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For the most part I believe we can agree that the educational institution needs major revamping. Most of our classes are oversized with students, teachers need more aids and time for preparations, the needs of students are more diverse than ever before and the support network for the teachers as well as the students is lacking.Given all the above, it’s inevitable for conflict among the different parties to arise from time to time. When disagreements or differences do arise at school, it’s important for all parties to ensure information from ALL sources (students, parents and teachers) is discussed openly and with respect. Miscommunications are commonplace and the short-, as well as the long-term effects can be quite disastrous.Parents, students and teachers all have rights. Parents and teachers are in a much better position at the beginning of the situation if they’re mindset is to better understand how to create positive changes for the students rather than make it a battle of wills. Before any action, I again underline the importance of gathering all the information from all the sources, which includes the student, teacher, other students (if deemed appropriate), principle, teacher’s aid, and any other relevant sources. Sometimes simple clarifications clear up potentially disastrous situations.However, as conciliatory and respectful as the encounters between parties should be, it’s important for parents to know what their rights are within the educational system. For this reason, I have briefly listed 8 parental rights.

Parents and teachers should try to create a positive working relationship for the students. It is never a question of winning or losing. The health and wellness of the students is the real priority. Raising issues should not be a forum for confrontation, but rather an opportunity to create a better learning environment for all students.

Raising children with learning disabilities or disorders and syndromes can present interesting experiences and challenges. In our series, we have already presented the importance of an accurate diagnosis and the steps parents can take to ensure a precise diagnosis. This article deals specifically with what to do with the observations you’ve collected over the past few months. To help diagnose a child who exhibits unusual behavior, detailed observations of the child’s behavior and his or her surroundings is critical. Documenting a child’s unusual behavior can be difficult and time-consuming. However, once this information has been documented over a one- to two- month period, parents begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is then time to put some order together. To make sense of the information you’ve gathered, begin by categorizing the information by time of day. In other words, put all the behavioral observations (parents, teachers and/or caregivers) of your child into 5 categories: 1) morning, 2) midday, 3) afternoon, 4) evening and 5) nighttime. Within each category, try to determine obvious patterns, inappropriate behaviors which appear to happen consistently at the same time. For example, many children have difficulty falling asleep after watching television just before bedtime. They’re more excited and apprehensive. By eliminating television, computer and video games (anything with an electric magnetic field) after 6 pm, parents might start noticing how much more relaxed the children are and how much quicker they are to fall asleep. As you place the behaviors in each time category, you may start to notice some potential triggers: Events or circumstances which precede the child’s reaction.  This is very important because in many instances, it just may well be the source of your child’s reaction. Sometimes the trigger is obvious and other times it’s not so easily detected. Care needs to be taken when looking for triggers because it’s also possible your child may be reacting to something that happened at an earlier time, perhaps a disagreement with a friend or sibling earlier in the day or Mom and Dad’s terrible week at work. Children do react for a reason. They feel the good vibes as much as the bad ones. The key is finding the right trigger and this is no easy feat. The feedback you obtain from your child’s educator/teacher or caregiver is essential. They spend the longest consecutive alert hours with the child and are in a fantastic position to be able to provide parents with a lot of detailed information. If you find the information given to you to be out of character with the knowledge you have of your child, feel free to ask the teacher or caregiver for clarification. You know your child best and by asking for an explanation, you may be able to understand your child’s behavior more than others.Food and drinks can play a significant part in a child’s behavior. Food plays a major role in how a child behaves: Food additives, preservatives, colouring (especially Red dye), flavouring (especially MSG or monosodium glutamate) and any other word a parent cannot pronounce on the label. Moreover, the effects of food are not always immediate. In some cases, the effects can be seen and experienced days afterwards. Take cow’s milk for example. Cow’s milk is very difficult for the body to digest. Many children experience irritability and bloating after ingesting cow’s milk. Some children even demonstrate aggressive behavior and sleepless nights after ingesting cow’s milk. These reactions are not unlike adults’ experiences with cow’s milk.There is a huge increase in food sensitivities as well as allergies for children. Children react in different ways but some of the most common symptoms would include irritability, hyperactivity, mood swings, inability to sleep, and distractibility. Therefore, when reviewing the behavioral information on your child, be sensitive to what your child ate and its effects. Also on the rise are children’s reactions to various forms of toxins. These may be environmental or chemical. Items as simple as soap, shampoo, cleaning products, carpets, and furniture are laced with toxins.  For example certain fresheners exacerbate asthma and other cleaners have antifreeze imbedded in their products. Dr. Gideon Koren, a pediatrician, pharmacist and toxicologist from Sick Children’s Hospital in Toronto has been studying the effects of toxins on children for a number of years. He can attest to the damage toxins have on the brain, most particularly growing brains.  For more information on toxins, see http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/home/cleaners/index2.html.In a notebook, write down the patterns you detect, identify the various triggers, make note of consistencies in your child’s behavior.  All this information will become invaluable in a parents search for the proper diagnosis.Next month, we’ll discuss what to do with the information once it’s been organized.

