HISD board unanimously approves oversight of special ed programs

“Keep your hand on the pulse of special education, to actually increase the amount of monitoring,” committee member and HISD parent Joshua Rotenberg told the board. “The community has a vote of ‘no confidence’ for the administration’s ability to fix itself.”

HISD board approves more oversight of special ed programs

Houston ISD trustees unanimously voted Thursday to enact greater board oversight of the district’s special education services, enacting recommendations by a board-appointed committee that found HISD has been shortchanging students with disabilities.

Trustees now will hold workshops centered on special education three times per year, require district administrators to submit an annual strategic plan for students with disabilities and seek policy changes that will emphasize special education across the district, among other actions approved at Thursday’s board meeting.

The changes all were recommended by the district’s Special Education Ad-Hoc Committee, which the board formed in February 2017 following a Houston Chronicle investigation that found a years-long pattern of HISD and other Texas school districts denying access to special education services.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/HISD-board-approves-more-oversight-of-special-ed-13228535.php

Low-THC Cannabis in Texas is Limited

Low-THC Cannabis in Texas is limited to very few despite favorable side effects and regardless of its its efficacy in epilepsy.  I wish that , as an epilepsy specialist, I had the option to use this treatment before a patient fails 2 medicines. - JR

Patients locked out

Is it ethical for Texas to withhold medical cannabis?

By Ileana Najarro

Micah Jensen reached across the table and slapped his sister’s wrist. He shimmied out of his chair. Ran up to her face and spit. Grabbed his iPad, the one with the rubber protector, and chucked it at the wall. He lunged head-first onto the sofa and howled.

The 12-year-old’s autism makes him easily agitated. On top of that, he has epilepsy and the medicine he takes to reduce his violent seizures heightens his sensitivity to sounds, including certain words, plunging him into an increasingly aggressive cycle.At least this time, no chairs were thrown. This time, it wasn’t in public. This time, his sister wouldn’t bruise.

His family believes the low-THC cannabinoid oil the state recently made legal could offer relief and treat his epilepsy. But Texas’ medical cannabis program wasn’t designed for him.

An estimated 500,000 Texans have epilepsy, but the cannabis law restricts its use to those suffering from the rarer “intractable” form.

OPINION: Plenty of reasons for Texas to legalize marijuana

The drug went on sale this spring for the estimated 150,000 Texans with intractable epilepsy, but it remains out of reach for Micah and others who want very much to give it a try.

His family is fighting to get the state to rewrite its rules. But the Legislature doesn’t go back into session until next year, and they have no guarantees they will get enough political support by then. All the while, Micah is getting bigger, more aggressive.

 Full Article HERE

Houston - Special Education Final Report of Ad Hoc Committee of HISD .

Board Meeting Tonight 5 PM.

Please send my your thoughts.

Applause due for Trustee Anne Sung !

Document HERE

Houston Top Pediatric Neurologist 2018!

Thank you colleagues!

Houstonia Top Doc 2018

HISD Board of Trustees to Terminate its Committee on Special Education

The following news is of great importance to anyone connected to HISD !  Special education students are students - our children.

On 13 September the HISD Board of Trustees will receive the report and recommendations of the AD HOC Committee on Special Education and then dissolve it WITHOUT a successor to this trustee-lead advisory committee.

"In addition, having fulfilled its ad hoc responsibilities, the committee recommends that the board dissolve the Special Education Ad Hoc Committee."

Interested in Expressing Your Opinion?

1) I am collecting a survey evaluating if you feel there is a need for Trustee level oversight of SPED  https://goo.gl/forms/Bon2NlR5PEVUJfrj1

13 Sep 2018 Board Agenda

2) Contact HISD Trustees

3) Board Agendas

4) Board Goals

5) AIR Report HERE



The AdHoc Committee educated and advised the Board of Trustees on special education, starting from basics. The work has progressed reaching a point where a report will be presented.

HISD has established a "Parents' Advisory Committee with four meetings per year. However, the parents committee has no role on policy and managing changes as recommended by the AdHoc Committee.

 http://blogs.houstonisd.org/news/tag/special-education-parent-advisory-committee/

Sleep Needs in Children? What is the reality?

CDC and other sources advocate for children to have sufficient sleep? 
But what is the reality? 

BTW .. Look at the wide variation. 

"Regularly sleeping fewer than the number of recommended hours is associated with attention, behavior, and learning problems. Insufficient sleep also increases the risk of accidents, injuries, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and depression. Insufficient sleep in teenagers is associated with increased risk of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts.

Age-conditional 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles of the distribution of children's number of minutes of sleep for weekdays, weekends, and overall. A, For weekday total sleep; B, for weekend total sleep; C, for overall sleep; D, for weekday daytime sleep through age 5; E, for weekend daytime sleep through age 5; F, for overall daytime sleep through age 5. 

https://jamanetwork.com/.../jamapedia.../fullarticle/1393430

And ..  This is very important.... Ask your doctor about disordered sleep "Regularly sleeping fewer than the number of recommended hours is associated with attention, behavior, and learning problems. Insufficient sleep also increases the risk of accidents, injuries, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and depression. Insufficient sleep in teenagers is associated with increased risk of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts." http://jcsm.aasm.org/ViewAbstract.aspx?pid=30652