| Following the passage of the Individuals
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| | others, depending on the specific needs
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| with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA
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| | of the child As a parent, you decide
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| 97), parents of children with special
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| | whether to have your child assessed.When
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| needs have become even more important
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| | you choose to do so, you will be asked to
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| members of their child's education team,
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| | sign a permission form, which describes
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| working with educators to develop a plan
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| | the kinds of people involved in the
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| that will help their child succeed in the
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| | process and the types of tests they use.
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| public school system. This is not
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| | These tests may include measures of
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| available in the private school system,
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| | specific school skills, such as math or
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| unfortunately.This individualized
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| | reading, as well as more general
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| education plan (IEP) describes the goals
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| | developmental skills, such as language
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| the team has set for the child for the
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| | and speech. Once the team members
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| school year as well as any special
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| | complete their individual assessments,
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| supports that are needed to help achieve
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| | they develop a Comprehensive Evaluation
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| those goals.Who Needs an IEP?A child who
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| | Report (CER) that compiles their findings
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| has difficulty functioning and/or
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| | and outlines the skills and support the
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| learning and has been identified as a
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| | child will need. The parents then have a
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| special needs student is the perfect
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| | chance to review the report before the
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| candidate for an IEP.Children who are
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| | IEP is developed.Development of an IEP
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| struggling in school may qualify for
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| | The next step is an IEP meeting at which
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| support services, allowing them to be
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| | the team and parents decide what will go
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| taught in a special way, for a variety of
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| | into the plan. In addition to the
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| reasons:learning disabilities
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| | evaluation team, a regular teacher needs
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| autism
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| | to be present to offer suggestions about
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| attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
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| | how the plan can help the child's
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| developmental delay
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| | progress in the standard education
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| emotional disorders
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| | curriculum.At the meeting, the team will
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| hearing impairment
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| | discuss your child's educational needs -
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| mental retardation
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| | as described in the Comprehensive
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| speech or language impairment
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| | Evaluation Report - and come up with
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| visual impairmentOther children, who
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| | specific, measurable short-term and
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| have advanced skills, either overall or
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| | annual goals for each of those needs.
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| in one specific area of learning such as
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| | When you attend this meeting, you can
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| math or reading, may need an enriched
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| | take an active role in helping to develop
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| education curriculum so they don't become
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| | the goals and determining which skills or
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| bored. In most cases, the services and
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| | areas will receive the most attention.
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| goals outlined in an IEP can be provided
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| | The cover page of the IEP outlines the
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| in a standard public school environment.
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| | support services your child will receive
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| This can be done in the regular classroom
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| | and how often they will be provided (for
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| (for example, a reading teacher helping a
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| | example, counseling once per week and
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| small group of children who need extra
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| | physical therapy four times per
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| assistance while the other kids in the
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| | week).Support services may include
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| class work on reading with the regular
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| | audiology, counseling, hearing or vision
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| teacher) or in a special resource room in
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| | therapy, nursing, medical services,
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| the regular school. The special resource
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| | occupational or physical therapy, special
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| room can serve a group of children with
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| | education, speech therapy, and many
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| similar needs who are brought together
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| | others. If the team recommends several
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| for help. However, children who need
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| | services, the amount of time they take in
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| intense intervention may be taught in a
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| | the child's school schedule can seem
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| different special school environment,
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| | overwhelming. To ease that load, some
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| depending on their needs.These classes
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| | services may be provided on a
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| have fewer students per teacher, allowing
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| | consultative basis. In these cases, the
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| for more individualized and at times
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| | professional consults with the teacher to
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| one-on-one attention. In addition, the
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| | come up with strategies to help the child
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| teacher usually has specific training in
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| | but doesn't offer any hands-on
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| helping children with special educational
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| | instruction.For instance, an occupational
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| needs, and may be a "special education
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| | therapist may suggest accommodations for
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| resource teacher".The children spend most
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| | a child with fine motor problems that
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| of their day in a special classroom and
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| | affect their handwriting, and the
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| join the regular classes for nonacademic
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| | classroom teacher would incorporate these
