Understanding The Report
"No thank you. Don't bother to send me the report about the testing results. I won't understand it anyway. I'll just listen at the meeting."
Those were the words of more than one parent I spoke with whose children had been tested to see if they needed special education services. I could always hear the discouragement in their voices as they spoke.
I heard the same tone of voice in a person a little closer to home just recently. A relative of mine has a son who has just been evaluated, and the parents had been given a copy of the report. He and his wife both have college educations, and they still had difficulty understanding what was being said. He looked totally helpless as he showed me the paperwork.
It's important to realize that every occupation in life has it's own terms, and special education is no different. Unless you work in that occupation on a daily basis, you can't be expected to know what those terms mean - not much consolation when it's your child's education and success that are at stake.
The good news is that there is help out there.
Here are some suggestions for how you can become an informed, active participant in the meeting:
1) Contact the special education office in your school district. Either someone there can explain it to you, or they can tell you who to talk with to help you understand the report.
2) Set up an appointment to speak with the special education person in your child's school.
If you can't get the information you want through the special education office for some reason, call and decide on a mutually convenient time when you can meet with the special education teacher and discuss the results. Perhaps you can even discuss what the recommendations might be regarding the best placement and the best program for your child.
This way, when you go into the meeting, you will be more prepared.
3) Take notes as you discuss the report. If you take notes from the discussion, then you will have ready information to take into the meeting, and you won't be bogged down having to find the information in the report.
4) If you still have trouble understanding, you can contact your state Learning Disabilities Association. They will have answers for you and they may be able to suggest someone to go to the meeting with you to help you understand what is going on.
5) Know that it's okay to take someone into the meeting with you for support. Facing a group of professionals can be scary, whether you have a college degree or not. Having support with you can be very comforting, and if that support is someone who understands the process better than you, that's a bonus!
Remember, you are NOT alone in this process. You have a team of people who are there to help your child be successful. And working together as a team is the best way to make that happen. But, you have to play an active role in that team in order for your child to get the best services possible, and that may mean searching out people who can help you understand and take charge.
For more plain talk about learning disabilities, please visit us at www.ldperspectives.com.
About the Author
Sandy Gauvin is a retired educator who has seen learning disabilities from many perspectives - as the parent of a daughter with learning disabilities, as the teacher of children with learning disabilities, and as an advocate for others who have diagnosed and unrecognized learning disabilities. Sandy shares her wisdom and her resources at www.LDPerspectives.com.
 Google News Updated : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:05:39 GMT Reviews of McCain's speech - MSNBC
MSNBC - The AP’s Ron Fournier says McCain “preached bipartisanship and unity from a stage retooled to carry him out to the Republican faithful. McCain: I work for you ‘Change is coming,’ McCain tells GOP in speech Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:35:16 GMT PIECING TOGETHER A PLEA How the deal got done - Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press - BY JOE SWICKARD • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • September 5, 2008 Prosecutors rolled Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's plea deal into court Thursday praying the wheels wouldn't fall off. Detroit Mayor Acknowledges 'Poor Judgment' Detroit mayor pleads guilty, to leave office Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:57:24 GMT Lebanese ruling majority accuses Syria of interfering in Lebanon - Xinhua
Xinhua - BEIRUT, Sept.5 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese ruling majority accused Syrian President Bashar Assad of interfering in Lebanese internal affairs and not recognizing Lebanon's sovereignty, local press Naharnet reported Friday. Video: Sarkozy in Syria : the press is divided Editor's Notes: A losing battle, so far Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:59:29 GMT Nokia Forecasts Drop in Third-Quarter Market Share (Update1) - Bloomberg
Bloomberg - By Juho Erkheikki Sept. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Nokia Oyj, the world's biggest maker of mobile phones, forecast a drop in third-quarter market share after competitors slashed prices and a new handset was delayed. Nokia Sees Market Share Slipping in Third Quarter Nokia Lowers its Third Quarter 2008 Mobile Device Market Share Outlook Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:50:07 GMT Dell looks to sell factories worldwide - CNNMoney.com
CNNMoney.com - By Scott Moritz Dell (DELL) is getting more serious about trimming costs and is exploring plans to sell its PC manufacturing plants, according to a news report Friday. Dell said to consider sale of factories Ahead of the Bell: Dell may sell plants, WSJ says Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:15:09 GMT Lavrov rejects Cheney's attack on Russia - CNN International
