50 Ways to Support Your Child's Special Education: From IEPs to Assorted Therapies, an Empowering Guide to Taking Action, Every Day

by Mauro, Terri

• ISBN13: 9781605501123
• ISBN10: 1605501123
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-07-18
• Publisher: Adams Media Corp

Summary

You want your child to have the best of everything-especially education. But you may not even know where to begin, given the often confusing and ever-changing landscape of special education.

Author Biography

Terri Mauro is the About.com Guide to Parenting Special Needs Children and the author of The Everything Parent's Guide to Sensory Integration. Her humorous website, "Mothers with Attitude," on which she shares many of her special education strategies and struggles, has been named a USA Today Hot Site and a Good Housekeeping Site of the Day. Ms. Mauro serves on her school district's special education parent advisory committee, and has been trained to help other parents through the IEP process. She also has a dozen years of experience shepherding her own two children through the special education system. She lives in Clifton, NJ.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. vii
Give Your Child a Calm Start to the Day	p. 2
Make Sure Your Child Gets Enough Sleep	p. 6
Go Through Your Child's Book Bag Daily	p. 10
Memorize Your Child's Schedule	p. 14
Ask Your Child Three Questions Every Day	p. 18
Eavesdrop on Your Child's Play Time	p. 22
Make Sure the Teacher Has All Your Contact Information	p. 26
Correspond with Your Child's Teacher	p. 30
Meet with Your Child's Teacher	p. 34
Keep a Contact Log	p. 38
Support the Teacher at Home	p. 42
Support the Teacher in Public	p. 46
Address Problems Promptly and Positively	p. 50
Make Sure the Assignments Make It Home	p. 54
Learn to Love Homework	p. 58
Help with Homework, but Don't Do All the Work	p. 62
Make Sure the Homework Gets Delivered	p. 66
Share What Works and What Doesn't	p. 70
Keep a Record of What Your Child Is Working On	p. 74
Volunteer in the Classroom	p. 78
Volunteer in the School	p. 82
Go to Parent Organization Meetings	p. 86
Help Your Child Join a Club	p. 90
Attend School Activities with Your Child	p. 94
Know Your Child's Therapy Schedule	p. 98
Sit In on a Therapy Session	p. 102
Send In a Communication Notebook for Therapists	p. 106
Talk with Your Child about Therapy	p. 110
Know What the Therapy Is Supposed to Accomplish	p. 114
Ask the Therapists about Issues at Home	p. 118
Offer to Provide Needed Therapy or Educational Materials	p. 122
Request Suggestions for Continuing Therapy at Home	p. 126
Know Your Child's Bus Route and Companions	p. 130
Look for Bus-Related School Problems	p. 134
Look for Lunch-Related School Problems	p. 138
Know What Your Child Is Doing at Recess	p. 142
Check In with Your Child's Physical-Education Teacher	p. 146
Learn How to Write a Good Letter	p. 150
Stay Involved with Goings-On in Your School District	p. 154
Learn about Local Advocacy Groups	p. 158
Join an E-Mail Group for Special-Needs Parents	p. 162
Prepare a Packet on Your Child's Special Needs	p. 166
Write a Positive Student Profile on Your Child	p. 170
Read Your Child's IEP	p. 174
Meet with Your Planning Team Outside of IEP Season	p. 178
Be Clear about Your Own Goals for Your Child	p. 182
Make Peace with the Need for Help	p. 186
Make Peace with the Need for Advocacy	p. 190
Set Some Goals for Yourself	p. 194
Enjoy Your Child's School Days	p. 198
Recommended Reading on Disabilities	p. 203
Good Books on IEP Planning and Advocacy	p. 207
Where to Buy Therapy Equipment	p. 209
Index	p. 211
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