Ask the school:

how many students are served by the para?
at what times/scenarios does the para work/assist my child?
what real-life experience does my para have working with a student who has the disability my child has?
what training specific to the disability has the para attended? if none, why not?
what training does my para receive that is different than the professional teachers receive?
who will substitute for the para when the para is absent?
what training/experience does the sub have?

Perhaps your child has a paraprofessional assigned to him and your are concerned that the para may provide too much or not enough support to your child. Ask the school:

In what subjects/activities does the para provide direct instruction?
In what subjects/activities does the para provide social guidance/set or guide interaction with peers?
In what settings does the para fade to the background and serve only as a monitor?
In what settings does the para provide physical/hands-on support/assistance?

These questions are best asked of the para privately and then in an IEP or 504 meeting. A parent can request that these details be included in the IEP under supplemental aids/services. In a 504 plan, it can be listed as accommodations.

The para may need ways to make his life simpler at the school. Ask the para if he needs access to closets/storage areas at various points in the building for ease in acquiring extra clothing or a private area to change the student’s clothing. Offer to provide extra clothing in an additional backpack close to the lunch area in case of spills. Don’t forget the para on the bus; she may need items as well.

When discussing your child’s needs at the school, be careful of the terms you use. Yes, we all want our children to be “independent”; however, school personnel may interpret “independent” to mean that the student should be left to his own devices as much as possible—resulting in limited assistance from the para. In primary settings, this may not be the desired scenario for some children.

Accolades to all the hard-working wonderful paras! Thank you.

—–www.theiepcenter.com advocates who participate in IEP meetings for parents over the telephone (virtual advocates).

If you’d like an advocate to contact you, please complete this form:

the teacher requires students to sit up straight at their desks at all times
the teacher requires the other adults in the room (paraprofessionals) to ask for her permission before they may leave to use the restroom
the teacher is not admired by other staff in the building
students get mixed signals about expectations in the class
students get mixed signals about expectations in class that change from day to day
students get criticized by the teacher in front of all the other students needlessly
the paraprofessional assigned to my child is not invited to attend the IEP meetings

The child advocates at theIEPcenter.com recognize the seriousness of having a teacher who maybe shouldn’t be working with our child. TheIEPCenter.com child advocates help parents with issues at the public school for their child who has a 504 accommodation plan or IEP.

Complete the form below if you’d like an advocate to contact you. We are advocates who participate in IEP meetings over the phone.
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However, many parents don’t realize a special ed student (with an IEP under IDEA) might be able to continue to get “schooling” from their school district past the senior year. Check the state law to see what the age ceiling is for you student to continue attending school.

In this instance, many school districts may not require continued participation in the traditional high school setting but may offer services in a specialized setting. This would need to be indicated in the IEP document through the IEP process. Parents can request this type of “schooling”.

One of the beauty’s of the IDEA (aka “Special ed law”) is that Congress intended to it to be individualized for the student; hence the “IEP”. Getting a student’s program from the school is sometimes easier said than done. Parents need an experienced advocate to go with them to participate in the IEP meeting. The presence of an advocate make a difference!

SEPAL advocates are available to assit parents with the IEP process. Contact specialeducationrights.com for information. SEPAL google voice # 816-865-6262

No Child Left Behind as well as the IDEA provide that qualified teachers be instructing our students. Elimination of certain special ed teachers would not comply with NCLB and IDEA in the event the qualified teacher is not instructing the student who requires such teacher.

Parents need an experienced child advocate to assist when dealing with the school to ensure our kids’ education is appropriate. It’s easy to be misinformed and mislead; often not knowing it sometimes for years. An advocate’s presence in an IEP or accommodation meeting makes a difference. Don’t be bamboozled!

We’ll cover the words that many don’t realize play a significant role in what services our kids get from the public school Using these words can save a parent years of struggle…and avoid wondering what just happened in that IEP meeting!

Your specific questions can be submitted during the teleseminar over the phone or on the internet.

You will receive a copy of the presentation shortly after the teleseminar. Register using a credit card or check thru Paypal.
Register by clicking on the link. Cost is $19.00. After you register you will be sent via e-mail insructitons how to access the teleseminar.

http://home.earthlink.net/~marily17228/id7.html

Expectations for students in regular classrooms who have IEPs are high for being involved in the busy work regular kids do;   sometimes IEP  students are pulled out for programs and events that are not consistent with IEP goals.

Parents must  insist for working on goals over the student going to lengthy assemblies, DARE programs, extended reading events, etc.   These side activites can be numerous and a detriment to a student who is in a” learning moment” only to have it distubed by a busy schedule.   If a parent asks specifics about these on-going events that occur regularly in their schools, they can specify which ones are worth interrupting the instruction.

