If you’ve picked India as your travel destination, here are some cool India travel tips that would make your journey enjoyable and as smooth as possible.As with any other travel to a foreign destination, do research beforehand. Purchase a travel guide that has the basics that will be useful throughout the duration of your trip. This includes the weather, the language, currency, food, means of transportation and more importantly the culture. This will prepare you for the trip and will help you make adjustments if you have to.The appropriate clothing when traveling to India would be to wear light pants. Shorts are to be avoided so you are safe to roam the cities and towns of the country. A safe tip when traveling anywhere is to always seek comfort before fashion. Wear comfortable shoes like sneakers or flipflops rather than heels or any other sandals that would kill your feet.There are a lot of beggars in India. When you encounter them, it’s your decision to give them rupees or not. If you must, then give it to kids just before hopping into the car or you might get mobbed. It is not a requirement to give them alms.The black market is also prevalent in India. A good tip is to avoid them at all costs. You won’t get good deals and might just end up going to the Indian jail.When dining out, choose places that are packed instead of the empty ones. It’s okay to wait for a table rather than go to an empty place because this means that the food that the place serves might not be that fresh. If you have a picky tummy, then choose safe food choices like veggies rather than red meat. Red meat can cause greater damage to your body especially if it’s spoiled and India doesn’t have the best hospitals.Be sure to carry around first-aid materials and medications. It’s safer to drink your own meds than to buy from Indian drug stores. Don’t order Western foods except if it’s from big, well-known fast foods. This is because not everyone orders these types of food, and chances are – they might not be as fresh.To be safe, drink soda instead of water. If you must drink water, opt for bottled mineral water and be sure they’re sealed. You can never know if water from a foreign place is potable unless your stomach starts acting up.Make hotel reservations ahead of time. This will eliminate the worries of having a place to stay and will also avoid rip-offs. A lot of people in India might take advantage especially if they see that you’re a tourist.Don’t wear valuables when exploring the city. This is also part of the cool India travel tips because there’s no point showing off those flashy accessories. They might get stolen and you don’t really need them.Have a local tour you around the place. This is for your safety and will ensure that you don’t get lost or charged double the price, say for a taxi or food.
What Investors Should Know About Property Management Reports
Each month your property manager will send you a monthly report. Each company has its own format, using different property management software and internal processes. However, you should receive the following:
A one-page summary that highlights key issues about the property, e.g., one tenant is 30 days behind on the rent.
Income & expense statement. This should be a short statement showing the base rent, Common Area Maintenance (CAM) charges for each tenant, rent and CAM payments received from each tenant. It also shows maintenance expenses and management fee; so you may quickly determine if each tenant has paid rent or not. This statement itemizes all of the income and expenses which may include:
Late fee: when the tenant pays late, he has to pay the rent plus the late fee. The late fee amount is normally stated in the lease. Normally, when the tenant pays late, the property manager has to do extra work to collect it. The amount of work depends on whether the tenant is too busy to mail the rent check, does not have the money or simply does not want to pay. The property manager will try to convince you that he is entitled to the late fees as an incentive to collect the rent. However, one can debate that it is a reward to the property for a lousy job. You as the investor suffer the damage when the tenant does not pay you on time so you should receive it.
Management fee: this fee is usually a percentage of the monthly income from the property that both you and the property manager agreed in the management contract. If you have a very stable property with the same income every month, then the management fee is the same. Otherwise, it varies from month to month.
Leasing fee: you typically see this when there is a new tenant or a renewed lease. This fee is normally around 6% of the base rent for the life of the lease. However, when the property manager is also the leasing agent you should ask for 4% fee.
Security/Fire Protection: your property may have fire & security monitoring services.
Electricity: this is most likely for parking or common area lighting as each unit normally has its own meter.
Water: this is for both drinking and irrigation.
Disposal: this is for garbage collection paid to the city.
HVAC repairs & maintenance: this is the maintenance costs for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. Usually, there is a service contract for HVAC whereby the maintenance company will inspect the HVAC twice a year: once before the winter and once before the summer. So, you may receive the service bills only twice a year.
