Resources for Parents

Here, parents can access a compilation of resources addressing a variety of topics involving general education, special education, and common student concerns.

Other Resources

Kindergarten Readiness

Is your child ready to start Kindergarten? Click on the links below for resources that may be helpful as you and your child prepare for this important transition.

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

MTSS stands for Multi-Tiered Systems for Support. It is a framework to provide academic and behavioral supports for all students based on their individual needs. Because different students have different strengths and needs, tailored levels of support are more likely to help them succeed in school. “Multi-tiered” generally refers to three tiers that correspond to different intensities of the support:

Tier 1, or school-wide support, is provided as the foundation of the “pyramid of support” to all students. In an MTSS framework, Tier 1 supports are intended to prevent challenges from occurring in the first place. As such, this involves teaching critical skills and behaviors that all students are expected to learn. For example, students learn core academic content through high quality evidence-based instruction in the classroom along with universal screening and progress monitoring to ensure that the majority of students are responding to that core instruction. School staff also teach students clear rules and expectations for behaviors in and out of the classroom. In a school that is effectively implementing these school-wide supports it is estimated that a majority of students (80-90%) will respond positively. For example, this means that if there are 100 total students in school, about 80-90 students will follow school rules and respond well to general classroom instruction.

This may leave about 10-20 students who may need more support to be successful. These students may exhibit difficulties with learning specific academic content or with following rules more often than their peers, causing delays in skill acquisition and/or behavior problems. For these students, school staff can provide more focused, or “Tier 2” supports, which are more specialized or targeted intervention programs. Typically, these targeted programs are provided in small group settings, which may involve increased time dedicated to instruction or more intensive methods of instruction. For example, students may receive differentiated instruction matched to their needs based on screening or progress monitoring data for a specific subject, or increased opportunities for instruction and feedback on the school rules and expectations. We might predict that, in a population of 100 students, about 5-10 students would respond well to these targeted supports—helping them to improve their academic and/or behavior challenges.

As for the few remaining students who may not respond effectively to Tier 1 or Tier 2 supports, these students may need more intensive Tier 3 supports. Usually these students, with more intense needs, will receive individualized services from specialists (e.g., Reading Specialist, Special Education Teacher, School Social Worker, etc.) who can provide more intensive interventions.

This type of multi-tiered framework puts processes in place to identify, support, and monitor the progress of students using the best data and evidence available, to make sure students’ levels of support match their levels of need. Click on the links below for more information.

Erin's Law

In Illinois, Erin’s Law requires that all public schools implement child-focused sexual abuse prevention education that:

• teaches students in grades pre-K through 12th grade age-appropriate information about how to recognize child sexual abuse and tell a trusted adult;

• requires school personnel to be informed about child sexual abuse;

• provides parents and guardians with information on the warning signs of child sexual abuse, plus any needed assistance, referrals or resources to support victims and their families.

For additional information on Erin's Law, click on the link below.

Trauma

Individual trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or threatening and that can have lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and physical, social, emotional well-being.

The three main types of trauma can be described as acute, chronic, or complex.

• Acute trauma results from a single incident.

• Chronic trauma is repeated and prolonged such as domestic violence or abuse.

• Complex trauma is exposure to varied and multiple traumatic events, often of an invasive, interpersonal nature.

Research has shown that children are particularly vulnerable to trauma because of their rapidly developing brain. During traumatic experiences, a child’s brain is in a heightened state of stress, and fear-related hormones are activated. Although stress is a normal part of life, when a child is exposed to chronic trauma, the brain remains in a heightened state, which can, in turn, change the emotional, behavioral and cognitive functioning of the child in order to maintain and promote survival. Over time, these traumatic experiences can have a significant impact on a child’s future behavior, emotional development, and mental and physical health.

Click on the following links for more information.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It is typically first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors or be overly active, when compared to other children their age.

While it is normal for children to have difficulty focusing and behaving at times, children with ADHD exhibit ongoing and persistent characteristics that can cause difficulty at school, at home, and within the community. While ADHD cannot be medically diagnosed in school, school psychologists can work with parents and school staff to gather information about how students perform within the educational environment, and help school teams develop interventions to help support students in school.

Click on the following links for more information.

Anxiety & Depression

Many children have fears and worries, and may feel sad from time to time. Feelings of anxiety or sadness may occur at different times during development, and are considered normal. However, persistent or extreme fears, or ongoing feelings of hopelessness may begin to interfere with school, home, or play activities. At times, anxiety may also make children irritable and angry, or present as physical symptoms in children, such as increased fatigue, headaches, or stomachaches. Similarly, depression might lead a child to act unmotivated or become disruptive in school. School psychologists can work with students, parents, teachers, and school staff to help support those who may be dealing with anxiety and/or depression in school.

Click on the following links for more information.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. Although autism can be diagnosed at any age, it is said to be a “developmental disorder” because symptoms generally appear in the first two years of life. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 59 children in the United States today.

Autism is known as a “spectrum” disorder because there is wide variation in the type and severity of symptoms people experience. In general, people with ASD may experience challenges with social skills, display limited and repetitive patterns of behavior, and exhibit difficulties in verbal and/or nonverbal communication skills. Although ASD can be a lifelong disorder, treatments and services can improve a person’s symptoms and ability to function at home, in school, and within the community.

Click on the following links for more information.

Other Common Childhood Issues

State of Illinois Special Education Resources

DeKalb County Resources

Parent Resource Library