The Wrightslaw Way

Are you interested in saving money? I’m sure you answered yes! Then… you will be interested in Wrightslaw’s Scratch and Dent Sale!

Books are in great condition! Benefit from overstocks!

Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition ($9.95), Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Edition ($9.95) and Wrightslaw: All About IEPs ($5.00) available for purchase. Limited quantities.

Limited quantities, so call 877-529-4332 and order today.

This offer is not available on the Wrightslaw website.

One of the most controversial posts we’ve published on the Wrightslaw Way Blog was “Do You Know Who is Providing Your Child’s Speech-Language Therapy?” (Part 1)
http://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/?p=129

If you thought we questioned SLPAs, their abilities, and qualifications, not so.

But, there are areas of concern for parents.

If your child is receiving speech-language services, make sure you know if a trained, certified, or licensed individual is providing your child’s speech therapy.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is very clear about expectations for speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs), what they can and what they cannot do. Learn about educational and training requirements for SLPAs.

Appropriate use and supervision of trained SLPAs can fill the gap often caused by a shortage of speech-language pathologists (SLPs).

Issues to consider:

1. IEP Lists SLP/staff as the Speech Therapy Provider

The term “staff” may refer to anyone on the school staff who is willing to do speech therapy — including untrained substitutes, aides, and paraprofessionals. The list goes on.

2. Fully Informed Parents

If you agree in the IEP to speech-language services for your child, you should be fully informed about what you are consenting to, including who will provide therapy services. [Read more →]

The Arkansas Down Syndrome Association welcomes Pete Wright, Esq., to Little Rock. The April 26, 2014 Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy Training will be held at the Stephens Spine & Neuroscience Institute.

Conference includes morning coffee, refreshments, boxed lunch and three Wrightslaw books, Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition, Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy, 2nd Edition and Wrightslaw All About IEPs.

Register Online Today!

Download the printable registration form.

Deadline to register for this conference is April 21, 2014!

For all conference details to include registration fees, directions, closest airport, and local accommodations, please click here.

See you in Little Rock!

1. Does a general education teacher need to sit through an entire IEP, or just the portion that pertains to the child’s performance in the general education environment?

2. What if the gen ed teacher is sitting in only as an administrative designee and does not have the child in their class?

Our district is telling us that general ed teachers must sit through the entire IEP to make the IEP “legally defensible”.

You are asking two different questions.

1. The first question is whether a teacher or service provider is required to sit through the whole IEP meeting.

The IDEA addresses IEP meeting attendance. 20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(C)

“A member of the IEP Team may be excused from attending an IEP meeting, in whole or in part, when the meeting involves a modification to or discussion of the member’s area of the curriculum or related services, if-

(I) the parent and the local educational agency consent to the excusal; and
(II) the member submits, in writing to the parent and the IEP Team, input into the development of the IEP prior to the meeting.
(iii) Written Agreement and Consent Required. A parent’s agreement under clause (i) and consent under clause (ii) shall be in writing.”

2. Your second question is whether you can duck out early while you are acting as a substitute for the school administrative member of the team… [Read more →]

This April 10, 2014 Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy Training Conference, a Wrightslaw training program featuring Pete Wright, Esq., is being sponsored and organized by ParSEC Wisconsin, LLC.

Co-sponsors include Integrated Development Services (IDS), Walbridge School, The Law Center for Children & Families and Wisconsin Family Ties.

The Sheraton Madison Hotel in Madison, WI is the setting for this one-day training scheduled for Thursday, April 10, 2014.

Registration Fee: Includes morning coffee and tea, plated lunch, refreshments and three Wrightslaw books.

You can: Register Online , Download the Registration Form , or Download and distribute the Event Poster

For all conference details, please click here.

See you in Madison, WI!

Do you know how the U.S. stacks up in literacy and education? Find out at Literate Nation.

The Nation’s Report Card affirms that:

• 4 percent of U.S. 8th grade students are reading at the “Advanced” level
• 31 percent of U.S. 8th grade students are reading at the ‘Proficient” level
• 65 percent U.S. 8th students are reading at the “Basic, Below-basic or Chronically-below-basic” levels

Check out the best and the worse states for reading. Is your state on the Top 10 list?

Get the facts and the rankings from Literate Nation!

Find out where your state ranks and let us know in the comments section below.

“How do American 15-year-olds stack up to their global competitors?  NOT WELL.“

Register early and save $35!

ABLED Advocacy invites you to join Pete Wright, Esq. for a Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy Training in Lawrence, MA on June 26, 2014.

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

Register Online or Download the Mail-In Registration Form.

For all conference details, please click here.

Proceeds from the conference will be put towards subsidizing special needs advocate services for children in need.

See in in Massachusetts!

Get Ready For IEP Season!

25% OFF SALE    **plus**  

FREE Shipping on Orders of $50!

Don’t delay!

Sale ends tonight, March 20, 2014, at midnight.

SAVE 25% on Wrightslaw Books, Training CD’s and Advocacy Supplies!

Kindle and E-Pub versions available.

My daughter’s evaluation results said,  she “may experience difficulty in retrieving phonological information from long-term or permanent memory, as well as difficulty executing a sequence of operations quickly and repeatedly.”

She has a Section 504 Plan. Despite her allowance for extended testing time she has been denied both by the ACT and the SAT testing organizations.

Review the ACT and SAT Requirements

The ACT requires a “professionally diagnosed condition, appropriate documentation on file at school, and extended time used on tests in school due to disability”. http://www.actstudent.org/regist/disab/chart.html

The SAT required documentation is listed on page 2 of this list of instructions for the application for accommodations form. http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/ssd/eligibility_form_instructions.pdf

The full information about applying for accommodations on the SAT is here. http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/ssd/application/apply

Print out the information from these websites and look it over. [Read more →]

There is still time to register for this Wrightslaw Training in Long Island!

Thanks go out to sponsors, the Elija Foundation and Thivierge & Rothberg, PC for bringing Wrightslaw back for a fifth year!

Join Pete Wright, Esq., in Long Island, NY for a Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy Training on Friday, March 21, 2014. The training will take place at the Marriott Residence Inn, 9 Gerhard Road in Plainview, NY.

Register online today.

Download the registration form.

Find out about credits, scholarships, registrations fees and more.

See you in Long Island!