Garbage dumping: sometimes people dispose their unused furniture, mattress on the property because there is no one around at night. The maintenance crew may have to clean up these things. Normally, you or the property manager will want a picture of the dumping to make sure that it is a legitimate bill.
Landscaping: this is often the biggest expense item. Typically, the landscaper signs a one year contract to maintain the landscaping on the property, such as mowing the lawn, trimming the trees/shrubs, and planting flowers. Thus, the monthly payment should be the same for the whole year.
Sweeping: the parking lot is usually swept daily, either late in the evening or before the tenants open for business. In the winter, there may be an expense for snow removal.
Steam cleaning: the concrete sidewalk is normally steam cleaned once a month. This is done by the same company that handles the sweeping and landscaping.
Roof maintenance: the roof of a commercial building is often flat and requires regular maintenance especially during the rainy season. The roofer may charge each time he is called to fix a roof leak. So, this is not something you see on the statement on a regular basis.
Supplies: there are various things on the property that have to be replaced periodically: light bulbs, trash bins, sprinklers, etc.
Bank charges: sometimes the tenants pay by check with non-sufficient funds. The bank will charge a fee each time the check is bounced.
Legal fees: you may see this if the property manager has to evict a tenant.
As a rule of thumb, you should not spend more than 30 minutes to review the management report of a retail property with 10 tenants. If you have to spend much more than that, then your property manager has sent you too much information or not organized the report properly.The property management company often proposes an annual maintenance budget for the property based on the prior year’s maintenance expenses. Each tenant is then billed a fixed monthly amount, proportional to the size of his unit. Thus, the base rent and CAM charges are the same each month; so, the tenants may expect to pay a consistent amount each month. Annually, between January and March, the property manager reconciles the accounting for the prior year. If the actual expenses exceeded the budget, the tenant will have to pay his share of the difference. In the event, the actual expenses were less than the budget; the tenant will be refunded or credited back the difference.Do’s and Don’ts
Use email for most of your correspondence. This will allow you to have records (date, time) of all issues sent and received between you and the property manager. You may want to set up the mail option such that it automatically will save all out-going mail. In addition, you may want to create an email folder for each property and keep all email messages related to that property in that folder. This allows you to find information quickly.
Ask the property manager to email to you the monthly reports. You should save all of the reports on your computer. Time and time again, you will need to look at a report from a previous month. The easier and faster you can access them, the more likely you will do it. Paper reports are much more time consuming to retrieve.
Have a copy of the rent roll handy with rent rate, lease start date, lease expiration, and CAM share portion. When you are asked to approve a new lease, check to make sure it does not expire on a year when you have several other leases expiring. This minimizes the risk of high vacancies on your property.
Video Advertising – A Different Technique of Relevant Classified Ads?
Video advertising and marketing is actually increasing popularity a lot more in the promotion marketplace. Perhaps this is a really negative news for each educator of British but a recent analyze inside neighborhood implies that most people will choose to enjoy a new video about the corporation than read articles from the similar organization. On-line, video typically depend on web-sites just like YouTube or maybe program to deliver content and supply internet marketing email to any or all followers around the world. At the moment, you can find still a whole lot you will get benefits via website marketing activities YouTube but at the time, everywhere both YouTube may weaken that results of strategies.
Video marketing and advertising is actually one of the most feasible ways of viral internet marketing. Almost all online video media readers would usually lead to lead result marketing and advertising in the form of viewing a video. This can be right now a really useful website marketing method that has the prospective to arrive millions of people very quickly. As a form of advertising is still incredibly underrated marketing technique because not all people can easily see your video, this specific market could be a fun customer to invest. Maybe you can consider boosting your organization by way of a very few videos?
There are ongoing rumors about the effectiveness of video marketing company but not many companies are willing to try this video viral. One of the biggest advantages of these videos is that they generate huge free traffic, and could top search engine results as quickly as 48 hours. At this time, promotional videos like hot cakes at the prospect of Internet advertising, but YouTube is still famous with the older demographic where social networking is still quite limited. Unlike other sites on the Internet, video alone cannot improve search rankings on search engines.
