Bridging Communities

Heading back to school is always a big deal in our house.  It is a time of huge transition and change.  That transition causes increased excitement and increased anxiety.  Sometimes that looks the same in my household.  I have learned over the years that some strategic planning can help ease some of the back to school jitters.  The following are my top seven tried and true tips for a smooth transition (or relatively smooth) back to school. IEP or 504 - If your   child has an IEP or 504, find it and review it.  If you don’t know where it is or don’t have a copy, request one from the school or your child’s case manager.  It is important to know what is included in the document and what might be missing.  One-Page Profile -  Create a one-page profile.  A one-page profile is a great way to capture key information on how to best support your child in the classroom and other environments.   FACT Oregon   has examples and templates that you can use to create one.  Parent Inpu

So you’re going to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. Over the years our family has been up there quite a bit and we have learned some tips and tricks that might help your family make the process a little smoother.  Hi, my name is  Lauren  a nd I am married with two kids. I have a daughter who is 9 and a son, Bauer, who is 7. We live in Medford. Bauer was born with a Rare Chromosome Disease that resulted in Developmental Delay, a heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot, low muscle tone, mild/moderate hearing loss, and vision issues. For the first few years of his life he ate through a g-tube.  On the night Bauer was born we found out that he had Tetralogy of Fallot. We were told he would have to go to Doernbecher so he could have it repaired, but we weren’t sure exactly when. It ended up that he required his open heart surgery at three months old. It was a terrifying time, but we found great comfort from the doctors and nurses at Doernbecher. I think what I took away from

I really thought I would have written a short book by now. It’s on my ‘to do’ list. Ha. I really think it should be called ‘the junk drawer list’, because it’s just like that drawer in the kitchen that catches all your stuff. You know, the bottomless crapfest you open when you’re “cleaning” in order to toss the stuff you  want  to organize and put away (there’s just no time!)…the seeming treasures you’re not ready to throw in the trash just yet. “I still need it,” you justify to yourself. Or, “I’ll get around to it.” And eventually the drawer won’t close anymore. Or you have to shove everything down in order to get it to shut. Yeah, that. My life is kind of like that junk drawer lately. Which isn’t bad. I mean, that drawer  does have some cool stuff. Ever dig around and find a gift card you forgot you had? Or a rad package of stationary? Or something your kid handmade years ago? Yup, that’s my life. That book is still in there, too. And I’ll pull those good intentions out of th