All Things Special About Education

When we think of access and accessibility, we generally think of the way people enter buildings but it’s so much more than that. In this episode we talk about how accessibility and universal design can be incorporated into physical spaces and programming so that we can meet the needs of the most people regardless of their age and ability. Find more information about KY IEP Advocate here - www.kyiepadvocate.orgWhat to support our podcast and use a cute notebook? Grab one here - https://a.co/d/clehUWb

What happens when a support or service isn’t available? This happens most commonly with weather or sickness and it can feel stressful for everyone. One thing that can be helpful is to agree upon a back up plan before it’s needed and document it in the student’s IEP. This allows the ARC team to be thoughtful about the most appropriate backup plan that can best meet the student’s needs. It also prevents the decision having to be made by a single person in real time. All Things Special About Education has a notebook for you to take notes while you’re listening to our podcast. You can find it here - https://a.co/d/3xFo5q6You can find more information about KY IEP Advocate at www.kyIEPadvocate.com

Guest:Nick Caprino, Attorney at the Children's Law Center in Northern Kentuckyncaprino@childrenslawky.orgAcronyms, Highlights, & Links:Consent to Evaluate Form = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/forms/Documents/Consent%20to%20Evaluate%20ReEvaluate%20rev1.pdfRemember! "X" = will be evaluated & "E" references finding of a previous evaluationProcedural Safeguards/Parents Rights = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/GuidanceResources/Documents/Procedural_Safeguards_Notice.pdfARC Meeting = Admissions and Release CommitteeIEP = Individualized Education ProgramIDEA = Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (https://sites.ed.gov/idea/)Preparation before meeting: -Clearly identify and be specific about the issues at hand.-Think of potential solutions (including those that seem obvious or "dream" solutions). -Share an outline of issues with the school before the ARC meeting. During the meeting: -Discuss the specifics of the issues at hand. -Speak up! You are the expert in your own child and your concerns and questions are valid. -Present the solutions you brainstormed ahead of the meeting. Don't worry if they say no to a solution. The next step is to ask "why" with the goal to move toward a comparable solution. -If a potential solution requires additional time and/or data collection, agree upon a deadline and set a date for a follow up meeting. -Conference summary report serves as the official record of the meeting. Record keeping outside of the meeting-Make sure everything is in writing at some point in time. If a phone call is made in response to an email, be sure to follow up that phone call with an email summary. Send those emails to someone in the school's administration, someone in the district's special education department, someone from the school's special education department, and someone else that you trust (ex: a general education teacher). You can request that all of these individuals are a part of the ARC team attending meetings. https://www.childrenslawky.orgwww.kyIEPadvocate.orgTakeaways:Remember, a lack of resources is not an excuse to not meet the requirements to educate your child. Thoughtfully prepare ahead of the ARC meetings, participate during the meeting, and keep a record of anything happening outside of the meeting in email form.

Episode 012 - Amber Devine- Stinson, CCC-SLP (2/2)Guest Info = Amber Devine Stinson, CCC-SLPConsent to Evaluate Form = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/forms/Documents/Consent%20to%20Evaluate%20ReEvaluate%20rev1.pdf-Remember! "X" = will be evaluated & "E" references finding of a previous evaluationProcedural Safeguards/Parents Rights = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/GuidanceResources/Documents/Procedural_Safeguards_Notice.pdfASHA = American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (https://www.ASHA.org) to find a Speech Therapist in your area Communication Bill of Rights (https://www.asha.org/siteassets/njc/njc-communication-bill-rights.pdf) = put out by the NJC-The right to interact socially, maintain social closeness, and build relationships. -The right to request desired objects, actions, events, and people.-The right to refuse and reject undesired objects, actions, events, or choices. -The right to express personal preferences and feelings. -The right to make choices form meaningful alternatives. -The right to make comments and share opinions. -The right to ask for and give information including changes about routine and environment.-The right to be informed about people and events in one's life. -The right to access interventions and supports that improve communication. -The right to have communication acts acknowledged and responded to even when the outcome cannot be realized. -The right to have access to functioning AAC & other AT services and devices at all times. -The right to access environmental contexts, interactions, and opportunities that promote participation as full communication partners including their peers. -The right to be treated with dignity and addressed with respect and courtesy. -The right to be addressed directly and not be spoken for or talked about while present. -The right to have clear, meaningful, and culturally & linguistically appropriate communications. NJC = National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities (https://www.asha.org/njc/history/?srsltid=AfmBOoo-MmSM8bjOwjEr6CNwLTQgBW1n8-1FKWHGf_sWdRd0vg1i3VbN)AAC = Augmented and Alternative Communication AT = Assistive Technologywww.KYIEPAdvocate.org

