Wrightslaw - Special Ed Advocate Newsletter, April 23, 2002 (Issue 161)

At Wrightslaw, our goals are to help you gain the information and skills you need to navigate the confusing world of special education. In this issue, we look at extended school year services and expert witnesses.

Highlights: New Extended School Year (ESY) topics page; new issue of The Beacon about evaluators and expert witnesses; how to use an expert as a resource; news about IDEA Reauthorization; new Yellow Pages for AL, AK, GA, NC, NJ, OK, WA; more resources on Fetaweb.com; Spring 2002 schedule.

To help others learn about special education law and advocacy, join our Get the Word Out Advocacy Campaign.

Learn how you can start a FETA Study Group.

Print and distribute our Free Newsletters Flyer. Ask the school to include the Free Newsletter flyer in your school's newsletter too!

1. Extended School Year (ESY): FAPE v. Administrative Convenience

If you are like many parents, you have questions about extended school year (ESY) services. Perhaps your child's IEP team said your child does not qualify for extended school year services - and you disagree.

What did a federal judge say about "windows of opportunity"? What did a federal judge say about a school district's "hostility" toward ESY, administrative convenience and FAPE?

What are the six factors that IEP teams must consider when making decisions about ESY?

Don't know? You aren't alone! To learn about Extended School Year (ESY), windows of opportunity - and these six factors, visit our new ESY Topics page at:

https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/esy.index.htm

2. New Issue of The Beacon: Experts & Expert Witnesses

The Beacon: The Journal of Special Education Law and Practice is a multidisciplinary electronic journal of special education law and practice that is published quarterly by Harbor House Law Press.

Each issue focuses on a theme and includes articles and essays for people who are interested in special education legal topics. The theme of the Winter issue is Expert Witnesses. Articles include:

"Using an Expert as an Effective Resource" by Jennifer Bollero, Esq.

"Preparation of the Psycho-educational Report" by Margaret Kay, Ed.D.

"Factors to Consider When Selecting an Evaluator" by Rosemary Palmer, Esq.

"Observations from the Transom" by Brice Palmer, Managing Editor

About The Beacon: http://www.harborhouselaw.com/newsletter.html

Winter 2002 issue: http://www.harborhouselaw.com/beacon/2002.n1.htm

Archives: http://www.harborhouselaw.com/archives.htm

3. Using an Expert as an Effective Resource

In Using an Expert as an Effective Resource, attorney-author Jennifer Bollero explains why parents should rely on advice from trained professionals to make informed decisions about their child's special education program.

Who is an expert? Why do parents need experts? How should parents choose experts? Why do medical experts advise parents to seek the best medical and therapeutic treatments? Why is a request for the "best" special education program fatal? Read article

URL: http://www.harborhouselaw.com/articles/bollero.expert.htm

4. News from IDEA Reauthorization Hearings

The President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education is holding hearings around the country about reauthorizing the IDEA. After these hearings, the Commission will prepare and submit a report to the President outlining its findings and recommendations.

On April 9 & 10, the Commission held hearings in Florida and received testimony about Parental Choice and Parent Involvement. Lilly Rangel-Diaz attended this meeting and presented documents as her written testimony. She provides her observations in this report:

https://www.wrightslaw.com/news/2002/reauth.hearing2.diaz.htm

To learn more about the Reauthorization of IDEA, go to the IDEA 2002 Page at:

https://www.wrightslaw.com/news/idea2002.htm

5. New Yellow Pages: Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Washington

Twenty states down, 30 states and 6 territories to go!

We continue to build our "Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities" so people who love and work with our children can get information, support, and connect with one another. You will find many different resources on these pages - government programs, grassroots organizations, and support groups.

This week, we added seven state Yellow Pages to the Fetaweb site:

Alabama: http://www.fetaweb.com/help/al.htm

Alaska: http://www.fetaweb.com/help/ak.htm

Georgia: http://www.fetaweb.com/help/ga.htm

New Jersey: http://www.fetaweb.com/help/nj.htm

North Carolina: http://www.fetaweb.com/help/nc.htm

Oklahoma: http://www.fetaweb.com/help/ok.htm

Washington: http://www.fetaweb.com/help/wa.htm

We recently added Maryland and South Carolina.

The master list of Yellow Pages is on the Fetaweb site at http://www.fetaweb.com/help/states.htm

Please visit the Yellow Pages for your state. (If your state is not up yet, please be patient) If you know about a good resource, please send the information to resources@fetaweb.com

In the subject line of your message, type your state's two letter designation: UT, MN, NY, TX, followed by the words YELLOW PAGES - for example, UT YELLOW PAGES. Thanks!

6. Help on Fetaweb.com Best School Websites, FETA Owner's Manual & More

Fetaweb.com is the companion site to our book, From Emotions to Advocacy - The Special Education Survival Guide.

Do you have a copy of our new book, From Emotions to Advocacy? If you do, you will find references to information on the Fetaweb site throughout the book.

Download the FETA Owner's Manual to get these resources.
http://www.fetaweb.com/owner.manual.htm

Visit the Getting Help page for links to hundreds useful websites.
http://www.fetaweb.com/help.htm

Don't miss the popular Directory of Best School Websites. http://www.fetaweb.com/best.htm

7. Wrightslaw Advocacy Training

Knowledge is power. When you have information and skills, you will be a more effective advocate for your child. Our role is to help you gain knowledge so you can negotiate with the school on your child's behalf.

Between now and May 27 (Memorial Day), we are scheduled to do training programs in Minot, ND, Oklahoma City, Sacramento, and Chicago.

* April 26 & 27: Two-day Boot Camp in Minot, North Dakota *

URL: https://www.wrightslaw.com/speak/nd.02.htm

May 7: Advocacy Training in Oklahoma City.

URL: https://www.wrightslaw.com/speak/ok.02.htm

May 11:Advocacy Training in Sacramento.

URL: https://www.wrightslaw.com/speak/02.05.ca.htm

May 25-26: Advocacy Training at International Rett Syndrome Conference, Chicago, IL.
URL: https://www.wrightslaw.com/speak/il.02.htm

One-day advocacy seminars focus on four areas: special education law, rights and responsibilities; how to use the bell curve to measure progress & regression; SMART IEPs; and how to use tactics & strategies for effective advocacy.

For more information about these events and programs that will be held over the next few months, please check our Seminars & Training page: https://www.wrightslaw.com/speak/index.htm

If you are interested in learning how to get Pete & Pam Wright to your community, please read our FAQs about Seminars.