Does Your Child Require Special Education? Some Tips To Ensure They Get A Good Education
If your child requires special education, they should have the same educational benefits of every child in the school. Things can be more difficult but there are things you can do to ensure school goes smoothly for them and they get a good education. This will allow your child to be happier in school, which will help motivate them to do well. Below is some more information about this so you can help your child.
Make Sure There is an Individualized Education Plan
Your child has to have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). This plan is developed by parents, school administrators, and teachers. An IEP a legal document that lists your child's special learning needs, as well as the services their school will provide to them, and how your child's progress will be monitored and measured. By law the IEP must include other information, such as your child's current level of progress, how the school measures your child's progress, and special education services the school will provide. Once your child becomes a teenager and enters high school, the IEP will include transition planning to help prepare them for life once they get out of high school.
Keep All Paperwork
You should keep all copies of any paperwork that pertains to your child's education. This includes their progress reports, report cards, samples of homework, multidisciplinary evaluations, and the IEP. All this paperwork can be beneficial for you as it will show you the progress your child is making in school. You could also create an IEP binder to make organizing these things much easier for you. An IEP binder will ensure all your child's paperwork stays organized and easily accessible to you.
Understand Your Child's Rights
You need to make sure you understand your child's rights to ensure they get a good education. Learning about the Individuals with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) can be very helpful for you.
Your child has the rights to have special modifications made. For example, if there is a school field trip and your child is in a wheelchair, the bus must have wheelchair access. The school must accommodate your child, if needed. For example, your child may need to have extra time when taking their tests.
If you have questions or do not think the IEP at your child's school contains everything, you should contact a special education lawyer in your area to help you.