Transition Planning and Your Child's IEP

Will your child transition next year? As a parent, you have probably been thinking about your child's future for years. Schools are not required to address the future until your child is older, but they must have a transition plan in place before your child turns 16. Does your child’s IEP have appropriate transition goals? Has your child made measurable progress toward these goals? How do you know? IDEA 2004 requires Transition Services to be “results-oriented” to “facilitate the child’s movement from school to post school activities . . .” The law requires that Transition Services in the IEP be in place by (before) the child’s 16th birthday. To find out what IDEA 2004 requires, read Transition Planning: Setting Lifelong Goals.   IEPs must adhere to these requirements. In this transition article, you'll find these two useful checklists: IDEA 2004 Transition Checklist Transition Planning Checklist Read Transition Planning: Setting Lifelong Goals, print and use the checklists, and find more resources about what parents and students must do to prepare for life after school.

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How I Got ESY Services After the School Said "No"!

Has the IEP team already taken the position that your child does not need ESY services? Here's a success story about how one parent used the Columbo Strategy to give the team a way to change their position. To learn what the Columbo Strategy is and how to use it, read How I Got ESY Services After the School Said No. In this success story, at the IEP meeting, the team mentioned one criteria for ESY - "regression-recoupment." Period. No other options were mentioned. When they handed the parent a paper to sign, she was not prepared to sign it. Learn the steps she took and what happened at the next meeting that caused the IEP team to change their position and provide the ESY services her child needed. Find more resources and cases about Extended School Year.

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What IDEA 2004 Says about Changing Schools and IEPs

Will you be moving and transferring schools this summer? What will happen to your child's IEP when you change school districts? The new school district must provide services that are comparable to the services in the previous IEP. Read what IDEA 2004 says about Changing Schools and IEPs and the transfer of records. Don't let personnel at the new school drag their feet about providing services. There is no provision in the law to wait one day, one week, one month or 90 days to provide services. Read this article to find out exactly what the law says about services to students who transfer. Learn how you can use the Commentary to the Regulations to see what the Department of Education says about the regulations and IDEA 2004.

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Read This Article Before You Ask for a Paraprofessional

A mother asks for advice after her child's teacher says, I Don't Care if He Has an IEP. "Can I ask for a paraprofessional? I’ve heard there are other kids with ADHD in the class too. And even though two teachers for 30 plus kids should be fine, I think there are other children who could use the help."  Sue Whitney Heath, who writes about reading, research based instruction, and creative advocacy strategies in Doing Your Homework, offers advice to this parent. Read this article before you ask for a paraprofessional. Then, even if you want a paraprofessional, don’t ask for one. Instead, focus on the goals and accommodations in the IEP. In Teacher Says, "I Don't Care if He Has an IEP," read Sue's excellent advice to this mom about what to request for her child.

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The Wrightslaw Way: A Special Online Community

The Wrightslaw Way to Special Education Law and Advocacy is new and different. When we post articles and requests for information or help, visitors offer advice and answers. Read new posts about how to create SMART IEP goals for behavior problems, pros and cons of virtual schools, Pete's answer to a question about providing an independent evaluation to the school, and much more. Learn how to post a question or a comment. Visit the new Wrightslaw Way blog. Help create a special online community. If you were not one of more than 10,000 people who visited the Wrightslaw Way last week, check it out today!

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Life after High School: AKA " Flying the Nest"

"Does the community college have to accept the senior's IEP?" "Does the IEP follow the student, or does the college reassess the student and write a new IEP?" Many parents don't realize that IDEA does not follow their child into college. Post-secondary schools have no obligation to create a document like the IEP and there is no protection under IDEA. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act do provide protections for students with disabilities. Find out more about Key Differences Between Section 504 and IDEA, from Indiana Advocate Pat Howey. Section 504 Follows the Child, IDEA Does Not When your child graduates from high school with a regular diploma or reaches the age of 22, his entitlement to rights under IDEA ends. IDEA rights do not follow the student into college or the workplace. You need to make sure you and your child know what to expect. Read Know Your Rights and Responsibilities and the Letter to Parents from the US Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights.

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Self Advocacy: Know Yourself, Know What You Need, Know How to Get It

We've told you that IEPs end after high school. So do the rights of parents under Section 504 and IDEA. Students need to advocate for themselves after public school. "Self-advocacy is the ability to understand and communicate one's needs to other individuals. Learning to become an effective self-advocate is all about educating the people around you. There are three steps to becoming an effective self-advocate... Read about these three steps and find more great tips in Self-Advocacy: Know Yourself, Know What You Need, Know How to Get It by Nancy James. Find Your Own Voice Students who know how to present information about their disability and seek the accommodations they need are more likely to make a successful transition to life after high school. Go to the Wrightslaw Self-Advocacy page for information about self-advocacy skills tips guides resources. For students transitioning to college, vocational training, employment, or independent living, don't miss this information about learning self-advocacy skills.

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Do Colleges HAVE to Provide Accommodations for Disabled Students?

Unlike high schools, which are required to identify students with disabilities and accommodate them, colleges are required only to have the services available. It's up to the student to make the institution aware of his or her disability and ask for an accommodation. Why disclose your disability? One reason is that your disability has influenced your approach to learning, your determination, and many other things in your life. Dr. Mike Brown, East Carolina University, says "Many universities are now getting the message about Section 504 ..." To better your chances of getting waivers of requirements from colleges, read his article Accommodations for College Students.

