If your child is not progressing in school, don't wait until they start failing in their academic skills. Sometimes, schools wait until a child fails before offering help, known as the "Wait to fail approach." It's best to address any issues early on, as it can be much harder to get children caught up, especially if they have learning disabilities. While the tips below may seem obvious, they can make a difference in obtaining an appropriate education for your child.
Contact your Child's Teacher
First, make an appointment immediately with your child's teacher to discuss your concerns about how your child's academic progress is doing in school. Please don't wait until they notify you, be proactive about your child's education. It is natural to assume that teachers know what's best for your child but not all educators do not have the proper training or knowledge on how to help your child. When meeting with your child's teacher have your questions written beforehand.
Request Evaluations or Assessments
Every school district has the legal right to identify, locate, and evaluate children who may need special education. Once the child is identified and located, the school district determines eligibility for special education through an evaluation and IEP process before providing specific programs or services. The school district must conduct an initial evaluation to determine whether your child is eligible for special education within 60 days of receiving your consent. What's the difference between an evaluation and an assessment? The IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), a federal law, establishes a formal process for evaluating children with disabilities and providing specialized programs and services to help them succeed in school. Evaluations are tests and other methods used to determine eligibility and design your child's educational program. Assessments are tests to measure the performance of all school children.
Understand the Federal Laws
Parents play a critical role in determining their child's educational program. Your ability to understand and master the IEP (Individualized Education Program) will shape your child's educational experience. The IEP is the centerpiece of IDEA. You will have the upper hand when advocating for your child's education. School districts will sometimes be vague or will not tell you all the services your child is entitled to according to the IDEA. The fewer services they can provide the more they can save on the required staff needed to work with your child in school. Unfortunately, school districts are strapped with available teachers and qualified professionals who assist your child.
Developmental Milestones and Early Intervention
Being proactive and not waiting until they fall behind in school. Learning the developmental milestones of a child is especially important for parents when something doesn't seem right with their child. The CDC has a free Milestone Tracker app that you can download. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones-app.html Early intervention is key to helping your child succeed in school and waiting too long can be detrimental to your child's school education. Children who have learning disabilities can take years to remediate their academic skills. According to the Literacy Project, a child is 90% likely to remain a poor reader at the end of fourth grade if a child is a poor reader at the end of first grade. Their website has some very startling statistics on child literacy. https://literacyproj.org/2019/02/14/30-key-child-literacy-stats-parents-need-to-be-aware-of/#:~:text=61%%20of%20low-income%20families%20have%20no%20books%20at%20all%20in
Resources
There are many resources available for parents to advocate for their children. One book I highly recommend for parents is "The Complete IEP Guide" by attorney Lawrence M. Siegel. He has the most recent 11th edition published in July 2023.
Another great resource is CASE (California Alliance for Special Education) a special education advocacy service and disability nonprofit that supports families and students. The nonprofit is in San Francisco, California. CASE Website: https://www.caseadvocacy.org/#:~:text=CASE,%20the%20Community%20Alliance%20for%20Special%20Education,%20is%20an%20education
If you are interested in learning more about the services I provide for your child, please feel free to contact me. I give a free 30-minute consultation over the phone or on Zoom.
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