First week of School!

We had a great first week of school! Caleb is back into the swing of things. He quite amazed his teachers at how much he'd grown intellectually over the summer. He even began some more general ed. by wanting to take part in the Spanish Class and of course gym (which Daddy is now his teacher for). As for the school fight, it truly has helped to know my rights! They can NOT change his IEP or any type of schooling plan if I don't agree. I have made my presence known this whole week; popping in at different times to make sure he has his normal teacher and is in his normal classroom (the resource--special ed--room). I just want to encourage all who read this to google the special ed. laws in your state. Go over them with a fine tooth comb :) Here in Michigan, the schools CANNOT deny services due to funding, nor can they change a child's individualized education plan without the parent's okay. Basically, they can do nothing without the parent's consent. If they try to, contact the state, an advocate, and the schoolboard. Your child has the right to a free and appropriate education (FERPA) in the school district you live in. For my son, since he is doing so well right where he's at, his least restrictive environment (LRE) is the resource room at the general ed. school. They cannot even begin to say it should be the autism classroom all of the time. Best wishes to a happy, fun school year!

Back to the School Fight...ugh...

Unfortunately, we're back in the fight for my son's schooling. Our new Superintendent doesn't want to have the elementary Special Ed. teacher tied to her room due to having Caleb most of the day (3 days a week), and is thus trying to muscle us out of what Caleb's IEP says. After already having a conversation with her, I can see that she has no intention of giving in. Thus...without some divine intervention....we will be doing a lot of fighting! Thankfully, I now know my way around an IEP. I now know that Caleb's current IEP MUST be in place when school starts (by MI law). I also know that services cannot be cut due to funding/lack thereof reasons. In addition, if the IEP states that a child is to be in a special ed. classroom, as opposed to a gen. ed or other setting, then it must be in place. I plan on talking to this superintendent again tomorrow, and if nothing changes I'll be on the phone with board members, possibly an advocate, etc. If all else fails, all 5 of my children will go somewhere else within county. Let's see how that affects their precious budget!

Inclusion and ADVOCACY for a child with autism

As promised...here are the inclusion and advocacy links & info.:


Websites supporting inclusion:

http://www.positivelyautism.com/volume2issue1.html
http://www.pbs.org/parents/inclusivecommunities/index.html
http://www.paulakluth.com/inclusive-schooling.html
http://www.iser.com/CAadvocacy.html

Websites on autism law:

http://www.iser.com/CAadvocacy.html
http://www.aboutautismlaw.com/sample_chapter.html
http://autism.about.com/od/termsanddefinitions/g/nclb.htm

Websites specific to Michigan:

http://www.northernautismnetwork.org/
http://www.wmin.org/events.htm
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Autism-Michigan/

Helpful resources for parents & teachers:

www.childcareland.com
www.positivelyautism.com
http://members.aol.com/Room5/strat.html
www.specialed.us/autism/structure/str10.htm
www.chileda.org/resources/teaching.htm

What is the law? What should you know going into an IEP?

1. Definition and description of Autism & it's symptoms for uneducated teachers/professionals
a) how autism is mantifested in your child
b) Mom hints on working with your child

Here are some ideas to print off:
-http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_whatis
-http://www.autism.com/autism/


2. Key terms to understand & use regarding Autism & Law

LRE: Least Restrictive Environment
- to the maximum extent, children with disabilities should be educated with children who are not disabled; this might mean that supplemental supports be included (which must be spelled out in an IEP)

IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Act
- to insure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living.

FAPE: Free And Appropriate Public Education
-spec. education and related services that are provided in an IEP designed to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability, meet state standards, and are provided at state expense (free to the individual)

NCLB: No Child Left Behind
-improve education by focusing on accountability for results, freedom for states and communities, proven education methods, and choices for parents. Much of this is evaluated through testing. Children with autism may take the tests with accomodations such as extra time, or support from an aide.