1. Identify the Issues
When you are preparing to discuss your child’s education with the school. Think through how to explain your concerns and how you would like them to be addressed. If there is a complex issue, think of steps that can move you in the right direction.
In order to develop an appropriate educational plan for a child, it is critical to have a comprehensive picture of the child’s needs. It is often necessary to obtain evaluations from specialists to determine what your child’s learning strengths and limitations might be. You can discuss your child’s need for evaluations with school personnel (e.g. the child’s teacher and the special education director) and you can also discuss the need for evaluations with your primary care doctor. Depending on the evaluations that you need to obtain, they may be paid for through the schools, insurance, Medicaid, or private pay. If the school pays for an evaluation and you disagree with the results, you can ask the school to provide an independent evaluation.
It is very important to make or maintain records of all communications that you have regarding your child’s educational program. You should keep copies of all letters, records and other documents related to your child. Make sure to document any phone calls, include the time, date, name of the person you are talking to and their title.
Letters are an excellent form of communication because they allow people on both sides of an issue to formally express their thoughts, feelings and positions. To be effective, letters should be clear and understandable. Generally, shorter is better.
The laws regarding special education encourage parents and school staff to sit down and meet together to develop educational programs for children. Educational meetings offer school staff and parents an opportunity to discuss issues, determine causes of problems, identify the goals of all the parties and reach an agreement. You can ask for meetings to be scheduled at a time that you can attend. Before going to an educational meeting, be sure to write down the issues you want to have discussed. When you arrive at the meeting, ask to be introduced to everyone present. If you do not know what someone’s role is at the meeting, ask the person to explain his role to you. Make sure you understand what is being said. If you do not understand something, ask for an explanation. Take the time you need to consider what you have learned. Never sign anything that you do not understand or that you do not agree with.
6. Support
You can take a friend or advocate to an educational meeting with you. Having someone with you at the meeting can help you because you will feel supported in the meeting. In addition, they can take notes while you are listening and participating in the meeting.
Find out what laws, regulations, standards, polices or rules apply to your situation. There are many advocacy groups available to help you learn about your child’s right to appropriate educational services.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the following agencies:
Parents Reaching Out (PRO)
1920 B. Columbia SE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
(505) 247-0192 or 1-800-524-5176
www.parentsreachingout.org
nmproth@aol.com
Parents with Behavorially Different Children (PBDC)
1101 Cardenas Dr., NE, Ste. 202
Albuquerque, NM 87110
(505) 256-0430 or 1-800-273-7232
www.pbdc.org
advocacy@pbdc.org
Protection and Advocacy System
1720 Louisiana Blvd., NE, Ste. 204
Albuquerque, NM 87110
(505) 256-3100 or 1-800-432-4682
www.nmpanda.org
info@nmpanda.org