May 17, 2012
As was mentioned last week in guest blogger Gillian Marchenko’s post, IEP annual review season is in full swing for parents of kids with special needs identified by the public schools. Gillian shared 5 ways to set a positive tone during an annual review. It’s a hot topic, as proved by the number of times the post was shared, retweeted, and repinned. No wonder I did a happy dance when another...
read more
How to Prepare for an IEP Annual Review, Pt. 1
Dec 21, 2011
Guest blogger Ellen Stumbo has been thinking about an issue important to parents of kids with special needs: how to be an effective advocate. In today’s post, she shares about how her perception of effective advocacy has changed and mentions a good book put out by Wrights Law, an organization that trains parents to advocate for their kids in school.
Am I an Effective Advocate?
Speak up for those who...
read more
How to Be an Effective Advocate for a Child with Special Needs
Apr 12, 2011
Parents of kids with special needs, you have an opportunity to influence national law. The news landed in my inbox thanks to a Wrightslaw newsletter.
Time to Update the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Here’s the scoop according to the Wrightslaw newsletter:
“The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will be reauthorized within the next year or two. To prepare for the...
read more
Are Parents of Kids with Special Needs Treated as Equal Partners?
Apr 1, 2011
With the deadline for filing income tax returns is two weeks away, now’s the time to see if you’ve taken advantage of the tax benefits available to people with special needs and their care givers.
Seven Specific Tax Breaks
In a recent Wrightslaw article, seven specific special needs benefits were summarized for:
Those who are legally blind.
Disability payments excluded from a person’s...
read more
7 Special Needs Tax Breaks
Dec 28, 2010
Are the kids tired of their Christmas toys yet? Are they picking at each other? Owly with cabin fever? Are you counting the days until school starts again? Do you need a good laugh?
Visit Wright’s Law
If your answer is yes to any of those questions, this might be a good time for you to check out the most recent Wright’s Law newsletter. It features the lighter side of special education in four...
read more
Can There Be Humor in Special Education?
