Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

If your child is eligible for special education, perhaps. One key to getting help is to show the school that his social and emotional problems are impeding his learning or that of his peers. Another is to show that they’re blocking him from achieving a primary goal of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA): “To ensure that all children with disabilities have [an] education that [meets] … their unique needs and prepare[s] them for further education, employment, and independent living” (34 CFR § 300.1). A third is to show that involvement in a social and emotional learning (SEL) program is critical for him to achieve his academic goals.  Read more...

Perhaps.

If your child is eligible for special education, he may be entitled to virtually any nonmedical service he needs to benefit from special education. To get him services, you need to first learn what he needs and then request it. Here’s a reasonable strategy to increase the odds of getting him what he needs.  Read more...

• First, get written reports from well-credentialed, private specialists. Make sure you fully understand the reports and they tell the school what services your child needs, why he needs them, and why they’re essential for him to benefit from special education. Share these reports with your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team.