CNN International - By CNN's Matthew Chance MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russia on Friday rejected sharp criticism by US Vice President Dick Cheney that its intervention in Georgia raises doubts about Moscow's reliability as an international partner. Video: Cheney Slams Russia for War Against Georgia Russia says Cheney fanning Georgian aggression Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:45:40 GMT In Long-Awaited Maps of Cancer, The Breakthrough Is the Problem - Wall Street Journal Wall Street Journal - By GAUTAM NAIK After struggling for years to improve the treatment of cancer, scientists now hope to fight the disease with the help of the same techniques that deciphered the human genome eight years ago: mapping it. What You Need to Know About Mapping the Cancer Genome Data on defective genes make tailored remedies possible Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:01:28 GMT Increase Online Traffic |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Keith is now in the fourth grade and he dislikes... Read More I wanted to share with you one of the most... Read More When growing up, my father frequently reminded me to "pay... Read More Teaching kids to deal with conflict effectively and peacefully is... Read More A common problem many times facing parents is Colic. Estimates... Read More "If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think... Read More The key to lifelong learning is reading and writing. When... Read More As a parent there are lots of things that you... Read More How often do you think of family life as an... Read More ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Results of the Spanking Poll on Rexanne.com: Voters - 233Percentage... Read More Sitterphobe "I never have a second to myself," this mother... Read More The school holidays are a great time for the kids,... Read More Childhood friendships are as special as they are a necessary... Read More Home, home on the range, Where never is heard A... Read More When it's time to put your child into a daycare... Read More Nothing touches the heartstrings of a parent more than the... Read More On a bright Sunday morning, a couple of weeks ago,... Read More A number of scientific studies have shown the way a... Read More MYTH: All teens have to rebel, and the teen years... Read More One of the most difficult struggles in life for a... Read More How do we deal with our seriously distressed children and... Read More If you are like most people today, you do not... Read More Single parenting has seemingly become an acceptable norm which is... Read More Is there a difference between lazy and unmotivated? Why do... Read More There has been much attention in the media of late... Read More
Adsense
websites
If your child is being bullied - 20 top tips for parents
Intermission: Wood Chips
Children are People, Not Machines
Teach Your Children How To Resolve Conflict Without Using Anger Or Power
Weathering Colic for New Parents
MORAL ARMORS Irrational Parenting, Part I
How to Foster a Love of Reading and Writing in Your Child
Maximizing Your ADHD Childs Performance in School.
Motherhood is a Perfect Adventure
Spanking Children
Every Mom Worries
School Holiday Survival Guide
Childhood Friendships
Attaboy! Encouraging Phrases That Build Confidence
Choosing a Daycare or Pre-School ? Top Ten Safety Tips
How to Make Kids More Likeable?
What Values Are We Giving Our Children?
Ten Tips to Stimulate Your Newborns Senses
Parenting Your Teenager: 4 Dangerous Myths
My Sons Deployment
Hearing Our Seriously Distressed Children
Who Will Be Their Guardian?
Single Parenting: How The Challenge Of Single Parenting Affects Your Decision To Divorce
Is My Child Lazy?
Create Your Dream Family
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
From Good to GREAT: Secrets On Becoming A Better Dad
While most fathers aspire to become the best Dads they... Read More
7 Easy Ideas for Organizing Kids Artwork
In school, kids are encouraged to create, draw, color, paint... Read More
Top 25 Children Quotations
"You can learn many things from children. How much patience... Read More
Parenting Skills - Five Ways To Turbo-Boost Your Confidence
The 'phone conversation had nothing at all to do with... Read More
Teenagers and Trouble - How Parents Can Keep their Teens Out of Trouble
Teenagers are a work-in-progress, and parenting teenagers can be tricky... Read More
Surprising Fun Solution to Kids Moods and Attitudes
As a parent, are you at your wits end? Does... Read More
How to Make Kids More Likeable?
Nothing touches the heartstrings of a parent more than the... Read More
Beginning the Special Education Process
Like anything else in life, there's a method to the... Read More
The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask?
The question I have for you drives right to the... Read More
Home And School Education - Your Kids Can Benefit From Both!
Once, as a Learning Support Teacher, I made my way... Read More
Quality Time with Your Teen
It's sometimes difficult to find ways to be involved with... Read More
Five Easy Steps to Picking the Perfect Baby Name
One of the few decisions you'll make during pregnancy that... Read More
Parents --- Your Childrens Report Card May Be Rigged
Under the "No Child Left Behind Act," public schools whose... Read More
Kids and Sports: Fundamentals First
Would you hand a child calculus problems once she was... Read More
Spelling Games
The following spelling games can be used by parents to... Read More
Educational Jigsaw Puzzles, How Educational Are They?
Many companies advertise their products as being educational. How much... Read More
5 Tips for Improving Communication With Your Teenager
Parents are always looking for ways to open up the... Read More
Mom, Dad and the Big Brother
Software for parental control is a useful tool, if applied... Read More
End Homework Battles
Ask parents what their biggest school year challenge is, and... Read More
ZERO Tolerance: How Firm the Line?
A friend phoned her neighbor, complaining about the wafts of... Read More
10 Points on Children for the New Parent
I remember when my daughter was born, later my son.... Read More
Summer Marks the Time to Remember Active Supervision Around Family Swimming Pools
LOS ANGELES (May 19, 2005) - With Memorial Day weekend,... Read More
The Classic ADHD Child Reminds Me of Tigger
ADHD comes in differenty forms, or types. What... Read More
CAMP INJURIES- 7 Things You Must Know
WHEN AN INJURY HAPPENS AT CAMP, HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED... Read More
Small Children, Languages and Myths
Our children are growing up bilingual in the French part... Read More
Parenting |