The Wrightslaw Way

A parent writes,

The IEP has been ongoing for a year now. There have been endless problems: 

   -no response to requested evaluation
   -IEP is still unsigned
   -procedural errors by the team
   -reevaluation committee met, the teacher was not there
    -two new people attended the meeting, neither knew my child

How can I explain what’s happening?

Many parents don’t realize that it’s essential to create a paper trail of all contacts with school personnel. We repeat this often, but will happily share the links to information and articles again.

If you don’t create a paper trail, the school won’t fix the problem.  It’s just your word against theirs.

Not a good position to be in.

Put it in Writing

Your issues and concerns have not happened suddenly. [Read more →]

Tags:   Documentation · Letter writing · Paper Trails · Parent Involvement · parent participation · Parent-school RelationshipsNo Comments.

My daughter has assistive technology written into her IEP. I requested to borrow the mobile stander she uses school, for trial at home.

The PT claims the school cannot loan equipment to families. I feel that the PT is wrong is saying that we cannot trial the stander, but I’m not sure how to proceed?

I don’t believe the PT makes unilateral decisions on the use of AT. The IEP team should make these decisions on a case-by-case basis. 

If your child’s IEP team determines she needs or could benefit from AT at home, the use of school-purchased AT in the home or other settings is required.  The team should write this home use in the IEP. [Read more →]

Tags:   Assistive Technology · AT devices · IEPs1 Comment

Parent-teacher team building early facilitates the continuation of the good start through the rest of the year!

Great suggestions for starting things off on a positive note when school begins! (Part 2)

Introduce Your Child to the Teacher and the Class

Depending on your child and his characteristics, you may want to offer to come into the classroom early in the year to talk with the other students.  This works best with the younger grades but can be valuable for both the teacher and the child.

I did this for many years, explaining that my son has autism, that he knows he has autism, that it was not catching, and some things they might see.

Kevin had difficulty remembering names, so I explained that he might refer to them by their appearance.  Then they could remind him of their name.  I told some things the other kids might find interesting about Kevin. I explained that I might look for weeks in “Where’s Waldo” and NEVER find Waldo. The kids always laughed at this. Kevin could look at a page and, within moments, find Waldo.  I would say that Kevin’s differences were not secret. No one in the class needed to avoid asking about them.  They did not have to whisper or feel they would be embarrassing or hurting his feelings. [Read more →]

Tags:   advocacy strategies · effective advocacy strategies · parent-teacher meetings · parent-teacher relationships · success storyNo Comments.

Date: November 7, 2013
Location: St. Demetrois Hall in Seattle, Washington
Topic: Special Education Law and Advocacy
Speaker: Pete Wright, Esq.
Sponsors: Down Syndrome Community

Click here for information on registration fees, scholarships, credits, agenda and more.

Early Bird Registration Ends on September 30th. Don’t Miss Out!

See you in Seattle!

Tags:   Advocacy · Conference · Parent advocacy · Rights & Responsibilities · Section 504 · Special Education Law · Special Education Regulations · special education training · StrategiesNo Comments.

Parent-teacher team building early facilitates the continuation of the good start through the rest of the year!

Great suggestions for starting things off on a positive note when school begins! (Part 1)

Meet and Greet the Teacher

Try to meet with your child’s teacher before classes start.  Many teachers are available getting their rooms ready for a few days before start of the school year.  If you can meet, take refreshments!

Make a Folder about Your Child

Make a folder with a few pages of information about your child.  This is a great place to put your child’s picture.  Don’t use the regular school photo.  Choose a photo of your child taking part in a favorite activity.  This makes your child a real person and provides additional information.

Include a copy of your child’s IEP.  While it may be tempting to go through it or highlight portions for the teacher, resist this impulse.  This gives the teacher the respect of assuming she will read it and note important points. [Read more →]

Tags:   advocacy strategies · effective advocacy strategies · parent-teacher meetings · parent-teacher relationships · success story1 Comment

New Information – Live Feed Registration Option Now Available! $99 -Includes morning coffee and books. No breakfast or lunch served.  Details are available here!

Did you know the peak color for fall leaves in Connecticut is estimated to be between October 5th and November 13th?

So…check out this Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy Training in Wilton, Connecticut on October 17, 2013.

This one-day special education law and advocacy program will focus on:

• special education law, rights and responsibilities
• tests and measurements to measure progress & regression
• SMART IEPs
• introduction to tactics & strategies for effective advocacy

Registration fee includes morning refreshments, lunch, and three Wrightslaw books.

