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Navigate Life Texas: Resources for kids with disabilities and special needs
Navigate Life Texas: Resources for kids with disabilities and special needs
May 18, 2018 | By: Paso del Norte Children’s Development Center
Categories: Family Support, Education & Schools
You may know a lot about special education. Or you may be attending your very first Admissions, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) meeting. Either way, you will agree: It is an intimidating process.
During the ARD, you will sit in a conference room. Therapists and educators will sit across from you. It can feel like “us vs. them.” The process can feel like a battle. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Parents are not alone in the ARD process. Ask for help. It's available.
Invite anyone you want to your ARD meeting. No training is required to attend as an advocate. Bring anyone you trust. A family member, friend, or pastor can ease the process. They can offer security as you build your child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Trained advocates who know special education law can help too. Social workers or legal aides, for example. They can attend the meeting with you. Parents often benefit from their knowledge.
Remember, you are not alone when seeking services.
There is more information available in the Education and Schools section on ARD meetings.
I homeschooled my kids for many years. I taught them subjects like math, reading and science, just like in regular schools. But one of my favorite things about homeschooling was teaching them extra stuff that would help them when they grow up.
Categories: Education & Schools, Transition to Adulthood
Your emergency plans might look different, but no matter how they look, they can make all the difference.
Categories: Family Support
Despite doubt from others, a parent’s careful attention to her son’s verbal and nonverbal cues highlights the importance of listening to children with disabilities and advocating for their needs.
Categories: Family Support