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Safety Tips for Kids
During the summer months children are outside more and tend to spend more time in public spaces than when most of their day is spent in school. Other children are home alone for longer periods of time...
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Let’s Get Physical (Education)!
In most states physical education is part of the standard school-age curriculum. In North Carolina, all students in kindergarten through 8th grade have physical education at least once per week, with...
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Back to school: Look closely at your child’s class schedule
For students in middle and high school it is extremely important for parents to keep up with the courses that they are taking. The classes should offer the right amount of challenge (not too easy, not...
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Make sure that your child understands his accommodations
For many students who have disabilities, the accommodations that are provided through their Individualized Educational Program (IEP) or Section 504 Accommodation Plan are extremely important to their...
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Second Semester, Second Chance
It’s report card time and time to see how the first half of the school year went. If your child’s report card reflects solid grades and good work habits, some sort of celebration is in order. One of my...
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Free Audio Book Resources
Individuals with disabilities that affect their access to print have some free options for obtaining audio and braille books, magazines and pod casts. The local public library is bound to have a...
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Consider the whole child when disciplining students with disabilities
Children with disabilities may get into trouble every now and again, just like other children. When it comes to the discipline of students who have disabilities, public schools have a special...
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Look beyond the school building for resources
We often have to remind parents of children who receive special education services that it is the school district as a whole that is responsible for providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE)...
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Curriculum modifications can go both ways
In order for many students with disabilities to be educated in the general education setting, some adjustments are required as far as what each particular student will learn or be able to do. The...
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You can have influence beyond the IEP Team
As the parent of a child with a disability, your first responsibility is to make sure your child gets the healthcare, support and education that meets his or her needs. Participating as an active and...
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It’s Transition Fair time!
If you are the parent of teen-aged child who receives special education services, you have probably heard about something called Transition to Adulthood. Basically, schools are required to really think...
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How to stay in the information loop
Often parents don’t hear about major developments in education or public policy that impact our children until long after the chance to influence those decisions has passed. A large part of being an...
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Options for meeting the needs of students with special health conditions in...
On average, about 20% of the students in our public schools have some sort of chronic health condition. Some of these students have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) because they require...
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Tools to help others know your child better
One of the most basic advocacy tips for parents is to make contact with your child’s teachers at the beginning of the school year, or anytime new teachers or service providers become involved. One...
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A Mom’s personal experience with her Deaf-Blind son’s Transition to College
By Debra Pickens “If you don’t ASK, they won’t TELL!” Have you ever had a feeling in your gut that something wasn’t right? When the Director of Disability Services told me that they didn’t know the...
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Becoming an advocate for your child or finding one
At least once each day we get a call from a parent who is trying to find an advocate for their child. Often they want one to go to IEP meetings with them. We explain that ECAC is a Parent Training and...
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Placement versus Assignment for students with disabilities
What is the difference between “placement” and “assignment” when it comes to students who have disabilities? This topic should actually fall under the heading of: Questions parents don’t ask because...
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Research-Based? Evidenced-Based? Who Cares?
It’s all about striking the right balance. A lot of food for thought! knapsackstrats Oh I know. Plenty of people care. I don’t. Surprise, surprise. I am out of sync again. In education there is an...
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Explore careers (really) early
People often ask young children “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Very young children will typically respond with something like football player, firefighter, doctor or princess. Their list of...
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Math learning disability? There are options for success in high school and...
With accommodations, modifications and thoughtful course selection most students who have a learning disability in math are able to make it through elementary and middle school. High schools operate on...
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