Register Online for the Wrightslaw Training Today!

Download and share the conference flyer.

* Meet and Greet with Pete Wright: This event will be held on October 16, 2013 from 6 to 8 PM at the Hilton Garden Inn in Norwalk. The cost is $25 with your purchase of a ticket to the Wrightslaw Conference on October 17, 2013. This event is for conference attendees only. Registration closes at 50 attendees. Additional information will be emailed once you have registered for the Wrightslaw conference.

* Exhibitor Info: Vendor space is available for therapeutic/medical/educational related businesses only. Please email for additional information.

Need a Room? Hilton Garden Inn Norwalk is offering a discounted room rate. Register by September 16th to receive a reduced room rate of $159 per night.

See you in the fall!

Tags:   Conference · FAPE · IDEA 2004 · IEP · Learning Disabilities · Section 504 · Special Education Law · Special Education Regulations · special education training · Strategies1 Comment

1. Asking the music therapist  to include IEP goals that include  Karaoke songs from the last Kenny G album – or role modeling from the Dolly Parton does the best of Led Zepplin DVD.

2. Suggesting mud wrestling is a related service provided by an OT and can be reimbursed by Medicaid under the Affordable Health Care Act.

3. Suggesting transition IEP goals about joining a circus or ashram.

4. Requesting an Xtreme bingo cruise for ESY to recoup math skills.

5. Suggesting recreation and leisure time IEP goals of collecting owls made of shells, frogs made of ceramic, or lawn gnomes made of anything.

6. Sharing to0 many personal details at the IEP meeting. Examples may include: [Read more →]

Tags:   humor · The Lighter Side of Specia Education · Top 103 Comments

This one-day Wrightslaw Special Education Workshop on October 18, 2013 is  designed to meet the needs of parents and professionals serving children and teens with disabilities. The program is specific to Federal and New York Special Ed Laws relating to dyslexia and autism. Attendance is limited to those who work or reside in New York.

Join Pete Wright, Esq., and co-sponsors, Long Island Dyslexia Association and Eden II Programs at the Touro Law Center in Central Islip, NY for this special event. Download the Agenda!

Register Online

Download the mail-in registration form.

Click here for all of the conference details.

Please share with friends, family and co-workers.

See you in New York!

Tags:   Advocacy · autism · Conference · Dyslexia · Special Ed Law · Special Education Law · special education trainingNo Comments.

U.S. Department of Education Clarifies Schools’ Obligation to Provide Equal Opportunity to Students with Disabilities to Participate in Extracurricular Athletics

“Participation in extracurricular athletics can be a critical part of a student’s overall educational experience, said Seth Galanter, acting assistant secretary for the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). “Schools must ensure equal access to that rewarding experience for students with disabilities.”

Extracurricular athletics which include club, intramural, or interscholastic (e.g., freshman, junior varsity, varsity) athletics at all education levels—are an important component of an overall education program.

The Department’s Office for Civil Rights issued guidance clarifying school districts’ existing legal obligations to provide equal access to extracurricular athletic activities to students with disabilities.

http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-clarifies-schools-obligation-provide-equal-opportunity-s

In addition to explaining those legal obligations, the guidance urges school districts to work with community organizations to increase athletic opportunities for students with disabilities, such as opportunities outside of the existing extracurricular athletic program. [Read more →]

Tags:   athletic activities · Equal opportunity · extracurricular activities · GAO Reports · Legal obligations for equal accessNo Comments.

My son is deaf and has a deaf ed certified teacher during the year. This is stated in his IEP. He started ESY last week.

The school said it could not find a deaf ed teacher for ESY this summer. What can I do as a parent to make sure that they use a qualified teacher who will follow his IEP?

Kudos to you, mom, for not taking the summer off from advocating for your son’s needs!

The first question to ask your school is what attempts have been made to find a teacher-of-the-deaf (ToD) for ESY?

All too often, the (usually unstated) answer is that the school hasn’t actually tried to find a qualified individual.

Schools often build their summer school staff from teachers who want the extra bucks for the light-load of ESY teaching.

It’s uncommon to find a school that plans for ESY based on the needs of the students themselves.

So start asking, in writing, the standard Wrightslaw 5-W’s + H+ E questions. [Read more →]

Tags:   5 W's + H + E · ESY · Extended School YearNo Comments.