In This Issue

Online Resources

Dear Friends and Family Caregivers,

Are you looking for more information about special education? This month's Special EDition gives online sources for parents, professionals and youth.

Where can I find information to help my child in school?

Whether getting ready for a meeting with your child's school or simply trying to understand special education services, knowledge is power. Having information can help you become comfortable with the special education process. Luckily, there are many resources available for parents and professionals.

Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the US Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) funds a network of centers that distribute information about special education and related services. This network is called the Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network (TA&D). Centers in the TA&D Network often focus on specific regions or topics, so different centers offer different types of information. Take a look at some examples of the resources available through TA&D.

Then visit The Matrix to search for resources by state, topic, or center.

Many organizations have their own articles, books, fact sheets, and legal resources. Some helpful sources are listed here.

Information Centers

• The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NDC/NICHCY) is an easy-to-use source on disabilities, special education laws, and effective education practices. NICHCY is a good place to start looking for information. If you search the NICHCY site, you will also find resources offered by other information centers.
• Reading Rockets supports children who have had trouble learning to read. Their "For Parents" section gives tips on how to help your child's learning both at school and at home.
• While not part of the TA&D Network, the Wrightslaw site contains both legal information and a long list of topics. Attorney Peter and Pamela Wright have also written helpful books on special education law and effective advocacy for children with disabilities.

Early Childhood Resources

• The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC), is the place to go to learn about early childhood services. NECTAC links to a variety of topic pages, legal resources, and contacts. In addition, their Early Childhood Research and Reference Portal links to other helpful publications. Though this website is geared toward professionals, the resources are available for anyone to use.

Resources on Behavior / Instruction

• Look to the Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) for information on helping your child with challenging behaviors. PBIS provides articles and training on how to use positive interventions at school, at home, and in the community.
• National Center on RTI (NCRTI) provides in-depth information on Response to Intervention (RTI). RTI is a general education approach designed to identify and provide peer-reviewed interventions to help students struggling with learning and in developing positive educational skills. This RTI approach, with careful intervention and monitoring, can uncover disabilities that may qualify a child for special education services and is a new IDEA evaluation approach authorized by Congress in 2004.

Technology Resources

• The Family Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD) is one of a handful of assistive technology (AT) information centers in the TA&D Network. FCTD is written for families and youth. It provides a glossary of AT terms. FCTD has developed fact sheets and publications about how to include AT in the IEP. Congress has mandated that technology needed to assist students with special education needs must be considered by IEP teams.

Resources on Outcomes

• The National Center on Education Outcomes (NCEO) focuses on national standards for public education. For parents of students who receive special education services, NCEO provides information on including students with disabilities in national education assessments and standards. For example, NCEO offers publications on No Child Left Behind (NCLB) as it applies to students who have IEPs.

Dispute Resolution Resources

• The National Center on Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) helps you learn how to deal with disagreements that may arise during the special education process. They lay out how disputes between schools and families move forward, covering everything from how to prevent disputes to how to take legal action. CADRE offers publications on mediation, parent-school collaboration, formal complaints, and other topics.

California Resources

• For parents in California, one of the best resources for special education is the Special Education Rights and Responsibilities (SERR) Handbook. Published by Disability Rights California (DRC) and the Community Alliance for Special Education (CASE), this book (available by order in hard copy or free online) covers national and CA special education laws in one easy-to-read Question & Answer book. Understand that states can improve upon federal laws and CA has in some significant ways contained in this book.

UPCOMING DREDF WORKSHOPS
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. SPACE IS LIMITED.

Understanding the Special Education Process:
An overview of the special education process, Section 504, and IDEA laws.
Date: Second Monday of the month, not offered in July or August
Next Offered: December 13, 2010
Time: 6:00 — 8:30 pm (Pizza included!)
Where: DREDF, Ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline St, Berkeley, CA 94703
Classroom: The Bernard T. Osher Learning Center, First Floor
To Register: Contact Katie at (510) 644-2555 X5227 or kkeil@dredf.org

© 2010

Advocacy Tip of the Month:
Need education information for your child with a disability? An Education Advocate at DREDF or your local PTI can help.

Acronyms:
AT — Assistive Technology
CADRE — National Center on Dispute Resolution in Special Education
DRC — Disability Rights California
CASE — Community Alliance for Special Education
FCTD — Family Center on Technology and Disability
IDEA — Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
IEP — Individualized Education Plan
NCEO — National Center on Education Outcomes
NCLB — No Child Left Behind
NCRTI — National Center on RTI
NDC/NICHCY — National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
NECTAC — National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center
OSEP — Office of Special Education Programs at the US Department of Education
PBIS — Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
PTI — Parent Training & Information Center
RTI — Response to Intervention
SERR — Special Education Rights & Responsibilities
TA&D Net — Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network