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At Wrightslaw, our
mission is to help you gain the knowledge and skills you need to navigate
the confusing, changing world of special education.
The Special
Ed Advocate is the only weekly e-zine with accurate, reliable information
about special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities.
Published continuously since April 1998, subscribers receive alerts
about new decisions, events,
and special offers on Wrightslaw
publications and products. Sign
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In This Issue: |
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Do
you know others who want to learn how to advocate for a child with a disability?
Please forward this
issue or the subscription
page so they can learn about special education law and advocacy too. Newsletter
Archives (1998-2006) |
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Dealing
with a Master of Deception: Homework Refusal & Failure |
"My
son is a sophomore in high school. He is a master of deception. He says he has
no homework. By the time I learn that he did, he has another "0." He
is failing and won't graduate on time. I'm afraid he will drop out.
"Can I demand that the teachers give me his homework assignments? When
I request this information, the teachers won't give it to me. I'm told that 'teachers
are too busy.'"
What do you think?
Do parents have a right
to demand that teachers provide a list of homework assignments? Will this solve
the problem?
In Dealing
with a Master of Deception: Homework Refusal & School Failure, Sue Heath
analyzes this parent's concerns, identifies key issues, and offers strategies
to resolve the problems.
Read articles about reading, No Child Left Behind,
advocacy strategies, high-stakes testing, and retention by Sue in Doing
Your Homework. | |
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How
to Resolve Problems and Protect Parent-School Relationships |
"Our
seven-year old has autism. After his aide told us he has not received all the
speech language and OT sessions called for in his IEP, we wrote letters demanding
that the school make up the missing sessions." "The
teacher told the aide she cannot talk with us. Doesn't she have a right to communicate
with us? Is there any law we can refer to?"
In How
to Resolve Problems and Protect Parent-School Relationships, Pete and Pam
Wright offer strategies to resolve problems by restructuring your relationships,
learning effective advocacy skills, using strategies in letters, and learning
to negotiate and persuade. Learn
why Pam says, "You need to view your relationship with the school as a marriage
without the possibility of divorce." Read
article.
More articles about effective
parent advocacy. More
Frequently Asked Questions. | |
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Draft IEPs: Are Schools Required to Provide Parents with a Copy Before an IEP
Meeting? |
"I
have a question about the recent poll
results about draft IEPs.
You wrote: 'Fifty-two percent of you chose
the answer 'Yes, but the IEP team needs to provide the parent with a copy before
the IEP meeting' - the correct answer. "I
am not aware of any legal source that states that the parent has a right to a
copy of the draft IEP ahead of time. Can you provide your authority?"
In our answer
to this question about draft IEPs, we provide the authority for our answer:
that schools provide parents with copies of draft IEPs well in advance of the
IEP meeting. Read
answer.
Learn more
about IEPs.
Learn more
about parental rights and procedural safeguards designed to protect the rights
of children with disabilities and their parents.
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2006
Tax Benefits for Parents of Children with Disabilities |
Tax
day is nearly here. If you have a child with a disability - a severe learning
disability (SLD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), AD/HD, or other physical, mental
or emotional impairment - you may qualify for valuable tax benefits. Did
you know that "tuition costs for a special school that has a program designed
to educate children with disabilities and amounts paid for a child’s tutoring
by a teacher specially trained and qualified to deal with severe disabilities
may be deducted"? Did
you know that "Special instruction or training or therapy, such as sign language
instruction, speech therapy, and remedial reading instruction" may be deductible?
Did you know that related books and materials can qualify for the medical expense
deduction"?
In 2006
Tax Benefits for Parents of Children with Disabilities, parent attorney Mike
O'Connor provides a summary of the most significant federal income tax benefits.
Please print
this article and provide your tax advisor with a copy. |
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Lighter Side
of Special Ed: My Law Practice by Aimee Gilman, Esq. |
Aimee
Gilman is an Ohio attorney who represents kids with disabilities. Aimee is also
the parent of a child with a disability who has a quirky sense of humor.
Aimee shared her views about IEPs and IEP meetings in The
Lighter Side of Special Education: The IEP.
"Your school district,
in an ongoing effort to remind you of the incredibly small role moms and dads
play in this process, will start by sending you an 'Invitation to attend your
child's IEP meeting."
If
you chuckled when you read The
IEP, you'll enjoy Aimee's description of My
Law Practice.
"Several years ago, I must have sustained a major
head injury (so bad I can't remember it) because I came home one day and told
my husband I wanted to open my own law practice. "At
the time, my husband thought this sounded like a good idea because he only hears
little pieces of the things I tell him ("Honey, I'm…open…to…practice.")
It came as a big surprise when he discovered that what we had previously considered
our "supplemental income" became our "no income." Read
article. | | |
Poll Results:
Eligibility Under IDEA | |
Last
week, we asked readers to answer the following quick poll question: "Can a child
who receives passing grades be eligible for special education services?"
The results
from our most recent poll showed that our readers are on the ball when it comes
to special education eligibility under IDEA. By choosing
"YES" to our latest quick poll question, 93% of you answered correctly. |
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