Educational Advocacy Solutions

12/04/2022

Researchers have identified 42 genes responsible for dyslexia, a language-based learning disorder, and confirmed its genetic link to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in what is considered the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) of dyslexia to date.

In the largest genetic study of dyslexia to date, researchers uncovered genetic variations linked to the learning disorder and confirmed the genetic correlation between dyslexia and both ADHD and ambidexterity.

11/25/2022

So many can relate.

10/15/2022

When you get the IEP which page do you turn to read first? If it's not the prior written notice (PWN), you are missing the most important piece. The PWN is the page that starts with the title "Narrative Description of School District's Proposal". The third question in this section reads:

"What rejected options were considered and why was each option rejected?"

The #1 problem identified during advocacy consultations is that parents have proposed IEP changes in team meetings (often for years!), but none of them are reflected in the PWN. Therefore, the evidence record reflects that the parents never asked for something they did not receive. This reduces the strength of the parent's ability to demonstrate a denial of FAPE either from insufficient/inappropriate programming or by being denied meaningful participation in the IEP process.

If you are going to make a proposal, to the extent practical, send it to the district in writing ahead of the meeting. Also, make sure you state the proposal explicitly in the meeting and then follow up in writing BEFORE the IEP is sent to you to create an evidence trail you have made the proposal. And last but not least, respond to an incorrect PWN by requesting it be corrected.

09/17/2022

For some sobering information, there's a tool that now calculates the cost of reading failure based on 3rd grade data. If you plug in 2021 for my Town, you'll see that 23% of our students are below grade level (before anyone blames the pandemic, Boxford's literacy rates actually improved over the previous 4 years; in 2019, 43% of students were below grade level).

Thoughts:

* This is likely a conservative estimate, as it doesn't take into account the Matthew Effect https://medium.com/illumination-curated/the-matthew-effect-and-why-reading-is-crucial-for-children-b2454b22651b

* Our Town leaders (Finance Committee) should understand the financial impact of poor literacy. Continued level-funded budgeting in light of our educational needs, which includes recruiting and retaining staff, might not actually be fiscally prudent and it sure isn't fulfilling our legal obligation to educate our children.

* Our State Reps need to understand this too. We need to fully fund IDEA, we need to stop wasting MA money on poor curriculum, we need State oversight for educational compliance, we need an ethics bill for teachers (MA being one of only a handful of States that doesn't have one).

* Locally, there is some great movement toward aligning with structured literacy, but we need to get it all the way there. There will be a presentation on the science of reading at the Parent University on Sept. 24...if you know nothing about this topic, you should go. We must all be invested in the quality of our curriculum and intervention if we want all of our kids to read proficiently.

https://education-consumers.org/research-areas/consumer-tools/ecf-cost-calculator/

Credit for this post goes to Decoding Dyslexia

08/22/2022

By Miranda Milana, Psy.D. Pediatric Neuropsychologist If your child has ever undergone an evaluation through their school system or received an outside neuropsychological evaluation, chances are you have heard the terms “504 plan” or “IEP” thrown around. Given that it can be difficult to und...

08/04/2022

Students with dyslexia require evidence-based instruction in order to learn how to read. Accommodations, although beneficial, should not take the place of teaching them how to read and write.

07/28/2022

MASSACHUSETTS STATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WILL NOW INCLUDE INDVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AND AUTISM

After almost a decade of advocacy, Governor Baker signed the higher education bill which provides inclusive educational opportunities for individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism at state colleges and universities. Young adults with disabilities can now be lifelong learners with their peers!

• This law includes provisions that remove barriers precluding persons with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) and Autism from participating in state colleges and universities. Individuals with ID and autism who cannot pass MCAS and who do not obtain a regular high school diploma can participate as non-matriculating students in courses with their nondisabled peers and participate in extracurricular activities and other aspects of campus life, with supports and services necessary to facilitate inclusion.

