0 - 3
3 - 5
6 - 9
10 - 13
14 - 18
Adults
Parent's Manifesto
Diagnosis

A Manifesto for Parents

It can be both frustrating and frightening to engage with the school system on behalf of your child.  Particularly if she or he has become defined by names such as lazy, difficult, disruptive.  Even more so if your child has been labeled with terms such as attention deficit disorder or hyperactive.  Jan Lutke who is a very experienced parent of FAS children and a wonderful advocate for them has written this for parents to help you be clear what your rights and the rights of your child are.  It is always important to try work within the system and negotiate rather than confront - you and your child need the system.   However, it is important to remember you are the expert on your child in terms of what works and what doesn't.  Teachers may be more willing than you imagine to listen to your experiences.  If they are not they need to be reminded!

Written by Jan Lutke 

This section is taken from the book "Fantastic Antone Succeeds!  Full reference to this book can be found in the bibliography

• It is the educational system's job to educate my child.  My job is to make sure the schools do their job.
• I am in the position to know what is working.
• School has a limited investment in my child.  My investment is for life and I will be there long after the school is nothing more than a memory.
• Education must be useful to be valuable.
• Figure out what programming you want, design it to fit what the school already has, get inventive and do it all in stages.
• Educate, advocate and gently but firmly insist with every teacher in every class, in every year, in every school.
• Help in anyway and every way you can.  Indicate you are available and visit in person regularly.
• Learn to work with people and not against them.  Use their own arguments to make your points.
• Do whatever you can to make their jobs easier.
• Deal with issues immediately and do not let them accumulate.
• Always follow through and always thank those who help you even minimally.  Remember to thank in writing the people who have been  especially helpful, effective or taken a chance with you.  Write to their superiors.