Posts Tagged special

Can Special Education Personnel Pick And Choose Services And What About Waiting Lists

Have you been told by special education personnel that they do not provide Applied Behavioral Analysis therapy, for children with autism? Have you been told that your school district only provides certain services, due to money issues? Is your child on a waiting list for educational or related services? This article will discuss whether the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA), allows special education personnel to only provide certain services to children with a disability. Also discussed, are children put on waiting lists for related and educational services.

IDEA defines special education as: specially designed instruction at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability…

The purpose of IDEA is to provide an education that meets a child’s unique needs and prepares the child for further education, employment and independent living.

Special Education Personnel cannot pick and choose which services that they are going to offer to children with disabilities. That having been said, many school personnel do try and limit what services that they will give children. This is the reason why it is critical that you stand up to special education personnel, who may ruin your child’s life by not giving them the services that they need.

If special education personnel try and limit your child’s services, ask them to show you, under what authority they have the right to deny your child needed educational services (there isn’t any). Remember what special education is-special designed instruction to meet the unique needs of your child.

Also, consider getting an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) of your child to prove what services that your child needs. The evaluator can participate in an IEP meeting by telephone, when the evaluations recommendations are discussed.

Waiting lists are also not allowed under IDEA. The difficulty is that when special education personnel state that they are putting your child on a waiting list, it sounds like it could be reasonable. It is not until you find out that waiting lists are not allowed, that you realize that you have been deceived. Always ask special education personnel to prove to you in writing, that what they are saying is the truth. If they cannot show you in writing that what they said is truthful; it probably is not.

For Example: Your 3 year old child with autism needs Applied Behavioral Analysis Treatment. The special education personnel, tells you that the class is full, and that they are waiting for additional funding for a new class. But in the mean time, your child will be put on a waiting list. Write them a letter, documenting what they said, and ask them to show you where it states in federal or state law, that they are allowed to have waiting lists (they aren’t). File for a state complaint for violation of your child’s rights.

By understanding what special education personnel can and cannot do under IDEA, helps you in your advocacy efforts for your child. Do not give up fighting for an appropriate education for your child, or their life may be forever ruined!

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10 Reasons to Consider Attending a Christian University

One can look at many reasons for pursuing further learning in Christian colleges; foremost of which is that we want to integrate spiritual growth with our college education. Christian universities can provide you with this opportunity and a lot, lot more.

Let us go through the major reasons to consider attending one of these learning institutions.

  1. This type of learning institution is growing in number. Their umbrella organization has recently reported a significant increase in their roster of member-institutions to 70% from their number in the past 2 decades.
  2. These learning institutions thrive in diversity. Contrary to what several of us believe, these schools are as diverse as their non-sectarian counterparts. In fact, the African-American segment in their student population is pegged at 10% and higher in some schools and their number has grown three times their original number for the last 10 years.
  3. These schools are actively involved in the green advocacy. The majority of these schools have taken the lead with their green initiatives including, high value self sustaining green villages and innovative student volunteer programs.
  4. You will be stone-cold sober in these schools. Students, professors and other members of the school community strictly adhere to the doctrines and teachings in The Bible. These basic teachings are enshrined in the schools guidelines and regulations.
  5. Students in these schools benefit from relevant and practical vocational learning programs. Under the auspices of the SIFE, those who are enrolled in these learning institutions are given the chance to perform valuable services to the community as a parallel component of the school-based core learning programs.
  6. These learning institutions are strong when it comes to cutting-edge learning programs using the state of the art and latest technology. It is quite normal to see the students use their iPod and iPhone in their learning activities.
  7. These schools offer unlimited off-campus opportunities to their students. The students of these learning institutions can adopt off-campus learning programs that bridge and fill in the gaps in differing culture and values. Students can choose to pursue studies on special interests including journalism, film making, music and others. Students can also participate in programs that are implemented in countries such as China, Australia, the Middle East, Latin America and Uganda.
  8. If you are looking for warm and competent professors, then these learning institutions must be included in your search. These educators are very popular for their commitment to mentor and support their students until they finally finish the course program and complete their college education.
  9. These learning institutions entertain not only the college age student but also those who want to pursue continuing education. This includes a comprehensive adult learning system.
  10. Students of these learning institutions benefit from the synergy of the tie-up between their school and that of their overseas counterpart school. This means that students of these learning institutions are able to hone their skills by participating in special programs that include online learning programs and program completion of the college degree.

Attending a religious based university has its advantages. You can do a lot of additional research on the internet for Universities that are available nationwide to determine which one is best for you.

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Of School Grades and Admission Essays

The value of a College Admission Essay or graduate school admission essay, as part of the college or graduate admissions process can never be over-emphasized. To validate the value of an admission essay or graduate school admission essay, let us look at the following illustration:

James and John are two good friends who share one common dream: to become doctors. James wants to specialize in pediatrics while John is bent on concentrating in orthopedic surgery. After finishing their respective pre-med undergraduate studies and armed with almost identical grade point averages, and also identical scores in the standardized admissions tests (SAT and MCAT) the two buddies decide to apply to the same Medical schools. In his Admission Essay, James decided to list and discuss his school experiences, including his extracurricular works and achievements. He has quite a lot since he has a number of relatives as well as close friends who are either working or used to work in various hospitals and clinics. Gaining the needed medical exposure proved quite easy for him. He wrote them all down, since he figured that the more experiences and accomplishments he could present, the better will be his chances of getting admitted.

