(DOWNLOAD) "Parents' Rights in Special Education: The Readability of Procedural Safeguards." by Exceptional Children * eBook PDF Kindle ePub Free

eBook details

Title: Parents' Rights in Special Education: The Readability of Procedural Safeguards.
Author : Exceptional Children
Release Date : January 22, 2006
Genre: Education,Books,Professional & Technical,
Pages : * pages
Size : 225 KB

Description

The decision to place a student in special education is an important one (Allen, 2002), because every child may not benefit from such a placement (Epps & Tindal, 1987). Additional concerns include the stigmatizing effects of diagnostic labels (Blatt, 1972) and the expense involved in providing special education services, which cost the nation more than $78 billion annually (U.S. Department of Education, 2001). Conversely, children may be harmed when they are in need of special education services but do not receive them (Lyon & Fletcher, 2001). Special education law recognizes the importance of educational decisions; for that reason, a child cannot be placed in special education unless his or her parents agree to such a placement (Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997, IDEA, 1997). In recognition of the important role of parents in the decision-making process, IDEA mandated that parents receive a document explaining their educational rights and responsibilities any time their child is referred for an evaluation, and at other times throughout the special education process. That mandate was reaffirmed with passage of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004). These documents may be called Procedural Safeguards, Parents' Rights and Responsibilities, or Child and Parent Rights in Special Education. To avoid confusion, the term Parents' Rights will be used to refer to these documents. Federal law specifies that Parents' Rights documents must contain certain information, including a detailed explanation of parents' and students' rights related to the evaluation and special education process (IDEA 1997; IDEA 2004). When parents receive this information, it is assumed that they understand it, and they will be able to make informed and appropriate decisions regarding their child's education. In reality, research has shown that parents often do not understand the written information provided to them by the school (Brantlinger, 1987; Cranwell & Miller, 1987; Shriver & Kramer, 1993).