Episode 011 - Communication Status Evaluations with Amber Devine-Stinson, CCC-SLP (1/2)Guest Info = Amber Devine-Stinson, CCC-SLPAmber.cccslp@gmail.comConsent to Evaluate Form = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/forms/Documents/Consent%20to%20Evaluate%20ReEvaluate%20rev1.pdfRemember! "X" = will be evaluated & "E" references finding of a previous evaluationProcedural Safeguards/Parents Rights = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/GuidanceResources/Documents/Procedural_Safeguards_Notice.pdfImportant Reminder = If there is a suspected deficit in speech, no further evaluation should be completed until a hearing screening has been completed and passed. If not passed, a hearing assessment should be recommended and completed before moving forward with assessment.Like what you’re hearing and want to take notes? You can get an All Things Special About Education notebook here - https://a.co/d/bc11fRJ

Guest Info = Rachel Brown, MAEd, Certified Psych Examiner and Clinical Team Lead at Come Play, STL https://www.comeplaystl.comKentucky Department of Education Consent to Evaluate =https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/forms/Documents/Consent%20to%20Evaluate%20ReEvaluate%20rev1.pdfCVC words = words that follow the consonant, vowel, consonant patternProcedural Safeguards/Parents Rights = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/GuidanceResources/Documents/Procedural_Safeguards_Notice.pdfFind out more about KY IEP Advocate by visiting our website here - www.KYIEPAdvocate.orgTakeaways:Academic Performance section on the Consent to Evaluate Form (top right corner)What do skill deficits look like that would trigger evaluation? Basic Reading: skills you need to become a fluent reader that can comprehend what you're reading. Word recognition vs. decoding slower. What strategies are they using to figure out an unknown word? Do they transpose letters? Where are they struggling and what is that specific skill deficit? Reading Comprehension: Can they take all of the words they just read and make sense of them? This is often viewed in other subjects beyond English Language Arts. Ex: a child struggling in math might actually have a deficit in reading comprehension.Reading Fluency: timed reading; accuracy while reading; are they paying attention to punctuation? Does it sound conversational?Coping mechanisms that kids can develop to adapt are importantEx: deflection with questions or answering with what they do know instead of the question askedIt's important to look for patterns and collect a lot of data. Note that there is a lot of overlap in the boxes. Be mindful of native language and cultural differences that may impact reading skills

Guest Info = Robyn Coleman, School Psychologist & Owner of Full Spectrum Educational Consulting She works with districts and families specializing in autism and multi-lingual learners, dyslexia, and systems change. FullSpectrumEC.comFSEConsultants@gmail.comARC = Admissions & Release Committee; person organizing, communicating, and taking notes at IEP-related meetingsFSIQ = Full Scale IQ that is one number that combines all of the index scoresGAI = Full Scale Index with the working index and processing speed removed; typically used when there is a motor issue (potentially impacting writing) or ADHD (potentially impacting processing time)IEE = Independent Educational Evaluation; you're entitled to one IEE per every evaluationsIQ Test = standardized intelligence test often given by the school psychologist at school; used to determine what services and support may be needed; intellectual disabilities are below the 70-75 range paired with daily living skills in the same range; 130 is the start of the range for giftednessNVI = nonverbal indexPSI = Processing Speed IndexVCI = Verbal Comprehension IndexProcedural Safeguards/Parents Rights = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/GuidanceResources/Documents/Procedural_Safeguards_Notice.pdfFind out more about KY IEP Advocate by visiting our website here - www.KYIEPAdvocate.org

ARC Chair = Admissions Release Committee Chair; person that is organizing the meeting, communicating, and documenting notes (may also be called an Implementation Coach)Meeting Notice Document = https://www.education.ky.gov/specialed/excep/GuidanceResources/Documents/ARC_Meeting_Notice_Blank.pdfMore info about KY IEP Advocate can be found here - www.kyIEPadvocate.org