Guest guest Posted November 17, 2008 Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 Hello Everyone! I just wanted to introduce myself. My name's and I am a speech and language pathologist with an interest in the dual diagnosis of DS and ASD. I received my BS from Syracuse University (go Orange!) and my MS from the University of TX at Dallas. I worked in the McKinney Independent School District for 5 1/2 years before taking a position as the director of speech and language therapy for a private non-profit speech therapy company in Dublin, Ireland, Release Communication Intervention (www.release.ie). I work with numerous children with autism spectrum disorders as well as children with Down syndrome. Since moving to Ireland, dual diagnosis of ASD and DS have been on the rise. There is a a high rate of children with DS in Ireland to begin with, and intervention, especially early intervention, is an area of serious need all over the country. I was surprised to take a step back 20 years when I moved here. There is no IDEA, there is no FAPE, there is no LRE. Children with disabilities are often put in special schools and if you are in a mainstream setting, you MAY have an assistant, but probably not speech therapy. If you're lucky, you will receive approximately 6-12 therapy sessions a year (yes, a YEAR) from the government. The IEP has just started to gain ground, but noone truely knows how to create one. I should stop now, or my soap box could go on forever. I look forward to participating in this group. I am hoping to learn more about this dual diagnosis through this group and hope that in return, I may be able to offer some support to caregivers of children with DD. Best, Wetter Grundulis, BS, MS, CCC-SLP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 17, 2008 Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 WELCOME - spend some time reading our archives - there are MANY different articles, letters on various age groups. What happens in IReland as kids age out of school? Are there transition plans? Work opportuunities?? I am the mother of 23 yo Eyal, a young man with a special flair for giving hugs, greeting people and lighting up a room with his joy in living! HE has just moved out of our home to live with a 25 yo friend who serves as his companion. They rent a house together in the very north GA mountains. During the day, Eyal spsends part of the week with his friend doing " guy " things - watching sports, shopping, playing golf, and HAning out - the most important thing. PArt of the week he spends with an older woman who helps Elie volunteer in the community. HE is a prized meeet and greet at local nursing homes and assistend living residences. HE also assists with bingo. Then he has two other jobs - one is handing out handbills when a local printer has a call for this form of advertising. HE also collects aluminum cans from neighbors and then sells them when he has collected and SMASHED enough!! Always looking for more opportunities. But in this not quite yet a depression, we are being careful that he not take a job that could support someone. On Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 5:31 AM, Wetter Grundulis < jenniferwetter@...> wrote: > Hello Everyone! > > I just wanted to introduce myself. My name's and I am a speech and > language pathologist with an interest in the dual diagnosis of DS and ASD. > I > received my BS from Syracuse University (go Orange!) and my MS from the > University of TX at Dallas. I worked in the McKinney Independent School > District for 5 1/2 years before taking a position as the director of speech > and language therapy for a private non-profit speech therapy company in > Dublin, Ireland, Release Communication Intervention (www.release.ie). I > work with numerous children with autism spectrum disorders as well as > children with Down syndrome. > > Since moving to Ireland, dual diagnosis of ASD and DS have been on the > rise. There is a a high rate of children with DS in Ireland to begin with, > and intervention, especially early intervention, is an area of serious need > all over the country. I was surprised to take a step back 20 years when I > moved here. There is no IDEA, there is no FAPE, there is no LRE. Children > with disabilities are often put in special schools and if you are in a > mainstream setting, you MAY have an assistant, but probably not speech > therapy. If you're lucky, you will receive approximately 6-12 therapy > sessions a year (yes, a YEAR) from the government. The IEP has just started > to gain ground, but noone truely knows how to create one. I should stop > now, or my soap box could go on forever. > > I look forward to participating in this group. I am hoping to learn more > about this dual diagnosis through this group and hope that in return, I may > be able to offer some support to caregivers of children with DD. > > Best, > Wetter Grundulis, BS, MS, CCC-SLP > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Hi Sara, In Ireland there's not really any official transition services. There are a handful of sheltered workshops but that's really about it. The Irish themselves tend to be very proactive in including their children with special needs in their environment, which I find fantastic, though. I often see adults with DS on the bus by themselves getting to and fro. We do have one impressive centre in Cootehill which words with adults with disabilities on life skills. They also have a garden that clients can work in and