Sandra Riggs is the Director of Riggs Educational Advocates for Children, LLC (REACH, LLC)
Sandra is a professional with formal training and experience in assessing individualized needs and developing appropriate plans for academics and behavior since 1993. Sandra’s educational advice and recommendations are based on professional training and experience as a certified teacher in the State of Georgia for 7 years, advanced level certification in classroom behavior, Bachelor of Science in
07/20/2022
New guidance
Today, ED released new guidance to help public elementary & secondary schools fulfill their responsibilities to meet the needs of students with disabilities & avoid the discriminatory use of student discipline. https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/new-guidance-helps-schools-support-students-disabilities-and-avoid-discriminatory-use-discipline
08/04/2020
Advocate Advice
07/21/2020
Free Social Stories related to Covid
https://www.facebook.com/1485249105097046/posts/2661599794128632/
Free COVID-19 stories to help children with autism. Check them out. Good for young and older!
https://www.autismlittlelearners.com/search/label/COVID-19
07/16/2020
Tips for navigating your child's IEP supports and services when your school district goes fully remote, from Lipson Advocacy: Educational, Legal and Strategy Specialist, Sandra Riggs, Advocate and Educational Consultant and Law Ofc of Allison B. Vrolijk, Esq, Special Education Attorney
Cobb County School District is committed to providing FAPE in the virtual model! This is huge!! I have been on calls yesterday and today with Assistant Directors of Special Education for the district and have been impressed with how forthcoming they are. There are still unanswered questions - because they simply don't have answers yet. The following was confirmed for me:
1. Therapy times will stay the same in number of minutes and will be delivered in a synchronous session - no more packets for parents to do. This was a big concern of mine and I am thrilled with the commitment to not reduce service times.
2. The district has great sample day schedules on their website broken up by grade level. For cotaught services, students will have both teachers during the synchronous time for each subject and then a set amount of time weekly to work direct with the SPED teacher. Small group students will receive more time weekly for 1:1 with the teacher. This time will be determined in the meeting to create a digital learning plan. I liked what I heard as examples!
3. If student receives 5 days a week reading (as example) instruction in small group focused on access to grade level curriculum and making progress for objectives, this will continue daily -- not just a few times a week or via video lessons
4. If child has dedicated para support, it will continue all day in a virtual model
07/14/2020
Based on the wisdom of Sandra Riggs, Advocate and Educational Consultant, Law Ofc of Allison B. Vrolijk, Esq, Special Education Attorney and Lipson Advocacy:
07/12/2020
Parents of students with disabilities are seeking guidance and advice about the coming school year in Georgia. Lipson Advocacy, Sandra Riggs, Advocate and Educational Consultant and the Law Ofc of Allison B. Vrolijk, Esq, Special Education Attorney want to offer families some language to communicate with public schools during the summer of 2020:
In response to school’s directive that parents make a choice between in-person and virtual instruction:
I am in receipt of the school district’s request that students make a choice for fall instruction between in person instruction and virtual instruction. My child has an IEP and the LEA has not provided enough information for me to make this decision. I would like to have an IEP meeting prior to the decision-making deadline to discuss the instructional options for my student.
Once in the IEP meeting, oppose any efforts to reduce IEP services and supports to your student, as well as any efforts to create a “distance learning plan” outside of the IEP. Make all attempts to preserve service time (particularly for OT/PT/Speech) and (if necessary due to the nature of the service) convert services into those which can be implemented virtually.
If the IEP offered is less services than what was provided by your IEP in early March 2020, read this statement at the end of the IEP meeting:
I do not believe the IEP offered today confers a FAPE upon my student. I do not waive any of my rights under IDEA, including but not limited to my child’s right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), my right to challenge the sufficiency of the provision of a FAPE, or my right to pursue compensatory services by accepting the services offered at this time.
Parents of students with disabilities are seeking guidance and advice about the coming school year in Georgia. Lipson Advocacy, Sandra Riggs, Advocate and Educational Consultant and the Law Ofc of Allison B. Vrolijk, Esq, Special Education Attorney want to offer families some language to communicate with public schools during the summer of 2020:
In response to school’s directive and deadline that parents make a choice between in-person and virtual instruction:
I am in receipt of the school district’s request that students make a choice for fall instruction between in person instruction and virtual instruction. My child has an IEP and the LEA has not provided enough information for me to make this decision. I would like to have an IEP meeting prior to the decision-making deadline to discuss the instructional options for my student.
Once in the IEP meeting, oppose any efforts to reduce IEP services and supports to your student, as well as any efforts to create a “distance learning plan” OUTSIDE of the IEP. Make all attempts to preserve service time (instructions/OT/PT/Speech) and (if necessary due to the nature of the service) convert services into those which can be implemented virtually.
If the IEP offered REDUCES services from the March 2020 IEP, read or send this statement:
I do not believe the IEP offered confers a FAPE upon my student. I do not waive any of my rights under IDEA or ADA, including but not limited to my child’s right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), my right to challenge the sufficiency of the provision of a FAPE, or my right to pursue compensatory services by accepting the services offered at this time.
Important to consider- selecting a digital option can greatly reduce what your child receives through IEP. Select in person for now and negotiate in an IEP meeting.
https://www.facebook.com/224751380915434/posts/3182381585152384/
As I have been saying since Spring ..... choose the in person option until you have an IEP meeting.
https://www.facebook.com/135891953953/posts/10158257894018954/
Recommendation for Maintaining Skills During School Closure - All 3 books can be ordered from Schoolbox online for under $50. All children tend to experience some regression during the summer that is typically recouped within the first 2-3 weeks of school. Regression during this extended school closure is expected to be high. Children with specialized learning needs are at greater risk for experiencing more significant regression and it can take much longer to recoup the skills. After over two decades of reviewing and selecting materials to meet individualized needs, I have developed a few favorites that I do consistently recommend that are high quality, easy to utilize, and reasonable in cost. Please see first few comments for specifics!
03/07/2020
One of my favorite strategies!
Size of My Problem (dry-erase poster) http://bit.ly/39u7KCV. When our reactions are larger than the size of the problem it can create a whole new problem. The way we react to problems can create its very own problem! Social Thinking teaches that problems and reactions come in different sizes. Big problems are really serious ones. When we have a big reaction to a big problem, that’s expected. Medium problems are things we didn’t expect to happen and can’t be quickly fixed. They tend to make us and/or people around us upset. Adults expect kids to help solve medium problems. Small problems, or glitches, are ones we can quickly fix on our own if we stay calm. Small problems are “no big deal.” The Size of My Problem poster can be used to teach students to develop their awareness of this concept; it can also be used on the spot to help individuals figure out the size of a problem, their reaction size, and then visually see the relationship between them. The bottom of the poster provides some brief instructions to encourage adults to explore with children whether or not their reaction created a new problem. Feel free to use coupon code Social10 to receive 10% off of new product purchases