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...
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In Part 1 of 2, we discussed five ways to minimize feelings of intimidation. We recommend that you take all or some of these steps well before the IEP meeting: Read more...
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Study the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA-2004), especially the sections that explain the requirements for IEPs and IEP meetings.
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Send the IEP Team any new information you have that identifies your child’s needs.
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Examine your child’s school records.
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Meet with a private expert to review all reports about your child and a copy of his school records.
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Part 1 of 2
Even if the members of your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team are extraordinarily kind, caring, and courteous, you might find them intimidating. After all, they know the rules, the language, and the system far better than you. This is their umpteenth IEP meeting, only your second. And even if they simplify their language, you may still find it mysterious, complex, and fast-paced. What’s a WISC-IV and a Woodcock-Johnson? What do they look like? How does memory for digits relate to word identification? What’s the difference between a norm-referenced test and an informal reading inventory? Why is this even important? Read more...
Confidence, Dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslexics, frustration, frustration level, IEP, IEP meeting, IEP meetings, IEPs, Individualized Education Program, Individualized Education Programs, Intimidation, Learning Disabilities, learning disability, Parenting, Reading Disabilities, reading disability, reading levels, Reading Materials, reading problem, reading problems, strengthening resiliency, struggling reader, Struggling Readers
Nothing can ensure that your child’s IEP meeting will be productive. However, you can increase the odds that it will be. Here’s one way. Before the meeting, meet with your child’s case manager and agree on how the meeting should be organized. You have a right to do this as you’re an important member of the IEP Team.
Fortunately, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA-2004) and the format of the IEP offer an excellent sequence for developing the IEP. Unfortunately, the sequence is often ignored and critical parts of the IEP are given the short shrift. Read more...
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