sell their plants, as well as a printshop that many locals use to order cards, brocheures, etc. I've met some of the most amazing people with DS at Cootehill, most memorably, a guy who, all suave in his blue blazer, put his arms ever so smoothly around myself and my coworkers waists and asked us if he could get us a cup of tea. Talk about confidence and social skills! Just brilliant. Unfortunately, Cootehill is the exception to the rule. More often than not, if a parent wants to see their child learn life skills, it must come from the home, as well as helping their child transition from school to adulthood and possible gainful employment. > WELCOME - spend some time reading our archives - there are MANY > different > articles, letters on various age groups. > > What happens in IReland as kids age out of school? Are there transition > plans? Work opportuunities?? > > I am the mother of 23 yo Eyal, a young man with a special flair for giving > hugs, greeting people and lighting up a room with his joy in living! > > HE has just moved out of our home to live with a 25 yo friend who serves as > his companion. They rent a house together in the very north GA mountains. > During the day, Eyal spsends part of the week with his friend doing " guy " > things - watching sports, shopping, playing golf, and HAning out - the most > important thing. PArt of the week he spends with an older woman who helps > Elie volunteer in the community. HE is a prized meeet and greet at local > nursing homes and assistend living residences. HE also assists with bingo. > Then he has two other jobs - one is handing out handbills when a local > printer has a call for this form of advertising. HE also collects aluminum > cans from neighbors and then sells them when he has collected and SMASHED > enough!! Always looking for more opportunities. But in this not quite yet > a depression, we are being careful that he not take a job that could > support > someone. > > > On Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 5:31 AM, Wetter Grundulis < > jenniferwetter@... <jenniferwetter%40gmail.com>> wrote: > > > Hello Everyone! > > > > I just wanted to introduce myself. My name's and I am a speech > and > > language pathologist with an interest in the dual diagnosis of DS and > ASD. > > I > > received my BS from Syracuse University (go Orange!) and my MS from the > > University of TX at Dallas. I worked in the McKinney Independent School > > District for 5 1/2 years before taking a position as the director of > speech > > and language therapy for a private non-profit speech therapy company in > > Dublin, Ireland, Release Communication Intervention (www.release.ie). I > > work with numerous children with autism spectrum disorders as well as > > children with Down syndrome. > > > > Since moving to Ireland, dual diagnosis of ASD and DS have been on the > > rise. There is a a high rate of children with DS in Ireland to begin > with, > > and intervention, especially early intervention, is an area of serious > need > > all over the country. I was surprised to take a step back 20 years when I > > moved here. There is no IDEA, there is no FAPE, there is no LRE. Children > > with disabilities are often put in special schools and if you are in a > > mainstream setting, you MAY have an assistant, but probably not speech > > therapy. If you're lucky, you will receive approximately 6-12 therapy > > sessions a year (yes, a YEAR) from the government. The IEP has just > started > > to gain ground, but noone truely knows how to create one. I should stop > > now, or my soap box could go on forever. > > > > I look forward to participating in this group. I am hoping to learn more > > about this dual diagnosis through this group and hope that in return, I > may > > be able to offer some support to caregivers of children with DD. > > > > Best, > > Wetter Grundulis, BS, MS, CCC-SLP > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 Thanks for sharing . On Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 9:57 AM, Wetter Grundulis < jenniferwetter@...> wrote: > Hi Sara, > > In Ireland there's not really any official transition services. There are a > handful of sheltered workshops but that's really about it. The Irish > themselves tend to be very proactive in including their children with > special needs in their environment, which I find fantastic, though. I often > see adults with DS on the bus by themselves getting to and fro. > > We do have one impressive centre in Cootehill which words with adults with > disabilities on life skills. They also have a garden that clients can work > in and sell their plants, as well as a printshop that many locals use to > order cards, brocheures, etc. I've met some of the most amazing people with > DS at Cootehill, most memorably, a guy who, all suave in his blue blazer, > put his arms ever so smoothly around myself and my coworkers waists and > asked us if he could get us a cup of tea. Talk about confidence and social > skills! Just brilliant. > > Unfortunately, Cootehill is the exception to the rule. More often than not, > if a parent wants to see their child learn life skills, it must come from > the home, as well as helping their child transition from school to > adulthood > and possible gainful employment. > > On Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 5:42 PM, Sara Cohen <pastmidvale@...