Photo courtesy Bill Todd
One of the most difficult tasks that the parents of special needs children have after their child’s diagnosis is learning how to effectively advocate for their child. Pete Wright, founder of Wrightslaw and the first attorney to argue and win a special needs advocacy case in front of the Supreme Court, is coming to South Florida.
The seminar is scheduled for August 5, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Conference Center in Weston. Included with the training program are copies of Wrightslaw: Special Education Law, 2nd Edition and Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy. As an advocacy seminar, it is not specific to any particular disability, but applies generally to all disabilities and pertains to advocating for children who attend public schools. Priority will be given to parents and guardians, but professionals are welcome and may be eligible to receive seven continuing legal education (CLE) credits.
Co-sponsored by the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC) and the US Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Developmental Disabilities, the seminar is free to attend. However, since these seminars fill up very quickly, so early registration is imperative.
The training is roughly broken into two halves. In the first part, Wright discusses the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA), what it means, and how it applies in layman’s terms. He also discusses Section 504 and No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
Besides legal issues, the seminar explains testing and measurements, writing IEP goals, crisis intervention, and conflict resolution. Additionally, parents/caregivers learn how to keep accurate records, prepare for IEP meetings, and how to effectively participate in meetings. In the words of one parent, “attending this seminar was probably the single most valuable thing I did to help my child”.
Interested parties can call Sharon Gray at 850-224-6222 for additional information or to register. Registration can also be done online or by completing the registration form and either faxing it to 850-877-7022, or mailing it to SE&A Registration, P.O. Box 6838, Tallahassee, FL 32314. Registrations are also accepted via email to aplantomeet@earthlink.net.
For more info: Visit www.wrightslaw.com. To read more of Heidi's articles, click here.
Comments
Although I will be unable to attend, as a teacher of preschoolers with special needs I would like to find out what Mr Wright has to say about "No Child Left Behind" in regards to ESE students. I know that many FL rated "A" schools fail AYP because under No Child Left Behind special needs students are expected to make great gains each year. It is unrealistic to expect these students to make as much progress as non-disabled students since the reason they are getting services is because of their delays. This part of the program must be revamped and I hope that Mr. Wright will advocate for this change.
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