John, on the other hand, took a slightly different approach. He realized that he will be stepping into a higher level of learning, where school grades may not be the only determining factor for admission. He believed that detailed and personal experiences will also count a lot. So in his Admission Essay, John listed and discussed two memorable accounts or experiences. He particularly mentioned his volunteer work in a housing facility for the aged in the outskirts of the city where he was exposed to the usual problems of many senior citizens in the physical as well as in the emotional realm of life.

John also cited in his Admission Essay his involvement in a suburban clinic near the university where he was then studying wherein he processed and prepared the medical documents of the clinic’s senior patients.

In both accounts, as listed down in his Admission Essay, John provided a comprehensive detail of the nature of his work, the particulars of the clinic he worked for, and the insights he was able to collate in the course of his work. He realized that compared to his good friend James, he had limited resources, both in finances and in contacts. So what he did is to present a lengthy and specific discussion of his personal background and the limited experiences that he was able to acquire given the restrictions that he faced then. John presented all these in painstaking detail, adding in a few of his own personal observations as well as the lessons that the experiences taught him.

When the results of the admissions exams was released including the Admission Essay, James and John discovered they had to go their separate ways. John was admitted to the medical school of his choice while James settled for his second choice.

What did the preceding illustration seek to imply? That high grades alone is not a guaranteed passport to admission in a college or university. This is especially true in this modern times wherein people in the academe are not impressed anymore with excellent grades and a high test score. They want more from a prospective candidate. Specifically, they want a background profile of the candidate, a look into his real self, his life and his goals, his experiences and the lessons that these gave him. The kind of information that can never be revealed by a high MCAT or GPA but can possibly be reflected in a Admission Essay.

But such information can only be provided by the applicant himself. This is where the Admission Essay will play a key role. This is where the candidate is requested to supply the data mentioned above and to supply them in clear and specific, and if possible, crisp and fresh, fashion.

Often, it is in this part of the admissions process, i.e., the Admission Essay, that could mean the difference between acceptance or rejection. Many applicants are like James. They possess a nonchalant attitude towards admission essays, thinking that it is not an integral part of the application process, or they feel over confident because they have the right grades and test scores. But the truth is, school officials take admissions essays quite seriously. And coming up with a detailed and clearly-defined admission essay is as valuable as performing well in the admissions test itself. An applicant should not separate one from the other. If he is wishing to gain access to the college or university of his choice then he should be aware of the fact that admission essays constitute a vital portion of the application process. As such, it should be taken seriously and given sufficient preparation in the same manner that one thoroughly prepares for the MCAT itself.

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Distance Learning – Advantages and Disadvantages

There are advantages and disadvantages to distance learning. The advantages are making this online alternative very popular. But, before you decide to choose distance education over traditional learning, you should be aware of the disadvantages, too.

Advantages of Distance Learning:

Convenience: In this economy, it is difficult to take time away from work to further an education towards a more secure future. An advantage of distance education is that it makes it possible for you to maintain employment without a conflict in schedule. Distance learning allows students to attend class anytime day or night.

Availability: Another advantage of distance learning is that you are not limited to only courses offered by local colleges. With personal responsibilities already in place, attending schools at a greater distance away from home is not always an option. Distance education makes it possible to take almost any course from any higher learning institution.

Increased Resources: Distance learning not only provides advantages of broadening the courses and programs available at your convenience, it also provides more opportunities for feedback and interaction with instructors and fellow students. Since email and forums are integral components of distance learning, interaction can all be done as needed – not limited to class or campus time or playing phone tag and voice mail.

Disadvantages of Distance Learning

Deadlines: As with any course, there are deadlines to be met. Because you aren’t attending a scheduled class, deadlines may get away from you. This can be a disadvantage of distance learning if you aren’t good with time management.

Studying: It may be difficult to find enough online time without interruption since you’ll be attending class at home. Instructors provide a syllabus so you should be able to create a schedule around the course schedule. You may need to make arrangements with a sitter or spouse to watch the kids plus remember to turn off the TV and the phone.

Testing: Testing may need to be supervised or timed online to keep you honest, especially for the final exam. Your instructor will make arrangements with local educators or provide you with timed online tests so you can’t rely on using your text book to pass. If you live close to the school, you may be required to take the exam at the testing center. You’ll need to be sure to spend as much time studying as you would learning in the traditional way, but there may be more distractions.

Interaction: Discussion board posts and replies are usually included in the course requirements. Sometimes, you must interact in a forum discussion during a set time so you may interact with your instructor in real time. Again, you need to be able to manage your time to be available without distractions.

Learning Style: Another disadvantage to distance learning is that the course may not include instruction for the auditory or visual learner. If there are lecture and supplemental videos included, then it may work for your learning style. Be sure to check the instructor’s style to teaching before you decide on the course. The course may be offered by more than one instructor – each of whom may have different teaching styles.

Successful Distance Learning

To be successful as a distance learner, you must weigh the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning. For your first time as a distance learner, enroll in just one course that you will enjoy and see how it goes.

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