Wednesday, January 18, 2006

An announcement

Square Girl has generously agreed to write for this site. It's a big upgrade. Square Girl is a provider of Applied Behavioral Analysis to children with autism and a dedicated learner from them. Her blog, Girl Squared offers both the humility and cheerfulness that I simply can't provide you. Her analysis is very humane and compassionate and I can finally look forward to reading this blog myself. As a direct care provider, Square Girl has been recently confronted with how systemic dysfunction further challenges the children and families she supports. I recommend her site for wit and wisdom about her direct care service and look forward to the same regarding her perceptions of California's developmental disability system.

Part II of Choice and Choices will be up about the time I get off my dead butt and write it.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad to see you are open to upgrades.
Will the Guest Blogger please sign in.
We special needs advocates always need to mix up the line up AND Dream Big.
Doug.....bring on SG
My disabled son and I applaud the move and look forward to continued ideas to fix a system replete with budgeting indirect service dollars at a greater ratio than benefit(or people focused) dollars.

Alana said...

Hi Anonymous,
I will be giving a more official introduction soon...I am really honored to be here, and although I respect Doug very much, I feel the need to correct him...My contribution is NOT an upgrade. Doug's perspective and analysis has a standard of excellence that I will not even attempt to meet...I will merely be sharing my perspective of the current system based on recent experiece of it. Please feel free to skip over my posts.

Anonymous said...

Thought I would give myself and name in this environment of slow expectation

Back to SG and DP....I welcome any and all dialogue regarding a service delivery system for my special needs son...that shows very little care and compassion, and is unacceptable and disappointing.(This is now with a decade's experience before the State's Looking Glass)
It COULD get better but not with current policies and Gatekeepers in place.
Based solely on his disabilities, my son, if not for the grace of mom/dad/sis....would be placed in a State Developmental Center and be offered consultative school services and custodial care in a out-of-the-community segregated school site.
We who care need to both design and build that which we know is necessary and eliminate systems that HAVE NOT changed negligibly in the last 40 years...except for constant infusions of nondirect service dollars.
My suggested true solution....establishing immediately public charter schools of excellence accepting ALL children AND creating a 22nd Regional Center focused only on Self Determined Plans.....This, for those not familiar with the "concepts" is a way to use existing systems of competition for dollars intended to be allocated to special needs populations in California(I will stand in the "fully funded and recognized line" thank you)......otherwise I remember and take heed from one of my University colleagues who "hope(s) your son has an opportunity to attend a regular school" in "his lifetime"
In the meantime I seek to "just be dad" to "my son" and expect and demand BETTER
And continue to know how to advocate
But not as "One Hand Clapping"
In passing the baton or taking it as the anchor man.............
DP and SG....what next??
The 1000 event decathalon for special needs families get old and is inhumane.
I am looking for two hands clapping and a smile to start off this Movement.
MM

Doug The Una said...

MM, a worthy name for someone who lives with the circular frustrations you've experienced.

Squaregirl, you're too modest, but I did want to introduce Mobius Man. I believe he's been reading and commenting anonymously for almost as long as I've been writing this blog. Very smart man and a compassionate father.

Alana said...

DP, thanks for the intro...it is indeed apparent that MM is both intelligent and compassionate.

MM, Your feelings and experience echo almost every parent I work with, which is why I have come to realize that it is time for all of us, including myself, to raise our voices to address the inadequacy in our current service delivery model. I have begun to see that the failure is far more than episodic and even beyond systemic...There is much work to be done, yet I am quite certain that there are enough compassionate, intelligent and authentic people out there, just waiting to join our single hands clapping in order to create a powerful sound that can no longer be unheard. Thank you MM for your compassion and dedication. I applaud you and will do my best to lend you a hand an any way that I can.
SG