IEP Press

What is written endures.

In these pages are three years of faithful letter writing from a son to his father with dementia. The first three chapters convey the lessons learned in writing letters. These address the mechanics, theory, and art of letter writing learned over this three-year journey. 

I started writing dad out of love and frustration. I was frustrated he was three thousand miles away and there was nothing I could do. About eight years earlier, I started including dementia as an area of professional study. This study led me to offer Continuing Education Units to Elder Care Administrators throughout Southern California. Little did I know my own father would develop dementia a few years later. When he was diagnosed, I knew all too well the prognosis. I knew the certainty of memory loss, paranoia, and eventually death.

Chapter five through eight are the letters sent over three years without fail. Although these chapters read more like a journal of my life, you will see the care I took to stay positive; to provide him with certainty I was doing alright while not sounding too Pollyanna. These letters were not written for you, remember when reading, the only intended audience was dad. However, I share them here to provide insight, motivation, techniques, and examples of how to write to a loved one whom you know is unable to respond. 

Chapter four is the last letter. Dad will never read or hear it. His passing ended this letter writing exploration. I hope, one day, to have this last letter bronzed and attached to dad's grave marker for all to ponder. 

Every Day is New Again: A resource guide for care givers.  This book is based on Dr. Turner's eight hour dementia presentations given throughout Southern California.  It's eight chapters include: Neuro-Anatomy; Dementia Evaluations and Treatments; Alzheimer's Disease, Stages, Therapies, and Behaviors; and Helpful Approaches and Environmental Accommodations for Safety. 

Based on my travel throughout Europe and America, this journaling system is both structured and freestyle.  It helps the new and experienced journaler combine basic information about each place with the aspects that were outstandingly interesting.

Knowledge is power.  This book empowers parents to advocate for the individualized education for which their student qualifies and deserves.  Breaking through the fog (procedures), barriers (acronyms), and roadblocks (delay tactics), this book clearly explains rights, procedures, and processes to obtain interventions and services for your student's success. 

School districts must be committed to instructing and providing educational opportunities for all students.  Educational outcomes focused on ambitious standards must be set for all students.  Improving educational results for students with learning challenges is especially essential in ensuring equal opportunity, full participation, independence, and economic self-sufficiency.

This guide assists teachers and administrators with providing meaningful individualized special education services to students.  It provides a clear understanding of the Special Education Department, whose mission is based on three key tenets:

1.  Involvement and progress of each student in the general curriculum, including the addressing of the student’s unique learning challenges.

2.  Involvement of parents, students, special educators, general educators, and administrators in meeting the individualized educational needs of students.

3.  Critical need to prepare students for independence, employment, and post-school activities.

This Special Education Guide contains current philosophy, policies, and procedures related to special education, identification, assessment, eligibility criteria, and services.  Many resources are incorporated in the guide.  It is a reference and resource for teachers and administrators to meet the educational needs of all students.  I thank the administrators, teachers, special education service providers, and staff who reviewed this guide and provided input for its development.  It provides clarity of expectations and assurances students receive a quality education through shared commitment.

Looking up in the British Isles is an unique guide to experiencing detail on your next vacation.  You can purchase it from amazon.com.

Field trips for educational purposes are most effective with prior planning, a well-designed itinerary, and mechanisms to hold students accountable for gathering and processing their educational information and experiences.  This Journey Journal: Washington, DC and Nearby Historic Sites provides a format and mechanism for this process.  The book provides the structure and journal writing prompts many students need to learn the process of thoughtful reflective journaling, a lost art for many persons in our text messaging society.