Patti's Blog - Advocate for Elders, People with Disabilities and Their Families

What's So Important About Present Levels in the IEP?

Excerpt from: Wrightslaw (click for full article)

 

If your child's IEP fails to include accurate information about Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance, the IEP is defective. It has no foundation.

Schools say they don't need to include Functional Performance Levels because they aren't related to academics. Not so!

In this issue of the Special Ed Advocate, you will learn the requirements for Present Levels in IEPs. Find out how Present Levels are used to develop measurable goals to meet your child's unique needs and to get an appropriate program and placement.

Please don't hesitate to forward this series to other friends, families, or colleagues.

 

BREAKING: New GAO Report on Racial/Ethnic Overrepresentation in Special Education

Excerpt from: Special Education Law Blog (click for full article)

 

In breaking news, the Government Accountability Office has issued a report critical of the definitions states are allowed to use in determining whether racial or ethnic groups are overrepresented in special education. It has long been the contention of certain racial and ethnic groups that their kids are included in special ed in  disproportionate numbers.

In 2010, states required about 2 percent of all districts to use Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds for early intervening services to address the overrepresentation of racial and ethnic groups in special education. Based on definitions states individually developed to measure this overrepresentation-- referred to in IDEA as significant disproportionality--356 districts were required to provide services. Half of these districts were clustered in five states and 73 were in Louisiana alone. States have used flexibility provided by Education to develop their own definitions of significant disproportionality and GAO's analysis of 16 selected states found wide variation in definitions. Further, GAO found that the way some states defined overrepresentation made it unlikely that any districts would be identified and thus required to provide early intervening services. Nebraska and Louisiana illustrate differing outcomes that can result from different state definitions. In Nebraska, one of 21 states that did not require any districts to provide services in 2010-11, racial and ethnic groups must be identified for special education at a rate three times higher than for other groups for 2 consecutive years. In contrast, racial and ethnic groups in Louisiana districts must be identified for special education at twice the rate of other students in any year. GAO's analysis found if Nebraska had used Louisiana's definition, Nebraska districts may have been required to provide services and, conversely, Louisiana might have identified fewer districts under Nebraska's definition.

Late Bloomer: How Getting an IEP in High School Helped Me Succeed

Excerpt from: National Center for Learning Disabilities (click for full article)

 

The day I finally got an Individualized Education Program (IEP), I was in my junior year of high school. Now, I understand that when people think of a student who has an IEP, they usually think of a young child in elementary school. Unfortunately, for me, that wasn’t the case. For many years, my family and I tried to figure out my diagnosis and get me an IEP, but this process took longer than anyone could have imagined. After many visits to the neuropsychologist, I was finally diagnosed with dyslexia, AD/HD and auditory processing disorder.

It’s an extraordinary feeling when you finally have a documented reason for some of your past academic struggles and when you can tell everyone that they were wrong when they said that you were “just being lazy.” Having the diagnosis also made all of the evaluations, trips to the neuropsychologists, and fights with the school district well worth it. At this point, it didn’t matter to me and my family how long it took to get my accommodations, what mattered was that I could finally use them.

Considering LRE in Placement Decisions

Excerpt from: NICHCY (click for full article)

 

Least restrictive environment, or LRE as it is more commonly called, is one of several vital components in the development of a child’s IEP and plays a critical role, influencing where a child spends his or her time at school, how services are provided, and the relationships the child develops within the school and community. Indeed, LRE is a foundational element in building an appropriate IEP that can improve outcomes for a child—in school and in life.

NYer Of The Week: Ken McGrory Helps Youths With Disabilities Build Skills Through Basketball

Excerpt from: NY 1 (click for full article)

 

Nothing gets in the way of Ken McGrory’s love for basketball.

"I've played basketball my whole life. At 17, I had an accident to my right arm, so I learned to play basketball all over again left-handed," he says. "An injury should not stop you, or a perceived disability should not stop you from trying something that you want to do."

Today, McGrory shares that lesson by coaching young players with special needs.

"There are players that are on all levels of the autism spectrum," McGrory says. "We have players who have physical disabilities, and perhaps, we have a number of players who have brain issues. Typically, they would not be invited to play in a in a typical league because of whatever issues they may have. I think it's inside of me that I encourage every single kid to do their best."

AAHD Announces Scholarship Programs for Students with Disabilities

Excerpt from: What Disability (click for full article)

 

The American Association on Health and Disability (AAHD) has announced their 2013-2014 scholarship program for students with disabilities. It has long been a policy of AAHD to assist those with disabilities in pursuing higher education. Last year four scholarships were awarded from a pool of over 100 qualified applicants.

The mission of AAHD is to contribute to national, state, and local efforts to promote health and wellness in people with disabilities and identify effective intervention strategies that reduce health disparities between people with disabilities and the general

population. AAHD accomplishes its mission through research, education and advocacy at the national, state and community level.

To apply for this scholarship program, applicants must be enrolled in an accredited United States university, part time or full time if in graduate school or full time if in undergraduate school. They must have a documented disability and be able to provide documentation. They must also be a US citizen or legal resident living in the US.

 

Weber on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

Excerpt from: Legal Theory Blog

 

Mark C. Weber (DePaul University College of Law) has posted All Areas of Suspected Disability (Loyola Law Review, New Orleans, Forthcoming) on SSRN.  The abstract is available at the link above.

Adults With Disabilities To Open Café In Lincoln Square

Excerpt from: Huffington Post (click for full article)

 

For more than 20 years, people with intellectual disabilities have been creating delicious meals and treats at Gateway to Learning on Lincoln Avenue. And soon, the rest of Lincoln Square will be able to sample their fares.

In April, GTL—a private day training program for adults with disabilities—plans to open its first member-run café.

Dorothy’s Can-Do Café will have cookies, chocolates and other baked goods. Workers will also be serving Aspire CoffeeWorks, a nonprofit partner of Metropolis Coffee that benefits people with disabilities.

School Says, “No Advanced Classes for Kids with IEPs”

Excerpt from: The Wrightslaw Way (click for full artice)

 

Your child has an IEP because she is a child with a disability that adversely affects her education.

Because of her disability, she needs special education and related services.” 20 U.S.C. § 1401 (3). Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Ed., p. 49.

Children with IEPs receive protection from discrimination under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504).

You say your child qualifies for advanced classes and the school will not enroll her because she has an IEP. That sounds like discrimination.

Public agencies that receive federal funds have to follow Section 504. Almost all public schools receive federal funds.

A school cannot exclude a qualified student with a disability from participating in any school program solely because of a disability. http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html

An Autistic Champion!

Excerpt from: Autism Speaks (click for full article)

 

Malcom Harris-Gowdie is a 23 year old award-winning athlete and sports enthusiast. He lives in Port Saint Lucie, Florida and is dedicated to spreading autism awareness through his own story titled 'An Autistic Champion!'