Are you the parent of a child with a disability in special education,
who would like parenting tips on how to be an equal participant
in your child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) development? Are
you afraid to give your opinion, because you are not a professional?
Then this article is for you; learn 6 easy to use tips that will help
you assertively participate in the process, for the good of your
child.
Tip 1: Ask a lot of questions. The process can be overwhelming;
The IEP meeting usually has 5-10 disability educators plus the
parents. Ask questions whenever you need to, so that you can
understand what is being said, by school personnel.
Tip 2: Ask the disability educator to slow down, and explain
something that you do not understand. Sometimes school personnel
speak very fast, and do not stop to explain what they are
talking about. This is especially true, when they are giving parents
results of a psychological evaluation. You should ask them to show
you the results of the tests and explain what the scores mean.
Tip 3: Bring a written list of items that you would like to discuss at
the meeting; it can be hand written or typed. Check off each item
as it is discussed. Leave space at the bottom of the list to handwrite
any new issues that come up at the meeting.
Tip 4: Consider bringing a parent input statement to your child’s IEP
meeting. A parent input statement is a one page document that states
what you believe your child’s needs are, and what special education
services your child needs. It should be typed, if possible, and ask
that it be attached to your child’s IEP.
Tip 5: Use the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to
support your position. Peter and Pam Wright have written several
books including Special Education Law; second addition. This book is
easy to read, and use as a reference at any school meetings.The book
can be purchased at http://www.wrightslaw.com.
Tip 6: Read the IEP document before you leave the meeting. What was
said at the meeting is not important, what is important is what is
written in the document. Make sure that any important discussions
about your child are included in the meeting notes, and that all
educational services promised are listed.
With these 6 tips, you are well on your way to learning to assertively
participate in your child’s IEP meeting. You know your child better
than school personnel, so you have a lot of valuable
information to share with the team. Good luck in your advocacy
journey!
By: JoAnn Collins
Archive for December, 2009
6 Parenting Tips To Help You Assertively Participate In Your Child’s IEP
December 30th, 2009Special Tax Deduction For Special Needs Cases
December 30th, 2009
A child is diagnosed with several developmental disorders along with delayed motor, cognitive and social developmental skills. Specialists confirm that the child will need a support program for two conditions if he/she were to attend college.
The parents are referred to a particular school that has courses designed for the child’s conditions. The school offers students with learning disabilities the help they need in order to be successful in completing their college curriculum and become competent and successful in their chosen field of study, thus making them responsible and productive members of society. Unfortunately, the school does not offer any actual college courses. Instead it provides a 12-month program that includes tutoring and specialized social, academic, and independent living skills in order to help the students be successful in a college environment. The school determines that the child is in need of the specialized remedial training prior to and while attending college because of one of her conditions.
The parents are now facing more than the normal college tuition and expenses. Luckily though, in a Private Letter Ruling 200729019, the IRS has stated that a parent may deduct as a medical expense the tuition paid to a special school for the benefit of the special needs child. This means that the IRS now looks at whether the taxpayer could deduct as a medical expense the tuition they paid for the child to attend the school.
Regulation §1.213(d)(1)(v)(a) states that ordinary education is not a medical expense. Section 213 defines medical care as amounts paid for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease, or for the purpose of affecting any structure or functions of the body.
Ordinary education is not and has never been medical care; the cost of medical care includes the cost of attending a “special school” for the mentally or physically challenged individual if the primary reasons the child attends the school is to alleviate a physical or mental handicap. IRS regulations also state that the cost of care and treatment of a mentally or physically challenged individual at an institution is within the meaning of “medical care”.
“Special school” (sometimes referred to as institution) within the meaning of IRS regulations are determined by the content of its curriculum is to help the student to compensate for or overcome a handicap. Parents may therefore deduct as a medical expense the cost of their challenged child’s participation in a course that was specially designed to meet the child’s needs.
The IRS will allow as deductible medical expense for the tuition paid to these special schools based on the following facts:
· The school was established to help children with special needs.
· The child was diagnosed with certain developmental disorders and the school focused on some of those disorders.
· A physician recommended the child attend the school.
If you would like further information or to ask questions on this matter, please visit my blog, TaxResolutionaries, to post comments and questions. If you are in need of tax debt assistance, please seek a reputable firm to assist you in resolution.
By: Sharon Raines
6 Common Teacher Interview Questions and How to Answer Them
December 30th, 2009
When you get a call from a school administrator inviting you to interview for a teaching job, how do you feel? Happy? Elated? Excited? Nervous? Scared stiff?
You don’t need to worry about the interview if you’re a well-prepared, qualified candidate. Preparing for a teaching interview is a lot like studying for a test. You can review commonly asked questions, think about what you’ll say beforehand, and go in to do your best. If you prepare beforehand, the interview questions will seem routine and familiar. You’ll have answers on the tip of your tongue, ready-to-go.
Below is a list of six commonly asked teacher interview questions from my eBook, Guide to Getting the Teaching Job of Your Dreams. How would you answer each question?
1. Tell us about yourself.
This will be the first question at almost every interview. Just give a brief background in about three sentences. Tell them what colleges you graduated from, what you’re certified to teach, what your teaching & working experiences are, and why you’d love the job.
2. How do you teach to the state standards?
If you interview in the United States, school administrators love to talk about state, local, or national standards! Reassure your interviewer that everything you do ties into standards. Be sure the lesson plans in your portfolio have the state standards typed right on them. When they ask about them, pull out your lesson and show them the close ties between your teaching and the standards.
3. How will you prepare students for standardized assessments?
There are standardized assessments at almost every grade level. Be sure you know the names of the tests. Talk about your experiences preparing students. You’ll get bonus points if you know and describe the format of the test because that will prove your familiarity.
4. Describe your discipline philosophy.
You use lots of positive reinforcement. You are firm, but you don’t yell. You have appropriate consequences for inappropriate behavior. You have your classroom rules posted clearly on the walls. You set common routines that students follow. You adhere to the school’s discipline guidelines. Also, emphasize that you suspect discipline problems will be minimal because your lessons are very interesting and engaging to students. Don’t tell the interviewer that you “send kids to the principal’s office” whenever there is a problem. You should be able to handle most discipline problems on your own. Only students who have committed very serious behavior problems should be sent to the office.
5. How do you make sure you meet the needs of a student with an IEP?
An IEP is an “individualized education plan.” Students with special needs will be given an IEP, or a list of things that you must do when teaching the child. An IEP might include anything from “additional time for testing” to “needs all test questions read aloud” to “needs to use braille textbook.” How do you ensure you’re meeting the needs of a student with an IEP? First, read the IEP carefully. If you have questions, consult a special education teacher, counselor, or other staff member who can help you. Then, you just make sure you follow the requirements on the IEP word for word. When necessary, you may be asked to attend a meeting in which you can make suggestions for updating the IEP. Your goal, and the goal of the IEP, is to make sure the student has whatever he or she needs to be successful in your class.
6. How do you communicate with parents?
This question will come up at almost every elementary school interview. It’s fairly common in the middle school and high school as well. You might have a weekly parent newsletter that you send home each week. For grades 3 and up, you may require students to have an assignment book that has to be signed each night. This way, parents know what assignments are given and when projects are due. When there are discipline problems you call home and talk to parents. It’s important to have an open-door policy and invite parents to share their concerns at any time.
For more teacher interview questions, I invite you to download my eBook Getting the Teaching Job of Your Dreams ( http://www.iwantateachingjob.com ). In it you will find 50 common interview questions and answers as well as practical advice for getting the teaching job you want.
By: Tim W