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Success Stories: Embracing Self-Sufficiency

The number of students with disabilities in post-secondary educational institutions is swelling. Students with disabilities across the country are getting an extra hand in transition to college and other continuing education programs. Spend some time at College: Continuing and Higher Education. You'll find comprehensive information, articles, and resources you need when planning and preparing for a successful transition. You won't want to miss "Embracing Self-Sufficiency" and other success stories about how university disability services are supporting and encouraging students to be their own best advocates.

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Here is a fact about your child's test scores. All important educational decisions - eligibility, services in your child's IEP, educational progress - are based on test scores. Not grades, not subjective observations - test scores. There's no way around it. To be an effective advocate, you need to know what tests measure and what test scores mean. "But I'm just a parent. I didn't finish college. I can't understand this stuff!" Some parents believe they can't understand test results. If you are in this group, it's time to change your beliefs! Not grades, not subjective observations - test scores. There's no way around it. To be an effective advocate, you need to know what tests measure and what test scores mean. "But I'm just a parent. I didn't finish college. I can't understand this stuff!" Some parents believe they can't understand test results. If you are in this group, it's time to change your beliefs! In this issue of the Special Ed Advocate, we explain why it is essential that you understand your child's test scores. We include some amazing success stories from parents who used their children's test scores - and were able to negotiate with the school for good programs. Please forward this information to a friend or colleague. Sign up free today!  l Read previous issues

Cold Hard Numbers and a Successful IEP Meeting

"I thought I would have to do a lot of persuasive arguing at the IEP meeting. "I DIDN'T HAVE TO SAY A WORD! "The IEP team had reviewed the objective data I sent before the meeting." Does this sound too good to be true? This is exactly what can happen when you learn to present objective data on your child, the cold hard numbers from tests. A therapist's notes say your child is "Doing better." The teacher says, "He's passing. His grades are good." What happens when subjective observations are not supported by test data? What happens when objective test data shows that the child is making little or no progress? Read Cold Hard Numbers and a Successful IEP Meeting to see how one parent learned, then taught the IEP team that you can't argue with cold hard numbers. The Numbers Do Not Lie Still not convinced that parents must understand test scores? In The Numbers Do Not Lie - Charting Test Scores, you'll meet a parent who used test scores to make charts that documented her child's lack of progress. Then she asked the IEP team to explain these scores. The numbers didn't lie. The IEP team agreed with her and offered one-on-one services during the summer to improve her child's reading skills. Remember: All important educational decisions - eligibility, the services in the IEP, educational progress - - are based on test scores.

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Using Test Scores to Determine Eligibility

A parent writes, "The school retested my daughter and said she was 'no longer LD' because her IQ is 'solidly average' and she makes good grades. They want to terminate all special ed services. I disagree. She still struggles with reading and needs help. Is the fact that her IQ is average and she makes good grades sufficient to make this decision?" Sue Whitney Heath, author of Doing Your Homework, answers: If the school's criteria for determining a child's eligibility for special education are IQ scores and grades, this is incorrect and inappropriate. Before the school determined that your child was eligible for special education, they were required to do a comprehensive evaluation and assess all areas of suspected disability. Before the school can determine that your child is not eligible for special education, they are required to do a comprehensive evaluation and assess all areas of suspected disability. Because grades are so subjective, the IDEA does not even mention "grades" or "passing grades" as a factor in determining if a child is or is not eligible. To learn how eligibility decisions must be made and other legal requirements for determining if a child is or is not eligible for special education, read Can the School Terminate My Child's Eligibility for Special Ed? Evaluations, IQ Scores and Grades. Read more Doing Your Homework articles by Sue Whitney Heath. Remember: All important educational decisions - from eligibility, the services in your child's IEP, how progress is measured  - are based on test scores. To be an effective advocate, you must learn about Tests and Measurements -What Your Child's Test Scores Mean. Isn't it time you stepped up to the plate? If the answer is "yes," you'll find a good tutorial in Chapters 10 and 11 of From Emotions to Advocacy. You can also read the article, Tests and Measurements for the Parent, Educator, Advocate & Attorney by Pete and Pam Wright. We have more help. Because you need to master this material before the next IEP meeting, a new Wrightslaw multimedia training program, Understanding Your Child's Tests Scores, will be available soon. For more information, read on.

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Coming Soon! Understanding Your Child's Test Scores

Why are test scores so important? When you understand your child's test scores, you can - identify your child's strengths and weaknesses identify your child's needs determine if your child is making progress create charts that document progress or regression And, all important educational decisions - eligibility, services in your child's IEP, educational progress - are based on test scores. In the new Wrightslaw WebEx training program Understanding Your Child's Test Scores, Pete Wright teaches you about standard scores, percentile ranks, subtest scores, composite or cluster scores, and subtest scatter. Pete will teach you about the bell curve, mean, and standard deviations. You'll learn how to draw the bell curve and how to use your child's test scores to create powerful progress graphs. Don't believe it? Every year, we train thousands of parents in our live programs. By the end of the day, they can draw the bell curve, with the mean, standard deviations, and percentile ranks. With Wrightslaw WebEx programs, you can go over the material until you master it. You want to master this material before the next IEP meeting! Coming Soon! The newest program in the Wrightslaw Special Education and Training Series, Understanding Your Child's Test Scores, will be available soon. If you subscribe to The Special Ed Advocate newsletter, you'll receive an announcement about the Special Introductory Offer for this new program. Watch your email this week!

Wrightslaw WebEx Training Programs "This is advocacy training at its best..." "As my husband drove home from the program, I pulled out my laptop and learned how to make the bar graphs you demonstrated during the program. What an incredible difference this made in the letter I was writing about my son’s test results. His strengths, weaknesses and needs were so much more apparent than in a list of numbers! "

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