The Foreign Service Journal, June 2006

84 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U N E 2 0 0 6 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT GETTING STARTED The Foreign Service and Your Special Needs Child — This page lists all the regulations, allowances, links and procedures you will need and is a great jumping-off place: http://www.state.gov/m/a/os/28253.htm. Of particular interest is the Department of State’s Standardized Regulations, Section 276.8: Education Allowance – Child with Special Needs. Transitioning Overseas with Your Special Needs Child — This Department of State pamphlet is available at http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/28018.pdf. Special Needs and the Foreign Service Child — This Web publication, put out by the Family Liaison Office, is available at http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/9856.htm. E-MAIL GROUPS/LIST-SERVS Foreign Service Livelines is an FS-wide group focusing on FS top- ics and issues, sponsored by AAFSW (aafsw.org ). To join, send a blank e-mail to livelines-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Foreign Service Special Needs provides support and information on special needs issues in the Foreign Service. To join, send a blank e-mail to FSspecialneeds-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Foreign Service Gifted is an e-mail group for Foreign Service parents of gifted children. Join by sending an e-mail to fsgifted-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Special Needs Abroad , sponsored by Tales from a Small Planet (www.talesmag.com), is for expatriate families with special needs children. Join by sending an e-mail to specialneedsabroad-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Special needs-oriented e-mail groups abound. You can find very specific groups for people with Asperger’s Syndrome, Down’s Syndrome and auditory processing problems, as well as the gifted and talented — the entire array of special needs conditions. Try www.yahoogroups.com to get started, or Google the name of your child’s condition and look for an official organization Web page. STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICES AND AFFILIATES Family Liaison Office Home Page — Contact the Family Liaison Office not just to talk with the Education and Youth Officer, but also to find out who the Community Liaison officer is at each overseas mission. The CLO should be able to help with local contacts. http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/. Education and Youth Issues (Family Liaison Office) — The Education and Youth officer covers every educational issue for the Foreign Service family and liaises with other offices and agencies. Check out the helpful links on this Web page, too. http://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/c1958.htm. Employee Consultation Service — This office, made up largely of social workers, advises State’s Office of Medical Services on medical clearances for special needs children, as well as arranges evaluations and acts as a liaison between parents and specialists. ECS can be reached by telephone at (202) 663-1815 or by e-mail at MEDECS@state.gov. Office of Overseas Schools (A/OS) — One of the first stops for families transitioning overseas, this office has worked hard to greatly increase special needs programs in overseas schools, and provides a list of schools. http://www.state.gov/m/a/os/. A/OS’s Web page, Schools by Regions — This page, which is updated yearly, can be accessed at http://www.state.gov/m/a/os/c1684.htm. The Overseas Schools Advisory Council — Made up of representatives of corporations with families overseas, the council funded the publication of a book, Count Me In! Developing Inclusive International Schools , now in its fourth printing. This book for teachers, administrators and parents, is available on the Office of Overseas Schools Web site at www.state.gov/m/a/os/c14053.htm. MISCELLANEOUS RESOURCES When it’s time to make up your bid list, check out Tales from a Small Planet , which features Real Post Reports as well as a list of international schools: www.talesmag.com or www.realpostreports.com. Rebecca Grappo of FLO recommends LD Online (http://www.ldon line.org), a W eb site that provides support for all sorts of learning disabilities. Be sure to sign up for their newsletter. Also note the page called “Understanding the IEP Process” at http://www.ldon line.org/ld_indepth/iep/understanding_iep_process.html. Reading Rockets is funded by a grant from the U. S. Department of Education’sOffice of Special Education Programs. The goal of the project is to provide information on how young kids learn to SPECIAL NEEDS RESOURCES