Advocates, with enough advanced notice, can participate in the IEP meeting.  Parents who have never before involved an advocate in the IEP process are finding the tone of IEP meetings to be more congenial, and, at times, more substantive.

Working the process is more than just attending a meeting however.  Advocates assist parents in preparing for the meeting by providing them with strategies, that is, paperwork, that moves the process .

Advocates at theiepcenter .com are participating in IEP meetings via telephone wth parents.

Sharing medical records about your child with the public school when a parent is pursuing eligibility for special education in IDEA needs to be thoroughly examined.  A parent wants to convince the school people that the child has medical issues.  However, since the public schools are an “educational system”, they don’t necessarily have to “recognize” incoming information from a different “system”.

Unknowing parents submit medical records to the public school that may work against the student.  The medical records may not contain wording that would make the student eligible in the “education system”.

Parents typically aren’t told accurate information  by the school what they must do to get the school to pursue eligibility for their child.  Many parents don’t know they can request in writing to have the school evaluate their child for “eligibility for special education under IDEA/504″, and, taking it a step further, ask the school to arrange for a medical professional to evaluate for diagnostic purposes to determine if any qualifying condition under IDEA exists.  Some schools may not understand this is how it can be done since they have been “working” parents for so many years…

I am not attorney and this is not advice of any kind.

Here are some thoughts to consider when “homeschooling”:

• Check your state special education regulations to see if “home school” is considered “private school”.  Many states deem students who are home schooled to be private school students and, as  a result, the state and school districts have no requirements to consider them as a public school student.  Thus, the parent may have  no standing to pursue actions under IDEA against that school district/state. 
• If you pulled your child with disabilities out of public school, be sure to be familiar with the special education law (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) where a parent is expected to provide a ten-day notice to the public school that the parent is pulling the kid out since the public school isn’t providing an appropriate education.
• If you pulled your child with disabilities out of public school because it wasn’t providing an appropriate education, and you intend to pursue an action to get the system to “work” for your child, consider how you refer to what the child is currently doing at home.   Some parents call it “enrichment activities” since they are not officially “homeschooling”.   And, some parents, since they do not intend to be homeschoolers refer to their child’s time at home as “enrichment activities” since they don’t want to be perceived as private schooling.
• Consider letting others know that the public school has failed the child by not addressing his/her unique needs.  Perhaps documenting your efforts to get the school to provide appropriate programming for your child should be brought to the attention of  state legislators, the state special education division, your state’s special education advisory panel members.

Parent’s may unknowingly jeopardize their status with the special educators at the public school if the wrong words are used.  Parents need to do research and consult advocates for support. 

I am not an attorney and do not give advice, legal or otherwise.  Copyright Special Education Parent’s Advocacy Link LLC, 2009.

1. Never go alone; always take someone with you.  It’s important to have another set  of eyes and ears.  Its tough to be discussing your own child’s needs.  Someone else can help you pick up on what is going on.  You can also take those who know your child; babysitters, fellow classmates, relatives. 
2. Arrange weeks in advance for an advocate to go with you.  Schools often become defensive if you take an attorney; find an advocate who can support you at a grassroots level.  This way, the advocate can do the legwork and, if it ends up that you use an attorney later, the advocate will have prepped the scenario.
3. Have your requests ready.  Have a prepared list ready to give to the “IEP Team” that specifys your child’s needs, strengths and deficits.   If you want your child to learn keyboarding, mention  he can now type letters a,s,d on the keyboard.  If you want him to learn how to velcro close his shoes, mention he can now put on one shoe.  An IEP advocate can help you prepare this list.
4. Do some research.  Find out about the programs offered by the school; see if the “program” exists.  Look on the internet about the data the state dept of education has about your school district.  Ask the state dept of education for copies of “child complaints” filed related to your school district.  Talk to children who attend at that school and what they see happening.  Search on the internet for support groups in your school district;  it can be amazing to learn what other parents in your area know about the schools.  They may refer to you an advocate they used.
5. Take someone to the meeting who will take notes; someone who knows shorthand is a good choice.  Often a school district person is taking their own notes; ask for a copy of theirs at the end of the meeting.  If they refuse to give you a copy, hand them a handwritten request that is dated and signed.
6.  If testing/evaluation is to be discussed, be sure to know which kinds of tests were done by the school  in the past so that they can be done again; this way you can compare your child’s progress in a consistent manner.   If they come up with different “brands” of tests, it is problematic later  when trying to see  your child’s performance.  An IEP advocate can help you figure this out.
7. There is no duty on the part of the parent to let the school know they are going to bring an advocate to the IEP meeting.  Some schools put up a brick wall if they learn an advocate is coming.

IEP Advocates play a crucial role in helping parents prepare for an IEP meeting; don’t hesistate to consult with one well in advance of any upcoming school meeting.