Advocate for "Free and Appropriate Public Education"
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Every child has special gifts to offer. To start, each child carries gifts of spirit, defined in Galatians as "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." There are gifts of skill, including numbers, letters, and arts. There are gifts of passion, such as the well being of humankind or of the earth. As parents, we know how special our children are, and are the best at helping them dream of the great future that awaits them.
Our public school system is a fantastic gift, providing opportunities for children to learn and grow into productive adults. Schools are large institution, with rules and expectations to provide a structure in which children may learn. These places expect children to be able to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel; to be able to stand, walk, run, jump, and sit; to be able to read and compute according to the lessons taught. But sometimes our children have physical, emotional, or neurological differences that differ from the institutional expectation. To be able to benefit from school, our children need some institutional adjustments to level the playing field, allowing them to benefit from the same education as their peers. In federal terms, the children are protected from discrimination due to their disabilities.
Furthermore, children have a federal right to a "free and appropriate public education." This right provides a framework for determining when students have issues that may interfere with their education. The educational system has a fairly robust protocol for accommodating children with certain learning disabilities. However, when it comes to many physical, emotional or neurological disabilities, the groundwork is less established.
Many children with disabilities have conditions that cause illness, fatigue, and the need for many medical appointments. In school, they may need help with note taking, staying focused, and keeping homework organized. After school, they may need homework assignments modified to increase their ability to complete required work. When absences are frequent, they may need to be assigned a home tutor to regularly assist the student in making up lessons and assignments. These are educational accommodations, designed to keep your student functioning at his/her ideal academic level. Educational accommodations do not require "dropping down" your student when their intellectual abilities do not warrant doing so. Educational accommodations do not cost the family any additional money.
My legal services are focused on helping families understanding their children's conditions in a way that highlights both, the child's gifts and challenges. With that information, I help families understand how the schools' obligation to provide a "free and appropriate public education" translates into services for their child. With this framework, we work with school districts to establish the accommodations and services that will allow the district to fulfill its responsibility to deliver that "free and appropriate public education" to their student. And that allow the student to feel safe, welcome, and included as just another kid.
Our public school system is a fantastic gift, providing opportunities for children to learn and grow into productive adults. Schools are large institution, with rules and expectations to provide a structure in which children may learn. These places expect children to be able to see, hear, smell, taste, and feel; to be able to stand, walk, run, jump, and sit; to be able to read and compute according to the lessons taught. But sometimes our children have physical, emotional, or neurological differences that differ from the institutional expectation. To be able to benefit from school, our children need some institutional adjustments to level the playing field, allowing them to benefit from the same education as their peers. In federal terms, the children are protected from discrimination due to their disabilities.
Furthermore, children have a federal right to a "free and appropriate public education." This right provides a framework for determining when students have issues that may interfere with their education. The educational system has a fairly robust protocol for accommodating children with certain learning disabilities. However, when it comes to many physical, emotional or neurological disabilities, the groundwork is less established.
Many children with disabilities have conditions that cause illness, fatigue, and the need for many medical appointments. In school, they may need help with note taking, staying focused, and keeping homework organized. After school, they may need homework assignments modified to increase their ability to complete required work. When absences are frequent, they may need to be assigned a home tutor to regularly assist the student in making up lessons and assignments. These are educational accommodations, designed to keep your student functioning at his/her ideal academic level. Educational accommodations do not require "dropping down" your student when their intellectual abilities do not warrant doing so. Educational accommodations do not cost the family any additional money.
My legal services are focused on helping families understanding their children's conditions in a way that highlights both, the child's gifts and challenges. With that information, I help families understand how the schools' obligation to provide a "free and appropriate public education" translates into services for their child. With this framework, we work with school districts to establish the accommodations and services that will allow the district to fulfill its responsibility to deliver that "free and appropriate public education" to their student. And that allow the student to feel safe, welcome, and included as just another kid.