In This Issue . . .

• What IDEA Says
• Training Programs
• Special Ed Terms
• State Academic Standards
• Lesson From the Trenches

Circulation: 81,654
ISSN: 1538-320
September 14, 2010

Parents have extensive rights under IDEA 2004.

• The right to ask for an evaluation of you child.
• The right to ask for a re-evaluation at any time.
• The right to be part of the team that decides what special education services and therapies your child will receive.

Every parent should understand the law thoroughly, so you know what your rights are and what services your child may be eligible for.

In this issue of the Special Ed Advocate, you will learn how to use IDEA and state academic standards as a tool to negotiate a better educational program and develop your child's IEP. Find out how to use IDEA and the No Child Left Behind Act to improve educational outcomes and results.

Find previous issues in our Back to School Series.

Please don't hesitate to forward this issue to other friends, families, or colleagues.

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Learn What IDEA Says

You can become an expert and contribute as an equal participant in your child’s IEP team if you do your homework.

You need to know what IDEA says. You need to know how to find answers to your questions in the IDEA statute and regulations.

Learn How to Use IDEA 2004 to Improve Your Child's Special Education.

Attend a Wrightslaw Training Program

Don't miss an opportunity to attend a Special Education Law and Advocacy program that focuses on:

• special education law, rights and responsibilities
• tests and measurements to measure progress & regression
• SMART IEPs
• introduction to tactics & strategies for effective advocacy

Find a Wrightslaw training program in your area. Here's the Fall Schedule.

Wrightslaw Multimedia Training programs on CD-ROM are available 24/7 - wherever you live, whenever you want.

Get Up to Speed on Special Education Legal & Assessment Terms

When parents or advocates first enter the education process it takes a while to learn the system and the jargon.

Review these special education legal and assessment terms, then check your special ed vocabulary with the Vocabulary Quiz.

For more information, bookmark this page: IDEA 2004 at Wrightslaw.

Use State Standards to Develop Your Child's IEP

Academic content standards define the "general education curriculum" that Congress said your child should be involved in and make progress in.

The IDEA and NCLB say schools must provide children with special education and related services so they can meet the high expectations and goals established for children who are not disabled.

Learn what the law requires. Your Child's IEP & Progress in the General Education Curriculum.

Read a "Lesson From the Trenches"

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been the one to tell the school what’s exactly in the law. After all, these are teachers and administrators, not lawyers. I always take a copy of the law with me.

To make a compelling case to your child's IEP team, learn about your child’s disabilities, specific needs, and the treatments and therapies that work for his issues. Think creatively.

When it comes to special education, Becky McGee and her 19-year-old son, Kyle, feel as if they’ve seen it all. Read "We've Seen It All " - Lessons from the Trenches.

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