advokids

For parents of children with disabilities the scheduling of an Committee on Special Education meeting is fraught with trauma and anxiety. This annual meeting will determine whether a disabled child’s needs will be successfully met for the next year–or so we fear.

As parents we have a unique perspective on the progress and needs of our child. In order to prepare for the meeting, we must have an idea of what is to take place. Under the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilies Education Act) the CSE meeting is intended to (i) determine the present level of the child’s academic achievement and functional performance in the context of the child’s unique needs, (ii) develop a plan to to meet the child’s unique needs for the coming academic year, and (iii) to establish goals so that the child makes continuous progress over the coming year. Remember that the Individual Education Plan (”IEP”) created at the CSE meeting is not written in stone and can be amended at any time during the course of the year if it is not meeting the student’s needs. A meeting to amend the IEP can be requested at any time.

In preparing for an CSE meeting:

1. Review existing and prior IEPs and evaluate if progress has been made. Have the goals set forth been met and have they provided for a high enough level of achievement for my child.

2. Review any recent or new evaluations and try to determine if new evaluations are necessary based on the circumstances faced by my child during the past year.

3. Review the child’s present level of performance. Has there been a measurable improvement in performance? Have goals been met? Are they realistic?

4. Where do you see your child in one year, three years, five years. You cannot create a plan and/or SMART (specific, measurable, action words, realistic/relevant and time limited) goals if you have no idea where you want to go and what is realistic for your child.

5. Remember the purpose of the IDEA is to provide a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment to a disabled child that addresses the unique needs of the child with the purpose of preparing the child for further education, independent living and employment.

You may find that you need to use an educational consultant or independent evaluator who can provide you with insight and recommendations concerning your child’s needs and methods of addressing those needs. IDEA 2004 focuses on scientifically based methodologies. Consultants can assist you in learning about various teaching methods that may or may not work with your child. A comprehensive evaluation by an evaluator who is an expert or particularly experienced with your child’s disability will be able to provide insight and data, facts, to support their recommendations. This data will provide the support you need for assistance you are seeking for your child.

Once you prepared for the meeting, you will be better able to advocate for your child.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 19th, 2006 at 5:46 am and is filed under Guardianship. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

For parents of children with disabilities the scheduling of an Committee on Special Education meeting is fraught with trauma and anxiety. This annual meeting will determine whether a disabled child’s needs will be successfully met for the next year–or so we fear.

As parents we have a unique perspective on the progress and needs of our child. In order to prepare for the meeting, we must have an idea of what is to take place. Under the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilies Education Act) the CSE meeting is intended to (i) determine the present level of the child’s academic achievement and functional performance in the context of the child’s unique needs, (ii) develop a plan to to meet the child’s unique needs for the coming academic year, and (iii) to establish goals so that the child makes continuous progress over the coming year. Remember that the Individual Education Plan (”IEP”) created at the CSE meeting is not written in stone and can be amended at any time during the course of the year if it is not meeting the student’s needs. A meeting to amend the IEP can be requested at any time.

In preparing for an CSE meeting:

1. Review existing and prior IEPs and evaluate if progress has been made. Have the goals set forth been met and have they provided for a high enough level of achievement for my child.

2. Review any recent or new evaluations and try to determine if new evaluations are necessary based on the circumstances faced by my child during the past year.

3. Review the child’s present level of performance. Has there been a measurable improvement in performance? Have goals been met? Are they realistic?

4. Where do you see your child in one year, three years, five years. You cannot create a plan and/or SMART (specific, measurable, action words, realistic/relevant and time limited) goals if you have no idea where you want to go and what is realistic for your child.

5. Remember the purpose of the IDEA is to provide a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment to a disabled child that addresses the unique needs of the child with the purpose of preparing the child for further education, independent living and employment.

You may find that you need to use an educational consultant or independent evaluator who can provide you with insight and recommendations concerning your child’s needs and methods of addressing those needs. IDEA 2004 focuses on scientifically based methodologies. Consultants can assist you in learning about various teaching methods that may or may not work with your child. A comprehensive evaluation by an evaluator who is an expert or particularly experienced with your child’s disability will be able to provide insight and data, facts, to support their recommendations. This data will provide the support you need for assistance you are seeking for your child.

Once you prepared for the meeting, you will be better able to advocate for your child.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 19th, 2006 at 5:46 am and is filed under Guardianship. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.