Friday, June 25, 2010
Dr. Bernard Ellis Part II
You have a role to play in your child's special education program!
If you are not taking an active role in the planning and implementation of your child’s IEP you are taking a chance with your child’s education.
Over the years I have been part of or observed many Team meetings. I have discovered that in meetings where the parents play an active role the outcome is more productive than when the parents are mere observers. Remember that parents are members of the IEP Team. The following may assist you as you work with your child’ s team:
1. Every person possesses a limited amount of emotional energy. This energy should be used in a positive manner when dealing with your child’s teacher or team. Being positive does not mean that you must agree with everything that is said or proposed. You should and can disagree without being disagreeable.
When you are negative or become very argumentative you force other people to take positions that may be difficult for them to change at a future date. There are procedures to obtain what your child needs and an argument is not one, Keep in mind that all decisions of the team must be reached by consensus. A decision cannot be made by any one member of the team or by an administrator.
IDEA provides for a free and appropriate education for your child. The law does not state that you are entitled to the best program, but are entitled to an adequate program. When you make demands for items in the IEP you must have done your homework and know what you are requesting and why you are making this request. Do not make demands for a service that would exceed an adequate program.
2. Your homework should include an understanding of your child’s test results.These results may have come from the school’s testing or from your examiners. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Remember if your are not an educator you are not expected to understand all the test data. Take whatever time is necessary for you to feel comfortable about the test information. Remember your child’s program is built on the test data. There is no way for you to evaluate a program or request a service unless you understand your child’s needs. Don’t be afraid to seek outside help.
3. You should understand that the IEP is a contract between you and the school
district to provide services for your child. The team meeting is the arena where the negotiations take place to develop and implement programs. You must always be prepared when you attend these meetings. Before the meeting, you must develop your agenda, with the items you wished discussed or any actions you are requesting from the team. If there is not enough time scheduled to answer you questions, request another meeting. You as a team member have the right to request team meetings.
4. I would recommend that you record the Team meetings. This should be done in an open manner with the recorder on the table. You need to notify the school district in writing prior to the meeting that you intend to record all team meetings. This request should be made early in the process. You should not wait until there is a problem. The recording should be a routine at each meeting. This procedure is not
intended to cause a problem, it is a way to have an accurate record of what takes
place at each team meeting. A Team member may object to the recording by
indicating that you do not trust the team or its members. You can respond by explaining that you need the opportunity to review the team meetings to better understand the process. If for some reason, in the future, you need to resolve a problem or move to due process, these recordings may be very useful. If the team refuses to allow you to record the meetings you need to seek outside assistance.
5. You need to develop a method of keeping and storing records, test data, minutes etc. I would recommend a large three ring notebook. You need to organize the notebook in such a manner that you can easily retrieve information. You should bring the notebook to each Team meeting.
When you work with the school personnel you should keep a record. I would recommend a telephone log where you record the date, person and items discussed. Keep copies of all correspondence from the school. Do not forget e-mails. When you have talked with someone and you have agreed on an item you should write to that person and confirm what was discussed. As I have told parents over the years, you need to document, document, document. I would also recommend that you write to staff members and thank them when you feel it is appropriate.
Never be afraid to seek help. I have told parents over the years it is impossible
to turn the clock back and start over, you must deal with a situation when it exists.
The following are some resources:
Parent Information Center
Concord, NH 800-847-7005
New Hampshire Department of Education - Concord, NH 603-271-3189
You can request a copy of the rules in New Hampshire or Vermont for the Education of Children with Disabilities
Wrightslaw
Wrightslaw@wrigthtslaw.com
Repectfully,
Bernard J. Ellis, Ed.D.
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