Every day, teachers make a thousand little sacrifices for their students. Sometimes they choose to make the ultimate sacrifice, too. The world witnessed this on Friday in Newtown, Connecticut, when a school principal, psychologist, special education teacher, behavioral therapist, and 2 general education teachers put themselves in the line of fire in an attempt to [...]
Back-to-school time is tough for all students (and even teachers!) but it can be an especially difficult transition for a student with special needs. Last year at this time, I wrote on 5 back-to-school suggestions that focused on what the parent can do to be a part of their child’s school year. Today’s Post targets [...]
By Dennise Goldberg Another IEP Season has come and gone and just like every IEP season I learned a few things. You might remember from my last post that I work as a Special Education Advocate both professionally and for my own son who is graduating from elementary school. It has been a very stressful [...]
A young girl with curly brown hair and a beaming smile looked up at me and handed me this letter: Der mis fre I So LiKe TO. WerK Wef. You. And automatically my stress of the day was erased and I was reminded yet again how good it is to have my job. I was [...]
Communicating with your child’s teacher is a must for every parent. For parents of a child with special needs it is critical. So the big question is how and when do I speak to my child’s teacher? The answer is not so simple: Phone Calls Managing the time between when the kids come home from [...]
Guest Post by Suzanne Burchill My son was diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) about 4 years ago. Today he is in 5th grade and still struggles with the classic symptoms of ADHD: lack of focus and attention, easily distracted, difficulty staying on task, lack of organization, blurting/ shouting out in class, difficulty sitting still/staying seated, [...]
How can you advocate for your child and enhance your child’s education when you are not in the classroom to see what is happening? One of the most important pieces to the puzzle is to create a supportive relationship with the teacher. Make sure the teacher appreciates you as a parent and an individual. Here [...]
Providing individual children with unique needs with a personalized education has always been challenging. Two such problems that frequently occur are: 1. Ineffective collaboration among adults involved with the child (including parents). 2. Tracking learning goals and timelines at an individual level. Many stakeholders are involved in a student with special needs, which may include [...]
We blink our eyes and it’s already back-to-school season. We finally get used to our summer routines and now we have to start shopping for school supplies, worrying about our children’s IEPs, and deal with the worries of how well they will handle school. Over the past 2 years we have had a number of [...]
What happens when we disagree? A look at parents and educators getting together at school meetings… Not often, but sometimes, when we gather a team together of parents and professionals to discuss the educational needs of a child, we don’t always agree. You can be meeting at your child’s school to discuss any number of [...]
