We believe that most of the information about autism is
with you, among the parents of children with autism and PDD.
We seek to put you parents together so you can improve the lives of
your children and families.
The on-line eMail list is a vital source of information.
Imagine
asking a question about your child and having over 400 parents who have
faced the same question see the question and offer advice. When you
post
an eMail question to the list, it is automatically transmitted to
everyone
on the list. Those who can answer the question will suggest an
answer,
and often inspire others to post further leads. Do you have a
question
about a particular doctor or a therapy, the side effects of a suggested
medication, the policies of a school district, how to handle
grandparents,
or how to teach a discrete trial drill? The topics discussed by
our
on-line group are endless and lively. You sometimes can get an
answer
within minutes of posting to the list.
Over the last few years, parents have increased the public
awareness
of autism and increased the funding of medical research to discover the
causes and cures of whatever underlies autism and PDD. Only when
we parents stand united and informed will our children have medical
attention
they deserve and the protection of their educational rights. We
hope
that this network of parents, by facilitating communication among the
parents,
will form the seeds of progress.
The Autism News Network is noncommercial and your email address will
not be sold. It operates solely on the volunteer efforts of you
parents
and the newsletter moms and dads.
Being the parent of children with autism or PDD is challenging and
demanding.
We ask for a blessing on you for your undertakings and hope that your
families
achieve as much progress as possible.
To join the e-list group, click: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/AutismNews/join
We also have a Parent
Packet This is a first source to find help in these parts,
and is loaded with facts, phone numbers and lists of help.
The news page lists current information
on new theories, fundraisers, tax help, insurance help, art, aid,
seminars, and anything our readers suggest.
Why methodology belongs
in your child's
IEP
Repeated
by popular demand, this review of the Federal Regulations is a must
reading
before any IEP or placement meeting. Methodology is the most
important
part ofyour child's education, and you can discuss it at the
IEP
meeting and include the methodology your child needs into the IEP
document
itself.
Insurance
News Update, a court victory and a new State statute.
New: Illinois
should eliminate the "habilitation"
exclusion from health insurance
Strategies to combat harassment in the schools. December 2003. This page lists
the laws which prohibit harassment of children with disabilities in the
school and strategies for getting bullying and harassment to
stop.
Again a work in progress, and your feedback and ideas are welcome.
The Ten Things The Student
with Autism Wishes You Knew, By Ellen Notbohm
The Ten Things The Child
with Autism Wishes You Knew by Schaefer
Prior Written Notice under IDEA: A Potential
Tool for Advocating for your Child
Many commentators believe that using a demand for Prior Written Notice
may be a powerful tool to get school districts to take a position and
commit to giving adequate services for your children. While the
legal
efficacy is not clear, especially in Illinois, these resources can help
you put a PWN demand together. It just might work. This
page describes how PWN is used and provides sample letter
Referrals
for Evaluations
An article discussing the timing of placement after a referral
for evaluation. An IEP must be done within 60 days after the
parents
sign the consent for evaluation.
Extended
School
Year and Summer School
ESY: It's not just regression-recoupment
anymore.
The main factor is: will your child get FAPE - and the ISBE agrees!
Ten
Common Mistakes Parents Make During the IEP Meeting
2005:
Wrightslaw: 10 Tips:
How to Use IDEA 2004 to Improve Your Child's Special Education by
Wayne Steedman, Esq.
2005: Wrightslaw:
IDEA 2004: What You Need to Know About IEPs & IEP Meetings (IEP
Roadmap)
Primer on Special Education Law
Homeschooling
Laws in Illinois
This link leads to a series of pages listing the statutes and cases
which apply to schooling a child in the home. It also includes an
Attorney General Opinion on providing your child with a disabilitiy
hisor
her education by Home Schooling.
This hard-to-find opinion may be useful for those doing a home
therapyprogram,
together with TH v. Palatine (Court found the ABA
home
program superior to school program) and Florence County v. Carter
(parents can choose a school not accredited by State Board of Ed)
(Copies of the TH case,
levels I, II and III, can be found at DueProcessIllinois.org.)
Note that students in a homeschool or a private school cannot use
due-process
to obtain special education services.
Questions and Answers by the U.S. Department of Education.
This site was created to provide a "one-stop shop" for resources
related to IDEA and its implementing regulations, and will change and
grow as resources
and information become available. When fully implemented, the site will
provide searchable versions of IDEA and the regulations, access to
cross-referenced content from other laws (e.g., the No Child Left
Behind Act (NCLB), the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA),
etc.), video clips on selected topics, topic briefs on selected
regulations, links to OSEP's Technical Assistance and Dissemination
(TA&D) Network and a Q&A Corner where you can submit questions,
and a variety of other information sources.
Old IDEA:
This is appendix A to the1999 IDEA Regulations, in an easy-to-read
format, answering
most questions about the IEP process.
Official
Gov't Printing-Text
Official
Gov't Printing-PDF form
from
Edlaw-html
Carnosine
In October 2002, other news media described the results of a study
showing children improved using a nutritional supplement called
Carnosine.
This page contains some of those articles.
New
law
to prevent school districts from discriminating against children the
schools
think should be medicated.
Packet
of information for parents new to autism
(tons of leads and contacts)
Illinois
Vaccine Laws
The statutes, regulations and exceptions to the compulsory laws.
"For
Some
Parents, the Care Can't End"
The Tender Trap: Parents Devoted
To
a Disabled Child Confront Old Age
Failing Strength May Force The Communal Care They Dreaded for So
Long
An article describing elderly parents taking care of aging autistic
children, Jan. 07, 2004.
Difficult Choices : Needing
Assistance, Parents
of Disabled Resort to Extremes
This is the Looming Crisis...who
will take
care of our children? and how will we pay for it? WSJ
09/20/2005
Rapid Prompting. a CBS News
show from July 2003, re a new technique.
