Get ready for a wild ride! There is nothing that compares to the up and downs that you experience with a learning disabled child. Their successes and their failures are felt much more acutely because they and you have to work so hard to achieve. The ability to gain access to the necessary programs and supports can also be a huge battle. This is not impossible. I have two dyslexic children and advocate for others.

Know the law. Find all the information you can. The federal governments education department offers free publications and access to these publications. You want IDEIA 04, this is education law, Section 504 from the office of civil rights and The Americans with Disabilities Act. These three all combine an umbrella of protections for a child with an individual education program (iep). Once you find the federal laws you need to find your states regulations that outline how they conform to the federal laws. This is done through your state education department. The regulations outline your child's rights and protections. Learn them.

Network. Meet other parents of special needs children. Certain list serves offered by search engines have groups you can join. Most of these have parents who will share and offer information in regard to specific issues. You can locate groups in your area that offer advocacy assistance. Information on various evaluators others have used as well as the benefit of their experience with school systems, county services and availability of assistance you may not have been aware of. Some have members that are also special education attorneys and teachers. This allows you to ask questions and get answers.

Know your child's needs. Schools have to do their own evaluations to determine your child's needs. You probably realized before the school told you that your child needed help. Learn about the issues that affect your child in all settings. Trust your instincts. You will have meetings with the schools team who are there to identify and provide their findings and based on that the appropriate program. This must be objective information. Ask yourself if the information being presented is subjective or objective? Document everything. Once you put together a program you will have to revisit it to tweak what has worked and what has not. These are not written in stone. Do not wait an entire year to fix a program that was not effective in December. You may have disagreements. This happens. Read the regulations. This will help you.

Continue to read, research and advocate for your child. Who else will? The payoffs are huge. Especially at graduation.

Learn more about this author, Deborah Holmes.
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