by Common Ground | Aug 12, 2019 | Parents, Professionals, Teachers
By Joanne DeSimone As an advocate, I help parents and district case managers find appropriate placement options for their students. As a special educator and parent of two children with disabilities, I use the knowledge I’ve acquired from sitting on both sides of the...
by Common Ground | May 6, 2019 | Parents
By Bob Cunningham, Ed.M. Was your child recently evaluated — either by the school, a private clinic or independent evaluator? It’s important to share the report with your child’s teacher (if the evaluator or your lawyer, if you have one, doesn’t object). Here are...
by Common Ground | Jan 22, 2018 | Parents
By Joanne DeSimone I recently took notice of a headline which read, “Alabama school board member considers institutionalization for special ed students.” Early into the video, school board member Ms. Ella Bell says, “Is it against the law for us to establish perhaps...
by Common Ground | Feb 18, 2016 | Parents
By Joanne DeSimone He was 5 years old and autistic but reachable. He was delayed, but came to your kindergarten class counting, knowing his alphabet and writing his name. There were sensory issues that couldn’t be avoided in a large New York City classroom, and I...
by Common Ground | Sep 12, 2011 | Parents
By Lisa Shields After a child is born, parents focus on the “milestones:” Sitting up. Crawling. First Words. Walking. For parents of kids with disabilities, milestones hold their luster. We become less interested in the “time line” than we are in the actual...
by Common Ground | Jun 1, 2011 | Features, Parents, Q&A, Teachers
By Ira M. Fingles, Esq., and Elizabeth M. Roberts, Psy.D. Under federal law, a student with disabilities is entitled to special education and related services until age 21, or until the student accepts a diploma – whichever comes first. The decision about when a...
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