Did you know that your child is eligible for services from the school district from birth? Did you know that you do not have to wait for a teacher or education professional to request special education testing and that you can request them yourself ?

Did you know that the school is responsible for providing services and accommodations to your child, even if they have to pay for them out-of-pocket? Did you know that laws state that schools can not use budget excuses as reasons not to provide services or accommodate your child's education?

You should know all of this and more! And you can have all of this information at your fingertips. Many local Protection (Social Services) and Advocacy agencies have manuals listing all this information and more.

CHADD has booklets available telling you about your rights and there are several places, right on the internet, where you can either purchase manuals detailing your rights or find most of that information for free! Make sure that any manuals or books you purchase are up-to- date, published after March 1999, to ensure that they include the latest updates to IDEA 97 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).

The manual that I use, Special Education Rights and Responsibilities, is available at no charge right here on the net. You can access this manual, written by Protection and Advocacy for California at http://www.pai-ca.org/pubs/401601.htm. This manual was written before the changes in IDEA took place in March of 1999, so be sure to check out The Special Ed Advocate and read about the changes in IDEA and what they mean to ADHD children. I also have a zip file of all the chapters in this manual and if you would like to have it sent to you, drop me a line at brandivalentine@healthyplace.com

If your child doesn't qualify for special education, he/she still qualifies for services and accommodations under Section 504. Be sure you ask that a Section 504 representative for your district attends the IEP meeting in case you need to seek services under Section 504. For more information on Section 504 visit Meeting the Needs of all Students.

Other sources I recommend to look for information would be:
How to be an Advocate for your child.
Advocate Services. An excellent source of legal and education material regarding special education issuses, Chapter 766, IDEA, ADA, Section 504. IEP Meetings, Mediation. BSEA Hearings
Questions Dealing with IEP's
Instant Access Treasure Chest. Too many resources to list. Check it out!!
Article on legal issues, ADHD and education.
Advocacy Tip of the Week

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