by Common Ground | Sep 22, 2012 | Capitols
“If a parent seeks an independent evaluation in an area not assessed as part of the initial evaluation or a reevaluation, the school district shall first have the opportunity to conduct the requested evaluation.”This spring, the U.S. Department of...
by Common Ground | Sep 21, 2012 | Parents, Professionals, Q&A, Teachers
An assistive technology (AT) device is used to maintain or improve the functional capabilities of a student with a disability. An assistive technology service assists in the selection, acquisition, or use of an AT device, and incorporates evaluations, modifications,...
by Common Ground | Sep 20, 2012 | Snapshot
School Completion Rates New Jersey ranks #1 in the nation in the percentage of students who graduate. New Jersey’s gradation rate is estimated at 87 percent, above the national average of 73 percent. In New Jersey, 69 percent of black students complete high...
by Common Ground | Sep 19, 2012 | Features
“One exciting trend in the AT marketplace is the use of off-the-shelf consumer electronics in the classroom to assist students with a wide range of learning differences.”By Brian S. Friedlander, Ph.D. From iPads to iPhones, we are living in a world in...
by Common Ground | Apr 16, 2012 | Snapshot
Approximately one in every five children will have a tic at some point in their development. Eye blinking is the most common first tic. Over 23% of children in special education classes have tics. Tourette syndrome is much more common in males than in females. The...
by Common Ground | Apr 16, 2012 | Letters
Dear Editor: Now is an historic time in New Jersey education. Parents—including parents of students with disabilities—should be aware of the opportunity to fundamentally transform New Jersey’s public school education system to the benefit of all students, including...
by Common Ground | Apr 16, 2012 | Parents, Professionals, Q&A, Teachers
“Children with apraxia often have family members who have a history of communication disorders or learning disabilities. This observation and recent research findings suggest that genetic factors may play a role in the disorder.” Apraxia of speech (called...
by Common Ground | Apr 16, 2012 | Capitols
OCR found that school officials in a Burlington County district illegally required the family of a child with autism to pay for services.In the last two years, federal officials have launched dozens of new probes addressing civil rights issues that previously received...
by Common Ground | Apr 16, 2012 | Capitols
The New Jersey Department of Education has issued a corrective action plan for a north Jersey school district. The order is in response to a complaint investigation initiated by a non-attorney advocate last fall. According to the report, students placed in a...
by Common Ground | Apr 16, 2012 | Capitols
U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Education Committee, has introduced a bill (S.2020) that would establish national standards on the use of restraints and seclusion in school. The “Keeping All Students Safe Act” would prohibit seclusion, as well as...
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