1. July/august 2012
Summer is Anything but Lazy. Between Kid Activities,
Festivals, Picnics and BBQs, Who has Time to be Lazy? And
When You’re in the Military PCS Moves Happen....During
the Summer!
Here are some tips when moving with a special needs family
member:
Excerpt from: EDUCATIONAL SERVICES FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS/School Age/ Military & Family Policy
1. Review general information about your new location at Military-
HOMEFRONT’s Military Installations page (http://
www.militaryinstallations.dod.mil/).
2. Notify your current service coordinator (EFMP System Navigators,
Sue and Michelle at ACS) that you will be leaving and where you
will be going so they can begin preparing for your transition.
3. Use a 3-ring binder or other type of notebook to organize your
child’s records and other pertinent information (go to
www.MilitaryOneSource.com and click on resources, order your
FREE S.C.O.R. (Special Care Organizational Record) for Children
with Special Healthcare Needs binder).
4. Make sure that you have paper copies of your Family Member’s:
 Most recent transcripts and grade reports
 Most recent eligibility reports where your child was determined eligi-
ble for
5. Special education
 Current and past individual education programs (IEP), including
quarterly Progress reports
 Special education assessment reports, including: School psychology;
Occupational or Physical Therapy; Speech-Language Pathology;
other reports contained in the special education file
 Names of particular textbooks or other materials that were effective
for your family member
 Medical reports
 If applicable, reports from service providers not connected to
school, such as a private therapist
 Inoculation records to ensure your child can be enrolled on arrival
 Prescriptions for medications and dosages (or a 90 day supply).

2. SOME ADDITIONAL THINGS TO DO TO Sample Questions to Ask:
ensure A SMOOTH TRANSITION:
Whom should I contact at the school when we arrive in our new
 Ask your child’s classroom and/or special education teacher location?
to write a brief narrative about your child’s current educa-
tional program that you can share with the staff at your What release of information forms should I sign before leaving
child’s new school. my current location?
 Keep the name and contact information (phone, e-mail) of What consent and release of information forms will I need to
your child’s current teacher in case you have questions after sign when I arrive?
you or the staff at your new school have questions; What information should I bring with me or provide you before
 Visit http://www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/12038/EFMP/ we arrive?
EFMP_Directory/DOD_ED_School_Age.pdf. Use the in- Can I fax/e-mail you a copy of my child’s IEP to help you pre-
formation provided in Section 4: School District Profiles to pare for his/her arrival?
identify and learn more about districts that serve your new
location. Will my child’s IEP be implemented as currently written when
he/she arrives at school?
 Contact the special education director in the school district
to which you are considering moving to learn specific infor- What types of Evidence-Based Practices does your district use?
mation about the programs they provide. The installation’s
Do my child’s teachers have experience and training for working
EFMP System Navigator will have this information.
with children with my child’s disability?
 Provide the staff at your child’s current school the contact
Will my child’s teacher (s) be willing to e-mail me weekly pro-
information (phone, e-mail) of a contact person at your
gress updates?
child’s new school to facilitate the transfer of information.
If my child requires transportation, how will that be provided
 Contact the School Liaison Officer and Exceptional Family and coordinated?
Member Program (EFMP) System Navigator at your new
installation to learn more about the school district. Where will my child be served- in the regular classroom, a pull-
out or self-contained program, or in a separate building?
 Whenever you talk with someone regarding your child’s
transition to a new district, it is helpful to write down the Will my child be able to participate in elective classes such as
time, date, and person to whom you spoke, as well as some Art, Music, and PE?
brief notes.
Is there a local support group for families with children with
 If you are moving during the summer, try to contact your disabilities?
new school district at least 2 weeks before you arrive to help
Whom should I contact at the school district if I have issues re-
ensure that preparations have been made to implement your
lated to my child’s program?
child’s program before the first day of school.
Sometimes my child doesn’t seem to ―fit in‖ – how will the
 Review your educational rights under IDEA. You should
school help improve his/her social skills?
have received a copy of your rights from your current
school, but you can also request a copy at any time. A gen- What happens if my child’s unusual or quirky behavior is misin-
eral description of these rights is provided by the Technical terpreted as rule-breaking?
Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers (http://
www.taalliance.org/publications/pdfs/all17.pdf). My child might, if upset, try to run or leave the building – how
will he/she be kept safe?
Additional information can be found at: http://www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/12038/EFMP/EFMP_Directory/DOD_ED_School_Age.pdf

