Looking to the future can feel exciting, hopeful, confusing, overwhelming—or all emotions at once. For families supporting a young person with a disability, it’s never too soon to begin planning to ensure a smooth process from the teen years toward whatever happens next. This toolkit supports families as they organize this multiyear project. For a Read More
Category: Learning In School
Information on the process of getting the knowledge and or skill through study or experience.
How to Decide on a Post-Secondary Program Worksheet
The following information is part of the college readiness workbook. You can download this and other parts of this workbook for your personal use. Each document is fillable. Fill in your answers to the questions. Talk With Each Other Talk Together About Your Concerns With Student Support Services Not all programs provide the same accommodations, Read More
Transition Triangle
The planning process to support a student with disabilities toward their adult life plans requires coordination and organization. This graphic provides a visual overview of the work and who is responsible to help. The center upside down triangle describes key questions for a student as they move through school and toward adulthood: The three colored Read More
Requesting Accommodations in Post-Secondary Education
The following information is part of the college readiness workbook. You can download this and other parts of this workbook for your personal use. Each document is fillable. When a student with disabilities transitions from high school to a post-secondary educational program, their educational rights change. High schools are required to help students be successful Read More
How to Decide on a Post-Secondary Program
The following information is part of the college readiness workbook. You can download this and other parts of this workbook for your personal use. Each document is fillable. Talk with Each other Talk together about your concerns with Student Support Services * High school counselors and teachers are resources for connecting with colleges and training Read More
College Experience Terms
The following information is part of the college readiness workbook. You can download this and other parts of this workbook for your personal use. Each document is fillable. These are some terms for post-secondary education programs that are unique to those supporting students with intellectual disabilities. Click on each term for more information. Transition and Read More
Possible Accommodations for SAT and ACT Entrance Exams
The following information is part of the college readiness workbook. You can download this and other parts of this workbook for your personal use. Each document is fillable. Extended time Reading and seeing accommodations Recording responses Use of four-function calculator Assistive technology Breaks Other accommodations COVID – 19 Updates: Source: Accommodations and English Learner Supports Read More
Children Do Well if They Can: A Behavioral Strategy from Ross Greene
Child Expert Ross Greene wants adults to rethink the way they support children who struggle with their behavior. He offers two reasons children behave in unexpected ways: Greene says about 80 percent of problem behaviors at school are due to academic struggles and the rest are related to social inadequacies. To help children make good Read More
Prior Written Notice (PWN): An Important Document to Read and Understand
A Brief Overview Full Article When family members and school staff meet to discuss a student’s services, certain things have to happen. One requirement is for the school to take notes and share those notes with the family within a reasonable amount of time (usually a few days) after the meeting. Those notes are formatted Read More
Evaluations Part 1: Where to Start When a Student Needs Special Help at School
A Brief Overview Full Article If a student is having a hard time at school and has a known or suspected disability, the school evaluates to see if the student qualifies for special education. A child is protected in their right to be evaluated by the Child Find Mandate, which is part of the federal Read More
Surrogate Parents Support Unaccompanied Students in Special Education
A Brief Overview Full Article If a student eligible for special education services does not have a family caregiver, adoptive parent, or other legal guardian fulfilling the role of parent, then a surrogate parent is assigned to ensure the student’s rights are protected. The surrogate parent fulfills the family caregiver role on a student’s Individualized Read More
Advocacy Tips for Parents
When a child has a disability, parents often learn that getting their child’s needs met requires persistence, organization, and advocacy. Advocacy is an action. A person is an advocate when they organize the work and press onward until a goal is achieved. Laws that protect the rights of students with disabilities also protect parents as Read More
IDEA: The Foundation of Special Education
A Brief Overview Full Article The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law that was passed in 1990 and has been amended. The IDEA provides children with qualifying disabilities, from birth to age 21, with the right to services designed to meet their unique, individual needs. Eligible children ages 3-21 who receive Read More
Bullying at School: Key Points for Families and Students with Disabilities
Transcript of this video is below: When students with disabilities are bullied, schools are legally responsible to end the bullying. By law, schools must act to restore the safety and well-being of students who are harmed by harassment, intimidation, and bullying. Those words—harassment, intimidation, and bullying, make an acronym: HIB. This video is about HIB Read More
Special Education is a Service, Not a Place
A Brief Overview Full Article An ill-informed conversation about special education might go something like this: This conversation includes errors in understanding about what special education is, how it is delivered, and a student’s right to be included with general education peers whenever and wherever possible. This article intends to clear up confusion. An important Read More