Pamphlet for Parents
Sandra Henson
You’re Not Alone
Websites, parent groups, and teachers can help parents deal with stress. You may feel lost if your child was diagnosed with a disability. Most parents have emotions that are best dealt with by networking with others that have faced the same problems.
National Center for Learning Disabilities Parent Center – wide-ranging information on being your child’s activist in the school and coping strategies for home.
Parent Tips –the testing process, advice, how to assess and habits to teach a child with a learning disability. (LDOnline.org)
Talking about LD & AD/HD – thoughts on how to chat with children about learning disabilities and success stories of children with learning disabilities. (SchwabLearning.org)
Supporting Family Members – how learning disorders shape families. (SchwabLearning.org)
Communicating with Your Child’s School through Letter Writing – written interaction and documentation in dealing with schools with sample letters. (LDOnline.org)
Special education services for children with learning disabilities
Developing an IEP – How to develop and carry out an IEP including templates and forms. (iep4u.com)
(ed.gov)
Overview of the IEP Process – U.S. Department of Education outlining the steps for the IEP.
Questions Often Asked by Parents About Special Education Services – Eligibility for special education services under the IDEA and process of dealing with a learning disability. (NICHCY.org)
Response to Intervention (RTI): A Primer for Parents – The RTI process and how it affects school based services. (LDOnline.org)
IDEA Parent Guide – Guide to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Resources for navigating the meetings, tests, and negotiations . (National Center for Learning Disabilities)
Understanding the IEP Process and Developing Your Child’s IEP – How schools compile IEPs disabilities and the role parents play in developing them. (LDOnline.org)
LD Evaluation Process – How students are tested for learning disabilities. (SchwabLearning.org)
THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (IDEA) OF 1997 is a federal law that governs all special education services. Minors with disabilities are assured a free and appropriate public education and is delivered by the Individual Education Plan (IEP).
THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2004 aligns IDEA directly with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
SECTION 504 of the REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973 is a civil rights decree that requires that schools not victimize the disabled and provide them with practical accommodations and covers all activities that receive federal financial support. Any person who has an impairment that confines a chief life activity is measured disabled.

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires all non-religious instructive institutions to meet the educational requirements in a non-discriminatory manner. The ADA prohibits the rejection of educational programs to disabled students and prohibits discrimination.
• ZERO TOLERANCE – Public schools are implementing Zero Tolerance policies associated to students exhibiting aggressive behaviors.
• TRANSITION PROGRAMMING FOR PERSONS OVER 18 YEARS OF AGE – Public school may work with an outside agency that offers vocational services. A transition IEP is created that denotes the tasks of the school and the agency.
Q:Must Services in the IEP be Provided by a Special Ed Teacher?
A:The IDEA and federal special ed regs do not require that the services listed in the IEP must be provided by a special ed teacher
Q:Can More Than One Disability Be Listed in an IEP?
A:More than one disability can be documented in your child’s IEP.
Q:Should Your Child's IEP Include Extended Year Services (ESY)?
A:Some children with may require special education and related services longer than the usual school year to receive FAPE. Extended School Year (ESY) services are special education and/or related services provided beyond the usual school year.
Q:Is There a 10 Day Timeline for IEP Meetings?
A: IDEA do not include a timeline for an IEP meeting when parents request a meeting to review or revise their child’s IEP.
Q:How Can I Correct Errors in the Record?
A: School minutes, notes, or other documentation from IEP meetings are part of your child’s record and available to you.
Q:Should we use transcripts of the meetings or use the tapes as evidence in the hearing?
A: Tapes are "Best Evidence" in Litigation.
Q:Does an IEP Make a Child Ineligible for Sports?
A:Prohibiting a student from participating in a sport because he has a disability and an IEP is a violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Q:How do I know when my child no longer needs an IEP?
A:Children with IEPs should be reevaluated every three years and is called a "triennial." Its purpose is to find out if the child continues to be a "child with a disability," as defined by IDEA, and what the child’s educational needs are.
Q: What should I do if my child has an IEP but is not making any progress?
A:It is important to request an IEP meeting quickly . You should ask about the type of assistance your child is receiving and for how long each day. You should also ask her teachers if your child is making progress toward meeting her IEP goals and objectives. You can request documentation, such as your child's work samples and assessments, to support their claim.

Q:What Should Be the Effective Dates on IEPs?
A:“Effective date” means just what it says. If you write an IEP and put the “effective date” as the date of the meeting, then the IEP goes into effect on that date. If you are writing an IEP for the next academic year, the dates on the IEP should indicate that.
Q:Can an IEP Meeting be Postponed?
A:The IEP Team can convene, and agree to re-convene after receiving the new testing results.
There is no limit to the number of IEP meetings that may be needed to create an IEP that meets your child’s needs.
Visual Learners:
* Learn by seeing or reading
* Do best when material is presented and tested visually
* Benefit from written notes, directions, diagrams, charts, maps, and pictures
* Often love to draw, read, write; are good spellers and organizers
Auditory Learners:
* Learn by listening
* Do best in lecture-based learning settings and on oral reports and tests
* Benefit from classroom discussions, spoken directions, study groups
* Often love music, languages, and being on stage
Kinesthetic Learners:
* Learn by doing and moving
* Do best when they can move, touch, explore, and create
* Benefit from hands-on activities, lab classes, props, skits, and field trips
* Often love sports, drama, dance, martial arts, and arts and crafts
Learning tips and tools for visual learners:
* Use books, videos, computers, visual aids, and flashcards.
* Make detailed, color-coded or highlighted notes.
* Make outlines, diagrams, and lists.
* Use drawings and illustrations (preferably in color)
* Take detailed notes in class
Learning tips and tools for auditory learners:
* Read notes or study materials aloud
* Memorize using word associations and verbal repetition.
* Study with other students, talk things through
* Listen to books on tape or other audio recordings
* Use a tape recorder to listen to lectures again later
Learning tips and tools for kinesthetic learners:
* Get hands on: do experiments, take field trips

* Use activity-based study tools, like role-playing or model building
* Study in small groups and take frequent breaks
* Use memory games and flash cards
* Study with music on in the background
• (2010). Retrieved from: http://www.readingrockets.org/helping/questions/advocacy
• Lybarger, W. (2010). A GUIDE TO DISABILITY LAW. Retrieved from: http://www.iser.com/CAadvocacy.html
• Kemp,G. (2009). Parenting Children with Learning Disabilities. Retrieved from:
• http://www.helpguide.org/mental/learning_disabilities_treatment_help_coping.htm