Negotiating the Special Education Maze : A Guide for Parents and Teachers

For over 25 years, this classic guide has taken parents, guardians, educational advocates, and special educators step-by-step through the special education process. Now revised and updated, reflecting the latest changes to the special education laws, the book continues to provide thorough, time-tested advice based on the authors' years of experience helping parents advocate for their child. The book covers all the crucial components parents and advocates need to consider from anticipating a child is not succeeding in a program or school to seeking an evaluation; from planning an Individualised Education Program (IEP) or Individualised Family Service Plan (IFSP), to understanding classroom placement options and monitoring progress. Key topics include: Eligibility for services; Understanding the IEP process; How to write effective goals; Tips on participating in IEP meetings; Making sure IEPs are carried out and effective. The new fourth edition provides expanded information on: Transitioning from high school to adult life; Employment; Independent living; Self-advocacy; Continuing education; Required statewide assessments for all students; Problem solving disagreements between families and schools; Due process and other legal recourses. Invaluable forms and charts help parents plan their IEP strategy, keep records and key contacts, log conversations and correspondence with important players, and track progress. This guide is one of the best tools available for understanding how to navigate the special education maze!

Winifred Anderson is a retired early childhood/special educator who has specialized in working with parents and families. She is the co-founder and first Executive Director of the Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC). Stephen R. Chitwood is Professor Emeritus of The George Washington University, the parent of a child with special needs, and for 15 years served as a legal consultant in the field of special education. Deidre Hayden coordinates a special project promoting the inclusion of children and youth with disabilities in after-school programs; she has served as Executive Director of PEATC and Matrix Parent Network and Resource Center in Northern California.Cherie Takemoto has become an expert in special education through her heart, as a parent of a child with disabilities, as the Executive Director of PEATC, and her work on several state and national advisory panels related to special education, rehabilitation, and early intervention.