Rosa's Law is in effect!

Advocates, parents, and lots of others have been talking about it for awhile now, but it finally has been passed into law.  The term "mental retardation" will be changed in the federal laws to "intellectual disability".  Currently in the NH special education rules, "mental retardation" is still the label used. Usually, it takes about two years for NH laws and rules to catch up to the federal language, so we'll see how long the change for this will take.  The federal law is being called Rosa's Law after a little girl and her family advocated for the change.  Read more here.

Be SMART!!!

So, we know that developing the IEP (Individual Education Program) is one of the most important steps in the special ed process, but how do we develop an appropriate one? Many school districts and special ed teachers struggle with this step. Many parents get frustrated at this point in the process because of “the cookie cutter” IEP approach…the one size fits all IEP. Special education is supposed to be individualized instruction in order to meet the unique needs of the child, yet many parents find themselves signing off on the same IEP year after year.

The fine folks at Wrightslaw have written a great book, called “From Emotions to Advocacy”. It is an excellent resource, and I recommend that everyone involved with special education…either a parent or teacher or advocate, read this book and learn from it. One of the things they talk about, in chapter 12, is writing SMART IEPs. S=Specific, M=Measurable, A=Action words, R=realistic and relevant, and T=Time limited.

IEP goals and objectives need to be specific in nature and measurable. How are we going to measure progress if we don’t know specifically what we are going to work on and how we are going to assess it? Many IEP goals are very vague and open…..as a parent you need to avoid that. An IEP needs to include Action Words….that means it should reflect what the school and the child will actually be able to do…nice strong verbs that describe the desired outcome. Goals and objectives also need to be realistic…can the child realistically work toward that goal and reach it during the current school year. In order to be relevant, the goals need to connect to the real world and to the current curriculum in the classroom, and move the child from their current level of performance to the desired level of performance. IEPs also need to be time limited…objectives need to be completed within a time frame…the first quarter, semester, half a year, the full year.

With these types of goals, the school team can be held accountable for their actions and their implementation. A parent can ask for measurement or assessment of each goal…how far has the child come? If the child has met an objective, then that item can be taken off of the IEP and a new objective can be put in to replace it. Using this method, if a child is making progress, then IEPs should be different each year. If the child is not making progress toward the goals, then the IEP and programming needs to be reviewed. A child with the most significant disabilities should be able to show progress in some area, even if it is a small amount of progress. If assessment reveals no progress is being made at all, go back to the drawing board and rework the IEP. The programming is most likely inappropriate if there isn’t any progress being made.

Questions?? Let me know!

Who Am I and What Is This Blog All About?

Are you a parent of a student receiving special education? Are you confused? If you answered yes, you should know that you are not alone, and that there is help out there to assist you! That is in fact, the reason that I am developing this blog. I want to help every day people, just like you, who are struggling with the intricacies of special education, if at all possible!!!

I have been involved in special education in the state of NH, in some shape or form, since 1992. I began my journey by receiving my Bachelor's Degree in Communication Disorders from the University of New Hampshire, and then I became a certified special education teacher. I was then awarded my Master's Degree in Special Education, again from UNH. Go Blue!!! I have been a special education teacher at the elementary, middle and high school levels. I worked at a private independent boarding school for many years, and was the Assistant Director of the Instructional Support program there, as well as being a teacher, dorm parent, coach, advisor, and Team Leader. I was the education coordinator at a short term residential shelter for boys involved with the courts in juvenile delinquent cases. I was a Disabilities Services Specialist at a community college, working with adults with learning disabilities, and was an adjunct professor who taught special education courses. For the last few years, I have gained significant experience at the state level while working on behalf of the students involved with the courts in abuse, neglect, delinquency and CHINS (child in need of services) cases. I develop and give trainings all across the state about special education, court involved students, and parental rights. All the while long, I have done private work as a tutor and special education advocate for students and families.

My career has been dedicated to assisting children and families involved in special education, and making sure that the individual needs of each child are met in the most appropriate ways. Over the years, I have found that many school districts work exceptionally hard to do what is appropriate for kids, while there are many others that struggle to provide appropriate services, whether it be due to funding issues, inexperienced or undertrained teachers, or other system wide stressors. Some things have become crystal clear to me over this time.

The first thing is that the special education system is EXTREMELY CONFUSING to the average parent, and most schools do not do enough to assist parents with understanding it. Secondly, many parents and schools simply do not communicate well with each other. There are a myriad of reasons for this. Sometimes, the parents’ own “school phobia” gets in the way. In some instances, schools are not as empathetic as they need to be in dealing with what could be very sensitive issues for parents and their children. Another reason for this lack of communication is that parents are easily intimidated by some school district staff, and are afraid to say anything to them, even when they are in disagreement. Thirdly, many special education teachers in the field do not have a thorough understanding of the special education laws and rules, and albeit unknowingly, do and say things they shouldn’t, or lead the parents down the wrong path, etc.

Because of this, I have decided to try and assist parents and families in navigating this maze of special education, and to also try to get schools and parents to work together more smoothly on behalf of the children involved. This blog is meant to be a place for people to discuss issues, and hopefully learn some helpful hints along the way, as either a parent or a teacher/professional. Future posts will touch on IEP's, evaluations, strategies for at home, sharing resources, etc.

I would love to answer your questions, so if you have any...please send them my way. Drop an email to theeducationconsultant@gmail.com. Also follow me on Twitter at @spedconsultant. Finally, visit my website, www.theeducationconsultant.com.