Does your child receive special education services and you wonder if
they are receiving an appropriate education? This article, will
discuss 5 reasons why your child may not be receiving a free
appropriate public education. And also, what can you do about it?
There is a lot that you can do to ensure a free appropriate public
education for your child.
Reason 1: Many special education personnel have extremely low
expectations, for children with disabilities. You must have high
expectations for your child, just because they are not learning, does
not mean that they can’t. They may need to be taught a different way.
Reason 2: Some special education personnel limit or refuse to provide,
educational and related services that children with disabilities need.
Some special education personnel will even deny that a child has
autism, so that they do not have to provide more intense special
education services. It is your job as a parent to fight for the
services that your child requires. Try to meet other parents, of
children with disabilities, in your school district. Help each other
advocate, and attend each other’s IEP meetings. Together you will be a
strong group.
Reason 3: The curriculums, that some school districts use to teach
children with disabilities, do not work. Special education personnel
are often reluctant to change methodology, even if the child is not
learning. Investigate different curriculums, for your child’s
disability. Join disability organizations and meet other parents. This
will allow you to share information with each other, what works.
Reason 4: Parents, are often forced to pay for independent
educational evaluations (IEE’s), to prove that their child needs
certain special education services. If a parent must pay for an IEE,
to ensure that their child receives a free and appropriate public
education, then the education is no longer free. If your school
district evaluates your child, and you disagree with the evaluation
(or the way it is interpreted), then the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA), gives you the right to have an Independent
Evaluation at Public Expense. My book Disability Deception has an
entire chapter on IEE’s that will give you more information on this
subject.
Reason 5: Many school districts suspend children with disabilities,
for behavior that is part of their disability. Educate yourself on
what IDEA requires as far as behavior/discipline. Special education
personnel can suspend a child up to 10 days.
Within 10 days of a decision to change a child’s placement they must
convene a manifestation determination meeting. This meeting is being
held to determine if the behavior is part of your child’s disability.
If it is, they must do certain things to include developing a positive
behavior plan. If they determine that the behavior is not part of your
child’s disability, then they can discipline them as they would a non
disabled child. You can file for a due process hearing, if you
disagree with the school districts manifestation determination
decision.
By knowing why most children do not receive FAPE, you can advocate
hard for your child. They are depending on you, because they may not
be able to stand up for themselves.
By: JoAnn Collins
Posts Tagged ‘Appropriate Education’
Special Education – 3 Areas of Knowledge That Parents Must Understand to Help Their Child
October 12th, 2009
Would you like to learn about 3 important areas where you need knowledge, to effectively advocate for your child? Would you like resources to find more information on these areas? If you are the parent of a child with a disability, you need to have information in three different areas to help your child receive an appropriate education. This article will discuss these three areas, as well as give you easy to use resources.
Area 1: You must know the educational laws that will help your child receive an appropriate education. The laws are: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which is the federal law governing education for children with a disability, states law that must comply with the federal law, and No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB),
Area 2: You must learn advocacy skills to help you learn how to advocate effectively for your child. An organization that gives lots of helpful information is the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY); they can be found at http://www.nichcy.org.
Area 3: You must have knowledge about case law in special education that affects your child. For Example: if you child has behavioral issues, you should learn what rulings have already been made in this area. Case law means due process rulings, court rulings from State and Federal court, and Supreme Court cases. A wonderful organization that you should join is the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA). There is a small membership fee, but it is worth it. COPAA can be found at http://www.copaa.org. COPAA has a membership area where you can find Case law, in the area that you are interested in.
By learning these three areas, you will well be on your way to being an effective advocate for your child. It will take you time to learn about these three areas, but it will be worth it! Remember: Your child’s life is at stake!
By: JoAnn Collins
5 Reasons Why Your Child Receiving Special Education May Be Misbehaving
October 11th, 2009
Does your child with autism have increased behavioral difficulty at school? Do you sometimes wonder, why your child misbehaves at certain times of day at school, or while doing certain activities? To determine what your child is receiving from the behavior a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) must be conducted. But this article, will give you a few things that could be causing your child’s behavior.
Reason 1: Your child could be having difficulty with their behavior, due to a health concerns. When my daughter Angelina was younger she would have behavioral outbursts that seemed to be tied to not feeling well. I would take her home, she would go to bed, and wake up and do just fine.
Also if your child has seizures, the behavior could be seizure related. Keep track of the behavior and check with your child’s doctor, if you think there could be a health reason for the behavior.
Reason 2: Many children with autism or other disabilities have sensory integration dysfunction; which can negatively affect their behavior. Some children misbehave, because they are wanting, sensory stimulation. Or some children are trying to avoid sensory stimulation.
You can learn more about sensory integration dysfunction, by reading a book about the disorder. Or search the internet for treatments and things that can be done in the classroom to help your child.
Reason 3: Your child could be trying to escape hard academics, or a situation that they cannot handle.
Investigate and make sure that your child is being taught academics at their level so that they do not get frustrated.
Reason 4: Some children misbehave because they are trying to get attention, from other students or special education personnel.
Reason 5: If your child is not receiving an appropriate education in the right type of placement, they may experience a lot of behavioral difficulty.
When my daughter Angelina was younger, she would throw herself on the ground to avoid hard academics. Also if a child is unable to learn academics, it might be time to consider functional skills training. In my advocacy I have seen many children positively respond to functional skills, without behavior. Angelina also responded very well to increased functional skills training rather than a focus on academics.
By learning if any special circumstances are causing your child’s behavior difficulties, you will be able to try some different things to see if they help! Good Luck!
By: JoAnn Collins
