Your child has special needs, and you've had those established by a medical provider. You want your child to go to school and have fun with the other children, but his or her education is important to you, too.
You know there are some options to help with your child's schoolwork and assessments. Those options are open to people who opt into an individualized education program.
On November 9, 2017, thirty-seven parent advocates, attorneys, and surrogate parents submitted a letter to Commissioner of Education Dianna R. Wentzell to request that she remind Connecticut school administrators of their duty to appropriately educate students identified as having an Emotional Disturbance as defined by IDEA and State law. In many cases, Emotionally Disturbed students require intensive mental health services as part of their individualized education plans (IEPs).
When your child requires special education, it's the school's job to make sure he or she is not harassed by other students. A good educational facility makes sure students are kind to one another and understand differences. They should not tolerate abuse or harassment.
Despite that, many children do go through stages where they struggle with bullies. How can you help your child, especially when he or she has special needs?
The recently approved ESSA Connecticut State Plan appears on the federal Education Department's website in a format that is inaccessible to individuals with disabilities. In a letter signed by twenty-seven Connecticut parent advocates and attorneys, Connecticut Education Commissioner Dianna R. Wentzell has been asked to remedy this situation by making the PDF accessible in compliance with Sections 508 and 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
It's truly inspiring how far we have come to assist special needs children with their educations. The numerous advances have opened up the doors of universities across the United States to a wide variety of students with special needs.
If you're a Connecticut parent with a special needs child, and you're preparing your child for university, the following tips can help.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that applies to students between 3 and 22 years old that attend a public educational institution. In order to qualify for IDEA, your child must have a medically identified disability that negatively affects his or her learning.
For example, if you have a son that suffers from autism, emotional disturbance, blindness, deafness or any other covered disability, then he may qualify for special education services under IDEA. Furthermore, every school district in the country has a legal duty to help children with disabilities that affect their education.
Some students need assistance to learn the way others do. Perhaps they are blind or struggle to hear. It's the school's job to make sure these individuals can participate in the classes they're in and have access to the same information and opportunities as other students.
These students are often eligible for individualized education plans, or IEPs. These plans are focused on the specific needs of the student and helps address them for the benefit of the student and his or her educational future.
If your child has special needs, you know that you need to do everything you can to protect him or her and to make sure he or she gets a good education. Special education is provided to children in Connecticut who need that assistance.
Special education laws in Connecticut are designed to protect students who have disabilities. The laws are there to make sure your child gets the help he or she needs to make meaningful progress while working through his or her education program.
When you have a special needs child, you depend on the help of many people outside your family. Educators, doctors and even therapists can help your child overcome disabilities and social issues. Education from a school and the social benefits of being around age peers are critical for the development of special needs children.
That's why the creation of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is so important to special needs children in public schools. These plans create concrete goals, based on a child's current abilities, and require regular updates regarding issues and progress.
The following post is part of a series of reflections and interview responses given by successful young adults with varying disabilities who have direct experience with the Connecticut Special Education system. Our interviewer and writer is Katie Feinstein, daughter of Attorney Feinstein, who is also a successful young adult living with disabilities. Katie chronicles individuals respective journeys within the system and beyond, into their adult lives. The Feinstein Education Law Group represented some of these young adults when they were students. Katie asks individuals to discuss their struggles, triumphs and perspectives as they consider their pasts and move forward into futures of hope and evolving independence.
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