Special Education Law Anniversary

Today in 1975 the Individual with Disabilities Education Act was signed into law.  Parents worked to get it passed through Congress.  It is a funding law; that is, monies go to states to provide services to eligible school children.  However, federal dollars currently do not cover the entire costs of educating our children with special needs.  State and local monies usually provide the bulk of the costs of educating our children.

This law opened doors of public schools to our children who previously sat at home without schooling. 

Although the front doors are open in Kindergarten, the back door is also open for some students. Schools sometimes don’t know how to educate our kids who have behavior challenges as part of the disability.  Students are suspended and parents are not told of options, or parents feel pressured to withdraw the student or homeschool.  Many students are “drop-outs”.  Administrators act as though they are shocked when accused of these “forced dropout” scenarios.

Congress was wise to include in the IDEA avenues for parents and schools to resolve conflict; especially mediation.  Mediation can be held within a month and often resolves disagreements so that the child can get appropriate services.

We help parents at low-cost.  We help parents prepare for school meetings and also go to school meetings with parents.  Visit our website at   theiepcenter.com

Special Education Parent’s Advocacy Link LLC dba The IEP Center™ provides information to parents regarding the problems of children with disabilities. We have special knowledge about the children with disabilities. We are civil rights advocates.

We are not attorneys and do not give advice.  We are not licensed to practice law.  Consult an attorney.  Legal info can be found at wrightslaw.com

©2016 Special Education Parent’s Advocacy Link LLC dba The IEP Center

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Early childhood program not offered to parent Missouri

Kids eligible for Early Childhood (ages 3-5) services from public school districts in Missouri are to be offered services from that school district. Some districts have found ways to manipulate parents to avoid serving those children.

The parent mentioned the possibility of child getting programming from another (hospital-related) facility so the district “agrees” with the parent that would be a good choice.  The public school did not formally offer or develop a program for the child.  The desperate and uninformed parent scrambles for any programming available, and, since the public school didn’t “have” a suitable program, the parent struggles to transport child to and from the distant program.

The parent was encouraged to use some grit to work the system at the public school.  The parent acknowledged she was being bamboozled; she had concerns that she might “ruffle feathers” of some school staffer she knows.  I told the parent that since my daughter is now an adult, I really don’t care what the teachers my daughter had in elementary school thinks of me now; what matters is how my daughter is functioning and quality of life.

This parent needs to set the tone of the relationship with the public school now so that when the child later enrolls for Kindergarten, the school will better respect the parent.

Contact an advocate here:

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Special Education Parent’s Advocacy Link LLC dba The IEP Center™ advocates are not attorneys and do not give legal advice.  We do not represent children or parents. We have special knowledge regarding children with special needs’.  We help parents with civil rights issues.  Contact an attorney.

Need help quick?  set a phone consult:   bit.ly/iepconsult

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©2016 Special Education Parent’s Advocacy Link LLC