Health Topics: Education   Health Topics: EarlyChildhood   Transition Tools

Sample Advocacy Letters

• Sample Letter Requesting an Evaluation
• Sample Letter Requesting a Re-Evaluation
• Sample Letter Requesting an Independent Evaluation
• Sample Letter Requesting a Pre-hearing Conference
• Sample Letter Requesting a Due Process Hearing
  
  

The ABCs of Advocacy for Children with Special Needs
www.aboutourkids.org/aboutour/articles/abc_advocacy.htm
By Kimberly S. Williams, M.A. and Susan Schwartz, M.A. Ed.
Parents, teachers and children working together as partners will enable children with special needs to access the appropriate services. This article aims to advance knowledge of the procedures and principles of the law and its recent changes and presents advocacy strategies to insure that all children receive a free, appropriate education.

This document includes:
• Know the Federal Law
• IDEA Update
• The First Step for Parents
• Setting the Process in Motion
• What Does a Comprehensive Evaluation Consist Of?
• Eligibility for Services
• Individual Education Program (IEP)
• Enhancing Advocacy Skills of Parents
• Helping your Child to Self-Advocate

Managing Your Child's Documents
by Bob Crabtree, Esq.
Paper Chase: Managing Your Child's Documents, parent attorney Bob Crabtree tells you what documents are important and how to get organized . Also, learn how to use a log and create documents to prevent problems and get better services for your child.

A Parent's Guide: Accessing Programs for Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers with Disabilities
This guide from the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY) is intended to assist families in obtaining help for their young children with special needs(ages birth through 5 years). It answers commonly asked questions about early intervention services for infants and toddlers (birth to 2 years), and related services for children (ages 3 to 5 years). This guide identifies what the early intervention policies and contacts are in your state and area. www.nichcy.org/pubs/parent/pa2.pdf

Bright Future Early Childhood Tip Sheet for Families
This tip sheet will help you think about some of the most important health issues in early childhood. (1—4 Years)
www.brightfutures.org/TipSheets/pdf/ec_color.pdf

When Your Child with Special Health Needs Goes to School
A 2-page handout that includes a checklist to help parents prepare for school and a place to keep track of important phone numbers. Developed by The Center for Children with Special Needs: A Program of Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center of Seattle, Washington.
English/(HTML Version) | Russian | Spanish | Vietnamese

Transportation to School
The following documents describe procedures some communities use in regards to transporation to school for children and youth with special health care needs.

• Georgia School Bus Driver Training Manual p.208 How to disconnect or cut wheelchair securement and occupant protection equipment, and other support equipment (air tubes, feeding tubes, etc.). Knowing how long the student can survive with interrupted support equipment; page 139 Transporting Students with Special Needs
• Emergency and Rescue Procedures: A Guideline Manual for School Bus Involvement - page 20: Exercise caution: some pupils have catheters or are tube fed. The hoses or tubes have to be anchored somewhere and sometimes are anchored to the wheelchair. If straps are severed and the pupil is pulled from the wheelchair to evacuate them, any bodily (including internal) hookups to the pupil are likely to be ripped from the body and possibly cause severe internal problems.
• Special Needs Student Transportation: p. 52: Whether students should be evacuated in their wheelchairs or removed from their wheelchairs before evacuation. Exercise caution: some students have catheters or are tube fed. The hoses or tubes have to be anchored somewhere and are sometimes anchored to the wheelchair. To evacuate them bodily might rip hookups to the student which could cause severe internal problems.
• Transporting Students with Special Needs, U.S. Department of Transporation

Developing Your Child’s IEP. This parent's guide provides information on how to work effectively with schools to help your child get an education tailored to his or her needs. A publication of the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities. www.nichcy.org/pubs/parent/pa12txt.htm

IEP Pop-Up
Developed by: Hands & Voices Parent Organization
Tired of showing up at your child's IEP and leaving dazed, confused, and frustrated? Or feeling like every time you make a suggestion you hit a brick wall? The I.E.P. Pop-Up can help find responses you can use to common "hurdle talk" - words and attitudes that keep the IEP meeting from being successful - as you are advocating for your child's needs. Become empowered, learn the laws and understand your rights to advocate for a communication driven education for your child!

IEP Meeting Tool (2003)
The National Center on Low-Incidence Disabilities has developed an IEP Pop Up tool that helps families learn the laws and find good responses to challenges that may arise in an IEP meeting. The tool suggests 16 statements that a parent might hear at a meeting, suggestions of possible helpful responses, and links to the section of IDEA that relate to the answer. www.nclid.unco.edu/Hvoriginals/Advocacy/Popup/popup.html

Last Updated July 18, 2008