'..., the IEP is a natural tool for bullying prevention and elimination."



'Enjoyable School Year' shared Caring and Courageous Kids: Program for Peaceful Intervention to Bullying:

"...:no child should ever feel afraid to come to school…and yet they do."

"Children with disabilities or special needs are mainstreamed in general education classrooms more and more. It is the responsibilities of the adults in the schools to help ensure these children, like all other children, are treated respectfully."

"A whole-school culture needs to be transformed through teaching and practicing these skills on a regular basis if there is to be any change and to help minimize the problems of bullying. Bullying is everyone’s responsibility."

"The National Council on Disability states “Like bullying in general, bullying of students with disabilities represents both a civil rights and public health challenge. Amongst the possible effects of bullying the U.S. Department of Education (DOE, 2010) includes lowered academic achievement and aspirations, increased anxiety, loss of self-esteem and confidence, depression and post-traumatic stress, deterioration in physical health, self-harm and suicidal thinking, suicide, feelings of alienation, absenteeism and other negative impacts, both educational and health related. While both students with and without disabilities face significant negative emotional, educational and physical results from bullying, students with disabilities are both uniquely vulnerable and disproportionately impacted by the bullying phenomena. Despite this, there exists a dearth of both research and policy focusing on eliminating the bullying of students with disabilities. Furthermore, evidence suggests that existing legal and policy tools available to address bullying against students with disabilities remain significantly under-utilized.” This resource goes on to say “For students with disabilities, the IEP is a natural tool for bullying prevention and elimination. The DOE Office on Special Education and Rehabilitation Services should expand technical assistance on how to utilize the IEP to protect students with disabilities from bullying and harassment and effective ways to address bullying behaviors that may be linked to a disability. Consideration should be given to incorporating bullying prevention as a priority within the IEP in the next reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).” (from http://www.ncd.gov/publications/2011/March92011) This supports the idea that a speech-language therapist can be instrumental in helping to create a climate of caring and compassion for special needs students in schools. Yet to do that, a whole-school culture needs to be transformed through teaching and practicing these skills on a regular basis if there is to be any change." Dee DiGioia, Speech Language Therapist and Administrator of 'Caring and Courageous Kids'.