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Schools must have discipline policies and procedures in place to address problem behavior of students. But sometimes schools discipline - even suspend or expel - students with disabilities for behavior caused by their disabilities.
A parent asked what she should do after the principal unilaterally moved her child from one class to another.
Why? His teacher did not want to deal with him. The parent was told that teachers aren't required to teach children who exhibit inappropriate behavior.
Is this correct? What should the parent do? 
Sue Whitney Heath, co-author of Wrightslaw: No Child Left Behind, also writes about creative advocacy strategies in Doing Your Homework. Sue provides advice about how to deal with this "teacher problem" and how to avoid similar problems in the future.
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| Bad Behavior or Misbehavior Caused by the Disability? |
"My son Josh is in the 7th grade. He is very popular and very bright. He also has an anxiety disorder and has been labeled with "Oppositional Defiant Disorder.
"One month after school began, my son's Spanish teacher decided he didn't want to deal with Josh. He didn't like his attitude. The Spanish teacher never mentioned any problems to me.
"At a meeting to change his schedule, I objected to the change. The school staff said that this was legal, that “the teacher has a contract and he is not required to teach a student who exhibits behavior of not wanting to learn."
Does this child's behavior fall under the school's rules for misbehavior? Since the boy has a disability with anxiety and ODD, is this behavior caused by his disability? Does the behavior need to be addressed as an educational issue?
The parents asks: "What will prevent another teacher from doing the same thing? What can I do to prevent this from happening again?"
In Behavior Problems: It Isn't Okay Just to Teach the Easy Kids, Sue answers these questions and provides useful strategies to deal with these problems - now and in the future.
Read on to see what Sue advised.
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| It Isn't Okay Just to Teach the Easy Kids |
In Behavior Problems, It Isn't Okay Just to Teach the Easy Kids, Sue describes what schools can do and not do.
It is okay for the school:
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to provide a teacher who is able to teach your son.
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to expect all teachers to follow the steps in school policies for disciplining students.
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to get teachers more training in classroom management and discipline when they need it.
It is not okay:
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| Get the Correct Process in Place - Right From the Start! |
In Behavior Problems: It Isn't Okay Just to Teach the Easy Kids, Sue outlines a plan to deal with the present problem and how to prevent these problems from re-occurring in the future.
Step #1: Do Your Reading First.
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| Why You Should Advertise With Us - and How |
The Wrightslaw Yellow Pages for Kids is the premier source of reliable referral  information.
At the Wrightslaw Yellow Pages for Kids, your audience is already tailored specifically to your advertising needs.
Why to Advertise with Us!
People come to the Yellow Pages for Kids web site for one reason: to find experts who can help them get appropriate educational services for children with disabilities and special needs.
In 2007, more than 1.5 million visitors came to the Yellow Pages for Kids. They were looking for educational consultants, psychologists, educational diagnosticians, health care providers, academic therapists, financial advisors, tutors, speech language therapists, occupational therapists, coaches, advocates, and attorneys.
How to Advertise with Us!
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