Video advertisings will be the hottest promoting styles in website marketing setting. What a best method of advertise your landscapes, products to the whole large world. For some reason, the video in a stronger and there is rivalry lower compared with that of a typical website search engine. That is the virus in addition to highly dependent on the shipment of society and social tagging. However, if you think that a very simple industrial shoots will suffice to produce breakthrough and get a fantastic rank then you should think twice. This can be just a strategy followed by almost all businesses online businesses to promote their expert services or maybe solutions through the discovery of simple videos and establishing all of them on their sites. If you do not have this capacity and cannot generate video attract the doubt that your efforts will make a good result.
Niche marketing online video
Crucial for each web page that will is out there on the web, is a good-looking Website video topic, and nowadays it really is within the expenses for nearly all advertising Projects
Let’s face it if you Spend any time on YouTube, you know video production is not limited to professional quality and still receive a lots of eyeballs to Their message, so if you have any hesitation That your video promotion is not of a good standard. Think about those YouTube videos you have been watching, with a message to market match that is video marketing.
Implementing video development is actually big, and that it can with continue to keep growing any kind of company wants to raise That Should get time out to check out an online video media creation cans this specific be from the field of online corporate videos, or internet affiliate marketing Attempts.
Niche Web video production
Advertising using video is actually having a lot easier and more low-priced to create attractive video promoting. You see that video production business expanding while using Emergence of high-speed Internet, in addition to what’s interesting is actually with the mobile formats cans you deliver whatsoever inspired objective or maybe item into the people Pals They really want
Your own area of expertise and Produce a marketing video production.
Affiliate marketing videos
This is the technique the cups you stand out from the group inside the internet marketer advertising and marketing field is actually what the video does actually properly this specific carries a lasting effect on the intellects of your people, it can make you stand out from the crowd the applications that are any workable Right now Develop beautiful to professional and entertaining audiovisual storage devices is actually Indispensable in the advertising mixture to the SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION requirements event video generation, serves a person good.
For most the idea of entering into an online video manufacturing is a daunting prospect however thanks to the latest technologies in a fairly easy text to be able to voice converters video production is actually within the get to connect with any person. Personal the video generation is one of the almost all entertaining, stimulating and rising industrial sectors to be inside right now, it’s not at all the routine That Used to be with hours of shooting and editing digital video is actually easy to put the production collection. With your serves that material solutions for your Amazon S3 account and text to video services that permits everyone an expert and good-looking content to be out on the web rapidly.
How to Discover an Online Job to Work From Home
Would it be much better if you could work right in the comfort of your own home? Getting hired talent from around the world has contributed to my online success- to my website, my business and other areas of my life.The following are some of the advantages, among many others, having online work brings: giving you freedom to utilize your own time, taking a break anytime you want won’t be a problem as long as you finish your obligations, and providing personal space to be creative without worrying about anything.When you look for a job online, you will be presented with numerous opportunities and options. It’s uncomplicated to look for a job on the internet when you know where to look. Be sure to assess yourself first before applying for online jobs. You should first and foremost determine what type of skills you possess that can benefit others, and the extent of knowledge you have to be able to successfully perform specific online jobs.In this article, I will discuss three different websites that are good choices when you wish to begin generating money online from working precisely at home.First off is Odesk where various types of jobs abound. The site has a huge database and you can find just about any online job here like writing, web design, virtual assistance, data entry and so on. Because it is enormous, I can say that it truly is the most competitive out of all the online work websites that I will discuss. If you’re applying for a job at oDesk, expect that you can find about twenty additional applicants.It is not that uncomplicated to navigate either, but all it takes is some time to figure out how their whole system works and it will get less difficult. Odesk ranks first among the three sites I will discuss here.Rentacoder is the second site I will discuss. You will most likely find your first job in this site since, among the three, this site has the least number of people applying for a particular job. With a simple layout, the Rentacoder site undoubtedly is easier to navigate and comprehend. It’s also good that it allows providers to post work of all kinds, so finding work here from home is not that difficult to achieve.Lastly, Elance.com is an additional web page I would like to discuss. In the past, I would normally hire talent from this site for jobs that I had, but over the past year, I moved away due to poor performances I got from providers there (in my experience) and I found Elance to be extremely difficult to deal with. However, Elance has a good employment structure and has a quite tidy setup. Further, the site also has a huge database since there are lots of people posting different kinds of jobs. Therefore, the probability of a person finding a job would be higher.What is very good about these sites is that you’re continuously learning and acquiring new abilities with each task you take. If you don’t have any skills of merit, opt for work that you are interested in and learn about it on forums and through research. Patience is the key to success in these sites. You first have to build a good reputation in order for people to trust and hire you. Once you have done that, it will be easier for you to get hired and earn money right in the comfort of your own home.
