Partnering With Your School District to Support Your Child’s Needs
Dr. Heidi McCarthy, PhD, Program Director, Education Services, Jawonio
As we celebrate Autism Acceptance Month, Dr. McCarthy provides her vast educational experience and expertise as part of our Jawonio Autism Resource and Training Center video series that began in 2021. We have transcribed the presentation and offered our Autism Series video presentation and edited into a question and answer format. In August we will be relaunching the ARTC with a series of new presentations for families and the community. Stay tuned for details.
Dr. Heidi McCarthy takes us through the process of partnering with your school district in supporting your child’s needs guided by their Individualized Education Program. We hope that this information will help parents gain a broader understanding of advocacy and partnership in the best interests of your child throughout their years in school.
Dr. Heidi McCarthy is our Program Director of Education. Her career in special education started at Jawonio. She then spent several decades in public education in Westchester County, mostly as an administrator of special education. In those roles, she also served as Chairperson of the Committee on Preschool Special Education and Committee on Special Education.
DH: Heidi, tell us about the early conversations related to advocacy for services in the school district?
HM: Often when I would meet with parents, I would hear them say that they had been told by others this advice: when you go to the school district, you must “fight” for services for your child. What I tell parents is that you don’t have to fight; you must partner. And if you form a partnership with the school district, the school district forms a partnership with you.
DH: So now with the partnership in place, take us through the process of having your child evaluated.
HM: The first thing to realize is that there are so many laws and regulations that govern protections for our students with disabilities; federal laws and regulations, as well as state. And I will tell you that in New York State, many of the regulations that we have, exceed what is required by the federal government. There are laws that are protecting our children, there are laws that are guaranteeing that our students with disabilities will receive a free and appropriate education. Then there are also laws that protect them from discrimination. The IDEA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, ensures that your child will receive an education regardless of the severity of their disability.
DH: Will these laws, to the greatest extent possible, ensure that a child will be integrated in their educational experience?
HM: Yes, the children will be right alongside non-disabled peers and have full access to a quality education program. And there are also many components of accountability. School districts have to report back to New York State with regard to a number of different areas that ensure that there is accountability for what is happening in the school district and how the school district is providing education and services to your child.
DH: I would imagine parents who have never known this system could be intimidated by all of the information and navigating in this “new world” right?
HM: Yes. Too often I will see parents come in, especially if it’s their first time they are in a committee meeting room, and there are all these professionals around them. And as the parent, they are hearing things about their child that may be concerning or unsettling to them. And too many times I’ve seen parents just sit back and feel that it’s not their place to say anything. However, the most important voice at the meeting is the parent’s voice, until such time as their child can attend the meeting, and then the child’s voice is the most important voice.
DH: So then your expert advice would be an emphatic ‘do not hesitate to speak at every meeting’
HM: Absolutely. I always recommend that before a parent goes into a meeting, they take time to sit down and write down what they want to share with the committee. The Committee is going to discuss the students’ strengths and their successes. At Jawonio, when we develop a plan for a child, it is strength-based. Our work as educators should be working to address a child’s vulnerabilities and weaknesses through their strengths. It’s really important to talk about their strengths.
DH: Since the focus for the discussion is a child’s strengths, parents should also expect the committee to discuss challenges as well, yes?
HM: Definitely. They will ask questions such as “What’s difficult for the child? What are the goals and visions for the student?” Talk about your goals and visions for the child such as, “I’m hoping that when my child gets into elementary school, he or she will be able to be integrated into a classroom with non-disabled peers” or “I’m hoping that by the time my child is six that he or she will be able to say mommy and daddy” or say, I need to use the bathroom. Whatever it is, based on your child’s particular functioning levels, it’s important that the Committee knows what your goals are for your child.
DH: What are the most important components for parents to know about in developing an Individualized Education Program (IEP)?
HM: After reviewing all the information and hearing from parents, including reviewing evaluations and all of the other sources of information in front of them, the Committee will make a determination if the student qualifies to be classified as a student with a disability.
DH: The key here is what is going to be recommended for your child and what the goals are throughout the year right?
HM: That is the key. The committee is going to discuss what kind of supports or modifications the student needs moving forward, and then they will decide and recommend the programs and services that a student needs, which will then become a comprehensive and meaningful IEP.
DH: Since the IEP is a guide and a blueprint, what happens if a parent disagrees with what is on the IEP?
HM: What is important is that for anyone who doesn’t know your child – they would review the IEP document and in reading through it would absolutely have a good idea regarding their child’s strengths and needs. What I say to parents, after they receive the IEP, if something doesn’t sound or feel right, or if you feel it doesn’t capture your child, then you would want to go back to the school district and share those concerns with the chairperson of the committee.
DH: We’ve talked about strengths, let’s drill down a bit into the areas of the IEP itself.
HM: As educators, we are going to be looking at academic achievement, language, social and physical development, and management needs within the classroom environment. They will consider what that student needs to be able to access their learning. It may be a specialized seating arrangement. It may be something like a student needs to be alerted ahead of time before there is an alarm in the building if that’s possible. It’s very specific based on your child’s needs such as does the student need assistive technology, does the staff need specific training so that the teacher can better understand how to support your child’s needs.
DH: What is the takeaway for parents on how the IEP will shape their own advocacy?
HM: So, now as partners, you and the school have developed this wonderful document. You will be participating in all the meetings. The academic, social, physical, and behavioral goals are all there for the teachers and providers to address. We must lead with strength, and your child’s strengths.
DH: Give us an example of a social goal a parent would want their child to reach?
HM: It could be something like, my goal for my child is to be able to play with another child for 15 minutes; or my goal is that my child be invited to a birthday party. Not that the IEP can guarantee that, but the IEP can certainly work on those behaviors that perhaps would enhance your child’s ability to interact with other children in a more meaningful way.
DH: What happens after the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) or the Committee on Special Education (CSE) has met?
HM: So now that they have developed an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for your child, it’s going to identify the goals and all of the areas of need. It’s going to recommend programs and services such as, consultant teacher or a special class, PT, OT, counseling, parent counseling, training, whatever it is, it’s going to be on that document.
DH: What are some of the recommendations you have in order to keep the communication open in that partnership model?
HM: Keeping clear and open communication amongst yourself, the administrators, the teachers, and the student is critical for the partnership to flow. For example: Find out from the teacher what you can expect regarding communication, so you’ve got that understanding from the beginning. I would also recommend asking questions like, “How can you support learning and the student’s growth at home?”
DH: Finally, reinforcing the IEP at home can lead to greater success is that right?
HM: Yes, because this too is a partnership. Parents should always go to the teacher or the therapist first. And patience is key. You may see a lot of progress at home and in school, however, it may not be as quick as you want to see. But watch those little increments of progress. If they are going in the right direction, continue that communication with the teacher.
The hope then is that your child will have a successful school experience and those experiences will carry over to life at home and outside of school as well.
Thank you, Heidi, for letting our families know that with their voice, and their advocacy, their child will be inspired to reach their greatest potential with an IEP that grows with the child as they grow.
SO MUCH GOOD HAPPENS HERE.
Are you interested in a career in inspiring individuals with special needs on their journey to independence? If your answer is yes, please click on the button below.
It’s time to engage with us on social media!! Let’s Go!! You will learn so much about us like our specialty days, our advocacy efforts, individual, staff and family celebrations and so much more. STAY IN THE KNOW about JAWONIO!!
Like us on FACEBOOK
Follow us on INSTAGRAM
Follow us on LINKEDIN
Subscribe to us on YOUTUBE
Please visit Jawonio.org/careers