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Stop Making Special Education Harder Than it Really Is

Really, It's Not Rocket Science, You Can Do It!
Most parents either don't attempt to get fully involved in the special education process or are too involved in the technical side of the process. The bottom line is that your child's education is to prepare them for further education, employment and independent living as deemed by the federal law IDEA.If your child's program is not preparing them, then it's time to start working with the school team for change.
Why are you so overwhelmed with the special education process? Your child has a golden ticket call the IEP to give them an individual curriculum to meet their needs for the future. Children in the general curriculum do not have that option.
Here are some tips on making the system work for you:
  • Network with other parents in your district to see what resources are available.
  • Services that are appropriate for your child must relate to preparation for further education, employment, and independent living.
  • Work from the bottom to the top. Meet with the teacher on tweaking program needs before you call in a supervisor.
  • Write everything down! If you are prepared for negotiations, you probably won't have to negotiate.
Overall, your parent instincts should guide your decisions about your child's education. If you don't feel that you child is being serviced appropriately, they probably aren't. Follow the simple tips above to make special education work for your family. Becoming a leader on your child's IEP team will truly bring the entire family success.
Catherine Whitcher, M.Ed, Founder and President of Precision Education, a special education consulting firm is a certified teacher and consults throughout the United States with school districts and parents on maximizing special education. She has been featured on AutismOne radio, published in The Autism Perspective and is a highly sought speaker for special education conferences. Ms. Whitcher is a proud member of NASET, a Distinguished Mom's Choice Award Judge, and has collaborated with various non-profit corporations to provide research proven trainings to special education teams.
Ms. Whitcher is the designer of Back to the Future planning, which provides opportunities for teams to prioritize and reach goals otherwise thought impossible for students with special needs. Through these common sense, common practice methods, a student-centered, school-focused, parent-friendly plan is created. The Precision Education team invites you to call and find out how our exceptional learning solutions can help your exceptional learner.

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