Do You Want the Health and Fitness Fairy to Wave Her Magic Wand?
If you could have just one wish granted that related to your health and well being what would it be?o Be stronger and fitter
o Have a great slim, firm body
o No worries about developing some dreaded disease
o Feel more self-confidence
o Be more relaxed and de-stressed
o Have more endurance and stamina
o Be more alert and focused
o Feel happier and more accepting with your lot in life
o Live longer and have a higher quality of lifeThe good news is…you don’t need the magic fairy with her wand to grant you any of these wishes. You can have all of the wonderful benefits listed above and not have to wait for that fairy to pay you a visit.You are now saying so, what is it and how do I get all of these things in my life?The simple answer is ‘proper exercise’.But I hear you say “I hate exercise”.And the answer to this is: “Change your mindset”.Whether you like to exercise or not doesn’t really matter. It is simply not an option but a choice and that choice is totally dependent on you. Somehow you need to change the “I hate” to “I love” to exercise. Tell yourself it makes you feel good, it will help you lose that excess body fat, it will help you be a calmer and saner person, it will make you live longer and the list goes on and on. Whatever it takes is what you need to do.To be able to improve your life in every way and be the person you are meant to be means you must include proper physical activity into your life. If you don’t feel this is necessary and that you can get by without it you are simply cheating yourself. Your life cannot be complete without proper exercise and to start making your life better this is the place to start.Every one of us needs proper regular exercise. It is our natural state to be fit, strong and energetic. If we are not in this state we cannot function properly, either physically or mentally. We might get by without it in our younger days, but as the years pass the toll it takes will make itself apparent in many different negative ways. It will get to the point where the deterioration and degeneration will impact life greatly as the downward spiral accelerates.It is so much easier to take charge and take action to guard against this. If you are new to exercise or do not understand what proper exercise means seek the help of a fitness professional. If you fail to do your program correctly, or fail to use the right exercise such as strength training exercise you will not get the results you hope to get. It is way more than simply going for a walk. We all have legs and we all walk but this will not give you significant anti aging health and wellness benefits.If you have never experienced how good for your inner sense of wellbeing you can get from a regular exercise program you have something great to look forward too. It will become so much easier to be the person you want to be. You will soon have more energy and vitality, a better mind set and attitude to everything in life and a gentler calmer disposition.If you can learn to love exercise and how it makes you feel, you will not have to force yourself and will want to actually do it. This can happen little by little over a period of time. Allow yourself to have this gift and in return you will have access to your health and fitness wish list.
