Be your child's best advocate! Children with special needs who succeed in school have one thing in common--their parents are passionate and effective advocates. It's not an easy job, but with The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education, you will learn how to evaluate, prepare, organize, and get quality services, no matter what your child's disability. This valuable handbook gives you the tools you need to navigate the complex world of special education and services, with information on: Assessment and evaluation Educational needs for different disabilities, including multiple disabilities Current law, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Working within the school system to create an IEP The importance of keeping detailed records Dealing with parent-school conflict With worksheets, forms, and sample documents and letters, you can be assured that you'll have all you need to help your child thrive--in school and in life!

This essential guide profiles 33 schools in New York City for children with special needs, plus listings of medical professionals, camps, after-school programs, evaluation centers, and individuals in the field that were recommended by families of children with special needs. Includes information on referrals and evaluations, eligibility criteria, parents' rights, and more.

Over six million American families are involved in special education, and the numbers are growing. The complex web of laws, regulations, personalities and stresses, combined with anxiety over raising a child with a disability, have made special education advocacy an impenetrable maze to many parents. This book presents the complexities of the process in a simple-to-understand way and offers practical tips, checklists and strategies on how to make the system work to insure the educational success of all children.

A comprehensive manual and reference guide for choosing the best elementary school for your child to attend.

As a parent and advocate, you are the only constant team member. Other IEP team members- teachers, therapists, and administrators-revolve and eventually fade. You need to make your unique viewpoint as meaningful as possible. However, the laws governing special education are complex; full of confusing terms, rigid timelines, and complicated decisions. This guide translates the legalese and organizes the material, making it user friendly. As you learn more about these laws, you will gain a sense of equality and confidence that will make you a more effective and proactive advocate for your child.Wherever you are on the special education journey, this guide will help you learn: -The school district's responsibilities, -Your child's rights, -Your rights as the parent of a special education student, -Techniques to help you come to each IEP meeting informed and prepared, and-How to be a proactive (rather than reactive) advocate.Using charts, graphs, examples, and other resources, this guide lays out the referral, eligibility, IEP, student discipline, ITP, and dispute resolution processes with an emphasis on maximizing the parents' role as an advocate for the best outcomes for their child. Citations to relevant law are included throughout the manual.

Provides parents of children with spina bifida information on prenatal diagnosis, health concerns, treatments, therapies, and causes.

This handbook for parents, family members and caregivers of children with visual impairments explains special education services that these children are likely to need and to which they are entitled--and how to ensure that they receive them. Edited and written by experienced parents and professionals, this helpful and easy to use resource addresses the effect of visual impairment on a child's ability to learn and the services and educational programming that are essential for them to get the best education possible. Chapters address early intervention, assessment, different types of services, IEPs, accommodations and adaptations, different types of placements, children with other disabilities in addition to visual impairment, and negotiation and advocacy.

Help your child succeed in the classroom--and in life! As a parent of a child with dyslexia you may wonder what you should expect as your child goes through life. How can you help your child deal with school and succeed? It's true, there are challenges for children with dyslexia, but when identified early, they can be overcome successfully. Abigail Marshall, manager of dyslexia.com, shows you how to: Identify the early symptoms of dyslexia. Work with teachers to create an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Reduce homework struggles. Find the best treatment program. Help your child develop skills with the use of assistive technology. Plan for college and career. The Everything Parent's Guide to Children with Dyslexia, 2nd Edition is your first step in facing the challenges of dyslexia with a positive attitude.

Dealing with defiant children can be frustrating, time-consuming, and emotionally exhausting for parents and kids alike. But with this practical, reassuring handbook, you no longer have to feel helpless. You'll learn how to defuse the negativity, hostility, antagonism, and explosive anger that can ruin your child's relationships with family, friends, teachers, and other authority figures. This book helps you to: Choose which battles to fight Follow thorough Be consistent Communicate clear expectations and consequences (without yelling) Give your child some power over his life Reinforce positive changes Most important, you'll learn why defiance happens and how to react when it does. You will adopt the parenting and anger-management skills you need to make a real difference in your child's life. You'll help your child control his emotions--and grow up to be healthy, well-rounded adult.

A roadmap to a common--but complicated--disorder. Is there a cure for ADHD? What symptoms should you be looking for? Could your child be misdiagnosed? When your child is diagnosed with ADHD, you want to do all you can to get the help you need to support your child. Unfortunately, the vast amount of information on ADHD can be overwhelming and leave you feeling frustrated, stressed, and powerless to help. But with the professional, accessible advice presented here, you can get the one-stop support you need to: Obtain and understand a diagnosis Find the right treatment Discipline your child effectively Get your child to focus at home and school Stay positive, and encourage your child This guide provides an all-encompassing look at ADHD so that you can feel confident about taking the necessary steps to create a better future for your child.