Special Education Law Blog
A special education legal resource discussing case law, news, practical advocacy advice, and developments in state and federal laws, statutes and regulations. Postings include insight and sometimes humor from Charles P. Fox, a Chicago, Illinois attorney who is also a parent of child with special needs, and other guest authors.
For many of my clients whose children have gone through the 12 books of the Wilson program or other multi-sensory phonetically based systematic programs, the issue can become what to do after completing the program. Given the nature of learning disabilities, there is a need to reinforce skills and to further indoctrinate skills already learned. One program that fits the bill nicely is called Megawords.[Download Megawords_research.pdf ].
Being able to navigate the social currents of school, work and life present a significant deficit for many individuals on the autistic spectrum, those who have non-verbal learning disabilities among other disabilities. Until now the only way to address social deficits was through low tech means and talking therapy. Researchers at MIT’s media lab are unveiling a new device that may prove quite remarkable in teaching social skills.
For the better part of this school year my son has been struggling in school with episodes of falling asleep. Although not every day, the sleeping would occur about two times a day. The episodes began in October. The month of October is a pivotal month. Typically it is when the school stops reviewing last year’s material, and begins getting "serious" about school.
The Oscar nominated documentary, Autism is A World, which gives voice to the words of a 26 year women with autism has been released on DVD. This movie has been reviewed in the E-zine Ragged Edge.
The Boston Globe published an article about a college bound young woman who has dyslexia and an IEP, and was denied accommodations on her SAT. [ Download Accommodations Denied.doc ] This story rings much more true than the op-ed piece in the New York Times. Accomodations are not being given out readily and easily. I have had to write numerous letters marshalling arguments for accommodations some of which have been denied even with significant documentation. For all those students taking the SAT on April 1, 2006 (a cruel joke in itself), I wish you good luck, and if you have accommodations, I hope they help you demonstrate your knowledge. Thank you again to Liz Ditz for sending me the Boston Globe story.
Pennsylvania recently adopted a commencement law which sounds similar to Brittany’s law in Illinois which was a subject of an earlier post. Under the new Pennsylvania law, students with IEPs who have completed 4 years of high school but have not accomplished their IEP can participate in graduation ceremonies with their peers and receive a certificate of attendance. This allow allows for a normative social experience which is an important part of inclusion.
The New York Times ran an op-ed [Download NY Times oped.doc] piece critical of the SAT test accomodations for students with disabilities. This op-ed piece just glosses over the real reasons students get test accommodations—they need them because of a bona fide disability. It reads as if students who request accommodations are looking for a leg up when they do not deserve it. Some time ago another mother told my wife how lucky she was to park close in a handicapped spot in the parking lot. People do not see what is in front of them–accommodations based upon real and long standing need. In the case of SATs would more time make a difference for the student who is not prepared or even for the prepared non-disabled student ? It only makes a difference for the student with a disability who truly needs and benefits from testing accommodations. Thank you to Liz Ditz for sending this story to my attention.
Autism is one of the fastest growing areas of disability in children in this country as I have previously described , and which is well known to any parent of a child with autism. The paradox is the degree to which schools are so behind the curve in their understanding of this disability and how to design good quality programming. I have located two websites (free online) that present comprehensive information on educationally-based programs to teach children and young adults with autism.
Some kids with special needs learn best with short simple declarative sentences. Having a sense of humor doesn’t hurt either. I was thinking that maybe short funny declarative statements would also be the best way to communicate with those school personnel and others who “just don’t get it”. So here are just a few statements that I’d like to share with some people I’ve met. Maybe you’d like to share some yourself. Please feel free to shout them from the rooftops, post them on signs, wear them on t-shirts, stick them on bumpers, or tatoo them wherever you choose.
Parents of children with autism often face a momentous decision: do I initiate a home-based ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis sometimes referred to as Lovass) program, or do I enroll my child in the school’s program or continue with the existing program. However, of even greater moment if the answer is in favor of a home-based ABA program, who do I hire to run this program. The stakes are enormously high from an educational, financial and legal perspective. Fortunately there is a "consumer’s guide" to assist in making this latter decision.