Effective parents recognize that change  takes time, and they implement a plan to make necessary changes Do you recall the old saying, “Patience is a virtue”?  While the ability to wait calmly or to accept delay without getting angry may indeed be a commendable quality in some aspects of your life, it has no place when it comes to your child’s education.  Your child has one year to devote to each grade level, and a limited time to perfect his reading, math or social skills.  When you sense that your child is falling behind, it is difficult to stand by, patiently waiting for things to improve when there is no plan in place. There is another adage that is more appropriately applied when you realize that your child’s needs are not being met.  That is, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”  We all recognize that school systems are often overwhelmed in their efforts to serve the needs of many children.  Getting school administrators to focus on your child’s situation requires your persistent involvement to separate him from the pack and to obtain the individual attention he deserves. Sometimes even your persistence is not enough to positively impact your child’s program.  If you reach a stalemate with the District, your only alternative is to remove the school from the “driver’s seat.”  Let’s face it, the school will make all of the decisions until you level the playing field.  The most effective way to do this is to file for a due process hearing.  Once you file, the ultimate decisions about your child’s program will be made by a neutral hearing officer who will decide the issues based upon your child’s individual needs and the law, not on budgetary concerns. All too often, parents wait to seek additional services or a specialized placement for a child who cannot read at grade level until the child is entering middle school.  These well-meaning parents have waited patiently during the elementary school years, accepting that the school “knows best” and not challenging the District’s proposals.  This patience is not rewarded.  Obviously, the sooner a child receives appropriate services, the better chance she will have to overcome her disability.  It is essential that you become actively involved in your child’s program as soon as you sense that something is wrong, and that you seek the assistance of an advocate or attorney if you need further assistance. My practical advice concerning out-of-district placements:  Parents often come to see me in May or June with the idea that they would like an out-of-district placement for their child to begin the following September.  Please bear in mind that it will be several months before you can expect a decision through a due process hearing.  Schools will usually seek delays in hearings during the summer because of staff vacations.  In my experience, it is unreasonable to expect a decision before September in any case which is not filed by mid-April.  This can be very frustrating because the private schools usually will not hold your spot pending the decision.  Therefore, planning is critical, and I would encourage

Build a team of professionals to evaluate and advocate for your child Convincing a school district to increase your child’s services or to change his or her placement almost always requires the assistance of a professional who practices in the area of your child’s disability. Whether it is a neuropsychologist who can testify as to your child’s cognitive abilities, or a therapist to describe your child’s mental health needs, the participation of these professionals is absolutely critical to your case. If you end up at a due process hearing, I would say that it is practically impossible to prevail without the expert testimony of highly qualified professionals. Retaining experts can be expensive, and it often takes several months just to schedule an evaluation and to obtain the reports. Parents often ask me if they can go without expert assistance and if they can just testify as to their own observations of their child. I do not doubt that parents very often know more about their child’s needs than anyone they could hire. Unfortunately, however, the testimony of an expert – that is, a person with specialized training, education and experience in their field – is the most critical component of your case. School officials and hearing officers expect to hear from experts who will explain why your child needs specialized services or a different placement. If you are going to a due process hearing, it is short sighted to scrimp on the expert. How do you find qualified experts? Very often, they are the professionals who are already involved in providing treatment to your child. Other times, you may obtain referrals from your child’s primary care physician or through your insurance company. Sometimes, if you are lucky, your insurance may actually cover some or all of the costs of an expert evaluation. Special education lawyers and advocates are also a good resource to help you find experts who have experience testifying in these types of cases. One important piece of advice: make sure that you ask anyone who provides care to your child if they are willing to testify at a hearing if it is necessary. Be aware that many physicians and other providers do not want to testify and will decline to do so. If they will not agree to testify, you may want to reconsider using their services. Recently I was informed by a psychiatrist at a major Boston hospital, who has treated my client for years that he will not be permitted by “hospital policy” to testify at an upcoming hearing. Even though this psychiatrist has written an excellent report, my case will be severely weakened if he ultimately refuses to appear to actually testify before the hearing officer. Expert testimony is critical to success at a hearing, and you do not want to find out when it is too late that the professional who has been working with your child will not take the time to provide the support that is needed. It is important to

Maintain a cordial and professional relationship with school staff It goes without saying that maintaining respectful and cordial relations with school personnel – even if you disagree on the issues – is a worthy objective. Effective parents know that their relationship with a school district may last 12 years or more, and the way in which they choose to communicate with school officials may well impact their child’s education. Email seems to have become the most common method of communication between parents and teachers and school administrators. While the simplicity and convenience of an email cannot be matched, the down side is that, all too frequently, an email is sent impulsively or when the sender is angry or frustrated. As a result, many parents – and school officials – have been embarrassed when called upon to explain inaccurate or disrespectfully written communications. Effective parents read and re-read each email before hitting the “send” button. They realize that their written correspondence is a reflection on their character and credibility. They know that all communications – written and verbal – must be courteous, professional and accurate and should never contain any personal attacks. They don’t allow personal animosity to cloud your judgment. Effective parents also allow school professionals the opportunity to do their jobs. They know that, if a parent is uncooperative or interferes in an inappropriate manner, a hearing officer may eventually decide that the parent’s actions undermined the school staff’s ability to educate the child. For more information, please contact us at 781-930-3127. Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.No Fields Found.