Is it time to take the training wheels off? We have a technique that teaches any child to ride a bike. For children with low-muscle tone or motor planning issues bike riding can be difficult to impossible. We talked with the experts, practiced the technique and learned to ride a bike. Here are the latest(…)
NEEA continues to work with more and more students with disabilities that are severely bullied despite strong bulling school policies and state laws. Bullies often target students with disabilities making accessing a safe, appropriate education difficult and sometimes impossible. Under IDEA, every child is entitled to an education. On August 20, 2013 the Office of(…)
Here at NEEA we take a holistic approach to supporting families. Because of years of child development and parenting training, I often find myself in a dual role of teaching parenting techniques while also helping parents navigate the special education process. Is the librarian hounding you for an overdue book? Do you often complain that(…)
Often times I am called into IEP meetings when crisis hits. Parents call me frantic explaining that their child lacks an education, services are not being provided, IEPs are out of compliance, and an IEP meeting is scheduled next week. After talking with the parent, often I find that both sides have lost respect for(…)
Meeting norms help establish a respectful, safe environment that everyone can participate. IEP teams often break-down with dysfunctional communication. Below are the meeting norms I uses to help IEP teams function more effectively. Meeting Norms We work hard to start the meeting on time, people come as soon as they can and they will inform(…)
Begin with a Smile Last week I drove along the zig-zag roads that climb and descend the Green Mountains and prepared for my next Build Your Family parenting workshop. I over-prepare to squash my fears that attendees will be bored and the information will not be relevant. During the workshop, the attendees turned hot when(…)
For your next rainy-day project decide to organize your child’s IEP file. A well organized IEP file saves time and worry especially when a crisis occurs. When I am hired by families to advocate for their child’s educational needs, I often ask for a complete educational record. Sometimes parents spend valuable time tracking down evaluations(…)