Click Your Way to a Photography Diploma with an Online Course
With a City & Guilds Diploma in Photography you can learn the skills and techniques of the professionals and take your interest in photography on to the next level.Using today’s modern cameras anyone can produce impressive results with relative ease, but if you want to go one step further and really learn how to get the most out of photography, a City & Guilds Photography Diploma is the ideal way to begin. City & Guilds courses are comprehensive and inexpensive, and lead to qualifications that are recognised throughout the industry, making them ideal if you’re looking to begin a career in photography.City & Guilds Diploma in PhotographyThere are two main City & Guilds Diplomas in Photography available:
City and Guilds Basic Photography
City and Guilds Black and White Photography
Each one can be studied through an online course, allowing you to work through your studies in whatever way suits you best, taking as long as you like to gain your diploma.An online course gives you a degree of freedom in your studies that traditional teaching methods simply cannot match. With no need for lectures or classes you can pick and choose where and when you work, fitting the online course around your existing lifestyle.Many City & Guilds Photography Diploma course providers offer extensive online support for their students, with the very best providing forums, tutor support and online learning resources.Photography Diploma – Subjects CoveredAll City & Guilds Photography Diplomas provide extensive instruction in photographic equipment, professional techniques and the principles of composition. Some of the areas you’ll learn about include:
Camera and lenses
Film, light and techniques
Composition, picture design and presentation
Final portfolio techniques
Taking a City & Guilds Diploma in Photography enables you to capitalise on your interest and develop a set of professional skills built on real practical knowledge. Whether you want to pursue a rewarding career in photography or just want to learn how to get the most from your hobby, gaining a City & Guilds Photography Diploma through an online course lets you fulfil your ambitions with the minimum of inconvenience and expense.
Buying Import Car Insurance – Check Out the Details Thoroughly
People have also been confused at the thought of buying car insurance and buying car insurance is not a very it not a very enjoyable thing. The reason being, buying an insurance policy calls for spending money and no individual likes to spend money. Whether we like it or not, it is mandatory to buy import car insurance.People who love cars and who do not mind spending extra in undertaking modifications to their cars really feel for their cars. Such people love to show off their cars and are bigheaded on owning such a prized possession. Thus people who own such modified cars would find it a little difficult to identify modified car insurance. Many of the insurers will not provide coverage for modifications undertaken by you. The car would be insured depending on the market value at that particular point of time, if you want to write off the car. You might have spent a fortune undertaking modifications to your car, to make it sparkle and stand out, but the insurers would turn a deaf ear and would not agree to pay for all the hardships undertaken by you. This would be a total loss if you have gone in for a bought import car insurance policy.The insurers are getting enlightened on the fact that the greater the modifications, the greater the individual would take care of the car and the individual would never apply for a claim. Thus, the company offers an insurance cover.Buying import car insurance policy for individuals opting for classic cars is definitely lower as compared to the latest and modern vehicles. Many insurers offer low premiums if your car is five years old. If you are a proud member of the club, you are also entitled to some discounts offered by these clubs. When buying Import Car insurance policy, check out whether your insurer is aware of the reason behind buying the car. There are many car lovers who buy cars just for fun, still some others love cars and love to show off their cars.When you intend buying import car-insurance policy for race cars, many insurers refrain from providing coverage to such cars. Many conventional insurers feel that there is high danger when it comes to this sport. Hence, it is advised that you do your research well and identify insurance companies which offer such a policy. It is advised that you check out the terms and conditions, the coverage offered the premium etc before settling for the insurance company. The reason why many insurers do not favor this policy is due to the insecurity associated with the sport. Reckless driving and aggression are forewords are pre requisites when it comes to racing and hence the insurers do not want to take this risk.Nevertheless, it is advised that prior to buying import car-insurance, it is better to differentiate and understand the type of car for which you intend buying import car insurance, so that you know what to expect.