<pastmidvale%40gmail.com>> > wrote: > > > WELCOME - spend some time reading our archives - there are MANY > > different > > articles, letters on various age groups. > > > > What happens in IReland as kids age out of school? Are there transition > > plans? Work opportuunities?? > > > > I am the mother of 23 yo Eyal, a young man with a special flair for > giving > > hugs, greeting people and lighting up a room with his joy in living! > > > > HE has just moved out of our home to live with a 25 yo friend who serves > as > > his companion. They rent a house together in the very north GA mountains. > > During the day, Eyal spsends part of the week with his friend doing " guy " > > things - watching sports, shopping, playing golf, and HAning out - the > most > > important thing. PArt of the week he spends with an older woman who helps > > Elie volunteer in the community. HE is a prized meeet and greet at local > > nursing homes and assistend living residences. HE also assists with > bingo. > > Then he has two other jobs - one is handing out handbills when a local > > printer has a call for this form of advertising. HE also collects > aluminum > > cans from neighbors and then sells them when he has collected and SMASHED > > enough!! Always looking for more opportunities. But in this not quite yet > > a depression, we are being careful that he not take a job that could > > support > > someone. > > > > > > On Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 5:31 AM, Wetter Grundulis < > > jenniferwetter@... <jenniferwetter%40gmail.com> <jenniferwetter% > 40gmail.com>> wrote: > > > > > Hello Everyone! > > > > > > I just wanted to introduce myself. My name's and I am a speech > > and > > > language pathologist with an interest in the dual diagnosis of DS and > > ASD. > > > I > > > received my BS from Syracuse University (go Orange!) and my MS from the > > > University of TX at Dallas. I worked in the McKinney Independent School > > > District for 5 1/2 years before taking a position as the director of > > speech > > > and language therapy for a private non-profit speech therapy company in > > > Dublin, Ireland, Release Communication Intervention (www.release.ie). > I > > > work with numerous children with autism spectrum disorders as well as > > > children with Down syndrome. > > > > > > Since moving to Ireland, dual diagnosis of ASD and DS have been on the > > > rise. There is a a high rate of children with DS in Ireland to begin > > with, > > > and intervention, especially early intervention, is an area of serious > > need > > > all over the country. I was surprised to take a step back 20 years when > I > > > moved here. There is no IDEA, there is no FAPE, there is no LRE. > Children > > > with disabilities are often put in special schools and if you are in a > > > mainstream setting, you MAY have an assistant, but probably not speech > > > therapy. If you're lucky, you will receive approximately 6-12 therapy > > > sessions a year (yes, a YEAR) from the government. The IEP has just > > started > > > to gain ground, but noone truely knows how to create one. I should stop > > > now, or my soap box could go on forever. > > > > > > I look forward to participating in this group. I am hoping to learn > more > > > about this dual diagnosis through this group and hope that in return, I > > may > > > be able to offer some support to caregivers of children with DD. > > > > > > Best, > > > Wetter Grundulis, BS, MS, CCC-SLP > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 18, 2008 Report Share Posted November 18, 2008 > > > > > > > Hello Everyone! > > > > > > > > I just wanted to introduce myself. My name's and I am a speech > > > and > > > > language pathologist with an interest in the dual diagnosis of DS and > > > ASD. > > > > I > > > > received my BS from Syracuse University (go Orange!) and my MS from the > > > > University of TX at Dallas. I worked in the McKinney Independent School > > > > District for 5 1/2 years before taking a position as the director of > > > speech > > > > and language therapy for a private non-profit speech therapy company in > > > > Dublin, Ireland, Release Communication Intervention (www.release.ie). > > I > > > > work with numerous children with autism spectrum disorders as well as > > > > children with Down syndrome. > > > > > > > > Since moving to Ireland, dual diagnosis of ASD and DS have been on the > > > > rise. There is a a high rate of children with DS in Ireland to begin > > > with, > > > > and intervention, especially early intervention, is an area of serious > > > need > > > > all over the country. I was surprised to take a step back 20 years when > > I > > > > moved here. There is no IDEA, there is no FAPE, there is no LRE. > > Children > > > > with disabilities are often put in special schools and if you are in a > > > > mainstream setting, you MAY have an assistant, but probably not speech > > > > therapy. If you're lucky, you will receive approximately 6- 12 therapy > > > > sessions a year (yes, a YEAR) from the government. The IEP has just > > > started > > > > to gain ground, but noone truely knows how to create one. I should stop > > > > now, or my soap box could go on forever. > > > > > > > > I look forward to participating in this group. I am hoping to learn > > more > > > > about this dual diagnosis through this group and hope that in return, I > > > may > > > > be able to offer some support to caregivers of children with DD. > > > > > > > > Best, > > > > Wetter Grundulis, BS, MS, CCC-SLP > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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