Can the School Remove Supports and Services from the IEP? This is probably the number one reason that parents dread IEP meetings. Right? For the most part, we expect to be told “No” when we ask for something to be added, even if we have the data. But the school removing items…yikes! It’s a major…
My son keeps getting sent home from school! We all know the feeling. Your phone rings. You look. It’s the school phone number. A zillion thoughts run through your head as you answer. “Hi, Mrs. Smith? This is ‘school personnel’ and we need you to come pick up Jacob. Yes, he had quite a tantrum…
Important items that must be on your child’s IEP. “I got a call to pick up my daughter today because she put a child in a choke hold.” And of course this child with an IEP was on her way to a suspension. That’s what one of our group members posted recently. Sounds awful, right?…
Can you Suspend a Student with an IEP? It happened again. You were at work, in the middle of…working. And the phone rings again. You look and see the dreaded phone number-it’s the school. And you know what is ahead. You have to go pick up your child because they’ve been suspended. Again. Here is…
Manifestation Determination Speaking to you as a parent, I hope that you never have to know what a Manifestation Determination is. Or that you never have to request or attend a Manifestation Determination Review Meeting. But, here you are. You searched and found this article, so you need to know what a Manifestation Review is….
School Truancy I looked at the mom/client sitting next to me in at truancy court, and gave her hand a squeeze. She looked up and gave me a slight smile, our only communication since we did not speak the same language. I leaned over to the caseworker on her other side, who translated for us….
Emotional Disturbance Emotional Disturbance Category on an IEP is one of the most misunderstood categories. In my professional opinion, it is one of the most overused and abused categories. I find that school staff often look to address Emotional Disturbance Disability with the mindset of “won’t” rather than “can’t.” Or, slap the ED label on…
Special Education Transportation “It’s the bus. It’s always the bus!” My former supervisor used to say that so often. So many issues around a school bus ride. Lots of kids, no seatbelts, unstructured time, no one watching them (because we want the driver watching the road, right?). And it goes on. This post is long…
IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Several years ago, I was at a fundraiser. It was for an agency that assists disabled people. So, naturally, they had a few people who used the agency speak and give testimonials about how much this agency means to them. I will never forget the story that this one…