• The law also ensures state colleges and universities establish guidelines governing selection of individuals with ID and Autism as well as course selection. Supports and services to facilitate inclusion can be provided by the local school district, the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, Department of Developmental Services, or private funding. The law also codifies the MAICEI grant program and allows the special education IEP Team to consider higher education as an option for students with disabilities.

07/19/2022

Not all data is valuable. IEPs should be driven by quantitative data, not opinion or observation.

When a family agrees to an IEP where teacher or staff opinion or observation (which can also be opinion) is the form of measurement, they consent to that being the “data” upon which progress (or lack thereof) is measured. Yet opinion is not replicable and often flawed.

Consider the IEP where the reading goal/objectives are based upon observation. The teacher sees the child pick up a book, hold the book, flip the pages, and then the teacher writes they observed that the child is reading more frequently and for longer periods of time - they are making progress. Is that true?

Without quantitative data that teacher has no idea if the child was decoding accurately and comprehending the passages. They can accurately report on the observed behavior (holding a book for X amount of time) but not on whether the skills of reading are being built or improved upon. It is quite possible that the child was simply faking reading or looking at the pictures to remain socially acceptable in the situation.

Even a demonstrable behavior (e.g. student will independently exit the bus and immediately after enter the school) should necessitate the collection of quantitative data ( # of time exited bus, # of times independent vs. assisted & what type of assistance from whom, amount of time between exiting bus and entering school, types of prompts or supports required, etc.) and clear definitions. It is a very rare a case where observation without quantitative data is useful or appropriate.

Thankfully, in MA a parent can partially reject the IEP which means you can reject the use of observation and opinion from your IEP. You can also reject for the omission of quantitative measurements.

Know your rights, use them. It’s never too late to partially or fully reject your IEP. Even if you accepted it yesterday, you can reject it today.

Credit for this post goes to The IEP Advocate.

07/13/2022

Little Known IEP Strategies That Could Change The Outcome of Your IEP Meeting...For The Better

#1: When you put your request for an IEP meeting in writing, request exactly how much time you think you'll need for the meeting. If you need an hour, request an hour. If you need an hour and a half, request it.

#2: Make sure you get a written meeting notice before the meeting and read it. If anyone shows up to your IEP meeting and their name was not written on the meeting notice, you have the right to ask them to leave, and they have to leave the meeting before it begins.

#3: Anyone who is attending the IEP meeting is required to stay for the entire IEP meeting unless the parent is ready to excuse them. If you are not ready to excuse them from the meeting, they are obligated to stay in the meeting.

#4: You have a right to have a copy of the completed IEP, meeting notes and any other documents that were completed in the meeting before you leave the meeting.

#5: Any time you ask the team for a specific service for your child, any kind of help, anything at all, and the team denies your request, you have the right to receive from them a Written Notice of Refusal. This is the district's written explanation of why they denied your request.

#6: The school must work with you to schedule your IEP meeting. They must give you reasonable notice of your upcoming meeting, and give you time to prepare for the meeting, make arrangements at work, childcare, etc. They cannot force you to meet at a specific date and time. Hint: Two or three days is not reasonable notice. A week to 10 days is generally considered reasonable notice.

05/17/2022

Dyslexia for a Day: A Simulation of Dyslexia is a kit that can be used by individuals or groups of experienced teachers, teacher training candidates, practitioners, immediate and extended family members, or anyone interested in learning more about dyslexia and what those with dyslexia often experience with reading, writing and processing. The kit walks participants through five different simulations: two reading, two writing and one processing simulation. It is designed to help individuals gain a better understanding of and empathy for those children and adults who struggle with dyslexia.

This is one of five simulations on Dyslexia for a Day. The DVD is also accompanied by a handbook that can be used for professional development or individual ...

04/26/2022

Here is a great article about what neuroatypical teens and their families need to consider when looking to transition to college after high school.

National Enrollment Specialist for The College Internship Program outlines key lessons for neuroatypical leaners transitioning from high school to college.

03/28/2022

How to Obtain Compensatory Education When IEP services are Not Delivered by Robert K. Crabtree, Esq.