3. Military Lodging may be the Way To Go...
Excerpt from www.militaryonesource.mil—Family and Recreation Page
With a little research, you can find out about military lodging in the area you want to
visit, including amenities and reservation policies.
 Finding the right military lodging facility for your next vacation may require some re-
search. Military Living publishes Temporary Military Lodging Around the World, a compre-
hensive listing of military lodging facilities, with contact information, directions, and local
attractions. (It may be available at your installation exchange or, for more information,
visit www.militaryliving.com or call 1-703-237-0203.)
 Military lodging and service branch Web sites can also provide specific information on
installation and recreational lodging.
Army MWR: www.armymwr.com; Navy Lodges: www.navy-lodge.com; Marine Corps Community
Services: www.usmc-mccs.org/lodging/; Air Force Services: dodlodging.net (This
site also include links to Army, Navy and Marine Corps lodging.)
 Most of the popular recreational facilities and resorts book up months in advance. If
you plan to visit during peak vacation periods, find out when reservations can be made
and make them as soon as possible. Some lodging facilities prioritize their reservations
by branch of service, by duty station, or by status.
While you're there, take advantage of the leisure services. Many recreation centers and re-
sorts offer -- such as restaurants, boat rentals, ski equipment rental, area tours, and dis-
count tickets to area attractions. Familiarize yourself with what types of services are avail-
able and if reservations need to be made in advance. Taking advantage of these savings will
help cut costs and help make your vacation an enjoyable experience for the whole family.
Bee Stings and Wasp Stings Tick Bites Mosquito Bites
Warm weather brings out bees and wasps, Tiny ticks can transmit nasty Depending on how sensitive you are,
and bee stings and wasp stings are potential illnesses, including Lyme dis- a mosquito bite can leave you with an
sources of trouble for those who are allergic. ease and bacterial infections, itchy bump or a large welt. And
as they feed on their host’s unless you’re able to swat away your
An allergic reaction can range from itchy blood, putting both you and attacker, it will bite in a cluster on
hives to a very dangerous condition called your pets at risk. your exposed skin, leaving a number
anaphylaxis, which requires a self- Some tick bites hurt, others may not be felt of bumps or welts.
administered injection of epinephrine. If you at all — and you may never even see a tick Though it's rare, mosquitoes can
are not allergic, bee stings will most often even though you’ve been bitten. A skin rash spread the West Nile virus. If this is
heal by themselves. in the pattern of rings, much like a bull’s-eye the case, 5 to 15 days after you're
on a target, is a symptom of Lyme disease. bitten, you may experience head-
To relieve pain and itching and prevent infec- It can appear up to a month after the tick aches, body aches, fever, swollen
tion, remove the stinger and apply an ice bite. glands, and a skin rash.
pack to the area for 15 to 20 minutes once Protect yourself from tick bites by wearing Mosquitoes are most active from
per hour for the first 6 hours. Elevating the long-sleeved shirts and long pants any time dusk until dawn, so if you’ll be outside
area of the sting will also help decrease you’ll be walking through woods or thick in early evening, cover up or spray
swelling. vegetation. yourself and your clothes with insect
To avoid bee stings, try choosing choose
Spraying DEET or another bug repellent on repellent.
your clothes will add another layer of pro-
fragrance-free products, and never swat a
tection. And always check your body and
bee that lands on you.
your clothes for ticks when you get home.

4. A LOOK BACK…. UPCOMING EVENTS….
DRAMA CLINIC WAS A SUCCESS. HELD OVER JULY 10-EPEC SUPPORT GROUP—
THE PERIOD OF 4 SATURDAYS. THE CLINIC POTLUCK PICNIC—MEET AT EFMP PLAY-
WAS LEAD BY PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED GROUND ON PINE CAMP LANE
ACTOR, HOLLY ADAMS AND SPONSORED BY JULY 20– AUTISM/ADHD SUPPORT GROUP
DR. MICHAEL FRIGA, OF 3-TEIR CONSULTING
AND EFMP. PARTICIPANTS ENJOYED DEVEL- AUGUST 6-10 4TH ANNUAL EFMP MOUN-
OPING AND ACTING OUT SKITS LOOSELY TAIN CAMP
BASED ON FAIRY TALES AND OTHER CHIL- AUGUST 17—AUTISM/ADHD SUPPORT
DREN’S STORIES. GROUP
SEPT 11—EPEC SUPPORT GROUP—USING
VISUAL CHARTS IN THE HOME
SEPT 21—AUTISM/ADHD SUPPORT
GROUP—APPLE PICKING AT BEHLING' S,
MEXICO, NY
OCT 9– EPEC SUPPORT GROUP—BIRDS
AND THE BEES AND SPECIAL NEEDS
OCT 19—AUSTISM/ADHD SUPPORT GROUP
OCT 26—EFMP HALLOWEEN PARTY @ ACS
DEC 8– HOLIDAY BOWLING BASH