In my book, Navigating the Educational System, 5 Strategies to Get the Best for Your Child, I talk about the various educational settings available for parents to choose from today. My belief is that parents are best qualified to determine
I graduated from high school in 1970. In all my public school years, I did not attend class with a student with a disability. I was made aware of children with Downs Syndrome, physical disabilities, vision or hearing loss by
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was written with the concept that every child should be included in the mainstream classroom and curriculum to the fullest extent possible. When that setting does not meet their needs, alternatives are considered.
As our oldest child approached the age of 5 in the early 1980’s, my husband and I began looking at the school he would be attending. We had purchased a house thinking that it was within the boundaries of an
In your child’s IEP meetings, you have most likely heard the term “the least restrictive environment” used when talking about your child’s placement. This is referring to whether they stay in the regular classroom with supplementary aids and services or
As a parent, you naturally assume responsibility for your child’s behavior. If a neighbor or teacher tells you that your child has been too loud, inattentive, or disrespectful, your first response is often embarrassment. You may apologize or react defensively,
I have been involved as a parent, a special education teacher and an academic advisor in witnessing the success of an instructional technique called “scaffolding”. In the world of construction, scaffolding is a temporary structure used by workers while building,
Last week I wrote about accommodations and modifications you can request for your child with special needs. How do you know when your child needs more services than the school provides? When is it time for a change in academic
If your child is on a 504 or IEP, you have probably heard about accommodations and modifications. An accommodation changes how your child learns the material, such as listening to an audio recording in addition to or instead of reading.
When you send your child to be educated by someone else, you form a partnership with them. It will benefit your child if it is a productive partnership, because that allows the focus to remain on the child, not the