The following is a list of the most viewed special education advisor blogs from 2011. This doesn’t include any of our guest articles which will be published separately. 2011 was Special Education Advisor’s first full year of operation and we have grown more quickly that we could ever imagine. We currently have over 21,000 visitors a month and over 50,000 page views per month. We continue to grow every month and it’s all because of our members and visitors. Thank you for your continued support and without further adieu here is the list:
1. 50 Essential Special Education Twitter Feeds to Follow - Below is a list of 50 Special Education Twitter Feeds worth following. The list includes Parents, Educators, Advocates, Attorneys, Therapists and National Organizations. This list should keep you up to date on everything happening in and around the world of Special Education. Read More
2. A Letter to Ron Clark: What Parents Really Want to Tell Teachers - I have recently read your article, “What Teachers Really Want to Tell Parents” and found it to be ill-conceived, short sided and quite frankly wrong on many accounts. I am aware of your accolades and achievements as written in the editor’s note prior to the article but I will also point you to Rule #51 in your Essential 55 Rules, “Live so that you will never have regrets”. If you don’t already, I feel you will learn to regret writing this article. This article has the ability to create an even bigger chasm between Parents and Teachers. Parent Involvement in a Child’s Education, as proven by 20 years of research, is one of the most effective methods in a child’s academic success. Educating our children needs to be a partnership between Parents and Teachers. Especially, since school age children spend 70% of their time outside of school. Read More
3. Disability Categories under IDEA - The following list outlines the definitions of each of the disability categories established under the Individuals with Disabilities Education (Improvement) Act of 2004 (“IDEA”). Read More
4. IEP Recreation: There is no Friendship Algorithm - Making friends isn’t easy for anyone but becomes even more difficult if you are a child with special needs who has an Individualized Education Program (IEP). While most schools use an IEP to primarily focus on academics, one of the most overlooked uses is to help with socialization and recreation. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) allows for support services, known as “Related Services” that helps the child receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). The definition of Related Services as defined by IDEA says: Read More
5. Top Ten Questions to Ask at an IEP - If your child has an IEP, the following top ten list is comprised of generic questions that all parents should be asking. This list is not specific to any disability or situation. Read More
6. Top Ten Common Mistakes Made at an IEP - Discussing placement before everything else has been established (i.e. needs, present level of performance, goals, etc); Read More
7. Ten Related Services for an IEP you may not know about - In General the term Related Service means services designed to enable a child with a disability to receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) as described in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) as may be required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education. The Related Services most people are familiar with are Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Transportation. The following list describes ten Related Services you may not know about: Read More
8. Top Ten Excuses School Districts use to get out of testing for Special Education - The list of excuses below are some of the more common themes I hear every day from school districts who are trying to get out of testing a child for special education. None of these or other excuses should be accepted by a parent who is trying to find answers for why their child can’t access the curriculum. As a parent, trust your instincts, if you think there is a problem most likely there is. Read More
9. Ten Steps to Writing Effective IEP Goals - The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) requires that all Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) include: A statement of measurable annual goals, including academic and functional goals, designed to (a) meet the child’s needs that result from the child’s disability to enable the child to be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum; and (b) meet each of the child’s other educational needs that result from the child’s disability. Read More
10. Special Education Facebook Pages to Like – The following is a list of Facebook pages that do a wonderful job of tracking, educating and informing on all aspects of Special Education and advocacy. Anyone that has a child with an individualized education program (IEP) or individual family service plan (IFSP) should like these pages. Read More
Honorable Mention (Top Ten until two days ago) The Purpose of an IEP - I was reading a few blogs about Individualized Education Programs (IEP) over the last month and a few of them have me concerned that as hard as we try to educate parents about IEP’s many still don’t understand their purpose. Some of the misconceptions I have heard or read about lately include: Read More
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