Automotive and Diesel Online Career Training Opportunities
When looking to pursue a career in automotive and diesel you can enroll in an accredited online school or college to gain the education necessary to enter into the field. Not all courses and training can be completed online in this area, but you can complete the basic coursework and finish hands on training through a vocational learning program. There are a number of specialized areas for you to choose from when pursuing an automotive and diesel career. You have the opportunity to choose from various online certificate and degree programs. Studies can be complete at your own leisure from just about anywhere.There are a variety of professions in this field, allowing you to choose the one that best fits your interest and career goals. You can choose to obtain a career as an:Auto Mechanic
Motorcycle Mechanic
Diesel Mechanic
…and a number of other professions. Training for these careers will require you to complete an accredited online educational training program. Studies can be completed at the:
Certificate
Diploma
Associate Degree…levels of education. By choosing to gain an accredited online education in automotive and diesel you will be able to gain the training you need for a successful career.The coursework and training that must be completed will depend on the level of education and specific career area desired. You can learn a number of skills by enrolling in a career education training program online. Coursework may consist of studying subjects such as:Transmissions
Brakes
General Maintenance
Welding
Computerized Testing Equipment
…and other courses. Students will also study coursework that is more specific to their desired degree and career. This may include:Motorcycle Repair
Diesel Engines
Gasoline Engines
Heating and Air Conditioning
Jacks and Hoists…and many other relevant subjects. When you choose to obtain an accredited online certificate or degree in this field you will gain the skills and knowledge you need to pursue a successful career.Training for a career in automotive and diesel will open a world of opportunities for you.Gaining an accredited online education will allow you to learn what it takes to provide maintenance on various automotives.
You will receive the education you need to succeed based on your career goals.
Training will allow you to continue current employment while learning a new skill. Research online programs today to learn more about accredited educational training in this field.Accreditation is the proof a school or college needs to ensure that you will gain the quality education you deserve. There are numerous agencies like the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence ( http://www.ase.com/ ) that are approved to fully accredited online career preparation programs. Schools and colleges that offer accredited learning can be found by researching your desired career and level of education. You can request more information by contacting the online automotive and diesel program that fits your individual needs and goals today..DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.Copyright 2010 – All rights reserved by PETAP.org.
Special Education in Ireland’s Secondary Schools
This article is an introduction to special education in Irish secondary schools. The past then years have witnessed a sea change in special education provision in Ireland. The Department of Education and Science has issued numerous directives and guidelines in relation to policy, provision, structure and supports. Since 1998 there have been ten pieces of legislation passed through the Dail that relate, one way or another to children and special education needs The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has been established along with the Special Education Support Service (SESS). Both these organisations oversee and coordinate all special education initiatives nationwide. Ireland’s primary schools have pioneered these new directives. Special education provision at primary level is developing at a rapid pace and great strides are being made. The next horizon for improvement is secondary school.Ireland’s secondary schools are driven by an exam-oriented curriculum. Subject area specialists teach all of the curricular content. The supports available to children with special needs are not extensive or as tested as those at primary level. In what follows we will look at the needs and entitlements of children entering secondary school who have identified special education needs and those who are entering and later discovered to have a special education need.My child has been receiving extra help in primary school. What should I look for in a secondary school?You should look for a school with a special education teacher in place on a full-time basis to support all children with special needs in the school. It is important to also be sure the school has a commitment to supporting and educating children with special needs. The school should have on its staff teachers who have had some training in how to differentiate their methodology and curriculum for children with special needs. There should be an accepting attitude on the part of all staff. Remember, your child is entitled to enter fully into the life of the school and avail of all it has to offer. How do you find out these things? Talk to the school principal and ask questions about the topics listed above. Remember, your child may be eligible for special consideration at the time of Junior Cert and Leaving Cert but this will have to be determined about a year before these exams will be taken.What is s/he entitled to?A child who has been receiving special education resources or support in primary school is eligible for continued support at secondary level so long as they continue to have a special education need. It is possible that a primary school child, after receiving several years of support, could no longer be deemed to have a special education need but this is the exception not the rule.Your child will be entitled