More than 6 million students receive exceptional student education services, according to the U.S. Department of Education. In 2004, the Office of Special Education Programs found that students with specific learning disabilities accounted for almost half (47.4%) of all students with disabilities, which was roughly 2.9 million students being served (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). Students with disabilities drop out of high school at about twice the rate of general education students (Thurlow, Sinclair, and Johnson, 2002). They are also less likely to go back and earn their high school diploma as compared to their counterparts without disabilities. School administrators and personnel are encouraged to create collaborative partnerships with parents and after-school programs to improve outcomes for these students. Recommendations for schools are provided in this 3-part series entitled “Students with Disabilities: Creating Collaborative Partnership.”
Tips for Schools
1. Minimize language barriers for parents and students by providing translators and translating necessary paperwork.
2. Hold a special orientation day for parents with students with disabilities before the
start of school.
3. Introduce key staff to parents and students and their respective job duties as they related to facilitating ESE services.
4. Include disability resources in the school’s student handbook. If there is not a
school specific handbook, provide parents with a packet listing relevant resources available at the school, in the community, and on the internet.
5. Support or provide general education teachers with training and support relevant to providing instructional services to students with disabilities.
6. Invite guest speakers to participate in PTA or parent meetings to educate parents about their child’s disability and/or available resources.
7. Encourage and stress the importance to parents regarding their participation in their child’s IEP meetings.
8. Encourage and allow parents to bring advocates to their child’s IEP meetings.
9. Don’t talk down or over parents. Instead of speaking in acronyms or technical language, try to speak in a way that facilitates parent understanding of the educational process.
10. Make sure parents understand the process, timeline and consequences of all decisions made regarding their child’s education.
11. Encourage parents to have their child to participate in either on or off-site
after-school programs.
12. Include a listing of local after-school programs in introductory packets sent out to parents during the first few weeks of school.
13. Network with community providers to create collaborative partnerships.
14. Invite community providers to speak with appropriate staff regarding their services to connect students with available community programs and services.
15. Collaborate with afterschool programs to reinforce instructional learning.
Resources:
Learning Disability Association of America (LDA)
4156 Library Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15234
http://www.ldaamerica.org/
National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)
PO Box 1492
Washington, DC 20013
http://www.kidsource.com/NICHCY/
By: Felecia Sheffield PhD
Posts Tagged ‘Education Services’
Students With Disabilities – Creating Collaborative Partnerships – Tips For Schools (Part 2 of 3)
January 9th, 2010Posted in Article
Tags: Collaborative Partnership Collaborative Partnerships Disability Resources Education Services Education Teachers Exceptional Student Education General Education Guest Speakers High School Diploma Instructional Services Language Barriers Necessary Paperwork Office Of Special Education Office Of Special Education Programs Parent Meetings Relevant Resources Special Education Programs Specific Learning Disabilities Students With Disabilities U S Department Of Education
Can Special Education Personnel Pick And Choose Services And What About Waiting Lists?
October 15th, 2009
Have you been told by special education personnel that they do not provide Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy, for children with autism? Have you been told that your school district only provides certain services, due to money issues? Is your child on a waiting list for educational or related services? This article will discuss whether the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA), allows special education personnel to only provide certain services to children with a disability. Also discussed, are children put on waiting lists for related and educational services.
IDEA defines special education as: specially designed instruction at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability…
The purpose of IDEA is to provide an education that meets a child’s unique needs and prepares the child for further education, employment and independent living.
Special Education Personnel cannot pick and choose which services that they are going to offer to children with disabilities. That having been said, many school personnel do try and limit what services that they will give children. This is the reason why it is critical that you stand up to special education personnel, who may ruin your child’s life by not giving them the services that they need.
If special education personnel try and limit your child’s services, ask them to show you, under what authority they have the right to deny your child needed educational services (there isn’t any). Remember what special education is-special designed instruction to meet the unique needs of your child.
Also, consider getting an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) of your child to prove what services that your child needs. The evaluator can participate in an IEP meeting by telephone, when the evaluations recommendations are discussed.
Waiting lists are also not allowed under IDEA. The difficulty is that when special education personnel state that they are putting your child on a waiting list, it sounds like it could be reasonable. It is not until you find out that waiting lists are not allowed, that you realize that you have been deceived. Always ask special education personnel to prove to you in writing, that what they are saying is the truth. If they cannot show you in writing that what they said is truthful; it probably is not.
For Example: Your 3 year old child with autism needs Applied Behavioral Analysis Treatment. The special education personnel, tells you that the class is full, and that they are waiting for additional funding for a new class. But in the mean time, your child will be put on a waiting list. Write them a letter, documenting what they said, and ask them to show you where it states in federal or state law, that they are allowed to have waiting lists (they aren’t). File for a state complaint for violation of your child’s rights.
By understanding what special education personnel can and cannot do under IDEA, helps you in your advocacy efforts for your child. Do not give up fighting for an appropriate education for your child, or their life may be forever ruined!
By: JoAnn Collins
Posted in Article
Tags: Child Education Children With Autism Children With Disabilities Disability Education Employment Education Personnel Education Services Educational Services Evaluations Evaluator Further Education Iee Independent Educational Evaluation Individuals With Disabilities Individuals With Disabilities Educational Act Money Issues Related Services Special Education Waiting List Waiting Lists
Special Education
October 13th, 2009
Special education refers to unconventional education services designed to cater to the needs of individuals suffering from physical and mental drawbacks such as physical handicaps, sensory (visual and hearing) impairments, intellectual capacity (mental retardation and autism), learning disabilities (reading and writing skills), speech impairment and those with behavior disorders. It seeks to address problems of the individual, as well as provide effective solutions through a set of formulated instructions, service aids and supports, learning techniques and transitions services.
The goal of special education is to address the needs of these special individuals (children, youth and adults) and ensure that they gain equal access to quality education regardless of their condition. In effect, it encourages them to keep up with the challenges of normal education and help improve their chances for success in life.
Specialized method of education
The primary focus of this special type of education is to provide support and learning techniques to the individual. Children are properly educated in the most learning-conducive environment to help them discover their in-depth skills and abilities hidden behind the disabilities they might have.
But not everyone can employ this educational service. As such, before the person can avail of it, different levels of evaluations must take place. The processes can vary, though the primary stages include referral, parental consent, child evaluation and review and recommendation of appropriate institutionalized methods.
An afterthought…
In today’s society there are more than 6 million children and youth estimated to be suffering from disabilities, and the demand for special education has grown by leaps and bounds. By properly dealing with the issues and problems concerned and finding solutions, special education can give them the chance to stand up and be on equal footing with their peers, drawing out their true potentials as key movers and prime contributors to society regardless of their physical and mental difficulties.
By: Ken Marlborough
Posted in Article
Tags: Afterthought Behavior Disorders Child Evaluation Conducive Environment Education Services Education Special Education Educational Service Effective Solutions Finding Solutions Intellectual Capacity Leaps And Bounds Learning Disabilities Mental Retardation Parental Consent Physical Handicaps Quality Education Service Aids Skills And Abilities Speech Impairment True Potentials
