Jan Mounsey Advocacy

Massachusetts IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) TEAMS are required to consider specific educational factors common to students on the Autism Spectrum when writing their educational plan.

Autism Best Practice in IEP Plans - Jan Mounsey Advocacy Autism Best Practice for Massachusetts IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) TEAMS in consideration of factors common to students on the Autism spectrum.

This is how I feel with ice cream!

This says it all.

Mom’s Emotional Video About IEP Frustration Goes Viral Comedian Dena Blizzard of One Funny Mother poured her emotions out over a difficult IEP meeting in a viral Facebook Live video.

The METropolitan COuncil (METCO) for Educational Opportunity was established in 1966 as part of the school desegregation movement. Special Education students are supported in this initiative and parents must be vigilant in demanding these rights.

METCO - Desegregation and Special Education Support - Jan Mounsey Advocacy Special education students are supported in the METropolitan COuncil (METCO) for Educational Opportunity school desegregation efforts established in 1966.

March 22, 2017 is the date in which the Supreme Court established challenging educational objectives for all students in the United States.

Supreme Court Sets Challenging Educational Objectives - Jan Mounsey Advocacy March 22, 2017 is the date in which the Supreme Court established challenging educational objectives for all students in the United States.

The transition to an IEP (Individualized Education Program) in a child's early years from an EI (Early Intervention) program with optionally an IFSP (Individual Family Service Plan) is a TEAM effort guided by Massachusetts Dept. of Education regulations.

Transition to IEP in Child's Early Years - Jan Mounsey Advocacy A child may transition to IEP (Individual Education Plan) from an EI (Early Intervention) program at age 3 based upon factors defined in IDEA regul...

Transition from Early Intervention to an IEP. http://ow.ly/H4bQ30gYhfM

ADA supports parents with disabilities

Parents with Disabilities in the Special Ed Process - Jan Mounsey Advocacy For students within the special education process, we must take into consideration parents with disabilities. ADA rights increase communication.

Parents with a Disability in the Special Ed Process Retrieved from http://www.ada.gov/effective-comm.htm
When dealing with students within the special education process, one might also have to take into consideration a parent with a disability need. This is especially true when the parent has a communication disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for Title II. According to ADA requirements published by the U.S. Department of Justice, this type of disability is defined as using different methods of typical communication; be it receiving information audibly, sign language, Braille, interpreter, or complexity of language.
Parents enter into the special education process via the companion definition of ADA. Entities, in which school districts are included, are required to provide effective communication for “an appropriate person” ("Eff. Comm.," 2014, p. 3). Parents, family, or their associate seeking information from the entity fall into this category. This is further clarified by the Department of Justice stating “school staff usually talk to a parent about a child’s progress” ("Eff. Comm.," 2014, p. 3).
Effective communication is only helpful if the person in question utilizes that mode typically. For example, a blind person might require an electronic screen-reading program with letter quality documents. Large print documents will not provide appropriate access to school information. Access to qualified readers, electronic readers, or large print documents should be chosen with the disabled person’s request as the primary consideration. People who are deaf might require a qualified note-taker, sign-language, or oral interpreter. With all options, the support provided by the district must possess the ability to communicate specialized vocabulary as well as being able to present information accurately and impartially.
Schools cannot require the disable person to provide their own accessibility. According to ADA requirements, effective communication is the school’s responsibility when given notice of need in a reasonable amount of time to react. Immediate needs should be honored to the best of the district’s ability.

ADA Requirements: Effective Communication The ADA Home Page provides access to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations for businesses and State and local governments, technical assistance materials, ADA Standards for Accessible Design, links to Federal agencies with ADA responsibilities and information, updates on new ADA requirem...

Back-to-school checklist for parents of special education students http://janmounsey-advocacy.com/special-education-parent-checklist-for-the-beginning-of-school/

Special Education Parent Checklist for the Beginning of School - Jan Mounsey Advocacy July is not too early for parents to follow a special education parent checklist as sourced by ABC News, Austin Schools, and Wrightslaw website.

Dr. Mounsey is a certified special education teacher as well as a reading specialist who has been trained in Orton Gillingham, Wilson, Seeing Stars, and Project Read. Tutoring can be completed on-line or one on one.