to the same general provision he or she received in primary school. Typically this takes the form of specialist teaching from a Learning Support or Special Education Resource teacher (both are now often being referred to simply as Special Education teachers. This support is to be determined based on need with the number of hours of support being determined by the Individual Education Plan (IEP) drawn up in the last year of primary school. In addition to the IEP there should have been a Transition Plan completed during the last year of primary school The Transition Plan will devise the structure of transition to secondary school and may alter the IEP for a short period of time. If this happens there should be a team meeting in about six months or less to write the secondary school IEP. In general students in secondary school are eligible for the same supports as in primary school. This may include a Special Needs Assistant (SNA).How do I go about making sure they get that?Generally speaking your child’s Individual Education Plan is the map which documents exactly what services your child will receive, when he or she will receive them and from whom. The IEP is your best protection against a child not receiving the services they need. IEP’s will eventually become legally binding documents on all parties and a school must provide the services outlined in the IEP. An IEP cannot be changed or implemented without your consent. Remember that upon entering secondary school a Transition Plan may be in place that slightly alters the previous IEP. This will have to be reviewed within a short span of time to be sure the child receives appropriate support services. Don’t be afraid to talk to the school principal because he or she is ultimately responsible to see to it that children receive the services they are entitled to receive.What are my options if we run into difficulties?Should problems arise you should first speak to the Year Head and address your concerns. The Special Needs Organiser (SENO) assigned to the school should be alerted as well as the appropriate special education teacher(s). A team meeting, of which you are entitled to be a member, can be convened within a reasonable time frame and your concerns will be discussed. If this meeting does not satisfy you or not result in the child receiving the services you may contact the National Council for Special Education for further information and support.It is important to take things one step at a time. Speak to your child’s special education teacher first and be clear about your concerns. Be assertive and not aggressive. Remember, generally speaking everyone is doing the best they can. Do have your child’s IEP in front of you when you are speaking to the teacher or other staff member. Be aware of your rights to appeal as outlined in the NCSE and SESS websites. Don’t rush to judgement, try and work things out amicably before you make threats to appeal. The next most important port of call will be the Special Needs Organiser assigned to the school.Hidden DisabilitiesNot all children who have special education needs come to the attention of parents or educators in primary school. The human brain is an organ that tries to meet the demands placed upon it at any given time. As anyone who has gone to school knows, the demands of the curriculum get greater and greater each year of schooling. In secondary school the curriculum subjects become incredibly complex each year. The fact that a student is being educated by many different teachers each year further complicates matters. There are students who have had no difficulty suggestive of a special education need at primary school who suddenly seem to have a lot of difficulties in secondary school. Unfortunately they are often perceived as “lazy” or “unmotivated” and sometimes as “difficult” students.If these labels stick and no thought or concern raised about a possible learning difficulty being present the student can become trapped in a cycle of failure and rejection by teachers. The result could be early school leaving, behaviour difficulties to hide the learning problem, lowered self-esteem, loss of self-confidence and trouble at home. It is important to recognise that some students, no matter how well they performed in primary school, may have a special education need that doesn’t appear until secondary school.What are the warning signs?It is not possible to list the many warning signs of a hidden disability but generally speaking one should be considered any time a student with a previously successfully record in primary school begins to exhibit difficulties in secondary school. There are a variety of causes to school failure at second level but a hidden disability can often be reasonably suspected when one or more of the following difficulties become noticeable:oMemory problems
oOrganisational difficulties
oRefusal to go to school
oProblems with written language expression
oDifficulty organising thoughts into speech
oInability to recall facts from yesterday’s lesson even if they seemed retained the night before
oUnusual spelling problems
oUnusual difficulty with more advanced mathematical problems
oPronounced difficulty in foreign language class
oBehavioural difficulties not present in primary school
oMood swings or sudden mood changes that last several hours
