Parentella

In part one of this series, I explained in detail that an Individual Education Program (IEP) is a special education plan for students who fall under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). At the end of the article, I explained how to go about having your child evaluated to see if they qualify.

In part two if the series, I explained exactly what the IEP should include and who would be part of the team in creating and administering the plan.

Now I am going to answer some frequently asked questions:

Is it legal for our school district to withhold services because I won’t put my child in a contained classroom?
The IDEA does not require that the services listed in the IEP must be provided by a special ed teacher. If you feel that your child will succeed in a general education environment, the school district must offer therapy and access at your child’s home school.

Our neighborhood school does not have a wheelchair ramp. Can I force the school to put one in to accommodate my child?
The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) has a grandfathering clause that exempts structures built before a certain date from modifications if the changes are unreasonably costly. Your child will be bussed to the nearest school with ADA accessibility.

Can the school use an IEP to force my child into Special Education?
No. Special education evaluations require parent approval. However, if your child has a significant need of behavioral or educational intervention, this can be achieved with a Section 504 plan that does not require parent consent.

My child’s school principal attends our IEP meetings. What is the role of the principal under IDEA?
Many school districts request principals or assistant principals to attend all building IEPs as a Local Education Agent (LEA). As LEA, the principal’s job is to listen through the IEP as a neutral third party. The LEA is to liaison between parents and the school district. The LEA must have a solid knowledge of IDEA’s least restrictive environment mandate. As the parent, you should feel that the LEA is acting in your child’s best interest.

Does the school have to buy the assistive technology that I think my child should use?
They have to provide means for your child to accomplish his or her goals. This often means using what the school district has available or what the responsible therapist can purchase within budgetary guidelines. Most IEP team members do their best to keep their students using the most relevant modes of communication and mobility.

I feel that my child’s IEP is not being carried out. What is my first step in resolution?
Remember that it is not unusual for kids to behave differently at school than they do at home. The teacher is a member of your child’s education and care giving team. Compare notes and collaborate as to how you can solve the problem together. If this approach does not create a satisfactory result, you should contact the district’s special services office.

Special Education Glossary

• Community Access – school programs to help low functioning students learn basic care skills and acclimate them to public places.
• Behavioral Disabilities – (also called “emotional behavioral disability”) a student with behavior that consistently departs from generally accepted, age appropriate norms. This behavior adversely affects the students academic progress, social relationships, vocational skills, or self-care.
• Assistive Technology (AT) – devices for assistive, adaptive, and/or rehabilitative purposes. This includes augmentive communication devices, wheelchairs, and white canes.
• Learning Disability (LD) – neurological condition impairing a student’s ability to acquire or retain knowledge. dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and auditory processing disorder are classified as leaning disabilities.
• Local Education Agency (LEA) – synonym for public school district.
• Local Education Agent (LEA) – representative of the local education agency.
• Multi-Disabled- a student with a combination of physical and developmental disability.

image credit: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.childmed.org/images/Ecuador%2520Mary%2520060.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.childmed.org/&h=1716&w=2576&sz=1068&tbnid=J7d4jC5nPhFOTM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dimage%2Bchild%2Bin%2Bwheelchair&zoom=1&q=image+child+in+wheelchair&usg=__hMeCh04MjG4sdAAa7lMkpw9w5yo=&sa=X&ei=i7Y9Tb-MOYaisAOMxdDMAw&ved=0CCQQ9QEwBQ

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Written by Astacia Carter. Her younger daughter (6) has cerebral palsy with developmental delay and her older daughter (8) has ADHD with sensory dysfunctions. She blogs about their journey every chance she can get. Her story of going from the work force to home is published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms.She is also a web site designer and social media geek.

Related posts:

1. IEP’s to Meet the Needs of Special Education Kids
2. IEP’s to Meet the Needs of Special Education Kids — Part 2
3. Section 504 Plans for Special Needs Kids — Part 2
4. Section 504 Plans for Special Needs Kids — Part 1
5. The Battles of Education

Tags: disabled students, IDEA, IEP's, Individual Education Program, Individuals with Disabilities Act, Special Needs Students

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 1st, 2011 at 12:01 am and is filed under Education Policy, Guest, Public Schools, Special Needs Students. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.