IDEA provides guidelines for a child with a disability transferring to another school in or out of district within the same state or out of state. The guidelines are specific as to the child’s right to have a free appropriate public education with services that are comparable to those in the previous IEP.
The key word is public – if a public Texas charter school is not following federal and state special education rules, it would fall to TEA (Texas Education Agency) to enforce them under the dispute resolution processes. Information on the laws and regulations that Texas charter schools must follow is at http://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Schools/Charter_Schools/Charter_Schools_-_Resources/ On December 28, 2016, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) released a Guidance Package developed to provide parents and the charter school community with information about the rights of charter school students with disabilities. Students with [...]
If your child with autism is like mine, he thrives on routine. Set up a program that works for him, and he’s up with the sun, ready to jump on the school bus, and eager to do what he’s done yesterday and the day before. Then the school year ends. And for many families, the problems begin. Children with autism have a tough time adjusting to transitions and change. But summer is all about vacations to new places, interactions with extended family, different routines, and unexpected events. What’s even tougher is the reality that children with autism, unlike typical children, have a [...]
If your child receives special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), did you know he or she may be eligible for a program of special education and/or services beyond the normal school year? Such services are commonly referred to as extended school year (ESY) services. Read on to learn how ESY might help your child, the types of services it might include, and how the Individualized Education Program (IEP) team would determine if your child is eligible. ESY services are individualized special education and/or related services (such as speech/language therapy or occupational therapy) that are uniquely designed to provide a [...]
Because the stakes are so high, it is sometimes difficult for parents of children with special educational needs to advocate calmly and objectively for the educational and related services their children need. Here are some common mistakes that undermine parents’ ability to obtain appropriate services: […]
Texas laws require schools and school administrators to take actions to prevent bullying and to investigate reports of bullying. The law breaks bullying into 3 components: Conduct: Physical conduct that occurs at school, a school function, or in a school vehicle. - Written, verbal or electronic expression.; Motivation: Bullying involves exploiting an imbalance of power. - Exploit: "to use selfishly for one's ends." - Exploitation involves intentional conduct.; Effect: The conduct must either 1) interfere with the student's education; or 2) substantially disrupt the operation of the school. Regarding interfering with a student's education, a school attorney said that bullying is: “Physical harm [...]