As parents or legal guardians, we often have to make daunting decisions about the health of our children. And because some of these decisions can have a very serious impact, we often seek information from family, friends, health practitioners and educators to help us make the right decision . Sometimes however, confusion quickly sets in at which point we may further our search to the internet, the library, the journals and the magazines in hopes of finding the ultimate source that no one can object to.One such decision we are quickly introduced to as new parents has to do with whether or not we immunize our children. We’re faced with this decision when our children are very young. For many, this is considered the most important decision, for others it is a very controversial one. Moreover, because of the long-standing research and general acceptability of immunizations some parents feel the decision is one made with ease.All immunizations have potential side effects though. This doesn’t necessarily mean each child will react to immunization. Most children experience minor to no side effect. There are however, documented cases of children who have become very sick as a result of the immunizations and this is where the decision becomes complex and more difficult for some parents. Immunizations were initiated to eliminate childhood diseases such as measles, diphtheria, rubella, polio, influenzae, tetanus, mumps, hepatitis B and whooping cough. Immunizations occur at 2-, 4-, 6-, 12-, 18 months, 4-6 years, with boosters at 14 to 16 years. There are two new immunizations for teenagers: Hepatitis and meningitis, both given in high school. In the last little while, the government has actively pursued high school students with a goal to immunize them against hepatitis and meningitis. A team of nurses is sent to the high schools to immunize the students. Unfortunately, it has recently come to light that some nurses have misled and even threatened students with suspension should they chose not to be immunized. Nurses are telling students immunizations are mandatory and have demanded students to write their names on a consent form – all this without the consent of the student’s parents. Some students requested information on the side effects of the immunization only to be told by some nurses that there is nothing for them to be concerned about. When students brought to the nurses’ attention the fact that their parents did not consent to their immunization, the nurses stated that the students did not require parental consent. In light of these recent and very serious events, I decided to write the facts about immunizations:1. Immunizations for children (under the age of 18 years) require the parents’ or legal guardian’s consent. This includes immunizations for teenagers.2. Immunizations are mandatory except for hepatitis and meningitis, however, there are exceptions for the mandatory immunizations (see bottom for exert from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health web sites).  3. A parent can refuse to immunize their child without jeopardizing their education. A child cannot be suspended from school for not being immunized. The only time a child can be requested to not attend school is when there is an active outbreak of disease for which the child has not been immunized (see exert from the Ministry of Education web site and the Ministry of Health web site). 4. Immunizations have potential side-effects and are controversially linked to disorders and syndromes including autism.The following is an exert from the Ministry of Health:“Is immunization required for attendance at school or day care in Ontario?For children attending school in Ontario, a written immunization record or proof of immunization is required, by law, for diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps and rubella unless there is a valid written exemption. Parents/guardians are required to provide this information to their local public health unit, and to update the information as necessary. There are specific vaccines required for children attending licensed daycare centers. You should contact your local public health unit or check with your daycare centre, for the specific immunization requirements.You may decide because of medical, religious or philosophical reasons not to immunize your child. In this case, you will need to provide a valid written exemption to your local public health unit. If the disease appears in your child’s school or daycare, your child may have to stay out of school/daycare until the disease is no longer present.” If you would like to immunize your child check with your family physician and ask what the side effects are or surf the internet. If you choose not to have your child immunized, a written document from you as a parent or legal guardian should state that you do not consent to having your child immunized because…(state your reasons which do not have to be scientifically based. They can be a philosophical choice or a religious- or medical-based decision.) Submit this to the principal, to the school board and the health unit. This is all that’s required in the document.http://www.healthyontario.com/Page339.aspxhttp://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/links.html