oReluctance to engage with parents about school difficultiesAlthough a partial list it is a good guide for parents and teachers to thoughtfully consider the presence of a hidden learning disability.I think my child may have a problem. Where do I go from here?First speak with your child’s teachers. Ask for the facts: what does teacher think the problem might be? How often is this occurring? When? Is it serious? Present your own perception to the teacher(s) clearly and succinctly. If you have done some Internet homework on your own be clear about it and raise it as a query needing to be resolved. Try and get some samples from homework you have seen and ask for some samples of the child’s work in class if it is appropriate to do so. Speak to the Year Head and ask him or her to get some information about your concerns from all teachers. See if you can spot a pattern that validates your concern.If you become more concerned then you have a right to ask for an assessment. Sometimes the special education teacher, with your permission, can perform some individually administered tests to discover if the child is seriously behind in reading or math achievement age. It is possible to discover if there are significant written language deficits in some cases. If this assessment leads to more significant concerns then you should request a psychological assessment. These can be provided free by the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) but be mindful that a lengthy waiting list may be in place.The most important thing is to be persistent and to talk to the right people. Begin with teachers, speak to Year Head, go to Principal if necessary and don’t forget the Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO). If an assessment is carried out there will be a team meeting to discuss the results and to begin the process of writing an IEP.In the case of a diagnosis, where do we go from here?If your child is found to have a special education need an IEP should be written. This is, as stated previously, a road map to your child’s education plan. It should be reviewed annually but can be reviewed more frequently if it is decided to do so. The special education team, often referred to as a multidisciplinary team, will be responsible for writing the IEP. You are a member of that team. Your child is also entitled to be a member of the team and it is particularly important for secondary school students to participate in this stage of planning. This gives them a sense of ownership and control over their educational life.Be sure that the plan covers all the areas of concern that have been discovered in the assessment process. Plans for children with social and behavioural difficulties that address only academic issues are useless and doomed to fail. Special education planning is a thoughtful and time-consuming process when it is done correctly. Don’t feel rushed into accepting a plan you don’t think will work. Take it away and ask if you can return in a week to revise it with the team. This may not make you the most popular parent in the school but it is responsible parenting.Possible Panels:Autism/Asperger’s in Secondary SchoolThere are large numbers of children with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder that are having considerable difficulty finding a secondary school to enrol them. The problem revolves around the lack of supports at second level and the lack of teacher training in this speciality area. Unfortunately there is little that can be done if a school refuses to enrol a child on the autistic spectrum. What is needed is the development of resource support. By that I mean resource rooms where these children can get services by a specialist teacher. Availability to the teachers of advanced training. Availability of print and video resources teachers can access to learn more about the spectrum. Along with this there should be a whole-school commitment to inclusion for children on the spectrum so they are not isolated from same-age peers.The education of children on the spectrum is not that difficult once educators get the knowledge about how to do it and have the proper attitude towards these children and their families. Of course they present us with challenges but the good news is that once we get it reasonably right for them we begin to improve the education of all children. There are considerable challenges in the future to our secondary schools in education these children and it is time to get it right. Those schools which stubbornly refuse to enrol children on the spectrum are in the stone age of education. There is a clear choice for secondary schools in relation to these children: be in the forefront of change and development or be left behind forever. Parents will not forgive or forget. It’s time to get it right once and for all.ADHDAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder affects about 5% of all children and adults. Unlike other special education conditions, children and adolescents with ADHD are frequently blamed for having the condition, perceived as hostile or unmotivated, lazy or cheeky. When ADHD goes untreated it becomes a serious condition affecting self-esteem, motivation, behaviour, self-confidence and relationships with adults and peers. ADHD is a high-stakes condition and it needs to be recognised that students who have it didn’t choose to be the way they are.ADHD is a condition that is caused by brain chemistry and activity. It is a neurobiological condition. People with ADHD often have difficulty paying attention and concentrating, especially on things that require sustained attention and concentration. The can have problems controlling their emotions and impulses, can rush to finish things or have considerable difficulty waiting their turn. They often ask questions without thinking them through and sometimes make unfortunate comments in front of others.ADHD is a life-long condition. One never grows out of it but the symptom picture changes over time. Often the impulsivity and high level of activity, if they were initially present, disappear in the teen years. The learning problems associated with ADHD do not go away easily and it is vitally important for them to be addressed in school. As in the case of children on the autistic spectrum, once educators and schools get it correct for children with ADHD they have improved the educational provision of all children.Understanding is critically important. Adolescents with significant ADHD do not chose to be in trouble with and in conflict with adults. Constant rejection and criticism, constant punishment, and in severe cases expulsion from school is not the answer. Corrective teaching is the answer and appropriate support from specialist teachers is vital.