Partners in PROMISE

📣 Please join us for our first Lunch & Learn Series Webinar of 2024! This inaugural webinar will focus on our Special Report from the 2023 Military Special Education Survey: Understanding the Experiences, Challenges and Needs of Educators working with Military Children with Special Needs. Jennifer MD Kremkow, Lead Researcher for Partners in PROMISE will host the discussion and will be joined by Barbara Bratton, School Specialty Provider & Military Spouse and Carla Okorn Wyrsch, Special Education Coordinator & Veteran Spouse. Register at https://lnkd.in/eGXQbHNS Presented by the USAA Foundation. #efmp #specialeducation #educators #militaryfamilies

Our military families are diverse, coming from various backgrounds, cultures, and languages. Schools must provide the support you need to navigate the special education process, understand proposed plans, participate meaningfully, and have your questions answered—no matter what language you speak. Click here for the federal law that permits you to have an interpreter who understands your language and form of communication: https://lnkd.in/erAYr5as #MilitaryChildren #MilitaryFamilies #EFMP #Diversity #Language #Interpreter

Early intervention can make a world of difference! IDEA includes provisions for services from birth through age 3 to address developmental delays.  ✨Early Intervention services is Part C of IDEA provides services and support to children (birth to age two) with a delay or disability)  ✨Early intervention services are designed to help families enhance their development and better meet their needs.  The sooner, the better! #MilitaryChildren #MilitaryFamilies #EFMP #SpecialEducation #IFSP #EarlyIntervention #IDEA #ChildDevelopment

This is a reminder that Parent Input Matters! Don't be afraid to share concerns, ask questions, ask for resources, or ask for a person to contact. You should receive this information in your procedural safeguards and prior written notice as well.  #MilitaryChildren #MilitaryFamilies #EFMP #SpecialEducation #IEP #IDEARights #ParentAdvocacy

Partners in PROMISE's latest special education content article is out! This article, "Let’s Talk Kindergarten Prep with IEPs". Kindergarten can be a difficult transition for learners, parents, and teachers. I’ve been there. Now that my learners are older, these are some things I wish I had known, considered, and remembered when the process began. Whether your learner has an IEP already or not, these tips can be beneficial. So, let’s talk about school and parent considerations and reminders to help you, your learner, and their team have a safe and successful school year. Kindergarten Prep Reminders ✨ You can request a special education evaluation before Kindergarten ✨ Request a transition meeting ✨ Consider sensory, executive functioning, and communication needs ✨ Document concerns, questions, strengths, and barriers in writing ✨ Communicate & Collaborate with the team Link: https://lnkd.in/eSY6YhWn Like, share, save, comment, and follow for more content like this! #SpecialEducation #MilitaryChildren #MilitaryFamilies #EFMP #KindergartenPrep #Transition #Communication #Collaboration

📚✨ How has the back-to-school season been for you and your little ones? We’d love to hear about your experiences, challenges, and successes! 🎒 Some of our military learners are back in school (South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and Virginia) how has that been for you? For your learner?  As we dive into the new school year, we want to make our content as relevant and helpful as possible. What topics or resources would you like to see us cover? Drop your ideas in the comments below! Let’s support each other in making this year the best one yet. 🌟 #MilitaryChildren #MilitaryFamilies #SpecialEducation #EFMP #BackToSchool #ParentSupport #Advocacy

📢 Principle #6 - Procedural Safeguards Whenever you attend an IEP meeting the team should provide you with a copy of your procedural safeguards and review them. Some parents will decline if they already have a copy. So what does this mean? 1. Parents are entitled to notice in writing including: ✨A parental rights notice to provide information about special education, procedural safeguards, and student and parent rights ✨Notice in writing of IEP meetings ✨Prior written notice whenever the school proposes to change or refuses to change the educational programming or educational placement of their child 2. Parents are entitled to access student records: ✨They may review educational records for their child ✨They may obtain copies of educational records for their child ✨They may place a statement of correction or explanation in the student’s record if it contains something they disagree with 3. Parents have a variety of procedural protections they can invoke when they disagree with educators: ✨The Resolution Facilitator Process ✨A Mediation Conference ✨A Formal Written Complaint ✨A Due Process Hearing  For further information, check your procedural safeguards and your state's special education handbook.  #MilitaryChildren #MilitaryFamilies #EFMP #SpecialEducation #FAPE #ProceduralSafeguards

📢 Principle #5 - Parent and Student participation in decision-making Parents and students are considered integral members of their IEP team. Meaningful parent and student participation is key, and if it doesn't happen, it is a denial of FAPE.  1. The development, review, and revision of the IEP 2. Educational placement decisions 3. Determining what data needs to be collected during evaluation 4. Reviewing evaluation data 5. Transition planning and services starting by age 14 (state dependent) #MilitaryChildren #MilitaryFamilies #EFMP #SpecialEducation #FAPE #ParentParticipation #StudentParticipation

📢 Principle #4 - Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) IDEA requires that your student is "...To the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities, including children in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who are not disabled."  What does the LRE environment mean: ✨ The child’s individual disability-related needs must justify any placement outside the general education classroom - make sure the data supports the placement and that the placement isn't geared by the school's unwillingness to support in the general education classroom  ✨Students must have meaningful access to same-age peers without disabilities, when appropriate. ✨Schools must consider providing any needed services in the general education classroom and other integrated settings - this may mean a 1 on 1 in the general education classroom  ✨Involvement in music, art, physical education, school trips, clubs, extracurricular and other activities must be accommodated ✨Funding is never an appropriate reason for a more restrictive placement ✨States must maintain a full range of placement options to meet the needs of children who require specialized treatment programs. #MilitaryChildren #MilitaryFamilies #EFMP #SpecialEducation #LRE

📢 Principle #3 - Individualized Education Program (IEP) An IEP is a document for students found eligible by 1 of the 13 categories of eligibility who require specifically designed instruction to access the same curriculum as their non-disabled peers and it's important to understand that special education is not a place! #MilitaryChildren #MilitaryFamilies #EFMP #SpecialEducation #AppropriateEvaluation