IDEA has been a Federal law for the better part of three decades. From the beginning the concept of educating children in the least restrictive environment ("LRE") has been a cornerstone of the law. To combat wholesale segregation of children with special needs was one of the motivations for enacting the law. Even after all of these years, in Boston over 40 percent of children with IEPs are segregated from their neurotypical peers and not exposed to the general curriculum. Boston is the harsh reality that thousands of children face; not the fantasy world of Nanette Asimov’s imagination, or the false construction of the school side in Arlington Central v. Murphy–that experts and advocates are coopting parents into filing due process. As discussed below, the abject lack of inclusion in Boston’s special education system raises fundamental issues.
New Graduation Law for Students with Special Needs
In December 2005, the Illinois legislature amended the School Code to allow students with special needs to participate in graduation ceremonies with their peers. This new law allows students who have IEPs to enjoy the "pomp and circumstance" of the graduation ceremony, even if the student is continuing to receive special education services post-graduation. The ARC of Illinois successfully lobbied for this law which is known as Brittany’s law.
Guidelines for Evaluating Placement for Children with Cochlear Implants (Part 1) by Deborah Pergament
The following is the first of a two part posting from a colleague of mine. Deborah Pergament is an attorney in Chicago, Illinois who has dedicated her professional life to serving the needs of children in the area of special education, family law and juvenile justice. She has successfully tried and won a recent case on behalf of a child with a cochlear implant and has several more pending. This posting should enable parents to make more informed decisions in determining the appropriateness of a school placement for their son or daughter who has a cochlear implant ("CI").
Service Dogs Support Children In School
A colleague of mine recently advocated for a child with autism to be able to bring his service dog to school. Predictably the school reacted negatively. The school staff’s response did not even consider the potential educational benefits for the child.
Supreme Court Decides Gonzales v. Oregon
The Supreme Court decided the "Death With Dignity" case, Gonzales v. Oregon [Download Gonzales_v. Oregon.pdf]
, in favor of Oregon’s state statute that permits physician-assisted suicide. The Disability Law Blog has an excellent summary of the case and the newspaper coverage from around the country. The case was decided on the basis of federalism principles, and the lack of authority of the U.S. Attorney General to invalidate this statute. The decision does not address the fundamental clash of values between groups like Not Dead Yet which advocates against physician-assisted suicide on the basis that for the disabled a right to die will become a duty to die, and proponents of physician-assisted suicide.
A Role Model of Success for Students with Disabilities by Cole I. Fox
This weekend on break from Lake Forest College, David Kuriniec came over to visit with my family and me. He is an excellent student and an inspiring human being. Best of all, he is a role model for other students with disabilities, as my son, Cole, expressed in this post:
This was a great weekend because David Kuriniec came over. He is a
person with disabilities like me. He is older and has tested the
water and paved the way for kids like me. People think it will be hard
for me but if David can do it so can I.
Inclusion in the Context of Disability Awareness Month – by David A. Kuriniec
It’s that time of year again—the time of year when, by wearing a pin or ribbon, or by engaging in “what it’s like to be disabled” simulations, schools and businesses seek to promote disability awareness month. But the big question remains unanswered: of what exactly are we becoming more aware? It cannot merely be that different types and varying degrees of severity of disability exist. The month of October, then, is really framed in the wrong context. Activities should be geared more toward propagation of the fact that disability is a natural part of life, and that a culture that promotes and actively implements an inclusive philosophy is ideal.
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 3
- 4
- 5