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| activities (like gym and music) or in
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| | suggestions into the handwriting lessons
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| academic activities in which they don't
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| | being taught to the entire class. Other
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| need extra help. Because the goal of IDEA
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| | services can be delivered right in the
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| 97 is to make sure that each child is
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| | classroom, so the child's day isn't
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| educated in the least restrictive
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| | interrupted.For the same child who has
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| environment possible, usually every
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| | difficulty with handwriting, an
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| effort is made to help children stay in a
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| | occupational therapist might work
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| regular classroom as much as
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| | one-on-one with them while everyone else
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| possible.However, when the child's needs
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| | practices their handwriting skills. When
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| are best met in a special education
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| | deciding how and where services are
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| class, then they may be placed in one.The
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| | offered, the child's comfort and dignity
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| Referral and Evaluation ProcessThe
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| | need to be a top priority.The IEP will be
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| referral process generally begins when a
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| | reviewed annually to update the goals and
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| parent or teacher notices a child is
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| | make sure the levels of service meet your
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| having trouble in the classroom, and the
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| | child's needs. However, IEP's can be
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| parent or teacher notifies the school
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| | changed at any time on an as-needed
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| counselor or school psychologist. The
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| | basis. If you think your child needs
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| first step is to gather specific data
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| | different, fewer or more services, you
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| regarding the student's progress and/or
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| | can request a meeting and bring the team
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| academic challenges and difficulties.This
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| | together to discuss your concerns.What
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| may be done through:a conference with the
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| | Are Your Legal Rights? Specific timelines
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| parents
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| | ensure that the development of an IEP
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| a conference with the student, age
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| | moves from referral to providing services
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| dependent
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| | as quickly as possible. Be sure to ask
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| analysis of the student's performance
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| | about this time frame and pick up a copy
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| (attention, behavior, class work,
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| | of your Parents' Rights when your child
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| homework, quizzes, tests, work
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| | is referred.These guidelines (sometimes
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| completion, etc.)
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| | called Procedural Safeguards) outline
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| observation of the student in their
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| | your rights as a parent to control what
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| normal school environmentHaving this
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| | happens to your child during every step
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| information helps school personnel
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| | of the process. The Parents' Rights also
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| determine the next step.At this point,
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| | describe how you can proceed if you
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| strategies that are specific to the
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| | disagree with any part of the
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| student could be implemented for a period
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| | comprehensive evaluation report or the
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| of time, which may help them become more
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| | individualized education plan - mediation
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| successful in school. If this doesn't
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| | and Due Process hearings are both
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| work, then the child would need to be
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| | options.You can obtain information about
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| tested for a specific learning disability
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| | free or low-cost legal representation
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| to help determine whether they qualify
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| | from the school district, or, if your
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| for special education services. It is
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| | child is in Early Intervention (for kids
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| very important to note, though, that the
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| | ages 3 to 5), you can get info through
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| presence of a disability does not
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| | that program.Special Educational
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| automatically guarantee the child will
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| | Attorneys and Child Right's Advocates
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| receive special education services.For a
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| | familiar with the IEP process will
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| child to be eligible, the disability must
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| | provide paid representation when you need
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| affect the child's functioning at their
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| | it.You may also invite anyone who knows
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| public school.To determine a child's
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| | or works with your child to be a part of
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| eligibility, a multidisciplinary team of
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| | the IEP team when you feel their input
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| professionals will evaluate the child
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| | would be helpful.A Final Important
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| based on their observations; the child's
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| | NoteThe IEP process is very complex,
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| performance on standardized tests; and
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| | however, it's also an effective way to
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| daily work such as class work, homework,
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| | develop a plan that addresses how your
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| quizzes, and tests. The professionals on
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| | child functions and learns.When you have
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| the evaluation team may include:a
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| | concerns, do not hesitate to ask
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| psychologist
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| | questions about the evaluation findings
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| a hearing or vision specialist
| |
| | or the goals recommended by the team.You
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| an occupational therapist
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| | know your child best of all and you need
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| a physical therapist
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| | to play a central role in creating a
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| a special education teacher
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| | learning plan tailored to your child's
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| a speech therapist
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| | specific needs.Dore E.
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