Educational Advocacy
IEP/504

RESOURCES

 

I feel it is every parent’s duty to become well versed in their child’s diagnosis/diagnoses and the laws that provide protections to your child in school.  I consider this as important as knowing what your child should be eating, how much sleep they should be getting, how much screen time they should have, are they meeting their developmental milestones, etc.  If you do not fully understand your child’s challenges, diagnoses and the laws that protect them, it is highly likely that their needs will not be fully met.  Only parents will advocate with the intensity their children need to reach their true potential.  Knowledge truly is power! Without knowledge about your child’s needs and legal protections, you have very little power to advocate effectively for your child.  Having been there myself, I can attest to the fact that it will seem overwhelming and frustrating at times, but our children deserve to have a voice, and if we as parents do not provide it, our different learners are at high risk for academic underachievement, socio-emotional challenges, and not reaching their amazing potential!  I provide the following information as resources to help in your gathering of knowledge on the road to becoming your child’s very best advocate!

A Parent Guide to Special Education published by the Illinois State Board of Education: https://www.isbe.net/Documents/Parent-Guide-Special-Ed-Aug20.pdf

A Guide to Individual Education Plans by the U.S. Department of Education https://www2.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/iepguide/index.html

IDEA Regulations:  Identification of Specific Learning Disabilities.  https://sites.ed.gov/idea/files/Identification_of_SLD_10-4-06.pdf

 IDEA Parent Guide:  A Comprehensive Guide to Your Rights and Responsibilities Under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004:).  https://www.ncld.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/IDEA-Parent-Guide1.pdf

Chapter 6:  Individualized Education Programs.  https://www.isbe.net/Documents/ch6-iep.pdf

• The IEP Process: Everything You Need to Know from the University of Michigan’s Dyslexia Help:  http://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/parents/living-with-dyslexia/school/iep-process-everything-you-need-to-know

• IDEA Parent Guide from the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD): https://www.ncld.org/archives/reports-and-studies/idea-parent-guide-2

 

SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973: What You Need to Know by Andrew M.I. Lee, JD

https://www.understood.org/en/articles/section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-of-1973-what-you-need-to-know

• Protecting Students with Disabilities: Frequently Asked Questions About Section 504 and the Education of Children with Disabilities from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (OCR):

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html

• Parent and Educator Resource Guide to Section 504 in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/504-resource-guide-201612.pdf

• 504 Accommodations Checklist

https://www.lovejoyschools.com/504_accomodations.htm

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Resources by the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund

https://dredf.org/legal-advocacy/laws/section-504-of-the-rehabilitation-act-of-1973/

• Free Sample 504 Plan for a student with ADHD

https://www.additudemag.com/download/sample-504-plan-for-adhd/

 

Books:

• WrightsLaw Special Education Law, 3rd Edition by Peter W.D. Wright & Pamela Darr Wright

• WrightsLaw: All About IEPs by Peter W.D. Wright & Pamela Darr Wright

• The Special Education Playbook for Parents: The Complete Guide to Navigating the 504/IEP Process to Unlock Your Child’s Unique Learning Profile and Help Them Thrive at School by Rose Lyons

• The Complete IEP Guide: How to Advocate for Special Education Services for your child

• From Emotions To Advocacy and Special Education Law, Second Edition wrightslaw.com

• A Guide To Special Education Advocacy by Matt Cohen

 

Special Education/IEP/504 Eligibility and Good Grades:

• Who Qualifies for Special Education: https://specialeducationaction.com/students-must-meet-these-requirements-to-qualify-for-special-education/

• Is a Child with Passing Grades Eligible for Special Ed Under IDEA?: http://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/is-child-with-passing-grades-eligible-for-special-ed-under-idea/

• Guidance for when school denies an IEP related to good grades: https://www.specialmomadvocate.com/denied-an-iep/

• Excellent guidance for getting an evaluation and IEP for a student with good grades: https://adayinourshoes.com/child-does-not-qualify-for-an-iep/

• 10 Smart Responses for When the School Cuts or Denies Services: https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/your-childs-rights/if-losing-services/10-smart-responses-for-when-the-school-cuts-or-denies-services

• Case law regarding FAPE and IEP eligibility with good grades but socio-emotional challenges: https://prntexas.org/the-e-in-iep-is-more-than-grades/

 

Extended School Year Services:

• “Services Beyond the School Year for Students with IEPs” https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/services-beyond-the-school-year/

• Letter from the Department of Education Office of Special Education (OSEP) regarding Extended School Year Services eligibility:https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/letters/2003-1/given020403iep1q2003.pdf

 

Issues with identification of learning differences in schools:

• https://www.ncld.org/research/state-of-learning-disabilities/identifying-struggling-students/

 

Local Resources to help Parents with Educational Advocacy/Understanding Your Rights:

• https://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center/

 

For High School and College Students with ADHD

• K & W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Differences (15th Edition) by Princeton Review, Marybeth Kravets
• Learning Outside the Lines by Mooney and Cole Written by two Ivy-League students who have dyslexia, very practical and “empowering” strategies for LD students in college.
• Survival Guide for College Students with ADD or LD by Kathleen G. Nadeau

ADD and the College Student : A Guide for High School and College Students With Attention Deficit Disorder by Patricia O. Quinn (Editor) (1994)