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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you have a child with special needs, it can be tough to determine what school is most appropriate for his or her talents, gifts and learning limitations. The ultimate goal of any parent is to ensure that his or her child gets the best education possible, and doesn’t get left behind.
We won a major victory on January 10th in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of A.M. v. NYC Department of Education. Attorney Andrew Feinstein argued the case as a friend of the court on behalf of COPAA.