A guide to special education advocacy : what parents, clinicians, and advocates need to know

Disability law can be complex and intimidating, so how can concerned parents use it to ensure their child with a disability receives the appropriate education they are legally entitled to? A Guide to Special Education Advocacy gives strategies for advocating for better provision of special education in schools. Despite the many services and accommodations that have been made for students with disabilities, such as the use of Braille or providing specialized education in a regular or special classroom, many children with disabilities do not get the services they need and are not placed in appropriate programs or settings. Because of this, the perception of disability often remains unchanged. Matthew Cohen's insightful manual gives a practical vision of how a parent or a professional can become an advocate to achieve a more inclusive and rewarding education for the child with a disability. This book will provide parents, people with disabilities, professionals and clinicians thinking about special education advocacy with an overview of current disability law and how it works, identifying practical ways for building positive and effective relationships with schools.br

Disability law can be complex and intimidating, so how can concerned parents use it to ensure their child with a disability receives the appropriate education they are legally entitled to?

A Guide to Special Education Advocacy gives strategies for advocating for better provision of special education in schools. Despite the many services and accommodations that have been made for students with disabilities, such as the use of Braille or providing specialized education in a regular or special classroom, many children with disabilities do not get the services they need and are not placed in appropriate programs or settings. Because of this, the perception of disability often remains unchanged. Matthew Cohen's insightful manual gives a practical vision of how a parent or a professional can become an advocate to achieve a more inclusive and rewarding education for the child with a disability.

This book will provide parents, people with disabilities, professionals and clinicians thinking about special education advocacy with an overview of current disability law and how it works, identifying practical ways for building positive and effective relationships with schools.

Elizabeth Safford - Library Journal

Cohen, a disability rights expert, attorney, and parent, has written an invaluable guide for parents who must serve as the ultimate case managers for the child and the clinicians and advocates who assist them. Anyone encountering the special education maze should read this book, which describes a complicated and sometimes adversarial process as clearly as is humanly possible. Although Cohen does not provide legal advice, pointing out that special education law is ever-changing, his book is a godsend for those of us encountering FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education), LRE (Least Restrictive Environment), and PLOP (Present Level of Performance) for the first time. Chapters include an overview of legal protections, eligibility, the evaluation process, and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs); define least restrictive environment; discuss private placement and behavior management; segue into transition and graduation; and clarify legal concepts such as procedural safeguards, mediation, and due process. Also invaluable are a list of useful web sites, acronyms used in special education, and sample letters (such as a request for an impartial due process hearing or for an independent evaluation). Highly recommended.

Introduction An overview of legal protections for children with disabilities Eligibility Evaluation/reevaluation and independent evaluations Free appropriate public education and the IEP process Special education and related services Least restrictive environment Private placement Behavior management and discipline Special issues concerning transition and graduation Procedural safeguards, mediation, and due process Section 504 basics and the pros and cons of IDEA vs. Section 504 The psychology and politics of special education : a context How laws work & who has trump Conclusion Appendix 1. Key websites Appendix 2. Commonly used acronyms Appendix 3. Key sample letters. This book gives strategies for advocating for better provision of special education in schools. Cohen's insightful manual gives a practical vision of how a parent or a professional can become an advocate to achieve a more inclusive and rewarding education for the child with a disability.