The Wrightslaw Way

My 6 year old grandson has ASD, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, & Hypermobility Syndrome. He is prone to fractures and in danger of re-fracturing the same bone over & over.
He was physically restrained at school and received numerous bruises. The principal said he was restrained for rocking back & forth in a chair. My [...]

Want to become an advocate or fine tune your advocacy skills?
It’s never too late to catch up on Summer School for Advocates at http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/09/summer.school.advocates.htm
When you complete the 5 part series, you’ll find your certificate here.
Need A Pocket Manual for Advocates? Get a free download…

This time of year the football chant is ringing in our heads - “We’ve got the pow-er!” This year, get some of that advocacy power!
“Key changes in the special education arena this year have given parents more decision-making power regarding their children with special needs. For example…

If you are a parent of a child who has an IEP, you know that schools must ensure equal access to educational opportunities for students with disabilities and provide a free, appropriate public education (FAPE).
What happens if your child’s school must close for an extended period because of an outbreak of swine flu? Is [...]

Act today to share your concerns about:

Closing the disability achievement gap
Ensuring a meaningful education that enables every child to succeed
Meaningful parent participation in IEP meetings and as equals in educational planning
Using effective, research based programs and highly qualified teachers
Restraint/seclusion

Do it today! Email deadline for comments/concerns is Wednesday, September 9 by 5:00 pm EDT
Email [...]

Last week we posted about using an IEP Parent Attachment to add input to your child’s IEP.
We heard immediately from Daunna who wrote:
The question was “How can I deal with [the school's refusal to include a parent attachment]?”
Judy Bonnell’s parent attachment form is a great idea, but it’s not really an attachment unless the school [...]

What can you do if a school team refuses to evaluate a child?
What can you do if the school team insists that an evaluation will not provide relevant information for educational planning?

When the school doesn’t want to test a child, can you force them to evaluate?

My school is a Title 1 school under No Child Left Behind and did not make AYP (adequate yearly progress). The school says that we only have one school within the district, therefore no change of schools is required.
Why don’t I have the choice to go to another school? Where can I look [...]

2008 Special Education PARENT INVOLVEMENT SURVEY
The Virginia Department of Education’s third annual Parent Involvement Survey will be arriving in parents’ mailboxes within the next several weeks. It is for all PARENTS & GUARDIANS of school-aged children who receive special education services in Virginia’s schools.

Yesterday I received a great question from a parent in PA . After I responded, I was so pleased to hear her news - I’ve posted it below.
Here’s her question.
“Is it legal for a school to say that a special education student who is promoted to 9th grade, MUST do the 9th grade curriculum even [...]