A Guide to Special Education Advocacy [Paperback]

Matthew Cohen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1843108933 | ISBN-13: 978-1843108931 | Publication Date: February 1, 2009 | Edition: 1

Disability law can be complex and intimidating, so how can concerned parents use it to ensure their child with a disability receives the appropriate education they are legally entitled to?

A Guide to Special Education Advocacy gives strategies for advocating for better provision of special education in schools. Despite the many services and accommodations that have been made for students with disabilities, such as the use of Braille or providing specialized education in a regular or special classroom, many children with disabilities do not get the services they need and are not placed in appropriate programs or settings. Because of this, the perception of disability often remains unchanged. Matthew Cohen's insightful manual gives a practical vision of how a parent or a professional can become an advocate to achieve a more inclusive and rewarding education for the child with a disability.

This book will provide parents, people with disabilities, professionals and clinicians thinking about special education advocacy with an overview of current disability law and how it works, identifying practical ways for building positive and effective relationships with schools.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Cohen, a disability rights expert, attorney, and parent, has written an invaluable guide for parents who must serve as the ultimate case managers for the child and the clinicians and advocates who assist them. Anyone encountering the special education maze should read this book, which describes a complicated and sometimes adversarial process as clearly as is humanly possible....Also invaluable are a list of useful web sites, acronyms used in special education, and sample letters (such as a request for an impartial due process hearing or for an independent evaluation). Highly recommended." --Library Journal

"Wow! This book is like a "Mapquest" that puts the parent on a journey, making the process clear and concise. But more important, it is sensitive to the emotions a parent feels during very vulnerable times on the journey. As a parent, I would want to keep it within reach by day and under my pillow at night." -- Ellen McManus "Wilmette, IL, whose daughter has been represented by Matthew Cohen"

An excellent, very readable explanation not only of what IDEA requires, both substantively and procedurally, but how advocates and parents can make it work. From the convenient outline of the process provided by the table of contents, in the order most parents will encounter it and arranged to properly emphasize substance over process, to the practical pointers highlighted by his "E=MC2" formula, Mr. Cohen has admirably achieved his stated purpose: to help parents (whose children are not experiencing success) identify points of potential conflict and ways to address those conflicts. --S. James Rosenfeld, Founder and Director, The National Academy for IDEA Administrative Law Judges and Hearing Officers at Seattle University School of Law

Matt Cohen's background as a disability rights expert, attorney, and parent insures the practical grasp, sensitivity, and wisdom necessary to distill the substance of the laws and strategies involved in special education advocacy. His expertise is grounded in this brilliant and strategic treatise assisting families and professionals to acquire the best programs and services for children. Having an uncanny insight into the issues that families face on the ground, Matt Cohen's new Guide provides families and professionals alike the most reliable resource yet to navigate the special education conundrum. --Barbara H. Dyer, Staff Attorney, University of Tennessee College of Law; The CAN-LEARN Project; Children's Advocacy Network; Lawyers Education Advocacy Resource Network

Matt has provided a scholarly treatise for parents and professionals written in the engaging and invigorating style that he is so comfortable with. This book in my opinion is the most thorough and well written analysis of the history and application of disability law, and the impact on real life experiences for students, available in print to date." ----Kathryn Dobel, co-chair of CAPCA (California Association for Parent-Child Advocacy) and founding board member of COPAA (Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates)

Matt has provided a scholarly treatise for parents and professionals written in the engaging and invigorating style that he is so comfortable with. This book in my opinion is the most thorough and well written analysis of the history and application of disability law, and the impact on real life experiences for students, available in print to date. --Kathryn Dobel, co-chair of CAPCA (California Association for Parent-Child Advocacy) and founding board member of COPAA (Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates)

Matt Cohen's background as a disability rights expert, attorney, and parent insures the practical grasp, sensitivity, and wisdom necessary to distill the substance of the laws and strategies involved in special education advocacy. His expertise is grounded in this brilliant and strategic treatise assisting families and professionals to acquire the best programs and services for children. Having an uncanny insight into the issues that families face on the ground, Matt Cohen's new Guide provides families and professionals alike the most reliable resource yet to navigate the special education conundrum. --Barbara H. Dyer, Staff Attorney, University of Tennessee College of Law; The CAN-LEARN Project; Children's Advocacy Network; Lawyers Education Advocacy Resource Network

About the Author

Matthew Cohen is Adjunct Professor at Loyola University of Chicago School of Law, where he teaches Mental Health Law. He is a partner at Monahan and Cohen Law Firm in Chicago, Illinois and has extensive experience of working one-on-one with children and their families who have been let down by current special education policies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Jessica Kingsley Pub; 1 edition (February 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843108933
• ISBN-13: 978-1843108931
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #786,359 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #68 in Books > Law > Specialties > Disability
  • #72 in Books > Law > Family & Health Law > Child Advocacy

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important resource for parents AND professionals, December 31, 2010

By 

Shana S. Crondahl (Juneau, AK, US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Guide to Special Education Advocacy (Paperback)

VERY helpful book. I don't often write reviews on books, but this book merits a review.

I came across this book by chance on the new books shelf at my local library. It has detailed up-to-date information on the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA and the IDEA 2006 regulations. This book should be very helpful to any parent trying to advocate for their child. It should also be helpful to special education teachers and administrators because of the detailed information on federal regulations regarding IDEA and Section 504, with specific CFR citations.

The book also contains a comparison of Section 504 plans versus IDEA 2004. It dispels the idea that Section 504 is only applicable to students with health issues, and explains when one is preferable to the other. "Each law has advantages for children with disabilities depending on the circumstances of the child, the school, and the particular issue. At the most general level, IDEA is more likely to be of use to children who require a greater intensity of specialized instructional services and/or related services, who have more complex needs, and/or when there is a greater need for specificity in planning for the child, protecting the child's procedural rights, or holding the school accountable regarding issues of implementation. By contrast, Section 504 is typically of greater utility if the child's needs are less complex, if the child has a disability that does not qualify him or her for special education, or when the child needs only accommodations, as opposed to special education" (p. 236).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Advocacy book!, April 26, 2010

By 

S. Nicholas "occupational therapist mom" (Western US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Guide to Special Education Advocacy (Paperback)

As a pediatric OT, I work with children with disabilites birth - about 10. I have read many books on advocacy, and this is by far the best I have read. In fact, I purchased it for each of the families I see. It is written for providers and parents, with excellent strategies for meetings/letters/etc. The best advocacy book out there - and very updated!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Key to any special education library catering to professionals, June 16, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Guide to Special Education Advocacy (Paperback)

A Guide to Special Education Advocacy: What Parents, Clinicians and Advocates Need to Know covers disability law and its complexities and tells parents how to ensure a child with a disability receives education they are legally entitled to. From understanding services and the evaluation and re-evaluation process to gain them to different kinds of environments, this is packed with specific and detailed observations key to any special education library catering to professionals.