Unbiased Reviews by Real People
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Unbiased Reviews by Real People
Tips for Navigating Special Education - What is FAPE, LRE, IDEA, NCLB, IEP & WrightslawFeb 22, 2007 Write an essay on this topic. The Bottom Line YOU ARE YOUR CHILD'S BEST ADVOCATE SO DON'T DO THEM A DISSERVICE BY NOT SPEAKING UP OR BURNING BRIDGES When my son received his diagnosis I had absolutely no idea what was in store for the future. Now, three years later I still don't know exactly what the future holds. I can, however, speak based on my experiences dealing with navigating the school district and sure my child with PDD-NOS is getting FAPE in the LRE and that we have the absolute 'best' IEP possible. FAPE, PDD-NOS, LRE, IEP... are you speaking in codes? Special Education has a language all in its own made up of more acronyms than I could possibly list in one advice piece. My first bit of advice to you is to become familiar with some of the most popular "terms" and learn how they apply to you. First of all, understand your child's diagnosis Your child's diagnosis is most likely how you got tangled up in the big web called Special Ed, after all. My son's diagnosis is PDD-NOS. PDD-NOS stands for Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified which is on the spectrum of Autism. In his case he meets some of the criteria for an Autism diagnosis but not enough for medical practicioners to outright label him as Autistic. Interestingly enough, my school district "lumps" PDD-NOS kids in with their Autism program. Autism, being a spectrum, isn't something that can be neatly pigeon-holed in terms of the services that the district provides to him. It's my 'job' as his parent, and advocate, to work with the district to make sure that he is getting what he needs. Definitely become familiar with the ins and outs of your child's diagnosis. Most of all, stay well in tune with what your child's needs are and communicate these to your school district. Know what you are entitled to Before I get into it all, here are some common acronyms you must familiarize yourself with. FAPE - Free and Appropriate Public Education LRE - Least Restrictive Environment IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Act NCLB - No Child Left Behind IEP - Individualized Education Program (or Plan) Wrightslaw - THE definitive source for just about everything and anything pertaining to Special Education Law. It can be found online at www.wrightslaw.com Understand that quite contrary to how the school district may make you feel, they are not doing you a favor providing services to your child at no monetary cost. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) your child is entitled to a free & appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). What do you mean by Least Restrictive Environment? Is this the same as mainstreaming or inclusion? The terms are often interchanged for each other though they are not necessarily the same. Mainstreaming is the process where a special education student attends the same class/academic track as their non-disabled peers. Your special needs child may or may not attend the class with their own para-professional or aid to assist them. Inclusion classrooms include both children who are special needs and their non-disabled peers. Usually an inclusion classroom is led by both "regular" and special ed teachers, and there may also be para-professionals (classroom aids). The term inclusion is not used at all in the IDEA, though often times its used with it. The IDEA calls for children with disabilities to be educated to the maximum extent appropriate in the least restrictive environment (LRE) which is implied to be the "regular-ed" classroom. The keywords above is appropriate. Depending on your child it may be appropriate for your child to be in a self-contained classroom vs being mainstreamed or put into an inclusive class. How do you define what is appropriate for your child? Who defines this? Who, what and when? This is where the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) comes into play. This the agreement put in place between you and your district which addresses your child's needs, goals, and where the district puts in writing what they will provide to you. The IEP is a document which is not set in stone but can be altered (though not always easily) as your child's needs changed. Generally you review the IEP on an annual basis, but it depends on the school district/grade level your child is in. Be involved, Be responsible, Be a Communicator The most important thing you can do is be a good advocate and effective communicator for your child. I've heard from many special ed professionals and parents the old saying that "The squeaky wheel gets the grease". Yes, in so many ways this is true. When I've noticed that something wasn't going as I hoped it would at school I could have done 1 of 2 things. 1) Ignore it because the teacher/school knows best, after all they are the professionals or 2) Be a squeaky wheel. In the past I might have said that if something wasn't going my way I would 3)Raise Holy Hell!. Admittedly, I've been in situations with my school district where I've felt that I had to raise holy hell in order to get results. Was that the best course of action? Probably not. Did it seem 'right' to me at the time? Yes. Looking back, would I do it again? Maybe. Sometimes being a squeaky wheel does mean that you may need to raise a little hell. This is your child's welfare and future in your hands, after all. I've found that I can be an effective squeaky wheel and still be polite, respectful, and maintain a firm ground. I'm not perfect and I'm certainly not afraid to show my school district just how important my child's education means to me. Help is out there, so you don't have to 'go it' alone You may feel like you are traveling a road that no one has ever traveled before. I feel that way, a lot. To this day, IEP meetings still stress the heck out of me because I want the best for my child and only the best. I've read books, attended conferences, and spent countless hours reading up on special education laws. The resources out there are plentiful to help you write a smart IEP plan that uses NCLB and IDEA to your child's advantage. I recommend the Wrightslaw website at www.wrightslaw.com for a repository of Special Education laws. If you don't feel that you are able to do it by yourself you can also hire a professionals (advocates, consultants, agencies, or even lawyers) to help. Don't feel guilty for seeking outside help. No matter what, its still my child's wellbeing out there on the line that I'm making decisions for so I will do whatever it takes to ensure his educational needs are met. If that means bringing an advocate into the IEP meeting to help facilitate, keep things positive and get my child's needs met, I am all for it. You are your child's advocate, represent them well  |
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