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Articles include: Schools are required to keep a variety of information about each student -- health records, attendence, grades, discipline reports, test scores, contact information, etc. If the student has been evaluated for special education services, his or her file will also include assessment data, IEPs, and reports from therapists and other professionals. Parents can ask to see their child's educational records at any time. The school must make the records available within a reasonable time, and not more than 30 days after your request. If you want to review the records for an IEP meeting or a hearing, the school must allow you to see them before the meeting or hearing is held. You can get copies of these records. The school may charge you for the cost of copying. However, if this cost would prevent you from obtaining the copies, the school must provide them for free. You can ask that certain information
be taken out of your child's records. Ask for an explanation
of anything in the ecords that you don't understand. You may
also ask the school to correct or remove information that you
think is untrue, misleading or not related to your child's education.
If the school disagrees with your request, you can: Your child's records must be kept private. His or her educational records are confidential. That means that only a limited number of people should have access to them. Typically the people who would have access to your child's information are the members of the IEP team (teachers, principal, therapists, etc.) and key people from the state and district special education offices. You must give your permission before any information can be shared with anyone not authorized to view your child's records. You may also grant your permission to a friend or advocate to review your child's records, if they are helping you make decisions about his/her education. At 18, your child can ask to see his/her own records. When your child turns eighteen, your right to review the records is transferred to him or her. An exception is made for students who are not able to make competent decisions for themselves due to a disability that affects their comprehension or judgement. For these students, parents retain the right to review records. Records are often destroyed after your child leaves school. Basic information about a student's attendence, grades and graduation status are stored by the school for many years after the student graduates. Confidential infor-mation -- for example, IEPs or evaluation results -- is generally destroyed 2-4 years after the student leaves school. Schools are supposed to notify the parent (or the student) when these records will be destroyed. To be on the safe side, you may want to request a copy of these records when your son or daughter leaves high school. This year marks the 19th year that SPIN has printed a quarterly newsletter for parents. If you would like to receive our 8-page SPIN News at your home or school, sign up on our subscription postcard, or contact us through phone, fax or e-mail. It's FREE! GETTING YOUR KIDS TO HELP AT HOME Parents sometimes avoid assigning routine household chores to their children with special needs, because they think the job will be too hard or frustrating. In reality, chores offer a wonderful opportunity to teach ALL children about teamwork, routine and responsibility. Here are some tips that may be helpful: DON'T UNDERESTIMATE WHAT YOUR
CHILD CAN DO. TRY TO SET REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS. MAKE JOB ASSIGNMENTS MEANINGFUL. KEEP YOUR PRAISE IN PROPORTION
WITH THE EFFORT. It is not only insulting to praise a child for a minor effort. It is also misleading. A child who receives praise without earning it will be in for a shock when he or she moves on to college or the workforce where folks are expected to perform to higher standards. It's also hard for a child to measure their own progress with pride, if they can't trust the feedback they get from others. INCLUDE YOUR CHILD IN FAMILY
DISCUSSIONS. Adapted from an article by Carol Gill in the AXIS Newsletter, April/May/June 1998 LOOKING FOR INFORMATION - FREE Newsletters Online: The Special Ed Advocate (Special education legal and advocacy issues, cases, tactics and strategy) www.wrightslaw.com IDEA News (IDEA news, events, resources) www.ideapractices.org/forms/maillist.asp#join FEAT Daily Newsletter (Information on neurobiological disorders) www.feat.org/FEATNews/default.htm LDOnline Report (News about learning disabilities, articles, events.) www.LDOnLine.org/ World of Dyslexia (Monthly e-mail newsletter on events & information on dyslexia) www.dyslexia-teacher.com/t23.html Publications: Children and Mental Health:
A Report of the Surgeon General Center for Effective Collaboration
& Practice: An IEP Team's Introduction to Functional Behavioral
Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plans (Identifies the underlying
causes of a child's behavior and develops proactive instructional
strategies, A Guide to the Individualized Education Program (Describes how to write IEPs that improve teaching, learning, and educational results and more. www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/IEP_Guide Designing Individualized Education
Program (IEP) Transition Plans National Association of School Psychologies: Retention and Promotion: A Handout for Parents www.nasponline.org/publications/cq268retainpar.html National Information Center for Children & Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY) (An information clearinghouse for information on disabilities & disability-related issues) www.nichcy.org Aloha Special Technology Access
STATE OFFICES Child & Adolescent 2002 10/4 Leadership Symposium & 10/12 Beyond the Blues Festival 10/20 Hawaii Down Syndrome
'Buddy Walk' 2003 2/14 2003 Learning Disabilities
Conference 4/12 2003 SPIN Conference June HFAA Youth and Family
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