EDUCATION ADVOCACY SKILLS

"ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTION IS OFTEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN HAVING AN ANSWER. A RIGHT QUESTION CAN LEAD TO THE RIGHT ANSWER."

Marie Lewis PhD, BCEA

The world of Special Education leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to transparency and direction.  Some of that is simply a matter of variation as the manifestation of most diagnoses are on a continuum somewhere between mild to severe. In addition there is frequently at least one or two secondary diagnoses...

The following are examples of what educational needs, SDIs, and Goals could look like for a child with autism who needs ABA.

This does not have to be an ABA or VB classroom!

The following is just so you can get a taste of what should be individualized in the IEP.

Let’s first define

1.  Educational needs
2.  SDI’s (SPECIALLY DESIGNED INSTRUCTIONS) and
3.  Goals

•  Educational needs

 Academic, behavioral, functional, or social needs that...

DEFINING MEASURABLE GOAL COMPONENTS

If you have a student with an IEP you have read lots of goals, but do you have any idea about how appropriate a given goal is? Will this goal lead to any functional outcomes or is this just one more exercise in frustration? So how can I tell that the goal is a good goal for my child?

Before anything is considered as a goal, it is important to recognize what specific skill is being addressed. That specific skill is not one of the umbrella terms of reading,...

SMARTER GOALS – M

MEASURABLE AND MEANINGFUL DATA COLLECTION MUST BE ESTABLISHED

Identification of needs requires defined meaningful data collection that determines next steps in evaluations, research based programing, & other areas of need. The IEP is designed in order to allow the child:

• To be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum. [34 CFR §300.320(a)(2)(i)(A)]
• To meet each of the child’s other educational needs that result from the...

By: Jen Fauls-Leaver

New groups of homeschooling families are being welcomed each day. Many families are feeling they are not ready to have their children return to in-person schooling and instead are choosing to homeschool, because of COVID-19. I know that reading and comprehending all parts of the homeschooling State regulations and their specific district policies around...