The special education system has grown into an amazingly complicated process, filled with pitfalls for the unwary. Parents need to know the rules and have their facts and arguments prepared and thought out before they walk in the door.
These workshops use a specially-developed color-coded Education Planner Organizer and Guide for parents, developed by Casparino and Feinstein, to show parents how to organize themselves to get what their children need. Every participant will leave with their own copy of the Education Planner Organizer and Guide as well as the skills and knowledge to use the organizer effectively.
Why Attend?
In our years of working with parents, we have learned that those who are best organized going into meetings with school staff fare best.
Being organized means having the right pieces of paper with you, knowing where they are and what they contain and being able to find what you need when you need it.
We decided to create this planner to help parents get organized prior to meeting with school staff so they can get what their children need to have a free appropriate public education.
Parents frequently ask us how to secure an appropriate educational program for their child. The key to success for parents is to identify what it is that they need for their child. Determining what your child needs means understanding the child's special needs and communicating those needs effectively to school officials. Effective communication is impossible without strong organization.
That is why the Organizer and this workshop are vital.
Participant Comments
"This seminar, and the educational organizer that goes with it, gives parents a much needed roadmap to the bewildering, complex world of special education and teaches parents how to advocate effectively for their children. I can't recommend it enough." Robin - Monroe, CT
"Helpful and interesting format. It was especially beneficial to hear Andy's and Kathleen's different perspectives. I encourage parents to attend." Diane - Birth to Three Coordinator - Westport, CT
Topics Covered
The Special Education Organizer and Guide covers the following areas:
- Maintaining and using a log of phone calls with school officials, teachers, evaluators, service providers, therapists and medical professionals.
- Tracking general education information, including grades, CMT scores, school projects. Know what to retain and what to discard. Learn what to look for in these records.
- Understanding assessments, both those conducted by the district and those secured privately.
- Getting ready to be a strong participant at PPT meetings. Using present level of performance to create goals and objectives and to ensure an appropriate program.
- Collecting work samples to see if your child is making progress on IEP goals and objectives. Setting up a portfolio.
- Knowing your rights if a serious dispute arises between you and the school district.
Workshop Leaders
 Kathleen R. Casparino, M.Ed. is a former special education teacher and administrator who has devoted the last nine years to advocating on behalf of families with children with disabilities. She coordinates a 10-session special education seminar for CACLD each year and is the owner of Connecticut Educational Advisors, LLC. She resides in Madison with her husband and three children.
www.ctedadvisors.com
 Andrew A. Feinstein, J.D., has a law practice in Mystic that is solely devoted to protecting the legal rights of families and children with disabilities. He has represented families in the special education process for the past 12 years. He frequently, writes, teaches and lectures on special education law. He lives in Mystic with his wife. His two grown children live nearby.
www.attorneyfeinstein.com
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