Does The School Fit My Child’s Needs?

According to Cassandra Archie, co-director of Sinergia's Metropolitan Parent Center, it's important for parents of children with special needs to think critically about whether the school fits with their child's needs. To that end, she compiled a checklist of questions to help them make an ongoing assessment. It can be used throughout the year, but she says parents should know and understand some of these items immediately, like in the first month -- for example, regarding philosophy and behavior issues.

Checklist

• What is my child’s school philosophy?
• How is the school guided by that philosophy?
• How long has the principal been at my child’s school?
• Does the principal have any teaching experience?
• What training does a teacher receive for a particular class they are teaching?
• What types of opportunities are there for integration with non-disabled students?
• Are there any after-school programs offered? If yes, which ones?
• How does the school address behavior issues?

As the school year progresses, if it happens that parents need to seek another school, or the district has given them permission and supplied them with a list of alternatives, here's a post we wrote on Changing Schools.
(photo: thedailygreen.com)

EIP - Getting Ready for the Annual Review

The IEP is a written statement of an Individualized Education Program that each school-aged child with disabilities receives, designed to meet their specific needs. The program must be reviewed annually, and this typically happens between March and May. These annual conferences are scheduled to review and revise the IEP for the upcoming school year. Cassandra Archie, Co-Director of Sinergia's Metropolitan parent Center, has some suggestions on how parents should prepare for their child's annual IEP conference:

• Thoroughly review your child's current IEP
• Know if your child has made progress, or if there has been a lack of progress. For example, if the child is to receive counseling, three times a week, did he receive it? How well is he responding to it?
• Think about what educational and functional goals you want to see your child achieve in the upcoming school year (2011-2012).
   
• Know your options for participation in the annual IEP conference. Participation can be in person or via conference call and you can request that it be in Spanish.

Here are two articles with more information:

Understanding Annual Reviews - What is an IDEA Annual Review?

How to Prepare for an IEP Annual Review

Photo credit

Moving your special needs child to another school

The fall season is associated with change. Summer ends and autumn begins, bringing with it the majestic change in the color of the leaves. But the biggest change in the fall is the return of our children to school. For most of us this means our children will go back to learning in a safe environment in the company of their friends and teachers whom they love and trust. Unfortunately, not all our children experience school in this manner. Many of our special needs children experience school differently because they encounter basic problems such as getting down five flights of stairs in a wheelchair, having appropriate support on the bus, and receiving the necessary services to ensure a successful school experience. As caretakers we act quickly when we’ve identified a problem and expect, as we should, a quick response from the school to remedy the issue(s).

Often times our response doesn’t come in a timely manner, if at all. Some of us have found creative ways to get schools to comply, while others become increasingly frustrated and resort to changing schools. Changing schools may be a good option and definitely something to consider. However, problems will be encountered with every school -- we know because we work with many schools in Manhattan and the Bronx -- and we need to find ways to make ourselves heard in our current school. This means identifying the problem and articulating it clearly and concisely to the responsible persons. If no results are obtained, make your way over to Sinergia and talk to an educational advocate who will help you present your concerns to the school's special education team. The advocate will even accompany you to a mediation session and/or an impartial hearing if necessary.

If changing schools is still the only option, speak to Sinergia well in advance of the change so we may help you prepare appropriately. Making such a change is difficult for you and your child and preparation is the key. Acquire information about the school by visiting and talking to parents about their experiences. Refrain from changing schools during the months of September and October as it will only complicate your situations. Not only will your current school be unprepared to help you make the transition, but the new school will not be prepared to accept you. Schools need time to adjust to their schedules coming out of summer break and a little patience on your side can go a long way. Evaluate your happiness level various times during the school year and if you’re ready to change schools, attend Sinergia’s “selecting your school” seminar which we offer on the month of August and let us help you through this difficult process.

U.S. Supreme Court Ruling for Parents of Special Ed Students

A U.S. Supreme Court Ruling You Should Know About
By Cassandra Archie

On Monday, June 22, 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 6 to 3 that parents of special education students can seek public reimbursement for private school tuition. The ruling involved a case in Texas of a high school student with learning disabilities who was found not eligible by his school district for special education because the school district said his disorder did not affect his educational progress.
His parents placed him in a private residential school and sought reimbursement.
The school district thought for sure the 1997 amendment to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, which prohibits reimbursement for students who never received special education services in public school, would be the deciding factor in this case.
But Justice John Paul Stevens who wrote for the majority said, “It would be strange for the act (IDEA) to provide a remedy, as all agree it does, where a school district offers a child inadequate special education services but to leave parents without relief in the more egregious situation in which the school district unreasonably denies a child access to such services altogether.”
Justice John Paul Stevens concluded “IDEA authorizes reimbursement for the cost of private special education services when a school district fails to provide a (free appropriate public education) and the private school placement is appropriate, regardless of whether the child previously received special education or related services through the public school.”

Is this ruling a victory for parents and students who are seeking private school placement, or a drain on public school special education dollars?