director of medical research at the Kennedy Krieger Institute Center for Autism and Related Disorders in Baltimore.
No one really knows why the numbers are so high. But there are many theories. The most commonly accepted one centers on how we define and recognize autism. “There has been an expansion in the criteria,” explains Dr. Cecelia McCarton, the director of a school for autistic children in New York City, echoing the majority of mainstream experts.
A broader definition means that there are simply more ways to be considered autistic than in the past. At the same time, parents, teachers and doctors are paying more attention to the symptoms—which tends to lead to higher numbers of diagnoses.
But changes in how children are labeled and diagnosed alone “cannot explain the rise,” says Dr. Zimmerman. Other theories rest on maternal, obstetric or environmental factors that perhaps trigger an innate tendency. “Anything from autoimmune disorders to chemicals in the environment may be involved,” adds Zimmerman. He notes that researchers have been pursuing all of these theories to varying degrees, “but science has not yet pointed us to any concrete answers.” An important study released this month suggests that a genetic flaw that occurs around conception may sharply increase the risk that a child will develop autism.
More than perhaps any brain disorder in history, autism has ignited heated arguments among parents and professionals.
What Is the Best Treatment?
There currently is no single definitive treatment for autism. “One size fits all” does not work. But starting early does. These days, children as young as 1 are being evaluated and treated. “The sooner you start, the better off you are,” says Dr. Mc-Carton. Early intervention works, she explains, because of the malleability of the brain in very young children—that is, its ability to grow and develop when stimulated.
Today, most school-based programs rely on behavioral therapy to stimulate development. The treatment aims to reinforce appropriate behaviors while discouraging the inappropriate. Typically, a child is required to perform over and over a task that autism makes difficult—say, buttoning a shirt—with rewards such as stickers or candy for performing the task correctly. This approach, practiced in different variations and sometimes customized to the individual child, helps some autistic children make eye contact, increase spoken vocabulary and master basic life skills.
Lisa Goring of Manhasset, N.Y., got her son Andrew early-intervention services at age 2. “When we started, Andrew threw tantrums that made it impossible for us as a family to go anywhere,” recalls Goring. “At first we felt lost. But after we found a program, he learned how to speak. Once he was able to communicate, his world opened up.” Andrew made such good progress that he was able to enter mainstream kindergarten. He’s now in sixth grade. Though not at the level of his peers, Andrew functions well with one-on-one support provided by his school district.
While behavioral programs claim a scientific basis, the reality is that it is difficult to test their effectiveness or even to compare one type of behavioral treatment with another. Still, these therapies win general endorsement by most professionals and many public school districts (though insurance companies generally refuse to pay for them).
Do Vaccines Cause Autism?
Most doctors and researchers answer a clear “no” to this question. But the controversy remains alive in the media and among parent-advocacy groups.
Parents in these groups have reported a sudden and dramatic social disconnect—including loss of language—in children who previously seemed to be developing normally. The change occurred soon after the children were given the first dose of the MMR vaccine (to prevent against measles, mumps and rubella), typically at around 12-15 months. These parents adamantly believe that their children’s autism was caused by something in the MMR vaccine or in combination with other vaccines containing the mercury-based preservative thimerosal. They insist that the timing of the onset of autistic symptoms is not a coincidence.
While some physicians and scientists support the vaccine-autism link, the overwhelming majority of medical professionals and mainstream medical organizations maintain that vaccines do not cause autism. This is the position of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), National Academy of Sciences, CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics and NIH. After reviewing the research, the IOM concluded that the evidence “did not support an association between autism and the MMR vaccine.”
In fact, even autistic children who never received the MMR vaccine first show symptoms at around the same age as those who are vaccinated.
Is There Hope?
Parents of autistic children should not despair. “Many kids do very well and adapt to their situation,” says Dr. Lee Marcus, clinical director of the pioneering TEACCH program in Chapel Hill, N.C. Since the 1960s, the program—now mandated in North Carolina—has been combining behavioral and developmental therapies, with parents as co-therapists. “There can be progress and optimism about the future. Society is more accepting. Many people do a good job teaching kids with autism.”
Indeed, the road ahead for people with autism depends on the attitudes of the rest of us and our willingness to create opportunities for jobs, for education and for inclusion. “We know our son will always have challenges,” says Lisa Goring, “but we feel very fortunate that we found people who understood how to teach him. He’s different, but his friends absolutely accept him. He has a community.”
Does It Work?
Experts say that nearly 80% of autistic children are given complementary treatments, including special diets and nutritional supplements. “I know of more than 300 treatments being used by families,” says Dr. Paul Law, a pediatrician and father of an autistic child, who created the first HYPERLINK "applewebdata://A79869B4-E004-400E-A58E-12DDC9BF1F80/features/080127_Interactive_Autism_Network.html"national online database on autism. But experts caution that there is little solid scientific evidence for most treatments. Among the most popular:
Elimination diets. These generally allow no casein (found in virtually all dairy products) or gluten (found in most grain-based foods). Many parents report improvements in their children’s functioning. But some professionals say the diets will only work for children who are truly allergic. One warning: Children on restricted diets could end up with nutritional deficiencies. Always talk with your child’s doctor before starting a new regimen.
Secretin. This naturally occurring hormone controls digestion and has been prescribed for gastrointestinal conditions. In 1998, some researchers suggested that a secretin deficiency could cause autism. Hoping for a cure, some parents gave IV infusions of the hormone to their children. But after a series of trials, NIH researchers concluded that there was no evidence that secretin was effective as a treatment for autism.
Chelation therapy. This is an accepted treatment for the removal of toxic levels of lead. Some have argued that autism is caused by a buildup of heavy metals (such as mercury) in the body. No rigorous scientific studies have shown any benefit to chelation therapy. Moreover, it has been associated with serious side effects.
|
|
Touchpoints 
