Army Europe K-12 PCS INBOUND Handbook PCS Handbook ARMY OUTBOUND SY17-18 | Page 15
10 TIPS for PCSing with special kids
1. EFMP: If you are active duty be sure you are enrolled in the Exceptional Fam-
ily Member Program and have completed overseas clearance.
2. Preparing your Child: If your child doesn’t adapt well to change, have a talk
about your plans as soon a possible. Don’t drop everything in one discussion, bit by
bit provide information. Give your child time to digest the news and start to come to
terms with the upcoming changes.
Helpful links:
Exceptional Family
Member Program Quick
Guide
Army Med. Com. EFMP
Procedural Safeguards
(Parent Rights - Special
Education)
EDIS
Special Needs Toolkit
DoDEA support direc-
tory
DoDEA SPED Proce-
dural Guide.
Free online special ed.
courses for parents and
teachers
Respite Care
Military One Source
STOMP
Wrightslaw
Special Care Organiza-
tional Record
DoDEA-E Special Educa-
tor Resource Directory
3. Planning : Waiting until the last moment to gather information, documents,
advice, etc. isn’t a good plan. Meet with your child’s teacher or case study team to
discuss goals and requirements for your child. Contact your SLO to help you identify
the POC for special education at your new school. If possible, set up a time for a
“warm handoff” teleconference between the two teams of educators.
4. Gathering Documents: Be sure to HAND CARRY all documents. An up-to-
date IEP is vital. Your new school will have to honor the IEP upon arrival. If the
IEP is expired the entire process will have to begin again! The school will likely do a
re-evaluation within the first month or so. Having copies of previous evaluations will
be extremely helpful if there is a divergence of opinion. The Special Care Organiza-
tional Record (SCORE) may help you keep all your information in one place.
5. Furniture Pick up Day: If appropriate, allow your child to select some of the
items that will go with him/her. Provide bright stickers in one color to put on all the
boxes in your child’s room, so when items are delivered you know right away which
items go in his/her room. This will allow you to get your child’s items out and set up
quickly making him feel more at home in your new quarters.
6. Childcare If your child won’t do well with the confusion that a moving day brings,
consider
utilizing hourly care or have one parent deal with the move and the
other spend time with the child. You can have your child registered in CYS Services
and eligible for hourly care before you arrive! Contact your local Parent Central Ser-
vices for details. Or go to MWR Online Services You will also be able to access youth
sports, lessons, and activities through CYS Services. The sooner your child is in-
volved in something they love the easier the transition will be.
7. Diet: Often when we are busy with moving and in and out of hotels we don ’t
exactly have stellar diets. The increase in fats, salts, and sugars may impact your
child’s behavior. Be cognizant of how your child reacts to food and make choices ac-
cordingly. Have a few items handy in a bag for those times that you aren’t presented
with a good choice for a peckish child. If your child has specific dietary needs, allow
ample time to find what you need in your new community.
8. Patience: Allow yourself and your child a bit of slack. People don’t like
change, and as a result of all the turmoil a move brings tempers may flare or stand-
ards may need to be relaxed a bit. It’s ok.
9. Make connections: Contact your SLO or Army Community Service office
(click on your installation and Community Support) to find out about any support
groups for parents with similar challenges. Request a youth sponsor for your child
through the online application on your post’s SLO website.
10. Attitude! Children often get their cues from adults. If you approach every
PCS as an adventure you will provide your child with a feeling of safety. “ If mom and
dad are cool with it maybe it’s not so horrible” But if mom and dad are panicking and
acting like the world is ending when things don’t go according to plan….. Guess who
else is more likely to feel that way?
Show some POSITITUDE! It will make for an easier PCS and a happier child.
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