How to Get Needed Methodology, in Your Child with a Disabilitie's IEP - By: JoAnn Collins

Are you the parent of a young child with autism , that thinks that
they need applied behavioral analysis (ABA) treatment, through your
school district? Are you the parent of a child with dyslexia, who
feels that your child needs an Orton-Gillingham based reading program?
This article will discuss how to get methodology in your child’s IEP.
Once you know how to get the methodology, then it is your job to fight
for your child’s education.

Methodology means what curriculum or what program, special education
personnel, are going to use to teach your child. Many school districts
continue to state, falsely, that parents have no right to tell them
what methodology to use.

If your school district is using a reading program that is working for
your child, you will probably not be able to get them to switch to
another methodology. But, if the curriculum the school district is
using, is not teaching your child, then your chances of getting an
appropriate methodology is high. If you are willing to stand up to
special education personnel, and fight for your child’s education.

The Office of Special Education Programs which is part of the
Department of Education put in the Federal Register on Monday August
14, 2006 on Page 466665 "The Departments longstanding position on
including instructional methodologies in a child’s IEP is that it is
an IEP Team’s decision. Therefore if an IEP team determines that
specific instructional methods are necessary for the child to receive
a FAPE (free appropriate public education), the instructional methods
may be addressed in the IEP."

What this means is that it is your job to bring it up at an IEP
meeting, if you think that your child’s education needs a certain
methodology. If your child needs this methodology in order to receive
a free appropriate public education, then it can be placed on your
child’s IEP. If the school district refuses to even consider the
methodology that you feel your child needs, then this is a violation
or your child’s rights. You have the right to file for a due process
hearing, to prove that your child needs a certain methodology.

In some cases, parent’s have taken their child for an independent
educational evaluation (IEE), and it is the evaluator’s recommendation
for a certain methodology. Having an independent evaluator, state
that your child needs a certain methodology, will increase your
chances of winning at due process.

A recent District Court ruling in the KL vs Mercer Island School
district found that "The methodology used by teachers, must be
discussed at the IEP meeting, and placed in the child’s IEP,"

Another item that may help your fight is the fact that No Child Left
Behind requires that school districts receiving Title I money: Use
Scientifically based research to teach children. What this means is
that the educational program has been proven to help children learn.
Many school districts use out dated curriculum that do not work.

I would use the KL vs Mercer Island ruling, the OSEP Federal Register
comments, and No Child Left Behind, to help you in your fight for
particular curriculum or program. Remember, what is important is that
your child needs the methodology in order to receive a free
appropriate public education (FAPE).

About the Author

JoAnn Collins is the mother of two adults with disabilities, and has been an advocate for over 15 years, helping other families. She is the author of the recently published book Disability Deception; Lies Disability Educators Tell and How Parents Can Beat Them at Their Own Game. The book is filled with advocacy tips, and resources to help parents. For a free E newsletter Send an E mail to JoAnn@disabilitydeception.com. For a link to more free articles go to http://www.disabilitydeception.com

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/JoAnn-Collins/30338

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