IEPs and Your Special Ed Student

Do you have a child in Special Education in your school? Do you spend more time at your child's school than he does?

Spring is the season for annual reviews of IEPs. What's an IEP? An Individualized Education Program is the legal document that dictates how your Special Education child's schooling is to be conducted. The keyword here is Individualized. It is to be tailored to your child's needs, as determined by the IEP Team. A parent is an equal member of the IEP Team and the person who knows your child best.

Schools are required by Federal and State Laws to follow the IEPs. But do they?

When we drop our kids off at school, we expect schools to be safe places. We expect our children to be treated with dignity and respect. We do not expect them to be bullied - by either other children or by teachers or staff. We expect a positive learning environment. Our kids in Special Education may learn differently than other students. They are entitled to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).

Many schools meet their obligations to provide a FAPE in the LRE. Others? Well, that's a topic for another day.

Valuable information for parents of children in Special Education is available, without charge, by reading www.wrightslaw.com and by signing up for the free weekly e-newsletter from that website.

A wealth of information is available from the Illinois State Board of Education at www.isbe.net/spec-ed Scroll down to the tab and click on "Special Education" and then click on "Resources for Parents". The amount of information will seem overwhelming, but it can be managed.

The Family Council of the Family CARE Project is beginning to establish support groups for parents of students with disabilities in McHenry County. The first groups will be in Algonquin and Woodstock. As interest grows, groups will be established in other areas of McHenry County. If you are interested in such a group, call 815.788.4360 or email an expression of your interest to Gus@WoodstockAdvocate.com I'll relay your email to the appropriate contact person; if it is about the Woodstock group, I'll respond directly.

Watch for news of the first meeting of the Woodstock group.