Negotiating the Special Education Maze: A Guide for Parents and Teachers [Paperback]

Winifred Anderson (Author), Stephen Chitwood (Author), Deidre Hayden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1997

This is one of the best resources available to parents, teachers, and school administrators for understanding the special education system and learning how to make it work for individual families. Written by three experienced educational advocates, the new edition presents an effective approach for obtaining appropriate instruction and therapy designed to meet the unique needs of every child with special needs. From infants receiving early intervention to young adults making the transition out of high school and into the workplace, every step of the process is explained, including eligibility, testing, evaluation, and the Individualised Education Program (IEP).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A unique contribution toward preparing parents to be active partners in the education of their children...."

About the Author

Winifred Anderson

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Woodbine House; 3 Sub edition (January 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0933149727
• ISBN-13: 978-0933149724
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,661,821 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 67 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Go To An IEP Meeting Without It! March 23, 2001

By Rocco B. Rubino

Format:Paperback

If you are the parent of a child with special needs, and she is a student n public school, be ready to do some big-time advocating to ensure that she gets the special ed. services she needs. As a special education teacher I am amazed at how little parents know about their rights under the IDEA '97 legislation, and how little they advocate for their child at IEP meetings.

This book is a good start to get you, as the parent-advocate, in the frame of mind you need to be in when "negotiating the special education maze." My brief experience in the field has taught me that the most frustrated parents are those that are the least informed about what their rights are. Like trading stocks on the stock market, operating within the criminal justice system, or living in a foreign culture, the domain of special education has a culture, and rules all its own. If the parent does not know how to "play the game," you will be rolled by school districts that pay a lot of lip-service to providing an "education for all," but in practice are only concerned about the "best and the brightest."

I would also highly recommend doing two things if you are a parent of a special needs child, and you are just about to enter "the maze;"

(1) I would look in your local phone directory for a special ed. advocacy group, or some type of parent group, where you can join with other parents and learn about the special ed. field, and what is available in your area. (2) I would also join the Council for Exceptional Children as they are an excellent source of special ed. info. re: legislation, parent rights, advocacy, etc. I hope that this review helps in inspiring you to become better informed about the "system" so that you can obtain the best for your child.... I want to stress again how important it is to (a) become as informed as you can regarding your rights as a parent, and your child's rights to a free and appropriate public education as stipulated by federal legislation such as IDEA '97. One of the frustrations I have had as a special ed. teacher is seeing how much lip-service school districts pay to special needs children, but how little is done for them in actual practice. I call special education "the last bastion of discrimination in the public schools." I want to write a book about this some day and call it "Separate and Unequal." ;) And I also want to stress (b) how important it is to become actively involved in a local parent advocacy group. There is strength in numbers, and there are battle-scarred veterans of the special ed. wars who have had to go at it with recalcitrant school districts hammer-and-tong to get even the bare minimum services for their child. I don't mean to be "negative," but I know what I am talking about. Read more ›

36 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The MUST have reference for parents of a special ed child August 23, 1998

By Joel Newkirk

Format:Paperback

~If for any reason your child is in or entering special education, this book is beyond value. It explains the processes involved, what the schools are and are not permitted to do, what they and you must do, to achieve~ This book gives you the base you need to fight back on behalf of your child's future. No parent facing a school's 'child study team' should be without this. You'll be amazed at the rights you and your child actual

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Place to Start June 26, 2000

By Sue Enlow

Format:Paperback

This book is a good place to start for parents or teachers who want general information on the Special Education process. Although it covers a wide range of topics, it gives only basic information, lacking the details that parents and teachers seek. Since I had already done quite a bit of research in this area, I was disappionted. The book was basically a review on information that I had already found. If you are looking for a place to start, this is a good book to get you going. If you have already looked into this area, then you may also find this book lacking.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not necessarily the Parents' Friend January 20, 2005

By Bill Keevers

Format:Paperback

This book gives a neutral overview of the IEP process and supplies you with a minimum of information necessary to participate in meetings. But it may not supply sufficient information to equip a student's advocates with the leverage to get mandated services. The IEP process can be quite adversarial, depending on the jurisdiction, with very substantial funds at stake in providing services. Teachers & other school district personnel may be under instructions NOT to give out information that will unlock services to parents; it can take knowing how to request services using the proper jargon, citing statutory provisions such as "AB3632" and "26.5" for mental health services in California, for instance. School District personnel may evince fear when hearing these requests posed with the proper jargon, in the IEP. Consult with student advocates, such as those searchable in California under the term "Developmental Disabilities Area Board". Professional advocates may accompany you to IEP meetings.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Helps Special Education Students Too March 11, 2003

By Dale Susan Brown

Format:Paperback

Although this book was written for parents, it provides a clear explanation of the steps to become eligible for special education services, developing an Individualized Education Plan, and making sure that services are received.

This review appeared in the Annotated Bibliography Section of Learning A Living; A Guide to Planning Your Career and Finding A Job for People with Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder and Dyslexia by Dale S. Brown