The Foreign Service Journal, June 2006

90 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 needs parent in the Foreign Service, you are basically on your own.” Rebecca Grappo of FLO is very much aware of the gaps between what offices do, what schools provide and what families need. Grappo reports that there have been a grow- ing number of discussions among the offices involved in special needs edu- cation: “ECS is trying to get a Post Capability Database in place and have even hired someone just to do this. They are working through the health units to gather the informa- tion. This is a new project, and it will take time to get it off the ground. It’s a challenge because people relocate frequently. But we know it is crucial to have this information in place.” She adds an appeal to Foreign Service special needs parents: “If you’ve found that ‘someone wonder- ful’ at post, please tell the health unit and insist that it be reported to ECS for the database. We are listening and we care.” For many families, the situation is improving. Special needs families face some of the most difficult chal- lenges in Foreign Service life, but with e-mail support groups and newly-created databases in the offing, their task may be easier in the near future. “Finding suitable schooling for your child while overseas is difficult,” sums up O’Connor. “If your child has learning problems, you must hope for support in the school or create your own. If your child has developmental delays, you must hope for kindness, compassion and understanding from the school and the other children.” Still, Foreign Service parents who are anxious about educating their special needs children can take com- fort — and gain perspective — from the words of one such young man: Chris Imbrie, the 19-year-old working with a tutor in Brussels. “Family is the most important thing for kids with special needs,” Imbrie wrote in a recent e-mail. “If you have a good family, you can cope with the changes. A close family is everything. ” Continued from page 88 “Family is the most important thing for kids with special needs. A close family is everything. ” — Chris Imbrie until a new one is generated. But remember, this is not the case for IEPs from private or international schools. • Once your child’s schedule has been established, ask the Director of Guidance for an appointment with your child’s new team of teachers (for secondary students) or class- room teacher (for elementary). A word of advice: Take the time to establish your own means of communication with the teachers, giving you the opportunity to share with them your child’s education history (the guidance counselor does not have to be present at all meetings). Teachers will appreciate knowing in advance what the child’s needs are and what accommodations have been made in the past. • Lastly, families are advised to forge partnerships with their child’s teachers, guidance counselors and school administrators in an effort to keep the lines of communication open. Occasionally you might find some school administrators and teachers resistant to sug- gestions for meeting your child’s needs but, overall, most profes- sionals are very eager to help each child reach his or her potential. Do keep in mind that in the D.C. area, high school teacher class loads are 150 to 180 students per day, and a coun- selor has several hundred students to follow! Needless to say, this is very different from the smaller international schools Foreign Service families are used to — in some ways better, but in other ways much more impersonal. In Between? If you are in between assignments, it is pos- sible to get updated evaluations done on your child, paid for by the Department of State or your home agency. The State Department’s Employee Consultation Service will arrange testing done by well-qualified, outside psychol- ogists. Testing can be done in Washington, or wherever you happen to be while in the U.S. Just be aware that good evaluators book up months in advance, so if you are thinking about a summer evaluation, you should start making arrangements early. FLO has compiled a number of valuable resources to help parents understand the various issues related to special needs and their chil- dren. You may find them on the FLO Internet site under “Special Edu- cational Needs and the Foreign Service Child,” which is accessible from the home page on Education and Youth at www.state.gov/m/ dghr/flo/c1958.htm. Even if your child does qualify for special education, it remains to be seen how much you can really expect. Returning to the U.S. Continued from page 89