From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
If your child has autism, what’s the best program or method for teaching him? Despite lots of hype, lots of claims, lots of testimonials, no one knows.
But unfortunately, many parents and school personnel mistakenly believe that all children with autism need the same instructional program or method, that only one program or method is universally recognized as the best, that only it is appropriate, that only it can help these children.
The Literature
The professional literature contradicts this view. Here’s a sampling: Read more...
Advocacy, applied verbal behavior, Autism, autistic spectrum disorder, discrete trial instruction, discrete trial teaching, discrete trial training, IDEA, IDEIA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Lovaas, Parenting, program planning, remediation, Skinner, verbal behavior
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
A Guest Post by
Staci Greenwald, Esq.
Recently, I received this warning from Staci Greenwald, Esq., an outstanding special education attorney who has a child with special needs. Although the warning focuses on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in New Jersey, it contains a critical message for parents throughout the country: know the rules and regulations that govern special education in your state or territory, put your concerns and requests in writing, and act quickly. Here’s the warning: Read more...
Advocacy, budget cuts, disabilities, dispute, disputes, due process, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, IEP, IEPs, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, mediation, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, Special Education, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
Below is an e-mail I received about the re-authorization of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law, also known as ESEA. Although I do not agree with everything in the e-mail, I agree with much and think you should decide for yourself about what you support. Whatever you decide, please WRITE CONGRESS. Please be ACTIVE in improving the lives of children, youth, and adults with disabilities. — Thanks, Howard Margolis
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Advocacy, Congress, ESEA, NCLB
In a previous post we argued that it’s “A Tough Time For Children And Adults With Disabilities.” Politicians are cutting critical services, using budget shortfalls as the excuse, when in many cases the underlying motivation is encased in political philosophy, opportunism, and the belief that people with disabilities and their families won’t or can’t effectively challenge the cuts. We recommended several action steps.
Action Steps
We suggested that people who care about children, youth, and adults with disabilities, any kind, should: Read more...
Advocacy, advocate, advocates, Developmental Disabilities, disabilities, disability, disability policy, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, mental retardation, Parenting, policy, politics, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problems, retardation
On our website (www.reading2008.com), under Resources, is a mock Individualized Education Program (IEP) that was developed in 2001, before the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA-2004). Thus, it does not reflect IDEA-2004’s endorsement of Response to Intervention (RTI) and its other new provisions.
However, we believe that parents and teachers who examine this IEP for Eli can benefit from it. We suggest you examine (a) the Present Levels of Performance section, which covers all of pages A-2 and A-3, and includes the Evaluation Results and Description of Behavior Needs on page A-3; (b) the direct links between the information in the Present Levels section and the IEP’s goals and objectives, the specificity and measurability of its goals and objectives, and the comprehensiveness of services. Read more...
Advocacy, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, goals and objectives, IEP, Individualized Education Program, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading levels, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, sample IEP, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
If you want extra reading and other learning disabilities services for your child, services adequate to help him overcome his disabilities and perhaps get through college or get a job that pays adequately and offers good health insurance that won’t be canceled if he gets sick, I strongly encourage you to become politically active. Simply depending on current special education laws and funding won’t work. From the phone calls I get and the newspaper stories I read, the federal special education laws are often ineffective, the schools often incapable of helping, and society often unwilling to help children with disabilities once they leave school. Read more...
Advocacy, advocate, advocates, disability, disability policy, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, policy, politics, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, resilience, Resiliency, self-efficacy, self-esteem, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
Guest Column by
A Concerned Mom
Ashburn, VA
What do you do when the school considers your child borderline, but his teachers express concern about his ability to read, follow directions, and stay on task? As a parent you start a process that you don’t realize will take all your energy and attention to ensure your child’s success. It’s an emotional exhausting experience that feels like it will never end.
Resistance
Read more...
Advocacy, advocate, advocating, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, self-efficacy, self-esteem, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
Here are 15 guidelines that can strengthen the effectiveness of your advocacy.
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Have your child evaluated by experts who can identify your child’s needs.
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Make sure you understand his needs before you meet with school personnel to discuss his needs and possible interventions.
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Make specific requests (in writing) for meeting his needs; support your requests with reports from well-credentialed experts, experts whom the school respects.
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Treat people with respect, even if you disagree with them, even if they reject your requests. Read more...
Advocacy, advocating for children, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, IDEA, IDEA 2004, IEP, IEP meeting, IEP meetings, IEPs, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, monitoring of reading, parents, problem solving, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, Special Education, struggling reader, struggling readers IEP
Jay Mathews is an outstanding educational columnist for The Washington Post. Although I sometimes disagree with him, I also learn a lot from him.
A few days ago, he published a sad but all-too-common story about a student with learning disabilities who was not getting the services he needed. As he started the story, Matthews wrote: “I … avoid special education stories because they all seem the same, one tale after another of frustrated parents and ill-equipped educators trying but failing to find common ground, calling in lawyers while the children sit in class, bored and confused.” Read more...
Advocacy, advocacy mistakes, best program, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, frustration, frustration level, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading levels, Reading Materials, reading methodologies, reading methods, reading problem, reading problems, Reading Programs, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
