Any parent with a mentally disabled child understands the meaning of this three-letter acronym: IEP. An IEP is an Individualized Education Plan. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a child with possible disabilities is eligible to be tested and...
Bullying remains a huge problem in most New York schools. Although bullying in schools is not a new problem, it is taken more seriously than in the past and it can take an incredible toll on your special needs child. As the parent of a special needs child, your child...
As parents, we carefully track our child’s milestones, beginning from the time they are just babies. One of these milestones is babbling, which eventually leads to your child’s first words, and then moves on to speaking in sentences. So, if your child falls behind in...
In New York, parents send their children to school so they can get an education. This education must be appropriate based on their needs and address any potential behavioral concerns or learning disabilities they might have. However, if something happens while the...
As any parent can attest, keeping up with your child’s schoolwork can be challenging at times. Basic communication with teachers and administrators can help alleviate that, but for parents of children with special needs, this can be a more daunting task. While parents...
All too often our schools use suspensions for behavioral problems, especially with repeated issues. Unfortunately, such unthinking reactions do not help find the reason or address the underlying issues for the child. And, to that end, our Discipline Code, called the...
Under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a school district that identifies a child who potentially has a disability and needs special education first must evaluate the child. The point of the evaluation is to determine if, for purposes of federal...
Having a child with special needs often means that parents require additional services to aid their child. No matter the form of disability, resources are available to children with special needs. When it comes to education, specific services are designed to make the...
According to information from Autism Parenting magazine, the rate of children across the country diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, continues to increase. According to government estimates, over 2% of children in the country have a diagnosis of ASD. By...
As many New York families know, the world can be cruel and unfair to people with mental and physical disabilities. Fortunately, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was implemented to prevent this type of discrimination. Under Section 504, employers and organizations...
