Parents of children with special needs already have enough acronyms, don’t they? Terms like ADHD, NLD, ASD, LD, NVLD, PDD, ADD, and countless other abbreviations for various special needs can make one’s mind swim. And these are just the acronyms encountered in the process of receiving a diagnosis such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Asperger’s syndrome, or related special needs.
Once parents receive a diagnosis, many parents of children with federally recognized learning disabilities or other challenges have to learn another new set of terms: IDEA, ADA, FAPE, and countless other acronyms that stem from the maze of legal challenges facing parents of children with special needs in public schools.
Learning the Language
Like it or not, it’s time to add a few more acronyms to the mix. If you haven’t noticed, young people are speaking a different language these days: the language of texting, online chats, and the Internet. You’ve probably seen the news reports, so you know that you should be learning about your children’s online lives.
Of course, this is easier said than done. Our children’s online environment can be as unfamiliar as the idea of homework on a Friday night might be for some students with ADHD! (Or it may be as anxiety producing as a noisy cafeteria of new faces for some students with High Functioning Autism!)
But as we teach our students, just because a task is unfamiliar or a little scary, it doesn’t mean it’s not important. To make things easier for you, the parent, we have put together a little “online dictionary.” It’s just a start, but you’ve got to start somewhere!
| 121 | One to one |
| 411 | The information |
| AAR | At any rate |
| A/S/L | Age/Sex/Location |
| BAK | Back at Keyboard |
| BF | Boyfriend, Best Friend (Other terms as well, some inappropriate) |
| BRB | Be Right Back |
| DKDC | Don’t Know, Don’t Care |
| DQMOT | Don’t Quote Me On This |
| EMFBI | Excuse Me For Butting In |
| IHAIM | I Have Another Instant Message |
| JK | Just Kidding |
| JT | Just Teasing |
| LMIRL | Let’s Meet In Real Life |
| NIFOC | Nude In Front Of Computer |
| NP | No Problem or Nosy Parents |
| NTK | Nice To Know |
| PA | Parent Alert |
| P911 | Parent Alert |
Coping with Changing Times
Wheww! That was exhausting! Unfortunately, that is just the tip of the iceberg. Online language and social rules are constantly evolving. For students with Asperger’s syndrome, ADHD, or related social skills challenges, this can bring a host of potential challenges.
So what is the answer? As many parents of children with special needs know, several strategies are often needed to address a challenge such as this. One strategy can be to encourage your child to “unplug” for a while. Whether it’s a short walk outside, or an experience at an experiential learning camp like Talisman, we believe any break from the internet can be healthy at times.
Another strategy is the overwhelming task of parent education. To support this, Talisman is offering live online webinars on issues like cyberbullying and social networking. Click here for more information.
