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A
Judicial Checklist to Ensure that the Educational Needs of Children...are Being
Addressed (Permanency
Planning for Children - April, 2005)
Asking the right questions is the
first step. An
Interview with Sandee Winkleman: About a Supreme Court Decision
(Education News - Nov. 2, 2007)
A lawyer tells about a case
heard by the Supreme Court involving his son's educational special needs. Assistive
Technology Rocks!
(Cecilia Garcia blog)
An article asking the question "Why
is inclusion important both to the student with special needs and the culture
of the class? Attention
Deficit Disorder
(NPR - Sept. 18, 2008)
NPR has recently focused a number
of stories about students with disabilities starting college. Here is one focusing
on Attention Deficit Disorder - other stories about students with different conditions
are linked at the end. Better
Mental Health for Kids (Boston.com
- Oct. 1, 2007)
Children
with serious mental illnesses have been waiting for years for the state to honor
its responsibilities to them under federal law. Bush
Veto of Children's Health Bill Sets Stage for Political Confrontation
(The Commonwealth Fund - Oct. 9, 2007)
President Bush vetoed
legislation to expand a children's health insurance program, drawing immediate
fire from congressional Democrats and setting up an override showdown that could
be politically perilous for some Republicans. Chance
at Childhood
School
Personnel Guide for Reporting Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect. Children
with Autism
The Government
Accountability Office conducted a study on educating children with autism and
quotes information from the NRC study. College
Planning Q&A: 529s and Financial Aid
College
Planning Q&A: 529s as IRA Beneficiaries?
These are two good
articles about how to use 529 plans in planning for college and how to coordinate
them with financial aid applications and maximize the tax benefits. (Morningstar
Advisor)
Diabetes
and the Law (American
Diabetes Assn.)
Real life examples of problems that children with diabetes
have faced. Dear
Colleague Letter: Access by Students with Disabilities to Accelerated Programs
(U.S. Dept. of Education)
A letter from the Assistant Secretary for
Civil Rights advising of an issue involving students with disabilities seeking
enrollment in challenging academic programs. Diabetes
Medical Management Plan for a Studen with Diabetes (American
Diabetes Association)
The
above links provides samples of both the Section 504 Plan and Diabetes Medical
Management Plan which detail typical medical and academic needs of a child with
diabetes at school. More
info on Section 504 by Claudia Lowe. Diagnostic
Criteria for Attention Deficit Disorder
From
David Rabiner, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist at Duke University. Girl,
10, Who Could Die From Shock Just by Watching a Scary Film
(Daily Mail - Feb. 6, 2008)
Jennifer is one of just six known
sufferers of polyglandular Addison's disease, which causes her to become ill whenever
she is surprised or shocked. IEP
Advocate 4 You (Carol Sadler blog)
A professional parent
advocate assisting parents of disabled children in school meetings and helping
them understand their rights under IDEA, 504, SST and ADA. Impact
of Early Intervention on Outcome After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
(American Academy of Petiatrics)
A basic article on mild traumatic
brain injury (TBI) and early intervention. Larger
Special Ed Classes Upset Parents (Detroit News)
Wayne, Oakland,
Macomb and other counties across the state have modified their special education
plans to allow larger class sizes than state law allows, drawing the ire of child
advocates. Office
of Special Education Programs letter (U.S. Department of Education)
Answers to questions re: rules to determine eligibility for special needs education
and related services. Planning
with Special Needs Youth Upon Reaching Majority: Education and Other Powers of
Attorney
An education power of attorney as an appropriate, but
simple planning tool for an adult, mentally competent, disabled child. Protecting
the Educational and Civil Rights of Children with Disabilities (Council
of Parent Attorneys and Advocates)
This is a great summary. Protecting
Students with Disabilities: FAQ's About Section 504 and the Education with Children
with Disabilities (LD online)
An important goal of the Office
for Civil Rights is to foster partnerships between school districts and parents
to address the needs of students with disabilities. QuickRamps
for Kids (United Cerebral
Palsy of Metropolitan Detroit)
This program provides portable wheelchair ramps
to families of children with Cerebral Palsy and other paralysis-causing conditions.
Click here
for application.
Researcher
Helps Develop Computer Game for Children Recovering From Malaria
(MSU Today - Oct. 26, 2007)
The computer program Captain’s
Log – originally used with individuals diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder, brain injuries or learning disabilities – is being adapted to rehabilitate
Ugandan children who are survivors of cerebral malaria. Sanctioned
Providers Update (MSA Today - Dec., 2007)
Contains updates
to the Michigan Dept. of Community Health Sanctioned Providers List, including
Children's Special Health Care Services. Section
504 Overview (Council of Educators for Students with Disabilities,
Inc.)
Written by David M. Richards, Attorney at Law, to serve as an introduction
to the various duties imposed by Section 504 on public elementary and secondary
schools. This is a great summary of the laws that protect students with disabilities.
I especially like the part at the end about the obligations of the schools in
regard to field trips, etc. This is one of the most frequently asked questions
I get from parents. School
Law (Steve
Friedman)
Parents have independent rights under IDEA. School
System Feud Lands in Court (Forsyth County News - Dec. 27, 2007)
The Forsyth County school system finds itself embroiled in another lawsuit over
its special needs program, with the most recent legal challenge coming from the
department's former director. Special
Education Law & Advocacy (Myrna B. Silver)
Attorney
Myrna Silver focuses exclusively on special education law, helping special needs
children receive the focus and attention they need to thrive. Special
Needs Trusts Helps Provide for Disabled Children (STL Today )
Nearly all parents of disabled children have worried about the day they won't
be around to help care for their sons or daughters, whether the children are 6
or 60. Summer
Camp '08 (Family
Center on Technology and Disability)
I know nothing about this camp, so
this in not an endorsement of any kind. If any of you have had good or bad experiences
with this camp or others you would like to post, please feel free to do so. There
are valuable resources at the back of the newsletter re: how to choose the best
camp for your child. Supreme
Court Splits on Private Tuition
(ABA Journal - Oct. 2007)
Upholds a ruling by the New York City
2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that allowed reimbursement even though the parents
had not received special education services in the public schools. The
Next Attention Deficit Disorder?
(Time.com - Nov. 29, 2007)
Info on Sensory Processing Disorder
(SPD). Thousands
of Kids with Special Needs are Living in Nursing Homes
(Wall Street Journal - July 2007)
While the Medicaid program
guarantees long-term care for the disabled, many states have insufficient resources
to pay for care at home. As a consequence, families with children who have severe
disabilities are often forced to place their children in nursing homes primarily
meant for the elderly in order for the children to get the care they need. An
online subscription to the Wall Street Journal is required to read the full article. | 
