Parents and Special Education: Learn to Advocate Effectively!

I spent yesterday at the Wrightslaw conference sponsored by Parents Helping Parents, learning the rudiments of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004), Section 504 of the Rehabilitiation Act  and getting introduced to the Wrights' approach to advocacy, From Emotions to Advocacy.

I recommend this seminar (which is also available as a DVD and as Webcast) to every parent who has a child with a disability, especially children with learning disabilities.

If your school district has a Special Education PTA (SEPTA), it would be worth the investment to have the training over two or more meetings.  If your district doesn't have a SEPTA, it would probably be worth your while to start one, using this training as a start.

Debriefing on the Wrightslaw conference in Mountain View, CA The conference met from 9 - 4:30, broken (roughtly) into four modules.

ONE

• IDEA -- history & overview
• Section 1400 Findings & Purpose
• Section 1401  Definitions: SpEd, Related Services, LD, etc.
• Section 1412  Extended School Year (ESY), Child Find, Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

TWO

• Understanding Tests & Measurements:
  • The Bell Curve,
  • Standard Scores,
  • Scale Scores,
  • Percentile Ranks,
  • Grade Equivalent and Age Equivalent

• Section 1414(a)  Evaluations & Re-Evaluations
• Section 1414 (d) Individual Educational Programs (IEPs), Present Levels of Performance (PLOP), Goals and Objectives

THREE

• Section 1415 Prior Written Notice, (PWN), Procederal safegaurds, due process
• Section 504, Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), etc
• Litigation: SpEd Caselaw
• S.M.A.R.T. IEP goals
• S= Specific;
• M=Measurable;
• A=Acheiveable or action plan;
• R = relevant, but it also stands for realistic, reasonable, or
• results-oriented;
• T = Time limited or tangible.  See "Management by Objectives")
• Legal, systemic, and "school culture" barriers to compliance with IDEA
• The Parent as Special Education Project Manager
• Developing the Master Plan (vision statement & mission statement)
• Knowning the Rules of the game;
• Recognizing and Avoiding "Fatal Obstacles";
• Conflict is normal & healthy -- how to use it for growth; 
• CRISIS: how to respond; Organizing the child's (family's file)

FOUR

• Tactics and strategies in SpEd:
• Rule of adverse assumptions
• Paper Trails
• Private Eavluations
• Using the technique of the 5 Ws + H + E Questions
• Who
• What
• Where
• When
• Why
• How
• Explain

It was a lot to take in, in one sitting.