Disability law can be complex and intimidating, so how can concerned parents use it to ensure their child with a disability receives the appropriate education they are legally entitled to? A Guide to Special Education Advocacy gives strategies for advocating for better provision of special education in schools. Despite the many services and accommodations that have been made for students with disabilities, such as the use of Braille or providing specialized education in a regular or special classroom, many children with disabilities do not get the services they need and are not placed in appropriate programs or settings. Because of this, the perception of disability often remains unchanged. Matthew Cohen's insightful manual gives a practical vision of how a parent or a professional can become an advocate to achieve a more inclusive and rewarding education for the child with a disability.This book will provide parents, people with disabilities, professionals and clinicians thinking about special education advocacy with an overview of current disability law and how it works, identifying practical ways for building positive and effective relationships with schools.
Author(s): Matthew Cohen
Edition: 1
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 304
Contents......Page 11
Preface......Page 13
Acknowledgments......Page 16
Introduction......Page 17
An Overview of Legal Protections for Children
with Disabilities......Page 33
Eligibility......Page 43
The Evaluation and
Reevaluation Process......Page 83
Free Appropriate Public Education
and the IEP Process......Page 105
Special Education
and Related Services......Page 139
Least Restrictive
Environment......Page 149
Private Placement......Page 167
Behavior Management
and Discipline......Page 181
Special Issues Concerning
Transition and Graduation......Page 197
Procedural Safeguards,
Mediation, and Due Process......Page 211
A Comparison of the
IDEA and Section 504......Page 237
The Psychology and Politics of
Special Education: A Context......Page 245
How Laws Work:
Who Has Trump?......Page 261
Conclusion......Page 269
Notes......Page 271
Important Web Sites......Page 287
Acronyms Commonly Used
in Special Education......Page 291
Sample Letters......Page 295
Index......Page 303