From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
On Saturday, The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) reported:
The Upper Arlington school district failed several dyslexic students, and broke federal education laws, because it refused to test children for disabilities and help them learn to read, a state investigation found. District officials, however, deny the state’s findings.
…. According to the complaint, officials refused to acknowledge that students had dyslexia and put them in remedial reading classes that weren’t designed for those with the reading disability. Read more...
due process, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, evaluation, evaluations, IDEIA, IEP, IEPs, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA), Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, special education eligibility, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Many parents face this problem: their child struggles severely and unsuccessfully to learn how to read. Yet, the school will not classify him as having a specific learning disability. He can’t get help that’s sufficient and explicit enough for him to overcome his reading problems. One reason may be the vague, ambiguous, inexact definition of “specific learning disability” used by the federal law and its rules and regulations.
The Federal Definition As you might see, the federal definition of specific learning disability is open to different interpretations: Read more...
definition of specific learning disabilities, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, Federal Register, IDEIA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading problem, reading problems, specific learning disabilities, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Parents of children in special education often ask, “How can I get the training I need to help my child at home?” As we discussed in our post of November 14th, Getting Counseling and Training to Help You Help Your Child (http://www.reading2008.com/blog/getting-counseling-training-to-help-you-help-your-child.htm), training to understand your child’s special needs and to support your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a related service.
If the school’s IEP Team members say “No. It’s not what we do, it’s not required by law,” we suggest that you show them what the federal rules and regulations about special education say: Read more...
Advocacy, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, homework, IDEIA, IEP, IEP Team, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, parent counseling, parent training, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading problem, reading problems, related service, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, tutoring
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Last week, we discussed five evaluation and IEP traps that often harm children with reading disabilities. Today, we’ll discuss five more.
Agree or Disagree: It’s fair to ask a school to measure a child’s progress once or twice a year, but asking a school to objectively measure progress weekly is simply asking too much. It’s “overkill.” Read more...
Advocacy, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, evaluation, evaluations, IDEA, IDEIA, IEP, IEPs, Individualized Education Program, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, Special Education, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Last week, we presented ten statements to expose evaluation and IEP traps that often harm children with reading disabilities. Today, we’ll discuss the first five.
Agree or Disagree: For an evaluation to help a child, it should focus on testing the child with widely used standardized tests that compare him to other children of his age or grade. Read more...
Advocacy, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, evaluation, evaluations, IDEA, IDEIA, IEP, IEPs, Individualized Education Program, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, Special Education, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
Evaluation and IEP Traps
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
If your child is eligible for special education and you’re involved in developing his IEP, you may want to think about and respond to these statements. Next week we’ll post our responses. Read more...
- Agree or Disagree: For an evaluation to help a child, it should focus on testing the child with widely used standardized tests that compare him to other children of his age or grade.
- Agree or Disagree: Schools should use a child’s test scores to determine the method(s) most likely to help her.
Advocacy, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, evaluation, evaluations, IDEA, IDEIA, IEP, IEPs, Individualized Education Program, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, Special Education, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
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
No matter what laws, court rulings, or research studies say, inclusion is in danger of collapsing or becoming a hollow, ineffective, and perhaps harmful option for placing and educating children with disabilities. This is due, in part, to budget cuts and the corrosive effects of public policy on teachers.
First, we’ll list some of the more critical factors needed for inclusion to work. Then we’ll discuss how public policy is undermining them. Finally, we’ll suggest what you can do to support meaningful inclusion. Read more...
Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, IDEA, IDEIA, inclusion, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, intervention, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, least restrictive environment, mainstreaming, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading intervention, reading problem, reading problems, reading remediation, remedial reading, remediation, struggling reader, Struggling Readers, teacher, teachers
